What kinds of sacrifices can we make? Is tithing a sacrifice? What about keeping the Sabbath day Holy? Perhaps our service in the Church is a sacrifice. Do you sacrifice for your family? The question of life is simple: What do we sacrifice for the Lord?
Samuel told the people of Israel: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)
The sacrifice we make must be commanded by the Lord. This is why it is so important to have the Holy Ghost with us -- He will tell us exactly what to sacrifice. Though we would rather give token sacrifices, the Lord requires a real sacrifice of love.
Sacrifice is Love
Love as used in the Scriptures could be defined as: "sacrificing yourself to bless another. Every time we choose the right, every time we give up what we want for the Lord, every time we let go of an addiction or desire, every time we give ourselves to bless one of God's children we show love for Him.
For example, I was wondering how I could "fit in" scripture study every day because I'm so busy. Normally, I take time in the morning to go through my email, write in my journal, and make sure my work is done. It's my time when nobody is awake where I won't be disturbed, when I can do what I like. However, the Spirit whispers that I could use this time to be with Him, and do the email at work or during lunch. The sacrifice of my own desires of spending my time in worldly pursuits shows my love for Him.
Jesus defined love in the following scripture: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Notice that it contains both elements: sacrifice, and blessing others. He was partly referring to His own sacrifice, where He would give up His life for all those who would follow Him.
Through His ultimate sacrifice we are all blessed, from the greatest to the least of God's children. This is called "Charity" or the pure love of Christ. Mormon implores us to, "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ;" (Moroni 7:48)
We are filled with this love when we follow Christ by making the ultimate sacrifice.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
We hear about people who die making the "ultimate sacrifice" in a war or other line of duty. However, giving our lives may not always be the ultimate sacrifice. The only real sacrifice we can make is that of our will. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained this concept, "The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give! ...[it is] the only unconditional surrender which is also a total victory!"
To sacrifice means to give up something we desire. The "sacrifices" we make of the things of the world such as our money in paying tithing, our time in serving in the church, or even our lives, are all given, or on loan, to us from God. They are only metaphorical sacrifices. The real sacrifice is giving our heart or our will. For each person it will be different because we have different desires.
The "heart" as used in the scriptures may be defined as our deepest desires, or the will. Those things on which we have set our hearts, or the things we expect in our lives. How many of us know people who have broken hearts? The broken heart is when we lose or are denied the greatest desires of our heart. Some lose friends, relatives, abilities, a spouse, children, businesses, lands, and so forth. Some are denied marriage or children or some other righteous desire. If we are willing to let go of those things lost or withheld from us we can make the ultimate sacrifice. It's the sacrifice of our hearts that can help us to submit our will to God.
This choice is the most difficult of all. All those who don't believe in God are trying to avoid this sacrifice. Allow me an illustration: (If Elder Uchdorf can use his experience as a pilot to illustrate Gospel principles, I can use mine as a doctor.)
A twenty-year-old Mexican woman named Leticia came into my office in great distress. She was crying. Her problem was that she was gaining weight on a very low-calorie diet -- and now she even had diabetes! She was so frustrated! She had been to various specialists and had tried multiple medications, but they weren't helping -- she just continued to gain weight. I asked her to write down everything she ate for a couple of weeks and, sure enough, she was eating less than a thousand Calories per day, and had gained weight. We did some testing and found a hormone imbalance that caused her to be unable to use fat for energy. There are no medications for this particular problem, the only way to regulate the hormones is by forcing her liver to use fat with a very strict low-carbohydrate diet. She had to make a sacrifice -- either she had to live with the weight gain, obesity and diabetes, or she had to give up sugar and starch. As we discussed the specifics of her treatment she buried her face in her hands, "I'm never going to be healthy!" she blurted out.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because Mexican food is so good!"
At first she "went away sorrowing," because she didn't think she could do it. She tried several other treatments, but eventually came back and was able to submit completely to getting well. She made the sacrifice, lost weight, and she no longer has diabetes!
In coming to Earth all mankind has a common mandate -- sacrifice. We must make a sacrifice. In the hymn "Choose the Right" we sing, "There's a right and a wrong to every question..." People like to hear that they won't have to make a sacrifice. Leticia went away searching for an easier way. She didn't want to have to give up either one, but later discovered that the default of not sacrificing her favorite foods was always going to lead to worse disease.
A decision must be made. James McClatchy tells the story of Matt Thornton who was trying to transfer from one canoe to another while out on a lake. He got one foot in each canoe and while straddling the two canoes, he had a moment of indecision and they started moving apart, at some point he had to make a decision to jump into one or the other. He ended up in the water (like outer darkness).
Ultimately, we will either sacrifice God or the world. Either we do what we want, or what He wants. It's our choice. We are given freedom and God will always respect our freedom to choose. He will never cross the line of forcing us to do something against our will. However, The wonderful thing about this sacrifice is that as we progress, our hearts are changed like the people of King Benjamin: "the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2)
The way to do this is to put our faith in Christ. If we believe that He can make us well, that He can show us the way, then we will be obedient to His word. We take Him as our coach to Heaven, always looking to Him for direction. Moroni explains: "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ;" (Moroni 10:32)
Mormon tells us how the Sons of Mosiah were able to make the ultimate sacrifice. "...they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." (Helaman 3:35)
A gradual process
In other words, it isn't an event, but rather a process that happens "line upon line, precept on precept, here a little and there a little..." The process "distils upon our souls as the dews from heaven." We are gradually changed as we fast and pray, and continue seeking His will for us. Our goals change from those of the world: money, lands, houses, and business to those things of the Lord: Holy things, The Holy Scriptures, the Holy Temple, The Holy Sabbath, The Holy Prophets who testify of Christ. Moreover, we seek the Holy Ghost to guide us in all things, every minute of every day we seek to serve the Lord by being obedient to His Holy Spirit.
Ultimately, we follow Jesus Christ. He sacrificed all things for us. He suffered more than any man can suffer. He suffered and died innocently. He was falsely accused. He was unjustly punished. He descended below all things so He would be able to raise us up to God. Ultimately, we "yield our hearts unto God" giving Him our whole heart, sacrificing our will to His. This is what Jesus did. He leads, we follow, making the ultimate sacrifice, or that of the will.
We wonder what benefit is it to give up our own desires and turn them over to the Lord. The Lord told Joseph Smith: "Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me." (D&C 97:8) To be accepted of Christ is to receive all that He has. He has all the Father has. This is the path to receiving every good thing. It is the path to happiness.
King Benjamin implores his people to "consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness." (Mosiah 2:41)
Happiness
If happiness is what you desire, I assure you it is not found in pills, money, food, or gratification of any desire. Happiness comes from following our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, into the depths of humility, sacrificing our desires, and submitting our will to His by keeping His commandments. This is the true path to happiness both in this life, and in Eternity!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Love and Mystery
The big question for couples in love is intoned by Dan Fogelberg: "Now that we love... how do we make love stay?" The song contains the following lines:
" Moments fleet taste sweet within the rapture,
Where precious flesh is greedily consumed;
'cause mystery's a thing not easily captured,
And once deceased not easily exhumed."
Dan Fogelberg, Now That We Love
Romantic love is based on mystery, or fantasy. In stories and novels about love between a man and a woman there is an essential element of mystery involved. A man can look at a beautiful woman and fall in love with her in an instant, without knowing anything about her. A woman falls in love with a tall, dark, and handsome stranger who rescues her from her mundane life. Their eyes meet for the first time, and they know destiny is about to be fulfilled. In this case they each love the prospect of the other being able to fulfill a fantasy. They see the potential of being loved by the perfect person. They seem to melt together, they fit so well. This truly is love. The mystery is necessary for romantic love to continue.
However, as Dan Fogelberg points out, once the mystery is gone and we find that we have just another person with weaknesses and problems the fantasy dies and doesn't come back. Reality is constantly staring us in the face. We can no longer pretend he or she is the person who fulfills our dreams. Love dies. They accuse each other of lying -- you aren't the one I married! They didn't really fit one another's fantasies, as hard as they may have tried.
Best friends
In the movie The Lion King the young Simba and his friend Nala are told that they are betrothed and their reactions illustrate how people feel about love and marriage:
Simba: "EEEEWWW! I couldn't marry her, she's my friend!"
Nala: "Yeah, that'd be weird!"
Why is it "weird" to marry your friend? We feel like falling in love as a mystery that pulls us in, over which we have no control. We don't know the other, we just get lucky. But this is not such a mystery -- it is selfish -- we really fall in love with our own fantasy that we attach to the other, which cannot happen to someone we already know well.
On the other hand, enduring love is not based on a fantasy, but rather on reality. Emotionally mature people fall in love as well, but not with a fantasy, they instead come to know their partner in a very intimate and real way. They learn to love both heart and soul, both body and spirit. We truly love the other with knowledge of who they are -- it's about our mate.
Many couples remain together without expecting to be in love. They just keep each other company, as if knowing and loving are mutually exclusive. Tevye asks his wife in Fiddler on the Roof if she loves him after 25 years of marriage. She tells him about all the years she has cooked his meals, cleaned up his messes and so forth, and then asks, "If that isn't love, what is?" But that's not what he wanted to know; he wanted to know if she felt it, not just doing her duty. She did. They were not only lovers, but friends in every sense of the word. Falling in love with someone we really know, respect, and admire is truly being lucky. The difference is night and day: mystery is selfish, but true love is selfless; it's not about my spouse fitting into my fantasy, but rather me loving her as she really is.
Lucky to be in love
After being thrown suddenly into the singles world again at the ripe age of 48 I was aghast at the possibilities. I felt like I was on a very high rope bridge with no side rails. I couldn't even see the bottom. I really wanted to be married, but I needed guidance in how to go about finding a mate. I didn't want to repeat my previous experience, and didn't know if I could trust my heart. On the one hand, I was still an emotional child and desired the fantasy, but on the other I had grown enough to know that I didn't want a child to take care of. Most of the women I met were also in the fantasy, looking for mystery, and trying to be mysterious; they didn't want to be known, just taken care-of.
I went on a date to a dance with an older woman who had never been married, whom I had known for awhile. She was very nice, but there was no "chemistry." I also signed up on an internet dating site, just to see what kind of women I would meet. I was asked-out by women I had known long enough to know I didn't want a marriage relationship. It was very difficult because I didn't really know what I was looking for.
Luckily there was a beautiful, mature woman whom I had known for almost thirty years. She was my friend, actually the only friend I had left in the world that I could confide in. I told her about my dilemma, and she was sympathetic. She had recently lost her husband to cancer and was in the same position so she knew what I was going through. I told her about the prospects I encountered, the dates I went on, and the internet site. Secretly, I wondered if the two of us could be married, but the logistics seemed overwhelming. Besides, she was my friend, not a lover, there was no "mystery."
One evening while I was at her house we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time talking for hours. We had the same ideals, goals, and opinions, but more than that, I admired her spiritual insights, wisdom and experience. Then, as I was going home it hit me: I wanted someone like her! Finally I could see clearly what I was looking for. I was no longer on an unstable bridge without rails. Now I was on a clearly-defined road. I knew what I wanted, and, more importantly, what I didn't want. I sent her an email with the good news: I had so much respect for her that I was going to look for a woman like her to marry!
Meanwhile, she was trying to get me to notice her. Someone suggested a raincoat, but that wouldn't have worked -- I would have freaked-out! Too weird! She actually brought up the possibility of us getting together a couple of times, but I couldn't see it. Then, we were on vacation together, riding snowmobiles and it occurred to me that we were having so much fun; I really enjoyed my time with her. For the first time I considered being with her. I thought about how good it would be if we could be together all the time. There was still some weirdness in the thought of marriage, but having her around seemed like a really good idea. Why should I go out looking for someone like her when I could have her? I already loved her, and had the greatest respect for her -- she was my best friend. We talked about it, and got married.
It wasn't until after we were married that I truly fell in love with her. This change of feelings is no mystery, and there is no fantasy. I feel so lucky to be in love with my best friend. I understand now that love doesn't have to die. Mystery dies with the fantasy, but true love is forever. It's all real. I love her heart. I love her soul. I love her body. I love her mind. I love her spirit. I love who she is. I admire her strengths. I love her weaknesses (because she asks me for help, and I love any opportunity to serve her). There is nothing she could or would do to make me lose the love I have for her -- I know her, inside and out. There is no fantasy. There are no skeletons. There is no hidden agenda. There is no mystery -- just love. That's how we "make love stay."
" Moments fleet taste sweet within the rapture,
Where precious flesh is greedily consumed;
'cause mystery's a thing not easily captured,
And once deceased not easily exhumed."
Dan Fogelberg, Now That We Love
Romantic love is based on mystery, or fantasy. In stories and novels about love between a man and a woman there is an essential element of mystery involved. A man can look at a beautiful woman and fall in love with her in an instant, without knowing anything about her. A woman falls in love with a tall, dark, and handsome stranger who rescues her from her mundane life. Their eyes meet for the first time, and they know destiny is about to be fulfilled. In this case they each love the prospect of the other being able to fulfill a fantasy. They see the potential of being loved by the perfect person. They seem to melt together, they fit so well. This truly is love. The mystery is necessary for romantic love to continue.
However, as Dan Fogelberg points out, once the mystery is gone and we find that we have just another person with weaknesses and problems the fantasy dies and doesn't come back. Reality is constantly staring us in the face. We can no longer pretend he or she is the person who fulfills our dreams. Love dies. They accuse each other of lying -- you aren't the one I married! They didn't really fit one another's fantasies, as hard as they may have tried.
Best friends
In the movie The Lion King the young Simba and his friend Nala are told that they are betrothed and their reactions illustrate how people feel about love and marriage:
Simba: "EEEEWWW! I couldn't marry her, she's my friend!"
Nala: "Yeah, that'd be weird!"
Why is it "weird" to marry your friend? We feel like falling in love as a mystery that pulls us in, over which we have no control. We don't know the other, we just get lucky. But this is not such a mystery -- it is selfish -- we really fall in love with our own fantasy that we attach to the other, which cannot happen to someone we already know well.
On the other hand, enduring love is not based on a fantasy, but rather on reality. Emotionally mature people fall in love as well, but not with a fantasy, they instead come to know their partner in a very intimate and real way. They learn to love both heart and soul, both body and spirit. We truly love the other with knowledge of who they are -- it's about our mate.
Many couples remain together without expecting to be in love. They just keep each other company, as if knowing and loving are mutually exclusive. Tevye asks his wife in Fiddler on the Roof if she loves him after 25 years of marriage. She tells him about all the years she has cooked his meals, cleaned up his messes and so forth, and then asks, "If that isn't love, what is?" But that's not what he wanted to know; he wanted to know if she felt it, not just doing her duty. She did. They were not only lovers, but friends in every sense of the word. Falling in love with someone we really know, respect, and admire is truly being lucky. The difference is night and day: mystery is selfish, but true love is selfless; it's not about my spouse fitting into my fantasy, but rather me loving her as she really is.
Lucky to be in love
After being thrown suddenly into the singles world again at the ripe age of 48 I was aghast at the possibilities. I felt like I was on a very high rope bridge with no side rails. I couldn't even see the bottom. I really wanted to be married, but I needed guidance in how to go about finding a mate. I didn't want to repeat my previous experience, and didn't know if I could trust my heart. On the one hand, I was still an emotional child and desired the fantasy, but on the other I had grown enough to know that I didn't want a child to take care of. Most of the women I met were also in the fantasy, looking for mystery, and trying to be mysterious; they didn't want to be known, just taken care-of.
I went on a date to a dance with an older woman who had never been married, whom I had known for awhile. She was very nice, but there was no "chemistry." I also signed up on an internet dating site, just to see what kind of women I would meet. I was asked-out by women I had known long enough to know I didn't want a marriage relationship. It was very difficult because I didn't really know what I was looking for.
Luckily there was a beautiful, mature woman whom I had known for almost thirty years. She was my friend, actually the only friend I had left in the world that I could confide in. I told her about my dilemma, and she was sympathetic. She had recently lost her husband to cancer and was in the same position so she knew what I was going through. I told her about the prospects I encountered, the dates I went on, and the internet site. Secretly, I wondered if the two of us could be married, but the logistics seemed overwhelming. Besides, she was my friend, not a lover, there was no "mystery."
One evening while I was at her house we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time talking for hours. We had the same ideals, goals, and opinions, but more than that, I admired her spiritual insights, wisdom and experience. Then, as I was going home it hit me: I wanted someone like her! Finally I could see clearly what I was looking for. I was no longer on an unstable bridge without rails. Now I was on a clearly-defined road. I knew what I wanted, and, more importantly, what I didn't want. I sent her an email with the good news: I had so much respect for her that I was going to look for a woman like her to marry!
Meanwhile, she was trying to get me to notice her. Someone suggested a raincoat, but that wouldn't have worked -- I would have freaked-out! Too weird! She actually brought up the possibility of us getting together a couple of times, but I couldn't see it. Then, we were on vacation together, riding snowmobiles and it occurred to me that we were having so much fun; I really enjoyed my time with her. For the first time I considered being with her. I thought about how good it would be if we could be together all the time. There was still some weirdness in the thought of marriage, but having her around seemed like a really good idea. Why should I go out looking for someone like her when I could have her? I already loved her, and had the greatest respect for her -- she was my best friend. We talked about it, and got married.
It wasn't until after we were married that I truly fell in love with her. This change of feelings is no mystery, and there is no fantasy. I feel so lucky to be in love with my best friend. I understand now that love doesn't have to die. Mystery dies with the fantasy, but true love is forever. It's all real. I love her heart. I love her soul. I love her body. I love her mind. I love her spirit. I love who she is. I admire her strengths. I love her weaknesses (because she asks me for help, and I love any opportunity to serve her). There is nothing she could or would do to make me lose the love I have for her -- I know her, inside and out. There is no fantasy. There are no skeletons. There is no hidden agenda. There is no mystery -- just love. That's how we "make love stay."
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Damnation
The object of life is to continue -- forever -- without end. There is no rest. There is no stopping point. There is no reaching the top. It is said that when Alexander the Great conquered the known world he sat down and cried because there was no more world to conquer. He was done, but he wanted more. He wanted to go on, but didn't know about anything else. Life is like that. We grow as much as we know, and then we reach our full stature and stop growing.
Damned
When a structure is built to hold back water we call it a dam. The root word of damn is the same, and has the same basic meaning. Damnation is just stopped development. Arrested physical development causes short stature, or loss of some function of the body, which limits the ability of the person to perform certain physical tasks and thus what he can do with his life. One who has no arm function will have a much harder time playing golf, for example. While the loss of physical abilities can affect our mortal lives, arrested spiritual development affects us forever. This is damnation. A person may stop growing spiritually for a variety of reasons.
Ignorance
Alexander didn't go on to conquer more because he didn't know there was more. This is the way most people who wish to go on get blocked -- they simply don't know any other possibilities. Society does not teach people who they really are, and their true potential so people just assume that what they know is all there is. Many are comfortable with what they have and stop looking for more, remaining ignorant all their lives. If Alexander had looked, he would have found twice the world he had already conquered.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8) Ignorance is a failure to look.
Addictions
People let their appetites control them to stop their development. They are unwilling to give up their taste for food, or let go of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, pornography, and so forth to be able to move on. Addictions of all kinds stop progression. For example, homosexuality is arrested emotional development because the person assumes his feelings are all that exist. He doesn't realize that there is so much more outside of what he feels. Whenever people try to live by a feeling, they move backwards, not forwards, and thus stop developing.
"...see that ye bridle all your passions that ye may be filled with love." (Alma 38:12) Allowing feelings to run wild leads to a lack of love, and arrested development.
Religion
One huge cause of damnation is religious zeal. Being a member of a religion puts one at risk for assuming he is right, and therefore righteous. Religion assumes power where there is none such as when people are told that they are forgiven of their sins. For example, Christianity commonly stops progress by telling believers they have arrived. Once they have "confessed Christ" they can do no wrong, they can do no right, they are just saved by floating along. People believe they are righteous, good, or worthy and have no need to go further. They stop trying because they have "found it!" "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see." To assume you see means you are no longer searching. The grace is given. You're done. This can easily lead to arrested development because there is no goal to strive for. "Arrival" is the same as damnation.
Belief
It seems like we can believe those things we experience, what we see, feel, hear, taste, and smell. However, the opposite is true. We really only see what we believe. Jelly Bellies are candies that taste remarkably like food. People tasting one called "buttered popcorn" could believe they are actually eating buttered popcorn, but it's really just ketones that provide a taste and smell. All of the senses can thus be tricked. If you believe only the things you can comprehend with your senses, you will be limited, and damned.
What can we believe?
"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." (Mosiah 4:9-10)
If you don't believe in God, you won't do what is necessary to grow. Unbelief in reality stops growth just as much as believing your senses. Those things you believe, or don't can arrest development.
Pride
Ultimately, there is one attribute that will stop growth cold with no chance of recovery. If we have pride we will be turned inward and know only what we know, what we feel, and what we are. We cannot get outside of ourselves and therefore cannot grow bigger than we are. Pride is the fall of all mankind who have arrested development. Pride stopped the growth of one of the greatest of Gods children, a son of the morning, even Lucifer:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
(Isaiah 14:12-14)
His pride brought him down. He assumed powers that weren't his to take. Instead of humbling himself and submitting to God, he made himself a god. Perhaps he was especially talented and gifted. He was a great leader because he got a large following to fight against the Lord. He tried to impose his will on others, taking away their freedom. He wanted more, but it had to be his way. Pride.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) Pride creates arrested development.
Goals
We often work very hard towards goals that stop our spiritual growth. All temporal goals may lead us away from our destiny. The important part is the focus. If we are focused on the things of the world, then our goal will be temporary, and our efforts will be ultimately wasted. These are the people who get everything they want, who work for and finally arrive at their goal and cry like Alexander the Great, or say like Macbeth, "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, And put a barren scepter in my grip." Though your goal is to be the king of everything it is still nothing compared to the goal our Father in Heaven has for us.
Eternal Life
Our "full stature" is to own the Universe, to have the power of God -- and then move on from there. The Apostle Paul wrote an epistle to the Ephesian Saints, giving them this goal: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13) Unity. Knowledge. Perfection. Our full height is the "stature of the fulness of Christ!" We have the potential of becoming like Christ because we are the children of God. "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:17) He is the Son of God and will inherit everything God has. We are nothing less. Aspiring to anything less is retardation, developmental delay, cretinism, arrested development, or damnation.
Damned
When a structure is built to hold back water we call it a dam. The root word of damn is the same, and has the same basic meaning. Damnation is just stopped development. Arrested physical development causes short stature, or loss of some function of the body, which limits the ability of the person to perform certain physical tasks and thus what he can do with his life. One who has no arm function will have a much harder time playing golf, for example. While the loss of physical abilities can affect our mortal lives, arrested spiritual development affects us forever. This is damnation. A person may stop growing spiritually for a variety of reasons.
Ignorance
Alexander didn't go on to conquer more because he didn't know there was more. This is the way most people who wish to go on get blocked -- they simply don't know any other possibilities. Society does not teach people who they really are, and their true potential so people just assume that what they know is all there is. Many are comfortable with what they have and stop looking for more, remaining ignorant all their lives. If Alexander had looked, he would have found twice the world he had already conquered.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8) Ignorance is a failure to look.
Addictions
People let their appetites control them to stop their development. They are unwilling to give up their taste for food, or let go of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, pornography, and so forth to be able to move on. Addictions of all kinds stop progression. For example, homosexuality is arrested emotional development because the person assumes his feelings are all that exist. He doesn't realize that there is so much more outside of what he feels. Whenever people try to live by a feeling, they move backwards, not forwards, and thus stop developing.
"...see that ye bridle all your passions that ye may be filled with love." (Alma 38:12) Allowing feelings to run wild leads to a lack of love, and arrested development.
Religion
One huge cause of damnation is religious zeal. Being a member of a religion puts one at risk for assuming he is right, and therefore righteous. Religion assumes power where there is none such as when people are told that they are forgiven of their sins. For example, Christianity commonly stops progress by telling believers they have arrived. Once they have "confessed Christ" they can do no wrong, they can do no right, they are just saved by floating along. People believe they are righteous, good, or worthy and have no need to go further. They stop trying because they have "found it!" "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see." To assume you see means you are no longer searching. The grace is given. You're done. This can easily lead to arrested development because there is no goal to strive for. "Arrival" is the same as damnation.
Belief
It seems like we can believe those things we experience, what we see, feel, hear, taste, and smell. However, the opposite is true. We really only see what we believe. Jelly Bellies are candies that taste remarkably like food. People tasting one called "buttered popcorn" could believe they are actually eating buttered popcorn, but it's really just ketones that provide a taste and smell. All of the senses can thus be tricked. If you believe only the things you can comprehend with your senses, you will be limited, and damned.
What can we believe?
"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." (Mosiah 4:9-10)
If you don't believe in God, you won't do what is necessary to grow. Unbelief in reality stops growth just as much as believing your senses. Those things you believe, or don't can arrest development.
Pride
Ultimately, there is one attribute that will stop growth cold with no chance of recovery. If we have pride we will be turned inward and know only what we know, what we feel, and what we are. We cannot get outside of ourselves and therefore cannot grow bigger than we are. Pride is the fall of all mankind who have arrested development. Pride stopped the growth of one of the greatest of Gods children, a son of the morning, even Lucifer:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
(Isaiah 14:12-14)
His pride brought him down. He assumed powers that weren't his to take. Instead of humbling himself and submitting to God, he made himself a god. Perhaps he was especially talented and gifted. He was a great leader because he got a large following to fight against the Lord. He tried to impose his will on others, taking away their freedom. He wanted more, but it had to be his way. Pride.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) Pride creates arrested development.
Goals
We often work very hard towards goals that stop our spiritual growth. All temporal goals may lead us away from our destiny. The important part is the focus. If we are focused on the things of the world, then our goal will be temporary, and our efforts will be ultimately wasted. These are the people who get everything they want, who work for and finally arrive at their goal and cry like Alexander the Great, or say like Macbeth, "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, And put a barren scepter in my grip." Though your goal is to be the king of everything it is still nothing compared to the goal our Father in Heaven has for us.
Eternal Life
Our "full stature" is to own the Universe, to have the power of God -- and then move on from there. The Apostle Paul wrote an epistle to the Ephesian Saints, giving them this goal: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13) Unity. Knowledge. Perfection. Our full height is the "stature of the fulness of Christ!" We have the potential of becoming like Christ because we are the children of God. "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:17) He is the Son of God and will inherit everything God has. We are nothing less. Aspiring to anything less is retardation, developmental delay, cretinism, arrested development, or damnation.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Way to Change
Hans Christian Andersen wrote a tale about an Emperor who wanted some new clothes. A couple of charlatans came to him and offered to make his clothes out of the finest cloth ever woven, so fine that it can only be seen by those whose hearts are pure, who are fit for their post. (Why an emperor would ever agree to wear such cloth on his own body is a mystery, for if he had any sense at all he would know that nobody is fit for their post, and he would be exposed) Nevertheless, he agreed, and the clothing was "made." As the emperor marched down the street nobody dared admit they couldn't see the clothing, until a child pointed out the naked man. The emperor was a fool.
I would like to take a part of this story as an illustration of human nature. Everyone feels insecure -- it's universal in all cultures, all races, and all times. Just like all the people in the story were lying to themselves and others that they really could see the beautiful clothes of the emperor, each person is plagued with feelings of inadequacy, and likewise fear so they live a lie. We are shamed by others into "seeing" things that don't exist. Modern examples of the emperors clothing include:
Global warming, climate change, or whatever
Evolution
Cancer treatment
The need to invade other countries and declare war
Science
Homosexuality
Justice/Law
Modern Physics
Atheism
Medicine
Religion
Politics/freedom
Addictions
Money/Economics
Our particular culture dictates what we think about these things and we just parrot what "everyone" is saying. We "see" what doesn't exist, and pass along the same lies to others who then do the same. Each is afraid to speak the truth because of shame. Everyone is saying it so it must be true. Because of our shame we have insecurity and are unable to go against the crowd.
Shame is universal, transcending both time and place, and until we overcome it we are doomed to remain fools. We will live lies and pass them on to others. Some try to see the truth, but are kept from it by their peers, and all the so-called experts who are so sure of themselves. Some try religion to overcome shame. Others go to counselors, and still others seek to become experts, studying all the time. There are three basic ways to deal with shame.
Sweep it under the rug
To hide the shame is the object of most psychotherapy, and some religions. Pretend it doesn't exist. Ignore it and it will go away. Blame it on others. Blame it on your mother -- she's the one who shamed you by teaching you morality. Deny the existence of right and wrong. Everything is good. You are OK. You are really good, not bad, and there's no reason for you to feel this way. Suppress those feelings, or deny them.
Atheists, agnostics, and New Age religionists become a "law unto themselves" to deny their shame. If I make the laws, I can do what I want and there is no shame in this.
However, denial doesn't really make it go away, and causes many other problems. People who deny their feelings of guilt and shame end up sweeping all their feelings under the rug. They become "past feeling" and are unable to feel love, joy, peace, and happiness. They live with constant, low-grade, or intermittent depression and anxiety. They use drugs to try to suppress these feelings. Denial doesn't solve the problem, and only creates more problems.
Do all the right things
Most religions have a list of boxes that can be checked to make one feel good. Sometimes it's the religion, but mostly it's the person choosing to be self-righteous that uses the religion to deny his guilt and prevent shame. I was one of these, learning all I could about religion so I could do everything right. The Pharisees of the time of Jesus were the same way. They assumed that because they kept the Law of Moses to the letter that they were good. When a rich, young ruler came to Jesus to ask what he could do to be righteous, "Jesus said unto him... Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up." (Luke 18:19-21) He had checked all the boxes, but it still didn't work -- he still didn't feel it.
Whether your religion is atheism, environmentalism, Buddhism, Mormonism, vegetarianism, Christianity, capitalism, Marxism, or Judaism you can find the tenets, rituals or laws that will allow you to appear righteous. Then you can check all the boxes, justifying yourself so others will acknowledge your superiority, piousness, and faithfulness.
But, checking all the right boxes doesn't solve the problem either. It keeps you living a lie and being separated from others. You cannot get close because they might discover your secret -- you really aren't what you pretend to be. This is no solution.
There's no way to change
The last way to deal with your inherent shame is to admit that it isn't possible. This is the most truthful lie of all. When going to Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, we are shamed into admitting that we are alcoholics and can never change. We will always be alcoholics so we need to live with it and work around it, avoiding alcohol for the rest of our lives. Going to meetings to keep on the straight and narrow path, and doing what they do. There's nothing you can do. It's just the way you are, and you can't change it.
Homosexuals are also taught this method. They are told they have a genetic aberration that causes them to be attracted to members of the same sex, instead of the "normal" way. You can't change your genes, it's just the way you are. They become very militant to force everyone to acknowledge that they are really normal, good, and acceptable. In spite of the truth that "two roosters don't make a chicken" society watches the emperor in the parade go by, even voting to change laws from reality to fantasy.
Giving up and giving in to weakness doesn't solve the problem of guilt and shame because you continually walk around with guilt and shame. It's a miserable existence. While this is the most truthful, all of the ways people normally deal with their insecurities are lies, but there is another way.
The Way, the Truth
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) This way is His way. It is the way of repentance. Repentance is change, real change, a change of heart. This happened to the people of King Benjamin when they had repented, they acknowledged, "the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent... has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2) This "mighty change" is what everyone seeks. It brings peace of heart, real peace, as taught by Jesus to His disciples: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14:27) The peace of the world is all the other ways of dealing with guilt and insecurity, and doesn't work, as we have seen. Christ offers another way.
Repentance begins with humility, acknowledging our shame and guilt, and understanding the real reason for it. We really are "fallen angels" who are powerless to return to our former glory. As the prodigal son admitted he had wasted all his inheritance and had nothing to offer, but came to his father in hopes of being a servant, we come to God. We are lost. We are powerless. However, rather than leave it there we put our faith and trust in the Lord that He can change us, make us whole, and bring us back to our Heavenly Home. No matter where we are or what we've done He can put us in the good graces of our Father.
The process of repentance allows the change to happen to our hearts. By submitting to Christ as our Teacher, Leader, Coach, and Lord, we do all he tells us to do, every minute of every day, and he guides us on the path back home. It is not an easy path, but it is more than worth the effort. He is the only way. All other ways are like putting a band-aid over a cancer. Christ cures the cancer, and makes us whole. He can totally remove the guilt and shame, making us clean. We are healed of our blindness, deafness, and leprosy. We are raised from the dead. We have no insecurity. Through Him, we can have confidence in the presence of God, being completely free of guilt and shame, having peace, love, and hope. There is no other way.
I would like to take a part of this story as an illustration of human nature. Everyone feels insecure -- it's universal in all cultures, all races, and all times. Just like all the people in the story were lying to themselves and others that they really could see the beautiful clothes of the emperor, each person is plagued with feelings of inadequacy, and likewise fear so they live a lie. We are shamed by others into "seeing" things that don't exist. Modern examples of the emperors clothing include:
Global warming, climate change, or whatever
Evolution
Cancer treatment
The need to invade other countries and declare war
Science
Homosexuality
Justice/Law
Modern Physics
Atheism
Medicine
Religion
Politics/freedom
Addictions
Money/Economics
Our particular culture dictates what we think about these things and we just parrot what "everyone" is saying. We "see" what doesn't exist, and pass along the same lies to others who then do the same. Each is afraid to speak the truth because of shame. Everyone is saying it so it must be true. Because of our shame we have insecurity and are unable to go against the crowd.
Shame is universal, transcending both time and place, and until we overcome it we are doomed to remain fools. We will live lies and pass them on to others. Some try to see the truth, but are kept from it by their peers, and all the so-called experts who are so sure of themselves. Some try religion to overcome shame. Others go to counselors, and still others seek to become experts, studying all the time. There are three basic ways to deal with shame.
Sweep it under the rug
To hide the shame is the object of most psychotherapy, and some religions. Pretend it doesn't exist. Ignore it and it will go away. Blame it on others. Blame it on your mother -- she's the one who shamed you by teaching you morality. Deny the existence of right and wrong. Everything is good. You are OK. You are really good, not bad, and there's no reason for you to feel this way. Suppress those feelings, or deny them.
Atheists, agnostics, and New Age religionists become a "law unto themselves" to deny their shame. If I make the laws, I can do what I want and there is no shame in this.
However, denial doesn't really make it go away, and causes many other problems. People who deny their feelings of guilt and shame end up sweeping all their feelings under the rug. They become "past feeling" and are unable to feel love, joy, peace, and happiness. They live with constant, low-grade, or intermittent depression and anxiety. They use drugs to try to suppress these feelings. Denial doesn't solve the problem, and only creates more problems.
Do all the right things
Most religions have a list of boxes that can be checked to make one feel good. Sometimes it's the religion, but mostly it's the person choosing to be self-righteous that uses the religion to deny his guilt and prevent shame. I was one of these, learning all I could about religion so I could do everything right. The Pharisees of the time of Jesus were the same way. They assumed that because they kept the Law of Moses to the letter that they were good. When a rich, young ruler came to Jesus to ask what he could do to be righteous, "Jesus said unto him... Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up." (Luke 18:19-21) He had checked all the boxes, but it still didn't work -- he still didn't feel it.
Whether your religion is atheism, environmentalism, Buddhism, Mormonism, vegetarianism, Christianity, capitalism, Marxism, or Judaism you can find the tenets, rituals or laws that will allow you to appear righteous. Then you can check all the boxes, justifying yourself so others will acknowledge your superiority, piousness, and faithfulness.
But, checking all the right boxes doesn't solve the problem either. It keeps you living a lie and being separated from others. You cannot get close because they might discover your secret -- you really aren't what you pretend to be. This is no solution.
There's no way to change
The last way to deal with your inherent shame is to admit that it isn't possible. This is the most truthful lie of all. When going to Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, we are shamed into admitting that we are alcoholics and can never change. We will always be alcoholics so we need to live with it and work around it, avoiding alcohol for the rest of our lives. Going to meetings to keep on the straight and narrow path, and doing what they do. There's nothing you can do. It's just the way you are, and you can't change it.
Homosexuals are also taught this method. They are told they have a genetic aberration that causes them to be attracted to members of the same sex, instead of the "normal" way. You can't change your genes, it's just the way you are. They become very militant to force everyone to acknowledge that they are really normal, good, and acceptable. In spite of the truth that "two roosters don't make a chicken" society watches the emperor in the parade go by, even voting to change laws from reality to fantasy.
Giving up and giving in to weakness doesn't solve the problem of guilt and shame because you continually walk around with guilt and shame. It's a miserable existence. While this is the most truthful, all of the ways people normally deal with their insecurities are lies, but there is another way.
The Way, the Truth
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) This way is His way. It is the way of repentance. Repentance is change, real change, a change of heart. This happened to the people of King Benjamin when they had repented, they acknowledged, "the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent... has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2) This "mighty change" is what everyone seeks. It brings peace of heart, real peace, as taught by Jesus to His disciples: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14:27) The peace of the world is all the other ways of dealing with guilt and insecurity, and doesn't work, as we have seen. Christ offers another way.
Repentance begins with humility, acknowledging our shame and guilt, and understanding the real reason for it. We really are "fallen angels" who are powerless to return to our former glory. As the prodigal son admitted he had wasted all his inheritance and had nothing to offer, but came to his father in hopes of being a servant, we come to God. We are lost. We are powerless. However, rather than leave it there we put our faith and trust in the Lord that He can change us, make us whole, and bring us back to our Heavenly Home. No matter where we are or what we've done He can put us in the good graces of our Father.
The process of repentance allows the change to happen to our hearts. By submitting to Christ as our Teacher, Leader, Coach, and Lord, we do all he tells us to do, every minute of every day, and he guides us on the path back home. It is not an easy path, but it is more than worth the effort. He is the only way. All other ways are like putting a band-aid over a cancer. Christ cures the cancer, and makes us whole. He can totally remove the guilt and shame, making us clean. We are healed of our blindness, deafness, and leprosy. We are raised from the dead. We have no insecurity. Through Him, we can have confidence in the presence of God, being completely free of guilt and shame, having peace, love, and hope. There is no other way.
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