Deeper Meaning

I have always looked at life in two dimensions, or the surface. I assumed that I had work to do that included getting an education, earning money, raising children, buying a house, cleaning my room, buying a car, fixing the leaky roof, making a good, healthy dinner, working in my business, being successful, and so forth. All of this "doing stuff" occupied all of my time, and gave me a sense of accomplishment -- I was doing "LIFE."

However, now I am beginning to see a different side of life -- the underlying reason for all this stuff. I see that all of the things I do have a different purpose than to occupy my time and be "successful." I'm not just filling my needs, sustaining life, and giving the leftovers to others. Each situation, each need, each activity, every talent and ability and every problem have another underlying purpose: to learn, grow, and become close to God. There is a spiritual growth that happens especially as we encounter problems, difficulties, suffering, pain, and hardship. One pioneer who traveled to Utah pulling a handcart through a snowstorm said:

"... [We] came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities.

"I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it. ... I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

"Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company."

The handcart wasn't important. Arriving in Utah wasn't important. Walking wasn't important. Food, or lack thereof, wasn't important. The snowstorm wasn't important. All of these things were only tools to achieve an end that really was important: "to become acquainted with God." It is in the extremities that we really come to know Him. When we cannot do what we feel we need to do, then God helps us and we realize we are not alone. Without coming to the point of exhaustion, the "end of our rope," or the absolute limit of our abilities, we may consider that we did something to fix the problem. Only when we can say, "I cannot do it, I need help..." we look to God. Then when help comes we can really recognize the hand of the Lord.

Right now I took on a business that I don't know how to run. The Lord directed me here. It took me a short time to figure-out that I am in way over my head. I could quit my own business and just take a cushy job working 9-5 and making sufficient to live, having time off for vacations, and so forth. I have often thought I would rather do this, however, I have learned so much during these past few years that have helped me to come to know God. I have seen His hand in sending angels to help me when I was at the end of my rope and completely discouraged. I have looked at the books and realized that there was no way we were going to make it through the month -- over a year ago. We're still here! It just keeps working. I know it's His hand helping me.

Because of these problems I have prayed with more feeling than ever in my life. He has spoken to me, calmed my troubled heart, and sent the Holy Ghost to comfort me. He has taught me about what is really important: accepting the sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ. I feel it. I know it. I know why. I know that no amount of suffering in this life can compare to Eternal torment, and He has already paid that price. I know that every person already agreed to accept His Atonement before even coming to Earth, and must keep their promise to repent or they will suffer. Everyone needs to know these things. I know He loves all of His children and makes it easy for them, if they will choose Him. I have come to know God in my extremities! I'm so grateful for the problems, pain, hardship, and suffering -- "the price is a privilege to pay." I would be willing to suffer anything to know what I know now.

Spiritual Muscles

When Micah Ashby wanted to build muscles we bought a weight machine. The tendency for a boy is to do what he can, but that doesn't really build bulk -- it's only in doing one or two reps more than he can that the muscles get bigger. Nobody can do it for him, or force him to do it. He has to want to push that bar up. Spiritual muscles are like that. When we are only doing what we can in life, we don't build spiritual strength. It's only when we are doing more than we can that we grow, learn, and improve. We also have to want to grow. Others can tell us how, but unless we do the work we won't get the benefit.

I have a picture of two of my children on a steep incline in Space Mountain at Disneyland. One has a grimace and white-knuckles, and the other has her hands in the air with a big smile. The first seems to be saying, "STOP!" and the other is enjoying the ride. I have noticed that most people have quiet and easy lives -- until they come to Christ. As a Ward Mission Leader, I have often counseled people who are about to be baptized to prepare them to find more difficulties. I tell them, "You just got off the merry-go-round and got on the roller-coaster. Hang on! The more problems you have, the more you will learn. Don't try to stop it, this is the hand of the Lord helping you to grow up spiritually."

The deeper meaning to every experience in life is to ask, "What can I learn from this?" The situation in which we find ourselves is not really the issue, but rather the potential for learning that it creates. If there is no potential for learning; if a circumstance doesn't cause us to stretch and grow and change, then it isn't useful -- we are just spinning our wheels. A quiet, easy, stress-free life is not what will bring us to know our Creator, but rather lots of ups and downs. When we really understand this concept we can be grateful for all our pain, trouble, and adversity. We can forgive easily, knowing that whatever problems others cause us is for our growth and benefit. The idea of spiritual growth as a purpose of life changes my whole perspective. The sense of: "this (hardship) is not supposed to happen!" is gone, I'm no longer on the roller-coaster screaming, "Stop!" but rather enjoying it -- and I have peace. It is supposed to happen, and it's for my benefit. Every experience can be a lesson that brings me closer to my Father in Heaven.

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey

One bright day a man woke up and went in to his little son, "Get up, little one, today you go to the marketplace for the first time. We're going to sell our donkey so we can get tools for the farm." The little boy jumped right up. He was so excited to see the market for the first time. He had been anticipating it for his whole life, it seemed.

They didn't even stop for breakfast, taking some bread, cheese, and fruit with them to eat on the way. They would find plenty to eat once they arrived. The distance wasn't far, but it would take them a couple of hours. The three set out for the market, walking together.

They hadn't gone far when a woman out beating her rug noticed them on the highway, "That's silly," she said, "why don't you use your beast of burden, then one of you can rest on the journey." The man thought this to be wise advice and set his son on the donkey.

They all went along happily until a fat woman all dressed-up in yellow robes and a big headdress chided them, "Why does your youth sit on the donkey? You should be riding because you are the man of the house." The man thought that was reasonable and took his son down and sat on the donkey.

They hadn't gone far when a group of men all standing around laughing pointed at them and said, "Look at that! The father makes his young son walk! What kind of dad is that? He should let his son ride with him." The man thought that was a great idea so he brought his son up on the donkey.

The ride was good, and they were getting close. They could hear the noise of the marketplace in the distance when an old man coming back from the market pointed his cane at them, "Shame on you for both riding that poor donkey, you'll overburden it and it will be of no use to you." The man got worried so they both got off. They didn't want a lame beast, and there was nothing left to do but carry the donkey. The man and the boy picked up the donkey on their backs and carried it into the market.

Word immediately swept the entire market: "A man and his boy are carrying their donkey to market!" The man, the boy, and the donkey worked all day, but nobody would buy their donkey because, who wants a donkey that has to be carried?

The weightier matters

Focusing on who walks and who rides is really not important. What is important is getting the donkey sold for a good price so the family can get the tools needed for the farm. I think if the man had a clear idea of what he wanted, he would have been able to ignore the talk of others and continue on his way. I see the story as a man who didn't focus on his primary purpose so he let others sway his thinking.

This is why my business is in trouble. I don't know what I should be doing so I take the advice of others. It sounds reasonable, at the time, and probably doesn't matter very much. I don't know what is important, and what is not. Because I don't have a clear vision of what should happen, or how to get there, I rely on others out of fear. The Lord had something to say to Joseph Smith about this when he lost the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon.

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words, yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble. (D&C 3:6-8)

The storms of life

Peter stepped out of the boat into the water and began to walk on it, but he looked around at all the waves and feared, lest he should fall, and began to sink. He cried out, and the Lord was there to pick him up. Fear and faith cannot coexist. As long as Peter focused on Christ, he was doing well in spite of the wind and waves, boisterous.

The storms rage all around, but the house that is built upon the Rock will not fall. Everyone has storms. Everyone has times of trouble. Everyone has problems that are insurmountable. The Lord is there. If He is in your boat, it cannot sink. If He is in your house it cannot fall. You may make mistakes and be tossed by every wind of doctrine. You may be sinking because you focus on the storm instead of the Savior. He is there. He will save you. Look to God -- and live! Call out to Him for salvation from your own mistakes, ignorance, and fear. He will reach out His hand and pull you up out of the water. You will not sink. You will not perish. He will put you back in the boat, and calm the storm. He will be your shelter from the storm. He has already finished His work, it is done, and all are saved who look to Him.

Do not fear man. If men point the finger and say, "you should do this, or that..." heed them not. Hold your course. Keep going. Don't give up! Never give up! Keep your primary focus on the Lord and He will bring you through the storms, and the advice of others.

Diary of a Wimpy Guy

I have been such a wimp all of my life. I have avoided conflict and confrontation to the extreme. I come to the point of confrontation and lose all resolve. I could never be a lawyer because I cannot think clearly when the confrontation is hot. I must always have the upper hand, or else I lose my cool, and my brain.

I always thought of myself as a "peacemaker" who helps others to get along, but I suspect I've been doing it wrong. "Peace at all costs" means giving in to evil. It means not confronting wrong. It means allowing people to take advantage of others. It means being complicit to evil. Mostly, it seems I lack clarity on what is right and what is wrong.

Fear

The reason for being a wimp is because of the fear of man. The strong desire to be admired by all, or seeking for the honors of men, creates a fear inside of losing such honor. Those who use and abuse mankind can see through that weakness and use it against me to their own ends. Thus, the fear of man is among the seven deadly sins. I think it should be chief among them. I need to repent of this evil that I perpetrate on all of mankind by my inaction.

"You should not have feared man more than God." (D&C 3:7) God is all that is good. All good is embodied in Jesus Christ, who has set the standard and paid the price. Whatever leads to Him is good, and whatever doesn't is evil. Good and evil can be defined so clearly and concisely that anyone can know. I'm not afraid that they will hurt me. I'm not afraid of death. I'm afraid of obscurity, loneliness, and disapproval. I don't want to be "trodden under the feet of men." This is my fear.

Ironically, that which we fear is what we bring about in our lives. I have caused, by my wimpiness, much tongue-wagging, pity, and reprisal. I have been in court in front of juries and judges, reprimanded by the California Medical Board, and lost the respect of my peers. I am not considered a good doctor among doctors, a good businessman among those who know business, a good husband by my ex-wife, or father by my children, or anything good. I cannot do good if I am in such fear of stepping on toes. In trying to please everyone, I have pleased no one. Fear has brought about the very thing I feared.

Making enemies

Living a good life means having friends and enemies. Doing the right thing will cause those who don't to oppose you. One author noted, "If you don't have any enemies, you haven't tried hard enough." (author unknown) The process of helping people come to know God and salvation brings with it the attendant effect of many who bless your name, and those who curse you.

Being a wimp is not the way of the Lord. The Lord never allows sin, error, or evil. He doesn't let the smallest impurity into His Kingdom. "I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." (D&C 1:31) While He loves His children more than any human capacity to understand, yet He allows all to choose, even it they choose to suffer. He weeps over them when they choose not to be with Him, and are cast out and suffer Eternal torment. God has enemies, and he doesn't allow them into His House -- even though He loves them.

Wise as serpents

"In order for evil to flourish, all that is required is for good men to do nothing." (author unknown) Edmund Burke tells us that "When evil combines, it is essential for good men to gather as well." Those who fight evil must do so by pointing it out, making it clear, and focusing on good, truth, right, and virtue. When in conversation an evil philosophy is voiced, the error must be pointed out, and the truth told. Allowing the wrong doctrine to go unopposed is akin to promoting it. Doing nothing is being a friend to evil, and accomplishes nothing.

The fact is, we are in a war. We have been fighting a war since before we came to Earth. The war between good and evil is ongoing. We won the first battle, and now we are in the midst of the great and last battle. This is the battle for the souls of men, the children of God. We fight with the sword of truth, the shield of faith, and so forth. People are killed as their souls are lost to error and complacency. The confrontation is constant. The battle rages on without letting up for a second. The enemy tells us there is no battle, people are not dying, all is good, all is quiet on the front, the enemy is our friend -- and we believe. We lose sight of the lines of good and evil.

In order to understand your enemy, you must become like him. The Father of lies seeks for understanding, and I have obliged. After all, it's only right that I give everyone an opportunity. I am learning that this is wrong. People choose their own paths in life. I cannot choose for them. I cannot give in to even a little evil. If people come into the office and don't follow instructions, they might be asked to leave. Only those who will comply with my program should come back. This is because of their choices. If they choose to be healthy, they will do as they're told and get better. "Him that has, gets." This is because their previous choices lead to more choices and blessings. While all people have the same opportunity, all people are not salvageable. Many choose the low road, and these will no longer waste my time. I will not "Cast my pearls before the swine." I can encourage everyone, allow for mistakes and repentance, and move on in the work of the Lord, always seeking after those things and people that are "Virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy."

Courage and Victory

Victory! Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Jesus is the reason for everything. All improvement in life, either individual or collective, must come through Him.

In the Book of Mormon there is a story of Nephi and his family traveling for many years in the wilderness. They came to an ocean that they needed to cross. While they had seen ships before, nobody in the family had experience building one. How could they make one that was seaworthy? Nephi was instructed by the Lord how to build one, but his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, didn't believe it was possible. They just wanted to stay where they were and not go on to the Promised Land. It would be safer. Nephi tried to persuade them to go on:

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I should build a ship.

And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.

And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?"  (1 Nephi 17:49-51)

With the Lord's help, Nephi convinced his brothers to help him, and together they built a ship that withstood the storms and took the family safely across the sea to the promised land.

All success, safety, and security come from Jesus. In fact, with the help of the Lord, there is no way we can fail. He gives us the ability to go past what we know, feel, and understand. We can venture out into the darkness or the great unknown with the security of knowing He will help us, that He will always be there, that He has already made sure we will win.

Without Him there is no growth or improvement. We can only do what we already know because that is where our security lies. We will seek security in doing what other people do. Thus, everyone keeps doing the same things and neither the individual nor the group can learn, grow, and live. Part of the decline of a society is the focus on worldly safety and security instead of that of the Lord. This causes people to act out of fear, instead of choosing what is best, or the will of God. Those without faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, seek for a "government" or some other powerful entity to save them. They always end up trading their freedom for a promise of security, but they never get it. We see this happening in our political arena today.

On the other hand, those who have faith in Christ are those who become the leavening to raise up their generation because they have the ability and security to venture out and do things that others wouldn't do. They are willing to go "outside the box" into paths unknown in spite of disapproval and criticism of men. For example, I do "alternative" medicine. My peers call me a "quack," but I heal diseases they consider "incurable." I am able to do my business because of Him. If not for Him and His assurance of salvation I would take the easy, secure, well-worn path, and continue doing what I learned in medical school -- just like everyone else. My security is in Him so I'm willing to take a lot of risks. As Admiral David Farragut said, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" Over time, I see more and more of "us," doctors who are willing to go out on a limb and do what works, instead of what everyone else does. Thus, the population will have more access to healing and everyone is better.

Those who have committed themselves to doing His will, know that there is no way they could lose. They know that if the Lord says it will happen, it will so they can have courage. The knowledge that He died for me gives me power to do anything because I know I will be resurrected. Also, His grace is sufficient for all ills such that even my failures are turned into successes; if I should fall, I can repent and be forgiven, and I will learn and grow in the process. I can go into the line of fire, risking everything because I know the final outcome -- "Victory! victory! Through Him that redeemed us!"

Life is not efficient

I have always tried to be efficient. I'm very frugal, even miserly! I have few needs -- my kids call me "Gandhi." I keep things in order. My family was always on time to every function. I even had a specific way of dressing in the morning. In the midst of this miserly, practical and efficient way of living I have come to know, and love, Karyn. Karyn has a lot of children who have a lot of needs, which they often take care of themselves. For example, food is provided in the kitchen, and the children may cook and eat whenever they're hungry. All of these people in the kitchen at random times makes for a very inefficient system. The kitchen gets messy very quickly. Food is left out to spoil. Lots of food is wasted -- there always seems to be one slice of cold toast in the toaster. Nobody can keep up with it. The system is so inefficient!

 

I look around at the world and see that all of life is very inefficient. I had an apricot tree that produced every other year, or so. I love apricots fresh-picked ripe off the tree, but they would all come ripe at the same time. I only got a few of them, the rest went to the ants, and lay rotting on the ground under the tree -- so inefficient! There is waste everywhere! Plants make hundreds or thousands of seeds for every one that will grow into another plant. Animals likewise have multiple offspring for every one that will grow up to reproduce.

Even God is not efficient. Of the billions of offspring who are our siblings, only a handful will reach their full potential and go on to Eternal Life. A third were lost before even coming to Earth, and most of those who are born in this world don't choose the Lord to serve Him. Like the millions of seeds that lay dormant and die they will not have Eternal Life. They don't grow. They don't learn. They don't have offspring. This is not as a sperm where millions are trying to reach the one egg and only one of them will get in while the rest are left out. Nor is it like a seed that randomly falls into a plot of ground with good soil and moisture. Nature is filled with seemingly random events, but every child of God can choose not to live, making humans just as inefficient!

Meeting in the middle

With my new family being so inefficient, I have had to look at the other side of the coin. The product of efficiency is to separate people, because people are inefficient. In order to run at peak efficiency the needs of people around you must be avoided. This isn't just true in a family, it is true in business. I worked for a head and neck surgeon who was able to take care of sixty patients in one day (that's three times what I was doing) She explained to me that the way she was able to do this was to not let them speak, don't ask open-ended questions, only "yes-or-no," and don't allow elaboration. I have since found many doctors who work with people in this manner. One study showed that it took an average of six seconds for a doctor to interrupt a patient. This is how efficiency excludes others.

On the other hand, there are those who connect with people. They aren't very efficient, in fact, like my family, they may be downright wasteful. However, they provide more than "food, clothing, and shelter" for others. They provide things like love, comfort, hope, and belonging. It may be more effective to be inefficient!

Nevertheless, while we are in the world we need to take care of things. Everything in the world is constantly degrading and needs to be kept up. There is work to do for "our daily bread," as Adam was told. If we do nothing, we suffer a lack of the things we need. The more efficient we are, the more we will have to take care of our own needs and those of others. I have often thought that there must be some "happy medium" that allows us to both love and be efficient, or an ideal balance between the two.

In discussing this concept with my brother, Chas, he explained that it isn't "meeting in the middle" that brings balance, but rather having the wisdom to know what to manage efficiently, and what to waste. The bottom-line is that the things of the world need to be run efficiently, but people are to be taken care-of.

In the movie Mary Poppins Mr. Banks is a model of efficiency both at work and at home. His song tells his philosophy:

"A British bank is run with precision;

A British home requires nothing less.

Tradition, discipline, and rules must be the tools.

Without them, disorder! catastrophe! in short you have a ghastly mess!"

and

"Tuppins, patiently... invested in the... bank."

Into his perfect world comes Mary Poppins to care for the children. Her songs include:

"Find the fun and, snap! the job's a game!

...For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

and

"Feed the birds, Tuppins a bag."

Two very different philosophies indeed! One is a man who takes care of things, the other is a woman who takes care of people. In the end, Mr. Banks learns the lesson -- That the bank may need to be efficient, but his home is for taking care of his wife and children. In his job he can be exacting with tradition, discipline and rules, but at home he needs to "go fly a kite!"

 

Wisdom

But, even in the middle of business it is important to keep the people and the efficiency separate. Tools, equipment, and money must be efficiently handled, but people must be allowed to be inefficient. For example, a medical practice must keep efficiency subservient to care. Caring for people requires time. Time is money. Thus, it may be more costly to adequately take care of people, but the extra time and expense are worth the investment. Truly helping people rise up, improve, and change requires that it be done on their time, not ours. Teachers and parents understand this implicitly; not all children will be reading books by the age of six. Growth and development for some may come much later and take a long time. But even so, one part of caring for people is to help them to grow in their ability to see the details needed in caring for things.

Resources and property must be cared-for, but in a different way than people. They must be maintained to exacting standards at all times. "The devil is in the details." John D. Rockefeller was one of the early industrialists in the oil business. He was so orderly and efficient that he was able to keep costs down below his competitors and push them out of business. For example, one day while passing by the packaging plant, he saw a worker using 40 welds on the lids of Oil barrels. John D. asked him use 38 instead, but the man didn't think that would work so they settled on 39. Just one weld per barrel saved thousands of dollars every year.

Wisdom requires that we exclude neither the inefficiencies of caring for life, nor the details of caring for things, but rather to keep them in their proper order. The focus must be efficiency for things and caring for people. Putting these right gave Mr. Rockefeller the ability to direct hundreds of millions of dollars for the benefit of millions of people. His legacy continues to this day.

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)

Freedom to Choose

Under Obama the official religion of the United States of America has changed from Christianity to Humanism, or Existentialism. Most people don't see this, but our laws and government no longer support a belief in God. Our President has gone out into the world advertising this to other countries, "We are not a Christian nation..." I believe it is essential for those who continue to seek God to stand up and be counted. Where does existentialism lead?

Alone

Dostoyevsky said, "If God didn't exist everything would be possible." Jean-Paul Sartre agreed with this, and continued, "Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."
(Jean-Paul Sartre / 1905-1980 / Existentialism and Humanism /1945)

Before both Dostoyevsky and Sartre, Korihor, a Book of Mormon "anti-Christ" outlined the existentialist and humanist philosophy:

"No man can know of anything which is to come." (Alma 30:13)
"Prophecies... are foolish traditions of your fathers." (Alma 30:14)
"Ye cannot know of things which ye do not see." (Alma 30:15)
"A remission of your sins... is the effect of a frenzied mind." (Alma 30:16)
"Every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature, and every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime." (Alma 30:17)
"When a man was dead, that was the end thereof." (Alma 30:18)
"I do not believe that there is a God; and I say also, that ye do not know that there is a God." (Alma 30:48)

This passage is such a complete and concise treatise on existentialism that it would not be unreasonable to propose that Sartre, Niche, and Dostoyevsky plagiarized the Book of Mormon, taking the philosophy of Korihor as their own.

This reasoning can be distilled into one logical fallacy: "If I don't see, then you can't see."

However, like all counterfeit ideas, there is one part of the Humanist philosophy that is exactly correct: "Every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature.." Meaning that if one is rich, poor, educated or ignorant, it's NOT because some god made them that way, it's because of their own choices. Thus, "Man is condemned to be free..." However, the concept is even deeper than Sartre states. We are all free to choose to follow God, or not, depending on what we believe. And, "...he is responsible for everything he does." Since God gave us freedom, we become responsible, not just in the immediate sense, but in the Eternal as well. Since life is forever, we will be both here and in the hereafter, whatever we choose to be.

Agency

The ability to choose is called "agency." The Lord told Enoch about how we are given agency, "The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency." (Moses 7:32) First we are given knowledge, and then the ability to choose, because without knowledge there is no choice.

The choice we really have, though, is not such mundane things as how we fare in this life, but rather between good and evil, kingdoms, principalities, powers, and dominions. What we perceive is a tiny fraction of what exists. What we understand is as an infant understands the world of his parents. Eternity is huge, it's forever, it is inexplicable and must be experienced, and yet we wallow in our little worlds, knowing, but refusing to believe there is more.

Evil

The bottom-line of evil is "I want." All evil can be defined in terms of selfishness. I saw an interview with a man in prison for killing a woman while trying to steal her car. His reasoning was existential, "I just wanted her car, but she wouldn't give it to me so I had to kill her." He understood his choice to get what he wanted and she was in the way. This is the result of teaching our children "Desert freedom." Those who don't seek God simply aren't willing to give up the mundane, petty, little things they have. It would be like when your son turns sixteen and you offer him a car for his birthday, but the child only wants Legos. He can't see past his toys to have so much more freedom.

These choices we make are so important and we just flitter them away because we think this is freedom. Existentialist freedom is like bringing an infant into the desert and leaving him alone, telling him he is free to do whatever he wants. This is why Sartre said that the existentialist is "alone" and "forlorn." The ultimate consequence of evil, or selfishness, is isolation. When we seek our own selfish desires we are inherently separating ourselves from others. Sartre said, "Hell is other people." Indicating that it's the people around you, trying to get what they want who prevent you from getting what you want. This is hell. The cause is selfishness. The result is loneliness, separation, rejection, contention, and hatred. There is, however, another choice. We are free to choose the forlorn and bitter life of Sartre; or, we can choose Eternal life.

Good

To choose good is to make a connection with the Eternal. Peace, joy, comfort, love, hope, rest, happiness and all that is good is found in the bosom of our Father in Heaven. When we choose to seek Him we will find Him; this is the real choice we make every minute of every day. Some choose less, some more, and everything in between. In a word, the choice we have is between self and God; it is what we have now, or we can give up what we have for more. The path to Heaven must be followed exactly. Even slight deviations lead to other places. We can understand this in a University. Each student may be on a different track, but his path is set. He will not get a diploma unless he completes all of his course work. He cannot fail courses and receive a degree.

The result of good, or selflessness, is connection. We connect with God, our Creator, when we give our hearts to Him. We inherently know this. I was fascinated to watch the Star Trek movie where "V-GER" went through the Universe trying to connect with it's creator so it could upload all the information it had gathered. But after having so much information it was no longer content with just uploading, it wanted to join with and become one with the creator. The creator was NASA which sent out VoyaGER space probes to gather information about our Solar System in the 1970's. The story touched on a truth: true happiness will only come through our connection to our Creator -- God.

To choose good

The choice of good is the opposite of evil. It is to be un-selfish, selfless, giving, loving, kind, considerate, and serving. It is to "bless those who curse you." It is to "help those who spitefully use you." It is to forgive all wrongs done to you. It is to take in evil and give back good. It is to give up your wants in order fill the needs of others. This is so simple, so black-and-white, so night-and-day that even a child can understand. There is no gray area between good and evil. Good is unselfish. It leads to happiness.

The process of connecting with God is to connect with other people. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." (1 John 4:20) We begin in our families. Children are taught by righteous parents how to love their siblings and those around them. They are taught to share, to forgive, to be kind, to wait your turn, and so forth. Parents demonstrate by sacrificing themselves, their wants, needs and desires. They give up their desires for sleep, food, and time in order to be with, teach, and love their children. The children know because the both hear the precept and see the example. They are then able to emulate and even build upon what they learn. This is why families are so important to society.

The key to all good is found in the paradox, "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:39) When taken in the context of good and evil it makes perfect sense. If you choose to seek your own desires, you will lose what you really want that brings life, what makes you whole, complete, and happy -- a connection with God. Instead you will find that "Hell is other people." Whereas if you give up what you want and turn all your dreams, desires, and aspirations to God, following Jesus Christ into the depths of humility, doing only those things commanded by God, doing only His righteous will, you will be able to connect with Him, and all that exists in Eternity. You will have life, power, peace, joy and Eternal happiness. You will, in contrast to evil, find that Heaven is other people!

Our choice

Our society is at a turning point. "And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction..." (Mosiah 29:27) If we choose leaders that will lead us into evil, then we are evil (speaking as a group) and will find our lack of unity causes our downfall. Internal strife will lead to our destruction as a nation. We can choose good. We have the power. We can stand up for love and peace. We can be unselfish -- if we make the choice.