Enos 1:25-27 -- On Joy and Judgement Day

"And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi left Jerusalem.
And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.
And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."
Enos 1:25-27


This is the end of the story of Enos, and what I really liked today about this selection is the part where he is talking about looking forward to standing before Christ: "then shall I see his face with pleasure."  I think that is an absolutely amazing way to look at the judgement day.  Sometimes it seems scary when we read or talk about it, but what Enos wrote... that is the way that it *should* be. :)

Today, let's get on the path to that kind of happy judgement day. :)  Let's learn of God and learn from God.  Let's take his advice to get our lives under control, and on a better track, and learn to love the people around us, especially the ones that seem unlovable. :)  Let's do our best to be good... and as we walk God's path, we'll be able to look forward to happiness in the future rather than fear. :)

D&C 53:7 -- On Enduring Salvation

"And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen."
D&C 53:7


This is kind of a scary verse, but it's also really cool.  The scary part is when we think about what "enduring to the end" might entail, and realize that it probably is going to require effort. :) 

The cool part is all the rest, but a couple of aspects of it that I was thinking about are first that God is basically saying here "Never give up!" ... he knows that we can keep working at all of it, little by little, and if we keep working at it we're going to be okay.  It's only if we throw in the towel that we are lost.

The other cool part is that the enduring IS what is saving us, right?  We're enduring the process of salvation, as God molds us from rough potential into polished and strong masterpieces... the best version of ourselves.  It's not always fun to change from lumps of clay into works of art, but it's worthwhile, and it isn't just about what God wants... it is him helping us to learn to choose to be who we want to be, so it is an inward change, not just some superficial gloss. :)

Today, let's remember that even though enduring is hard, it's also getting us to exactly where we want to be.  No reason to turn back or give up.  Let's keep going, remembering that our path leads to God's embrace, and an eternity of joy. :)

Matthew 13:51-52 -- On Treasure New and Old

"Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."
Matthew 13:51-52


I like this selection because it makes it seem like Christ is pausing here to gauge understanding and see if they can handle a little more, like a teacher would.  And so this is the extra lesson at the end of the list of parables.

To me this builds upon the previous parables.  Christ is talking to his disciples about the parable of the wheat and the tares, and how the end of the world will see a division between the wicked and the righteous, with each group gathered together, and explains the symbolism.  Then he progresses to talking about the treasure hid in the field and the pearl of great price, then the net which gathers in all, and gets sorted by the fishermen, and then this one. 

So he's talked about treasure and about dividing... symbolically basically saying that the world is full of good and bad, but we need time to develop before we become clearly part of the wheat or the tares.  Then that we have a lot of choices in life, and value different things, but when we find the things that matters the most, we let the rest go, and part of that choosing means sorting out in our own lives the good and the bad, keeping the one and getting rid of the other.

I think what this parable adds to the whole is symbolic of scripture and revelation, although of course it could encompass other things as well.  Basically, we shouldn't be throwing old things away as bad just because they are old... that's not the way to sort.  We already discussed sorting by good and bad. :)  So, in other words, let's not assume that a new way or new technology or new anything is better just because it is new... or that the old way of doing things or our old habits are good just because they are "tried and true" or more comfortable.  That's still sorting incorrectly. :)

Today, let's work to invite into our lives everything that is good and dismiss the bad... and even the less good if things are getting crowded.  Let's choose the Kingdom of Heaven over all else, and never dismiss something good, and from God, just because it is old, or just because it is new.  God wants to pile on the treasure (symbolically), and he's got a lot already there for us to find, and much more to come.  He'll keep adding to it as long as we don't reject it, and as long as we are willing to choose it above all else... just like King Lamoni's father was willing to give away all his sins to know God. Christ's treasure is totally worth the discarding of everything lesser.

Isaiah 60:1-2 -- On Light: Rising and Shining

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee."
Isaiah 60:1-2


This chapter is talking about the last days, which we're getting closer to all the time, so something to look forward to. :)

I really like the symbolism of our light coming, and of the Lord rising upon us like the sun. :)  When we feel lost in the darkness around us, we don't have to lose hope because we have this promise.  God will rise to light and warm us, even in the midst of "gross darkness."

I also like the command to us to arise and shine... because that light isn't just shining upon us.  It is our light from God, and it is *in* us as well, allowing us to join with God to light the world and light the way.

Today, let's trust that the light will come, and reach out to God in the midst of whatever darkness we're experiencing, and know that as we determine to follow him, he will rise and light our way.  And when we get some light in our lives, let's also arise and shine, and share it with the universe. :)

Psalms 61:1-2 -- On Prayer for the Overwhelmed

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
Psalms 61:1-2


I really love the wording here.  I think that we all understand the feeling of having a "heart [that] is overwhelmed," and when those floods of emotion come, Christ is the rock that rises above the flood, offering us safety and rest so that we can regain the strength to try again. :)

Today, let's cry unto God in our distress.  He will always hear us, and teach us how to improve our lives and guide us to hope and salvation.

John 3:12-13 -- On Earth, Heaven, and Returning Home

"If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."
John 3:12-13


The first verse here is interesting because I think we fall into that trap a lot.  We look for the answers to mysterious heavenly things from God, but we don't trust him when it comes to our own lives, which is the real mistake. :)

I also love the idea in the second verse that nothing goes to heaven except what came from there in the first place, meaning Christ of course but including us as well.  I think it really affects the way we see the world when we understand that this earth life is an in-between stage.  We lived with God, and we will live with him again if we don't let our bodily appetites get in the way of our spiritual wisdom.

Today, let's think on heaven a little bit, and let's remember that is where we're from and our true home.  Let's believe God when he gives us advice about our lives, and let's turn to him for help so that we can follow his path back home to him.

1 Thessalonians 4:8-9 -- On Not Despising God and Learning to Love

"He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."
1 Thessalonians 4:8-9


This is a good lesson.  The part that struck me today is the idea that if we despise anyone, we are really despising God.  That's kind of a scary thought... but also a very important one, letting us know how much the two great commandments are wrapped up in each other.

We can't truly love God without loving other people... and we can't learn to love people in a Christlike way without help from God in teaching us what love truly is.  That's why Christ tells us "... if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee—Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me..." (3 Nephi 12:23-24).  Not loving other people gets in the way of loving God.

Today, to show that we don't despise God, let's work really hard on not despising anyone else either. :)  It's tough sometimes, and we're going to have all kinds of justifications for why someone is worth despising... but let's let go of the justifications and realize that we need to change.  Let's make a real effort to learn to love, both God and those that we are inclined to feel negatively about.

Philippians 1:19-20 -- On Going Forth With All Boldness

"For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death."
Philippians 1:19-20

I’m into collaging.  If you don’t know what that is, it is basically when you take a bunch of different things and glom them all together to make art. My particular love is kind of like ransom note art--cutting out words from magazines and newspapers and making word collages.  I also just take individual words and put them on the walls of my house sometimes if they seem to fit.

All through college, I had a little word cut-out that said “Be Careful Out There” that I would put up by the door to outside, and I think that was part of my philosophy of life at the time... that we had to be careful in dealing with the world, and that outside was scary, and inside was safe. ... And maybe that was partly true, at least in terms of avoiding sin, sickness, and many things that threaten our worldviews. :) It's certainly, at least physically, the message that we are feeling a lot during the current struggles in the world.

On one hand God wants us to be safe and not take unnecessary risks. I'm definitely not advocating ignoring quarantine. :) However, in terms of overall living, I think that much more than encouraging safety, God's charge to all of us is "be careful for nothing" (Philippians 4:6), and to instead be bold. We need to be out there making moves, taking chances, and getting things done. God is clear that we should "use boldness, but not overbearance" (Alma 38:12), so we need to check ourselves and make sure we're not mixing up boldness with pride or arrogance, but overall, God wants us to be "engaged in a good cause, and do many things of [our] own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness" (D&C 58:27).

Just like we don't want our children to grow up scared of the world, God doesn't want us to handicap ourselves with fear either. Today, let's remember that God is willing to lend us his power to accomplish good... and let's be bold, and do something amazing. Maybe the amazing thing can't be done in a day... that's okay. We can be bold again tomorrow. :) The point is, let's magnify Christ's gifts to us by using them and being amazing, rather than hiding because we're scared of trying. It's basically the parable of the talents, with just the reason for the fear switched around.

Things are hard sometimes... but that's okay. That's the way they are supposed to be, so we can get stronger. Let's go forth "with all boldness" anyway, and make something amazing out of whatever comes.

1 Corinthians 6:7 -- On Taking Wrong

"Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?"
1 Corinthians 6:7


This is an interesting verse, and one that can be hard to accept, because isn't Paul saying here that justice doesn't matter?  Aaah!  My whole sense of right and wrong is flying apart! :)  ... And although I am of course joking, it can feel like that sometimes when we are defrauded in some way.  It's not an easy thing to "take wrong" or let go of that desire for heavy justice to rain down on someone else.

I don't think that God is saying justice doesn't matter.  I think what he is saying is what he has said elsewhere, that it does matter, but it is HIS.  God says several times in scripture "Vengeance is mine" (Romans 12:19), "judgment is mine" (Mormon 8:20), and even we are his (Leviticus 20:26, Malachi 3:17, etc.).  And if we choose to be his, and we want mercy rather than judgement when *we* do wrong, then we have to give that desire for justice to him. 

Because he is God, we know that everything will be okay in the end. We can trust that, but of course it is still going to be difficult to let it go when it seems to benefit other people and not ourselves. :)  Today let's try though.  Let's try to let go of the wrongs that are done in our direction, and accept that injustice is a part of our mortal journey.  It's not a happy thought exactly, but it can be better if we realize how much that fact benefits us as we go through our own lives.  Justice belongs to God because Christ suffered the pains of justice for us.  And because of him, the wrongs that we have done to other people can be healed through his blood, and we don't have to endure the eternal consequences of all of our mistakes.  We just have to repent.

Now of course, we should be trying to make the world better and that sometimes means stepping up and solving some justice issues together as a community and as a world, as encouraged and directed by God.  However, as we work on improving the world and on our own lives, let's remember that injustice is sometimes exactly what we need in order to have the space to repent.  Let's work on letting go of the wrongs that have been done to us, instead looking to the future, and working to do less wrong ourselves. :)

1 John 1:5 -- On No Darkness At All

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
1 John 1:5


When I read this I wonder what it would be like to live in a world with no darkness... physical darkness being a huge question all on its own, but even more so spiritual, emotional, or mental darkness.

I think we all have darkness in our lives at times, but the surest hope for all of that is that in God there is "no darkness at all."  In learning about God and learning his ways, we are also learning to purge darkness from our lives and become "children of light" (1 Thessalonians 5:5, John 12:36). :)

Today, let's work on becoming children of light, and with God's help purging that darkness from our lives, no matter its source. :)

3 Nephi 4:33 -- On Repentance and Humility

"And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction."
3 Nephi 4:33


This was part of the aftermath of the Nephites overcoming the Gadianton Robbers, which if you don't know the story, was pretty amazing.  So interesting how a small group could grow up to be able to threaten an entire nation, and the reason they were overcome is that they didn't have anyone to prey upon anymore, so they started to run out of the essentials.

What I really liked was the attribution of the miracle to repentance and humility.  I think sometimes that is the only way to get outside ourselves and our own worries and self-interest, so that we can cooperate and work together to combat evil, with God's help.

Today, let's recognize when problems get bigger than we can handle alone, and let's repent and humble ourselves, working with others but especially with God to find a solution.  These people uprooted their lives to gather together because it was the only way to survive.  Our challenges will be different, and the solution won't look exactly the same, but the solutions to our problems and the problems in our world can be solved similarly, through unity and faith.

Nehemiah 1:4 -- On Mourning and Prayer

"And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."
Nehemiah 1:4


Nehemiah here is crying over the afflictions and suffering of his people and his city, and I think that his actions are instructive.  Emotion is definitely okay.  We should give ourselves time to mourn when bad things happen.  In addition though, Nehemiah stayed in contact with God.  He fasted and he prayed.

Today, let's remember that God is the one who can help us through any trial.  Let's follow the example of Nehemiah, and when bad things happen, let's give ourselves space to mourn, but let's also make a concerted effort to stay in contact with God, who can help us recover and adapt.

Matthew 25:35-36 -- On Serving Others

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."
Matthew 25:35-36


Christ here is talking about the things that we can do for others, and letting us know that it is essentially doing things for him, since that is what he asks of us--to help each other.

Whatever our circumstances, let's take a look at this list today of things that we can do for others and see if there are some additional service opportunities we can look into.  I think, of course, that there are other types of service that the Lord appreciates, but this list is a great start because it addresses the needs of many people who are overlooked or ostracized.  What can we do for people to help them feel included and integrated into our communities?

As we ponder and pray over this list and ask God and ourselves what we can do, God will open our hearts and our minds and help us as we seek to serve his children. :)  I think we'll also find that serving others will improve our own lives. :)

Proverbs 3:7 -- On Knowing When to Walk Away

"Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil."
Proverbs 3:7


This is a good reminder.  I like the idea here which is basically that we get ourselves into most of our trouble. :)  If we can be humble and listen to the Lord, we would be saved from a lot of things, because we would hear the Spirit when it tells us to walk away.

Even when it isn't evil, I think that our overconfidence in ourselves causes problems that we don't really have to have.  Not that we should be doormats or opinionless, of course, but often we're so sure that we're right when we're really not, and a little dose of humility could go a long way in helping us listen more and appreciate the opinions and contributions of others.

Today, let's remember that God is much wiser than we are, and let's try to take a step back and think about the choices that we are making.  Let's be more open to God's guidance and to appreciating the ideas of others.

1 Corinthians 15:19 -- On Hope for the Future

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."
1 Corinthians 15:19


I like this verse because it makes me take a step back and think about the big picture rather than the worries in the world around me.  I love the idea here that we forget too often--that our existence is much bigger than just this life, and the fact that hope isn't just a temporary this-life-only thing is also super cool.

Today, let's try stepping back and getting some perspective.  God can help us in this way, by helping us to focus on the good and on the eternal rather than on the temporary insanity of our immediate surroundings. :)  Let's make sure we are investing in hope, not only for now, but for the future.

2 Nephi 4:24 -- On Waxing Bold

"And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me."
2 Nephi 4:24


I love the idea that we can be bold with God, that we can pray boldly, and that our prayers can be mighty.  Sometimes I think we are hesitant to go before God, thinking that God wants us to always defer and wait for instructions, or never take initiative or going off script.  And hey, if going off script means *sin,* then we definitely should avoid it, but other than those big fences warning us of the cliffs, quicksand, wild animals, and other dangers beyond, the straight and narrow path actually provides a lot of opportunities for improvisation.  In fact, God asks us to "be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of [our] own free will" (D&C 58:27).  As long as we're doing something righteous and good, we should feel free to talk with God about it, and get his help.

I'm not guaranteeing angels or success, because God can see more clearly than we can, and maybe some of our ideas are really bad ones, or badly timed, or whatever.  However, in general I think righteousness = confidence in a lot of ways with God.  As long as we are trying to do what is right, seeking to help others, and actively working to make the world a better place, then God *wants* us to be creative and bold and make good things happen, and he will throw his support behind us.  He tells us in many places in the scriptures that "all things work together for good" when we are on the right track (Romans 8:28, D&C 100:15, etc.).

Today, let's think about what we can do to make a difference for good.  And then let's talk to God about it, and work for it.  If he wants us to do something else, he'll find a way to let us know, but if not, we should go forth boldly.  As we do, his help, and the help of his angels, seen or unseen, will be with us. :)

Romans 15:4 -- On the Comfort of the Scriptures

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
Romans 15:4


I like the idea that the scriptures offer us comfort, and patience.  They definitely do, but we don't usually think about them like that.  In fact, we often think about them as an obligation rather than a blessing... and maybe we should change that.  The idea that all of this is written to help us is an important one.  The scriptures aren't there to give us a guilt-trip when we don't read them, or to provide a list of impossible standards we can't live up to.  They are there to offer us hope, and some patience as well. :)

Today, let's try looking at our scriptures in a more positive way, and when we need comfort, and/or patience, let's try turning to them and see if it helps.  God wants to help us... let's give him the chance.

Romans 8:31-32 -- On God's Offer Of Support

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
Romans 8:31-32


I like the idea here, which is that if God allowed Christ to die in order to save us, then it is very clear that he wants us to be saved, and that he will give us any help that he can, as long as it leads us towards good. 

Today, let's believe that and take him up on his offer.  Let's ask him sincerely for what we need, and let's do our best to keep his commandments, which are also designed to help us. :)  As we look to God and communicate with him, we will learn more of him, and the more we learn and can dedicate ourselves to him, the more we will feel his presence and support in our lives.

Daniel 2:16-19 -- On Prayer and Support

"Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven."
Daniel 2:16-19


This is part of a story where the king has a dream and wants to know what it means, but he has also forgotten the dream, so he tells his wise men that he needs them to tell him the dream and the interpretation.  They tell him that is impossible, so he orders them all killed.

Luckily for the story, Daniel was one of the wise men, and he asks why the king has made such a decree, and when he finds out, these verses are what he does.

I really liked the fact that it wasn't just Daniel praying here, but that he got his friends involved as well, praying for him and asking God to help Daniel to know the dream so they could all be saved.

I think one of the ideas here is that even prophets don't stand alone.  We all need each other's support as we progress in our journey.

Today, let's help and uplift the people around us.  Let's pray for each other, and ask the Lord to help and strengthen us all, and to reveal to us what we need to know in order to keep our heads and fulfil our responsibilities.

Mark 1:6-8 -- On Physical and Spiritual Dedication

"And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
I indeed have baptized you with water: abut he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."
Mark 1:6-8


The idea of baptism is a cool one, especially in the context here, as John is preaching "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (verse 4).  The idea of being dead to sin and alive to God is redoubled when John indicates that the baptism he uses is incomplete, or rather part of a whole--that Christ is bringing a spiritual baptism that should accompany and enhance the physical act of being baptized.

These two baptisms help us to understand that the changes that we make as we repent are incomplete if they are only external, and that we need to be cleansed spirit *and* body to be fully clean.

We could stop there and it would already be a valuable message, helping us to remember to work on our internal and external cleanliness and devotion to God, through thought and faith and good deeds, etc.

I think though that the need to accomplish things physically and spiritually isn't limited to just baptism, so as we are considering baptism and the need for rebirth in our lives, and dedication to God, let's also remember that it applies to our health as well.  Just now many of us are concerned about physical health and taking extraordinary measures to ensure that we, and the people around us, are okay.  Let's imagine what it would look like if we were taking that much care about our Spiritual health as well, and then let's start moving in that direction. :)

Matthew 24:6-7 -- On "Be Not Troubled"

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
Matthew 24:6-7


Scriptures like this can be scary because they talk about some of the things that will happen before the Second Coming.  I think there is also a lot of hope and some ideas that can help us de-stress too though. :)

God specifically tells us not to be troubled, because a lot of things have to happen, and the end is not yet.  ... That's still true. Maybe we're closer than Matthew was, but the end is still "not yet." :)

Disasters and extreme circumstances are going to happen.  Storms come in every life... but we don't have to be destroyed by the storm.  Christ offers us light and hope and a way out, even when we can't imagine the possibility.

Today, instead of focusing on the end, let's focus on the "not yet" and improve the way that we are living our lives. :)  Let's trust in God and endeavor to do as he asks, and not be troubled. :)

D&C 138:50-52 -- On Life After Death and God's Plan

"For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage.
These the Lord taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father’s kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life,
And continue thenceforth their labor as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of all blessings which were held in reserve for them that love him."
D&C 138:50-52


It's interesting that we came to earth, at least in part, to get bodies, and then after death it seems that we feel pretty attached to them, and find it hard to be without them.  ... Makes sense, really, since the idea of getting them it to enhance our existence, and is a permanent thing, in terms of everyone being resurrected and being able to regain that gift at some point.

I think that this gives us a glimpse of the vastness of the Father's plan for his children, working not just among the living here on earth, but among the spirits as well, giving everyone every chance they can possibly have to understand the plan and make the choices to become who they want to be, and to live where they want to live.

Today, maybe a good idea would be to pull back our focus a little bit and instead of just seeing our immediate surroundings and situations, to try to see the larger plan of God.  That kind of perspective, if we pray and truly seek it, can help us to be less stressed and concerned with things we can't control, and help us remember the goodness of God, and how merciful he is, and how all-encompassing his plan is to save us.  Let's work with him on this. :)

Proverbs 28:14 -- On Happiness and Mischief

"Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief."
Proverbs 28:14


Fear and happiness don't seem to go together so well.  The footnote for this verse tells us that "feareth" means to respect God, which is usually the case with the word fear in the Old Testament, so that is at least better. :)  To me though, it makes even more sense if you just take the idea of being sensitive or aware (the opposite of hardening your heart).  Sometimes that can make us fearful or stressed, but blocking out all emotion is much worse (no offense to Star Trek of course).  Part of the whole purpose of our lives is to learn how to love, God, ourselves, each other... and I think that is what this verse is telling us.  Part of love is vulnerability.  To feel, we have to know that there is going to be some anxiety management--but feeling is still worth it. :)

It's tempting, when we are feeling negative emotions, to condemn emotion and try to block it out entirely, but today, let's try to open ourselves up, especially to God.  Let's allow ourselves some fear and stress, but turn to God so that we can learn faith and trust and confidence--overcoming fear through faith, not through ignoring it or blocking out everything including our self-knowledge.  Happiness isn't being dead to feeling, but rather allowing the possibility of good and bad feelings, and then choosing to focus on the good. :)  With God's help we can choose happiness rather than mischief. :)

3 Nephi 9:22 -- On Childlike Salvation

"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved."
3 Nephi 9:22


The idea of going before God as a little child seemed really refreshing today.  It is easy to get frustrated and snarky, or cynical and stressed with all the things going on in the world.  Of course kids get frustrated too, but the idea behind going to God as a child is that idea of purity and hope and absolute sincerity. 

Repenting and turning to God is the way to salvation.  Sometimes, the simplest plans are the best ones. :)

Today, let's try shedding all of the things that we have learned that make it harder to connect with God, and let's go before him with zero justifications, zero defensiveness, and just tell him exactly how we are feeling, and what we are afraid of, and what we want for ourselves, our families, and the world.  He will hear us and bless us as we seek him.

Proverbs 28:5 -- On Understanding and Righteousness

"Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand all things."
Proverbs 28:5

This is an interesting idea, that our understanding and our righteousness are tied together.  Thinking about it, this idea is found elsewhere in the scriptures, but not always as clearly.  And it makes a lot of sense, since the Spirit brings all things to our remembrance, and that is frequently how we tie mental concepts together, and the whole "stupor of thought" thing kind of goes along with how God teaches us, by either opening our understandings or causing us to let go of the wrong concepts, if we are in tune with him.

Now, of course I don't think that all "smart" people are righteous or the inverse.  There are different things and variations and challenges and talents and zillions of things going on there, and it definitely isn't that simple.  I'm just saying that God can bless us with knowledge and understanding, as he did Joseph Smith, and Nephi, and probably all of us at one time or another, and that being righteous helps that process, and is certainly something that we can do to increase the level of understanding in our own lives. :)

Today, let's be righteous and work on understanding God, and the world around us, and even ourselves more with his help. :)  And, in our personal study maybe we should keep an eye out for similar scriptures tying these concepts together, increasing our understanding in the process, and creating a vicious cycle of learning. :)

2 Kings 5:9-14 -- On Prophecy and Humility

"So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
2 Kings 5:9-14


I think sometimes we are like Naaman, refusing to listen to the prophet because it doesn't make sense to us.  We want to understand everything up front, and if it seems strange (or causes us any effort or discomfort), then the prophet's words or instructions are easily dismissed, because they didn't pass our test.  ... The problem with that is that this life isn't our test for God.  It is his test for us.

Moses raised up a brazen serpent to save the Children of Israel from death, and some of them died because they wouldn't look.  Laman and Lemuel remained in darkness because they assumed that God wouldn't answer them.  Naaman was incredibly blessed to have servants who knew him and could talk him into listening to the prophet, and he was healed.

Today, let's look at our lives and see where we are deviating from what God and his prophet ask of us.  And whatever is standing in the way, let's work on getting rid of those impediments.  If the prophet says something, no matter how mundane or impossible it seems, then let's do it.  Let's exercise some faith and become like Naaman... humble enough to be healed.

3 Nephi 19:1-3 -- On Tuning in To Hope

"And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the multitude did disperse, and every man did take his wife and his children and did return to his own home.
And it was noised abroad among the people immediately, before it was yet dark, that the multitude had seen Jesus, and that he had ministered unto them, and that he would also show himself on the morrow unto the multitude.
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 19:1-3


Watching conference today, I was reminded of these verses from the story of Christ showing himself to the Nephites.  This happened during an extremely scary time in their history, when hope must have seemed very far away.  But miraculously, Christ came to tell them what was going on and to help them and reassure them that the prophecies had all been true, and he had overcome death.  He was the embodiment of hope.  And, understandably, when other people heard about his coming, they did everything they could to be there.

That really struck me today, because things seem scary now too, though hopefully it won't get as bad as it was for the Nephites at that time.  As they were granted hope, so are we.  Today, let's do everything *we* can to make sure that we are ready to hear God's word in general conference tomorrow, and in future days also make that extra effort to be where we need to be, physically and spiritually, to hear him, and be able to tune in to that hope that Christ offers us. :)

JST Matthew 7:14-17 -- On Family

"And then said his disciples unto him, They will say unto us, We ourselves are righteous, and need not that any man should teach us. God, we know, heard Moses and some of the prophets; but us he will not hear.
And they will say, We have the law for our salvation, and that is sufficient for us.
Then Jesus answered, and said unto his disciples, Thus shall ye say unto them,
What man among you, having a son, and he shall be standing out, and shall say, Father, open thy house that I may come in and sup with thee, will not say, Come in, my son; for mine is thine, and thine is mine?"
JST Matthew 7:14-17


This is part of the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), and it could be compared to Matthew 7:9-11, which makes a similar point.  What struck me about it today is that in this translation it seems more like a message from God that we are his family, and in the King James version (KJV) that part of the message seems a little more shuttered, and the idea is focusing on how we treat others.  Both good lessons, but I love the refutation of the idea that God will listen to prophets and not to us.

God will hear us, and he really means to share everything he has with us, because we *are* his family.  He is our family.  ... I think that is a super important thing to understand, so let's stop there, and today, let's think about what that means.  If we're God's family, and he cares for us as a father, and we are truly his children, does that change the way that we've been thinking about him?  I think if we can get that concept down, a lot more of the gospel will fall into place for us. :)

3 Nephi 13:30-33 -- On Perspective

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith.
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
3 Nephi 13:30-33


So, yesterday when I woke up the first thing that happened was opening my eyes and something getting into my right eye.  I am guessing that it was an eyelash, but it felt like an anvil.  My eyes are super sensitive and it was horrible.  I tried to get it out in a lot of ways, including prayer, but it wasn't God's will at that time, and even though it wasn't getting better, I had to finish up a post for work and get it up on our website... so, I went and did my best typing with one eye closed, or sometimes half open.  I should have finished it the night before, and felt even worse about not doing that because now I was half-blind and in pain trying to finish it up.

I got the post up and went back to bed for a while, but couldn't sleep.  Just having my eyes closed the whole time did help a little, but after an hour or so I got back up and finished up the workday, trying to keep up with my normal workload.  About an hour before I got off work it seemed to be a lot better... maybe the eyelash finally worked its way out.  I could touch my eyelid without feeling like I was pushing a rock into my eye, at least, and that helped a lot.  My eye was still irritated though, so I didn't do much of what I usually do in the evenings... just a few truncated things, wrote the scripture of the day, and went to bed.

That experience made today amazingly wonderful because when I woke up, my eye didn't hurt anymore, and I was overwhelmingly grateful for that blessing that I normally take for granted... so happy just to be able to look at a computer screen without pain. :)  It was a good lesson for me on perspective, and what really matters.

I think that these verses are also about perspective.  We get caught up in the general worry of the world, our schedules disrupted, supplies unavailable, things looking gloomy, and we think, wow, life really stinks.  But we're worrying about the wrong things.  God wants us to be as prepared as we can be, and self-reliant, but when those things are taken out of our hands or when God has a specific calling or task for us, then those are things that we don't have to stress over.  If we put God's will first, then God will handle the mundane worries, and provide a way for us to do as he asks, every time.  And in focusing closely on God and his goodness we can also realize that despite the hardships we are facing, there is still good all around us.

Maybe this is an opportunity for us to exercise some faith and grow closer to God, because we need to trust him a little more, and look to him to provide things that we can't provide for ourselves.  Reliance on God is one of the best lessons that we will ever learn.  Today, let's try learning it by practicing a little bit, and talking to God about the needs that we can't meet, asking him to look into those for us while we seek first the more important things of his gospel.

Revelation 3:17-18 -- On Riches and Sight

"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."
Revelation 3:17-18


The idea that strikes me in these verses is the idea that we don't really know our own situation.  We think that we are rich when we are not, and that we can see everything when we absolutely can't.  I think of it sort of like we are toddlers glorying in our toys and cowboy outfits, and not realizing at all what is truly valuable.

God counsels us to look to him if we want to be truly rich, and offers us gold and raiment and eyesalve, probably symbolic of being rich in gospel knowledge, temple worthy, and in tune with the spirit or something close to those things.  He's trying to prepare us for when we grow up and encounter a world infinitely more real than the one we have known.  He wants us to be ready for that life where our toys might not be enough anymore.

Today, let's take a look at what we value in our lives, and measure that against what God values.  If there is a wide gap, maybe we should pray and get some help so that we can see more clearly what matters to God, and prioritize those things in our lives... so we can prepare for an eternity that is going to be very different than the life that we now know.