Luke 4:33-34 -- On Knowledge and Trust

"And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God."
Luke 4:33-34


There is a lot going on in this chapter, with Christ visiting Nazareth and being driven out, devils identifying him, healing everyone that was brought to him, and people pleading with him to stay with them. It kind of gives you a picture of how hectic his life was, and how unusual it was. I think it can also give us a lot of hope... if Christ endured his hometown trying to push him off a cliff and devils calling him out in public, along with many more of the obvious and sometimes much worse things he dealt with, then we *know* he can help us with our problems. He gets us, and he loves us. Let's turn to him and trust him.

Ether 12:27 -- On Weakness and Humility

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Ether 12:27

Ether 12:27 It's hard to feel weak sometimes. Vulnerability can be scary, and we seem to instinctively build walls to protect ourselves. Sometimes the walls can be mostly good things, like a healthy hobby or a support system of people who care about us, but they can also be bad things, like pride or arrogance or thinking of other people as lesser, or wrong, or just too different from ourselves to even deal with. We can insulate ourselves with addictions or obsessions so we don't have to think about our weaknesses, failures, or potential failures. Even good things can keep us from learning things that we need to learn--if we stay sheltered in our coccoons forever, we never give ourselves the chance to develop into what God knows we can become.

Our best selves are glorious, beautiful, incredible beings of light and love. God is showing us the way to get there... but part of the way is weakness and vulnerability. It is scary, but as long as we are learning our lessons from the Lord, feeling that fear and anxiety also can teach us compassion and generosity and helps us to relate to other people who feel those things too (which is everyone at different times). Learning to deal with inability and broken selves helps us to appreciate and seek meaningful work and wholeness. Feeling vulnerable and at risk with other people helps us to identify bad relationship strategies and to help other people feel whole and safe. The key is to not seek to fill our broken hearts with something besides God... he is the only thing that can heal and fill us. If we look to him for our help, then we will learn and progress and develop and become. Let's make sure that we look to God and allow our weaknesses to teach us and the Lord to guide us, rather than thinking weakness means we are evil or awful and giving up. As God says above, his grace is sufficient for all of us, if we humble ourselves and have faith... he will teach us how to be everything that we long to be in righteousness. :)

Ether 12:18 -- On Miracles

"And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God."
Ether 12:18


Was reading this today, and thinking about how important faith is... all tied in with belief, hope, action, and even love really. That idea of trusting in the future, and of course in the particular version of the future that God promises, but also just in general. Believing that this moment leads somewhere, that it is worth something, that we can make a difference through our actions and choices... being mentally engaged in our lives and choosing where to go rather than just drifting along. That all seems part of it to me. I think of the Brother of Jared talking to the Lord and the Lord asking him what he would have him do to get light in the ship. His imagination mattered there. He thought of something that he thought could work, and knew God could make it happen. And perhaps the Spirit was helping him think of things, which is good, but that mental work, figuring out what the whole thing might take... that mattered too.

Today, let's partner with God and work on our relationship with and trust in him. Let's really believe that he can do miracles in our lives, and as we learn to imagine it and accept it, God will be able to do bigger wonders in our lives than we have seen. Let's be open to miracles, and we will come across them much more often.

Ether 11:14 -- On Resisting Wickedness

"And it came to pass that Ethem did execute judgment in wickedness all his days; and he begat Moron. And it came to pass that Moron did reign in his stead; and Moron did that which was wicked before the Lord."
Ether 11:14


This is the "joke" verse with the punchline "Don't be a Moron," but it is also not a joke. Reading about whole civilizations destroyed here in the end of the Book of Mormon, it is a perfect time to step back and take a look at our own lives. God is willing to forgive, and bless, and help, and strengthen, and love... but we have to listen and follow his plan to help us not destroy ourselves. No matter what is collapsing in our own lives, God can help. Let's turn to him, and love him, and resist the wickedness and evil around us. Let's be the example on the hill that God asks us to be. Let's show love to others and be part of God's cure for to the ills of the earth.

Ether 7:23-26 -- On Warnings

"And also in the reign of Shule there came prophets among the people, who were sent from the Lord, prophesying that the wickedness and idolatry of the people was bringing a curse upon the land, and they should be destroyed if they did not repent.
And it came to pass that the people did revile against the prophets, and did mock them. And it came to pass that king Shule did execute judgment against all those who did revile against the prophets.
And he did execute a law throughout all the land, which gave power unto the prophets that they should go whithersoever they would; and by this cause the people were brought unto repentance.
And because the people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries the Lord did spare them, and they began to prosper again in the land. And it came to pass that Shule begat sons and daughters in his old age."
Ether 7:23-26


I like this selection because it is an example of when God warned the people and things turned out okay... even though they rejected them at first, because they were free to travel around and preach, eventually the people repented. So many other times in the scriptures, people reject the prophets and then they are lost.

I think this happens in our lives too, in a way. We read or listen or feel in another way what God wants us to do, or just the general good advice from the Lord, through his prophets or through the scriptures, or through more direct inspiration or revelation, and sometimes at first we ignore it or reject it. But over time, if we keep hearing it, we finally let it through... and I think that it is really fortunate for us that God gives us that time and space to repent and change.

Today, let's not drag our feet, but make changes in our lives now, remembering and listening and being grateful to God for his mercy to us so far. Life with God is SO much better than life without. Let's remember that, and take whatever steps we can to draw closer to him.

Ether 6:11-12 -- On Trusting God

"And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water.
And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them."
Ether 6:11-12


Earlier in this chapter, it explains that "the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind" (verse 5). It seems very trusting and faithful to throw yourself into that sort of uncertain situation and trust God to take you someplace good, and I think risking so much also is reflected in how thankful and grateful they were at the end of the journey.

Maybe it is that way for us as well... the more we trust God in our lives, the more capacity we have for gratitude and understanding the mind-blowing miracles that God does for us. If we stand on the shore and say no thank you to God's offer to lead us to a promised land, then not only will we not get to the promised land, but we will also not gain the depth of faith, trust, and even love and gratitude that we could have if we were willing to cast ourselves upon the water.

Today, let's trust in God, and let's think about whether we are holding ourselves back from learning something important by not trusting him just a little bit more.

Ether 3:12 -- On a God of Truth

"And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie."
Ether 3:12


I love the idea that God can't lie. From events in Christ's life we know that doesn't mean he is incaple of fiction... his parables were fictional, but still taught truth--the lesson underneath the words. I think what it really means is that everything he does, he does to help us find truth and reality. Deception is Satan's game. God tells it like it is. Today, as we are looking for things to trust in a world full of deception, let's turn to the Lord who will never lie to us, but will always lead us to truth.

Ether 1:43 -- On Prayer and Persistence

"And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed, upon all the face of the earth. And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me."
Ether 1:43


I like the mention here that the Lord is doing this for the brother of Jared because he stayed in communication with him, praying and crying unto God. It says earlier in the chapter that he was "highly favored of the Lord" ... so much so that when Jared has a plan and wants something from the Lord, he has his brother ask it for him. :) And from this, it seems that the core of that favor was prayer. Today, let's all seek favor from the Lord, not by false praise as so many practice in our society, but by sincere communication and just talking and developing a friendship with the Lord. God is not far away from us, if we seek him. I know it can be difficult to hear him sometimes over our own thoughts and desires, and there are times when we will think that our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and never making it to our Father... but as we learn of him, combining our prayers with reading his words, taking his advice, and sincerely seeking his will, we will find it easier and easier to reach him, and to feel and know what he has to say to us.

Mormon 9:36-37 -- On the Triumph of Love and Hope

"And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, are according to the prayers of all the saints who have dwelt in the land.
And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith; and may God the Father remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel; and may he bless them forever, through faith on the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
Mormon 9:36-37


These verses, praying for his brethren, even though a bunch of those brethren had just wiped out his whole society, seem amazing to me. Moroni still knows that God will make everything okay, even though all the Nephites were wiped out... and he prays for the families and the descendants of the very murderers who destroyed them. Of course, he was realistic, knowing that his side was evil as well, and all his hope had to be in future promises, but I still love the idea that seems firm in his mind to love and hope and pray rather than hating. It would have been so easy to hate, and so many media messages in our current world tell us that it is okay to hate in circumstances like that... but God asks us to walk in love, no matter our circumstances, and that choice is part of what makes us, over time, more like he is. He can forgive us of the worst sins because he can see through to someone that he loves, and he wants more than anything to help us reach our better, shinier, whole and clean and bright potential.
He can see the hope in the future, and love and shine his light into the darkness to show others the way. Today, let us also try to make the right choices and to show love to all, even our enemies. We might need a lot of prayer and help, but with God, we can do it. :)

D&C 50:23 -- On Edifying

"And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness."
Doctrine and Covenants 50:23


Edifying means to uplift or improve, and I like that idea, that everything that God does is meant to make things better... to help, teach, assist, lift, and strengthen. The section continues, talking about light and truth as well... lots of great stuff here, but maybe today we can just go forward with that single idea, so we don't get overwhelmed trying too much at once. Let's lift, and help, and edify. Let's do all we can for others, making things better and not worse. If we can get that one thing right, we're on the right track, and we can tackle more as we master the simplicity of helping and not harming. :)