I just spent the last week on my first pilgrimage, visiting all of the places on the Earth where I feel spiritual roots. These are things I have always wanted to do. They are the things of my soul. It's so good to see all of this in person, it makes the history I have previously only known through others come alive and be part of me. In spite of being in most of these places for the first time, they are in my heart and each was a spiritual experience.
At first it started as a trip down memory lane for my wife, Karyn. We went to her childhood home in North Carolina to visit the people and places she knew as a child. We slid down Sliding Rock in the Blue Ridge Mountains, admired the beautiful valleys, and went to the church that her father helped build. We also went to see her "adopted" mama from the South in a nursing home. She's still sharp as a tack, though she had just fallen and bruised some ribs.
From there, we went to our nation's capital. Washington D.C. was something of a spiritual experience. The Lincoln and Washington memorials, the White House, and so forth brought me back to the roots of our country, and our freedom. The monuments and memorials are important to help us remember these. There are a great many of leaders who have made freedom a reality for me, and I owe them a debt of gratitude because I really value the freedom I have.
We went to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. I would like to know him better because he truly was a great man. In many ways, he single-handedly defeated the British armies sent to put down the rebellion. He used intelligence to win, not might. As one English leader said, "Washington didn't out-fight us, he simply out-spied us." From the war to the Constitutional Convention, he did so much to bring about freedom, the Constitution, and the United States, he truly is the "Father of our Country."
At the Smithsonian air and space museum we were able to see the history of flight. Eight-year-old Ethan couldn't get enough. In the Wright Brothers exhibit he just wanted to see how everything worked, how they figured-out the mechanics of flight, not just to glide downward, but to power a plane that could be controlled. From there we saw all the flying machines in air and space. Ethan was full of questions on every one. I couldn't answer all of his questions, but we found people who could. It filled us with amazement that man is able to fly like birds and go into space. We truly have been blessed.
The Holocaust Museum was so intense that I was a little concerned that Shannon, who is only 12, went through with us. The messages include: "It happened" and "Don't let it happen again!" War normally includes killing for the sake of taking over control or property, or for defense, but this was just brutality and cruelty in its most efficient form. It is still amazing that a civilized people could become so un-civilized in such a small amount of time. How did one such as Hitler warp the humanity of so many of his countrymen? The museum reminds us because otherwise we will refuse to believe such a thing could happen. Another message is that it can, and does, still happen -- in Cambodia, Africa, and Kosovo, for example. The only way to prevent such tragedies is by remembering our own humanity, and not following leaders of destruction.
In Pennsylvania, we went to the Cyclorama at Gettysburg. I had often wondered how these battles worked, and to see that painting and listen to the explanation filled me with awe and wonder! The museum contained a lot about Abraham Lincoln's leadership in preserving the United States, his only objective. Abolishing slavery was the by-product that was required for the Union of the North and South because that was their primary division. He tried to avoid it in order to appease the people of the South, so they would want to remain in the Union, but it wasn't until the Emancipation Proclamation that the North truly began to prevail. The nation had to be free of slavery in order to fulfill its mission.
From there we went North to Western New York, and saw Niagara Falls. I've seen pictures, read stories, and heard a lot about this waterfall, but nothing compares to going there in person. The amount of water falling such a height, and feeling the power of it was amazing! We went down into the "Cave of the Winds" tour (there is no cave) at the bottom of the falls. It is truly something that must be experienced to appreciate.
Also in New York, in the Finger Lakes area, is a small town called Palmyra. I have always wanted to visit here. It is a fitting end to my pilgrimage because this area is where a series of events happened that have long been predicted by prophets, the story of our Savior. The reason George Washington and the rest were sent to create a free country is precisely to have a place for Christ to come. He came, to a 14-year-old boy, "as a thief in the night" as prophesied, to begin restoring the Gospel that was lost so many years before at the death of His Apostles. Most people still don't know it -- it seems to be the best-kept secret on Earth! As the Gospel spreads the whole world is being prepared for His millennial reign. The prophecies are being fulfilled; the signs of the times tell us it is close.
There is no real beginning to this story because it is an ongoing process of preparation. Some say it started during the Renaissance with the printing press and the ability to print the Bible in the common languages. Tyndall and others braved all manner of persecution and death so that all would be free to learn the word of God. The discovery of the New World soon brought many seeking religious freedom. But, over time, the Colonies became suppressed like they were in England, and a small number of them rebelled against British Rule, bringing freedom to the United States of America. Some thirty years after the Constitution was written, a boy in upstate New York went into a grove of trees to pray, asking God which church he should join, starting the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the world. The entire story was planned from the beginning, but the spiritual history is easily forgotten, or overlooked for the physical aspects.
We went to that grove of trees, The Sacred Grove, and walked through it. We were almost alone. I have heard about people having spiritual experiences there, and I expected to feel something different. It was very peaceful. The mosquitoes were biting my daughter, Charlotte and I. We sat and talked about what had taken place there in 1820, the most significant theophany in the history of the world, but nothing happened. No angel, no voice, not even a powerful influence. It occurred to me as we were walking out that I didn't need anything, I already had everything I needed. I have a sure knowledge, and witness of the Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith, Jr. really did see God and Jesus Christ there, and that he really did restore the fullness of the Gospel. I know what that means. I know what was lost, and what was restored. I didn't need a further witness while I was there. What I did get was another reference point of the physical location to add to my understanding.
The Hill Cumorah was also on my list. Here, a book written on gold plates was deposited in this hill from around 421 A.D. to 1825. The man who put them there came to Joseph Smith, Jr. as an angel to allow him to translate part of them into the Book of Mormon. The book is about a civilization that existed on this land that was completely destroyed in a battle near that hill around 400 A.D. where over 230,000 men were killed. The book also tells of another civilization completely destroyed here a thousand years previous to this, and over two million died. We climbed the hill, followed the trail down the backside of the hill. The view from the top of the hill was the same as all over. It isn't as large as I expected, but it is steep; it wasn't remarkable, except for the events that took place there, both joyous and sorrowful -- we see it, and remember.
Overall, it was a week of incredible emotional contrast; from the horrors of the Holocaust, to the peace of the Sacred Grove; from visiting a old and weak grandmother to feeling the power of a huge waterfall; from cannon that can hit a target a mile away, to a rocket that put men on the moon. From evil leaders of destruction to great leaders of progress. Monuments of great warriors, wars, and battles marked the majority of the pilgrimage. In some cases right and truth prevailed, such as the Revolution and Gettysburg, and in others evil prevailed such as at Cumorah and in Germany. The difference is in the Lord. Those who sought the help of the Lord won their battles, whereas those who depended on their own strength lost everything. The contrast was remarkable.
Like all areas of life, spirituality depends on contrast. We cannot know the sweet if we don't know the bitter. Our intelligence comes from our experience, and if we never know sorrow, we cannot understand happiness. We come to know good and evil through experience. Reading about it, or hearing stories, isn't enough; we need to actually be there and feel it. Without experience we will always remain ignorant, and easily fooled. As Søren Kierkegaard said, “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” We make museums, monuments, and memorials to remind us of what is true, where we have been, and how far we have come.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Historical Fiction
We consider our society and teachings to be enlightened, however, it would be wise to consider history. There is no society in history that got it right. The Greek philosophers, as smart as they were, were not correct about the Universe. The Romans didn't get religion or politics right. The Norse gods weren't real. The Chinese didn't get biology right. The Arabs didn't get math right, though we still are stuck with their system. In fact, there is no society anywhere on Earth in any time period that was right on in any field of knowledge. Yet, we consider that the teachings of our society today are correct, that we have true knowledge and understanding. In this thought we are standing on a very shaky foundation; we must consider that it is unlikely that we have anything right.
In cancer treatment, a thousand years from now people will be saying, "Can you believe how barbaric they were to use radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy to treat cancer? I'm sure glad I don't live in that time!" We now have a multitude of treatments that don't work, all of them are barbaric: cut, poison, burn -- just as barbaric as the medieval treatments for scurvy, kwashiorkor, beriberi, and all the diseases we cure now with a simple pill, shot, or diet change.
In physics we teach that space is a vacuum, and at the same time say that all nature abhors a vacuum. We think in oxymorons, that light is both a wave and a particle. We ignore those things that are right in front of us because we haven't yet learned how to see them. We don't understand gravity or other forms of energy. We're stuck using trash forms of energy -- heat, random radiation, and electricity running through wires. We don't even understand the basic principles of light. In a thousand years scientists will joke about how ignorant they were in the 21st century. "They used to think that light traveled by particles through a vacuum? Ha Ha, that's funny!"
In biology we will be the laughing stocks of some future society for believing that everything is random. Our god of random chance will be replaced by intelligent beings with choice. The incredible diversity in life will be understood to be planned by decision. They will wonder how we could be so ignorant as to think that stupidity reigns supreme and there is no choice or intelligence in life -- it's very essence!
In mathematics we will be thought of as completely ignorant of multi-dimensional math. We think we are so smart that we can add 1+1, using a single dimension to represent a multi-dimensional Universe. Future generations will be amazed that we were even able to create such amazing things as a computer with such primitive math skills. We look at real mathematics and call it "chaos theory." Future generations will know that it's not chaos at all, and will joke about us. "They didn't even know the reality of infinity -- that 1+1=infinity, and so does 2+2, and 3+3, and so forth, because they only looked in one dimension. They did have some two- and even a rudimentary three-dimensional math, but nothing like we know how to do today!"
In chemistry we will be thought of as we currently look at ancient alchemists. We put on white coats and mix chemicals to force reactions just to see what they will do. We create poisons to make our lives better, but find that our environment gets more toxic. We burn and oxidize hydrocarbons for energy, not knowing how to really use the energy of the molecule. We only have a rudimentary understanding of enzymes and amino acid polymers, and only use carbohydrate polymers for fuel. We use chemicals to poison our bodies in all sorts of ways. All of our medicines are poisons, blocking the normal metabolism of the body. Future generations will be amazed that we were even able to function with all these poisons in our brains and bodies.
We have changed health care to "medicine," which always refers to patent drugs. We consider our doctors to be gods who can heal the body with a pill. Seventy percent of our population takes these poisonous pills. In the future, people will wag their heads at the stupidity and ignorance the same way we look at the witch-doctors of primitive societies. They had potions, most of which were poisonous, they cut the body, and spoke their incantations, shaking their instruments exactly the same we we do today. Our "research" is little more than marketing programs for drugs put together by copywriters. In the future, people will actually use science to understand the root cause of disease and improve the health of the population, and will look at us as primitives.
In philosophy, our logic is illogical. Our politics is illogical. Our religion is illogical. Our scientific thought is illogical. Richard Dawkins, a biologist, wrote a best-selling book that was widely acclaimed by scientists and lay people alike called, The God Delusion, that is merely a long string of logical fallacies from the title to the final sentence. People today thought it was a good book, and set the author up as a smart guy, a true philosopher indicating that those who read it probably couldn't define "logical fallacy" much less find one in a sentence. Nobody in our world is trained in philosophy -- not even the philosophers!
We are instead taught that we can create a new reality by thinking differently, or teaching others to think differently. Rather than seeking to describe the external truth about a subject, the philosophers are trying to create a new, internal reality. We are taught that if we can get everyone to believe a concept, then it becomes truth. Future generations will wonder how we could have gone so far backwards from the philosophers before us who were actually dedicated to discovering truth.
Getting it right means understanding things the way they really are. Our current vision is so limited as to make us completely ignorant of reality. The problem is found in focus. When we believe what we are taught by our society, we can only see what we are given, and understand what we are taught. This will always lead to ignorance. The word "ignorance" comes from the same root as "ignore." I believe this is appropriate because it's exactly what happens. We automatically see the things we are taught to see, and ignore the reality that is right in front of us. It has happened throughout history, and continues unabated today. When we are history, our ignorance will be discovered.
Our only hope is freedom. If men are free to think and act and are not taught the dogma of the day, then we have a chance to continue to learn and grow. The only way we can get out of our trap of ignorance is to "think outside the box." If society allows, and even encourages children to push the envelope we will find that there are many Einsteins, Teslas, and Edisons who can help us to grow, learn, and gain knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Our lives will get better and better on a more rapid basis if we don't hold people down with our current beliefs.
Unfortunately, we are headed in the wrong direction. Government schools cannot teach freedom of thought, they instead teach "facts," which is just the dogmatic beliefs of the day. They are no different than the parochial schools of a thousand years ago. Children are taught to believe what they see, and then are taught what to see, ignoring what is right in front of them, and creating a whole world of ignorance. In a future history class they will hopefully understand that all our current dogma is really fiction, for now, we have to suffer in ignorance.
In cancer treatment, a thousand years from now people will be saying, "Can you believe how barbaric they were to use radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy to treat cancer? I'm sure glad I don't live in that time!" We now have a multitude of treatments that don't work, all of them are barbaric: cut, poison, burn -- just as barbaric as the medieval treatments for scurvy, kwashiorkor, beriberi, and all the diseases we cure now with a simple pill, shot, or diet change.
In physics we teach that space is a vacuum, and at the same time say that all nature abhors a vacuum. We think in oxymorons, that light is both a wave and a particle. We ignore those things that are right in front of us because we haven't yet learned how to see them. We don't understand gravity or other forms of energy. We're stuck using trash forms of energy -- heat, random radiation, and electricity running through wires. We don't even understand the basic principles of light. In a thousand years scientists will joke about how ignorant they were in the 21st century. "They used to think that light traveled by particles through a vacuum? Ha Ha, that's funny!"
In biology we will be the laughing stocks of some future society for believing that everything is random. Our god of random chance will be replaced by intelligent beings with choice. The incredible diversity in life will be understood to be planned by decision. They will wonder how we could be so ignorant as to think that stupidity reigns supreme and there is no choice or intelligence in life -- it's very essence!
In mathematics we will be thought of as completely ignorant of multi-dimensional math. We think we are so smart that we can add 1+1, using a single dimension to represent a multi-dimensional Universe. Future generations will be amazed that we were even able to create such amazing things as a computer with such primitive math skills. We look at real mathematics and call it "chaos theory." Future generations will know that it's not chaos at all, and will joke about us. "They didn't even know the reality of infinity -- that 1+1=infinity, and so does 2+2, and 3+3, and so forth, because they only looked in one dimension. They did have some two- and even a rudimentary three-dimensional math, but nothing like we know how to do today!"
In chemistry we will be thought of as we currently look at ancient alchemists. We put on white coats and mix chemicals to force reactions just to see what they will do. We create poisons to make our lives better, but find that our environment gets more toxic. We burn and oxidize hydrocarbons for energy, not knowing how to really use the energy of the molecule. We only have a rudimentary understanding of enzymes and amino acid polymers, and only use carbohydrate polymers for fuel. We use chemicals to poison our bodies in all sorts of ways. All of our medicines are poisons, blocking the normal metabolism of the body. Future generations will be amazed that we were even able to function with all these poisons in our brains and bodies.
We have changed health care to "medicine," which always refers to patent drugs. We consider our doctors to be gods who can heal the body with a pill. Seventy percent of our population takes these poisonous pills. In the future, people will wag their heads at the stupidity and ignorance the same way we look at the witch-doctors of primitive societies. They had potions, most of which were poisonous, they cut the body, and spoke their incantations, shaking their instruments exactly the same we we do today. Our "research" is little more than marketing programs for drugs put together by copywriters. In the future, people will actually use science to understand the root cause of disease and improve the health of the population, and will look at us as primitives.
In philosophy, our logic is illogical. Our politics is illogical. Our religion is illogical. Our scientific thought is illogical. Richard Dawkins, a biologist, wrote a best-selling book that was widely acclaimed by scientists and lay people alike called, The God Delusion, that is merely a long string of logical fallacies from the title to the final sentence. People today thought it was a good book, and set the author up as a smart guy, a true philosopher indicating that those who read it probably couldn't define "logical fallacy" much less find one in a sentence. Nobody in our world is trained in philosophy -- not even the philosophers!
We are instead taught that we can create a new reality by thinking differently, or teaching others to think differently. Rather than seeking to describe the external truth about a subject, the philosophers are trying to create a new, internal reality. We are taught that if we can get everyone to believe a concept, then it becomes truth. Future generations will wonder how we could have gone so far backwards from the philosophers before us who were actually dedicated to discovering truth.
Getting it right means understanding things the way they really are. Our current vision is so limited as to make us completely ignorant of reality. The problem is found in focus. When we believe what we are taught by our society, we can only see what we are given, and understand what we are taught. This will always lead to ignorance. The word "ignorance" comes from the same root as "ignore." I believe this is appropriate because it's exactly what happens. We automatically see the things we are taught to see, and ignore the reality that is right in front of us. It has happened throughout history, and continues unabated today. When we are history, our ignorance will be discovered.
Our only hope is freedom. If men are free to think and act and are not taught the dogma of the day, then we have a chance to continue to learn and grow. The only way we can get out of our trap of ignorance is to "think outside the box." If society allows, and even encourages children to push the envelope we will find that there are many Einsteins, Teslas, and Edisons who can help us to grow, learn, and gain knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Our lives will get better and better on a more rapid basis if we don't hold people down with our current beliefs.
Unfortunately, we are headed in the wrong direction. Government schools cannot teach freedom of thought, they instead teach "facts," which is just the dogmatic beliefs of the day. They are no different than the parochial schools of a thousand years ago. Children are taught to believe what they see, and then are taught what to see, ignoring what is right in front of them, and creating a whole world of ignorance. In a future history class they will hopefully understand that all our current dogma is really fiction, for now, we have to suffer in ignorance.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Forgiven
I have never understood the meaning of being forgiven -- until now. It's so different than I thought. I love the Lord, I love His ways. He is so kind and merciful! He makes all things possible. At first, being "forgiven" is merely a "remission" of sins. This allows us to have the Holy Ghost so we can start on the path to Eternal Life. At some point we may be actually forgiven, and cleansed from all sin and transgression so that we are brought back into the presence of God and we are able to see our Savior and Redeemer. This is the path that leads to Eternal Life, if we don't veer off of it.
Remission of Sins
When we repent of our sins and are baptized, we still have all of the transgressions and sins, but we just don't have the effects of them, Jesus Christ allows us to put down our load of sin and take His burden. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
He covers us, and covers for us. When Jesus spoke about the people of the world who would reject the Apostles, He said, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin." (John 15:22) Because of their knowledge of the Savior, and their rejection of Him and unbelief, they do not have their sins remitted. Only those who believe in Christ can have this cloak.
However, we are still guilty, we are still sick, but He takes on Himself all the pain, sorrow, grief, loneliness, separation, guilt, and remorse. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:4-7)
At this point we are not innocent, we are just "in remission." When Jesus instituted the Sacrament among His Apostles, He took the cup of wine and said, "this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28) It is interesting to note that His blood was not shed for "all" as that is not the case. Only those who repent and are baptized may receive a remission of sins. These may then receive the Holy Ghost as their guide along "the straight and narrow path" that leads to Eternal Life.
The Straight and Narrow Path
We must have a remission of sins because "the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples." (Helaman 4:24) We are not washed clean at this point, we only have our sins remitted so that the Holy Ghost can be with us and guide us along the paths of righteousness, allowing us to become clean.
We can only be on the road to Heaven if we have the Holy Ghost as our guide. There is no other way to traverse the steep and rocky road, to learn and grow, and to know how to act. We cannot "keep the commandments" unless we understand them. Before receiving the "unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost" (D&C 121:26) we are covered by the Lord, Jesus Christ, by His blood. However, once we receive the Holy Ghost, we begin to take responsibility for sin. We must be obedient to everything we learn.
What we learn is the meaning of the commandments. We learn how to love God with all our heart. This does not indicate our affection for Him, but rather our commitment to Him. Our heart is set on Him and His Kingdom, accepting His offer of Eternal Life by sacrificing all other desires, appetites, and passions. We learn how to truly take upon us His name. We learn how to keep the Sabbath day holy, live the Gospel and keep the law of Chastity. We learn the true meaning of consecration. As the Spirit of God teaches us, we become more and more obedient because we know more. Without this knowledge we cannot even keep the commandments. This is why "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance." (D&C 131:6) If we don't even know the rules, how can we live by them? Only the Holy Ghost can teach us the truth. Without this supernal gift we cannot even be on the path to God.
Sanctification
As we become more obedient we learn more, and in turn we have more opportunity to be obedient. It is a cycle of growth. "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (D&C 50:24) At some time we can actually be forgiven, clean and pure, or "perfected in him." (Moroni 10:32)
Perfection is not something we fall into, we don't coast downhill or float downstream to reach God. We must be active participants in keeping every word of God. Once we learn how to live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," (Matthew 4:4) then we may be sanctified. The Lord commands us to "sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean." (D&C 88:74) Once we are clean we can see the face of God. "Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (D&C 88:68)
Unforgivable
If we achieve this state of forgiveness our sins are no longer with us. We are not in "remission," but rather clean and healed of all our sins and transgressions. Those who have recieved a remission of sins may turn away from their path "like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire," (3 Nephi 7:8) and remove the "cloak" given by Jesus, and the old sins are still there. However, they may still return and repent of them, and receive a remission of sins again, and return to the path of righteousness, learning the commandments and heading towards sanctification, either in this life, or in the next, after death.
However, those who achieve a sanctified and pure state must endure to the end, or they may forfeit their ability to repent. Once we are sanctified, if we "sin" or break the laws of God and willfully rebel against Him then we can no longer be forgiven. "But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come." (D&C 84:41) We can only be cast out of Heaven. This is the unforgivable sin against the Holy Ghost. One must be in the light and reject it with full knowledge in order to receive this condemnation, those who are not sanctified don't have enough knowledge to become the "sons of perdition."
Eternal Life
However, those who continue on "shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths..." (D&C 132:19)
"These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.
These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.
These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.
These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.
These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.
These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.
These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.
These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.
These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.
(D&C 76:62-70)
Remission of Sins
When we repent of our sins and are baptized, we still have all of the transgressions and sins, but we just don't have the effects of them, Jesus Christ allows us to put down our load of sin and take His burden. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
He covers us, and covers for us. When Jesus spoke about the people of the world who would reject the Apostles, He said, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin." (John 15:22) Because of their knowledge of the Savior, and their rejection of Him and unbelief, they do not have their sins remitted. Only those who believe in Christ can have this cloak.
However, we are still guilty, we are still sick, but He takes on Himself all the pain, sorrow, grief, loneliness, separation, guilt, and remorse. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:4-7)
At this point we are not innocent, we are just "in remission." When Jesus instituted the Sacrament among His Apostles, He took the cup of wine and said, "this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28) It is interesting to note that His blood was not shed for "all" as that is not the case. Only those who repent and are baptized may receive a remission of sins. These may then receive the Holy Ghost as their guide along "the straight and narrow path" that leads to Eternal Life.
The Straight and Narrow Path
We must have a remission of sins because "the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples." (Helaman 4:24) We are not washed clean at this point, we only have our sins remitted so that the Holy Ghost can be with us and guide us along the paths of righteousness, allowing us to become clean.
We can only be on the road to Heaven if we have the Holy Ghost as our guide. There is no other way to traverse the steep and rocky road, to learn and grow, and to know how to act. We cannot "keep the commandments" unless we understand them. Before receiving the "unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost" (D&C 121:26) we are covered by the Lord, Jesus Christ, by His blood. However, once we receive the Holy Ghost, we begin to take responsibility for sin. We must be obedient to everything we learn.
What we learn is the meaning of the commandments. We learn how to love God with all our heart. This does not indicate our affection for Him, but rather our commitment to Him. Our heart is set on Him and His Kingdom, accepting His offer of Eternal Life by sacrificing all other desires, appetites, and passions. We learn how to truly take upon us His name. We learn how to keep the Sabbath day holy, live the Gospel and keep the law of Chastity. We learn the true meaning of consecration. As the Spirit of God teaches us, we become more and more obedient because we know more. Without this knowledge we cannot even keep the commandments. This is why "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance." (D&C 131:6) If we don't even know the rules, how can we live by them? Only the Holy Ghost can teach us the truth. Without this supernal gift we cannot even be on the path to God.
Sanctification
As we become more obedient we learn more, and in turn we have more opportunity to be obedient. It is a cycle of growth. "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (D&C 50:24) At some time we can actually be forgiven, clean and pure, or "perfected in him." (Moroni 10:32)
Perfection is not something we fall into, we don't coast downhill or float downstream to reach God. We must be active participants in keeping every word of God. Once we learn how to live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," (Matthew 4:4) then we may be sanctified. The Lord commands us to "sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean." (D&C 88:74) Once we are clean we can see the face of God. "Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (D&C 88:68)
Unforgivable
If we achieve this state of forgiveness our sins are no longer with us. We are not in "remission," but rather clean and healed of all our sins and transgressions. Those who have recieved a remission of sins may turn away from their path "like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire," (3 Nephi 7:8) and remove the "cloak" given by Jesus, and the old sins are still there. However, they may still return and repent of them, and receive a remission of sins again, and return to the path of righteousness, learning the commandments and heading towards sanctification, either in this life, or in the next, after death.
However, those who achieve a sanctified and pure state must endure to the end, or they may forfeit their ability to repent. Once we are sanctified, if we "sin" or break the laws of God and willfully rebel against Him then we can no longer be forgiven. "But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come." (D&C 84:41) We can only be cast out of Heaven. This is the unforgivable sin against the Holy Ghost. One must be in the light and reject it with full knowledge in order to receive this condemnation, those who are not sanctified don't have enough knowledge to become the "sons of perdition."
Eternal Life
However, those who continue on "shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths..." (D&C 132:19)
"These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.
These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.
These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.
These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.
These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.
These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.
These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.
These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.
These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.
(D&C 76:62-70)
Sunday, June 14, 2015
To Rule The World!
Recently, an employee sued me for compensation on a contract that had been terminated. He appealed to the terms of the contract which required we go to binding arbitration to settle the matter. We both submitted our arguments by email and the arbitrator agreed with me. The contract was null and void. The man became irate and insisted the arbitrator had mis-judged the contract, and that I was cheating him out of what was his due. However, he must submit to the force of government and the law -- against his will.
When a ball-game is played, the referees have total control over the game. The coaches only control their own teams, but the refs control the field or court. If a ref calls a foul, both sides must accept it, and the penalty must be paid. Whether we are players, coaches, or spectators, our own desires, wants, or needs must be submitted to the authority of the referee, even if we are sure it was a "bad call." Since a ref has so much control over the game -- ideally within the rules -- to be in charge we don't want to be a player, but rather the referee!
Everybody wants to rule the world!
Pride is the will, made up of wants, needs, and desires. Everybody has desires. Everybody has needs. My brother thinks he doesn't have any needs, but he has just suppressed them, living a spartan life. In order to get our needs met, we need other people. Those people we believe can fill our needs are the ones we love. If we don't believe a person can fill a need for us, we aren't interested. The next thing we do is to somehow get that person to actually do what we want them to do in order to fill our needs. We have three basic ways:
- Force -- we command, coerce, threaten, or otherwise use force. "Do what I want, or else you will suffer!" Power or authority over others almost always leads to this. Parents, governments, and other organizations generally use this to get what they want. This is life under a dictatorship, whether government or family.
- Bargain -- we may offer an exchange, "If you will give me what I want, I will give you what you want." These are not always fair exchanges but at least each believes he is getting what he wants. This includes a free-market system or republic.
- Love -- The greatest motivator is love. However love does not force or bargain in any way. Love is based on sacrifice. "I love you so I want you to be happy." That's the entire message. The action is sacrifice, being willing to give up my wants, needs and desires for your happiness. The underlying purpose is not to get my needs met, but rather to fill the needs of others -- not necessarily to give them what they want, but rather to see what is missing that would help them to be happy, and fill that. This is the antithesis of the other two because the motivating force is not self-centered, but rather centered on the other person.
Lord of my castle
A couple of days ago, I had made plans for a reporter from the Santa Barbara News-Press to interview me and the family for an article for father's day. I told the family, but they didn't think it was very convenient because it was in the middle of the day, and everyone wanted to go to Santa Barbara. So, I called the reporter and told her that we could meet in Santa Barbara. The next day when I told them, they said, "That's not very convenient, because now everyone wants to go to the beach." Suddenly, it occurred to me, It's NOT about ME!
I have always thought that I should be the "father figure" and the central character in the family, a leader and ruler, but it's not the case. I'm actually not a decision maker at all. I'm secondary, or really, tertiary. I cannot make plans for the family, I am only a rider on this train. I'm sort-of an outsider. I provide a service, the gas that makes it go, but I have no authority. My needs, wants, and desires are not a consideration in the family dynamic. My wife is clearly the central figure, and everything revolves around her. Being an outsider has put me in a weak position to get my needs filled, to be a leader, or rather, commander. I don't have the option of using force in any way.
With my first family it was similar, but there was a constant "cold war" of wills. I would insist on my way and wasn't very considerate of what they wanted. We didn't fight much, and did a lot of things together, but when it came to certain things, I insisted on my way. I think I tried everything to get them to do my will, but they were very hard, really oblivious to my needs as they were working so hard to fill their own wants. I also refused to see my wife's needs so she stopped believing in me. She didn't feel loved. When she left, she took the kids with her.
Now I have nothing to call my own. I rule over no one. I have no authority. I have no family. I'm no father in the sense of ruling. I don't even have a house -- I'm homeless! I belong nowhere. So, I am left with two options,
- Bargaining
- Love
The problem with number one is that nobody in my current family cares that much about money, or, rather, they are not easily manipulated by monetary gain, they have all they want, and I have nothing else to bargain. So, I'm down to love. It's all I have, but it's very frustrating because love doesn't seek her own. Love looks to help others grow through sacrifice, or giving up what I want. What a dilemma! It doesn't seem like a way to "rule over your household."
Business Leadership
I have changed the way I practice medicine. Before, it was all directed by the patient; they would make appointments and come in when they wanted and ask me to supply them with their desires. Now, I ask them to come in. I direct their care. I tell them who to see, when, and how long. I tell them what to eat, what supplements to take, and how to exercise. I tell them what medications to take, and what not to take, and if they want a medication I don't agree with, they are told to go to a different doctor to get it. I tell my patients, "If you will do what I tell you to do, you will be able to get healthy." It's all about me.
However, that doesn't always work. Within the principles of health, there are an infinite number of variables that I must take into account. I need to change the treatment according to the wants, needs, and desires of the patient. Sometimes it hurts to give in to them in order to work with them. It's hard work to try to individualize treatment for a large number of people. I need to submit to those the Lord sends to me, to love them by giving up what I want.
Power in sacrifice
All of the sacrifices I must make of my own will are hard for me, but I see that it's necessary. I need to learn to love by letting go of my own wants, needs and desires in order to bless the lives of others. I need to submit my will... to whom? To God! The way this is done, however, is not as I expected. I thought a prophet would come, an angel, or a voice from Heaven to tell me to "Go back to Jerusalem and get the plates," "build a ship," or some other such marvelous task. Instead, I find it is so mundane as to submit to my wife and children, the government, and my patients. The will of God is found in the daily tasks of life, the people around me, whether friend or foe, in work or play. The will of God are the situations in which He puts me. I decide how I will respond and act.
The role of leadership is not to command that my will be done, but rather to offer a way for growth for those who want to follow. There is a great deal of power in making a sacrifice with a willing heart. People see this and feel in their hearts that they are loved. Love draws them in like moths to a light on a dark night. They want to know you and be with you. They believe that you can fill their need, their greatest need -- to be loved.
The love of God
The real Ruler is God. He is the Referee in every game of life. He will call all the fouls. He is the Supreme Court Judge; His will is supreme over all the wills of others. He has made the ultimate sacrifice for every child of Adam out of love. His leadership is love; He will not force or bargain. People may submit to His will because they believe He can fill their needs, wants, and desires, and He does, but they can have more if they love Him. If they desire Him, He will lead them to love and happiness. He rules with love. God is love. All we are required to do is submit to His love.
The process of letting go of my will is often very different than expected. Jesus explains how He did it:
"I have suffered the will of the Father in all things..." (3 Nephi 11:11)
To "suffer" means to "allow." We do not control our lives. We make decisions that lead us down a path, but we do not have control over all of the variables that influence what options present themselves. God is in charge. He knows the end of every road from the beginning. He will present opportunities for us to accept, or reject, but will not force us in any way. Loving leadership requires allowing freedom of choice, and he certainly loves us.
When we love Him, we allow His will to work in our lives. We stop fighting against it, and just accept what happens to us. Jesus did not want to suffer in the Garden of Gethsemene, but He allowed it because it was the will of God. Submission may be wonderful and terrible at the same time. It may feel like death. It may be giving up our very nature. It may mean sacrificing the most basic needs of our heart. Nevertheless, we allow it. In this way, He becomes our Lord, King, and Ruler.
Paradoxically, those who allow God to rule over them become rulers. Only those who sacrifice their own will may actually become leaders in Heaven. The gift of love through sacrifice and freedom is the only way to rule in righteousness. This is the way of God. We don't force or bargain, we love. When we follow Christ, and "suffer the will of the Father in all things," this is how we will gain the capacity to rule a family, a business, a nation, and, yes, a world!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Which Power to Choose?
Cain was given the title, Mahan, or "master of the great secret" which is that we can choose to destroy others for gain. After he killed his brother, Abel he gloried in what he had done. "And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness. And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands." (Moses 5:31-33) The power of Satan is the power to take from others through their destruction. We all have power, we only choose how we are going to use it -- to create and build, or kill and destroy. The story of these two brothers is the story of Satan and Christ. Cain, like Satan, chose power in destruction. On the other hand, Abel, like Christ, chose power in love, becoming a martyr.
Destructive Power
The power of Satan is the power to destroy. Indeed, he is known as "the Destroyer" in scripture. Everything he does is destructive. At no time, and in no way does he ever build up. He is the personification of destruction in all of its forms. Some of the words used to denote his power include:
Destroyer
Accuser
Chains
Hell
Lies
Enemy
Suffering
Hatred
Damnation
Pain
Death
Torture
Lost
Fallen
Plotter
Adversary
War
Storms
Firey darts
All the powers that bind, block, prevent growth, separate or destroy are associated with the power of Satan. He has power, and his power is real, as real as an atomic bomb. The bomb can do nothing but randomly destroy everything in it's path. It has no mercy at all. This power is so huge it can destroy anyone and anything in its path. Nobody is immune, or can resist. There is enough power to destroy the Earth itself. No building can shelter from its destructive power. It is real, ongoing and relentless.
The Power to Create
On the other hand, the power of God is the power to build. God does not destroy, He only builds. He is a Father, above all. He loves, meaning He will make sacrifices in order to build up His children rather than allow them to be destroyed. He is growing by building up all around Him. He has power to create all things, even life itself. He creates worlds where life can grow. All of His efforts are spent in growing and building, never in destruction or cessation of growth. Some of the words used to describe the power of God include:
Counselor
Creator
Grace
Love
Word
Life
Happiness
Truth
Eternal
Father
Peace
Almighty
Life
Glory
Advocate
Joy
Mercy
All of these denote power to build up, improve, connect, and grow. God's power is just as real as Satan's. However, it is different. Satan uses power to force, bind, and destroy, whereas Gods power comes from love. He requests, counsels and entices, but never uses force. His power is gentle. He is meek, meaning He doesn't use His power to force or coerce. He draws men to Him with love. His power is the respect all things have for Him so they willingly obey Him. His commands are love, and always respect the boundaries of choice.
Choice limits power
Life is choice, for without the ability to choose, there is no will and no difference -- everyone and everything is the same, there would be no purpose in creation. As the French say, "Vive le difference!" By giving them agency, God limited His own power to providing options for His creatures, allowing them to make a choice. He can use no coercion, force, or compulsion on any of those He loves. Satan himself is a child of God who used his agency given by God to choose the power of destruction and bondage over the power of life and growth. Satan exists as the Destroyer because God, his creator, gave him the freedom to choose. God entices His children to do good by promising more power to learn, grow, and connect with others. His power is gained not by seeking your own, but rather by building up others, then they give you power through respect and love. They choose to obey.
The freedom to choose limits power on both sides. Satan has limited power because he can only influence those who choose his way, to destroy. There are boundaries through which he cannot pass; his power is in darkness and blindness. Those who see the Light, and choose to follow it, are immune to his influence. Light dispels darkness; the more light and knowledge one has, the less power Satan has over him. Knowing of the destructive power, and choosing light and growth completely destroys the work of Satan. He only has power when those who have the ability to choose, choose the destructive power. Those who see the light, like Lucifer, and choose darkness become as Cain, filled with destructive power. Satan entices people with power, the power of destruction, and leads them to their own demise and damnation. The enticement is to grow in power by taking it from others. They are forced to obey.
The Fall of Power
Those with the power to build can fall and turn to destructive power. The same power that can be used for good, can also be used for destruction. Evil can easily be defined as the use of power in a selfish manner. Nations, or people, may innocently use power, even destructive power and be justified for self-defense or protection from being destroyed. However, threatening or using destruction to get gain is always evil. Fighting and wars are evil because they have a single purpose -- plunder. World War II was purported to be a gold grab, plundering all of Europe, America, and Asia. In the process, the United States became a global empire with colonies everywhere. Millions died. Death and destruction were everywhere.
Prior to this, America was a chosen nation, blessed by God with freedom and wealth beyond any previous empire. However, seventy years ago, an incredible power to destroy was used to obtain world domination. Reporters who went to Hiroshima and Nagasaki soon after the blasts were so awestruck by the destructive power that they sat down and cried. A whole nation fell to the power of destruction. No longer do our "alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears." Tears were shed at the loss of innocence, the use of force, or killing to get gain. The United States became Master Mahan. "The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, they took the last train for the coast, as everyone was singing, bye bye Miss American Pie, Satan was laughing with delight. The music died."
From that point on, everything changed. Our nation no longer worships the God of life. Our worship has turned to the gods of destruction; we seek selfish gain in destroying life. We worship the Epicurean god, abusing each other's flesh, and then sacrificing the children created by this behavior to the god of expediency. Millions of children die every year before they even take a breath. Millions more are given over to those who don't love them so parents can worship the god of money and get more for themselves. Our laws are no longer for the purpose of protecting the innocent, rather to plunder and get gain at the expense of others. We willingly and regularly give up our freedom to choose, the essence of life, for the promise of carnal security, bringing only bondage. We have taken the one true God, who has the power to build us up, out of our national conversation, and banished Him to churches, synagogues, and temples. We worship gods with power to destroy so destruction is imminent. Truly, our nation is fallen.
Power to rise again
The power of redemption from the fall can only come from one Source. The Lord, Jesus Christ, has the power to save the whole Earth, every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Every individual, every nation, and every family falls under His care. He has all power to raise up, to build up, to resurrect, or save. We are lost. We are lost as a people. Our nation is lost and fallen. Each individual is lost and fallen. We have gone into the territory of Satan's power, but all is not lost. The power of love is greater than the power of destruction. While we cannot pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, we can turn to the power of God and submit to Him. He has the power to help.
He has power if we will choose Him. Though we are a fallen nation, we can still choose life by turning to the Lord of all. Salvation is a choice, a conscious decision, that comes from repentance: a whole nation searching the Scriptures for the word of God, and being obedient to it. It is all people, in all places, at all times, praying to the God of life for forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. It is everyone -- individuals, groups, corporations, and all of society -- giving up the power of destruction to get gain, and using the power to build, grow, and improve. Only death is found in the power of the devil, the power to destroy or kill. Life is found in the power of God to build up, grow, learn, and improve. Life is good.
Let go of the power to destroy. Give up the power of death, to kill and get gain. Avoid all coercion or bondage and debt. Hate all destructive power. Don't try to satisfy your own desires, needs, and wants; reject your own kingdom and turn to God. Seek love. Look for meekness. Be humble. Give rather than take. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hurt you. Bless those who seek your destruction. Search the Scriptures, the word of God, every day for knowledge, wisdom, and truth. Seek the power of love, the power to build, the power to grow, nurture, and improve. Seek the very power of God, to create. Pray for forgiveness if you have used your power to abuse others. Pray for God to build you up. Ask Him to supply your needs. Pray for those around you. Pray for your country. He has the power of love. He is Omnipotent to bring you out of the destructive power, and create a new and powerful you. Turn to God, and live!
Destructive Power
The power of Satan is the power to destroy. Indeed, he is known as "the Destroyer" in scripture. Everything he does is destructive. At no time, and in no way does he ever build up. He is the personification of destruction in all of its forms. Some of the words used to denote his power include:
Destroyer
Accuser
Chains
Hell
Lies
Enemy
Suffering
Hatred
Damnation
Pain
Death
Torture
Lost
Fallen
Plotter
Adversary
War
Storms
Firey darts
All the powers that bind, block, prevent growth, separate or destroy are associated with the power of Satan. He has power, and his power is real, as real as an atomic bomb. The bomb can do nothing but randomly destroy everything in it's path. It has no mercy at all. This power is so huge it can destroy anyone and anything in its path. Nobody is immune, or can resist. There is enough power to destroy the Earth itself. No building can shelter from its destructive power. It is real, ongoing and relentless.
The Power to Create
On the other hand, the power of God is the power to build. God does not destroy, He only builds. He is a Father, above all. He loves, meaning He will make sacrifices in order to build up His children rather than allow them to be destroyed. He is growing by building up all around Him. He has power to create all things, even life itself. He creates worlds where life can grow. All of His efforts are spent in growing and building, never in destruction or cessation of growth. Some of the words used to describe the power of God include:
Counselor
Creator
Grace
Love
Word
Life
Happiness
Truth
Eternal
Father
Peace
Almighty
Life
Glory
Advocate
Joy
Mercy
All of these denote power to build up, improve, connect, and grow. God's power is just as real as Satan's. However, it is different. Satan uses power to force, bind, and destroy, whereas Gods power comes from love. He requests, counsels and entices, but never uses force. His power is gentle. He is meek, meaning He doesn't use His power to force or coerce. He draws men to Him with love. His power is the respect all things have for Him so they willingly obey Him. His commands are love, and always respect the boundaries of choice.
Choice limits power
Life is choice, for without the ability to choose, there is no will and no difference -- everyone and everything is the same, there would be no purpose in creation. As the French say, "Vive le difference!" By giving them agency, God limited His own power to providing options for His creatures, allowing them to make a choice. He can use no coercion, force, or compulsion on any of those He loves. Satan himself is a child of God who used his agency given by God to choose the power of destruction and bondage over the power of life and growth. Satan exists as the Destroyer because God, his creator, gave him the freedom to choose. God entices His children to do good by promising more power to learn, grow, and connect with others. His power is gained not by seeking your own, but rather by building up others, then they give you power through respect and love. They choose to obey.
The freedom to choose limits power on both sides. Satan has limited power because he can only influence those who choose his way, to destroy. There are boundaries through which he cannot pass; his power is in darkness and blindness. Those who see the Light, and choose to follow it, are immune to his influence. Light dispels darkness; the more light and knowledge one has, the less power Satan has over him. Knowing of the destructive power, and choosing light and growth completely destroys the work of Satan. He only has power when those who have the ability to choose, choose the destructive power. Those who see the light, like Lucifer, and choose darkness become as Cain, filled with destructive power. Satan entices people with power, the power of destruction, and leads them to their own demise and damnation. The enticement is to grow in power by taking it from others. They are forced to obey.
The Fall of Power
Those with the power to build can fall and turn to destructive power. The same power that can be used for good, can also be used for destruction. Evil can easily be defined as the use of power in a selfish manner. Nations, or people, may innocently use power, even destructive power and be justified for self-defense or protection from being destroyed. However, threatening or using destruction to get gain is always evil. Fighting and wars are evil because they have a single purpose -- plunder. World War II was purported to be a gold grab, plundering all of Europe, America, and Asia. In the process, the United States became a global empire with colonies everywhere. Millions died. Death and destruction were everywhere.
Prior to this, America was a chosen nation, blessed by God with freedom and wealth beyond any previous empire. However, seventy years ago, an incredible power to destroy was used to obtain world domination. Reporters who went to Hiroshima and Nagasaki soon after the blasts were so awestruck by the destructive power that they sat down and cried. A whole nation fell to the power of destruction. No longer do our "alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears." Tears were shed at the loss of innocence, the use of force, or killing to get gain. The United States became Master Mahan. "The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, they took the last train for the coast, as everyone was singing, bye bye Miss American Pie, Satan was laughing with delight. The music died."
From that point on, everything changed. Our nation no longer worships the God of life. Our worship has turned to the gods of destruction; we seek selfish gain in destroying life. We worship the Epicurean god, abusing each other's flesh, and then sacrificing the children created by this behavior to the god of expediency. Millions of children die every year before they even take a breath. Millions more are given over to those who don't love them so parents can worship the god of money and get more for themselves. Our laws are no longer for the purpose of protecting the innocent, rather to plunder and get gain at the expense of others. We willingly and regularly give up our freedom to choose, the essence of life, for the promise of carnal security, bringing only bondage. We have taken the one true God, who has the power to build us up, out of our national conversation, and banished Him to churches, synagogues, and temples. We worship gods with power to destroy so destruction is imminent. Truly, our nation is fallen.
Power to rise again
The power of redemption from the fall can only come from one Source. The Lord, Jesus Christ, has the power to save the whole Earth, every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Every individual, every nation, and every family falls under His care. He has all power to raise up, to build up, to resurrect, or save. We are lost. We are lost as a people. Our nation is lost and fallen. Each individual is lost and fallen. We have gone into the territory of Satan's power, but all is not lost. The power of love is greater than the power of destruction. While we cannot pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, we can turn to the power of God and submit to Him. He has the power to help.
He has power if we will choose Him. Though we are a fallen nation, we can still choose life by turning to the Lord of all. Salvation is a choice, a conscious decision, that comes from repentance: a whole nation searching the Scriptures for the word of God, and being obedient to it. It is all people, in all places, at all times, praying to the God of life for forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. It is everyone -- individuals, groups, corporations, and all of society -- giving up the power of destruction to get gain, and using the power to build, grow, and improve. Only death is found in the power of the devil, the power to destroy or kill. Life is found in the power of God to build up, grow, learn, and improve. Life is good.
Let go of the power to destroy. Give up the power of death, to kill and get gain. Avoid all coercion or bondage and debt. Hate all destructive power. Don't try to satisfy your own desires, needs, and wants; reject your own kingdom and turn to God. Seek love. Look for meekness. Be humble. Give rather than take. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hurt you. Bless those who seek your destruction. Search the Scriptures, the word of God, every day for knowledge, wisdom, and truth. Seek the power of love, the power to build, the power to grow, nurture, and improve. Seek the very power of God, to create. Pray for forgiveness if you have used your power to abuse others. Pray for God to build you up. Ask Him to supply your needs. Pray for those around you. Pray for your country. He has the power of love. He is Omnipotent to bring you out of the destructive power, and create a new and powerful you. Turn to God, and live!
Saturday, May 9, 2015
A Significant Life
Over the past several weeks I have been thinking about Karyn's half-century birthday. I wanted to do something specific and significant, and not just give her a crock pot. I prayed for a gift that would be meaningful, to express how much she has done for me, but I was given so much more.
This morning I woke up with the thought: What if Karyn wasn't even born? I thought of how tragic that would have been. I thought about all the people that would be affected. It occurred to me how much she has influenced the world in fifty years. Like I usually do, I started writing. As I wrote, more things just came to me, and I wrote them down. I would like to say that I wrote it, but it would be more truthful to say it was dictated to me. Only when I got to the last sentence there was a word I wanted to use but the word "incredible" was given and I heard Eddy's voice. Then, I looked back and realized that he had given me the whole thing. There are signature words, phrases, and references, such as using the middle names of all of his children. So, this is a gift to Karyn, from us. Happy 50th Birthday!!!
To Karyn Camille Garza Hughes
Think of all the amazing things you have done in fifty years. Think of all your travels, all your children, all your friends, all your family members, and how you have influenced them for good. Think of all they have been able to do because of what you have done, and all the people they have and will influence for good. The things you have taught, the way you have lived your life, thus far, has been a tremendous blessing to so many people in the entire world!
If you had not come into the world 50 years ago:
There would be no Heather Camille Hughes
There would be no Meaghan Elise Hughes
There would be no Christian Edward Hughes
There would be no Sarah Nicole Hughes
There would be no Kehli Noel Hughes
There would be no Heidi Marie Hughes
There would be no Micah Thomas Hughes
There would be no Shannon Michelle Hughes
There would be no Ethan Daniel Hughes
There would be many thousands of people from all over the world -- Argentina, Canada, Chile, and coast-to-coast in the United States -- who would not come to know God in this life.
Mike Chen would not be serving a mission.
I would still be searching for love in all the wrong places.
Because of you the world is a better place:
There is more love.
There is more peace.
There is more joy.
There is more happiness.
Because of you Heaven is greater:
More people are baptized.
More people go to the Temple and make covenants with God.
More families are sealed together.
More of God's work is done.
God has more glory.
To have such a powerful and great influence over the whole Earth in your generation is significant. Your life is significant. You are great. You have changed lives for the better, and for GOOD! --many lives! By doing God's work, teaching your children to do His work, and influencing those around you to do His work you have already become great in His eyes:
You are the salt of the Earth that brings savor to all of society.
You are the leavening that causes all the world to rise.
You are a true disciple of Christ, a real Christian, a servant of the most high God, and an ANGEL.
You do not yet even know how much good you have done. These few things we have mentioned here can only scratch the surface of the treasures in Heaven you have accumulated in your half-century on Earth. At a future time, you will know. You will know forever and ever as you enjoy your treasures for all ETERNITY.
You will be able to fully understand when you have incredible joy in the Kingdom of God with all of your "children" or those you have brought with you (including me).
Love,
Scott and Eddy
This morning I woke up with the thought: What if Karyn wasn't even born? I thought of how tragic that would have been. I thought about all the people that would be affected. It occurred to me how much she has influenced the world in fifty years. Like I usually do, I started writing. As I wrote, more things just came to me, and I wrote them down. I would like to say that I wrote it, but it would be more truthful to say it was dictated to me. Only when I got to the last sentence there was a word I wanted to use but the word "incredible" was given and I heard Eddy's voice. Then, I looked back and realized that he had given me the whole thing. There are signature words, phrases, and references, such as using the middle names of all of his children. So, this is a gift to Karyn, from us. Happy 50th Birthday!!!
To Karyn Camille Garza Hughes
Think of all the amazing things you have done in fifty years. Think of all your travels, all your children, all your friends, all your family members, and how you have influenced them for good. Think of all they have been able to do because of what you have done, and all the people they have and will influence for good. The things you have taught, the way you have lived your life, thus far, has been a tremendous blessing to so many people in the entire world!
If you had not come into the world 50 years ago:
There would be no Heather Camille Hughes
There would be no Meaghan Elise Hughes
There would be no Christian Edward Hughes
There would be no Sarah Nicole Hughes
There would be no Kehli Noel Hughes
There would be no Heidi Marie Hughes
There would be no Micah Thomas Hughes
There would be no Shannon Michelle Hughes
There would be no Ethan Daniel Hughes
There would be many thousands of people from all over the world -- Argentina, Canada, Chile, and coast-to-coast in the United States -- who would not come to know God in this life.
Mike Chen would not be serving a mission.
I would still be searching for love in all the wrong places.
Because of you the world is a better place:
There is more love.
There is more peace.
There is more joy.
There is more happiness.
Because of you Heaven is greater:
More people are baptized.
More people go to the Temple and make covenants with God.
More families are sealed together.
More of God's work is done.
God has more glory.
To have such a powerful and great influence over the whole Earth in your generation is significant. Your life is significant. You are great. You have changed lives for the better, and for GOOD! --many lives! By doing God's work, teaching your children to do His work, and influencing those around you to do His work you have already become great in His eyes:
You are the salt of the Earth that brings savor to all of society.
You are the leavening that causes all the world to rise.
You are a true disciple of Christ, a real Christian, a servant of the most high God, and an ANGEL.
You do not yet even know how much good you have done. These few things we have mentioned here can only scratch the surface of the treasures in Heaven you have accumulated in your half-century on Earth. At a future time, you will know. You will know forever and ever as you enjoy your treasures for all ETERNITY.
You will be able to fully understand when you have incredible joy in the Kingdom of God with all of your "children" or those you have brought with you (including me).
Love,
Scott and Eddy
Thursday, April 16, 2015
The Universal Bad Word
I'm going to speak today about a bad word. This word has been used in every language, every time period, and every place in the world, to the consternation of all. It is hardly spoken out loud because everyone cringes. It is hateful, hurtful, and terrible. People frequently die for using it; indeed it has caused the death of many of the greatest men and women in the world, it even caused the death of God, the greatest of all. The prophets and apostles tiptoe around this word so as not to offend; even from the pulpit it is only spoken in euphemisms. It is found in nearly every scripture written by every prophet, but nobody knows what it means; and they don't ask. It's meaning is kept well-hidden, even from the righteous! Nobody wants to hear it, or understand it. When used properly even the faithful will walk out. Sailors who pepper every sentence with all sorts of foul gutter language will gasp and be angry if they hear this word. It's bad. Really bad. In fact, I think it's the only truly bad word that is found in every language. What is this terrible, horrible, hateful, hurtful, bad, mean, ugly, awful, and deadly word? It's a command:
Repent!
Today, I will boldly use this word, and give you the full meaning. I expect you all will either walk away, or stone me. Peter was crucified upside-down for preaching repentance to gentiles. Jesus was crucified right-side up for the same offence to His own faithful family. Jonah ran the other way! Many prophets were cast out, stoned, burned, and imprisoned for telling their own or other people to repent. So, do to me what you will, I'm going to tell you anyway.
"It's for you"
Nobody wants to hear that repentance applies to them; everyone wants to feel like they are OK. Repentance only applies to those people, out there. Rather than apply the principle of repentance to ourselves, we prefer to point the finger, either actually, or in our hearts, at others, even those we love. "He needs to change." "She needs to change." "They need to change." We will not acknowledge our own need to change. Couples who go to counseling invariably are pointing the finger at each other. Neither wants to repent. Neither wants to make the sacrifice, even for love. The heart of stone is stronger. Every religious and secular community is filled to the brim with people who use their own religion to justify themselves while pointing the finger of repentance at others.
We all want to feel like we are good just as we are. Only those who are humble will be able to see their own need to change. They look inward, like the apostles of Jesus, when revealed that one of them would betray Him, they asked, "Is it I?" They didn't look around the room, trying to guess which one of the others would do the dirty deed.
Even in church we are taught about the five steps of repentance and avoid actually learning what it means to repent:
1. Recognize that you shouldn't have stolen that candy from the store.
2. Feel sorry
3. Make restitution -- give it back... or pay for it!
4. Ask for forgiveness
5. Never do it again
I always thought that this was really cool! I never stole anything from the store so I had no need to repent! Ha Ha! Repentance wasn't for me, it was for all those shoplifters out there! I didn't commit adultery so I don't need to repent. I'm good! This is how I passed half a century going to church every week and never learning about repentance. Since none of my teachers had repented, they couldn't teach me about it. I had to start from scratch, on my own, first learning why we need to repent, or what we need to repent of.
"Look at me!"
From the very young to the elderly it seems that all have a basic need to be noticed. Parents are constantly being pulled in one direction or another to notice the work, words, play, or accomplishments of a child. The book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie begins with this step. People need to be acknowledged. We need to hear our name. We need to feel like we're a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are born with a foundation of what we are inside. We experience the world and become able to express ourselves in the various ways, through art, language, music, work, and so forth.
One of my professors in medical school was older and very wise. He talked about healing, basing his lecture on a song by The Who called Listening to You:
See me,
Feel me,
Touch me,
Heal me.
His philosophy was that a doctor needed to be able to do more than listen in order to heal, he or she needed to experience the patient in other ways, to notice, or to acknowledge who they are and give them significance, and then the healing would begin.
Life is vain
However, all of this that we do, our natural foundation, is not solid because in the world everything is constantly changing. We have to live with loss of all kinds. I know many who live in the past, their "glory days" because their present is not good for them. We are very unstable because we are in a world of corruption, a world "where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal." (3 Nephi 13:19) We could die any minute, we don't know when. Moreover, whatever we created could easily be destroyed, lost, or stolen. Any foundation of our hearts, whatever we have our hearts set on will be lost at some point. Thus, the existentialist philosophers have noted that without the concept of eternity, life is simply a cruel irony.
"Dostoevsky once wrote: “If God did not exist, everything would be permitted”; and that, for existentialism, is the starting point. Everything is indeed permitted if God does not exist, and man is in consequence forlorn, for he cannot find anything to depend upon either within or outside himself." (Jean Paul Sartre)
Even Biblical philosophers, David and Solomon, noted the same:
"Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity." (Psalm 39:5)
"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh..." (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4)
When we maintain a life based on our own hearts, our own wants, needs and desires, we can find no foundation, no rest, no peace, no love -- and we see that all our efforts are useless. Feelings change. People change. People die. We change. All we are inside is as passing as the sandcastles we built as children on the beach -- no matter how awesome they were. All is lost. All is worthless. Everything is nothing.
Seeking Eternity
When we come to realize the vanity of what is in our own hearts, that "all we are is dust in the wind," and all we have is temporary, then we may start to look outside of ourselves for something more permanent. To repent is to let go of what is temporary, and take on those things of Eternity. All the things we sacrifice are not really a sacrifice because they don't exist in eternity anyway. They will all be lost, sooner or later. Inscribed on the wall of the chapel at Stanford University is the following:
"An eternal existence in prospect converts the whole of your present state into a mere vestibule of the grand court of life; a beginning, an introduction to what is to follow; the entrance into that immeasurable extent of being which is the true life of man. The best thoughts, affections and aspirations of a great soul are fixed on the infinitude of eternity. Destined as such a soul is for immortality, it finds all that is not eternal too short, all that is not infinite too small."
What we gain through repentance is wonderful beyond imagination. It is real. It is solid. It is good. We go into a world of light, truth, and love. All things become possible. Life becomes full, rich, and fulfilling. There is value, huge value in life that is so far beyond anything the world has to offer. It is a foundation that is built on bedrock, the Rock of Eternity that lasts forever and ever, and will never be lost or shaken. We can have all that is eternal only as we give up all that is temporary.
"What is real?"
Alma preached repentance to a fallen people; "And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures." (Alma 14:1) What were they searching for? The words of Eternal Life. The real process of repentance is giving up all that is temporary, and replacing it with things that are eternal in nature. It is the sacrifice of the heart. Nobody wants to hear about repentance because the sacrifice is too great, it's too hard. People will do all the performances, rituals, and sacrifice others such as friends, enemies, or their own children before they will sacrifice what is in their hearts. Instead of being recognized for our contribution, we must be humble and let go of all that we do, all that we are, and all that we ever hope to accomplish. False religion sacrifices others, while true religion is the sacrifice of our own heart, all we know and love, on the altar of God.
Preach repentance
The Lord told His disciples in the latter days, "I command you that you preach naught but repentance." (D&C 19:21) Some of them understood, and were hated and persecuted, driven and killed. Others didn't. We still don't really understand if we haven't repented ourselves. We will instead be found pointing the finger at the obvious need for others to repent. We don't want to be the bearer of bad news. We don't want to use the dirty word, the only bad word that nobody likes. We don't want to even know what it really means. However, it is the single most important word in the world. Without it, we are lost and fallen forever.
Without repentance we cannot reach our potential, or power, nor can we live. We can have nothing permanent; all we have and all we are is temporary without repentance. We will die with all that is in the world. All that we seek to receive recognition will be lost with us. The significant life has nothing to do with being a great artist, philosopher, philanthropist, or businessman, rather it is finding our eternal destiny.
Thus, this most important word is not just spoken by all the holy prophets down through the ages, not only Jesus, but the God the Father Himself said it: "the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent!" (3 Nephi 11:32) How do we do this? I understand four steps are required.
1. Humble yourself -- be willing to give up everything that is required of God.
2. Believe in Christ -- though I don't have the power to change, He can change me.
3. Let go of your wants, needs, and desires that are temporary.
4. Search for all that is Eternal, and hold fast to it!
Humility is hard-won
One important lesson I learned is that we don't choose our sacrifice, God does. I have sought repentance for many years. I realized that I needed to start with humility so I prayed for it and was soon in the middle of a lawsuit that I lost, and subsequently lost my medical licence, the business I had worked so hard to build from the ground up, and my income to feed my family. I was devastated! However, rather than "curse God and die" I decided to accept the lesson in humility and learn how to forgive, and let go. Later, my wife asked for a divorce and I even lost my family. I tried to put the pieces back together, but it was useless fighting. I had lost everything! I had no control. There was only one thing that the Lord actually asked me to sacrifice of my own will -- the house I had built with my own hands! The sacrifices I was asked to make just happened in the course of life. I didn't choose them, and all I could really do was to let go and accept the will of God as it unfolded.
All I had to do, really, was to see the hand of God in answering my prayers, and helping me to repent, and be grateful for the loss, for the pain, and for all I had to suffer because of it. Looking back, I can see that I had to give up all that I had my heart set on of the world so that I could begin to learn the things of eternity. In a short period of time, I had lost everything that was important to me. All the things that made me what I was. My art, my creativity, my uniqueness, my accomplishments, the very heart of me. I was broken. He broke my heart. Acceptance of the circumstance we are given is the process of letting go of control, our hearts, and the things of the world.
The story of repentance
I love The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, because it tells the story of repentance so well. Pi hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and wants to be baptized. Subsequently he goes through a process of losing everything, even his "tiger," and ends up with an incredible story to tell. These are the real stories of life. Everyone who has sought the Lord and repented has an amazing story. I think it is instructive that Pi had important decisions to make along the way, but mostly he had to let go and trust in God.
The greatest story of all is that of our Lord because He is our perfect example to follow. Most don't realize that He had to go through the process of letting go of the things of the world. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) Satan tempted Jesus with satiating His flesh, recognition, and power, but He had learned to submit to His Father.
Jesus explained His final submission, "I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning." (3 Nephi 11:11) To "suffer" means to "allow." In the Garden of Gethsemane he allowed the pain of all mankind to come to Him. He didn't cause it, He allowed it, "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39)
Because He did this, we can repent. We can change. We can leave our hearts on the altar of God, and take His heart. We can trust in Him, letting go of all that is temporary, and search for all that is Eternal. We can stop seeking our own, "look at me!" and start seeking His glory. It is a process.
Repent!
OK. Here goes. You can stone me if you want, but you need to repent! If you are a child (over 8) you need to repent. If you are poor you need to repent. If you have never done anything wrong you need to repent. If you are an ordained minister you need to repent. If you are Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or atheist you need to repent. No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what you believe, no matter what you think, you NEED to repent! I join the voices of all the holy prophets who every lived: Believe in Jesus Christ, have faith in Him, put your trust in Him, and REPENT!
Repentance is not about stealing, lying, or committing adultery. It is about getting rid of all that is temporary and replacing it with Eternal things. It's sacrifice. This is like birth. There is suffering, there is travail, and, yes, it's hard! No woman says, "I'm not interested in the baby, I'm just looking forward to labor and delivery!" That's why repentance is a bad word. However, on the other side of repentance is life, Eternal Life. Paul explains, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) It's good! It's really good! Those who have never had a child can never know the pain, nor can they know the joy of bringing a new life into the world. Don't focus on the pain of a broken heart, look instead to the joy of Eternal Life!
I commend all who read this to repent, to seek life, to make the change, to make the sacrifice. Search the Scriptures for all that is Eternal, and then allow the will of God to take over. Pray for repentance. Let go of your desires, or your heart. Allow the temporary to crumble, and build on the Rock of Eternity. Do only those things that are Eternal. Seek only things that are forever. Live life to the fullest. It's worth it! If you do, the universal bad word will become the greatest, most wonderful and glorious word ever spoken!
Repent!
Today, I will boldly use this word, and give you the full meaning. I expect you all will either walk away, or stone me. Peter was crucified upside-down for preaching repentance to gentiles. Jesus was crucified right-side up for the same offence to His own faithful family. Jonah ran the other way! Many prophets were cast out, stoned, burned, and imprisoned for telling their own or other people to repent. So, do to me what you will, I'm going to tell you anyway.
"It's for you"
Nobody wants to hear that repentance applies to them; everyone wants to feel like they are OK. Repentance only applies to those people, out there. Rather than apply the principle of repentance to ourselves, we prefer to point the finger, either actually, or in our hearts, at others, even those we love. "He needs to change." "She needs to change." "They need to change." We will not acknowledge our own need to change. Couples who go to counseling invariably are pointing the finger at each other. Neither wants to repent. Neither wants to make the sacrifice, even for love. The heart of stone is stronger. Every religious and secular community is filled to the brim with people who use their own religion to justify themselves while pointing the finger of repentance at others.
We all want to feel like we are good just as we are. Only those who are humble will be able to see their own need to change. They look inward, like the apostles of Jesus, when revealed that one of them would betray Him, they asked, "Is it I?" They didn't look around the room, trying to guess which one of the others would do the dirty deed.
Even in church we are taught about the five steps of repentance and avoid actually learning what it means to repent:
1. Recognize that you shouldn't have stolen that candy from the store.
2. Feel sorry
3. Make restitution -- give it back... or pay for it!
4. Ask for forgiveness
5. Never do it again
I always thought that this was really cool! I never stole anything from the store so I had no need to repent! Ha Ha! Repentance wasn't for me, it was for all those shoplifters out there! I didn't commit adultery so I don't need to repent. I'm good! This is how I passed half a century going to church every week and never learning about repentance. Since none of my teachers had repented, they couldn't teach me about it. I had to start from scratch, on my own, first learning why we need to repent, or what we need to repent of.
"Look at me!"
From the very young to the elderly it seems that all have a basic need to be noticed. Parents are constantly being pulled in one direction or another to notice the work, words, play, or accomplishments of a child. The book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie begins with this step. People need to be acknowledged. We need to hear our name. We need to feel like we're a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are born with a foundation of what we are inside. We experience the world and become able to express ourselves in the various ways, through art, language, music, work, and so forth.
One of my professors in medical school was older and very wise. He talked about healing, basing his lecture on a song by The Who called Listening to You:
See me,
Feel me,
Touch me,
Heal me.
His philosophy was that a doctor needed to be able to do more than listen in order to heal, he or she needed to experience the patient in other ways, to notice, or to acknowledge who they are and give them significance, and then the healing would begin.
Life is vain
However, all of this that we do, our natural foundation, is not solid because in the world everything is constantly changing. We have to live with loss of all kinds. I know many who live in the past, their "glory days" because their present is not good for them. We are very unstable because we are in a world of corruption, a world "where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal." (3 Nephi 13:19) We could die any minute, we don't know when. Moreover, whatever we created could easily be destroyed, lost, or stolen. Any foundation of our hearts, whatever we have our hearts set on will be lost at some point. Thus, the existentialist philosophers have noted that without the concept of eternity, life is simply a cruel irony.
"Dostoevsky once wrote: “If God did not exist, everything would be permitted”; and that, for existentialism, is the starting point. Everything is indeed permitted if God does not exist, and man is in consequence forlorn, for he cannot find anything to depend upon either within or outside himself." (Jean Paul Sartre)
Even Biblical philosophers, David and Solomon, noted the same:
"Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity." (Psalm 39:5)
"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh..." (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4)
When we maintain a life based on our own hearts, our own wants, needs and desires, we can find no foundation, no rest, no peace, no love -- and we see that all our efforts are useless. Feelings change. People change. People die. We change. All we are inside is as passing as the sandcastles we built as children on the beach -- no matter how awesome they were. All is lost. All is worthless. Everything is nothing.
Seeking Eternity
When we come to realize the vanity of what is in our own hearts, that "all we are is dust in the wind," and all we have is temporary, then we may start to look outside of ourselves for something more permanent. To repent is to let go of what is temporary, and take on those things of Eternity. All the things we sacrifice are not really a sacrifice because they don't exist in eternity anyway. They will all be lost, sooner or later. Inscribed on the wall of the chapel at Stanford University is the following:
"An eternal existence in prospect converts the whole of your present state into a mere vestibule of the grand court of life; a beginning, an introduction to what is to follow; the entrance into that immeasurable extent of being which is the true life of man. The best thoughts, affections and aspirations of a great soul are fixed on the infinitude of eternity. Destined as such a soul is for immortality, it finds all that is not eternal too short, all that is not infinite too small."
What we gain through repentance is wonderful beyond imagination. It is real. It is solid. It is good. We go into a world of light, truth, and love. All things become possible. Life becomes full, rich, and fulfilling. There is value, huge value in life that is so far beyond anything the world has to offer. It is a foundation that is built on bedrock, the Rock of Eternity that lasts forever and ever, and will never be lost or shaken. We can have all that is eternal only as we give up all that is temporary.
"What is real?"
Alma preached repentance to a fallen people; "And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures." (Alma 14:1) What were they searching for? The words of Eternal Life. The real process of repentance is giving up all that is temporary, and replacing it with things that are eternal in nature. It is the sacrifice of the heart. Nobody wants to hear about repentance because the sacrifice is too great, it's too hard. People will do all the performances, rituals, and sacrifice others such as friends, enemies, or their own children before they will sacrifice what is in their hearts. Instead of being recognized for our contribution, we must be humble and let go of all that we do, all that we are, and all that we ever hope to accomplish. False religion sacrifices others, while true religion is the sacrifice of our own heart, all we know and love, on the altar of God.
Preach repentance
The Lord told His disciples in the latter days, "I command you that you preach naught but repentance." (D&C 19:21) Some of them understood, and were hated and persecuted, driven and killed. Others didn't. We still don't really understand if we haven't repented ourselves. We will instead be found pointing the finger at the obvious need for others to repent. We don't want to be the bearer of bad news. We don't want to use the dirty word, the only bad word that nobody likes. We don't want to even know what it really means. However, it is the single most important word in the world. Without it, we are lost and fallen forever.
Without repentance we cannot reach our potential, or power, nor can we live. We can have nothing permanent; all we have and all we are is temporary without repentance. We will die with all that is in the world. All that we seek to receive recognition will be lost with us. The significant life has nothing to do with being a great artist, philosopher, philanthropist, or businessman, rather it is finding our eternal destiny.
Thus, this most important word is not just spoken by all the holy prophets down through the ages, not only Jesus, but the God the Father Himself said it: "the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent!" (3 Nephi 11:32) How do we do this? I understand four steps are required.
1. Humble yourself -- be willing to give up everything that is required of God.
2. Believe in Christ -- though I don't have the power to change, He can change me.
3. Let go of your wants, needs, and desires that are temporary.
4. Search for all that is Eternal, and hold fast to it!
Humility is hard-won
One important lesson I learned is that we don't choose our sacrifice, God does. I have sought repentance for many years. I realized that I needed to start with humility so I prayed for it and was soon in the middle of a lawsuit that I lost, and subsequently lost my medical licence, the business I had worked so hard to build from the ground up, and my income to feed my family. I was devastated! However, rather than "curse God and die" I decided to accept the lesson in humility and learn how to forgive, and let go. Later, my wife asked for a divorce and I even lost my family. I tried to put the pieces back together, but it was useless fighting. I had lost everything! I had no control. There was only one thing that the Lord actually asked me to sacrifice of my own will -- the house I had built with my own hands! The sacrifices I was asked to make just happened in the course of life. I didn't choose them, and all I could really do was to let go and accept the will of God as it unfolded.
All I had to do, really, was to see the hand of God in answering my prayers, and helping me to repent, and be grateful for the loss, for the pain, and for all I had to suffer because of it. Looking back, I can see that I had to give up all that I had my heart set on of the world so that I could begin to learn the things of eternity. In a short period of time, I had lost everything that was important to me. All the things that made me what I was. My art, my creativity, my uniqueness, my accomplishments, the very heart of me. I was broken. He broke my heart. Acceptance of the circumstance we are given is the process of letting go of control, our hearts, and the things of the world.
The story of repentance
I love The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, because it tells the story of repentance so well. Pi hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and wants to be baptized. Subsequently he goes through a process of losing everything, even his "tiger," and ends up with an incredible story to tell. These are the real stories of life. Everyone who has sought the Lord and repented has an amazing story. I think it is instructive that Pi had important decisions to make along the way, but mostly he had to let go and trust in God.
The greatest story of all is that of our Lord because He is our perfect example to follow. Most don't realize that He had to go through the process of letting go of the things of the world. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) Satan tempted Jesus with satiating His flesh, recognition, and power, but He had learned to submit to His Father.
Jesus explained His final submission, "I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning." (3 Nephi 11:11) To "suffer" means to "allow." In the Garden of Gethsemane he allowed the pain of all mankind to come to Him. He didn't cause it, He allowed it, "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39)
Because He did this, we can repent. We can change. We can leave our hearts on the altar of God, and take His heart. We can trust in Him, letting go of all that is temporary, and search for all that is Eternal. We can stop seeking our own, "look at me!" and start seeking His glory. It is a process.
Repent!
OK. Here goes. You can stone me if you want, but you need to repent! If you are a child (over 8) you need to repent. If you are poor you need to repent. If you have never done anything wrong you need to repent. If you are an ordained minister you need to repent. If you are Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or atheist you need to repent. No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what you believe, no matter what you think, you NEED to repent! I join the voices of all the holy prophets who every lived: Believe in Jesus Christ, have faith in Him, put your trust in Him, and REPENT!
Repentance is not about stealing, lying, or committing adultery. It is about getting rid of all that is temporary and replacing it with Eternal things. It's sacrifice. This is like birth. There is suffering, there is travail, and, yes, it's hard! No woman says, "I'm not interested in the baby, I'm just looking forward to labor and delivery!" That's why repentance is a bad word. However, on the other side of repentance is life, Eternal Life. Paul explains, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) It's good! It's really good! Those who have never had a child can never know the pain, nor can they know the joy of bringing a new life into the world. Don't focus on the pain of a broken heart, look instead to the joy of Eternal Life!
I commend all who read this to repent, to seek life, to make the change, to make the sacrifice. Search the Scriptures for all that is Eternal, and then allow the will of God to take over. Pray for repentance. Let go of your desires, or your heart. Allow the temporary to crumble, and build on the Rock of Eternity. Do only those things that are Eternal. Seek only things that are forever. Live life to the fullest. It's worth it! If you do, the universal bad word will become the greatest, most wonderful and glorious word ever spoken!
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