Not for the fainthearted

People who do not believe in God often accuse those who are religious of being weak, immature, childish, or dependent.  Even Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (Luke 18:17)  Those who follow Christ are often referred to as children of God, Children of Christ, and children of Abraham.  As Jesus was leaving His disciples He told them their precarious situation: "I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)  It is hard to be in such a paradoxical position, to be powerless among the powerful.  Being a Christian isn't easy, it's actually very difficult.  In fact, the very reason people don't seek the Lord is because it is anything but easy -- it's the hardest thing in the world!  Faith is not for the fainthearted!

Those who would increase their faith must be able to handle all of the most difficult things in life.  Moreover, they must do it willingly and with joy in their hearts.  The Lord will inevitably require the most difficult tasks and sacrifices of them.  He knows the heart, and knows how to test His children, and He will take them to the limit in all things.  They must be "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [them], even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19) 

Sacrifice everything

The essence of growing in the Gospel is sacrifice.  The word "worship" is synonymous with sacrifice.  Joseph Smith stated, "The faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things." (Lectures on Faith, Lecture Sixth)  The requirement is "all earthly things."  All means all and all is all all means.  Jesus said that even your own family must be sacrificed.  "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37)  Nothing you possess is out of the reach of God.  All of it must be sacrificed, or we cannot come to Him. 

Those who make a covenant with the Lord are often surprised by how difficult these sacrifices are.  Many describe what happens next as being akin to Job.  They lose wealth, health, family, friends, lands, houses, and businesses.  As these things are lost, they must sit still and trust in the Lord.  They do not charge God foolishly.  Instead they say as Job, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" (Job 19:25-26)  It is hard to sacrifice to the Lord. 

Stand alone

No matter what everyone else is doing, a Christian must be able to stand alone, even at the peril of his life.  Many have been rejected by their closest friends and relatives in order to follow Christ.  They are often mocked and persecuted for believing differently.  My teenage son told me, "How can you be happy when your own wife and children hate you for what you believe?"  It is hard to be all alone in the world. 

Walk in darkness

Faith is the belief in things which we cannot see.  To walk in faith is paradoxically to walk in both darkness and light.  The darkness is in the world, doing things that make no sense to the outside observer such as keeping the commandments of God.  The light is the Light of Christ, or a knowledge of things that are only spiritually understood.  "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)  All of the "natural men" see Christians as idiots, wasting their lives on some pie-in-the-sky hope that they cannot even explain.  Even Paul noted this paradox: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Corinthians 15:19)  It's hard to walk by faith. 

Move ahead in spite of fear

A blind person without a cane or help is walking in fear.  Every step could bring him into the pit, over a cliff, or some other danger.  Likewise, walking by faith is a fearsome thing.  We are most often not told why we must do things.  The Lord simply commands and we obey.  Sometimes it's painful.  Often it's hard.  Always we must trust that it is for our own benefit.  Because of this we put aside our fear and move ahead with courage in our hearts.  It is hard to be obedient. 

Humble yourself

When we acknowledge the omniscience of God we are at the same time recognizing our own ignorance.  Based on this we humble ourselves and live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)  We give up all things we think and want.  We give up everything we have been taught by our parents, school and society, and try to learn the ways of God.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)  It is hard to be humble. 

Forgive everyone

Jesus commanded His disciples that they go against their very natures, giving up their own sense of justice.  Those who would be followers of Christ must not hold a grudge, seek revenge, or even seek justice on those who hurt them.  There is no amount of pain, big or small, that we don't forgive.  Even when we are repeatedly injured, to seventy times seven, we are to forgive.  A Christian desires forgiveness for himself so he must let go of all justice for others as well.  It's hard to endure injustice. 

Love your enemies

What's more, a Christian must even have to love those who hate, despise, reject, use, or persecute them.  "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)  Forgiveness is not only a matter of letting go of justice, it requires making a sacrifice to benefit those who have hurt us.  A man who randomly shot children in a school, killing many Amish children, then shot and killed himself.  The families of those children who had died took up a collection for the widow of the man who killed them.  This is the very thing it takes to become a child of Christ.  It's hard to love your enemies. 

Endure to the end

Christians cannot make a covenant with God and then not keep it.  We must at all times be witnesses of Him until the end of our lives.  Those who quit have no benefit.  It's a constant battle.  There is no rest.  At the end of his life, Paul had this to say to Timothy, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)  He had endured to the end of his life.  "Endure" is a double entendre: to continue, and to withstand.  It is hard to endure to the end. 

Growing up

Growth is hard.  All of these difficulties that a Christian endures help us to grow.  We grow up in the knowledge of God, coming to know Him.  Paul indicated this in writing about charity.  "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11)  "Putting away childish things" is not easy, but there are benefits.  We are endowed with gifts of knowledge, wisdom, peace, love, and joy.  We can receive the comforting Spirit.  We can have "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding." (Philippians 4:7)  Also, as we learn truth we are freed from the tyranny of sin.  Ultimately, we come to know God, and life.  "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)  Becoming a Christian is worth every effort and sacrifice -- and so much more!  However the process of growing up is definitely not for the fainthearted.

The Destroyer

To spend much time in thought on the subject of Satan is a sin.  However, it is imperative that we identify Satan and his allies in order to avoid them.  We simply point out what is sin and say, "I'm not going there."  It is easy to tell the difference.  The Spirit of God brings faith, love, forgiveness, wisdom, and comfort.  In contrast, the spirit of Satan brings doubt, fear, anger, accusation, and hatred (rejection).  We can know which spirit we have by how we feel -- if there is fear and doubt in our hearts, we have a bad spirit, but if there is peace and joy, we have the Holy Spirit.  It is so easy to know. 

The many names for Satan are instructive of who he is and what he does: the evil one, the wicked one, the accuser, the destroyer, liar, perdition, dragon, murderer, Lucifer, enemy, and adversary.  These are the roles he plays in our lives when we succumb to his influence. 

Wicked -- Satan is against all that is good, being morally wrong with intention to hurt or destroy.  There is no goodness at all; he will never lead anyone towards God.  He will always lead people away from light, truth, and God. 

Destroyer -- To destroy is to lose what you have.  Destruction can only happen to a building that is already constructed.  There are those who come to God through Jesus Christ, building up their spiritual lives, but are destroyed by a single temptation.  As the heel of Achilles proved his downfall, the Destroyer will seek our weakness to bring down all that we have built up. 

Perdition -- Our home is with our Father in Heaven, and when we cannot find our way Home, we are lost.  Perdition literally means lost or wasted.  Satan himself was lost to God when he rebelled, and works to bring all others with him so they become lost to God as well. 

Murderer -- All of God's children have the potential for Eternal Life.  It is the end result of reaching our full potential.  Satan seeks to take that life away from us, and taking away life is murder. 

Liar -- Everything Satan says is a lie.  Even the truth is a lie because it is told with the intent to deceive.  He told Eve that she would not die, but rather should be as God.  This was true, she did not immediately die, physically, and she did begin to know good and evil by her own experience -- as God.  However, it was all a lie because she did die spiritually, and eventually physically, and she could not be as God because she was cast out of Heaven.   The lies of Satan are very subtle and almost always seem to be true.   

Slanderer -- Slander is "bearing false witness" or speaking evil of others.  Satan enlarges every little doubt into fear and loathing.  Every child of God has infinite potential, but Satan makes us believe that we, and others, do not qualify because of our weaknesses.  He uses slander to bring down the children of God to a lower level.  Moreover, he slanders the name of Jesus Christ saying that God doesn't have the power to save us. 

Accuser -- Satan is the one pointing the finger at us because he was cast out.  He was a "Son of the Morning," even "Lucifer," a child of the light.  However, when he sought to take the throne of God by force he was cast out for his rebellion.  To be just, God must also cast out all others who rebel against Him -- they must have the same fate as Satan.  Therefore, he accuses all those who are disobedient to the will of God, requiring justice be served on them. 

Possessed by and evil spirit

Having an evil spirit in our heart produces in us the same qualities of Satan.  However, the outward signs that we manifest are only symptoms of the spirit that possesses us.  A bad mood happens because we are possessed by that spirit; liars are possessed by a lying spirit, the guilty are possessed by an accusing spirit and so forth.  The symptoms of fear, hopelessness, doubt, unhappiness, accusing, slandering or lying only indicate what we are inside.  When we feel any of these things it is an indication to us that we have an evil spirit.   

The way to cast out evil spirits is not by pointing the evil out and focusing on it any more than focusing on pain gets rid of arthritis.  We can relieve the symptoms by trying not to be "negative," but that doesn't change who we are inside.  Only by having the evil spirit cast out can we get rid of the evil spirits that plague us and receive the Spirit of the Lord.  All of us require a "mighty change of heart" in order to cast out the evil spirit and receive the spirit of the Lord.  We do this by turning to the Lord. 

The Comforter

The Spirit of God cannot dwell in unholy temples so we must cast out the evil spirits in order to receive the Holy Ghost.  Every week as we listen to the Sacrament prayers we are taught the pattern to follow: "That they may witness... that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them." (D&C 20:79)  We take the bread and water in witness of our willingness to follow Christ, and always remember Him.  If we do always remember Him then we will have His Spirit to be with us. 

In other words, we become possessed by evil spirits when we fail to remember the body and blood, or the sufferings and death, of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  When we remember Him, we remember that He saves us from our sins, from death and hell.  This is not some pie-in-the-sky salvation, we are saved in the very moment from Satan's grasp by casting out the evil spirits that possess us.  We are also freed from fear and depression, receiving instead the spirit of faith, hope, and charity.  

Receiving the Holy Ghost brings peace.  Just like the ordinance of the gift of the Holy Ghost, Jesus counseled his disciples in the command form:  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  (John 14:27)  By remembering His grace at all times we can cast out the evil spirits that plague us, receive the Holy Ghost, and overcome the Destroyer of peace, love, happiness, and Eternal Life.

The Greater Portion

As we become more obedient to the Lord, we receive a greater portion of His word to guide us.  We know more and have more direction as to what to do.  If we doubt, and don't obey we receive a lesser portion of His word and therefore have less guidance from God until we are left to ourselves.  Alma explains:

"And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell."  (Alma 12:10-11)

The Lesser Portion

Being totally ignorant of the truth makes us susceptible to lies, and living a lie cannot bring happiness.  If we believe everything we hear, or nothing, we have no way to evaluate what is right.  We then too often take the wrong path and end up miserable.  The reason we almost always take the wrong path is because the best way to justify in our minds what we do is what everyone else is doing.  The "bandwagon" propaganda trick is only effective on an ignorant population.  Allow me an example from my profession:

If I'm an oncologist and I do what everyone else is doing I'm safe from all repercussions of my actions.  I can treat a hundred people with cancer and if one survives the deadly doses of chemotherapy and radiation I'm a hero.  However, if I'm an alternative doctor that isn't mainstream and I were to treat those same hundred and only one died I would be a villain for "killing" that one.  I would end up in court where only one question is asked, "What would the other oncologists do?"  If my treatment is different then I would be stripped of my license, and even prosecuted for murder.  Keeping oncologists ignorant of the effects of what they do is necessary for them to continue to “follow the crowd.”

This is found throughout society, in all professions, and all business.  Advertising depends heavily on the concept of "bandwagon" or "this is what everyone is doing."  Children use it to convince their parents to buy them things or allow them to do things.  If the parents don't have a good sense of right and wrong, they will often give in.  This leads to captivity and death.

"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil."  (Alma 40:13)

No, ignorance is most assuredly not bliss!  In order to be happy, we must have as much of the truth as possible.  The more we know, the more happy we can be.  When we accept and live by the lesser portion, then we can move on to the greater portion of God's word.

The greater portion

Those who desire more have to find a source of truth that is greater than any human being can possess.  All humans are limited by our experience.  We can be very intelligent, but until we know everything, we really know nothing.  Thus, the only way to find truth is by asking the One who knows -- God.  The Lord desires to teach us all things, but cannot give understanding all at once.  We need to learn as children always learn, a little at a time.  We cannot understand calculus unless we have a firm grasp of arithmetic and algebra.  We cannot understand Shakespeare until we know the meaning of words.  God teaches us in the same way, as Nephi explains:

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have." (2 Nephi 28:30)

This concept of learning little-by-little applies to every situation.  In one sense, we are all children who have gone away to school.  The Earth is our school.  Those who accept truth when it is given can get more truth.  However, just as children can decide not to learn in school, we can reject the knowledge of God, and remain ignorant.  Those who say, "I have enough" will lose even what they have until they know nothing.  

A great example of this is found in those who profess to believe in the Bible and say they want to know God, but reject anything else that comes from God.  When Joseph Smith brought forth the Book of Mormon "Christians" everywhere were up in arms against him saying that the Bible was enough, and they didn't want any more of God's word.  Again, Nephi explains: 

Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. (2 Nephi 29:6-8)

Later, Mormon explains that one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to try the faith of those who profess to believe in God.  If they receive the Book of Mormon, they will be able to continue on and receive more: 

"And when they shall have received this [Book of Mormon], which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.  And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.  (3 Nephi 26:9-10)

Use it or lose it

In every case, the Scriptures state that those who accept the lesser may receive greater, while those who don't will lose everything.  This is very important.  We don't just stay stagnant with the small amount of knowledge we currently possess, we actually lose it all when we stop learning and growing.  There is no "enough."  When we resist knowledge, we lose it, even those things that we knew.  This is true everywhere.  If we don't keep up our use of any knowledge, we lose it.  My daughter came home and asked me to help her with her algebra, simple things that I once knew in school, but I couldn't because what she needed was lost to me because I hadn't used it in so long.  

The way to knowledge is by constantly learning and growing.  We must go to the Source of all knowledge frequently in daily prayer and scripture study.  We must accept the small portions we are given so that we can learn more, never saying, “I have enough.”  We must obey each little part in order to receive more.  As we are faithful and obedient to what we are given we will be given more until we really do know everything:  "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (D&C 50:24)  "Perfect" in the Scriptures means "complete" or "whole."  There will come a time when those who continue to learn will have a complete knowledge -- or "the greater portion."