The Importance of Attunement

This week I’ve had the opportunity to continue reading in The Mindful Therapist as a part of my personal readings.  I’m currently reading about “attunement,” or the act of focusing our attention on others, thus taking in the essence of another to our own internal world.  The author, Daniel Siegel, contends that this is a second essential step after we are able to “presence,” or become fully aware of the internal world that we ourselves own.  Attunement is likened unto picking up the signals of another, and then monitoring our own internal shifts in thought and emotion, all the while staying attuned to changes in the individual to whom we are tuned in.  This seems like quite the task, but I side with the author in believing that being able to do so is an essential tool for any psychotherapist. 

As I’ve struggled to learn both how to manage my own emotions along with understanding the thoughts and emotions of another, I’ve noticed how very important it is to be still, calm, and quiet in order to best “hear” internal human workings.  I think that our society as it stands today masks these workings, and we all too often don’t even realize they exist, and wonder why marriages fail, why anger governs much of the world, and why values that have been common standards for millennia have only over the last half century really gone into decay.  I believe that a big part of this has been our society’s insatiable need to be faster, more productive, and to get ahead just a little each day.  While progress is essential, I believe that we have sought material progress more than personal progress of late, which has corroded at our ability to presence and attune.  This reminds me of one of the themes expressed by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.

Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.

I can’t see it.”

There are many things that are essentially eternal about therapy, and attunement is surely one of them.  We each have a piece of godliness within us, but how often do we remember it?  I’m reminded also of the Nephites who survived the tempests and earthquakes that marked the Savior’s death…these were the most righteous who were preserved from that continental cleansing, yet still when the Father announced the appearance of his Beloved Son they didn’t understand the words until the third time in which they were repeated.  Though they were good, they didn’t have their spiritual ears on.  They were not able perceive the sacred, as they had not yet experienced it. In like manner, there are not many things in this world that are more sacred than the subjective experience of another, which as therapists we are charged to enter, responsible for helping another be still, understand this experience, and change their thoughts, feelings and behaviors as a result of this understanding.  What a great honor!

My hope is that as I learn to do therapy in this manner that I will be still, and that I will be able to see the godliness in my work.  I am grateful for this time that I have as a student to perform such a sacred work, and hope to be able to learn how to help bring a little more good into the lives of those individuals who suffer more than I will likely ever understand.

It is my belief that while being a therapist is right now my calling in life, we have all been called to lift up another in a way that only we can fulfill.  We are placed in families and societies with the end of interacting with and helping one another.  It is my testimony that as we strive for stillness that the Spirit of the Lord will speak his purposes to us, and if we have courage to follow, will be led to places where we may be able to serve and be instruments in Christ's hands.

Have a Great Week!

Easter Message 2012

Hello to my 7+ dedicated readers! :) It is apparent that this blog has not been an outlet for me over the last six months.  Stresses from various different sources have kept me from taking the time to write here, and over the weeks and months posting to this blog became a failure in cost-benefit analysis: the time and effort required to write a quality post seemed to far outweigh the perceived benefits to myself, as well as anyone who might read it; however, I happy today that I have this forum still alive to express some of my thoughts on this Easter weekend.  I know that the Savior lives.  I know that he "walked a mile in my shoes" as one of the songs on this blog illustrates.  I know that this mile (and then some) was the hallmark of the Atonement, that infinite gift which helps all of our natures change.  I know that there is a Balm in Gilead, and that is what I'd like to talk about further at this time.

Last night around 12:30am I was awake thinking about how I don't measure up to the expectations that the Savior has for me, and honestly, many of the expectations I often unduly place on myself.  I picked up my journal to write my daily three ways that I've seen the hand of the Lord in my life, and opened up to my General Conference notes.  I scarcely had gotten through two pages of my journal when I arrived at a note I had written during President Henry B. Eyring's talk during the Saturday Morning Session:

"Many trials come not due to sin, but because the Lord wants you a little more polished"

Those words brought a flood of thoughts into my mind, and I was all but forced to write what the Spirit dictated to me at that time.  I know it was the Spirit because many times before  have I read my notes without having such a reaction.  And I know that the purpose of my writing what I wrote late last night will be of help or inspiration to someone who chances upon their words.  It is for this purpose that today I return to blogging.  If that person is you, may these words lift, comfort, or inspire you to be just a little better than you were yesterday.  I testify that there is a Balm in Gilead.

Just as sin is merely a symptom of our fallen state, things we do to gain the Spirit are merely topical balms that wear off when not constantly applied; we can also apply too much to the point that the excess is wasted, as the balm is not absorbed any deeper than a superficial level.  We get more out of these balms as we gain greater capacity to absorb them.  The reason why we are not given all light and knowledge in a single twinkling is because it would be lost on our relatively resistant, human souls.  Rather, the way of God  is a way of conservation, a way that allows us to use as much light and knowledge as our agency and current state allow us to receive.  The way to receive more is to be capable of and willing to receive more, and this change only occurs as our receptacles change; the only issue is that we are not capable of changing our ability to receive.  Our agency takes us only as far as our frailties can endure--the rest is subsumed in the changing power that is the Atonement of Jesus Christ!

There is a Balm, that, when applied, sinks to the utter core, deeper than any of us dare to know.  It can heal us of our outward transgression of a law that brings inward sorrow.  A broken heart and a contrite spirit are the condition necessary for this Balm to seep into its intended place, but we still must let it in by sacrificing these unto the Savior.  Our agency is the bonding agent that allows our broken heart and contrite spirit to interact with the gift of the Atonement, which creates a change in our core.  We begin to live more as a function of that core, with greater integrity, our spirit lifted by the Savior.  The beauty that comes from the message of the Master is that whenever we wish, we can exchange our broken heart and contrite spirit for a spirit lifted up and out of the degrading ways of the world, and ever a little more like He who created us.  This is the Plan of Salvation, this is the Atonement, this is existence in our mortal frame.

How grateful I am for this knowledge!  I hope that my testimony this day has touched your heart, and led you to think and do a little more like the Savior thinks and does.  This Easter I hope that you remember the newness that comes from living the Gospel.  We all have the chance to apply the soothing Balm of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and be healed.  Let us remember this Easter that He lives, and as such so may we.

With Love,

Sean

Have a great week!

The Polar Express and Seeing the Lord's Hand

I would like to begin my words today by introducing an analogy from an oft-told story of belief and its effects.  In The Polar Express, we read (and now watch) the story of "Hero Boy," a young lad from Grand Rapids, Michigan who struggles with his belief in Santa Claus.  One Christmas Eve he sees his parents settings presents under the tree, and is about to give up all hope when a mysterious train with a mysterious conductor stops outside his house, beckoning him take a ride to the North Pole.  He enters the Polar Express, and with many other pajama-clad children arrives just in time for all the elves to send Santa on his way to bring presents to all the children of the world.  But before Santa is to go off into the night he chooses this boy from Grand Rapids to receive the first gift of Christmas.  Though the boy knows he can have anything in the world, he chooses to have one of the pure-ringing bells from off Santa's sleigh.

Though the boy cherishes this gift more than anything, some time along the return trip he realizes that he has lost the bell.  He returns home before Christmas morning believing that he'd never see the bell again; however, the last gift that the boy's sister finds is a small box with the bell, and a note from Santa saying that he had found the bell on his sleigh.  The boy and his sister hear the pure sound of the bell, but their parents cannot hear it, and assume it to be broken.  Perhaps the most famous lines from the book are what follow:

At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

The boy never lost his conviction that Santa was real, and that  there is truly a magic that comes with Christmas.  Now, as this week we transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas celebrations, I would like to emphasize the importance of seeing the Lord's hand in our lives.  Seeing His hand takes simple gratitude a step further in my mind, as we are grateful to the Lord for directing our paths; we are admitting that the things in our lives that go well are not of our own doing, but are directly a result of the Lord's desire to bless us.

In my opinion, truly seeing the Lord's mark on our day-to-day lives is not something that comes easily; developing such eyes takes constant effort, prayer, and supplication.  And once we see the Lord's hand it only becomes easier if we strive to see it day after day after arduous day.  In spite of the great difficulty with which we must strive to see divinity in our daily walk, the Lord sincerely and perfectly wants to bless us with these "eyes to see."  He'd have us become after the manner of men in Luke 12:36:

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

I think that only way that we can become those who open "unto him immediately" is if we experience a change of heart, and are softened to the point that we may be used more readily for the Lord's eternal purposes (see a previous post, "On Softening Hearts and Baseball Gloves" for more); once we are being used on a constant basis, the pump is primed for us to see that the Lord is in fact leading us by the hand.  Our faith will grow, and we will be able to speak as did Jacob in the Book of Mormon:

For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure? (Jacob 4:9)

I testify that we are the workmanship of the Lord's hands.  As I've striven to see His hand, I've only time and again been  impressed by this simple fact.  I testify that it is within God's will and pleasure that we see his hand, and return in gratitude for his divine involvement blessings upon the heads of those around us.  In the verse above Jacob is essentially saying, "why not us?"  And why not us?  God is no respecter of persons.  He wants to bless us all liberally "that there shall not be room enough to receive [them]."  (Malachi 3:10)  Now is the time for all of us to see the Lord's hand, put off the natural man, and truly see that we are the workmanship of his hands.  And like the "Hero Boy," we will hold onto that precious Gift for as long as we live.  Others will forget the sweet sound of the song of redeeming love (see Alma 5:26), but as we continually turn ourselves over to Him, we will not.  We will hear His voice for as long as he calls.

This is my hope and prayer for all who desire to see His hand.  Let us always be grateful unto Him for the tender mercies which he provides us each and every day.

Have a great week!

On Reliance

I am happy to say that I believe I am finally understanding what it feels like to be an adult.  Being a full-time student as well as working almost full time have taught me the power that comes to multi-taskers, and and the joy that comes from completing "twofers" and even "threefers."  It also has brought into my mind again the importance of faith to guide our daily lives.  Added stress, lack of rest even when weary, and increased responsibility and expectations have all caused me to evaluate that which matters most to me; my hope is that through these words you will gain inspiration to see what matters most to you, and perhaps learn to rely on the Lord, bringing your list in concert with His list for you.

In the classic movie, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, there is an iconic scene where the lead character must pass through a gauntlet of life-or-death situations that lead him to the Holy Grail, the most coveted piece of historical lore in ancient and modern times alike.  Among these tests Dr. Jones must step out over a chasm with endless depths and certain death waiting below.  He realizes that he is to take a "leap of faith," and moves himself to step out into the open, finding a narrow bridge camouflaged by the chasm walls all around.  With knowledge of the principle of faith, he crosses the bridge safely,  the same bridge where dozens before him with less pure intentions met their mortal demise.  In the moment of most need, Indiana Jones was able to tap into his reservoir of knowledge that enabled him to pass the test placed before him.

It is my testimony that the time will come for all of us when the hour of preparation will have  passed, a time when immediate performance will be expected of us.  Just like Dr. Jones, we will be asked to walk out over the edge of our understanding, putting our trust and faith in principles we accepted as truth at a prior date.  We won't have anyone to bail us out, and for a time we may even feel utterly alone.

This brings me to the theme of today's post: reliance.  In our Church culture we put a large emphasis on self-reliance such that perhaps sometimes we overlook the importance of relying on the Lord when the arm of our own flesh just doesn't seem to work any more.  However, there is peace and strength in learning to rely on the Lord in our times of most need.  If we live what we believe, we truly know through experience the words of President Uchtdorf just a month ago in General Conference:

"My dear brothers and sisters, it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him!"

This is an important point to establish.  Because we matter to the Savior we know that He cares about everything that we do which either brings us closer to Him or draws us away.  Like a loving father motioning a baby to take its first steps toward him, the Savior motions us toward Him through the Spirit borne by countless angelic examples in our lives.  But are our hearts sufficiently pure in enabling us to step out into the darkness?

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, 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. (Mosiah 3:19)

In order to better rely on the Lord we must understand that He loves us more than we will ever know in this life, and that He wants us to become willing to submit to all things that He sees fit to inflict upon us.  In my opinion it is a great travesty--but at the same time an essential part of living--that we think all too often on our own plans, leaving the Lord out of the equation.  True self-reliance in the Gospel sense involves a "pray and go" attitude, acknowledging that hiccups in the road, while often due to our disobedience, are an essential part of our growing to attain the standard set in the scripture above.  We read in Alma 37:37:

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

My friends, this is the crux of reliance.  Let us first understand that we are precious to the Lord, and will always be precious to Him for the remainder of our existence. The Lord wants us to step out toward Him, and knowing that He will direct us for good will enable us to do so, even if we haven't experienced prior successful attempts at reliance.  Reliance becomes easier as we submit to his will, recognizing that the natural man does not grant us lasting happiness.  And lastly, reliance is primed through prayer--not just a rote utterance at the end of a stressful day, but true counsel with our Heavenly Father.  Just as the Savior was perfect and we strive to emulate His example, we must strive to become perfect in our counsel with God; improving (i.e., perfecting) the quality of our prayers comes as we implement the aforementioned skills and as we strive to have a real conversation with our Father in Heaven.

It is my prayer that we may be able to more fully rely on He who is mighty to save.  Have a great week!

Hearing and Heeding: General Conference Reactions

Hello friends!

It is truly hard to believe that another six months have passed away, but they surely have, as will the next six months surely pass in a whirlwind.  I think that the goal is develop traction that can fuel improvement and progression, and hopefully this can be accomplished in a spiritual sense in between meetings of the General Conference of the Church.  My hope is that we all can use the words of the prophet and Apostles to propel us further, rather than to just maintain a level of spirituality at which we seem comfortable.  With that said, please enjoy my reaction to selected messages given this weekend by President Monson and other general authorities.

SATURDAY MORNING SESSION
Without question the most memorable announcement on Saturday morning was the announcement by President Thomas S. Monson that the Provo Tabernacle which burned down last December would be converted into the second temple in that city (artist's rendering at right).  I would to not like to neglect this truly historic announcement, but admit that there was doctrine more pressing that came from yesterday morning.  Of note were Elder Richard G. Scott's wonderful illustration of the importance of scripture study, and Elder L. Whitney Clayton's reaffirmation that no unhallowed hand will keep the work of the Lord from progressing; however, I would like to focus on President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk on the significance and insignificance of man.

President Uchtdorf began by explaining that modern science has shown that man truly is nothing; the stars in the sky that we can observe with modern telescopes outnumber the sands of the earth.  And even in the grand Plan of Salvation, our existence on this earth is but a small moment.  However, in spite of this knowledge we also know that the vast universe was created that we might reach our potential as sons and daughters of God.  We should remember that the Lord uses a scale very different than that of the world to measure the worth of souls, and that even when we feel all alone, Heavenly Father has not forgotten us.  I know this of myself to be true, and was touched as I received that reaffirmation of truth from a prophet of God.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

I must admit that over the last several months I have thought more and more on the doctrine of the family, and its importance in the great Plan of Happiness.  With that said, it's natural that I was inspired yesterday afternoon by the first two talks given, by Elders Bednar and Andersen, respectively.

Elder David A. Bednar spoke on the Spirit of Elijah, and that the greatest responsibility with which the Lord has entrusted us is that  of seeking after our dead, that they may too be partakers of the Heavenly Gift.  When we perform family history work and vicarious temple ordinances we are direct fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah, turning our hearts to the fathers who have come before us.  How great a work is this!  I know that as we strive to reach across this generational gap, we will be blessed to appreciate our lineage in even greater measure.

Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke on the importance of parenthood, and specifically motherhood.  He said that how many children to have is a sacred decision between husband, wife, and the Lord, and that motherhood specifically is not a hobby, but is a divine calling.  We should not be judgmental of others' abilities to fulfill this calling, but rather should seek to create a spiritual sanctuary for our own families within the home.  We should exercise faith, and not put obstacles in the way of raising righteous posterity.

PRIESTHOOD SESSION

Over the last few Priesthood Sessions there has been an extra focus placed on the moral decay that is present all around us, and there have been bold and fervent voices of warning against getting trapped by the lures of the adversary to be sent into paths that will disqualify us from Priesthood service.  None were more bold than Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who seems to always deliver a message that shakes the very core of the individual. He spoke candidly, beginning by saying that Satan is real, and is the very personification of evil.  Elder Holland also made clear that Satan is eternally opposed to the work of God, and although he knows that in the end he will lose, the devil will try to take down as many with him as he can into that "gulf of misery and endless woe" (see Alma 26:6).  Moreover, Satan delights if he can but bind the tongue of the faithful.

In the context of missionary service, we must not let this happen.  Our testimonies are too great, our light too bright to be hid from the world who is "kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" (D&C 123:12).  We cannot think that we can play on the side of Satan, and then expect to be able suit up for the Savior when the hour of service arrives.  While Elder Holland applied this specifically to missionary service, this applies equally to any calling in the Priesthood.  We all must be better prepared for day when our name is called.

 SUNDAY MORNING SESSION
This morning I loved hearing Elaine S. Dalton's talk on how to raise righteous daughters of God, and that we must "be loyal to the royal within [us]."  While this talk was inspiring, I'd like to focus my reaction from this session on the words from our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.

President Monson again reiterated that the moral compass of society is rapidly evolving, and that today we are seeing the same reckless abandon for moral capital that we today see for financial capital.  President Monson affirmed that though this may be the case in the world, morality is NOT passe,  for the laws of God are unchanging and immovable.  It is, in fact, a great solace to know that in the midst of constant change, our Father in Heaven is an unchanging constant, the same yesterday, today, and forever.  We should strive to follow God's laws, as (just as in times old) nothing brings more joy and peace than the Spirit that comes from putting off the natural man.  As the world has moved so far away from the spiritual, we must be ever vigilant.  President Monson went on to state that we will be able to overcome if we have the Gospel in our core, and the love of the Savior in our hearts.  Though Satan desires to have us, we will be the Lord's as we daily turn to Him, and strive to draw near to Him.  Amidst all the turmoil we see in the world today, we should not fear as we strive, for the Lord will be with us.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON SESSION
The fifth and final session of conference was as equally enlightening as the other previous four.  I was impressed by Elder J. Devn Cornish's words that honesty is essential when making requests from God.  I was informed and inspired by Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk on what it means to really believe in Christ.  While all the talks were faith-promoting, I would like to focus on the words of Elder Matthew O. Richardson, Second Counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency.  This talk had special meaning for me, as Elder Richardson was once my religion teacher at BYU before being called as a general authority.

 Elder Richardson spoke today on the importance of being real: a real missionary, real priesthood holder, real member of the Church.  Part of being real in this church is the ability to teach others, and doing so by the Spirit, not in front of or behind the Spirit.  This means that we teach in line that the Spirit may teach, having put in our preparation time, but being open to the needs of those whom we teach.  Elder Richardson stated that teaching by the Spirit entails understanding that the Holy Ghost teaches each individual in a very personal way, and that he teaches by inviting, inspiring, and encouraging us to act.  As teachers we must utilize the Spirit to invite those we teach to learn for themselves, and to understand that learning comes line upon line, precept upon precept.  Elder Richardson ended by saying that we desperately need this type of real teaching and learning.

CONCLUSION
I hope you have enjoyed this brief synopsis of those things I found inspiring this weekend.  I know that the Brethren are ordained prophets, seers and revelators, and that they receive divine guidance from God for us.  I know that they see that which the world cannot, and are compass that we can follow in these days of turmoil and strife.  Let us be humble enough to hear their words, and with that same humility have strength to act in accordance with their words as taught by the Holy Spirit.

Have a great week!

Best of Me: The Atonement in the Atonement

Hello my friends!

It is my hope that the last couple of weeks have provided you with the blessings which you've sought. For me, I am grateful for the Lord's hand in my life, and look forward with an eye of faith to next weekend, as the Prophet, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities of the Church will address them. I know that they receive revelation for us, directly from the Source of all truth. Until next week, please enjoy a post from January 2010 which highlighted the importance of viewing the Atonement in all that we do, and how its power was made manifest in the Atonement itself.

THE ATONEMENT IN THE ATONEMENT

In everyday life we encounter anomalies where two similar or equal entities are nested in one another. In the psychological field, these are often referred to as "metas." For example, a meta-analysis is the study of many experiments. Likewise, meta-cognition refers to thinking about thinking. This week I would like to pose a similar comparison to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, where the very essence of that supernal act was manifest in the act itself. For consistency purposes, let's call it "Meta-Atonement."

Let me show you what I mean. We read in Mark Chapter 14:

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; (Mark 14:32-41)

The first thing that I would like to say is that the Atonement was wrought in order to satisfy the demands of justice (Mosiah 15:9, Alma 34:16) that were placed upon the whole human race as result of the Fall of Adam. Both the Fall and Atonement were necessary for us to first come to earth and obtain bodies, and then to overcome the physical (which includes the Resurrection) and spiritual imperfection that is characteristic of the mortal experience.

With that said, I second ask you to take note of the action of the Apostles Peter, James, and John on this fateful and necessary evening in early Spring. Christ asked them to be vigilant, but they were unable, even on multiple occasions. Now, many would harp in these three (who I might add were possibly Jesus' three most dedicated disciples at the time) because they could not stay awake. In like manner, many ridicule and vilify Peter who later denied knowing Christ thrice as a fulfillment of prophecy. However, placing such blame in my mind is not entirely appropriate, and is evidence of our own imperfections. I say this because such acts that we find in the Gospels were the absolute essence of the Atonement, illustrating man's need for it. The three Apostles were physically unable to hold on, as Jesus passed through the Atonement alone. It was those very imperfections for which the Atonement was performed, and in mind these things were almost necessary that Christ could empathize perfectly the state in which we find ourselves on a daily basis. This is "Meta-Atonement." How grateful am I for this example, as well as the entire gift that is the Atonement of Jesus Christ! In April, 2009, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the following:

Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations...is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you] (John 14;18).

May you all have a great week, thinking on the Atonement, and its infinite applicability!

----

Have a great week!

With The Love that Remains

Ten years ago today the world was shocked by the events that took place on what is now commonly known as "9-11." Those numbers will forever be engrained in the minds and hearts of those who were old enough to understand the meaning of the terrorist attacks on that day, serving as a reminder about how truly fragile freedom can be, and the high cost that we all must pay to preserve those freedoms. For those who will not personally remember what happened that fateful day, it will be much like the majority of people today who don't recall another infamous day, 12-7-1941, or the day that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and thrust the United States into World War II. I was not there, and I don't know anyone who was there; and to the best of my knowledge I don't know anyone who knows someone who was there. That event for me is just a conglomeration of media and commentary that I use to form my opinion of what happened. While that suffices me, it does no justice to the sentiment that drove the people of the time, united in the defense of their liberty, homes, and their way of life.

Likewise, many who have only a tertiary understanding of the September 11th attacks will not feel what those in New York and Shanksville and Arlington felt, and will not feel what the rest of us felt. It will take their own September 11th to truly learn what it feels like to have under attack that which they hold most dear. Nevertheless, we can through our testimonies teach others what it feels like to experience such hardship and uncertainty, and to escape such times unscathed and even stronger than before.

In previous posts I have talked about "forgetting," and how that relates to the great Plan of Happiness that Heavenly Father has set in motion. I believe that the best way that we can teach through our testimony unto the rising generation is through the Spirit that we exude as a function of our knowledge if this Plan. Using the love that remains with us from faith-confirming and faith-promoting experiences, let us not give up on those who come after us, but in stead strive to teach them true doctrine that will enable them in turn to find their place in the Plan.

I know that we are all in the arms of the Savior, and that He has the power to heal our spiritual, emotional, and even physical wounds through the supernal gift of the Atonement. The Atonement is central to the Plan, and should be central to the message of love that we convey. Events like those of September 11th, 2001 are not new in the trauma, anguish, and heartache that they cause, and in fact continue to happen on a daily basis. The Book of Mormon is filled with stories of tragedy, war, famine, plague and pestilence as well. The lasting legacy of the Jaredite people is likely their ability to quite literally and completely self-destruct, to which there were "howlings and lamentations, that they did rend the air exceedingly. (Ether 15: 16)" Similarly, the Nephites who remained after the prophesied destruction which marked the Savior's crucifixion were said to be "howling and weeping continually" as they endured three days of complete and utter darkness (3 Nephi 8: 23).

In spite of impending doom and gloom, I know that we may persevere through the power that rests in the Savior. When we sin we feel utterly alone, and feel that the light of the Savior has gone from us. In that precise moment the Master of Lies, even Satan strives to have us believe that we cannot recover the light we lost. I believe that this is where we must focus our efforts for the new generation which will undoubtedly experience hardship at a level that we may not understand. But we do understand how they will feel, and we do understand that the "Son of Man hath descended below them all. (D & C 122: 8)"

As we strive to remember that we are not "greater than he," we will begin to see that God has purpose in destruction and pestilence. We will see that those righteous who have suffered death are received by the Lord "unto himself, in glory," and that for the rest us "God will have a humble people. ("Beware of Pride," Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1989)" Let us, with the love that remains after our hardship look to the Savior, that we may have strength to share our love of Him and the Plan with those around us. And on this special day, let us teach that love prevails over all toil and strife, and that in the end, the Lord's humble people whom He calls His own will prevail as well.

Have a great week!