Emulating Amulek

A couple of months ago my stake (BYU 2nd) received the charge to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish before the end of the year. I was lucky enough to have already started doing so, and have slowly and steadily made my way through the middle of the Book of Alma. It has been a rewarding experience as I re-learn many of the stories quickly forgotten, and re-firm my testimony of the doctrines found therein. This week my mind turned toward Amulek, the traveling companion of Alma the Younger. Amulek was a man who was truly converted to the Gospel, preaching and teaching from Ammonihah to Sidom to Antionum, testifying of plain and simple truths pertaining to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amulek was a man who knew; it is my prayer that we too may gain his testimony.

Amulek was well-known among his peers in Ammonihah, relating to them that he had " many kindreds and friends," and "also acquired much riches by the hand of [his] industry." (Alma 10:4) Amulek then relates:

"Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

"Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart." (Alma 10: 5-6)

He then explains that he finally did hear, being visited by an angel of the Lord who told him he would receive a prophet of the Lord. Amulek finally learned, and thereafter did not waiver. He received Alma, and taught with the same power for many years. None of his words which we have are more representative of this than those he spake to the humble of the Zoramites in Alma 34:

"Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrificean, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.

"...And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. of m

And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

"... For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. (Alma 34: 8-10, 15-17, 32-33)

When I think of Amulek and his conversion, I also think of Saul of Tarsus, who on the way to Damascus received a visitation from the Lord Himself, asked the simple yet piercing question, "why persecutest thou me?" Amulek's conversion is also similar to that of his "beloved brother" Alma.

What is the common thread? These three men were all visited by heavenly messengers, called to repentance from a state of wickedness. And unlike Laman and Lemuel who did not repent, these three men turned around, and served the Church wholeheartedly and unwavering until the end.

How often do we find ourselves caught in the pride of our hearts, unwilling to heed the will of the Lord? Perhaps we are not like unto these three (Amulek was a proud and rich man; Alma and Paul actively attacked the Church and its members), but we have sins that we hold onto for dear life that keep us from progressing, keep us from being all that we can be. I know this because I've experienced it in my own life, and strive to be more aware of how I err each and every day. Common to Paul, Alma, and Amulek is also the power that the Atonement of Jesus Christ had in their lives. Do we let Christ in? Do we follow Amulek's words, letting mercy subsume the demands of justice? I know that as we strive to improve, including Christ in all our dealings that we will be able to feel this mercy.

Have a great week!

All Things Testify; In the Strength of the Lord

Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.

And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them?

I am grateful for the changing of the seasons, and the testimony of the Great Creator to know that He is behind their varying expressions. If one has the testimony of Christ in their heart, they know that everything testifies of His existence and divine mission. However, it is easy to stray from this testimony, letting the natural man enter in, offering "educated" and "empirical" explanations for the existence of natural phenomena. Such was the case with Korihor, of whom we read in Alma Chapter 30. Korihor went about inciting the people to disbelief, turning away many, preaching that there was no God, and that there was no Christ who should come. Korihor came to this conclusion initially through a vision, in which a messenger told him to preach such things.

Alma confronted Korihor, and gave him the rebuke seen above. Korihor had no evidence that there was no God. He then asked Alma to show him a sign, that he might be convinced of the truth of Alma's words. Alma replied:

...Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.
And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? (Alma 30: 44-45)

Noticing that Korihor still sought after a sign, Alma replied:

...it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; therefore if thou shalt deny again, behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more. (Alma 30: 47)

Korihor again asked for a sign, and so Alma gave it to him, striking him dumb by the power of God. Korihor then admitted to being deceived by the devil, and that he always knew there was a God. However, Alma refused to take away the curse, and Korihor lived a meager existence the rest of his days.

What, if anything, can be learned from this story? First, it is important to gain a personal testimony of what Alma taught, that all things testify that there is a Supreme Creator. It is also important to gain a testimony of what Alma showed, namely that there is power in the Priesthood of God, and this power overcomes the wicked designs of the adversary. I am grateful for a personal knowledge of that second point as well, to know that as I remain worthy to hold the Priesthood, I can use it to serve in such a way that confounds the wise and learned (see Alma 32: 3, 36: 6-7, 1 Cor. 1:27).

It is important to remember that Alma acted under the direction of the Spirit, acting as an instrument by which the Lord's purposes could be established. Only when we serve with this mindset and purpose may we be able to have such power, as priesthood holders or anyone called to serve. In Elder David A. Bednar's first talk given as an Apostle (entitled "In the Strength of the Lord"), he said the following:

I have pondered the instruction of Jacob as contained in the Book of Mormon:

“Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

“Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things” (Jacob 4:6–7).

Brothers and sisters, please pay particular attention to the word grace as it is used in the verse I just read. In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote a strengthening or enabling power:

“The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

“… It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (p. 697).

Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity. I testify and witness that the enabling power of the Savior’s Atonement is real. Without that strengthening power of the Atonement, I could not stand before you this morning.

May we accept our call to serve with such humility. May we remember that our spiritual and subsequent social, emotional, and mental strength comes through applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. And lastly, may we have the courage to do as Alma did, showing those who are unbelieving that they have no reason not to believe. I know that as we do so under the direction of the Spirit, we will be the small means by which the Lord confounds the "wise and learned" designs of the adversary.

Have a great week!

General Conference Reactions, October 2010

Six months have passed, seemingly in the blink of an eye, and General Conference came and went in the same fashion; but what a great conference it was! I would like to take a moment to share some of my reactions to the counsel we received last weekend, and perhaps this may be a source of inspiration to you.

TEMPLES

I become especially excited for October Conference because the custom has become to announce new temples being constructed in its Saturday morning session. This year was no different, as President Monson announced the edification of five new temples: (1) Lisbon, Portugal, (2) Indianapolis, Indiana, (3) Urdaneta, Philippines, (4) Hartford, Connecticut, and (5) Tijuana, Mexico. The announcement of new temples is evidence that the Lord's work moves forward. President Monson said "the ordinances performed in our temples are vital to our salvation and to the salvation of our deceased loved ones. May we continue faithful in attending the temples, which are being built closer and closer to our members." I am grateful for the knowledge that I have of the essential nature of temples, and how they can bring together generations.


CONSECRATION

Another talk that impacted me was given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, entitled "Reflections on a Consecrated Life." In it Elder Christofferson said that a consecrated life comes from purity, work, respect for one's body, service, and integrity. He cited the Savior's example of consecration, and that true happiness comes from giving what is truly ours--our time and our choices--to God's purposes. Elder Christofferson said:

"As the Savior demonstrated, the consecrated life is a pure life. While Jesus is the only one to have led a sinless life, those who come unto Him and take His yoke upon them have claim on His grace, which will make them as He is, guiltless and spotless. With deep love the Lord encourages us in these words: 'Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day' (3 Nephi 27:20)."

Elder Christofferson went on to explain how we emulate the Savior's example of consecration, which involves the five tenets mentioned above. In all things it means putting God first, using what we have been given to build the Kingdom of God. this happens as we build up others, striving to be a source of help for the human race. I received strength from this talk as it provided and framework and encouragement in my efforts to "quietly and thoughtfully go about doing good."


"BEWARE OF PRIDE" 2.0

The last talk I would like to emphasize comes from the man I affectionately call the "Cleanup Hitter"--President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. I call him this because for me President Ucthdorf always seems to speak with power, authority, kindness, and confidence, and seems to further the validate the words of those who preceded him. His talk in Priesthood Session was no different. To the men of the Church President Uchtdorf provided a new iteration of President Ezra Taft Benson's seminal "Beware of Pride" talk. President Uchtdorf explained that, like President Benson, he had been weighed down for some time by this topic.

President Uchtdorf explained that everyone has an intimate if not casual relationship with this universal sin. He said that pride is a sin because it brings hatred and hostility as we compare ourselves to others. Pride reveals that in stead of worshiping God and lifting up our neighbor, we are merely looking after ourselves. President Uchtdorf called it a "gateway sin," as pride is the precursor to all other sins. He said that this sin can be seen foremost in the world of sports, which then can bleed over into all facets of life; what a statement to millions of Mormon sports fans!

But President Uchtdorf spoke of the true things--pride is the switch that turns off Priesthood power, and it is humility that turns it back on. He said:

"When I was called as a General Authority, I was blessed to be tutored by many of the senior Brethren in the Church. One day I had the opportunity to drive President James E. Faust to a stake conference. During the hours we spent in the car, President Faust took the time to teach me some important principles about my assignment. He explained also how gracious the members of the Church are, especially to General Authorities. He said, 'They will treat you very kindly. They will say nice things about you.' He laughed a little and then said, 'Dieter, be thankful for this. But don’t you ever inhale it.'"

It is my hope that we can strive to better serve not just because it is our duty, but because we sincerely want to bless the lives of others. I believe that it is therein where we will grow in gratitude for others, and not to "inhale" our blessings and prosperity. I hope that we can make a better turn towards consecrating ourselves, out time, and our agency toward building up the Kingdom of God. As we do this, we will be enabled to bless even more people, thus fulfilling the Lord's work and glory, which is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." I am ever grateful for the knowledge of these truths.

Have a great week!

"Can ye Feel So Now?"

And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.

...And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

...And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
--Alma 5: 9, 14, 26

I love Alma the Younger's words to the people in the land where he served. Alma was at this time the high priest of the Church of God, recently renouncing the judgment seat, devoting himself to the judgment of the Lord. He went out to the people who had been converted, and who perhaps were hit with a bit of complacency over time. These people had experienced deliverance; the Book of Mosiah was devoted to it. And as Alma saw it, they should have retained in remembrance this deliverance, both physical and spiritual, as well as the mercy that the Lord had towards them (Alma 5:6).

How often is it that we get complacent? How quick are we to forget out conversion, and all the little experiences that strengthen our testimonies, forgetting that "all things denote that there is a God?" (Alma 30:44) Speaking for myself, I know that it is all too often that this occurs. Yes, this is inevitable as we are all imperfect beings with imperfect bodies; our brain in its current state is only capable of taking in, recording, and integrating so much. However, basic neuroscience would also suggest that neural pathways that are used consistently and over time are strengthened. In the context of Alma's words, we should constantly put into practice our testimonies, that we may always sing the song of redeeming love in tune with He who has power to fuel it.

Like with the people of Alma the Younger (and also the people of Alma and King Benjamin and Abinadi before him, as well as all the believers of the words of the prophets), the song of redemption is sung as we face the music, in tune with the Great Composer, finally understanding the notes, the beat, and the rhythm that make up this Eternal Song. We know we understand when we receive feelings of "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, [and] faith." (Gal 5:22)In the May 1999 Ensign, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said the following regarding how we feel to sing, speaking of the "burning" feeling in our hearts:

What does a “burning in the bosom” mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word “burning” in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works.

Truly, the still, small voice is just that, “still” and “small.”

“The language of peace, as spoken by the Lord, embraces a sense of quiet confidence, comfort, and warmth. It is gentle and calm, amiable and sweet; it is temperate and kind; it is orderly and identified by happiness, joy, and feelings of love” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, The Holy Ghost [1989], 14).

For me personally, I would add excitement and motivation to the definition of "burning in the bosom". I feel as though I can do anything the Lord asks of me, and feel like I can be an instrument in His hands. For me there is an energy to move forward in faith, a great positivity that I can tell comes from the source of all that which is positive. I feel much like the Apostle Peter, who, impetuous as he was, performed many miracles in the Lord's name. He did falter at times, but was not afraid to do so. He held in his sights what was truly important, being obedience to the Lord's commands. I hope that we can all gain this excitement for the Gospel and its redeeming power, and work to fill our lives with the Godly, that we may learn to never forget His redeeming song.

Have a great week!

What to do with the Rising Generation

In Mosiah Chapter 26, we read about a "rising generation" in the church which was too young to understand and be converted by the words of King Benjamin, which rose up in rebellion of the Gospel. They refused to believe, refused to be baptized, and refused to congregate with the body of the church. They also coaxed many people out of the church, "deceiv[ing] many with their flattering words."

This dissension from the church caused Alma to institute church disciplinary action, which he had up to this not had occasion to do. Perhaps thinking that the wrongs of the church members to be more civil in nature, he sent them first before Mosiah to be judged of their iniquities. Mosiah volleyed this attempt, however, telling Alma "I judge them not." Alma thus found himself in a pickle: he was left to figure out what to do with those of the rising generation, uncomfortable in passing judgment, but knowing that these people had to be judged by someone, for justice had to be served.

Now before we go on with the story, think about times in which you've felt the same way: needing to make a decision on something, but feeling completely unqualified to make it. Decisions like these are never easy, and never convenient; however, perhaps there is learning that takes place after exercising faith in a positive outcome.

For me, a salient example was choosing to move back to Utah to start graduate school. I had only applied to BYU as a "fall back," not really intending on getting my doctorate in the same institution where I received my Bachelor's degree. I wanted to go make a name for myself somewhere else in the world, and possibly return to Provo one day to teach or consult. However, when faced with the decision of either returning to BYU or waiting a year to try the application process over again (I could not, in the end, see myself at any of the other schools where I interviewed), starting graduate school seemed the right move for me. I came to this conclusion the same way that Alma came to his:

And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.

And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying:

Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi.

And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou hast spoken unto them.

And blessed art thou because thou hast established a church among this people; and they shall be established, and they shall be my people.

Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.

And because thou hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed.

...Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judgeaccording to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.

And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation.

Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward. (Mosiah 26: 13-19, 29-32)

In response to this revelation, Alma judges those in the church of their iniquities, and allows the repentant to be put back into good standing in the church. For those who would not repent, their names were "blotted out." Alma goes on to authoritatively lead the church from that point forward, exhorting and admonishing to "pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things."

I personally am grateful for the power of prayer, and how it helps me deal with the dilemmas in my life. Oftentimes we already know the answers to our questions (as perhaps Alma did), but praying "with [our] whole soul" is what brings clarity. Showing this level of humility is what shows the Lord that we know we really need His help. Such a turning to Heaven helps put the Atonement into effect, and I am grateful for this simple fact, as it enables progression here on earth, and on into the eternities.

Have a great week!

On Being Close to Divinity

As a psychologist, I am all about thoughts and feelings--I analyze the thoughts and feelings of others, and invariably my own; this has helped me gain a certain awareness for my feelings, thoughts, and any other messages my mind and body may speak to me. I am grateful for this gift, because among those messages I have been able to sense those times when I am closer to divinity, when the Spirit is stronger, and the veil seems just a little bit thinner. I would like to frame my words today around those times and circumstances, and how all of us can make those circumstances commonplace in our own lives.

The first step to doing this is recognizing when the Spirit is stronger in our lives. For me, I recognize these times as I notice that there is greater peace in my heart, and more clarity in my mind. I seem to be less distracted by media, pop culture, and social desirability and expectations. These more spiritual circumstances are naturally in areas where the Spirit more readily resides. Here are some examples of more spiritual places for me:

• The temple (when I am not rushed)
• In nature (the mountains, the forest, an empty beach or coastline)
• Any other place where I can be peaceful and contemplative (e.g., alone on an empty golf course)

Likewise, I find that there are certain types of people that seem to garner the Spirit in great quantities, and I am always grateful for their influence. These include leaders whose testimonies have been forged through experience, and friends and family who have received of the same Spirit; however, for me it also includes those whose lives are simple, but even more powerful than those who are overt examples to me. These often include newborn children and individuals with special needs; they exemplify truth found in Mosiah 3:19:

For the ^anatural ^bman is an ^cenemy to God, and has been from the ^dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he ^eyields to the enticings of the Holy ^fSpirit, and ^gputteth off the ^hnatural man and becometh a ⁱsaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ^jchild, ^ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Now, what is the common thread for these people and situations? To shed more light on what I think, looking at the very beginning is important:

And God said, Let the earth bring forth ^agrass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
...And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his ^akind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
...And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

...And God said, Let ^aus ^bmake ^cman in our ^dimage, after our ^elikeness: and let them have ^fdominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

...So God created man in his own ^aimage, in the image of God created he him; male and ^bfemale created he them. --Genesis 1: 11, 24-27

According to the doctrine of the Creation, we see that God sees that which is good is that which fulfills the measure of its creation, "after its kind." In my opinion, when God sees something as good, the Spirit also testifies of it, as that thing is fulfilling its purpose. In like manner, when I am surrounded by those who are doing what they are supposed to, the Spirit is in greater abundance. This goes the same for all of God's creations, like the mountains, the hills, and the trees. Perhaps this sounds a bit hippie-esque, but I believe it to be true. It is true for God's temples as well, which are set apart to be a place where the Spirit will always dwell.

So now that there's an idea about what it means to be close to divinity, how might we increase the feelings of ^"clove, ^djoy, ^epeace, ^flongsuffering, ^ggentleness, goodness, [and] faith" (see Gal 5:22) that we get which testify of this divinity?

The answer in my conception is both environmental and within-person. The environmental answer would be to fill our lives with things that are good, which fulfill the measure of their creation. Now, we can't always be in the mountains to contemplate life, and most of us will not be able to serve in the temple every day. Our angelic newborns will cry, need to be fed, and will eventually grow up. Those with special needs perhaps will become a little to needy for us to handle. So, what is the secret? The answer is that there is none. In my mind, having heaven here on earth lies in doing those simple things that our leaders have always exhorted us to do. If we strive to follow leaders who are inspired, keeping the commandments of God, we will fulfill the measure of our creation. This also covers the within-person aspect.

I know that as we do this, we will draw closer to the Divine, and will enjoy our lives to a fuller extent.

Have a great week!

"O be wise; what can I say more?"

This simple verse, penned (or engraved, as it were) by the prophet Jacob (Jacob 6:12) sums up many feelings that I have about living the Gospel to its fullest. I know that I have received great knowledge and experience related to the Gospel, and will yet obtain knowledge and experience in greater abundance. However, I know that often I (and others) seem to want a road map for every turn, wanting to know exactly what to to do in every situation.

For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. (D & C 58: 26-29)

Sometimes it is hard to go about one's daily walk, not knowing if one is on the right course. That is where faith comes into play:

And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. (Ether 12:6)

Here we read Moroni's parenthetical statement, drawing light on the issue that Ether was having with getting through to his people, the Jaredites. Moroni wanted us to not be like the Jaredites, who did not believe in God because they could not see Him. The Jaredites at this point were unwise, because they no longer had the faith of their fathers, which carried them across the seas in airtight barges. The Brother of Jared, the religious father of the people named after his brother, knew what it meant to be wise through personal experience. His people built barges under the direction of the Lord, which would carry them to the Promised Land. However, after the following the Lord's specifications there still was no light in the barges. The Brother of Jared inquired of the Lord, asking what they should do to have light. Then, the Brother of Jared was given a great lesson:

And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.

For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea? (Ether 2: 23-25)

In this instant the Lord volleyed the inquiry back to the Brother of Jared, asking what he would have Him do to put light in the barges. And in this volley we learn a great, even seminal point of doctrine: God lets us choose for ourselves what we should do. Now, the Lord knew that the Brother of Jared would not fail, having ultimate trust in him, as the Brother of Jared had greater faith than all men who lived to that point (see Ether 3: 15). And the Brother of Jared did not fail, mining out a pure, glass-like ore into small stones, taking those to the Lord that He might light them. The Brother of Jared found a solution, and then took it to the Lord for ratification.

I believe that as the Lord gains greater trust in our ability to perform His will, we are given greater rope to do so. I also believe that as we gain His trust, we also acquire knowledge and experience that enables us to act in greater wisdom; we learn how to keep the commandments and how to listen to the Spirit, thereby recognizing the appropriate avenues by which we may be instruments in the Lord's hands. We also learn how to repent when we falter, discerning how and when we need to apply the Atonement in our lives.

Perhaps my words seem to indicate that as the Lord gains trust in us we no longer need His power and influence; I wish this to never be confused! We always need the guidance of the Spirit, and we always need to turn to the Lord; wisdom comes in knowing how to tun to Him. We receive inspiration from the Spirit about what to do, feel it is good, and then turn to God for ratification of our righteous desires. That is what the Brother of Jared learned to do, and I believe such a skill is still required of us in these the latter-days.

Have a great week!