Making Justice Work in Your Favor

When I was at Nogales High School in La Puente, California, few of the students there went to college.  I think for this reason, my fellow students would shake their heads at me when I told them I was going to medical school.  They would ask, “How long that will take?”
“Eleven years.”  (It actually took 15)
“Eleven more years!  You’re only half-way through school!  That’s crazy!  I would never do that!”
Now, however, the difference is obvious.  Having more education has given me many more opportunities in life.  I paid the price, and now I reap the rewards.

A song from the movie The Sound of Music has a line, “Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could...”  The Eternal principle of the justice, karma, or the law of the harvest can work against us, or for us.  If we are trying to take things, to get away with something, to get something for nothing, or we are lazy, we will have to pay later.  We must pay.  Payment is required.  There must be compensation for everything.  The Universe must balance in ALL things!  We can never get away with anything.  This law is simply one aspect of the greater law of justice.

Everything must be equal, and justice must be served, or God would cease to be God.  “What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.”  (Alma 42:25)  Justice is one of the two principles that God must obey, or He would no longer be God.  This is the reason that all things must balance among all the creations of God.  There must be good.  There must be evil.  The two must balance.  Evil is to take now and pay later.  Good is to pay now and receive later.

The law can work for us, or against us.  We can be sure that if we take now, we will pay later.  Or, we can know that if we pay now, we must receive later, we use the law in our favor.  In the big picture, all suffering is paid with joy and happiness in Eternity.  Likewise, all wealth, ease, and comforts that are not earned in advance must be paid in sorrow and suffering.

Everyone has his price
We are bought with a price.  Some are cheap, and can be bought with fake money, paper, or coins.  Others require the soul of another.  However, those who believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, are bought with His blood.  Their price is high, it is the price of the blood of the Creator.

Christ exemplifies the law of the harvest.  He suffered all things, and is paid by the Eternal gratitude of all he saves for God.  When the Nephites understood the word, Hosanna, and Christ came to them, they knelt at His feet and worshipped Him.  “And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.”  (3 Nephi 17:20)  He paid the price in advance, and now reaps the rewards by saving all those who believe in Him.  He has the power to gather all to Him.

Justice requires that the individual who made the decision to hurt another pay the price to bring balance back to the Universe.  I cannot suffer for the sins of my brother, he must pay the price for his own.  Amulek explains: “Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.  But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered;
(Alma 34:11-12)

However, it also requires that those who suffer innocently receive recompense.  Both sides must balance. The Lord explained to Joseph Smith, the prophet, how the law of justice makes the atonement work in our favor.

Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.  (D&C 45:3-5)

His innocent sufferings and death require some sort of recompense.  The scales must balance, and He is owed a great debt by the law of justice.  How can He possibly be paid for such suffering?  He can take those who believe in Him, and repent, into Eternal Life.  They are spared of suffering the fate of their own sins because He must be remunerated, the scales must balance.  He cannot take sinners into Heaven, they must pay for their own, but those who change and turn from their sins are no longer guilty so they can be bought.

Pie-in-the-sky
Jesus Christ is our example in all things.  We only find happiness in following Him.  He gave us the perfect example of allowing suffering in the world, and receiving a recompense after.  He didn’t have a home.  He was rejected by His own people.  He was hated, smitten, beaten, and hung on a cross.  It was still inside His power to command the elements so He could have avoided such injustice -- but He allowed it so He would have the power to help us through our probation.  We can receive good for evil because of Him.  His suffering covers for our misdeeds.  Thus we can escape justice -- through Him.  There is no other way.  We must follow Him.

“Jesus, once of humble birth, Now in glory comes to earth.
Once he suffered grief and pain; Now he comes on earth to reign.
Once a meek and lowly Lamb, Now the Lord, the great I Am.
Once upon the cross he bowed; Now his chariot is the cloud.
Once he groaned in blood and tears; Now in glory he appears.
Once rejected by his own, Now their King he shall be known.
Once forsaken, left alone, Now exalted to a throne.
Once all things he meekly bore, But he now will bear no more.”
(Hymn 196:1-4)

When we realize the power in the law of justice, we can see that it is our only way out.  All things must be fair and balanced.  We must receive recompense in the next life for all our unjust suffering while here on Earth.  It requires that we have faith in God, that He is just.  Faith allows us to suspend justice, wait for it, be patient in suffering, and “suffer all things the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us].”

Suspend Justice
While we are on the Earth, we must give up our sense of justice if we are to reap a harvest of good things.  We are suspended in a world between Heaven and Hell, called time.  During this mortal life we are on probation.  All things are before us, but we cannot see those things that are in Eternity.  This gives us an opportunity to choose who we are.  We can decide that we are holy, meaning separate from the world, or we can become filthy and miserable.  Since this is outside of Heaven, it doesn’t require justice, or balance in all things.  We do make decisions, we hurt others, we are hurt by others, but the balancing of the scales will not happen until we’re outside of here.

For this reason, we notice that there is no justice in the world.  People who are “good” suffer.  The saying, filled with irony, goes: “No good deed shall go unpunished.”  We see those who trample on the lives of others getting wealth and the good things of the Earth, and wonder, where is justice?  There is none, yet.  There is a time for everything,

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

The time for justice is not yet.  We are still on probation.  We do not reap in this life, we only sow.  If we are sowing a life of ease for ourselves, we will have to pay later to balance-out what we have received.  If we are sacrificing, and suffering injustice, we will receive good things.  We still have time to repent, as long as we’re here.  However, we may leave this life without warning, and the time is done; we will then each “reap what we have sown” to exacting proportions.  Nothing will be left out, everything will be balanced perfectly.

Pay Now, Play Later
Part of following Christ is paying up front, with faith that every debt will be paid.  The more we give now, the greater will be our “harvest” when all things are made equal.  The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is instructive:

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”  (Luke 16:22-23)

The rich man is paying the price of his comfort to balance the scales.  Likewise, it is just that Lazarus receive a balanced recompense for his suffering.

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”  (Luke 16:25)

The rich man then asked Abraham to send an angel to warn his kin.  He wanted them to repent before they die so they wouldn’t have to suffer the same fate.  Knowing that the Lord, Jesus Christ, paid for all our injustice makes all the difference in the world.  We will not be required to pay for all of the suffering we have caused others in the world.  If we turn to Him, and repent of all our wrongs, we get the most merciful injustice that could ever be given: we can reap the rewards of all our unjust suffering, but not have to pay for our errors.  He shifts the balance.  He tilts the scales in our favor.  Once we understand what He has done, we can take full advantage of it by changing our lives from selfish to selfless.  We will give, instead of take.  We will pay now, with a knowledge that we will receive only reward for our suffering.

Make Justice work in your favor
Our philosophy then changes to: “pay in advance.”  Give.  Sacrifice.  Give money freely.  Give time freely.  Give your efforts to others.  Give when nobody is looking.  Live to give.  Give to your enemies.  Do good to those who hurt you.  Do more than you are asked.  “We should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness.”  (D&C 123:13)  Forgive everyone of everything.  Give up your need for immediate justice and put your trust in God that He is just.  Pay the price now.  Accept suffering without complaint; revealing your suffering in life removes your recompense later.  Do all you can to make your life hard; “be not weary in well-doing.”  (D&C 64:33)  Don’t reveal any sacrifices you make.  Say nothing, just give the widow’s mite.  Give yourself into poverty.  Suffer more that others may have less suffering.  There is no bottom, there is no end, just give now.  The law of justice will then, through Christ, work in your favor.

The Power of Modesty

Last week I watched a video of  two women playing music.  One was dressed in tight-fitting pants, and the other had on a long dress.  As I watched, I realized that I could focus on one as a musician, and a person, while the other was focused on the body.  The woman in pants was very attractive, slim, and good-looking, which was how I characterized her.  The woman in the dress was also pretty, but my focus for her was on her music, her expressions, and her style.  In other words, seeing the shape of the body of the first woman took the focus off of her as a person, and on to her body.

Men are attracted to women.  Men want a woman.  Men are not complete without a woman.  This is a truth that is Eternal.  There is no way around that, it is immutable.  It has been around since there have been men and women.  The evolutionist sees this as simply the need to reproduce, but there is so much more.  The body of a woman represents salvation from loneliness.  Her form is attractive.  To look upon a woman who is attractive is just like a magnet.  A beautiful woman inspires awe in a man.  She is awesome!  This attraction represents an absolute truth: that it is not good for man to be alone, he is nothing without a woman.  The two of them together form a complete being.  He needs her to complete him; she is essential to his salvation.

A man sees an attractive woman as a potential mate.  The attraction makes him feel like she can save him.  She is his hope for fulfillment of the need for unity.  Her body represents that need.  His need is so strong that simply seeing her form creates desire.  Seeing her shape elicits the need.  Seeing her skin feels like intimacy; it’s so close he can almost touch it.  It instills need within him that he doesn’t even recognize, a need to possess what he sees.

Addiction
Last week I was in Las Vegas at a convention, and as I was going to the morning meeting a man asked for money for breakfast.  There was a Denny's nearby so I took him to breakfast and asked him about his life.  His name is Tommy.  He sleeps in casinos because it’s very cold outside, and they’re open all night.  He’s 61, a welder, but disabled, and has lots of family in Oklahoma City, but none in Las Vegas.  He came to the city 23 years earlier to make his fortune so he could go back and take care of his children.  He has over ten grandchildren whom he has never met, and a few great grandchildren.  He needs to go home with a million dollars, and is just waiting for his big break.  He has a perfect system to win on the craps table, but he just needs a thousand dollars to be able to work it.  He would then make his million, and go home to his family, being able to give them what they want, as he perceives it.  He just needs enough money.  It’s so close, he can taste it!

Women capitalize on the trait they all possess, this power they have over men.  They always have.  They use their body to extract what they want from a man, his money, his time, his attention, his efforts, without really caring about him.  Pornography is simply women offering their bodies for money, and then giving nothing in return.  Men only get the picture, the form, but they get no substance.  It’s empty -- a broken promise.  He gets nothing.  It’s like gaming to a gambler, it feels like it’s possible to connect with the dream, which are then shattered over and over again.  But, the dream persists, in spite of being broken.  The dream is beyond his power to crush because the need is real, and eternal, and achieving it seems so close.  Many men get caught up in this trap and lose what’s really important in life.

Relationships between men and women in our society are too often based on using each other to get what we want.  Women use men to get attention, and men use women for gratification of sexual desires.  Each has needs to fill, and each selfishly seeks to fill their own needs at the expense of the other.  At the core of immodesty, a woman is trying to use her body to attract a man.  This is just like pornography, only she isn’t necessarily looking for money, she does it for his attention. A woman needs attention, which makes her feel like a connection is possible.  Thus, the two needs fit like a hand in a glove, only it isn’t really love, it is really selfish, using the other to fill their own needs.

The power of revealing dress
Immodest dress takes the focus off the person who is the woman, and puts it on the object that is her body.  A woman doesn’t even need to say a single word, and she can be the object of a man’s desire.  Women complain when they get what they want, attention, that they are seen as objects.  Men look on a beautiful woman as something he needs, like money, a car, or anything in the world.  The woman is more than just a car, but she is still an object - she is her body when he sees it.  She is defined by what he sees.  The power of immodesty only gets her something that seems like what she needs, but never the real thing.

If a couple marries based on this attraction or dream, they often struggle.  As the object turns into a person over time, many couples realize that the other cannot fill the need.  They decide that they don’t need the other, and “fall out of love.”  Coming to know the person may split them apart, if they aren’t compatible.  He will see the body of another woman, and feel like she could be a better fit.  Thus, a man can go from body to body, never finding "the one" because he never gets to know the person.  This is just as addicting as pornography; it feels like it could fill the need, if he could just find the right body.

Modesty
On the other hand, modest dress hides a woman’s body from the man so he sees her as a person instead of an object.  If he doesn’t see her form, he may still be attracted to her, but instead of her body, he will see her, and get to know her, as a person.  The attention shifts from the body to the person.  The woman may then get a more desirable attention because to him she is a person, instead of an object.  At the same time, the man gets a more desirable connection with a woman, instead of just a body.  As he gets to know her personality, he can be very attracted to who she is, instead of what she is.  She is no longer an object to fill his need for connection, but a person who can fill his need for a connection.  They still fall in love based on their own needs, but the object of love is different, being “who” instead of “what.”

Modesty is an important part of creating relationships that last.  The couple that falls in love with each other as people instead of objects would seem to have a stronger foundation.  If they fall in love with the person, they would more likely continue to grow in that love.  In this way, the more modest a woman is, the less she reveals about her body, the more likely she is to form a loving and permanent connection.   She would only reveal her body to him after they are married, and he can continue to fall in love with her each time they come together, and in between, he still loves her as a person.  The man gets what he really wants and needs, a real woman to complete him, the whole thing -- body and soul.  And, the woman gets what she wants and needs, his continued attention, love and devotion.  Both become complete, finding fulfillment in unity and love.  This is the power of modesty.

The Greatest Goal of Life

You cannot change what is in the past, but, like “Groundhog Day” every day you wake up, you get to start over.  You don’t know where you’re going so I’m going to tell you.  There is only ONE reason you’re here:

I want to explain why you’re a member of this church, and not some other.  It’s because there is more information, more knowledge.  The bottom-line of what Joseph Smith, the prophet, did is restore lost knowledge.  What was lost?  Knowledge of the Celestial Glory of Heaven.

Everyone knew about “heaven” and “hell.”  Ask any religion throughout the ages what Heaven is and they will describe exactly what we know as the Terrestrial Kingdom, the “honorable people of the Earth.”  Ask about hell and they will describe the Telestial Kingdom – the “murderers, liars, whoremongers, and cheaters.”  What does it take to get into heaven?  Kneel and confess Jesus Christ.  It’s all true.  All are EXACTLY correct in that knowledge, but something was missing.  What was missing?  The higher glory, or Celestial Kingdom.  It was there all the time in the Bible.  The Apostle Paul spoke of the glory of the sun, moon, and stars – 3 glories.  He also spoke of the third heaven.  But, these were not understood, the knowledge of them was lost completely, until restored by God through Joseph Smith, Jr.

When we don’t understand the big picture, things change.  The requirement for entrance into this higher glory is baptism.  If you don’t know about the higher glory then baptism becomes unimportant.  And, indeed, as expected, Christians have argued for millennia over the need for baptism.  All you need is to live a good life and you can go to Heaven, and if you live a bad life, you go to hell.  And, since the ordinances were unnecessary, the priesthood authority was also not needed, and was lost.

So, here we are.  The Gospel is restored.  The authority and ordinances are back.  We now know the way back to God, our Father in Heaven.  We have a testimony.  We’ve been baptized.  We’re here.  Done.  Whew!  The Celestial glory is ours – if we can only endure, right?

Yes, that’s true too.  However, there’s more.  Much more.  As William W. Phelps wrote in the hymn, “If You Could Hie to Kolob”

“The works of God continue, And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter; There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race.
There is no end to virtue; There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom; There is no end to light.
There is no end to union; There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood; There is no end to truth.
There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.”
Hymn 284:3-5

As I was coming out of many years of “wandering in the wilderness” one thing that struck me is that existence is forever!  We never cease to exist!  It goes on and on!  Nobody dies forever, we are only here to choose HOW we will go on.  So, I decided to choose Eternal Life.

Above the door inside the chapel in Whittier, CA where I grew up there was a sign printed.  Because it was right in front of me during every sacrament meeting until I was nine years old I memorized it, and it has become a guiding scripture for me.  It is a verse from The Doctrine and Covenants section 14, verse 7: “And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

Getting on the "strait and narrow path"
Nephi explains the way very clearly at the end of his book, in 2 Nephi 31, where he repeats multiple times exactly what it takes to get on the path to Eternal Life:
“…for the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.  And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life;”  (Nephi 31:17-18)

Jesus said, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14)  May I add that He is talking to His disciples?  Few of them will find the path to Eternal Life.

There is more.  There is no end.  Rest is not found in doing nothing, it is paradoxically found in constant growth.  We should not rest on our baptism, but start now to move forward on the path to Eternal Life.

Seeking Mentors
One essential part of growth is having an instructor, teacher, or mentor.  As we grow up, we have our parents to mentor our growth, however, once we become mature, we have to find our own mentors
One example is given of Philip in the book of Acts:

“…a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority... had come to Jerusalem for to worship…
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him…
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.  (Acts 8:27-35)

I currently have 5 mentors that I work with on a regular basis.  My mom was very intellectually mature, and my dad was a mechanical genius, so they helped me in those areas, but neither of them were very socially, emotionally, or financially mature so I didn’t get tutored as much in these as I was growing up.  Now, I need to learn so I need a guide.  So, when my business was floundering, I called Frank Hovey.  We went over our stuff, and he recommended a business coaching program.  This has been a BIG help to me.  Since I have seen the value of coaching, I now have:

• Business coach (Dr. Charles Webb)
• Life coach (Justin Jepsen)
• Emotional coach (Ann Ferguson)
• Heart coach (my wife  :)

I also have coaches for learning the Gospel.  Alma explained that one purpose of priesthood callings is to teach the commandments of the Lord.  “And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest.”  (Alma 13:6)  The prophets, apostles, and others with authority can be our mentors as we study their words, and live them.

Assemble your DREAM TEAM
In the book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill discusses a method he used to improve himself, finding teachers from the past including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas Edison.  He later added many others such as Socrates and Plato.  He studied their lives, and their writings.  He counseled with them every night, asking them individually for wisdom on a subject.

A team of mentors that might help you achieve Eternal Life might include those who you know have achieved it, or have mastered a part of it.  I would suggest that you look for those people, past or present, who have what you want, or what you need to achieve your highest potential.  It may be a quality of character, or a gift, and study the life of those people, and add them to your “dream team.”

Do not form your personal council until you know what you want.  The wrong team will take you off course.

I know who I am; I know what I want; and I know my strengths and weaknesses so I am choosing a "dream team" to help me on my personal path of growth.  Some of the members of my council include: Abraham, Jesus Christ, and Joseph Smith.

However, moving forward on the path to Eternal Life always requires only one coach -- the Holy Ghost must be your personal mentor.  No matter what other counsel you are given from Earthly or Heavenly beings, you must always run it by the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost is your personal guide – everything else is counsel, or opinion.

“Counsel with the Lord in ALL your doings…”  All means all and all is all all means.

Ultimately, the greatest mentor we could have is the Holy Ghost.  After baptism, we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by those who have the authority, which gift  is a simple commandment to receive Him.  The gift is essential before starting on the path to Eternal Life.

How to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
1. Memorize the 4th article of Faith
2. Then read: 2 Nephi chapter 31
These two will tell you exactly how to receive the Holy Ghost, and get on the path to Eternal Life.

Staying on the path
Read 2 Nephi chapter 32 – this chapter is how to stay on the path, it tells you exactly what you should do, including:
1. Feast upon the words of Christ
2. Pray always

Temple worship
Once you take the Holy Ghost as your guide, feasting daily from the Scriptures, and praying continually, those who desire Eternal Life need Temple Worship.  The word “worship” means to seek a close, or intimate relationship.  When we go to “The House of the Lord” we can seek a close relationship with Him through our service to others.  Moreover, we have the opportunity to sit in the Celestial Room and counsel with our Father in Heaven where He symbolically dwells (the Celestial glory), without any disturbance, because evil spirits are not allowed in there.

In the Temple we find the ordinances required to reach the Celestial Kingdom.  From there we step up into the sealing room to receive the highest ordinance -- Eternal Marriage.  Without receiving and LIVING this ordinance, we cannot receive the gift of Eternal Life, the greatest of all the gifts of God.

I’m not sealed to anyone.  My first wife had her name blotted out, and my second wife is sealed to my best friend.  Those of us who aren’t sealed to anyone can still go to the temple and act as proxy for others, knowing that God will not deny ANY blessing that we desire.

Getting Started
If this seems difficult – may I also suggest simple ways to get started?
Improvement doesn’t come suddenly, it takes time.  There is a simple principle for change that applies to all of life.  How long does it take to physically grow up?  We make little changes over a long time.  By the same method, we can gain Eternal Life.

Make small changes
If we save $1 a day in an interest-bearing account, at the end of a year we have very little money.  However, in a few decades it becomes a tremendous amount.  Even with no interest you would have $15,000 in 40 years.  With 10% interest, it goes up to $211,000.

The two most important parts of this equation are:
1. Consistency
2. Time (If you need patience, then ask Job to be on your dream team)

This is the path to Eternal Life.  It only takes a tiny amount of change in the things we already discussed to stay on the path:
1. Read one verse daily in the Scriptures.
2. Pray morning and night.
3. Find a mentor, get together, ask questions.
4. Go to the House of the Lord once a month.

If you save $5 per day you would have $1M in 40 years.  Likewise, if your read more, pray always, meet with your mentors, and visit the House of the Lord more frequently, you will grow faster, and more. … but it still takes:
1. consistency
2. time.

Start now.  Make small changes daily.

What could you change today to help you on the path to Eternal Life?

I have done this, and I know it works.  I have gained tremendous knowledge, such that “my cup runneth over.”

The path to Eternal Life, restored by Joseph Smith, is hard to find because it is straight and narrow.  We have been given an amazing gift to have it spelled-out plainly.  The path is simple, everyone can do it, if we desire.  God will give no commandment to us unless He has already prepared the way for us to accomplish his commands.  Jesus Christ has “marked the path, and led the way, and every point defines…”  That we may all follow Him all the way to Eternal Life, I pray.