Live, and Give Life

I used to say, "live and let live..."

Only in the past couple of days have I come to realize that I was really saying, "Live and let DIE!"

Throughout my life I have viewed Christianity as a philosophy, or a two-dimensional idea. I fully believed and knew that it was true, but it had the status of an idea, it wasn't real. I had a certain understanding, and allowed others keep their own ideas. This is "tolerance." I would love to share my philosophy with others, and listen to theirs in a pleasant exchange of ideas. In my head, or heart, Christianity was just another philosophy, among many. I believed it to be the truth, and I had many experiences that confirmed this to me, however being Christian remained a concept.

Through a series of experiences in the past several weeks I have come to know that accepting Christ as our Savior isn't just a good idea, it's not just truth, it is life. It is everything. It is the purpose of life. It is the reality of existence. It's really, really important. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of becoming a disciple of Christ. Not only is it the beginning of everything good, it is the end of everything bad.

I have done a grave disservice to my family because I wasn't valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ. I let my wife and children be on their own, independent. I gave them what I had. I wanted them to go to church and participate in the rituals of my religion, but I left them alone in just accepting whatever they believed. But, in the end, they didn't accept my two-dimensional religion.

Now I feel differently. Because of this the Atonement of Jesus Christ has taken on a real, three-dimensional, aspect. Instead of being like a picture, it is now palpable; it isn't a philosophy, it is life, reality, and truth. Everything else is false. If we don't believe in Jesus Christ and obey the word of God we will not return to Heaven, we will not be happy, we will suffer the most intense and horrific suffering, more than can be imagined by man. There is no way out in Hell, as Dante said, "Abandon hope all who enter here!" This suffering will apply to EACH and EVERY person who doesn't accept Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter how much of a "good" life one has lived, nor does your particular philosophy matter.

There are many philosophies that include the death of the body as the end of consciousness. This is dangerously false. I actually thought it would be fine because I would just cease to exist, I even liked the idea -- but that isn't possible. Existence goes on forever, our only choice is how we are going to continue. "Death" in the Eternal sense means "separation," physical death being the separation of body and spirit, and spiritual death being separation from God. Separation from God is NOT fun. You will go on, the only real choice in life is to go on in misery, or to believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ and be saved from death and suffering.

I now know why the martyrs suffered so much for their testimony of Jesus Christ. They had a testimony of what it really means to be His disciple. They had views of Eternity. They had built their house on The Rock, or Foundation that cannot fall. They knew what I now know -- there is no other way. Whatever we suffer in life is limited and temporary -- nothing, compared to Endless suffering. I would suffer any pain, deprivation, torture, or death for this truth because it is everything good, and there is nothing outside of Him. To deny Him is Eternal torment, which is beyond anything we could suffer in the flesh.

I also know why we even capitalize the pronouns that refer to Him! I used to think it was just convention due out of respect because He is our Creator, but now I know that it's all about Him. He is the Light and Life of the World. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all that is. Without Him there is no life, no health, no happiness, no joy, no goodness, no pleasure, and no peace. All that is left is misery, suffering, sorrow, loneliness, and pain.

With Him is everything good. Good is whatever leads us to Him, and evil is whatever takes us away. Evil is simply the absence of Christ. Thus, my concept of "live and let live" is really "live and let die." If I allow others to maintain their false philosophies, then they remain without Christ and will only find misery, suffering, and death. Life is in Him, and everything else is death.

Not, "Live and let live."

Not, "Live and let die."

Rather, "live and give life." Share knowledge and wisdom of the reality of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Live and give life! An old movie I saw as a child called "Logan's Run" had a big impact on me. They were in a domed city where all their needs were met. They had no families, no work, no struggle for life. Logan heard about the world outside and went to find it. What he found was beauty and infinite variety in nature, he went back to tell the others. He came to the place where those who were programmed to die before they became a burden were going in and yelled to them, "You don't have to die! You can live! LIVE!" This is what I want to shout to all. Everyone who will believe in Jesus Christ can live!

Everyone needs to know this. It's not just another philosophy. We don't just need to convince people it's true. It's the only path to God and life. Any other way only brings suffering and death. "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise." (2 Nephi 2:8)