Sunday, December 27, 2009

Family--Promises and Potential


Merry Christmas! As we reflect more on the life of the Savior in this Christmas season, and spend more time with our families, it is likely that in our lives is an air of happiness, peace, and contentment; or, it could just be a stomach full of fines meats, cakes, and candies, the setting in of what I lovingly call "Holiday Hangover."

Assuming that this warm, fuzzy feeling (see http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-27,00.html) is due to the Christmas Spirit, let me reflect on the importance that our families play in the whole scheme of happiness beyond the Yuletide gleam. Our families are ever important for our learning and growth, and they are essential to Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness. I know that through modern revelation prophets have declared that the family is ordained of God, and that we may live with our families eternally. This great blessing of having an eternal family is contingent, however, upon our being willing to follow the Lord's commandments throughout the duration of our mortal experience. Foremost among these commandments is making sacred covenants in God's Holy Temples. The standard for families is the same as the standard for individuals. Upon making promises in the temple we are also promised great blessings (as is the definition of a covenant), exaltation being the crown jewel. But this can only be achieved as we dedicate our lives to the love and service of our families, as well as all those who surround us. God commands us to be perfect (3 Ne. 12: 48); it is our job to figure out how to achieve it.

In 1995, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles released "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," which laid out in plainness Heavenly Father's opinion on the family as a unit. Here are some highlights, as summarized by Elder M. Russel Ballard in the October 2005 General Conference:

“Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.”

• “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

• “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children.”

• “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

• “The disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

And the last words of the proclamation express the simple truth that the family is “the fundamental unit of society.”

He went on to say:

The world needs to know what the proclamation teaches, because the family is the basic unit of society, of the economy, of our culture, and of our government. And as Latter-day Saints know, the family will also be the basic unit in the celestial kingdom.

In the Church, our belief in the overriding importance of families is rooted in restored doctrine. We know of the sanctity of families in both directions of our eternal existence. We know that before this life we lived with our Heavenly Father as part of His family, and we know that family relationships can endure beyond death.

If we live and act upon this knowledge, we will attract the world to us. Parents who place a high priority on their families will gravitate to the Church because it offers the family structure, values, doctrine, and eternal perspective that they seek and cannot find elsewhere.

Our family-centered perspective should make Latter-day Saints strive to be the best parents in the world. It should give us enormous respect for our children, who truly are our spiritual siblings, and it should cause us to devote whatever time is necessary to strengthen our families. Indeed, nothing is more critically connected to happiness—both our own and that of our children—than how well we love and support one another within the family.

It is this "striving" that helps us endure through the trials that will come upon all families in the course of a lifetime. What does "striving" feel like? In my opinion, if this is done right, it feels difficult (and at times painful) but ever hopeful. It involves staying positive, and not being swayed by every wind of doctrine (James 1:6). As a family, it may mean putting off those things that seem so attractive in "the now," as those things that endure the world are more desirable. Might I suggest that we all look inside ourselves, and decide to strive to strengthen our families. This is in accordance with God's Plan. Upon doing so, we will find where we are lacking. Let us then have courage to move toward improving that we may reach our full potential. This, of course, is an inheritance as a family unit in the Celestial Kingdom. Oh, what a great blessing if we just strive today and tomorrow!

It is my hope and prayer that we all may remember why we are in families. They exist to strengthen us; let find strength, and give it as well. I hope that we will strive this coming year to love a little more, and remember a little more why we love our "loved ones."

Have a great week!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Accesing the Atonement and the Power of Positivity


This week I would like to center my thoughts on the battle that rages between the positive and the negative in life. It is a product of the larger war between good and evil, versus the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the Devil. It the former seems less consequential than the latter at times, but make no mistake: our attitude (be it positive or negative) is a catalyst to these respective spirits.

Let me provide a case example to elucidate. I know an individual who several months ago was diagnosed as having a level 4 glioblastoma in his brain the size of a baseball. Glioblastoma are cancerous tumors, and they are assigned five levels, based on their pervasiveness in the brain matter. This individual could have given up, and taken a negative attitude toward his pathology. He could have looked at the odds of survival (which were not good with the cancer at such a stage), and accepted defeat to his imperfect body. But he somehow knew that Heavenly Father had more for him to do on this Earth, and fought, and continues to fight. His neurosurgeons have told him that he is not just beating the odds, but is "clobbering" them. This individual is my former mission president, Jeffrey R. Morrow. To read the latest on his recovery, click here: http://jeffreymorrow.blogspot.com/2009/12/7th-inning-and-clobbering-odds.html.

President Morrow has been positive throughout, and in so doing has had the Spirit breathe life into him (Abraham 5:7). So what is it about people like Jeffrey Morrow that sets them apart? And why are there so few that have such a strong attitude, that it is necessary that those who do "beat the odds?" I have given much contemplation to these questions, and have resolved that the best answer is often the simplest: it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The negative in life must needs exist that we learn in this life, and aptly prepare to meet God ( 2 Nephi 2:11, Alma 34:32). But those who stay positive, are filled with joy, and move forward despite hardship are those who truly apply the Atonement in their lives. We read in Alma 7:12:

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

It was a great revelation to me several years ago when I learned that the Atonement is not just for those things that I have done wrong, but for all that afflicts me. "Infirmities" is much like the Spanish "enfermedades," which means "sicknesses." Anything that causes me to be unwell was felt by the Savior in the Garden, and on the Cross. And what joy it is to actually believe that! And what joy it is to actually know that! I know that is the Atonement, as well, that helps me remain positive in the face of trial. I stay positive because I know that I can turn to the Savior, and make the negative go away as I access the powers of that supernal Gift. I am able to grow in faith, and change my view of the world around me. I like to think I got much of this from Jeffrey Morrow, as well as from my parents, grandparents, and all those who found joy in the Savior.

For those of us who find that it is easier to be miserable, understand that happiness is real. I cringe when I look around at scores of people contented to live in discontent. Life is better than that; it includes the Savior Jesus Christ; it includes his infinite Atonement. Especially in this Christmas season, let us celebrate how positive our lives can be because of Christ's life, teachings, death, and resurrection. He lives. I know this with all my heart. May we all believe this is my prayer, that we may access the Atonement, and feel the power that comes into our lives as we change and become "new creatures" in Christ. (Mosiah 27:26, 2 Cor 5:17)

May all have a great week and a very Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

And the Lord Called His People Zion

I would like to start this post with two scriptures:

But verily I say unto you, I have decreed that your brethren which have been scattered shall return to the lands of their inheritances, and shall build up the waste places of Zion.
For after much tribulation, as I have said unto you in a former commandment, cometh the blessing.
Behold, this is the blessing which I have promised after your tribulations, and the tribulations of your brethren—your redemption, and the redemption of your brethren, even their restoration to the land of Zion, to be established, no more to be thrown down. (DyC 103:11-13)

And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them. (Moses 7:18)

In these two scriptures we learn foundational doctrine as to the literal gathering of Israel in the last days. This WILL happen in preparation of the Second Coming of the Savior, when He will reign for a Millennium, and when the earth will be restored to its paradisaical glory (Articles of Faith 1:10). The righteous will live in Zion, which will be established on the American continent. Zion will be a Utopian society where its citizens equally worship God, and consecrate themselves unto the Church, that there may be "no poor among them." This happens on two conditions, as was illustrated by the two scriptures above: 1) the people pass successfully through tribulation, and 2) the people are of one heart and one mind.

1) Pass Successfully through Tribulation

The Prophet Joseph Smith said that "a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation." (see Guide to the Scriptures, sacrifice) Have you thought about what that really means? As finite beings, we are unable to perfectly give ourselves unto the Lord, and in fact, it is part of His Plan that we are unable to do so. This causes conflict between our natural, imperfect desires, and the exigencies of God's commandments, which require perfection of us. The inability to live up to this standard causes tribulation and trial, which tests our ability to repent and otherwise apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. But, if we are successful, we will be given all the blessings that the Lord already desires to grant us, that there "shall not be room enough to receive [them]." (Malachi 3:10)

2)Be of One Heart and One Mind

This, in my mind, is the more difficult requirement to be a Zion community. It is hard because a great part of this life is relishing in the differences that we have, and the diverse talents that we all have been given. I think that in order to be called Zion, we will have to take this a step further, glorying in others to a point that we already know how others will most fully contribute to the community. We will know this because we will all have the same goal in our hearts and minds: to glorify God and build his Kingdom here on Earth.

I believe that we can start doing this by remembering the simple, loving things that we like to do this time of year more than others. It starts by recognizing those we have difficulty loving, and making it a personal quest to learn to love them. And this does not mean in the way that we love everyone else, because that obviously doesn't work for those who need a different type of love. We need to find the diverse manners of love, just as diverse as we are today. Then, after we have done this, let us commit to do this for the rest of our lives, not just during a season when we can wake up a few days later and be unaccountable. That, in my opinion, is the flaw of the Christmas season, one that we all need to repent of. If we can do more to love others more perfectly at one point without much sacrifice, let us strive to do this to the point at which it becomes a great burden. If we are not sacrificing, we are not doing it right. This is plain and simple. It is my prayer that we may more fully adopt this way of thinking, myself included, that we may all one day be able to be called Zion.

Have a Great Week!!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

On Holy Ground


This Sunday I wish to write on the importance of attending the temple, and being worthy to attend. The temple is a holy place where we can make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father which enable us to stand blameless before Him in the last day. It takes "clean hands and a pure heart" (Psalms 24:4). Elder David A. Bednar said the following, referring to the early saints of the Church:

What was it that gave those early Saints such strength? It was the fire of the temple covenant that burned in their hearts. It was their commitment to worship and honorably hold a name and standing in the house of the Lord.

We do now and will yet face great challenges to the work of the Lord. But like the pioneers who found the place which God for them prepared, so we will fresh courage take, knowing our God will never us forsake (see “Come, Come, Ye Saints,Hymns, no. 30). Today temples dot the earth as sacred places of ordinances and covenants, of edification, and of refuge from the storm.

It is my prayer that we all may be able to find refuge from the storm in the the Lord's holy temples. But it is important to remember that the temples are "holy ground" (Exodus 3:5), and we will only receive refuge if we are clean and pure. The Spirit can only touch us if we are in the right spiritual condition; therefore, may we repent that our ground may not be stony, but ever willing to receive the knowledge that God wishes to bestow upon us (Mark 4:5, 16). May we be morally clean, pay an honest tithe, obey the Word of Wisdom, and keep the Sabbath Day holy. May we obey all the Lord's commandments with a singleness of heart, that our joy may be full (Doctrine & Covenants 59:13). This is when we receive edification: when we obey because we love the Lord, and understand that His commandments are in place for our good.

It is my prayer that we may all find strength in the house of the Lord. Have a great week!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Agency--It's A Choice

My study this week began with the buzz word from last week: "expedient." I pondered on what it meant to have expedience, or to be expedient. I found this verse to be a helpful catalyst:

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
--2 Nephi 2:27

From that scripture, I moved on to 2 Nephi 26:24, which helped me understand that to be "expedient unto man" means to be of benefit to man. I searched the connection with Jacob 5:41, wherein the Lord of the Vineyard laments that the vineyard has died; moreover, he could not do more for the vineyard, as its trees chose to be overrun by wild fruits. I learned in Alma 26:37 that God is mindful of all this, and that he lets us choose liberty or captivity, because it is expedient unto us. In Mosiah 2:21, King Benjamin tells us that God created, preserved, lent breath to, and preserved us just so that we may have the ability to choose. The good king also said that we receive agency upon entering into a covenant with God (Mosiah 5:8).

I know that that was a lot of spurious information, so let's perform a little synthesis:


Expedient="of Benefit"
FREEDOM TO CHOOSE=What is most expedient

God is ever mindful of us and our choices

God has created and preserved us that we may have agency

God laments our bad choices, but lets us make them for our eternal benefit

The most freedom we can attain is when we enter into sacred covenants

It is apparent that agency is essential to the great Plan of Happiness. It is true that we must have the choice in order to learn, grow, and become more like our Father in Heaven. In this life we must undergo a refining process that involves the constant play between our choices, and the consequences that they elicit. This is the Plan we chose in the preexistence, and it is the Plan that we must choose to follow if our goal as Christians is to live with God and Christ once again one day, for nothing unclean can gain inheritance in the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5). May we choose the better part is my hope and prayer for y'all this week, that we may gain eventual happiness in the eternities.

--Sean



Sunday, November 15, 2009

What is Expedient


In my studies this week, I was particularly struck by these verses:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. ...And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
(Moroni 7: 27-29, 33)

This is kind of a continuation of an impression received during Elder Ballard's talk now two weeks ago in the Trinity Chapel in Boston. I would like to flesh out here two aspects of miracles: their existence (and what they look like) and how to become an agent by which miracles come to pass.

I think it's obvious from the verses above that miracles do exist. In fact, this is a doctrine that is not confined either to just our Church; many people around the world believe that God is full of grace, and enacts miracles, imparting his tender mercies upon his children. But what do these miracles look like?

I submit that a miracle is anything that happens within God's will for our good, but beyond our mortal conception. And even if we do conceive it, miracles come when we recognize that the blessing received would not have been possible had it not been for the Lord's intervening hand.

For example, a family decides to pay their tithing in faith, but nevertheless does not know how they will pay their pending expenses. But somehow, some way, they are able to make ends meet. Someone comes to the plate, impulsed by the Spirit to lend a helping hand in some way. This, my friends, is a miracle.

But notice that miracles come to those who believe. If we do not have faith that the Lord can make miracles happen in our lives, then they will not come to pass. Likewise, if we don't have faith in God's power we will not be an instrument by which miracles come to pass.

I included verse 33 in the above excerpt because we must understand that God works through his children, and thus we must be ready to serve others around us. We must have faith that we may gain power to do whatever is "expedient in him," only expecting to do that much. Into play comes the balancing act between our will and His, which I am convinced can only be performed on our knees. Pleading with Heavenly Father to grant us faith and charity for his children, we may be able to exact miracles that he sees fit to happen.

The picture above is of the prophet who wrote the above verses. His name is Moroni, and he had the singular fate of being the last believer on the earth in his time. It was his great hope that the Lamanites, his distant and unbelieving relatives who now populated the land, would one day come to believe. He knew that it would take a miracle. He knew that only God would restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, and that this would be a miracle as well. Basically, he wrote these verses from personal experience. Now, we will never be in Moroni's shoes, but we can emulate the faith he had. When was the last time you saw a miracle? What did it look like for you?

I am grateful for the knowledge that miracles do exist. I am grateful for the knowledge that I may be an instrument in God's hands to bring about miracles, as well. And finally, I am grateful for the veil that he puts over my eyes to not see that miracles that do enact on his behalf, that I may maintain a semblance of deference and devotion to God's will.

I am grateful for the Spirit by which I have been compelled to write today. It has filled my heart with hope for God's choicest miracles to happen in my life, granted that he is willing.

I know that God lives. I know that Christ is his literal Son, and that Jesus performed the Atonement for all mankind, that we may repent and believe on Him, one day returning to His presence. I know that the Book of Mormon, from which the above excerpt was extracted, is true Scripture, brought about in the modern era that we may have a bolstered testimony of Christ and His true Gospel. It is my prayer that we may all grow to know these simple truths.

Have a Great Week!

--Sean



Sunday, November 8, 2009

It's the Resovle that Counts


I once again apologize for missing a post last week. I was on a drive back from New England, where I spent the weekend at the LDS Education Conference, held in Boston, Mass. Read on for a report of the conference:

The conference began at the large and spacious Trinity Church, which is owned by the Episcopal Church. It was the only place large enough to fit everyone on a Friday night; by my count there were more than 1,000 people in attendance to hear Elder M. Russel Ballard address us. As I sat by the massive pipe organs on one of the balconies, I was impressed by the fact that wherever the true Gospel is preached, it does not matter the venue, for it is the same. I was also impressed with the idea that moving to the East Coast has truly allowed me to forge a testimony of this in my own heart. I have seen miracles in only two months, and expect to see many more during my tenure, however long it may be. And Elder Ballard spoke on miracles that first night, saying that miracles occur any time that the power of God is manifest. How grateful am I for the knowledge that the Priesthood has been restored, that God's power can be made manifest to exact miracles!

Saturday's portion of the conference was dedicated to the Young Single Adults (YSA's), of which I am a part. There were 600 of us who gathered in Salon H of the Copley Marriott, a few blocks from the Trinity Church. Elder Ballard spoke to us again, stressing on that morning repentance, balance, and simplicity in life. In jest he said that none of us are perfect, and so we should just find someone and get married! Everyone had a laugh at that. Elder Ballard also said that life's great quest is learning how to feed the spiritual side of our being as well as the physical side, which takes a lot of "spiritual education." So true!

The rest of Saturday was dedicated to missionary work. It was presented in the guise of our great desire to do missionary work, but our fear of how and where to begin. We heard from David Neeleman, who is the former CEO of JetBlue, and a member of the LDS faith. He talked on using the internet as a missionary tool to drown out those voices that speak untrue doctrine about the Church. He is a chair of the MoreGood Foundation, which strives to flood the net with positive, truthful content. He talked about how they have about one baptism per week from people who see one of their 250,000 sites, feel the Spirit, and are converted.

The next speaker was Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business professor who I heard two weeks prior in the Philadelphia area. He brought up myths about missionary work, as seen below:

1. We have the power to judge who is ready for the Gospel and who is not
2. We need to prepare people for the Gospel through developing friendships
3. We should focus our Gospel discussion on how it will make your life better
4. We should teach what we think they should know
5. People already know how to pray
6. It's okay to put off till tomorrow what can be done today
7. You are successful only if your friend accepts baptism
8. If we can't find someone for the missionaries to teach, it's because we don't know anyone who is interested.
9. Perfecting the saints, then, must be our lot in life

Brother Christensen said that these 9 things actually keep many from hearing the Gospel that we know to be true. He said that most people in the United States have a deeper need to serve others than to be served, and therefore should be included in any service opportunity. He also said that to keep people accountable we should give out homework assignments; these would be questions about the reading the missionaries assign, with the prompt to answer in essay format. The protocol for homework is as follows:

1. Pray out loud to begin homework, telling God what you are about to do.
2. Read the assigned passage.
3. Formulate a rough draft in response to the questions assigned.
4. Pray again, asking God for inspiration as you read the passage again.
5. Read the passage again.
6. Revise your answers.
7. Pray a third time, asking God if the things you read and wrote are true.

I learned this method on my mission after Brother Christensen spoke to us there on the same topic. One might notice that this is the method that he used as a pupil at Oxford University, only with prayer added in place of being critiqued by a mentor. I believe that this method indeed works as we put God into the equation, making him a fundamental part of our spiritual inquiry.

The whole weekend was amazing, but I realized this: many will walk away from this spiritual feeding unchanged. Many of the 600 I am sure left apathetic to the things taught, not any more willing to fulfill their duty to help 'bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39). I am convinced that it is the resolve that counts, fueled by a humble desire to be better, to be a greater instrument in the hands of the Lord. This desire is fueled by a testimony that must be burned into the soul; this testimony is a knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the entire human race, and it is a knowledge that His true Gospel lies in the hands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the Book of Mormon and the Bible; It is the Priesthood restored on the Earth; it is a Prophet and Twelve Apostles.

I am grateful to have this knowledge, which leads my path each moment of each hour of each day. It is my prayer that we may all come to know these things, and better serve the Lord.

Have a Great Week!