Learning to Seek His Will

This week's conceptualization comes straight out of the August First Presidency Message, found in the Ensign magazine. Written by President Henry B. Eyring, it outlines the importance of teaching our children to pray so that God may "Write Upon Our Hearts." President Eyring explains that this comes through sincerely praying, serving, and seeking God's will over our own as a practice. As I to date have no children, I decided to apply the article in the form of attributes that I personally should attain and develop. Of these, I was struck the most by the admonition to seek God's will through prayer, understanding that those things we want may not necessarily be on Heavenly Father's docket for us.

Such a thing takes might preparation. Seeking Heavenly Father's will involves having a heart open to Him, which comes from experience of seeing His will in our lives, which experience comes from exercising faith. We need to be willing to let Him in, as President Eyring explained through quoting George Q. Cannon:

“I should enter that assembly with my mind entirely free from all influence that would prevent the operation of the Spirit of God upon me. I should go in a prayerful spirit, asking God to write upon my heart His will; not with my own will already prepared, and determined to carry out my will … , regardless of everyone else’s views. If I were to go, and all the rest were to go, with this spirit, then the Spirit of God would be felt in our midst, and that which we would decide upon would be the mind and will of God, because God would reveal it to us. We would see light in the direction where we should go, and we would behold darkness in the direction we should not go.”

I echo President Cannon and Eyring's words. I know that sometimes it seems that the path ahead is treacherous and rocky, and often times it is, but as we seek to ask the Lord's will, we will see further than the forest thicket, the impenetrable canyon wall, or the boundless sea. I believe that if we seek the Lord's will, He will write upon our hearts, and therefore have no need to fear.

Have a Great Week!!

Being Prepared for the Guest

For almost two months I have managed to keep this blog from being personal in almost every way, aside from my own bias that frames what inherently is the essence of my "conceptualizations." However, in light of not being particularly inspired toward one thought (there are many topics I contemplated over the course of the week, but was unable to settle on one), I have decided to share a spiritual experience of my own, in hopes that the reader will be able to apply its principles.

Many of you know that I will soon be moving away from Utah, to a new career in the Philadelphia area. A couple of Mondays ago I was at the post office sending off some final forms in connection with the new job, when a grizzled man started talking to me, trying to be my friend. I was cordial with him, but soon realized he was asking for money to fix the radiator hose on his Chevy Silverado that was broken down somewhere along the highway. He only needed about $6, and so I reluctantly searched my wallet, and gave him a dollar, as that was all that I was willing to offer. However, he must have seen the $20 bill also inside, and pleaded that I go to the register to make change. I again did so with some reluctance, wondering why I had just contributed to what was likely a couple packs of cigarettes or a bottle of vodka.

Curious and a little incredulous, I designed to follow the man after he walked out of the post office, knowing that smoke and liquor shops lied just blocks away. I began to tail him in my car, and passed by as he crossed over Provo's main drag. However, as I rounded the block to catch back up, he was nowhere to be seen. I rounded the block again, paying close attention to the insides of the shoppes, but could still not find the man with my $6. I then got this feeling that my search was absolutely ridiculous, and so returned home without a knowledge of how he used the donation.

Sitting at home, I was left with time to ponder on the things that had transpired. My first thoughts were that I was getting soft, and that I should have stood my ground to this man who looked an addict, and likely was one. But then thoughts of the Savior flooded my mind, and especially of the old Christian tale of the man who prepared a feast for the Lord, only to push Him away in the form of beggars that came by the man's door.

Was this experience a test? Undoubetdly it was in some way. Likely it was a precursor to greater sacrifice that I will have to make in the name of Christ and of being Christlike.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

--Revelation 3:20

It is my prayer that we all my hear the call of the Savior in whichever form it presents itself. I hope that this experience has served to help you in your personal dedication to Christ, and that you may always see opportunities to serve. Have a great week! A new conceptualization next week!

Retain in Remembrance

Happy Sunday!! Today I would like to continue a thought from last week regarding having a "broken heart and a contrite spirit." More specifically, how do we know when we are broken and contrite? What does this feel like?

First off, why is it even important to know when we are "becom[ing] as a little child"? (Mosiah 3:19) I personally believe this is because empowerment happens through repentance and application of the Atonement, which is first put into motion by a broken heart and contrite spirit. In Doctrine and Covenants 136: 32-33 we read:

Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;

For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.

As we see here, the Spirit will enlighten our minds if we are humble, contrite, and teachable. And I think we can tell if we are "there" if we are constantly striving to improve our spiritual well-being. Going against the grain becomes ever more salient, and it must become a lifestyle. In its nature, however, there is no sensitization that exists that causes one to experience less opposition as he or she consciously and sincerely tries to improve. It will be a constant fight, but it is one that I am confident we can win, as long as we stay by the Master's side. King Benjamin elucidated this fact quite poignantly:

And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. (Mosiah 4:10-12)

I really like how King Benjamin explains that we will inevitable find joy if we retain in remembrance our own nothingness. It almost seems counter-intuitive, but luckily Heavenly Father's intuition transcends our own! I like how he also promises here that we will grow in knowledge of the glory of Jesus Christ, the source of all truth and goodness.

It is my hope that this week we can remember God's greatness, and remember our nothingness before him. Let us not wait until the last moment to let him sit at our side; let us develop a relationship with divinity here and now, that we may be filled with the joy and love of which Benjamin speaks.

Have a Great Week!!

Peace, Be Still

My thoughts this week center on the Spirit of God. More specifically, how do we recognize the still, small voice that many have been taught about since their youth? And as we hear it, how do we find the courage to follow it?

I would like to start this conceptualization by recognize the our connection with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and in turn with the Holy Ghost. God the Father and Jesus Christ are two exalted, resurrected Beings who both have perfected, tangible bodies. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the "Godhead," which is sent to the hearts of men to bear testimony of the other two. How do we "feel" this testimony? Well, it comes to many in various forms, but most often there is a feeling of peace, comfort, familiarity, or just logic (the Spirit causes things to just "make sense"). This communication is made possible because each of our bodies is coupled with its own spirit, which makes up the human "soul." Like a radio receiver, our spirit picks up signals from the Holy Ghost, and converts them into meaningful thoughts, ideas, and expressions. However, we only receive the message if we are "tuned in" to the proper channel by which the Spirit testifies.

With that said, how do we "tune in" to what God would have us know as testified to us by the Spirit? By divine design, the channel of the Spirit is very specific, and we only pick it up if we are listening intently. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated:

"The proud can hear the clamor of the crowd, but a person who, as King Benjamin said, 'becometh as a child, submissive, meek, [and] humble' (Mosiah 3:19), can hear and follow the still, small voice by which our Father in Heaven guides his children who are receptive."

So how does our spirit receive that voice of "perfect mildness?" (Helaman 5:30) It comes as we recognize the Lord's hand in our lives, and use the opportunities he gives us to bless the lives of those around us. As we do this with a willing and unassuming heart, we will gain the tools (submissiveness, meekness, humility--often referred to as a "broken heart and a contrite spirit")
necessary to enable us to hear, recognize, and follow that voice that sometimes seems unrecognizable, or just too minuscule to be of true substance. This takes great humility, which can only be attained through a refining process that will prove to be far more taxing than any of us could ever comprehend.

Is it worth it to listen? Is it worth it to push against the world, to go against the "natural" grain, sending splinters of what our lives might have been had we followed the easy path in our wake? I am here to say yes, it is. If we refer to the figure at right, we notice that there are two arrows that lead off the page. One, we may say, leads to joy, happiness, love, and a mutual trust between ourselves and the Lord that causes more blessings and opportunities to flow into our lives. The other, garnished by the great sin of apathy and its twin complacency, inevitably leads to endless torment, if we are unrepentant.

This seems like a lot to take in, but there is a reason for this statement: the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, and only through it may we progress; we are just too imperfect to live without it. I am grateful to overflowing for the Atonement which, when applied properly, helps us keep our tuners sharp. Moreover, it provides our tuners with a "live update" system when used properly. Oh what joy this brings to my heart!

It is my testimony that this process can and will still the storms that overwhelm our lives. Just as He commanded to the waters, Christ commands to each of us to "be still." May we do so as trials present themselves, that we may be able to properly listen to the voice of the Spirit that only resides in reverence.

Have a great week!

The Nature of Man

This week I mused the idea about the nature of man. I have long held the belief that man is naturally good, and if put in the right situations, will be successful and self-actualizing. However, I had trouble reconciling this notion with King Benjamin's famous words that depict the natural man as an enemy to God (Mosiah 3:19). My search this week ended quite abruptly, however, as I was not led to ponder as I found the answer as explicitly as it could be. In 1976 Spencer J. Condie was asked to answer this same question in the Ensign. As I could never explain it as eloquently as he, here is the short article:

How does one reconcile President Brigham Young’s statement that “it is natural for the child to be influenced by the Spirit of God” with King Benjamin’s assertion that “the natural man is an enemy to God”?

Spencer J. Condie, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Oct. 1976, 32–33

Spencer J. Condie, chairman, Sociology Department, Brigham Young University To dispute the proper meaning of the word “natural” would miss the message which Brigham Young, King Benjamin, and the apostle Paul sought to convey by their references to the natural man. President Young’s statement, placed in the context of his speech, included the following points:

“I wish to inform you that it is nature for the child to be influenced by the Spirit of God. It is nature for all people to be influenced by a good spirit; and the evil that is spoken of is the power the Devil has gained upon this earth through the fall. He gained power to tempt the children of men, and wickedness is produced through their yielding to his temptations; but it is not nature in them. They are not ‘conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity,’ pertaining to their spirits. It is the flesh that is alluded to in that passage. Then why not follow the dictates of the good Spirit?” (Journal of Discourses, 6:330.)

President Young’s statement seems to be entirely congruent with the thought expressed in Doctrine and Covenants 93:38: “Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state innocent before God.” [D&C 93:38] Thus, the natural man is a child of God, a child of light, at least until he reaches the age of accountability. Doctrine and Covenants 29:46–47 proclaims: “Little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me.” [D&C 29:46–47] In other words, children, prior to the age of accountability, despite the occasional acting out of undesirable influences in unapproved ways, are nevertheless naturally good.

After reaching the age of accountability, children become susceptible to the temptings of Satan alluded to in section 29. [D&C 29] However, through baptism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, they also become susceptible to the enticings of the Holy Spirit as proclaimed by King Benjamin in his benedictory address: “For the natural man is an enemy to God, … 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. …” (Mosiah 3:19.)

When one yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, he will then put off the natural man and become “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.) It then becomes more natural for him to do good than to do evil, and he is in a position to follow the admonition of the late President Joseph Fielding Smith, who asserted that it is just as easy (or natural) to keep the commandments of God as it is to break them. (New Era, July 1972, p. 23.)

The word “natural” in the context in which Brigham Young uses it (similar to the word “normal”) refers to the nature of the young child, who is naturally devoid of evil. In the context of the words of Paul and King Benjamin the word “natural” may be construed to mean that type of behavior which is most prevalent, most common, or most easily engaged in by most of those who have reached the age of accountability.

The statement of President Brigham Young obviously concurs with the words which the angel put into the heart of King Benjamin, for Brigham Young speaks of following the “dictates of the good Spirit” while King Benjamin advocates “yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.”

One of the most significant lessons that Latter-day Saints can learn is that the Holy Ghost plays a very active role in our lives in enticing and persuading us to do good (Mosiah 3:19; Ether 4:11) and in striving with us (Moro. 8:28; 1 Ne. 7:14) in our attempts to achieve perfection and to be naturally attracted to that which is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (A of F 1:13).

According to King Benjamin, the natural man is an enemy to God unless he yields to the Holy Spirit. Upon yielding to the Spirit he is no longer an enemy to God but rather a friend of the Savior, who has said: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14.) Perhaps President Joseph Fielding Smith best described this transition in our “natural” inclinations as we ascend our secret Sinais, subdue devilish drives on Damascus Roads, and seek sanctification in sacred groves:

“When a man confesses that it is hard to keep the commandments of the Lord, he is making a sad confession—that he is a violator of the Gospel law. Habits are easily formed. It is just as easy to form good habits as it is to form evil ones. Of course it is not easy to tell the truth, if you have been a confirmed liar. It is not easy to be honest, if you have formed habits of dishonesty. A man finds it very difficult to pray, if he has never prayed. On the other side, when a man has always been truthful, it is a hard thing for him to lie. If he has always been honest and he does some dishonest thing, his conscience protests very loudly. He will find no peace, except in repentance. If a man has the spirit of prayer, he delights in prayer. It is easy for him to approach the Lord with assurance that his petition will be answered. The paying of tithing is not hard for the man, fully converted to the Gospel, who pays his tenth on all that he receives. So we see the Lord has given us a great truth—his yoke is easy, his burden is light, if we love to do his will!” (New Era, July 1972, p. 23.)

This article has provided me with a lot of peace, and I hope it does the same for anyone who has had the same question. Have a great week!

Dedicated to Nathan Shurtliff and his family. Nathan was an example to all of us. He was and is one of the Lord's chosen soldiers.

Commitment to a Cause

I would first like to wish everyone a Happy Birthday, for if you are American, it is your birthday. One thing that has pressed on my mind more than ever this Independence Day Weekend has been the importance of t he formation of this great country in realizing the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There was no other place at that time in which such a singular event could take place, and if not in America, the Restoration would have been delayed for literal decades. Go America! With that said, there has been another topic that has been weighing down on my mind this last week, being the idea of commitment. Some people have this in spades, and others (e.g. all men in regards to relationships) require a little more coaxing and encouragement. Where does the difference lie?

In researching "Commitment" in the Topical Guide, I was impressed first with how many scriptures listed refer to worshiping with "all your heart." For example we find this in the Book of Joel:

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.

--Joel 2:12

What is it about the individual that causes him or her to be willing to, and then to actually offer the full conviction of heart? It is is my belief that it is a result of a personal conversion to and love of a principle that causes action. Take Ammon as an example. In Alma Chapter 17 we see that Ammon was committed to serving King Lamoni and the Lamanites, stating that he intended to serve them "perhaps until the day I die" (v. 23). Ammon loved Lamoni and his people, which love was perpetuated by the Gospel, and Ammon's conversion to it.

And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

--Alma 17:9

Ammon and the Sons of Mosiah desired nothing more than to be instruments in the Lord's hands. This is another characterstic of commitment to a cause--the selfelss desire to perpetuate it, not looking for any gain but the personal satisfaction that comes from helping others become converted to that same cause.

I am grateful for the Founding Fathers who also had this in pespective. They knew their cause was just, and they knew that they were instruments in the hands of the Lord. They were committed, and for that I am also grateful. In this season I hope to be able to emulate their examples, as well of all the other more immediate Gospel heroes. To end, I am reminded of the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith:

Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.

--Doctrine and Covenants 128: 22

Have a great week!

Boundless Mercy

This week I would like to ponder on the doctrine of mercy. My thoughts were spurred on by two scriptures:

• "blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy"--Matt. 5:7
• "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." --D&C 64:10

In reading these scriptures I understand that it is of utmost importance to forgiving and merciful, but where does one draw the line between boundless mercy and being a pushover? I was then led to the counsel of the Savior:

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain...love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.--Matthew 5:39-41, 44

Basically, at this point I was feeling the royal smackdown for being unloving and distrusting. Reading on in verse 48, Christ gives the bottom line:

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Interestingly enough, this scripture helped to bring me out of mental quandary provided by the previous verses. This gave me another angle at which to approach the issue, through the guise of the commandment to be perfect. I found out that "charity is the bond of perfectness (Col. 3:14)," which means that the more loving I am, the closer I would come to perfection, and that much closer to understanding how to find the mercy balance!

Then, as many do, my answer came through further study of the scriptures:

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen

--1 Peter 5:6-11

I realized that it is my job not to understand everything, and to have difficulty with some things, such as being perfectly meek, merciful, and charitable. I will be made to suffer for awhile with my imperfect state, but then will be "made perfect" through Jesus Christ. How is this done? Well, as I must have hope that the Atonement is real, it appears that it will be through grace and mercy, after all that I can do. It is the same mercy and grace that I try to perfect that is granted unto me through the power of the Atonement. This may seem a bit circular, but it merely serves to illustrate the infinite scope of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Have a great week!