Scriptural Commentary

Isaiah 61:3

2012-01-31T08:04:00.000-05:00

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."
Isaiah 61:3

This is another verse that shows how cool the Second Coming will be, rather than showing the destruction beforehand. So many times we worry in this life about injustice and unfairness and so many things that are just wrong with the world... people starving to death, people accused and punished for things they didn't do... murder, theft, sexual violence... poverty, homelessness. So many things that we live with as a society because we don't know or agree on how to stop them or fight them effectively. And here the Lord is basically saying that he will solve all of it... plus more. He's going to save us from the things that we did that were actually our fault as well. :) I love the "beauty for ashes" line. I imagine someone with nothing left, sitting in the ashes of something that she loved, or more symbolically her own ashes, and suddenly, like the phoenix, not only being made whole and able to survive, but also amazingly, stunningly beautiful. ... I think that is what the Lord does for all of us, and will do in the Last Days. Where we were just struggling for bare existence, the Lord will make us glorious. Trees of righteousness... :) Tall and strong and utterly good, belonging to the grove of God. Awesome symbolism here. Today, let's do everything we can to be those trees now. Let's repent, raise ourselves from the ashes of our sins... root ourselves in the Gospel, and raise our hearts and our whole selves to grow up to God.

Isaiah 55:12

2012-01-26T08:27:00.002-05:00

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all of the trees of the field shall clap their hands."
Isaiah 55:12

Sometimes we get worried about the last days because of the war, destruction, and sorrow prophesied. Verses like this, though, help us remember that Christ's return comes to fix those things. :) The imagery here is amazing. Mountains and hills ... singing. :) Can you imagine? Awesome bass voices on those mountains, I'm certain. :) And trees, cheering for us. :) All this time, just watching, but then, in our day of triumph, clapping. :) I think it gives us a taste of what the whole world will be like at that point... happy... exultant. Maybe we get a taste of what it will be like in 3rd Nephi where things were bad, but then they suddenly get absolutely perfect, for generations. :) Today, let's not be scared of what God is planning. Things might get bad for a while, mostly because of the craziness that mankind rains down on itself. ... But in the end, God's plan for us is all about joy, and peace, and everything good. Let's stick to the plan, and look forward to the happy ending... with singing mountains. Awesome. :)

Isaiah 51:12-13

2012-01-24T08:23:00.002-05:00

"I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?"
Isaiah 51:12-13

I think that we often put people before God. The things that we think about during the day, the things that keep us up at night... the things that preoccupy our minds when we're trying to do other things... people. :) And caring about other people is important... but letting them take over our minds might not be. :) It makes sense why... we're interacting with them all the time, sharing experiences, whether good or bad, and so they are things that we think about. But what if we interacted with God more often? Would he pop into our heads more often? Would we be able to feel the spirit rather than worry sometimes, or sleep through the night rather than staying awake worrying about an argument with a friend? We might be getting things backwards... the first commandment is to love God, and the *second* is to love other people as we love ourselves. :) God cares about us and has done so much for us... plus, all those things that we're worrying about? He can help us with them. Today, let's not let the fury of the oppressor into our hearts and minds by allowing ourselves to be distracted from God. Let's interact with God through prayer and through scripture study. If we're going to be preoccupied, let's be preoccupied with God... then all our other worries will be manageable. :)

Philippians 4:11-13

2012-01-20T09:24:00.000-05:00

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:11-13

Things come up in life that throw us for a loop sometimes... sometimes expected or anticipated changes, and sometimes out-of-the-blue changes. Both can be difficult, and here Paul tells us here that he has learned to be content through it all. :) Amazing. :)
I love the contrasts in the second verse ... basically saying, I'm okay no matter what happens. :) When things are going well, I know how to share my success with others, and when things are going badly, I know how to get help and still be able to serve others. I know how to be happy with my life the way it is, but also to plan improvements in myself and my life. I know how to have peace inside when things are crazy outside, and how to work towards a goal even when things seem stagnant. Basically, I can deal with anything... I'm a superhero. :)
And then in the last verse, he tells us how. He can do ANYTHING, because Christ is the one helping him, teaching him, and showing him that the vicissitudes of this life are not what matters... it is that inner happiness and peace we get from understanding God's plan, and learning to love God and other people. Today, let's learn from Paul--and from God. Let's learn to be superheroes as well. Let's work on the inner calm, and then we can start working on the flying around and saving people part. ;)

Isaiah 46:3-4

2012-01-18T08:26:00.000-05:00

"Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."
Isaiah 46:3-4

We are dependent upon God. I think that we so often mentally struggle with that concept... wanting to be super independent, thinking we can go it alone, or do fine making the choices that WE want to make, etc. And it is only in looking back that we realize how, even then, when we weren't listening to God, that he was still helping us out, trying to keep us going and in a position to be able to be saved from our often abysmally bad choices. It's kind of like many Earthly parents... they let us have our little rebellions when we threaten to run away... and they wait and still help us out when we utterly fail and come back for a sandwich. :) Of course, with God it is all on a grander scale, but running away accomplishes just about as much. We need God... and all those things that we want when we run away... things like freedom, happiness, peace... those are things that we can only get in any real quantities through God. Today, let's stop running away. Let's tell God what we really want, the reasons that we were looking elsewhere, and work it out with him. He wants so, so much for us to be happy, and he'll help us to get there. We can't always have the exact things, jobs, people, places, riches, or internet speeds that we want. ... but whatever God offers will lead us to greater peace, happiness, *and* freedom. It doesn't matter how long we've been gone. If we come home and ask for a sandwich, God will give us one. :)

Isaiah 33:5-7

2012-01-16T08:31:00.000-05:00

"The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.
Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly."
Isaiah 33:5-7

These verses from Isaiah are talking about the last days, as Isaiah does a lot. I like the image here of wisdom and knowledge being central, and the source of stability. So many things happen, and so many things will happen, always, that we're tempted to react dramatically to... to panic, or stress, or worry, or something else extreme in our adrenaline-junkie lives. And God's answers are very very rarely laced with that kind of season-finale drama. In real life, staying calm is often our salvation, and keeping our heads and making wise long-term choices is going to be more and more important as the world becomes more and more short-sighted and interested only in the now. I include the last verse to show the difference of the way the world reacts. Even when the valiant ones and the ambassadors of peace weep, and possibly lose hope, the fear of the Lord should be our treasure. And God can be scary, and the things that will happen will be frightening, but I think when Isaiah talks about the fear of the Lord, he probably means healthy respect and faith, knowing that God is in charge... and fearing and respecting God more than we fear the choices that people are making. Today, let's take this lesson to heart, and keep our heads, and let wisdom and knowledge guide us. rather than fear. And whenever we do fear, let's turn that to God rather than overreacting to outside events. He's the one who can help.

Alma 24:30

2012-01-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

"And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things."
Alma 24:30

This makes sense to me, but seems very sad. It makes sense because once you have known God, and have shut him out and chosen to walk away from him, it is very much easier to do the same in the future. You've found a way to deny or ignore the sun shining in your own soul... compartmentalized yourself somehow, so that you can do this thing that you want, while shutting down that part of yourself that is saying NO, please don't destroy yourself further. I think that all of us recognize that a little bit, since we're all reformed sinners to some extent, and have to keep watching ourselves and not slipping back into that chosen blindness. The sad part is that it makes us, when we're walking away from God, very much worse than people who've never known him. This verse in the Book of Mormon comes after the Sons of Mosiah convert a lot of Lamanites back to the light, and the non-believers come to kill them. ... And the Lamanites stop the slaughter when they see that they refuse to fight back... but the former Nephites, who had the truth and rejected it--in doing so also blocked off part of themselves that was able to show compassion or mercy on some level... and they continue to slaughter these hundreds of people who are just kneeling and praying, and not fighting back at all. It's also scary to think that anyone that has known what we know, and has known God through the scriptures and through prayer and had so many amazing experiences with Him... could walk away from that. That we could walk away and blind ourselves. Probably all of us have seen it happen. People who have had a testimony, who have told us spiritual stories... maybe even been on a mission... and then they fall away and seem to forget so much of what they once knew, and were certain of. Maybe it has even happened to us to some extent in the past. ... Today, let's make sure that isn't us. If there is any distance growing between ourselves and God, let's cross it and reconnect with God. Let's read the scriptures. Let's get on our knees and remember clearly all that the Lord has done for us. Let's take the time to listen to his pleas for our return, and do whatever it takes in our lives to come back to him.

1 Corinthians 7:22-23

2012-01-10T08:18:00.000-05:00

"For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men."
1 Corinthians 7:22-23

I like the juxtaposition here of freedom and bondage, and that we're all sort of both. Even if we're burdened with overwhelming obligations in this life, or limited or controlled in some way by others, we still serve the Lord through our own choice, and are never forced or coerced by God. At the same time, even if we have perfect freedom in this life and the resources to do whatever we want... we still have an obligation to God, who gave his life for us and made it possible for us to obtain eternal life and happiness. ... The cool thing about it all is that all he asks in return is for us to do the things in our lives that will allow us to take advantage of his gift... to learn how to be eternal, happy beings. :) Today, let's remember our freedom, and exercise it to the benefit of others. And let's also remember the price that Christ paid for our sins, and honor that by learning about him and doing his will.

1 Nephi 4:3

2012-01-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

"Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians."
1 Nephi 4:3

This is from the very beginning of the Book of Mormon where Lehi tells his sons to go back to Jerusalem and obtain the brass plates that God has told them to obtain for their journey. And they've already talked to Laban and offered a lot of gold and silver and other expensive items to Laban in return, and Laban has stolen all of their stuff and tried to kill them. And at this point, Laman and Lemuel are ready to go back to their father. They think that if they keep trying that Laban will succeed in killing them. When reading the story I think it is easy to see both sides. Afraid of being killed, and confident that God will make it happen since he asked them to do it. And in our lives I think that we often vacillate between these viewpoints as well: being afraid and being faithful.
Things don't always work out the way we want them to... maybe someone isn't trying to kill us, but we still wonder why there are so many obstacles in our way and why God isn't stepping in to make things better or easier. Just like Laman and Lemuel doubting even after they had seen an angel, we all have experiences in our lives where we absolutely know that God is there... and we gloss over those just as they did, when we're worried and scared.
Today, let's choose faithfulness over fear. We're all going to have challenges, and things aren't going to come easily. But God is still there, wanting us to learn and to succeed. Instead of doubting, let's remember Nephi, and keep trying to do God's will, even when it seems impossible.

Alma 17:2

2012-01-06T09:31:00.002-05:00

"Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God."
Alma 17:2

I love this. Alma and the sons of Mosiah had been friends most of their lives. They started going around to destroy the church together, and then they were converted together. And Alma would have been happy to see them even if they had gone back to their old ways, but it added to his joy that they were still his brethren in the Lord... that they were doing so much good work for God, just as he was, dedicating himself to helping people change and come to God. And they could interact on a whole other level because they'd all been learning and studying and growing in the same direction. ... I think it is the same for us at different times in our lives, and probably will be in the afterlife. Being dedicated to God and the gospel opens us up to a whole level of happiness. :) Today, let's work towards that happiness, and those ultimate joyful reunions by learning more and opening ourselves up to the Scriptures and to our Heavenly Father. :) So much to learn... so much to enjoy. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 138:56

2011-12-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

"Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men."
Doctrine and Covenants 138:56

This section talks about Christ's visit to the spirit world in between his death and resurrection, and how he brought the gospel to the dead. It's a fascinating section, if you want to read more. What struck me today as I was reading it is the references to our premortal existence. I always wonder what it was like, and also, how different things will be when we can remember that time. I love this verse talking about how we received lessons in the world of spirits. Maybe we weren't all in the advanced class with Abraham, Adam and Eve, Isaiah, etc... but I doubt any of us sat out of class entirely. :) The idea of lessons before we were born fits in with the idea of this life as a learning experience... on this Earth we're working on learning and growing and becoming smarter, wiser, and more beautiful of soul, just like we were then. :) Today, let's get out there and learn. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 137:9

2011-12-15T08:28:00.000-05:00

"For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts."
Doctrine and Covenants 137:9

This verse comes after it talks about people who die without a knowledge of the gospel... that if they would have accepted it, then they will get the same reward as someone who did have the chance to accept it. I think that is really cool, and a great equalizer, so that people who never got a chance to consider the gospel don't get penalized for something they had never even heard of. And that is what God is about... we're all here to learn and grow and become the kinds of people we can be. God isn't up there laughing when people fail at life... he's sorrowing. He wants us to succeed... and he gives us all every chance that he can. I also think that it is cool that God judges us by our actions and the desires of our hearts, together. Actions could be judged differently, based on intent, and intent could be judged differently, based on action. That makes the judgement whole, taking into account soul and body. It also means that we can't just get by wanting something bad, but just avoiding it. Going through the motions might be a good way to start learning obedience, but it can't be enough in the end. And wanting the good, but still behaving badly, again... might be salvageable, and is better than bad heart and bad actions together... but again, it won't be enough in the end. Wherever we start, we have to get to inner unity, where our hearts and our actions are in alignment. Where we are desiring *and* doing good. Today, let's work on getting ourselves on the same page. :)

Helaman 3:29

2011-12-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked--"
Helaman 3:29

I really like this one. Reading it today it seems all about empowerment. God gives us the ability and the opportunity to learn and take hold of his word, and use it to improve the world and our individual lives. The more we drink it in and understand it, the less we can be deceived by the distractions of the evil and shallow, and the more we are rooted in God and his gospel of good. :)
Today, let's take this promise to heart. Let's read our scriptures... not as a chore, but pleasurably. Learning the stories, thinking about the words and how they relate to our lives. Let's find the words that will help us through our current problems... that will show us how to be happy in the midst of stress, or triumphant over some personal darkness. It's all there, and the more we pile God's word into our minds, the more God's guidance will pop out at the most opportune moments. :)

Ephesians 6:5-8

2011-12-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free."
Ephesians 6:5-8

Even though probably very few of us have the job title of "Servant," this probably applies to us all in different ways. Whatever we do in this world, we're serving the people around us in some capacity, and even if we don't have a direct superior over us, we all have masters in some sense, whether it is at work, at school, at church, or on a larger level in our society, under our national and local governments.
This struck me I think because it draws a parallel to "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40), but in a way that I don't usually think about that scripture... in the workplace, or in talking about the Government. It seems harder to think about serving Christ through serving my CEO, or through serving Congress, or the President, than it does when I think about serving the homeless guy on the corner. Maybe it is just a personal mental challenge... or maybe it is because I don't know much about the homeless guy on the corner, and he's demanding a little less of me. :)
Either way, I really like this, and thought it would be a good challenge for us today. Let's do good service for God, no matter who is telling us to do it... and let's be positive, and do our best work, helping the people around us as much as we possibly can. No matter what inequities, hardships, or complaints there are in the background, let's not slack off or give up, but let's always be the best possible people we can be, wherever we are, whatever we are doing... loving and serving with cheerful hearts.

Psalms 13:1-2

2011-11-30T07:34:00.000-05:00

"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?"
Psalms 13:1-2

I think that we all go through times in our lives where we ask these questions... where we wonder how long we have to deal with suffering or sorrow or persecution, or whatever else is really affecting us as we live our lives. We look up at heaven and say "enough already!" And I think it is quite normal to want to skip through the sad parts and get to the happy parts of the story. It's all about timing, and even though we think that we've reached our endurance limit sometimes, God shows us that we're stronger than that. Or makes us stronger, through the sad times. We can't see the end, or the next chapter, or even the next paragraph... but just like this psalm, which starts out with the verses above and ends with "I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me," things get better. Today, let's trust in the Lord's timing, and remember that wherever we are, no matter how stuck we feel in a Greek tragedy, a different ending is always possible. With God, we get to choose the genre. Things do get better... those last chapters are the best. Let's hang in there and keep turning the pages with hope.

Abraham 1:2

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

"And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers."
Abraham 1:2

In this verse Abraham is starting to choose a new life, and looking at what he wants and what he values. At the core, he wants to be happier, and to have more peace and rest. :) And everything else builds on that. He knows that God can help him find happiness. Which makes me think of "men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25) ... God created us so that we could be happy. Created Abraham so that he could be happy. In fact, each of us could say "I am, that I might have joy."
There is greater happiness and peace and rest for all of us, through God. That doesn't mean there will never be bad times, but it does mean that the bad times and the good, and everything that we experience is designed to make us into better, happier people in the long run. Abraham's life after this point was definitely not free of trials or sorrows, but he did find everything he was looking for. So can we.
Today, let's examine our lives and figure out what we want. Happiness? Peace? Rest? More knowledge, more guidance, more goodness, more purpose? And when we figure it out, let's work with God and start to improve/recreate our lives... talking to God about how to be happier, and then following through. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 42:27

2011-11-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

"Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm."
Doctrine and Covenants 42:27

We've heard "love thy neighbor" many times. It's already been said... but as with most things, God needs to drive the point home with repetition and some clarification because mostly we haven't been paying proper attention. :)

So, refresher course. First refresher: our neighbors are everyone. So, we shouldn't speak evil of anyone, or do anyone harm. In fact, we should love everyone. We know this. :) Second refresher: even people we don't like. Even ____________ <--- mentally fill in the name of whatever individual or group we've spoken evil of lately.

It is unfortunately easy to speak evil of/complain about people. We jump into mental comparisons without seeing the whole picture. We wonder why this other person hasn't learned a simple lesson that we learned long ago... or why this group of people is choosing things that we would never choose. We don't usually remember at the time that there are other basic lessons that we struggle with, or other choices that we make that others are wise enough to stay away from.

Today, let's remember our neighbors fondly, and not speak evil of any of them. Learning to love each other is one of our biggest lessons in life, and this is a good first step: Do no harm.

Acts 9:18

2011-11-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

"And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized."
Acts 9:18

Some of the stories of dramatic conversion in the scriptures (for example here, Saul/Paul, and in the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger or King Lamoni) are powerful to us I think because they are swift and immediate changes rather than slow realizations. One day, Saul was asking for letters that gave him authority to persecute and bind the Christians, and three days later he was fully converted, baptized, and shortly began preaching Christ in the synagogues. I think it is an amazing illustration of repentance, and how knowing the truth can turn your entire life around. Saul didn't hesitate or wait, worried about how it would look to his friends or colleagues. He realized the truth, and changed his whole life because of it. Even though our realizations are often less dramatic than Saul's (perhaps thankfully so because being struck blind for three days would be very scary), we're still capable of the same kind of dedication. Unfortunately, it's hard. Just like Saul, when faced with the truth of Christ, we have to radically change our minds and our hearts and our actions, and it is easy to wimp out and worry about what people will say or how they will mock us, or to feel like we can't actually overhaul our lives that much. The great thing is, God is around to help us, just as much as he helped Saul. And if we try, he'll send people to help heal and support us, and he'll help us make those big changes in ourselves, becoming different people than we used to be. Today, let's make the hard choice to change ourselves for good, and live closer to Christ and the truth of his gospel. :)

Alma 37:46

2011-11-21T07:54:00.000-05:00

"O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so it was with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever."
Alma 37:46

Life isn't always easy, but God has made it easy to know where to go. God's plan is simple, and his path is straight. When we make a mess of our lives, the way out always begins with prayer, and the Sunday School answers that seem like we've heard them hundreds of times... they really work. Reading our scriptures is foundational to knowing more about God and his gospel. Sometimes the easy parts are the hardest for us, because we think it is too obvious, or it doesn't work in our focus on immediacy, or ... we just want that extra drama and/or excuse complexity gives us. We want sometimes to be able to say that we couldn't handle it, or understand it. :) Let's take a step back from the tangle today and simplify things. Let's pray and read our scriptures... just those two things. And let's see if that helps untangle everything else. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 93:23-24

2011-11-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

"Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth;
And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come."
Doctrine and Covenants 93:23-24

I like these glimpses into our premortal existence. It is cool to know that we were there with God, and I love the part about spirit/truth/knowledge (and light/intelligence that it mentions a few verses later)... that those things are all mixed in together, and part of who we are. :) I like thinking that at the core of ourselves we're light, and goodness, and truth almost shining through the skin. :) I'm guessing that because it is part of who we are, adding more light and truth and knowledge to the mix can only help us. :) And also, that when we deceive ourselves or put up a mental block so we don't have to deal with a difficult truth, that can only hurt us. Today, let's embrace truth and knowledge, and listen to our Father, who has been with us for eternity. Let's grow in goodness and light until we're all shiny and hard to look at. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 88:64-65

2011-11-15T08:15:00.002-05:00

"Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.
And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation."
Doctrine and Covenants 88:64-65

I like this. I love all the scriptures that give us hope and promise us cool things when we ask, and it is really good to remember that God loves us enough to give us what we ask for. On the other hand, I really appreciate the warning here... and I think that it is a warning about exactly the same thing. That God gives us what we ask for. Sometimes what we ask for can really mess up our lives.
When we really really want something with everything that we are, it's hard to stop and say "thy will be done." We aren't really feeling or believing it, and as Huck Finn says, "you can't pray a lie." I think it's hard in certain circumstances to get to that place where we have let go of our will enough that we really are willing to accept God's will, whether it coincides with our own will or not. But that's also the only time it means anything... when we really feel it.
Today, let's work on being completely open with God... telling him what we want, and why... but also on making sure that we aren't hurting ourselves with what we ask for, or walking any path besides God's.

Jeremiah 8:15, 18, 20

2011-11-10T08:52:00.002-05:00

"We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!
...
When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.
...
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."
Jeremiah 8:15, 18, 20

Life feels this way sometimes. We wait and work, trying for something good, and it falls through, or we want to cheer up and we can't, because things are just that bad... or we feel like everything is over and we failed. We did our best, it wasn't enough, and it is time to give up. Sometimes, probably often, we bring some of these feelings on ourselves because of sin. Losing the Spirit means losing some of that hope that was getting us through. It could be that one trial that is in exactly our weak spot, and even though we keep saying we are going to stand up to it this time, we cave anyway. Or it is a huge trial that knocks us over and instead of standing up to take another blow, we decide to just lie there and catch our breath for a while. Sometimes it doesn't have a lot to do with us. It is a medical, career, or relationship emergency that we didn't cause, but we definitely have to jump in and mop up the mess that it caused in our lives. This chapter ends with a verse that begins "Is there no balm in Gilead?" ... and we wonder too, if there could possibly be a solution to what seems like the end of the world.
In today's verses, the chapter or even the next few chapters don't have an automatic resolution for us. It stays bleak for a while... but because we have the entire book, we know there is a resolution eventually, and I guess that is what I wanted to remind us all of today. God knows there will be bad times... times when we've lost hope, times when we're without the Spirit, times when we've screwed up our own lives, or feel like whatever happened to us is completely unrecoverable... impossible to come back from, and there is no healing or solution that can possibly help. And God also knows that isn't true. The chapter continues, the book continues, and in the end, as the scriptures tell us, the Messiah returns and makes everything okay. We know the ending, and it is amazing. ... The exact same thing is true in our individual lives. It might not happen in the next few pages, or even in this chapter, but somewhere in our story there is healing, and hope, and a triumphant and happy resolution for anyone who keeps making the effort to turn the pages and allow God rights of authorship. There *is* a balm in Gilead. Today, let's ask God what happens next, and work towards it.

Genesis 6:4

2011-11-09T09:10:00.000-05:00

"There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."
Genesis 6:4

This is just one of the verses in the scriptures that talks about Giants, and I think it is interesting. I think it is hard to mentally divide "Giants" in stories like Jack and the Beanstalk from stories like David and Goliath sometimes... possibly because they both reflect some truth, but we don't know the origins of the ideas... whether it was really small/short people talking about really big/tall people, or whether the difference was much more excessive... but also in this verse it talks about sons of God and daughters of men interbreeding, and if this is still talking about Giants on one side, that limits the extremity that could exist. ... The whole verse kind of gives you the storybook feel as well, with "men of renown" like if men and Gods interbred, we would have a lot of heroes. :) ... and, actually, so it is. We are heroes in a very real, but fiction-feeling, way. :) As the spiritual children of God given mortal and imperfect bodies, we're also in a way a mixture of human and God. We're trying to fit Godly thoughts and desires into our very human lives... and in doing that, we can be heroes to the people around us as well as heroes in our own stories, coming out of the middle chapters where so many bad things keep happening, and triumphing in the end. :) Today, let's be heroes... the ideal parts of ourselves. :)

Mormon 9:21

2011-11-05T09:58:00.002-04:00

"Behold I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."
Mormon 9:21

This is powerful. So often we go throughout our lives almost believing the claims in the world around us... that God is dead/never existed, or that there are no such thing as miracles or that God has stopped doing them, and God doesn't communicate with his children anymore, or answer prayers. So many different things that the world says, but here is a reminder of what God says. Anything is possible. We could be stuck in the blackest hole, or be buried under a mountain of rock, or both those things figuratively AND literally, and God would still be able--and willing--to listen to us, and grant our desires to escape from the world, and from sin, and from all the things that hurt us, and be able to come to him again. There is nowhere he can't reach, and nothing he can't do for us. We just have to believe, and ask. The only limit God places upon it is "nothing doubting," which is a big limitation and a small limitation at the same time. As we get to know God better and better, we doubt him less and less... and we also know more and more how and what to ask. Eventually, if we continue on the path, we'll doubt nothing, and be able to ask for anything. It's big in that it doesn't happen all at once, and we have to work to get there... and it's small in that the promise works NOW. _Today_ we can start talking to God, telling him everything, and asking for what we need. And, today, God will start blessing us. Let's go out and start practicing. :)

Galatians 6:9-10

2011-11-04T18:01:00.000-04:00

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Galatians 6:9-10

I think that we all feel this way sometimes... wearied by trying to make the right choices, and do the right thing, when it doesn't seem to be paying off. Things still go wrong, and the whole world seems to be melting down into a soap opera or talk show. :) But here God tells us to not be weary... it isn't a short-term goal that we're working for. We're doing what we can to build a better world and a better future... and a better self. And nothing that we do is wasted or worthless, because if it does nothing else, it changes *us.*
Today, let's work on refreshing our spiritual energy, and doing good to everyone, reaching out to each other, especially when it is hard. Let's encourage everyone to keep working at it and infusing life with goodness and hope. :)

1 Peter 4:12

2011-11-02T08:41:00.002-04:00

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"
1 Peter 4:12

This is great. I think that we do this a lot. Our lives are going along, and something bad or annoying happens, and we're like WHAT!? This isn't the way things are supposed to go. Bad things happen to other people, but my life is supposed to be charmed and perfect. :) And obviously, to some extent, we can avoid bad consequences by making good choices. If we don't steal, we won't get caught stealing. If we don't drink, we won't get a DUI. And it is awesome to avoid as many ugly consequences as we can. However, many things in life don't work that way. We're here to be tested, and to learn... and we cannot learn if we don't run into things that are really, really, really hard to deal with sometimes. We won't learn rely on God unless we feel a need to turn to him, and we won't learn patience or how to deal with injustice unless we face things that require us to learn those lessons. And you know, even when we DO bring it on ourselves (I know I have made my life harder in many circumstances)... it still isn't strange. :) It's normal. It's life. We make mistakes, and we have to learn to clean up the problems we cause. God turns all of it into lessons, helping us to become better, stronger, more resilient, and wiser people. Today, instead of raging against the injustices and snarls in our lives, no matter who caused them, let's learn some problem solving so that when we're faced with the next one, maybe we'll be better at it. :) Let's jump in and, as calmly as possible, start straightening things out... working at each knot until it comes loose, and asking for God's help when needed.

Doctrine and Covenants 122:9

2011-10-31T08:19:00.000-04:00

"Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
Doctrine and Covenants 122:9

This is God speaking to Joseph Smith when Joseph was in Liberty Jail, and was going through a lot. There is a lot of explanation and comfort in this section about why we suffer, and then this verse. I really like this because it is what God always does for us. After feeling with us, telling us why, or offering comfort in our distress... he always, when we're ready, stands us back up on our feet, dusts us off, and says... okay, try again. I think this message is to all of us, and about whatever we're going through. ... Keep going. God isn't going to take away our blessings, and God won't let our enemies go past the limits he has set. No one can change the destiny that God has for us. Today, let's go forward, unafraid of any consequences that don't impact us spiritually. Let's work with God to become who we have the potential to be.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:38-40

2011-10-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

"And again I say unto you, sue for peace, not only to the people that have smitten you, but also to all people;
And lift up an ensign of peace, and make a proclamation of peace unto the ends of the earth;
And make proposals for peace unto those who have smitten you, according to the voice of the Spirit which is in you, and all things shall work together for your good."
Doctrine and Covenants 105:38-40

I love this. It is so easy to become contentious in this life and want to fight back or prove that we're in the right, or show the injustice in what is going on. But even here, when several groups were harming people, and many others had threatened to, God asked them to seek peace. We might not have people threatening to murder us or burn down our homes (hopefully), but sometimes it is still hard to hear God's message of peace to all people. There's usually at least one person that we don't particularly want to be at peace with. And so it is cool to hear God's message and kind of his vision of the way the world should be. Peace everywhere. I love the idea of us being at peace with the whole earth, and being able to visit with or talk with anyone without accusations or bad feelings just because of where we were born. ... I also love the last verse here. Basically... work for peace even with people who haven't chosen to work that way with us, and if we listen to the Spirit and work towards that peace, ALL things will work together for our good. What an amazing promise. Today, let's try to take hold of this promise and make it work in our lives. Let's choose peace over contention and offer peace to everyone across the whole earth.

Ezra 9:5-6

2011-10-27T07:08:00.001-04:00

"And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,
And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens."
Ezra 9:5-6

This struck me today because I think we all feel this way sometimes. And our iniquities *are* increased over our head, and we're ashamed, and it is hard to feel good about anything because we don't know how to get out, and we start losing hope that we'll ever be able to overcome ... anything. Ourselves. And I think that these verses are amazing because they show us exactly what we should do during those points in our lives, when we feel completely overwhelmed and inadequate in facing our trials. ... We should get down on our knees, and tell God exactly what is going on. Sometimes we feel embarrassed or ashamed, and think that God won't listen to us. That's okay. Just tell him that too. We think that our trials and our iniquities reach the heavens and are insurmountable. That's okay too. Just say it to God. ... And when we are in a situation like that, it doesn't seem probable, or maybe even possible, but prayer works even then. God is always the way out of an impossible situation, and even if he isn't pleased with our behavior... he *always* wants to help us improve and come closer to him. If we go to him with sincerity and lay out what our concerns are, he'll always help. Today, whether we're feeling overwhelmed or not, let's lay our lives out in front of God and talk to him about our concerns. He's always willing to help, if we can be open to it.

4 Nephi 1:15

2011-10-21T08:40:00.000-04:00

"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people."
4 Nephi 1:15

This is pretty simple on the surface. These people... entire society full of people... got along. No fighting, no cruelty. Because they loved each other. ... Amazing. A little deeper now. The love of *God* did dwell in their hearts. It wasn't just the normal type of love that you get from knowing someone really well and learning to appreciate them. That totally rocks, and it helps us all when we take that kind of time to get to know one another... but they probably didn't all know each other personally, so this was even more than that. Their own love was enhanced by God, with his love and his personal knowledge of everyone, so that even if they didn't know someone personally, they could still love, and that love made a difference in their lives.
Our situation is different, yes, but I think this applies to us as well. It is really easy for us to dismiss people that we don't know, or who we see as different from ourselves. Say, immigrants, or Muslims, or democrats or republicans, or homosexuals, or polygamists, or felons, or the rich, or the poor. Sometimes we don't understand other people well enough to love them... or we think that the gap is too wide between who we are and who they are. God loves them though... every single one of them... every single one of us. We all have problems and things that we need to overcome, and no matter who we are, we're probably labeled in the media as *something* ... but we're still part of each other, no matter what we believe or how we live. Sometimes the individual differences are great, and hard to surmount, but this verse tells us how. Today, let's pray for God to grant us *his* love... so that we can love everyone we run into in person or through conversation or media. So that we can increase our ability to love. To see past labels and sins, and see hope and potential and greatness... in ourselves and in everyone around us.

3 Nephi 19:3

2011-10-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

"Yea, and even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus; and insomuch did they send forth unto the people that there were many, yea, an exceedingly great number, did labor exceedingly all that night, that they might be on the morrow in the place where Jesus should show himself unto the multitude."
3 Nephi 19:3

The background to this verse is that Christ appeared to a big crowd of people who had gathered near the temple in the land of Bountiful. After he left, they knew he would return, and so they told everyone, and people did whatever they could to get there to see him the next day.
I think this is incredible. Every time I read it I wonder what it would have been like to be there... either telling people about it, or hearing about it. When we read about Christ coming, we don't usually think of the details behinds it. Where and when, and who was there. Christ lived for many years in and around Jerusalem, but that was still a relatively small part of the world. And we do hear of a few people who heard about him and traveled a long way to see him. I think it is similar here, but somewhat more urgent, because he wasn't living there for years, and they didn't know how long he would stay. I think it is cool that they worked so hard to be near the Savior. And if we were there, what wouldn't we do, really, in order to be there the next day... even if we had to walk all night, or run all night... how could we not try?
Today, even though the situation is not identical, let's go forward with that same determination to be close to the Lord. Let's make that kind of amazing valiant effort to prepare ourselves to listen and learn from all that he has to say.

Philippians 1:27

2011-10-17T09:12:00.000-04:00

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."
Philippians 1:27

I think that the more we become united, the more we become like this. Whether we're together or apart, we're still working for the same things, and making God our top priority. In so many ways, even if we haven't seen each other for years, we're still of "one mind" in how we approach the world and tapping into that "one spirit," listening to God and trying to do his will. Even when we feel isolated or alone spiritually, we can remember that there are other people that are part of us, even if they are physically distant. Today, let's do all we can to unite with God, and thereby with so many other people who are moving towards that same goal. Even if we're utterly alone, we can still be surrounded by that love, and part of that unity. Let's make our conversation match that oneness today, and not jar ourselves out of alignment with the whole by our words or actions.

2 Timothy 2:24

2011-10-14T14:07:00.000-04:00

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,”
2 Timothy 2:24

I love this. I don't always live it, but I want to. Can you imagine the world... or even just our individual lives, if we stopped the strife, and were gentle and patient with each other? If we were always ready to share and teach rather than getting defensive or upset? I love that version of the world. :) Today, maybe we can try to get closer to it. Every time we're tempted to become angry... let's try to switch perspectives, and think of ourselves on the other side. Often, the people that we're talking to are trying to do their best as well, but we're just not seeing the whole picture. Today, let's be gentle and patient, no matter what comes at us. Even if it doesn't change the world or our lives immediately... it will change today. And that's always enough.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

2011-10-12T08:27:00.000-04:00

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;"
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

I absolutely love these verses. I think they show how resilient that God can help us become. There are always going to be ups and downs in life. We're going to go through hard times, and things are going to confuse us and trouble us at times. But, if we stay connected to God, those things can hurt us, but not mortally. They can never creep into our souls and get us to give up or quit. Even the worst things will only be temporary setbacks. The world can bruise us, but never break us, because we have God on our side, and He loves us and helps us to endure, and to stand back up and try again. Today, whatever is going on in our lives, let's remember that we still, and always, have God on our side. He is the most solid, dependable, loving parent and friend that anyone could ever hope for, and he can get us through the self-doubt, the embarrassment, the confusion, the ridicule, and the sadness... and more. Be resilient today. :)

Zephaniah 3:12-13

2011-10-05T08:25:00.002-04:00

"I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid."
Zephaniah 3:12-13

This struck me today because of the similarity to the scripture that I wrote about earlier this week (3 Nephi 21:19). Previous to this, God talks about how he will take away people who rejoice in pride, so it seems like part of getting to this point is some massive humility. I think that we don’t usually learn humility unless forced by circumstance… being afflicted and poor perhaps. And maybe that is what helps them to that very cool and ideal point where no one lies and no one feels like they have to deceive, because they aren’t afraid anymore. I wonder what in our current society encourages us to lie, and deceive, and to do iniquity. Is it mainly fear? And if so, fear of what? Authority, relationships falling apart, social status, losing power? Maybe humility can help in those circumstances as well. I know it doesn’t always seem so, that humility in the face of a power struggle at work could help… or humility when faced with a cruel authority figure. Things like that feel sometimes like we should fight back and stand up for ourselves. And sometimes we should. But, often, humility is the better choice. Being able to let other people win, and to let the less important struggles go, even when we’re right… these are things that we all have to relearn frequently. :) And, maybe if we work on it now, today… we’ll be less afraid, less tempted to deceive, and better able to make the right decisions consistently.

3 Nephi 21:19

2011-10-03T08:34:00.000-04:00

"And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away."
3 Nephi 21:19

This is the part of Third Nephi where Christ is speaking in person to the people that have gathered together in the land Bountiful. Right before this, and actually after as well, he talks about some of the signs that will happen in the last days... and lots of it is destruction type stuff that will happen if people don't repent. Cities being cut off, chariots destroyed, strongholds overthrown, etc. But then comes this part, and along with all the physical destruction things it seemed to stand out. All lyings and deceivings gone... all envying... ALL envying? No strife? No priestcrafts or whoredoms. ... Amazing stuff. To me, more amazing than cities and cars being defunct, living in a society where no one lies... where people don't envy each other... where there is zero strife? ...that's incredible. And, it's something that we can work towards. We can't start destroying cities in preparation (please don't try), but we can start cleansing our hearts of some of this stuff, so that we'll be able to live in a society like that. Today, let's look at our lives, and see if there are any of those things there. Do we envy people around us and want what they have, at work, at school, or at home? Do we envy them enough to try to take it, or manipulate ourselves into a similar situation? Do we lie or deceive? Do we have strife... with anyone, ever? Priestcraft (preaching for profit rather than belief), or whoredoms? ... if so, let's start working at cleaning those things out of our hearts. Let's work at being happy for other people who might have things or perks that we don't. Let's figure out why we're lying and find a way to stop. Let's work on lessening the strife that we're involved in until we can get it to zero, and we're only negotiating with no bad feelings. Whatever it is that is creeping into our hearts in a negative way, let's clean it out and make things better, so that someday we can be part of the incredibly cool society that Christ tells us will come.

Hebrews 4:2

2011-09-29T08:19:00.000-04:00

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
Hebrews 4:2

Quite often in this life we go through the same experiences as someone else, but come out with a different conclusion. And it is frustrating to us, because our conclusion (whichever it is) totally makes more sense, and we can lay it out for the other person, thinking that if they just understand our reasoning, that of course they will naturally agree. And often then, they don't. And maybe they feel the same way, and try to explain it to us from their perspective... and we say, yes, I see your reasoning, I took those things into account, but I still disagree with you. Both people could be extremely logical, but in the end it comes down to value judgements, and to one person something is more important than to the other person.

I kind of like the fact that this verse tells us that, at least in the case of the gospel, the difference is Faith. In the Guide to the Scriptures and the Bible Dictionary, we learn that faith is confidence and trust, a principle of action and power, and hope in things that we do not see, but which are true. And maybe that hope/confidence that we have in God makes the difference a lot of times, helping us to still work towards the ideal, even when the ideal seems impossibly far away. And it is our faith in other people and whatever we're currently working on that gives us the motivation to continue, and to succeed where other people might give up, or expect less. The same applies to ourselves. We need to have faith in ourselves that we can succeed in this life... and faith in God that he will help us to do so. If we lose faith in either one, then it's easy to get into a place where all we can see is failure, and all we want to do is escape.

Today, instead of taking our day as-is, lets mix in a little faith. It makes everything taste better. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 100:15

2011-09-16T08:03:00.000-04:00

"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly, and to the sanctification of the church."
Doctrine and Covenants 100:15

It is pretty amazing to think that *all* things will work together for our good. I think of Christ and how even nature and the elements seemed to support him as he went on his way, and it seems so... huge that we could have the same thing in our lives, with everything around us working to help us. Remember when Christ told the disciples where to go to get a donkey, or stopped in the street and told someone that he was going to eat at his house that night? Everything around us is prepared for us, working to help us and teach us... and if we walk uprightly as the verse says, maybe we can tap into that a little.
Today, let's try to be aware of the things all around us that work together for our good. ... And let's strive to be worthy of that attention, and be part of it for other people as well.

Ecclesiastes 2:17

2011-09-15T08:27:00.000-04:00

"Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit."
Ecclesiastes 2:17

I came across this today and loved it because the first part sounds so modern... totally hating life. :) The reason that the speaker here is hating life is pretty much because life isn't fair. You can be really wise, and people will still forget you, just like an unwise person. You can work all your life and your stuff will go to someone who won't value it or care about it. Maybe we worry about similar things, or maybe different, but I think that we all have times where we feel this... like life just doesn't make sense and why even try, because nothing we are working for is really going to last. There are two different answers to that for us. One, we can remember that the point in life isn't necessarily to get the most toys, or the perfect solution. It's to learn and become better than we are. While we're working on things that don't last, sometimes we're building skills that we'll need later in life. Sometimes we're just learning patience or how to deal with disappointment and failure... but those are valuable things. Two, we can remember that some things do last. More knowledge and wisdom might not matter in this world and make us more remembered, and the stuff we collect might disappear forever when we die... but knowledge and wisdom we can take with us, and the relationships that we build and the good that we do... those things matter eternally. Today, if something goes wrong and we're hating life, let's remember to find the lessons in the impermanent, and to focus on the permanent.

Isaiah 42:22-23

2011-09-14T08:54:00.000-04:00

"But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?"
Isaiah 42:22-23

I think that we're exactly like this, a lot. We're caught in traps... sometimes of our own making, sometimes not. We walk down the road and fall into a hole, and after we finally get out, we do it over again. We get thrown into prison or allow ourselves to be used... and we don't learn from those mistakes, or appreciate being saved when we are... we unfortunately just walk into the same situations over again, figuring if God saved us this time, or forgave us last time, hey... let's see if falling into a hole is more fun this time. It made kind of a cool splash that first time... oh. well, guess not. now what?
I think sometimes we even LOOK for the holes to fall into. It's like we have these hole-detector goggles on. We're like, ugh. Road, road, road. BO-ring. Where's a hole? What can I do to screw up and complexify my life today? :) And then, the thirty-third or the ninety-fourth time we do it, God doesn't bail us out immediately, and suddenly we're all mad. Hey... he must not love me, or care whether I exist, etc. ... And he still does, of course, but at some point we have to learn to take off the goggles and see the whole rather than the hole. Navigate around the traps, and actually find out where the road goes.
Today, let's remember that God wants us whole. Let's not allow ourselves to get robbed and beat up and trapped spiritually (or physically), and when God does save us from the snares we walk into anyway, or the holes that someone else has dug, let's be grateful to be out, and not crawl back in because it is more familiar. :)

Mosiah 15:11-12

2011-09-13T08:45:00.000-04:00

"Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord--I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?"
Mosiah 15:11-12

Sometimes the thought of the atonement is overpowering... that God would do that for us. These verses struck me I think because they show the intimacy of the relationship that the atonement sets up between God and us. We often think that others can't understand how it feels to be who we are, but the amazingness here is that God can, because he *has* walked a mile in our shoes, and suffered the same things that we do. He's also an active participant in our lives, and because he has felt what we feel, he can help us more than anyone else to find the answers and crawl out of the holes that we've dug for ourselves. :) Today, let's remember what God has done for us, and talk to him and include him in our lives and our decisions. He knows what he's talking about.

Revelation 13:7

2011-09-12T09:01:00.000-04:00

"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
Revelation 13:7

Sometimes it is hard to understand why God lets the bad guys win... even temporarily. We all know the end of the story. God wins, and we end up happier than we could have ever expected. Awesome ending. But here in the middle sometimes it can get kind of hard because things don't always go the way we think they should. Telling the truth doesn't always keep us out of trouble. Sharing the gospel doesn't always have a positive outcome. Injustice sometimes triumphs over justice, and the bad guys get away with whatever it is they are up to.
And I actually don't have a comforting answer... but maybe that is the point. God will comfort us when we need it, but we have to experience some complications in life, and some ambiguity. As an abstract, life isn't meant to be comforting, or kind... and definitely not fair. It's meant to teach us and stretch us, and to help us to become better than we are: stronger, braver, more capable of understanding and making good choices. I think that looking back we can see how our lives have shaped us and made us better... but it is sometimes hard to see looking forward. And maybe that is one of the reasons that God asks us to care for each other. He couldn't wrap us all in bubble wrap to send us down to earth, or we'd never learn what we should learn. But we can help each other, and offer comfort and support when people around us are faced with trials. It's not bubble wrap, but however unlikely it sometimes seems... it can be better to be broken and to learn to heal ourselves than to stay unbroken and never learn. Education trumps bubble wrap.
Some things in life will overcome us, and sometimes the bad guys will win... it's all part of the plot. It doesn't change the ending. Today, let's remember that God loves us enough that he wants us to learn rather than be perfectly protected... and let's also remember that the people around us are part of the same test, and they could use some support and love... and maybe some help studying on the parts that we're good at. :) Don't worry... it's not cheating. God encourages collaboration. ;)

Hebrews 8:10-11

2011-09-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."
Hebrews 8:10-11

Someday, we won't be teaching each other about God, because everyone will know him individually. Just the thought of that fills the immensities of space with possibility. Can we even begin to imagine that world? Think of what we could build if we were all building on the same foundation. :) ... If everyone believed in God, and knew him well, maybe we could start having some of those parting the sea and walking on the water classes... learning the application of faith so much more in daily life. Instead of having conversations that fall apart because you don't have the same foundation, and have to keep retreating until you find a common place from which to build, it seems like conversations could go so much farther into fascinating places.
I like the idea here of God putting his laws into our minds and hearts. Right now I think we still have to get there, through reading and studying the scriptures, but perhaps it is the same effect if we have the spirit with us all the time, and we're learning that actively. Definitely something to work on, to get as close to this as possible.
The other thing that I think is cool here is "I will be to them a God, and they will be to me a people." ... I think of Christ's life, and how many people rejected him because he lived as a normal person to a large extent, and didn't appear out of the clouds in power and glory. Maybe this is saying that next time, our relationship will be more obvious and easier to accept. ... Not that we can just sit back and count on this happening tomorrow. :) Today, let's look forward to this, but also do what we can to make it true in our lives now. Let's drink in God's law, and etch it into our minds and hearts. Let's build a relationship with the Lord and know him, so that we can get past those basic building blocks and start improving ourselves and the world further.

1 Peter 2:1-3

2011-09-02T09:13:00.002-04:00

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
1 Peter 2:1-3

I was reading this and thinking about having open minds. Sometimes it is hard to be open in our society, because we're worried about people cheating us or taking advantage of us in other ways, and so we doublethink everything we say and do. In some ways, this is good. It helps us to be careful and not to offend people. On the other hand, sometimes we need to be more open, and not make up our minds ahead of time about some things... being more accepting of people that we've never met or don't understand, for instance. Or even when people seem to be making decisions that we think are poor, maybe trying to see things from their perspectives. It often makes sense that way, and shows us a way to solve the problem. ... It's hard to do that, because as this verse says, we often have malice, or envy, or evil speaking that we have to overcome first.
This verse of course isn't talking about general openness to others, but openness specifically to God, but those feelings we have about other people can get in the way of our relationship with God. And with him, it is just disaster if we make up our minds beforehand and choose what we'll listen to and what we won't. If the only thing we allow God to say to us is yes, okay, do that... then we miss the chance for him to tell us about truly better options, or the "no, you aren't ready for that" message that can often save us a lot of heartache.
I love the image of the newborn child, just having tasted the graciousness of God, and wanting more. No complications or complexities... just really really wanting more of that goodness. Today, let's try to simplify our lives a little and get rid of the distractions. Let's let go of preconceived ideas about how our lives should go, and all the things we want for the wrong reasons... and just seek God because we want more good in our lives.

3 Nephi 6:15

2011-08-25T08:27:00.002-04:00

"Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world."
3 Nephi 6:15

I think this verse struck me today because it seems like a verse that could easily have been written about our day, rather than almost 2000 years ago. And kind of cool in a way to feel that connection to people in the past... that even though the world changes a lot, human frailties remain remarkably similar. This verse talks about one of the downfalls of an amazing society, and in order to prevent a similar downfall in our personal lives, this is a great warning. It is so easy to get prideful, to think that we're better than the next person... smarter, more talented, more funny, better looking, or better educated. Or maybe just more wealthy and powerful. Maybe we have more social influence, or maybe we're WAY better at Scrabble. :) And you know what... maybe we are better at some things than other people. But pride isn't really the ideal mental place to go when thinking about things like that. The fact that we all have different strengths and weaknesses gives us an amazing opportunity to share burdens in a better way, and also to help and teach each other. It is also good to remember that power, authority, and riches shouldn't be the focus of our lives. If we have those things more than other people, again, probably not an ideal pride situation. Better to take those things as an opportunity to help other people, to support them, and lift them, and protect them... rather than thinking that any of the differences in our lives are our due, or that we're naturally better than anyone else. Good to remember that we all have different weaknesses as well. Maybe we don't have as strong of a testimony, or maybe its hard to pay tithing or to fulfill our callings. Maybe we are really bad in social situations, or maybe we have addictions or desires that pull us away from the church. Perhaps we need those same people that we can beat at Scrabble to balance out some of our weaknesses with their strengths... to help us see where to step when our own weaknesses are blinding us. Today, let's work on being humble, and on learning together as a society, and avoiding stratification, exclusion, and pride.

Philippians 3:7-11

2011-08-24T08:25:00.002-04:00

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
Philippians 3:7-11

Paul is amazing. Here he's talking about losing and winning, and how he lost everything that he thought he had at one point, because of Christ. I think this happens to us as well. God gives us challenges that seem amazingly devastating... like we're losing everything we care about, or part of our core being. And it is painful, and hard to understand. ... But perhaps, like Paul, when we are able to see the bigger picture, we'll see how worthless that lost path in life was to us, because we gained so much more than we ever lost. I know I've experienced that in my life... and I love that Paul says that all of those things that he lost were "but dung," because compared to winning Christ, losing anything else pretty much seems that way. He's so hopeful here... showing all the amazing stuff that he has gained instead. ... Knowing someday even the parts of himself he's lost will be found in Christ, and knowing Christ personally... which makes up for all the things that we thought we knew before. :)
Because Paul was willing to lose everything for Christ, he actually gained everything... and looks forward to that resurrection day when we'll literally get our lives back. :) I hope that we can feel the same way. It's hard sometimes... losing things. Friends, houses, jobs, freedom, loved ones, futures that we were pretty much planning on... our sense of self, our mental capacity, our health, or hair, or eyesight... so many things that we don't want to give up or lose. Let's remember today that all of it, every drop, is dung compared to what Christ will give us... just compared to knowing him. Every choice we make that brings us closer to him is an overall gain, no matter what it feels like we've lost. It's definitely not always fun... but as we focus on Christ, and talk to him about our lives, we'll learn more, and understand more, and be able to overcome even the greatest challenges.

3 Nephi 26:19

2011-08-18T08:16:00.000-04:00

"And they taught, and did minister one to another; and they had all things common among them, every man dealing justly, one with another."
3 Nephi 26:19

I love third Nephi. :) It is so good to read about some people who actually triumphed over their obstacles and got it right... who were able to live in an ideal society for a while. :) Makes me think that maybe we can too... we can become people like this and work towards keeping it, like Enoch and his people did. And maybe this verse, which gives a little insight into how they lived, will help. I really love that they were teaching each other, and ministering to each other. It seems like a very equal society where people just pitched in to help each other and lift each other up. It doesn't say this specifically, but to me it feels like a really joyful place as well. Today, let's try this... let's try lifting up the people around us and putting smiles on their faces. Giving them as much joy as they can handle... helping each other, and living as though we'd met Christ in person, and thought he was a cool guy. :) These people did, and we have met him too, although we get more of the email experience rather than the face-to-face. It's still powerful, and it still matters just as much. :) Let's share that joy and that confidence in the future with other people.

Proverbs 27:6

2011-08-16T08:38:00.000-04:00

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
Proverbs 27:6

This verse is interesting on several levels. I like the idea of friends supporting us and telling us the truth even when it hurts and helping us to be better people... of course, sometimes we enable the bad habits rather than encouraging the good, but it is a good ideal to work for, as we all learn together. :) And the other side seems true as well. Slimy is slimy, even when it seems really nice on the surface. And maybe that is what the verse is saying... the surface is only one level of love. Underneath, real love isn't about never hurting the other person or always being a certain definition of nice. It can't be. That deep love is about helping people to be better than they are... encouraging them to overcome problems and fulfill their potential. That's why God is our best friend in the universe... because he is here, every day, every minute, helping us to be better. When we get upset at him because he isn't granting us peace and contentment every minute, then we're the ones who are wrong, not him. We need that help in order to change.
On the other side, we need to work on all the levels of love, making sure that we are friends and not enemies. Sometimes it is hard, because actions and feelings don't always match up immediately even though we're working on it, and sometimes we're trying to act nice when we don't feel nice, or we're trying to be polite, but frustration leaks out and it doesn't come across in a good way at all. But I think that is what the second part of the verse is for... to give a limit. We shouldn't use this scripture as an excuse to wound someone, or we start being the enemy, not the friend. Anytime we intentionally go to hurt someone, I think we've gone over to the dark side, and we've gotten our good and evil out of balance too far to the dark. When we get into a situation where we can't tell whether we're the friend or the enemy, maybe we need to stop saying anything until we purify our motivations. God loves us perfectly, and we can feel that even when things are horrible... and for us, it needs to be the same with other people. Today, let's work on showing love to other people, and being friends and not enemies. :)

John 6:21

2011-08-11T08:33:00.001-04:00

"Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went."
John 6:21

In the verses leading up to this, the disciples start across the sea toward Capernaum, and they get 25 or 30 furlongs out, and they see Christ walking on the sea, coming to meet them. Then this verse, which seems to make the miracle even more huge. They *immediately* were at the land where they were going. Not just walking on water, but seemingly... teleportation. And I think of this, and of Luke 25-26 which talks about making yourself taller, and how easy Christ says it is... and of Mount Zerin, and of the Three Nephites, who had their bodies changed to an immortal state where they wouldn't feel pain or even sorrow (3 Nephi 28)... and so so many other miracles we see in the Scriptures, and I wonder sometimes how we forget and think that anything in our lives is really an obstacle to God. Everything that he has in store for us... even only seen through these small glimpses in the scriptures... is amazing. Beyond amazing. Things that we only dream of and write stories about. Things that seem superhuman, but which are waiting for *us* someday... and I'm wondering if today we can remember that someday we are going be able to teleport... and walk on water, and be immortal... and buckle down and learn our lessons so we can GET THERE. :) It is all waiting for us, but we get stuck in some huge mental holes sometimes where we can't see it, or we imagine that heaven is going to be *boring* or that we don't want it or something. How crazy is that? I don't know about you, but I'm *totally* going to sign up for teleportation the first day. I guess I might have to take some prerequisites, like making myself taller and all, but still. :) ... In all seriousness though, today, let's take the black contacts out of our eyes and SEE what God has planned for our happiness. Let's try to take care of the things that are keeping us from that future... and keep turning pages towards the incredibly happy and cool life that is there waiting for us.

Romans 12:21

2011-08-09T07:50:00.000-04:00

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:21

This is great advice from God. Amazingly hard sometimes, but I think it changes the world... and ourselves... when we can do this. Sometimes it's like we're wearing blinders and we can only see one perspective. Someone says something snarky or downright mean to us, or something political, tempting us to jump into the political quagmire at school or work, or within our families, and that's all we can see. And even though we don't really like swimming in the quagmire, since it's all oily and icky and gross... we do it anyway, and we get in there and mudwrestle until we think we've made our point. Unfortunately, at that point, we're just as dirty as the next guy, and almost never have we accomplished anything except the expectation of another fight in the future. Here, God tells us basically not to jump in at all. Four verses before this he says "Recompense to no man evil for evil," and here he tells us the alternative. Instead of returning evil for evil, we can overcome evil with good. And it turns out so much better that way. Think about times when we've complained about something and instead of having a complaining session, someone has diverted it with a joke, or a positive comment about the same thing... helping us to see a different way of looking at it, or offering another, funnier thing to talk about. We can choose to take off those blinders and see another way. If there is a way to solve it, then we can choose that... and if there isn't, then we can accept God's will and try to learn something from the situation, even when it is just patience or how to see past whatever we're obsessing over. We can be kind in the face of cruelty, and we can be hopeful in the face of despair. Today, let's avoid the quagmire... and where possible, help other people see a less smelly and muddy way as well. :)

3 Nephi 18:25

2011-08-08T07:43:00.000-04:00

"And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation."
3 Nephi 18:25

This verse is from Christ's visit to the Nephites, and it struck me today I think because my mind is still on the whole Zion ideal. We're often way too exclusive in the way we treat people. We choose certain people to hang out with or to be our friends, and others we don't really care about... and sometimes, unfortunately, even though someone really wants to be around us, we drive them away, not wanting their company, or not valuing their friendship. And we don't just do it as individuals... we do it as institutions and as countries and as societies, deciding who is good enough and who isn't. And Christ is saying here that we shouldn't be like that. We should be inclusive, welcoming people, helping them, teaching them: giving people space to repent, helping them to find a good way. As we build a Zion society, we can't afford to leave anyone behind. We're all part of it, and all types and kinds of people will be there. Today, let's reach inside and switch our social selves from exclusivity to inclusivity. Let's give time to people that we normally wouldn't. Let's worry less about our time and our minor-stress levels and more about how we're affecting other people. Who knows... maybe we'll learn something and stretch our comfort zones and our souls a little. :)

Acts 11:18

2011-08-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

"When they had heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."
Acts 11:18

I really like this verse. In this chapter and the one before, Peter is shown in a vision that he should help non-Jews to find the truth and baptize them into the church as well. When he comes back from converting a man called Cornelius, the other people in the church question him about Jewish traditions... why did you eat and hang out with those people when we shouldn't be doing things like that? And Peter rehearses what led him there... that Cornelius saw an angel, that a vision from God had told him specifically to do these things, etc. And this verse is where it is amazing. Instead of causing a rift in the church and causing people to doubt or leave... when they heard, they were happy about it, and glorified God, thankful that he was inviting not just them, but the entire world, to know the truth and work toward eternal life. ... I guess the reason that it hit me is that it seems like so often we *aren't* happy about things like that. We want to be special, and exclusive, and better... instead of welcoming everyone else in. It impresses me that these people saw the truth and the incredible goodness of God here rather than arguing and dissembling. I wonder if we can do the same. Today, let's do our best to be inclusive... to invite *everyone* to share the goodness and the blessings that we have. Let's help people reach towards God instead of deciding that some people aren't good enough, or don't deserve it. :)

Mormon 9:14

2011-07-28T08:34:00.000-04:00

"And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still."
Mormon 9:14

I love this verse, and I think that it has changed the way that I think about a lot of things. Often in life we're tempted to just "suffer through" something and come out the other side saying, wow, that was horrible, but at least I made it. We equate sacrifice with suffering, and feel like God asks us to suffer in order to pass whatever test we have to go through. I think though that when we think those things, we're getting it wrong. Men are that they might have joy (2 Nephi 2:25), right? ... I think that the whole purpose of life is to be happy, and this scripture says that he that is unhappy will be unhappy still after judgment day. That sounds horrible... and it means that it is up to us to find happiness now. We can't "suffer through" and wait for it... or learn to be happy tomorrow. We need to find a way in whatever we're going through now. And if we can't, then something needs to change. God does ask us to sacrifice, but he doesn't ask us to sacrifice joy. Perhaps trade an inferior or temporary happiness for a longer lasting and greater one maybe... but never any permanent choice of joy for sorrow, or happiness for pain.
One of my favorite books is called Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis, and in that book the main character is the ugly daughter of the king, and usually lonely and unloved. At one point in the book she is traveling to the place where someone she loved was allowed to die for a reason that makes no sense to her, and she's sad losing the only person that she really cared about, and sad to have to live through the loss more, and angry with her father for allowing it to happen... so filled with negative emotion that it's crazy... and then she rides over this meadow that is breathtakingly beautiful and she's surprised by a feeling of happiness struggling to get through... the thought comes to her "why should your heart not dance?" ... and I think that is what God is saying to us as well. No matter what is going on in our lives, and no matter how bleak things can sometimes seem... at work, at home, at school... joy is still there, waiting for us to notice. We can always choose it, though sometimes it is hard to remember.
At the judgment, we're going to be restored to what we've learned to be while here on Earth. If we've learned righteousness and happiness, then we'll be restored to that. But God can't restore righteousness and happiness to us if we didn't have them in the first place. We have to find a path to happiness... and God shows us his path, but sometimes we forget the happiness part along the way, and think that it is okay to just go through the motions without feeling good about it. And that's an okay way to start if we're struggling to be obedient, but if we don't eventually find a way to like what we're doing, and *want* it... God isn't going to give us something eternally that we don't want and don't value.
Today, let's find the happiness in what we're doing now, and work on finding the joy in God's plan that we can take with us into the next life. :)

Luke 11:42

2011-07-12T08:34:00.002-04:00

"But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."
Luke 11:42

This chapter is interesting, and this part of it is mainly talking about the differences between external and internal devotion. Not that either of them is unimportant, because we should be helping others and setting a good example... but in this verse Christ is talking to some people who were mainly focused on the external, and what their religious devotion looked like to the people around them. Here, Christ says that the internal things are important as well. We need to clean up our emotions and our mental decisions as well, rather than just trying to promote a certain image to others. Sometimes that is harder than working on the external stuff... internally, there can be a lot of accumulated dust and dirt because no one sees so we rarely bother to clean. It is amazingly important though, to know God and be devoted to him internally, where no one else can see. That's what really changes our lives and the lives of the people around us... not looking cool and righteous... but *being* good, and compassionate, and serving others. And we can't get there without being converted on the inside rather than just going through the motions. Today, let's work on ourselves internally, and talk to God about what needs to change and how to clean out all the cobwebs. :)

Ezekiel 33:17-20

2011-07-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

"Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways."
Ezekiel 33:17-20

This is interesting stuff. I think we do wonder sometimes whether God is unfair or biased. And it is cool that he explains some of it to us here. He really does reward righteousness and punish wickedness, but it isn't about being righteous, earning righteous points, and turning them in for the cool mansion in heaven, or the specific blessing on page 45 of the redemption catalog. It is about who we *are* ... who we become. Read an article a few months back about a woman who was around 30 and had been living the gospel, which requires no sex before marriage. And that was long enough for her. She felt like she'd done what God expected, and didn't get the promised blessing, felt she was missing out on what all the people around her had, and now it was time to take things into her own hands. The article ended with her buying some condoms. ... I think a lot of us have felt similarly about different things in our lives. We feel like we're the exception, and everyone else has something except us... and that we've suffered enough. I don't think life works that way though. It is impossible to get to the point where we've done "enough" for God, or have enough points for eternal life, so now we can do whatever we want, or slack off and not try. When we think of things that way, we're missing the point. God is trying to teach us and help us achieve our potential. We're thinking of him as a zookeeper or a dog trainer rather than a schoolteacher or a parent. He's not whipping us or offering us a dog treat to show off to the crowds or do tricks for his personal amusement. He's also not a prison guard. This is a classroom, not a cage. God is trying to teach us what we can become and what we have the power to do... and misbehaving in class or throwing a tantrum because we aren't learning at the same rate or the same lesson as someone else, or because we aren't getting what we want is understandable, but pointless... it just distracts from the growth that we could be making. Our rewards are long term, and just like the physical 7-year-old that thinks that it will be an eternity before she gets to drive a car or go to prom, we also have to wait as we slowly become adults spiritually. Things might not seem fair to us as spiritual 7-year-olds, but when we grow up, we'll see that it all works out. Today, let's work on becoming and staying righteous... on learning our lessons about who we are, and who it is possible to be and not distract ourselves with our very inaccurate view of equality.

Alma 60:13

2011-07-05T08:52:00.001-04:00

"For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God."
Alma 60:13

This is in the middle of Moroni's letter to the government, telling them that they need to send more people to the army and protect their people better. Right before this verse he addresses two topics... the fact that we can't just sit around and wait to be delivered, and the fact that God doesn't only allow the wicked to be killed. Here, he goes on to explain a little more. It stands out to me today perhaps because we're always seeing bad things happen to people around us, and I like this reassurance a lot better than the conclusion that some other people draw... that because bad things happen that God doesn't exist. If we were all going to be saved from 100% of pain and hurt and anguish, then we'd be in Satan's plan, not God's. We have to experience good and bad in order to learn, become better than we are, and reach our potential. And no, the bad part isn't fun, and yes, people die. Moroni was on the battlefield watching people die, and he wanted to change it, and he wanted things to be better, but he also knew that the things he couldn't change didn't mean that God was angry or absent. Those people weren't dying because God had judged them evil... and he knew that because bad things happen in the world doesn't mean that God isn't there or that he doesn't care. Even in the worst circumstances... perhaps more so in fact... God is there, watching and doing what he can to help without taking away our freedom to choose. Maybe like an earthly father watching his daughter learn to ride a bike. She's getting scraped up and bruising herself in the process, but he knows that if he takes her inside and prevents the injuries that she won't learn. And it isn't just physical injuries either. Can we stop people from experiencing social disasters or romantic rejection? ... We could try, but there are things that we need to go through in this life that are painful. And those things help us learn. And death, seemingly, is the worst of all because we can't see past it or learn from it. The test is just over. But even then, we have to remember that God can see past death, and that he's teaching the whole world. He'll make it all up... even death. It is hard for us to see or understand, but God ensures that everyone can have a happy ending if they choose it. Beyond death, beyond pain... a place of rest and happiness. Today, let's work towards that happy ending and like Moroni, do everything we can to make things better along the way.

1 Corinthians 14:26

2011-06-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

"How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."
1 Corinthians 14:26

Paul is talking about people in church here... everyone has an interpretation, or something that they love and care about to contribute to the worship service, but he advises that all things should be done in an edifying way. And that hit me today as I was reading, I guess because things have been kind of stressful lately, and I think when we get stressed, it is easy to do things in a non-edifying way. Not just in church, but everywhere. We all still have things to contribute to the conversation or to the solution, wherever we are... school, work, home... but God asks us to try to do all of it in an edifying way, remembering the people around us, and even if the circumstances are stressing us out, bending over backwards to lift other people up and not tear them down. Today, I am going to try to remember this, and I invite you to as well. Let's not blame other people for our problems, or focus on the negative, but wherever we are, and whatever our circumstances, let's find the good and do what we can to edify and lift. :) After all, that's the idea, right? To build a better world, to become better ourselves, and to help our brothers and sisters come unto Christ. Sometimes we look at ourselves and realize that we aren't really being those Zion people... so let's get back on track. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 98:1-3

2011-06-27T08:41:00.002-04:00

"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord."
Doctrine and Covenants 98:1-3

I like God's perspective on adversity. Sometimes we are so in-the-moment that we forget to step back and get some perspective, and see that whatever is happening in our lives isn't the whole picture. This life is essentially coursework in learning who we are and becoming better, and those obstacles and adversities that we run into are not designed to crush us, but to make us stronger, or wiser, or more compassionate. This verse says it very well... "all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good." That's pretty amazing, if we can see past the immediate worry and pain. No matter what is happening today in our lives, let's take God's advice... to not fear, and to be patient. Whatever happens, even if in the short term it seems unendurable and crushing, if we hang in there and endure it, and work on learning from it, we'll learn and grow and come out the other side even better than before.

Matthew 25:45

2011-06-15T08:43:00.002-04:00

"Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."
Matthew 25:45

The verse without the "not" in it is a lot more popular, probably because it seems more positive, and we can think about being rewarded for our good deeds... if we do good things for people in need, then God recognizes that as a good thing that helped him personally. His work is to help us all, and so we are in effect supporting him through supporting the people around us. :) ... This verse reminds us that we need to do those good things in the first place though. If we see someone in need and refuse to help, even though we have the opportunity and means, then God recognizes that as a missed opportunity on our parts, and again, takes it personally... in essence, we refused to help God. Today, let's work on being more aware of the people around us, and as we see their needs, let's do all we can to help them. This not only helps God in his work, but helps us to learn compassion and love. Building Zion isn't just about a place or a set of beliefs... it is about all of us as people, as a community, working to live together and support each other. We need to learn those things before we can be a part of that kind of ideal society.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:11

2011-06-13T09:08:00.000-04:00

"And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God."
Doctrine and Covenants 98:11

I like the mixture of instructions in this verse. We're supposed to forsake all evil, cleave to all good, and live by God's word. :) It's a cool balance. I think of forsaking all evil, and sometimes that leaves us a hole where we used to have something, and we aren't sure how to fill that space in a positive way. But if we cleave to all good, and follow that up with talking to God about it and reading his word, then we have a lot more support and a better chance of success. If we're trying to live by God's word, sometimes we come to places in our lives where we aren't sure what God wants us to do... but forsaking all evil and cleaving to all good helps us to know how to act when God asks us to learn to walk on our own. Today, let's walk away from evil, fill our lives up with good, and remember to include God in our decisions and talk to him about our concerns.

Revelation 21:4

2011-06-10T08:19:00.002-04:00

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Revelation 21:4

Wow. This is amazing. :) I know that we need all of these things in our lives now, in order to learn, and choose, and become who we're meant to be... but isn't it incredible to imagine a life without those things? No tears, no death, no pain. It's hard to imagine, but also surpassingly cool. And you have to consider it from God's perspective too... that finally, even though he has had to allow his children to learn some hard lessons... finally, in the end, he is going to be able to wipe away all our tears, to make *everything* alright. As our father, I can imagine that will be amazingly joyful for him as well. :) Today, let's remember that this is our future--that further on in the story everything gets better, and not lose hope now. Let's live and hope and love, looking forward to and trusting that God knows what he is doing, and learning the lessons that we can only learn in a world where pain and sorrow and death are possible... but uplifted knowing that all of these things are temporary. Someday our father will lift us up, wipe away our tears, and save us from them all. Knowing the future helps, sometimes. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 6:34

2011-06-07T07:20:00.000-04:00

"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."
Doctrine and Covenants 6:34

I really like the message of confidence and peace in this verse. Seems like we're always looking for that inner core of calm and confidence that only God can grant us, and it seems so easy to lose and to start feeling worried or uncertain about so many things. And he tells us here that we don't need to fear. We should go on doing good, making the world a little bit better a little bit at a time. And even if everything combines against us, we have God on our side, and God wins against everything else. Today, let's let some of that background confidence and peace that God offers us soak in and remember that no matter what, with God things are going to be okay. And if things are going to be okay, we don't have to fear or escape... we can focus on doing as God asks, and do good... making the world a better place through our actions. :)

Luke 24:16

2011-05-18T06:41:00.001-04:00

"And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men."
Luke 24:16

Was reading this and thinking... wow, that's tough. To always avoid offending everyone, including God. A great goal, but kind of overwhelming. And then I thought about it more and looked at it a little differently, and the word "exercise" jumped out at me. Just like physical exercise, which tones up our body, there are spiritual exercises that we can do to tone up our souls. :) And this is one of them. Keeping our consciences clean isn't something that is possible for most of us if we think of it as though it has to stay pristine all the time. Just like your body collects dirt, and we have to wash it... our spiritual selves collect spiritual dirt if we aren't exercising them constantly. Skip reading your scriptures one day and you get a few little spiritual dust mites. :) ... don't say a deep sincere prayer when you wake up... a few more. At some point we need to get to those things and clear the air between us and God... make sure that things are okay, and that exercises our souls, and shakes off the dust. :) Sometimes it takes more... baptism or taking the sacrament washes us clean. Occasionally if it's really bad, it's time to talk to the bishop about how to get the blackness out. (They're really good with the spiritual stain remover.) ... so now I look at this verse and it isn't about always avoiding offending people. That is a good goal, but I know that when I slip and offend someone, part of my spiritual exercise is to clean off that mistake, to apologize, or do what I need to do to make it right. Then it is like daily calisthenics or going to the gym. If I keep working at it, then it isn't overwhelming. Every day, I work at polishing off the spots and getting back some of the cool glowy shininess that I imagine when I think of looking at a soul. :) Today, let's remember that spiritual accomplishments can be done through daily exercise and don't have to be done all at once... and let's work on cleaning off those back spots and getting back our glowy shininess. :)

Luke 19:26

2011-05-06T10:08:00.002-04:00

"For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him."
Luke 19:26

This verse is near the end of the parable of the pounds (the whole parable can be found in Luke 19). Out of context it seems very hard to understand. Why would God give more to people that already have, and take away from people who don't? If we think about it spiritually rather than physically though, it makes a lot more sense. God already blesses people with the spirit with more light and more knowledge, and people who reject the spirit... they get less and less until they know nothing at all of the Spirit. In that context, it makes sense. People who welcome God into their lives are going to accept the blessings he offers, and be able to build on them to get more. People who reject God and what he offers aren't going to be able to even keep the spiritual blessings that they once might have enjoyed. Our spirituality is growing or shrinking... it can't just sit.
I think that the principle probably applies to a lot of things... talents or pounds, spiritual and physical. We have to do something with what God gives us. Our testimonies, our scriptures, our callings, our families, our friends, our muscles, our jobs... and so much more. They aren't given to us to just sit there. God gives us things so that we can learn. And if we don't jump in and learn something, then maybe that opportunity or blessing will go away. But if we do jump in and learn that lesson, then we'll get a follow-up lesson, and will learn more and more. The important part is that we impact it... we make the choices whether to accept more or less by what we do with what we currently have. Can we handle it? Are we making good choices? If so, maybe God will see if we can learn to handle more. If not, we might need a little less... a more remedial lesson, until we grasp the concept.
Today, let's not take what we have for granted. Let's use it to help people, and increase our abilities, our knowledge, and our strength, so that we can do more.

Isaiah 32:17

2011-04-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."
Isaiah 32:17

I really like this because it is basically telling us what the result of living the gospel is. And when I think of the opposite of peace... war, or stress, or grating loud noise, or uncertainty and worry... then I really want that peace for myself. Especially the inner peace part where I am happy with who I am and God and I are on the same page. And I think that we can have that on an individual level if we work at it by praying and reading the scriptures and sincerely trying each day to do as God asks and keep the Spirit with us. Imagine, though, what the world would be like if everyone did that, and if everyone had that calmness and confidence. No more insecurity, no more uncertainty about the big things. The effect is tremendous and life-changing in our individual lives, and it only gets larger and better the more people join in. :) People who are at peace aren't going to yell or bring disquiet or stress into other people's lives either. Today, let's be part of the solution... getting and spreading peace and quietness and assurance.

2 Nephi 29:13

2011-04-25T08:08:00.000-04:00

"And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews."
2 Nephi 29:13

I love foreshadowing in the scriptures, and things that give us hints about what is to come. I think that this is one of the clearest verses in that regard. We have the words of the Nephites, the Book of Mormon, and the words of the Jews, the Bible ... stories of how those two peoples lived the gospel for hundreds of years and how different people reacted to the gospel and to Christ in their midst. And very clearly this verse tells us that someday we will also have another record of the lost tribes of Israel, and that those three records will be available to us all. It ties into 3 Nephi 16 where Christ tells the people "I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem" and says that he is going to go visit them. Wouldn't it be glorious to read that third record of Christ visiting his people? And I wonder if in that record it mentions other sheep, just as it does in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. :) Either way, we know that there is a whole other major book of scripture out there to look forward to. Today, let's read and study the records that we have now, and prepare ourselves for more. :)

1 Corinthians 16:15-16

2011-04-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

"I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth."
1 Corinthians 16:15-16

I love "they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints." I think that is awesome, and it makes me realize/remember a couple of things... first, that all addictions aren't bad. And second, that maybe this is what we should all be striving for. It's basically the same as "anxiously engaged," but for me it makes it all click into place in a different way. I think of things that I could say I am "addicted" to, and invariably, I *love* them... I wish I could do them all the time. I wish I had this life where I could just jump from one of them to another and not have to deal with any of those regular mundane chores that I am NOT addicted to. :) Imagine feeling that way about the ministry of the saints. :) Imagine feeling that way about the gospel in general, and our callings specifically. I love that idea. And maybe we catch a glimpse of that sometimes. I know that I sometimes feel that way about the scriptures, or about prayer. I love it... it makes me feel fantastic, and connected, and ... whole. But feeling that way all the time... I'm not there. I want to be though... and that brings us to the second verse. It asks us to submit ourselves unto such... unto those people that are addicted to ministering to the saints. :) And in terms of learning how to have that same addiction, and how to feel that way all the time, it makes so much sense... submit to those people that we can learn from, and who are dedicated (and addicted) to our welfare. :) I love it... I love the idea of being addicted, and maybe for the first time in my life, I actually *love* the idea of submitting as well. Because it is how we learn, and something that I so much *want* to learn. :) Today, let's work on getting that incredibly positive addiction in our lives, and learning from those people that we see already have it. :)

Esther 4:14

2011-04-19T08:40:00.000-04:00

"For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
Esther 4:14

This is a great verse. Esther was afraid to approach the king and ask him to save her people because approaching him without being asked was risking her life. When Mordecai answers her, it shows a lot of faith. He's basically saying... if you don't do it, God will still save our people, but you and I will die. And maybe this is the reason that God has put you here. As it turned out, it was. ... I think that is a good thing to ponder as we approach all of our problems. Yes, it is very true that God will accomplish his purposes on this earth without us, if need be. But being where we are, and who we are, we all have unique opportunities to participate in his work. And perhaps we are exactly where we are for such a time as this. Today, wherever we are, and whatever position we are in, let's overcome our fears, and stand up for God and his work.

Alma 12:13-14

2011-04-18T08:43:00.000-04:00

"Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned.
For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us and hide us from his presence."
Alma 12:13-14

I think it is so easy to become hardened sometimes. Seemingly tiny little things... not praying, or not reading your scriptures, or not acting on a prompting from the spirit... make it harder to pray or read or act in the future. We desensitize ourselves. If we don't go to church one week, then it's a lot harder to go the next week. It slowly makes it harder to listen... and us harder, inside. Harder to remember that we care, harder to listen to God, harder to even remember that He lives and that we love him. And if we take it to the extreme, we can forget we ever cared or ever loved... the most important parts of ourselves. ... And if we get like that, then eventually, like it says in the last verse, we would rather have a mountain fall on us rather than have to face God. Not that a mountain could hide us, but that seems like a pretty scary place to get to. Today, let's try to unharden ourselves... let's pray. Let's read. Let's act. Let's stay sensitive to the influence of the spirit, and listen to God, and build a relationship with him so that we'll never prefer a mountain falling on us... we'll never want to hide from him.

1 Nephi 18:21

2011-04-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

"And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm."
1 Nephi 18:21

I really like this. The storm didn't stop when Nephi was released. The storm stopped when he prayed. It would be easy to say... they imprisoned their spiritual leader and that's why things went bad, and that definitely didn't help, but it seems like a deeper truth that they didn't consult God in their everyday dealings. That's why things went bad, and would continue to go badly for them, and in fact, why things go badly for us. We try to solve our problems in so many ways... but how often do we take our problems to the Lord and talk to him about them? I would venture to say, not enough. Counseling with him about how we can change ourselves or our environments, or whatever else comes up... that kind of continual communication with God makes a huge difference. We don't have to stop work or school or freeze-frame home life in order to pray. It can be a moment stolen here or there, or just mental pleading in the moment before we send the email or open our mouths. ... Not saying that longer or more formal prayers aren't a good idea too, but the quick ones are okay, and keeping God in our daily lives, in our thoughts and in our hearts constantly like that... that is what is going to be able to stop the storm and bring the "great calm" to our lives, just as it brought it in the story of Nephi. Today, let's pray. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing... and get on the same page with God about how to handle it. :)

Jacob 7:23

2011-04-05T08:57:00.000-04:00

"And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man."
Jacob 7:23

I love the part about searching the scriptures, and that it is tied to repentance and coming back. I think it has always been significant in my life... when I'm searching the scriptures then it's kind of an indicator that I'm on the right track... that I care about what God says. And maybe it is sort of an indicator for all of us. Today, let's work on restoring peace and the love of God to our lives... specifically through searching the scriptures. One good way to start is with the Scriptures online (really good search function). :) It is at this url: http://lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng and even though I'm joking in one way, I'm not in another. Sometimes just typing a topic word into that search and starting to read all the scriptures about that topic can start us on a search that leads to all sorts of really good, amazing reminders about what God has to say and what he wants us to hear. Let's listen to the Spirit, and do the search... and remember to put God first in our lives today.

Doctrine and Covenants 4:6

2011-04-01T09:23:00.000-04:00

"Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence."
Doctrine and Covenants 4:6

These are some powerful reminders. Often to avoid being overwhelmed, we try to work on one thing at a time, but I think that lists like this are also excellent things to remember, because it is a combination of things that help us to remember to be better people, rather than just focusing on one thing. If I am only thinking about being nice, I might do something that is REALLY nice, but not very smart. And injecting these guidelines into our everyday lives is really key to becoming Christlike people. It isn't just with people we know or are familiar with that we have to exercise these principles, but with people we don't know or can't really relate to. Might be easy to apply brotherly kindness when it is our actual brother... but what if it is a stranger, or a stranger who smells bad... or someone we know just enough about to label: a Muslim, or an illegal immigrant, or a beggar on the street corner? What if it is a Democrat, or if we're Democratic, what if it is a Republican? What if it is someone who practices homosexuality, or is openly committing adultery, or is beside you at a gas station buying porn? These are all people and groups that we need to also apply these principles to. It isn't okay to hate anyone, or to treat anyone badly... no matter their choices. Today, let's remember this list, and run through it occasionally, evaluating how well we're bringing these principles into our daily interactions and decisions. And if we get hung up on one or two of them as we run through the list, let's try to boost those ones up a little so that next time we can run through the list without snags. :)

Alma 12:10-11

2011-03-29T08:22:00.000-04:00

"And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell."
Alma 12:10-11

It is cool, and also very very scary, to think that our knowledge and memories are affected by the state of our hearts. It is cool because it's this awesome opportunity to learn without so much studying as just being open and willing to learn and to receive that blessing from God. I love that idea of just kind of having knowledge poured into your mind. Wow. :) And I think that God does that sometimes for us... if we're open and willing, and ready to listen and understand. ... The idea is also amazingly scary because as soon as we turn away from that, and shut down, and stop listening, that same knowledge that we got in the cool, amazing way... we can just lose it again. It's like the spirit... or lots of things: friendship, relationships, or a job. All of those things we can easily lose if we don't value them and work to maintain them... or we fail to prioritize them in our lives. And our knowledge and memory, especially spiritual knowledge, is like that. We have to maintain our relationship with God in order to keep it. It's something that progresses one way or the other... we're either learning more and more about God, until we know everything (how cool is that?), or we're losing knowledge, little by little, until we know nothing in that regard... and that is the scariest part of all. Because then it's really true at that point... we don't know God at all, and he doesn't know us... not because of any lack of knowledge on his part, but because we chose to withdraw ourselves from the relationship. We're not even acquaintances anymore. ... and in this story, since we're children, and God is our protector, choosing not to know God is like choosing not to go home after kindergarten and instead getting into a stranger's car. We don't get to choose to be independent of both God and Satan. We're not mature enough and we don't know enough for that. It's one or the other. The parent or the stranger with candy. Today, let's stay far away from that candy, no matter how tempting, and keep our heads (literally our knowledge and memories) by sticking with God and opening our hearts and our minds to him.

Matthew 11:28-30

2011-03-28T08:52:00.000-04:00

"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

I love the idea of this scripture... that God will give us rest. That if we yoke ourselves with Christ, everything is easier. Sometimes, with our limited earthly perspective, it is easy to start thinking of God's plan as a hard thing or a burden. We have lessons on the value of work, and people frequently talk about willpower and sacrifice, and unlike many other churches, we think of Heaven as a place where we continue to work and learn and do... and we can start thinking of the afterlife as just an extension of this life, with more of the same. Falling into this idea of heaven as a continued burden can make people not want to bother with trying to get there... deciding to settle for something less because that sort of heaven just seems too hard, or really, maybe we're just not the type of people that want to slave and sacrifice for eternity. And hey, I agree... if Heaven is just unpleasant work, I'd rather take a nap myself.
It's an understandable way of thinking... work is central to our lives here, and we know that God works to help us. However, I don't think that work on Earth and work for God are even close to the same... God's work is tough, but for someone who can move mountains and walk on water... I'm not sure how even that could be physically burdensome.
One of the coolest glimpses we have into the changes that our bodies will undergo after this life is the three Nephites. They really *were* going to get several lifetimes of "more of the same," and Christ said this: "ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world." No pain at all (wow!) and no sorrow, except in a limited way. That sounds pretty cool. Pain and sorrow were some things introduced into mortality after Adam and Eve transgressed... and apparently, they can be taken away again, after we learn what they are meant to teach us.
And the people of Alma... they were in bondage and slavery... and God made their burdens light and strengthened them, so that even in a situation where they could get killed for praying, and they were in slavery, "they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." That's some pretty cool stuff, and that is something that we can have now. God isn't only promising us rest when we become like him (no aging! hurrah!), or after taking 900 level graduate courses in heaven... God offers us rest today. No matter how hard our lives are, or how many burdens we have on our backs, God asks us to come unto him, put him first, make him part of our lives... and he will help us carry every burden, and shoulder every weight. Today, let's look to God. Let's take the time to pray and get to know him, and allow him to lift some of our burden... of stress, of effort, or pain, of guilt, of sorrow, or of being too busy to think. :) He loves us, and will help us if we come to him.

1 Peter 5:6-7

2011-03-24T08:45:00.002-04:00

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
1 Peter 5:6-7

This is great stuff. I think that the verses are basically saying that instead of resisting God, we should trust and rely on him... why? because he loves us. Thinking about God sometimes can be like thinking about any other authority figure... a parent, a teacher, a boss... and sometimes people telling us what to do or how to live our lives can grate on us and we feel this rebelliousness and want to start saying no, even to the most reasonable requests. :) And aside from learning to trust people in general, and accept help, God is significantly different from other authority figures. First because he knows us SO well. Before this life, we knew each other, and he knows us even better than a best-friend level knowledge... if he were with us today, he could finish all our sentences, and order lunch for us and get it exactly right. He knows our hopes, dreams, secret ambitions... all of it. There is no one on Earth who knows us as well as God does. And he knows our bad sides too, and still loves us more than anyone else ever could. He's on our side even when no one else is... rooting for us, and doing everything he can to help us to learn and become even better. :) He is more trustworthy than anyone else, and always keeps his promises. Now, of course, he won't give us everything that we want, or solve all of our problems, or remove the consequences of our mistakes in many cases. We still have to learn. He isn't a Genie who will grant all our wishes whether they are good for us or not... but if we think of him as a loving Father, a superhuman best friend, a brilliant teacher, a wise and supportive boss... he is all of those things rolled into one, and there is no one anywhere that deserves our trust and love and humility and willingness to learn more than he does. We can cast all our care... both love and worries... on him, and he will accept and respond to all of our emotion and communication with him. He wants so much to talk to us and to be part of our lives. Today, let's accept God into our lives and be humble with him... accepting his help, knowing that God will lift us up, and love us. :)

Moses 7:62

2011-03-22T08:16:00.000-04:00

"And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem."
Moses 7:62

This is great imagery... righteousness from heaven, truth from earth, and both sweeping the earth as with a flood... all leading to Zion. :) I like the idea of this flood not being destructive as was the flood of water in the time of Noah... but this one is constructive instead... gathering people from the Earth to come and build Zion. Doesn't it make you want to be a part of that... to be caught up in that flood? :) I can't imagine how cool it would be, even if you could just hammer one nail during the construction... to be part of that flood, that idea... building perfection and having the opportunity to be part of it. Today, let's prepare for that time by embracing the righteousness and truth that we have now, and by working on being Zion people now. People who bless others and include them in our circles. People who lift people up and find the good... who look at others with love, no matter who they are or what we know of them. Let's take a few steps towards Zion.

Matthew 9:20-22

2011-03-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

"And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."
Matthew 9:20-22

This woman was amazing. After twelve years dealing with one problem, she still hadn't given up or given in to it and let it run her life. She had hope, and even after all that time, she believed that just touching the hem of Christ's robe would make her whole. And her faith and hope and persistence led her to the place and time that could free her from that burden and challenge. I wonder if we have some of that same strength within us. We face long-term challenges as well... things that are hard for us individually, and that we can't seem to overcome. And do we just give up and give in, thinking that is just the way life is, or the way that *we* are? Or can we, like the woman, continue to have hope and faith that God will heal us and free us of our burdens? I don't think it is easy to have that kind of faith and patience. We want our challenges to be over NOW, and if God says "only twelve more years" it's pretty tough to hear... just like when we're little and we ask how long till we're grown up. :) But, just as when we were little, patience and faith can get us through. If we became adults overnight without learning all of the things in between, we might be pretty scary adults. And perhaps it is the same with some of our long-term challenges. We might still have things to learn... even if only about patience and hope and faith. Today, let's remember the woman who could still believe after 12 years that she could be freed from her disease of body... and let's have faith and hope in God that we can yet triumph over our obstacles and be healed of our diseases, whether they be physical or otherwise. And let's have the patience to seek out Christ, however long it takes, to receive that healing.

Moses 7:18-19

2011-03-17T08:59:00.000-04:00

"And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion."
Moses 7:18-19

I love the idea of Zion... building a Zion community, and improving ourselves as people who could fit into Zion. It takes a lot of work to be a member of a Zion community. God gives us a lot of ideas about how to work towards an ideal society, and the places in the scriptures or in history where people got there or almost got there are amazing to me. These phrases... one heart and one mind. I don't think this means that we have to like the same kinds of music or become a hive-mind like the Borg. But it probably does mean that we have to value the same basic principles and ideals... valuing life, freedom, love for each other... and work towards the same goals. Dwelt in righteousness: if anyone has the power to help people achieve the kind of peace and unity in a Zion community, it is God, and living his principles seems to be necessary to this kind of society. No poor among them: wow. That is inspiring, and humbling. They took care of each other and made sure that everyone had enough. I think it is amazing that Enoch could build a city where everyone lived that way. I don't know if I could fit in there, but I so want to be able to someday. In working toward that, I not only need to make sure that I am communicating with and right with God, but also that I am communicating with and supporting my fellow human beings... my brothers and sisters and fellow potential members of a Zion people. This is something that we achieve together, not separately. Today, let's think about what we could do to make ourselves and our communities more Zionish. :) Let's talk to God about it, and take some first steps towards Zion.

Mosiah 4:13

2011-03-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

"And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due."
Mosiah 4:13

King Benjamin is one of my heroes, seriously. What an amazing leader. This whole chapter is jam-packed with goodness, but this stood out to me today... I think because what he is saying here seems so amazing to me. Never wanting to injure another person--I'm guessing this is a lot more than physical harm, but never wanting to hurt anyone emotionally or wanting to "get back" at them for a political move as well. And that's everyone... people in jail. People who exert unjust authority over you. People in other countries, or people who are breaking laws. People you are mad at. :) ... Not wanting to injure anyone, in any way. I really love that. And to give everyone what he deserves... I'm guessing in a positive way, since the first part already kind of obviates the argument for anyone deserving "a knuckle sandwich" or anything bad. :) The whole idea of really at the core *wanting* to live in peace, and have everyone get a fair shake, instead of the more common just wanting the scales of injustice to tip in our favor... that's pretty cool, and seems so far away as a society sometimes. Today, let's work on the goal of living peaceably. Let's remember God, talk to him, and really look at other people as our brothers and sisters. Would we act the same towards other people if they were family?
They are.

Ecclesiastes 4:6

2011-03-14T08:38:00.000-04:00

"Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."
Ecclesiastes 4:6

When I read this and think of a handful or two hands full, I picture a little boy who wants all the candy he can get, and who scoops as much as he can into his mouth and grabs more. :) And, in a little kid I think it is sometimes cute, trying to get as much as possible of a good thing. :) And it is understandable that we sometimes, like that boy, want all that we can get, with both hands. But as adults, maybe we see the wisdom in being a little bit more moderate in our candy consumption... and maybe that is the lesson here. Not just about candy, but about anything where we feel particularly grabby. :)
I really love the word quietness here. I need some of that, and I think it feels pretty accurate that quietness is an opposite of that feeling of grabbyness... of wanting and trying to get it all. How do we get that quietness? Maybe it is that one-handful principle. :) Can we get some of what we want, and accept that it is enough? Can we be satisfied with moderation? A couple of verses before this it talks about envy and how that often shows vanity and vexation. And if we're going after that second handful just because someone else has it and we want it too, maybe it is time to stop and think about whether this is something that we really need, and whether it is a worthwhile goal. Will it rob us of some of that quietness, and if so... is it worth the time, effort, and vexation? Today, let's work on being satisfied with one handful. :) And let's accept a little more quietness in our lives, taking advantage of the opportunity to listen to God and feel the spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:9

2011-03-11T09:04:00.002-05:00

"For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."
1 Corinthians 3:9

This verse stood out to me today because I think that it shows God's core purpose... it is us. I think in this verse God is saying, to each of us, YOU are important. YOU are my work. We team up with God and work on improving ourselves, and that is the point of life: to get better and learn more. Perhaps knowing how much we matter to God can help us to not let ourselves make bad self-destructive choices, or slip into apathy, thinking that nothing matters. We definitely matter... and expanding on that a little, the people around us matter. They are also God's work, and so helping them is also helping God. Today, let's remember that we matter as God's work in progress. And let's help other people remember that they matter too. :) Everyone is valuable to God, and part of his work.

Helaman 14:30

2011-03-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

"And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free."
Helaman 14:30

This verse seems a little depressing at first glance, and I definitely think there is a huge warning there, but I also think that the whole idea behind it is fabulous. We're free. What a gift that is. God, who has the ability to control and force every aspect of our lives, doesn't. He allows us to make choices, and to become who we want to be. He believes in this gift so much that everything is built around it. And his goal is that we'll learn to have joy... through making choices, choosing good... becoming more than we could ever be without that. Yeah, we can choose to perish and do iniquity. Might want to avoid that... but we can also choose life and goodness and service and love... all the things that lead to real, lasting happiness. And we can get God's help in doing so... but that requires another choice. We have to choose to go to him and ask. :) Today, let's remember that we are making choices every day that determine who we are, and what we become. Not choosing is also a choice... can't run away from free agency. :) Let's avoid inflicting that iniquity and perishing stuff on ourselves, and choose better than that. We can choose paths that lead to happiness, and not ones that lead to misery. Let's do it.

Doctrine and Covenants 25:10

2011-03-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

"And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better."
Doctrine and Covenants 25:10

Seems like I get caught up in the things of this world a lot, so reading this today reminded me that I should focus elsewhere. I don't think it means anything extreme like we shouldn't feed or clothe ourselves or provide for our families... but more about getting our priorities straight. Are we so caught up with something that it consumes most of our thought and time, and we have no time left for the Lord? ... I think that I get that way sometimes, and maybe we all do. If we start laying some of those things aside, and putting God first, maybe we'll find that we still have plenty of time for the important things, but more energy and support from God to help us handle them. Today, let's think about where our energy and time are going, and be willing to lay aside the things of this world in order to seek for the things of a better. :) As we put God first, he'll help us to prioritize and handle everything that comes up.

John 3:20-21

2011-03-08T08:19:00.000-05:00

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
John 3:20-21

This is interesting. It seems to be saying that we hide our actions when we aren't doing the right thing, and we don't hide our actions when we are doing the right things. Seems fairly intuitive, but then when we actually examine our lives... which things would it be okay with us if they were revealed to the world? Upon self-examination, I think that there are way too many things that I wouldn't want everyone to know... and these verses make a really good point, that if I don't want those things brought to the light, then are they bad things or good things? Another cool thing about these verses is that the comparison isn't between evil and good, but between evil and truth. How interesting. To me, that really highlights the connection between evil and falsehood... and our need to be completely honest and open in our lives. It's hard to adjust to that ideal sometimes because we live in a society of legal disclaimers and "need to know" information. But today, let's try it. Let's say only things that we aren't ashamed to share with the world. Let's not lie... even a little. Let's find a better way to deal with those situations. Let's bask in the light, and keep the darkness far away. :)

Matthew 20:9-12

2011-03-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

"And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day."
Matthew 20:9-12

This is an interesting scripture, I think because we can relate to it from both sides. We can understand the resentment of the people who worked for the entire day and who got paid exactly the same as the people who had only worked an hour. It seems unfair somehow, even though they got the salary they had agreed on. And we can relate to the people who only worked for an hour. They didn't agree to any salary, they just went to work knowing that the man who hired them would be fair... but they still need to live, just the same as the people who were hired earlier. This is part of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and to me, it seems to show how much we don't want to be equal. :) We get upset if Joe gets hired at the company after we've already worked there 10 years, and he gets promoted before us. We've got a lot of selfishness going on, and we find it difficult to be happy for others. ... The thing that I wonder though, is whether *any* of us are the ones who worked in the field all day. ... I'm inclined to think of myself in the other category, of those who have worked only part of the day. If salvation is the penny here, and we’re upset because we’re comparing ourselves to others who have worked less… then, do I really deserve salvation compared to say, Enoch? King Benjamin? The Three Nephites? ... any prophet at all? Maybe, at least compared to Christ and the prophets, we all fall short of a full day’s work. From my perspective, if I get that penny for my work during my short time on earth, I'll be lucky. ... and perhaps one of the things that makes those prophets the incredible men that they are is that they go in knowing that they are going to be working the whole day in order to help some of us who sign on at the last minute... and they are happy for us, and want us to have what they have. God’s way isn’t like the one we have in the world, which is hierarchical and sets one person above another for whatever random reasons work at the moment. You don't achieve heaven by being stronger or faster than the next person. You don't even achieve heaven by being more spiritual than the next person, actually. We are all worthy of heaven because we are children of God, and our divinity is inborn... none of us are more or less divine. The question has never been how hard we will work or how long we will work... the question is only, will we work? And whenever we decide to do that, whether it is the beginning or the ending of the day... no matter how long "enduring to the end" is for each of us personally... we achieve our reward not by beating out someone else, but just by being there, doing what we should do. God doesn't grade on a curve, and our salvation isn't cheapened by the number of people who are saved. It isn't about who can get more spirituality, knowledge, tithing receipts... children... whatever. God isn't grading us on some point scale where we lose points for everything we do bad, and gain points for stuff we do good. The thing that matters is who we are. How have our earthly experiences shaped us... what have we chosen? In the end, we're not going to be looking at some scorecard, we're only going to be looking at ourselves. What have we done with what we were given, and who have we become? Have we become better? Have we helped each other? Have we managed to get to work in the vineyard? If so, we'll gain our salvation. And that is all that matters... not who else got what, or what time we started. :) Today, let’s get to work… and let’s try to accept some equality as we work towards Zion.

Alma 36:11

2011-02-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

"And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words--If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God--I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more."
Alma 36:11

I think that this was a very effective message from God. He could have had his angel plead with Alma to come back to him and to do what is right... he could have told him how much he loved him and wanted him back. But instead he respected Alma's decisions and told him basically... okay, if you want to live apart from me and destroy yourself, that's your choice. But I need you to stop hurting others with your actions. And I think that we occasionally have such wake-up calls in our lives as well. God often does tell us or show us how much he loves us and pleads with us to come back to him... but when we've stopped listening and gone far enough away that we can't hear those kinds of messages anymore, sometimes he communicates with us as he did with Alma... telling us that he will respect our choice to destroy ourselves if we continue down that path, but that we need to stop harming others through our actions. And actually, we're amazingly lucky if we get a dramatic message like that, because someone cares enough to try to pull us back from the brink of destruction. Kind of like an intervention. Alma's angelic intervention came because his father prayed and prayed and prayed for his son... and Alma was able to repent and go back and heal as much as he could of the damage that he had caused.
I think it is also interesting that Alma was amazed that he was facing destruction. Sometimes when we make bad choices and start tuning out the spirit that we also work to convince ourselves that what we are doing isn't really that bad... and then when we've convinced ourselves of that, that it isn't really bad at all. We tell ourselves lies in order to salve our consciences and continue down the path that we've chosen... so much so that a strong reminder of the consequences of our actions can amaze us.
Today, let's be honest with ourselves about where we're headed. If we're already well off the path, then let's take this one last chance to turn around and save ourselves from dire consequences. If we're headed in the wrong direction, but still able to hear God, let's stop and talk to him and really work at understanding his plan of happiness... not just happiness for others, but for us, individually. And if we're firmly on the path, let us pray for and help those who aren't, because we need them too. We're all brothers and sisters, and there are no throwaways in a Zion society.

Job 33:14-18

2011-02-23T08:16:00.000-05:00

"For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword."
Job 33:14-18

I like the stealth-assistance idea here... that we very often don't listen to God during a regular day, because we're letting other things drown out his voice. But he still wants to help, so he uses our dreams and speaks to our subconscious minds while we're asleep and can't tune him out. :) I like that God would still work to help us, even if we aren't actively listening to him... that he loves us so much that he keeps trying even when we shut him out.
How often, I wonder, do we make a bad decision or determine a certain path, and then sleep on it, only to change our minds or hearts in the morning? He works to help us focus on something besides pride and our need to be right... striving to save us from ourselves, and from destruction.
Today, maybe we can help him in his work by listening to him with our conscious minds. Let's closely examine our purpose and direction, and change them if need be. Let's work on quieting the other things in our minds that are fighting for our attention... letting go of our pride and working to resolve conflicts with others even if we have to "give in" to accomplish that. Let's also pray and talk to God about what is going on in our lives... he can help us so much more while we're awake. :)

Alma 38:12

2011-02-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

"Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness."
Alma 38:12

What does it mean to be bold, but not overbearing? I think it means that it is okay to have an opinion and to state it. Be bold. Tell people what we think, and share our ideas. No need to hide in a corner and wait to be asked. :) ... but being overbearing takes it too far. We can share our opinions appropriately, but never expect other people to drop everything and do what we say... even if we are the boss, or maybe especially if we are. We need to allow other people boldness as well, and listen to their ideas and take them into consideration as we make decisions. And this leads into bridling our passions. Just as it is GOOD to be bold, but we shouldn't take it too far into overbearance, the same goes for other things that we feel. Being over-emotional can be a form of selfishness... worrying about our own emotions more than we focus on other people. Our emotions have to be under our control, and held back from interfering with our relationships or hurting other people. That's how we can be filled with love... by controlling the other things that are fighting for the same emotional space. And I'm definitely not saying don't feel them... the scripture doesn't say stomp out your passions or deny that they exist. :) Emotions aren't inherently bad. They only cause damage if they are allowed to take over and hurt people, including ourselves. And this leads into refraining from idleness. It is natural to feel a need to rest and retreat... to kick back and disengage from the things that are causing us stress. And like other emotions, this also is great in small doses. But if we're spending so much time retreating from stress that we start to smell and don't have any clean clothes to wear, we might actually need to engage, at least with the shower and washing machine. :) Just like any other desire, we can let a healthy desire for relaxation and downtime turn into something damaging if taken too far. Today, let's be careful to not to let any of our valid emotions take over our minds or hurt anyone... but let's also remember to be bold, and engage with the world appropriately. :)

Proverbs 31:26

2011-02-17T07:22:00.000-05:00

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her mouth is the law of kindness."
Proverbs 31:26

This is part of a series of verses that describes a "virtuous woman." The combination in this verse of wisdom and kindness seems great, and I visualize talking to this woman and how pleasant it would be. Doesn't it make you want to *be* her (or the male equivalent)? :) Sometimes I think we make wisdom and kindness completely separate pursuits. We study and try to gain knowledge and wisdom, but occasionally apply it in decidedly unkind ways, acting superior to others who don't have the same specialized knowledge or the wisdom to apply it. Or we work on kindness, but in sort of a general cheeriness way that is good if sincere, but which can seem empty or pacifying when we don't know the objects or the needs of those we are showing kindness. Today, let's think about the wisdom and kindness in ourselves, the ratio, the balance... and let's work on intertwining them a little bit more as we open our mouths today.

Doctrine and Covenants 20:54

2011-02-16T08:27:00.001-05:00

"And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, not evil speaking;"
Doctrine and Covenants 20:54

I love the line "neither hardness with each other." And I wonder how we can be a little softer to people. Some hints are here in this verse. We can avoid lying, saying mean things about people, and saying evil things. All of these hints can help us. Lying destroys trust, and we need to have a foundation of trust in order to interact in a kind way with people. If they think that we might lie to them, then they will doublethink everything we say, and keep up their walls to avoid being embarrassed or cheated. Backbiting hurts relationships as well. Even if we've followed the first hint and the mean things are true, saying them can wound people, and if we say them to others then that can erode trust and cause paranoia or resentment on a greater scale. Addressing someone's flaws can be done positively and privately, and often addressing our own flaws would be more beneficial to the relationship. :) Finally, evil speaking, whether it is criticizing prophets or church leaders, or gospel principles, or talking about sins that we are okay with, or that tempt us, can harm ourselves and our relationships as well. Some kinds of talking about can lead to accepting and/or doing, and criticizing principles of the gospel or the prophets of God gets us pointed in the wrong direction. God isn't too old to know what we need, and his gospel isn't meant to hold us back or limit us. He's trying to offer us the freedom that comes from greater knowledge and expanded choices, and wants us to become more whole, happy people. If we keep other people focused on a certain tempting aspect of sin, even if we aren't engaging in it, that's where their minds will stay, and it will be harder for them to take a step back and see the larger perspective. It will be harder for them to understand why it is wrong, or how avoiding that sin can help them in their lives. ... And it will be harder for them to trust us as supportive friends that they can turn to for good advice. Today, let's work on being softer with people... helping them to feel encouraged and happy and to see the positive and the reasons for hope.

Alma 13:28

2011-02-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

"But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;"
Alma 13:28

I like how this verse shows some of the things that happen to us in our lives if we are led by the spirit. We become "humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering." The next verse continues the list as well, but I stopped here to focus on some of these first things. If we humble ourselves enough to call upon God, and stick with it, then a lot of great blessings can come into our lives. We don't always consider them great things... it can be difficult to humble ourselves, to be submissive to other people, to maintain patience, to love everyone around us, and to put God's will before our own consistently. Sometimes we think that we're right and the other side is wrong, so why give in... why not fight back? When we think that we are great at something, it is hard to let someone else handle it. Sometimes I think that we have to take a step back, and even if we can't trust the person, we can trust God to know what he is doing. Other people aren't going to learn if we take control all the time. And sometimes we're wrong, even though we don't always like to admit it. :) A woman and I were talking this weekend about the difference between "an eye for an eye" and "turn the other cheek" and she said that there is only so much one person can take, and didn't I see some value in fighting back... and I don't think that God asks us to be humble or submissive as a means of keeping us down, or torturing us, or keeping us in an abusive situation. I think what it is really about is how we view others. When we have to control things or have the last word or get our way, on some level it really means that we don't trust them to do what we could do in the same circumstances... and maybe that we don't love them enough to let them learn that lesson. In the end, if we return evil for evil, we're not making the world a better place, but a worse one. Today, let's look to God in prayer, and let the spirit teach us humility and how to interact with others in a way that we are making the world better.

Proverbs 20:22

2011-02-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

"Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee."
Proverbs 20:22

It is interesting to me in this verse how being saved is the answer to the desire to recompense evil. Maybe it is saying that we should care a lot more about our own souls and our own sins than about the consequences that should be paid to someone else.
Unfair things happen to us in life. Sometimes they are so amazingly wrong or hurt us so much that we yearn for retribution. Even when they are smaller, we feel cheated, or belittled, or dismissed as worthless. And we often feel a perfectly natural desire to see what we perceive as justice done to the person or people responsible. ... and maybe that is part of the problem. It is a "natural" desire, not a spiritual desire.
God asks us for some pretty hard things sometimes... different ones are harder in different ways for each of us. Some of us struggle with tithing, or chastity, or the word of wisdom. Maybe universally though, we want to be valued and loved. And so when God asks us to let go of things that make us feel a void in those areas, it is pretty hard. It feels very close to our hearts and our self-worth. And with all of the things that challenge us, sometimes the most important thing is to wait. Wait before responding. Wait before acting... wait before walking into the situation again, or deciding to lose faith.
Waiting on the Lord doesn't have an expiration date. This life is a test, and we can't give God deadlines. We can't say, well, I need to be married by a certain age or I'm going to give up on your plan. Or, save my family member from this disease or I won't believe that you love me. Or, make the person who hurt me pay for it before he dies, or I will never believe in your justice. Wait means wait. ... and yes, wait forever if that is what it takes. Wait on the Lord means let it go... God will handle that part.
God will return to all of us according to what we've done in this life... Today, while we're waiting on the Lord, let's go out and help other people feel valued and loved.

Proverbs 3:31

2011-02-07T08:07:00.000-05:00

"Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways."
Proverbs 3:31

I think sometimes, even though there is a huge difference between what God offers us and what Satan offers us, that our minds get clouded, and it is hard for us to see even that vast difference... between light and dark, good and bad. Perhaps because manipulation can seem like love, or because at first we're willing to give up something good but unknown in the future for something false but immediate... and then it gets harder and harder to feel or see as we go further down that road. Some of it is natural... it gets harder to see God's path when we're facing the opposite direction, and harder to feel when we don't have the spirit. Some of it is chosen... we want to avoid guilt and stress from choosing things that we know to be wrong, so we actively edit out those things in our daily thoughts. Either way, we effectively blind ourselves, refusing to see the harm that we're doing on a spiritual level (if only that). So, today, I thought we could look at this verse and remember that there isn't anything that we should envy about Satan, or want from him. No matter what it is that we think that we're getting from walking away from God, it is empty and hollow and limited, and takes us further and further away from the real and tangible and eternal gifts that God offers to us. Satan is tricky sometimes and combines something of great value to us with something else that is evil, and we have to learn to distinguish between the two and still avoid the bad... but in the end, what he offers is worthless compared to what God offers, which is good without mixture with any tainted stuff. Whatever it is that we want, let's look to God for it in the untainted, undiluted version, and avoid the rat-poison laced version that Satan offers at a discounted price.

Jacob 6:5

2011-02-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

"Wherefore my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of day, harden not your hearts."
Jacob 6:5

There are several things here to take note of, but the one that stood out to me today is "full purpose of heart." I wonder how often we do anything at all with that much focus and dedication. Seems like we're often distracted, or trying to multi-task... with work, with friends... even with the people closest to us. And, I would submit, very very often, we do it with God. Start to pray, and then find ourselves thinking of what we have to do at work that morning, or the errand we have to run, or what are we going to eat, or whatever it is. And those are just the small examples. The big ones... how often do we commit ourselves to living the gospel, but withhold part of ourselves... a favorite habit, a tiny rebellious idea about one part of the gospel. We know we need to change, but we'll do that part last... :) Like C.S. Lewis' quote about if we accept heaven, we can't keep even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell... but more than that.
I think I've thought about it as an internal war in the past, or about cutting out the part of myself that wants something bad... but I'm not sure that it works that way either. The truth is that if we kill half of ourselves in a war or cut off the bad bits, then we are just bleeding half people, even less able to serve God. What it comes down to at some point is harder than just cutting. We have to convince that "bad" side of ourselves that the good side is right. That the souvenirs of hell, or the last rebellious vestiges of thought, or that last bad habit that we love so much... we have to learn with our entire souls that they just don't matter compared to what we can have with God... we have to commit to him completely... nothing held back... cleave to God as though it meant everything... because it does. The results we want can never come from partial dedication or part-time faith. We have to realize that we are nothing without God... that we can't do anything or accomplish anything without him... and not in a resentful way. Just in a kid-going-to-the-emergency-room way. We need God to save us. We can't possibly, ever do any of it alone, and really... why would we want to? Trying to keep a wound or a favorite piece of glass from the car accident is silly.
Today, while his arm of mercy is extended to us, let's try to not harden our hearts. Let's try to understand how desperately we need God to save us, and commit to him and submit to his help with everything we have and are.

Alma 13:30

2011-02-01T08:45:00.001-05:00

"And may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death."
Alma 13:30

This verse struck me today because it says "the second death," and that sounds particularly scary. When I think of spiritual death I get a mental picture of a person I knew in high school who became a drug addict. Blank eyes, personality somehow missing... seems like there is nothing left inside but this empty need. It talks in the Book of Mormon of people becoming "past feeling" and the results of that as well. ... And I wonder why we toy with that... with anything so scary. We're so afraid of death... the first, physical death... when we know that it's temporary. That someday we'll have our bodies back in a perfected state. And we just kind of gloss over the second, spiritual death pretty often, without taking it seriously. So, in this verse Alma is saying to us... please, take it seriously. It's a big deal, and nothing that you want. Today, let's be afraid of what is really frightening rather than what people think of us, or how bad the commute was, or how we don't have enough time. Let's do everything we can to revive our souls... repentance is a big one, but also prayer and studying the scriptures, and just drinking in the beauty around us, or helping other people and forgetting our selfish needs for a while. God's whole plan is designed to save us... not just our bodies, but to keep our spirits alive and sensitive to things that matter. Let's help him out, and soften up those internal places that are becoming hard and resistant to the spirit. Let's feel and know, and commune with our Father, who knows how to save us from all kinds of death.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

2011-01-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."
Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

Usually when I read this scripture I think that it means that we should trust God, and not doubt him... not be afraid that he'll leave us. If we look to him in all that we do, we'll be okay. And it does mean those things, but as I was reading today I think that maybe it means more than that. Maybe it also means that we shouldn't doubt ourselves and our ability to follow Christ. We shouldn't fear that we're lost when we make mistakes and lose the path. We should remember that God is still there, listening to us, loving us, and encouraging us to stand up, dust ourselves off, and try again. In the verse immediately previous to this, God says "Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more." ... almost exactly what he said to the woman taken in adultery in the New Testament. And here, he says it to us.
Pain and failure are built into the human condition... they are part of the test of life. We're going to make mistakes, and screw up things that are important, and fall short of God's, and other people's, and our own expectations. But through the atonement, God gave us the gift of being able to recover from even the worst and often-repeated mistakes. And he gave us the power to overcome our own weaknesses through joining with him. Today, let's look unto God, and not fear failure, and not doubt God, or ourselves... because together, we can make it.

Acts 26:8

2011-01-27T07:38:00.000-05:00

"Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?"
Acts 26:8

This struck me today because I think that sometimes we don't give God enough credit. :) It is good to remember that God is like us, that we can relate to and love each other, and that we can strive to follow his example and become like him. Sometimes though, I wonder if we go too far and think that somehow God has the same weaknesses and frailties that we do... that surely he'll understand if he just listens to our point of view, or learns to understand the modern world, or could walk in our shoes for a few steps. We believe that miracles happened in the past, but somehow don't have the same faith that they can happen now. The truth is, God knows everything, and doesn't have any mortal frailties. He is perfect, and he actually *has* walked in our shoes because he suffered for us, for our sins and for our sorrows, when he atoned for our sins in Gethsemane and as he died, for us, on the cross. To us, death can be a soul-shaking tragedy. God, to whom death is not an obstacle, can see beyond our tragedy and our pain, and help us triumph over any problem and any loss. Today, let's try to remember the amazingness of God... the miracles and power and incomprehensible knowledge and goodness that we can barely begin to understand. And as we remember all he has done both in the scriptures and in our individual lives, let's give him a little more credit, and try to overcome our earthly blindness and trust in his very much larger perspective.

Mark 5:35-36

2011-01-25T08:23:00.002-05:00

"While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the
ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe."
Mark 5:35-36

These verses are from the story of Jairus and his daughter. Here, in kind of the middle of the story, Jesus has stopped for a minute on the way to heal Jairus' daughter, and some people from Jairus' house come and meet them and tell Jairus that his daughter is already dead. It is this moment in time that is interesting to me, and I think that we all come to similar moments in our lives. We might have faith and hope in the beginning, and then there is a moment where it gets really tough to keep those alive. All of it seems to be in vain... the blackness seeks to take over our minds, and block out the light, and threatens our hope and trust in God. And, to all of us, in all of those moments, Jesus says "Be not afraid, only believe." Things will work out. Not saying that we'll get whatever we want or that no one will ever die. Obviously we won't always, and they will sometimes... but just as Jairus' story had a happy ending, so do all of our stories, if we make it through the middle verses and retain our trust and faith and connection to God. Things seem hopeless and bleak to all of us sometimes, but that feeling is never permanent. Our lives are never irreparably broken. God is our hope and our healer, and no matter how bad things seem... how past redemption or hope we feel, there is always a way back and a path to the happy ending. Today, let's remember Jairus and remember that our fear and suffering are temporary, and that if we stick with God, we can still, and always, have hope in the future.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-37

2011-01-24T08:12:00.002-05:00

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-37

This verse is talking about priesthood, but I actually think that it applies to any kind of authority that we might have over another person. True that being unrighteous doesn't automatically cause us to lose our job, our position at church, to get divorced, or become disowned by our family. However, even if we still have the title or the relationship when acting unrighteously, we've lost sight of the true goal. We might be able to still bully someone into something, but we will be ineffective where it counts. NO ONE can be controlled or handled, except through the principles of righteousness. I think Matthew 25:40 emphasizes this as well. Inasmuch as we interact with anyone, we've interacted with Christ... our actions on earth are inseparably tied to our connection with heaven. And it works the other way too. Even though we might have less influence on people who have authority over us, those interactions affect our connection to heaven as well. God's Spirit is grieved if we treat people badly. Today... let's try to learn the "one lesson" in these verses. We can't accomplish anything good without God. If we've lost that Spirit, let's repent and pray and plead and do whatever it takes to get it back... because until we have it back, we're not going to be good family members, church members, good teachers, good bosses, or good anything. We're going to be ineffective leaders, and probably also ineffective followers and onlookers. :) Sometimes even breathing in and out effectively requires God's help... so let's stop right now, and make sure we have it.

Colossians 1:20-23

2011-01-17T08:49:00.000-05:00

"And, having made peace through the blood of the cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am
made a minister;"
Colossians 1:20-23

I love this picture of the atonement... that it is about peace and reconciliation--making all things in tune with God. ... And haven't we all felt this? Feeling alienated or enemy-like when we do something wrong, and we find ourselves not on God's side? It's a scary feeling, and hard to shake. Takes work to bring things back into alignment and experience that peace again... but no work is more worth it to do. I like the idea of being beyond blame and reproof... of being grounded in faith, and never being moved away from hope.
Today, if we feel a little like alien enemies, let's remember that God did all of this for us, so that we can be at peace, and have hope in our lives. Let's accept the reconciliation he offers, and have faith that things will always work out better with God than without.