These days few things seem to surprise us. With a Youtube society, we are used to seeing the outlandishly improbable happen. We can see cats dancing, watch sculpture art being created out of cheese blocks, and amazing trick shots from basketballs thrown off of waterfalls into a hoop 200 feet below.
However, a few months ago, I watched something that I had a hard time believing, even though I watched it live. My mind couldn’t quite process what was happening.
I watched some 6’1″ little hobbit look-a-like named Mac McClung, who had only played in 2 NBA games total, win the Slam dunk contest.
He competed against some of the worlds best athletes and won. It wasn’t even particularly close. He blew them out of the water. How was that even possible? The first time I saw him grab a ball, I thought it was a joke, or some sort of construed, elaborate ploy to get the attention of the judges by having the ball boy run towards the basket. Then the magic happened.
Judging by the reactions of the other participants, announcers, fans, and the other NBA players on the court, I wasn’t the only one that was shocked. They all looked at him like he had just walked out of a spaceship.
Not only did this little guy look just like Merriodoc Brandybuck from the Lord of the Rings movies (which could explain his abnormal abilities somewhat because of his consumption of the magic draughts of water he received from Treebeard the Ent, and his connection to Galadriel, the Queen of the Elves of Lothlorien) but he also apparently possesses the jumping ability of a human grasshopper. It was a lot of fun to watch.
He had become way bigger, he had become way more than what he was just the day before. To be honest, I don’t think anyone really knew who he even was. It was a miracle. What a fun story.
Maybe the funnest part of the story is how applicable it is to all of us. The same principle that powered his legs into video game super-springs can be used to treat any obstacle we face in our lives. Probably not in the same way this worked for Mac McClung, but in our own unique circumstances.
The idea and principle is this…
We can be much more than what we think we can be.
We can acomplish and achieve much more than we think we can accomplish and achieve….and,
We can overcome any and all obstacles and challenges.
We just need to tap into a special power that is offerred freely to all of us.
Just a few short weeks ago, our daughter Olivia left to serve a mission in Brazil. Before she left, she spoke in our sacrament meeting about this exact principle. It had significant meaning to her.
She shared that the Atonement of Jesus Christ not only has the power to save or redeem us from sin and physical death, but it also has the power to enable us to overcome any obstacle we face. The Atonement of Jesus Christ has both a redeeming power, and an enabling power. Elder Bednar spoke about this particular subject in 2002.
So what does this look like in real life? What does it mean for us to use the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
Alma taught the people of Gideon about the enabling power jointly with the redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon…
“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions and btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him adeath, that he may bloose 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 csuccor his people according to their infirmities.” -Alma 7:11, 12
Afflictions, temptations, pains, sicknesses, and infirmities are not sins. They are not relieved through the repentence process. These are directly addressed as conditions subject to relief and succor of the Savior of the world through his Atonement. He has already felt, experienced, and overcome all of these conditions along with all our sins, in order to be perfectly empathetic to our needs. He knows how to help us.
Moroni also shared what he was taught by the Lord directly about weaknesses.
“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their aweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them.” -Ether 12:27
That sounds a lot like enabling power to me. And, Jesus actually gave us the recipe on how to access his enabling power. All we have to do to grow our own set of spirutual grasshopper legs to compete in the Dunk Contest is to humble ourselves, and have faith in him.
Olivia did a great job highlighting that principle in her talk, and sharing her experiences in the months leading up to her decision to go on a mission.
If anyone has ever evidenced the principle of the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it would be Olivia. Her story is as dramatic, as incredible, and as amazing as a Hobbit winning the Dunk contest. She is a quiet, reserved, and humble young woman who loves her chill time, family, and a good movie.
But, in just a few short weeks, she has already blossomed into someone even more incredible. She is now a person willing to leave everything that is comfortable, everything that is familiar and safe, to step out into the vast unknown of a mission experience. And, this experience will happen thousands of miles away.
In this process, she is managing to influence all of us, her Mom and Dad, her amazing younger sister, and brother, and even her older brother away in school.
She is now in week 3 in the missionary training center in São Paulo, Brazil, learning how to be a missionary. She’s learning Portuguese, learning a new culture, learning how to budget time, and spending 16 hours a day to reach those goals. At times it has been a struggle, and the struggle will likely remain. But, we have already seen how she has been stretched and grown to become much more than she was, even a few short weeks ago. She is tapping into the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and growing spitual grasshopper legs.
We are proud of her and her decision, we grateful for the example she is to all of us, and grateful that we get to share her expericence right along with her. She is now running towards the hoop and preparing for the 360 behind the back, double clutch reverse dunk that will blow our minds!
About a year ago, we upgraded the thermostats in our home from the simple little button kind to the fancy Google Home Nest version. They have no buttons, just a sheen face, and look really slick. Supposedly, these were the way to go because you could control every little thing from your phone. The app would allow you to change temperature, schedule the heat or cold during certain times of the day, and certain days of the week. I even got the impression that it could magically sense when you were home, or not, and adjust the temperature accordingly. I was excited.
Until I tried to set it up. I’m not a tech novice, but setting this thing up was not simple. I won’t even tell you how long it took. What’s worse, is that I had to refer to a youtube video to do it, and even then it took way too long. Eventually we got it sort of running.
Fast forward about 2 weeks and the thermostat in our main living area stopped working. No matter what we did, it gave an error message, which sent us to searching online message boards to discover it had no power source. Well, I had no idea how to fix that, so we went without, it wasnt too hot so we let it go.
Fast forward to yesterday, we had a maintenance check on the A/C units and I mentioned to the technician that we had been having this issue for several months, and to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Five minutes later, after running up to the attic, he informed me that a simple cord had been left unplugged, and that he plugged it in, and it should work like a charm.
Six months of summer struggle fixed in 30 seconds by plugging in a cord. Seems about right. I then spent the next 30 minutes re-learning how to program the system on YouTube and we are back to normal. Seems like a lot of extra complication to get back to the way it was before. Sometimes we complicate things that don’t necessarily need to be.
Life can also be complicated. Or, sometimes we can make it that way. Look at the title of this post, for example. There are likely 4,678 other titles that could better articulate my ideas in a much more concise, direct, and appealing way. But, instead, I went with the over-complicated, alliteration-attempting, tongue-twister version that no one can read through without getting a slight headache. I guess I should start listening to my own advise when picking post titles.
One of the most common ways we can overcomplicate our lives (besides upgrading to a Nest home thermostat) is in our quest to figure out exactly who we are. Our identity is inseparably connected to our purpose. And our purpose drives the decisions we make everyday. When we have a clear understanding of who we are, we have a clear purpose, and a clear path to our goals and destinations.
When we are fuzzy about who we are, our decisions, actions, and goals likewise can be complicated, ambiguous, and vague. We all want to fit in, and play our part in a meaningful life story. This aspiration is what drives us to determine who we really are, and where we really belong.
We all share this eagerness to belong. But, if we aren’t mindful, our uber-concentrated efforts to fit in somewhere, or anywhere, can fog our thought process, and overcomplicate our understanding of our most fundamental identity.
Dr Seuss’s Story about the Sneetches is a perfect example of this. When this overcomplication happens in our own lives, we may end up picking and choosing the fancy, or popular labels, identifyers, and metaphorical “stars” to stick on ourselves. These are often meant to help us feel like we belong, but can oftentimes overshadow and hide our true identity.
This leads us to the big question…
What is our purest, most fundamental identity?
What is the biggest “star”, or label we should be placing upon ourselves?
In our church, one of the first songs we learn as kids is a simple answer to this big question…
That is our truest identity. It is who we are underneath all the extra superficial fan-gear, hats, facepaint, stickers and labels. And, as a child of God, we have unlimited divine worth and potential. That is our shiniest star. That is who we are at our core.
When we understand and accept this identity, it informs and guides our actions. It gives us purpose, and an ultimate divine destination. Understanding and acting upon our true identity can help keep our lives simple, and help us focus on what is lasting and important.
Many of the secondary labels we affix to ourselves can be fun. I’ve labeled myself a Utah Ute, a Payson Lion, a wanna-be triathlete, and a Bosa buttermilk-donut-addict among many others. Most of the time, these “stars” we slap on ourselves are harmless. We get together with other similarly starred sneetches that look, think, and believe like us, and cheer for a team, enjoy a hobby, or stuff our faces with sugary scrumptiousness. But all these secondary labels are less important and should not be the determining factor on how we treat, or interact with other people in our families or society.
Not all labels are benign, however. Some Sneetch stars can be a problem. Whenever any label displaces or replaces our most important one, it weakens our clarity, understanding, and eventually the committment to our divine potential.
When these sneaky, popular and flashy stars start to drive our thoughts and actions, we begin to limit ourselves and our eternal growth. These ever-changing and morphing imposter stars supposedly meant to help us feel more included, instead become a hindrance, and a stumbling block in our development.
These labels or stars can overpower our persona. We can end up portraying ourselves as a wholesale representation of the label itself, instead of a person who enjoys that particular trait, hobby, or characteristic. We become the label, rather than the label representing just a small part of a larger, more complete, more comprehensive whole.
This is the Big Box Paradox. Our intent may be to gain acceptance and belonging into a largercommunity when we label ourselves a certain way. Instead, we end up further isolating ourselves and limiting ourselves into ever shrinking identity boxes. For example, when my primary label is “Yankees fan”, my prospects for making friends barricaded in the Red Sox box tend to get smaller. When my primary label is a “Militant Vegitarian”, it becomes a bit harder to hang out every weekend at the Brazilain Churrascaria with the “Meat Freaks”. It becomes even more intense and tenuous when these pre-packaged, and pre-labeled boxes become political, racial, or centered around many other hot-button cultural or societal issues.
Our society can be a true melting pot of these political, racial, cultural, and even spiritual identifiers, and still live together in mutual respect, love, and understanding. This becomes doable, only if we keep our identifying stars in the correct and proper order. It will work if we are committed to the things we have in common more than we are committed to our inevitable differences. That was the lesson the Sneetches had to learn!
These principles are not new or novel. They have been taught from the beginning.
King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon taught about the best Sneetch star thousands of years ago…
“And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and daughters…I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God…” -Mosiah 5:7,8
The Psalmist was also on board…
“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.“ -Psalms 82:6
“I am simply saying that no identifer should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations: child of God, child of the covenant, and disciple of Jesus Christ.”
Are we all there yet? Do we all avoid judging others or stereotyping others based on appearance, or perception? Maybe not. But, if we choose to take an honest new look at how we really perceive the world and the people who live in it, and try to see the value in others that lies underneath whatever stickers and labels they have on display, we can get a bit closer to that ideal.
Our goal should be to see others the same way God does. That is the standard. Nephi describes God’s inviting love for everyone, with all their different stars, in the Book of Mormon…
“…he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth nonethat come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” -2 Nephi 26:33
Let’s try to stop looking at society as if it were a chaotic frenzy of spilled skittles needing to be sorted, labeled, and boxed according to outward appearances, beliefs, activities, actions, skin color, social, or cultural differences. Let’s all try and simplify our lives and focus on our true identity, and let the divine nature inside each of us all shine brightest to steer our thoughts and actions- and be more loving and kind to all the other Sneetches in the process.
As is well documented on this blog, gospel lessons can come from anywhere. Sometimes they are obvious, and sometimes not so much. Sometimes, while watching a Netflix series about awkward nerds saving the world from the threats of an unknown realm called the Upside Down and its real life monster versions of Dungeons and Dragons bad guys, we can notice character similarities to the Old Testament progression of the Kings of Israel, …or is that just me?
Well, Stranger Things have happened (in best Dad joke voice).
Lucas, Mike, Eleven, and Dustin react to Dad Joke
Everyone loves a good story. They help us connect to each other through the shared experience. The key to good storytelling is to base the conflict on the real struggles of everyday life. This is how we really identify with the characters, and internalize the story. In today’s society, our stories are told not only through books, but movies, and tv shows. Some are good, and some are not so good.
If we can relate to the struggle, or see similarities in our own lived experiences, we are drawn to it, connect to it, and have a vested interest in the resolution. These stories detail how our heroes defy the odds, fight through the turmoil, and overcome the conflict. We all find inspiration, courage and even hope in these stories. Somehow, we want to incorporate our favorite character’s ability to overcome into our own personal struggles. That is what makes us love the stories and the characters within them.
I’m not saying that we often find ourselves caught in a battle with Vecna, the powerful psychokinetic Wizard trying to grow his power to take over the world through thought control. But, we are all caught in a constant back and forth between right and wrong, and good and evil. Sometimes this battle occurs more overtly with our relationship challenges with one another. Sometimes the struggle is internal within the boundaries of our own heart and mind.
This ancient struggle between right and wrong that occurs inside each of us happens in a very specific way. This battle is over which of our human character traits will be in the driver’s seat in control of our everyday actions. Will we overcome our natural selves, and choose to have honesty, integrity and love control us? Or will be falter, and revert back into our base, natural inclination for selfishness, greed, and passive lethargy?
This particular struggle has been at play inside the human heart for a very, very long time.
This is, of course, where the ancient stories of Saul, David, and Solomon, combine with the slightly more contemporary, albeit entirely fictional, Lucas Sinclair to teach us about this character control struggle.
Lucas Sinclair
First, because Lucas does not currently have a book in the Old Testament, we should all get up to speed on his story. He is one of the characters on the Netflix series, Stranger Things. He plays one of several nerdy boys who spend their time playing Dungeons and Dragons in the basement. This series takes place in the 1980’s, so it obviously precedes video games. We find him in seasons 1-3 utilizing his, and his friends’ nerdy D&D skills and knowledge to fight off attacks from Demogorgans, the Shadow Monster, a.k.a. the Mind Flayer, and some Russians who have taken over the local mall. Through their collective efforts, and Eleven’s amazing mind power, victory was secured.
Season 4 is different. Lucas has now “grown up” and is part of the school’s basketball team. He is not a star, far from it actually. He’s a benchwarmer. He is also desperate for approval and acceptance into the cool kids popular crowd. He sees the basketball team as his ticket out of nerddom, and into the cool circles he only dreamed of before.
Through a wild series of events, Lucas finds himself in the very unlikely scenario where he is forced to choose between his basketball team’s championship game, or his friends Dungeons and Dragons championship match. They are held at the same exact time. Lucas chooses basketball, which is devastating to his friends.
Somehow, Lucas manages to not only play in the basketball game, but he makes the game winning shot at the buzzer, instantly rocketing him up the popularity ladder into stardom.
This scene is one of cinematic mastery. Tense music backdrops both the scenes of Lucas’s final shot, and the final roll in the Dungeons and Dragons challenge match. His basketball heroics are painstakingly highlighted through slow motion focus, concurrently and perfectly congruent to the highlights of the nerd’s game. Slow motion scenes cut back and forth as the highlights simultaneously peak in crescendoed victory in both diametrically opposed games of skill.
With that newfound stardom, however, Lucas is forced to abandon his longtime friends in order to join the cool basketball kids, and soon finds himself actively fighting against these friends in the story.
He is torn between where he has been, where he is, and where he wants to be. Ultimately, Lucas’ true character shines through, and he overcomes the temptation and superficial allure of popularity and fame, and he rejoins his longtime friends in their collective fight against their enemy. He chose to let the right character drive his actions. What a story.
Not all stories have such a happy ending. And especially the stories we will talk about today. But we can learn from negative experiences just as easily as we can from positive ones. From our list above, there are three other examples to learn from. This time, lets look at the three successive kings of Israel in the Old Testament.
Saul, David, and Soloman were all kings of Israel. All of them started their lives, and reigns, in much the same way. They were all chosen because they possessed the character needed to be a righteous king. They were humble, full of faith and relied on the God of Israel. Lets take a peek at each one…
Saul
Saul was chosen as the first King of Israel. He was described as, “a choice young man, …and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he…”. He was chosen by God who, “gave him another heart…and the Spirit of God came upon him…” (1 Samuel 10:9,10).
So far, so good.
Samuel anoints Saul
The prophet Samuel, who anointed Saul to be King, when prophesying of the blessings of obedience, did leave him and the people of Israel some advice. Maybe we could call it foreshadowing?
Samuel warned, “Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.” (1 Samuel 12:25)
Yikes.
So, what happened to Saul? How did this ancient story play out? How did the internal battle for control of his actions end up? Would he rejoice in ultimate victory and celestial bliss?
Well, If we fast forward just a few chapters, we get this…
“…and there was a javelin in Saul’s, hand. And Saul cast the javelin, for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it.” (1 Samuel 18:10,11)
Hmm. That’s not good. Sounds like an Old Testament version of pin the tail on the donkey. Saul degenerated From humble, goodly, faithful beginnings to attempted murder. How did he get there?
Let’s look at two examples that may shed light on the slow methodical nature of Saul’s fall. Neither one may seem all that big of a deal, but together, and likely among a host of other small decisions, it proved enough to change his heart and mind. This change of heart then was enough to alter his actions. These actions then led to a person unrecognizable to his younger self. How did he let the wrong internal Saul take control?
First, let’s glance into the experience he had while waiting for the prophet Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice to the Lord before a battle that was looming. Samuel had instructed Saul, the leader of the army, to wait, and that he would come at a specific time to offer a sacrifice in the army’s behalf.
When Samuel was late, Saul took it upon himself to offer the sacrifice for Samuel. Saul was king, not prophet. He was not authorized to offer sacrifice. By now, he was likely used to being obeyed, and having events revolve around him, and his timeline. He likely would have been pressured by those around him to do it himself. He was a king after all. He was the one that should dictate when and how things should be done.
How far off was his thought process? He just wanted to make sure the Lord was on his side, didn’t he? But, he had overstepped. He had relied less on faith, and trust in God’s prophet, and more on the arm of flesh, or the perceived reality and pressure of the moment.
When confronted by Samuel, Saul explained why he had proceeded on his own, “because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24). He was worried about what other people would think of him. Sounds like a modern problem as well.
Saul had lost his blessing. Later the scriptures elaborate, “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit [which was not of] the Lord troubled him”. (1 Samuel 16:14)
This absence of the spirit of the Lord in Saul’s heart left it to be filled with opposing sentiments. Anger, greed, and jealousy took its place. This doesn’t usually happen overnight, it takes multiple, small, and consistent choices, changes, and allowances to let the natural man to take over. But, once we invite it in, the floodgates open.
Fast forward a little bit. Now Saul, and his newly named successor, David, are returning from battling the Philistines. Saul overheard the women in his city saying, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him…”
Now Saul was really jealous. He couldn’t stand to be disrespected. He was offended that David got more credit than he did. He wanted to be the most revered, the most adored, the biggest and the best. He wanted to be perceived as the most powerful. He now allowed the full natural man, the jealous man, the greedy man to drive his actions. His next act was throwing a javelin at David. The wrong Saul was driving the actions. The internal battle was lost. He spent the rest of his life trying to destroy David. Small, seemingly insignificant choices eventually led to a complete change in character.
David
The aforementioned David is our next example. He was the perfect poster child for early potential. The same Samuel the Prophet who had called and anointed Saul, had called and anointed David to be the next King, after Saul and his line proved unworthy.
We know, of course, of his early days when he used the power of faith in God to slay the Giant Goliath with a sling and stones.
Throughout David’s life he proved again and again to be a capable warrior and King. He became king of all Israel, united its kingdoms under a single banner, and moved the capital to Jerusalem. He even made plans to move the Tabernacle and the ark of the covenant there and wanted to build a permanent temple. David recognized all along who had given him success.
“And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. and the Lord was with him.”(1 Samuel 18:14), and was “a man after the [Lord’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)
Until he wasn’t. He slipped and allowed personal gratification with Bathsheba, and the subsequent aftermath with Uriah to ruin it all.
He had allowed a single moment, or a series of lead-up moments, to derail his ultimate potential. What a king he could have been. But, he chose to open himself up to be driven, and influenced by the natural inclination towards selfishness, and instant gratification. Good David lost the internal battle of will to Bad David. And, If it can happen to him, it can happen to any of us. It takes constant, continuous, cognizant, and relentless hard work to fend off temptation, pride, and the natural man. These choices happen every single day. They seem small, but are meaningful.
Although the promise of his exaltation was lost (Doctrine and Covenants 132:39), David did try and reconcile with God for the rest of his life. He continued to worship the God of Israel, and charged his son Solomon to keep the Lord’s commandments when he passed on his throne. “And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgements, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest…” (1 Kings 2:3)
Solomon
As David’s son, Soloman also learned from an early age to worship and love God. After he was named king, he remained humble, and relied on the special gifts God had blessed him with. “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as at the sand this is on the sea shore.” (1 Kings 4:29)
Not only was Solomon the smartest guy in the world, he was one of the kindest. He, and Israel were blessed immensely. He built a temple and dedicated it to the Lord. He had not one, but two visions where he saw the Lord in dreams.
In his dedicatory prayer for the newly constructed temple, he admonished his people to, “…know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. Let you heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:60,61).
However, Solomon didn’t take his own advise. only a few chapters later, we read, “But king Solomon loved many strange (foreign) women…of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love…And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart… For it came to pass, that when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:.. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord…” (1 Kings 11:1-6)
He even built high places unto these other gods, and sacrificed unto them. Yikes. I guess he went all in.
To us in 2022, this may seem like an easy thing to avoid. We may think, “well, at least I’m not building a temple to some weird gods named Ashteroth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech. I’m in good shape.”
But, if we look into what those gods represented at that time, and how they were worshipped, it’s not so different from what is “worshipped” today in ever increasing numbers.
Overall, Solomon had allowed himself to be compromised. He had allowed himself to stray too far from the doctrine of God. He spent more and more time concentrating, and validating the beliefs of others than he did feeding his own faith. This allowed the truth to dwindle in his own heart, and fed the natural man and his indulgence.
In time, Solomon’s commitment to truth wavered. Subsequently, the blessings that came because of his commitment to the truth, were taken away. He lost the blessings because he lost sight of the source of the blessings. What a shame.
So what can we learn from these stories? What is the takeaway? How can we be more like the young versions of Saul, David, Solomon, and even Lucas?
The one glaring principle that is taught in flashing neon lights in these stories is one we read in the Doctrine and Covenants…
“We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:39)
So how do we avoid the fates of Saul, David, and Solomon?
We can recognize that we are in a battle. We are fighting everyday for control over our heart and actions. We can recognize that every little decision we make can have lasting, far reaching influence on our own future, or even the future of our family. We can recognize that if we really want to reach our full potential, we have to limit that base, natural man that wants us to succumb to our lesser characteristics.
“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)
We can recognize that we can never relax into a state of comfortable complacency, no matter how strong we are today. We can recognize that fidelity to God and his Gospel strengthens us, and develops the character traits that provide protection against rage and ruin, and provides infinite potential for the world to come.
We can decide now to reject the worldly thoughts, ideas, and temptations that will surely come to us with ever increasing frequency and power. We can look for the modern iterations of the false gods that plagued ancient Israel.
We can recognize that without God, or his blessings, we are nothing. Without God, our intelligence and understanding are limited, our strength is temporary, and our happiness is fleeting.
We can recognize the source of every single blessing we enjoy. We can recognize our own weaknesses and predispositions and actively seek to fortify them. We can decide, and choose which characteristics we will allow to inform, and guide our actions.
We can recognize that we have the power of choice, and we “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. … I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto this great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit” (2 Nephi 2:27,28)
I hope we all take the time to watch our step, and focus on each small decision we make every day so that we can fight off the natural man, and his pernicious, poisonous pitfalls.
During Christmas season, we think a lot about gifts. We think of the gifts we want to give to others and admire the generous gifts we receive. However, if we slow down from the hectic scramble to check off the items on our Christmas lists, we can ponder and benefit greatly from understanding the reason we celebrate with gifts during this time of year.
Sometimes, recognizing the greatness of a gift in the very moment it is given is difficult to do. It requires proper perspective and understanding. Unfortunately, I am not known for for being an expert in either maintaining the proper perspective, or in possessing anything that resembles great understanding. However, as I often do, I have a story that demonstrates my lack of perspective and understanding, and I’m glad to share it.
When I was growing up in Payson, Utah, the entire gamut of youth sports programs was comprised of just two options. We had summertime city baseball, and wintertime Junior Jazz basketball. Not quite the same as the full time year-round club teams kids now have for every sport. Needless to say, as kids, we looked forward to those seasons (mostly for the snow cones we would get IF won our baseball games).
In my first year of playing this Junior Jazz basketball, I was 8 years old. I barely knew how to dribble or shoot, and hardly understood the game itself. However, Junior Jazz did have its perks. Each year, they would have some members of the Utah Jazz organization put on a little basketball camp for all the kids in town to kick off the season.
In this particular year, 1985, the players that were sent down as guests to help run the camp in the thriving metropolis of Payson were the new guys. Some short, spindly, second year player from Spokane, Washington, and the new rookie kid from Luisiana.
It’s likely that the veteran Jazz players used the camp as a cruel hazing initiation for the new guys, or teach them patience. It was certainly needed to run a basketball camp full of 8 year-old kids in Payson. I am fairly certain it was not to bolster up a developmental league or to identify the next shining star, or future prospect for the NBA.
All I remember from that day, was the short spindly player that came could dribble like a madman. He went over some dribbling drills for us to do, which, when he demonstrated, looked more like the roadrunner’s feet from the cartoon. None of us could do them. When we tried, the gym was almost instantaneously a madhouse full of kids chasing the basketballs that had bounced of our heels, feet, knees, and butts. I remember him demonstrating another ball-handling drill while laying on his back and scissoring his legs front to back while moving the ball between them, all while talking to us. He looked more like a magician than a basketball player. I just remember thinking and wondering how on earth a real human could even do that. He looked more like what you’d see on a video game.
The only thing I remember about the other guy was that he was super tall, and he could actually dunk.
After the camp, the two guys sat down and were signing pictures and handing them out to the kids. I remember my dad being adamant that I get that signed picture from each of them before we went home. I was just wanting to go home and eat my bowl of cereal that was my custom on Saturday mornings. I remember chatting with the tall guy very briefly as we walked down the hall on the way home. Whatever, no big deal.
Some memory huh? Just a normal day in the life of and 8 year-old boy in 1985 Payson, Utah. Nothing to see here.
Well, as it turns out, I still have those signed pictures that my Dad was so worried about (and thanks Mom for helping me keep them from the trash heap). The players just happened to be John Stockton and Karl Malone.
After thirty-five years, I can now look back at the events of that day with added perspective and understanding. Captain Crunch consumption should not have been my focus that morning. What an amazing day that was. What a gift. How often does a little kid in Payson get to go to a free basketball camp put on by two future hall of fame NBA players? Once in a lifetime, that’s when.
Sometimes, the magnitude of the gifts we receive takes time to sink in. But, as we look back, these gifts can grow in meaning for our lives. This happens to us all the time.
In order to fully understand the immensity of the gift we celebrate each Christmas, we need to better understand the nature of God Himself, and the nature of our Savior. Just as an additional thirty-five years of life added to my appreciation of a special basketball camp as a little boy, added knowledge and understanding of the true nature of God and his benevolent gift can add to our love and appreciation for Him.
This perspective, or lack thereof, is not a new challenge to overcome. One of the most pointed questions on this subject came from an angel to Nephi during his vision of the history of the world. In that vision, he saw Mother Mary and the birth of our Savior. During these scenes, the angel of the Lord asked Nephi this poignant, probing question. This question may be one we skip over a lot of times because of the way the meaning of the word has changed over the years. The question he asked Nephi was…
“ Knowest thou the condescension of God?” (1 Nephi 11:16)
To us, the word condescend isn’t necessarily a good one. Usually we associate this with people who talk down to others. But, in this particular case, it is the perfect word to describe Jesus’ pathway to his earthly experience. If we look at the 3rd definition of condescend in the dictionary, it says this…
“to put aside one’s dignity or superiority voluntarily and assume equality with one regarded as inferior:”
It feels like we are getting closer with that definition.
It is almost impossible to fully appreciate the immense distance between who, and where, Jesus Christ was in the moments before his birth, to who, and where he was in Bethlehem at his birth. They couldn’t be further apart. We need to fully appreciate how great Jesus was BEFORE he was born, and just how human he became, to better understand his condescencion.
Before the little baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes, He was the God of the Old Testament. He was the God that cleansed the earth through the flood. He was the God that led Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt. He was the God that parted the Red Sea, and sent down fire to engulf the soaked alter for Elijah in his fight against the priests of Baal. This baby Jesus was the mighty Jehovah, the Great I am. This little one in a simple manger was the Creator of the Universe and worlds without number.
Isaiah captured this concept best in his famous scripture we often hear around Christmas time, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” His prophetic writings then perfectly describe the divine destiny of that little baby as he continued, “and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The mighty Creator of the Universe chose to fulfill the Father’s plan, and pass through a veil to become that little baby in Mary’s arms. He gave up everything to be with us, and to learn like we would learn, and to face and overcome everything in much the same way we would be asked to do.
Jesus didn’t only sacrifice his perfect physical body in the garden of Gethsemane and on Calvary’s hill. He sacrificed all that he had BEFORE he was even born. By coming to earth as an innocent baby with a mortal mother, he left behind his position at the Father’s side. He gave up all his power, all his knowledge, and all that he had become, to join us on this humble earth. With his mortal birth, he was fulfilling the Father’s plan. By virtue of his mortal birth, he sacrificed all that he was before, and chose to descend below everything just for us.
That is the condescension of God. What a gift.
In section 93 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord reveals more understanding about his nature, his growth, and his condescension. By teaching us more about his nature, he is teaching us about our nature, and our divine potential.
It is in this section that we learn when it was that Jesus received a fulness of the Father. His first 30 years were spent learning, growing, and becoming who he was meant to be. This was an example for all of us and our own individual paths of growth and learning.
At the baptism of Jesus, he fully became who he was meant to be.
“And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness..And I John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my Beloved Son. And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father; and he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him..” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-16)
The Lord then turns to teach us how this applies to us. He teaches us about who we are, and why it’s important to understand the nature of God. His entire life was the gift. We need to celebrate it all.
We should celebrate together the gift of his birth, his teachings, and ultimately in his atoning sacrifice. HIs life, in it’s entirety, is the greatest gift ever given because of what it makes possible for all of us. Because of him, we also have divine potential. We can receive the fulness of the Father all because of him.
“I give undo you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments, you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:19, 20)
This time of year we give and receive many gifts. Let’s take just a little more time to think about the most important gift of all. Jesus gave himself as a gift to all mankind in a garden in Gethsemane, and again upon a cross on on Calvary. But, before that pinnacle event in human history, he gave up everything to [con]descend into our world as little baby in Bethlehem, and became the greatest gift ever given.
The modern day apostles may have said it best when they declared…
“God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son”.
Every once in a while, we experience moments we will remember forever. They become etched in our minds and become a part of who we are.
Yesterday, was one of those days. Jake was playing in his end-of-season basketball tournament for his little club team. It was a long day. They played 4 games starting at 8 o’clock in the morning. The final game finished up around 3:30. If you’re 8 years old, or 42 years old, that makes for a long day. The Mountain Dew and Lunchables from Circle K can only get you so far.
We didn’t know it at the time, but the day would shape up to be one of the best we have ever had. But, you would never think it possible by the way it started.
For a little context, Jake can be a bit of a perfectionist and a huge worry wart. He has a lot of his older brother in him. He loves to win, and hates to lose. He obsesses over, stews about, analyzes and contemplates all the possible outcomes for each game. He constantly worries how he will play, who he will play, and all the “what if’s”. Many of us have likewise experienced cases of these pre-game jitters or “butterflies”. It’s normal to get that uneasy feeling in your gut before a big game, event, or concert.
Jake is a bit different. He gets a severe case of the killer butterflies that cannot be contained within the pediatric limits of his gastric capacity. Sometimes, his killer butterflies spill out and manifest as a major hurdle for him to overcome in the hours before his games. I think his butterflies are above average in size, because he cares about these games in an above average way.
Yesterday was killer butterfly day. They must have multiplied inside as the gravity of the day ahead weighed on him. It was a lot to worry about as it was, a win or go home, single elimination tournament. Luckily, Jake has one of the best known treatments for killer butterflies. A good Mom.
Moms have superpowers. Sometimes they know just how to slay the killer butterflies.
Jake may never tell you this, but what he and his mom did that morning, is what they always do when the butterflies come. They went into a quiet room and knelt down and asked for Heavenly Father’s help. They thanked him for a healthy body to be able to play, and that Jake would be able to do his best and have a good time.
Sometimes all we need is to be close to someone who really knows, and believes in the power God has to change our lives. When we are younger, we naturally depend on our parents to help us understand life and its challenges. They can also teach or show us the best, most effective way we can deal with the difficult stuff that will surely come.
Along with asking for divine help, one of the things that Catie has always taught the kids, is that if they are prepared, there is no reason to fear. This principle applies to their school work, sports, and every other fear in life. I don’t think that she is the only mother who has ever taught this principle.
Jake was prepared. He had spent hours, and hours, and hours outside on our little basketball hoop practicing. His team had spent hours and hours over the last several months practicing together, drilling, shooting, running through plays, and slowly improving, and getting better. His Mom also prepared his mind by taking him time after time after time into that quiet room to pray to slay the butterflies.
In one of our favorite stories about supermoms in the Book of Mormon, we read about the young stripling warriors who had also learned how to be brave, and fight through their killer butterfly moments. In Alma 56 we learn about a life altering choice these 2,000 rookie warriors were faced with. They had to choose whether or not to join a hopeless battle against the seasoned, mature, experienced Lamanite army. Imagine the butterflies during that somber moment when their father figure and military leader Helaman asked them, “
“Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?” -Alma 56:44
As they answered, I’m sure they thought back to many times before when they knelt with their mothers, and thanked Heavenly Father for their healthy bodies, and asked for courage, and help to tackle whichever scary butterfly inducing situation they faced that day. So, they were prepared to answer,
“Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; We do not doubt our mothers knew it.“ -Alma 56:48
I am sure that these young men were not born with the courage they displayed. They likely learned it through shared experiences. This invaluable experience gained chiefly by the help of their Mothers. It was the reason they chose to be courageous. Moms really do have superpowers. Maybe most importantly, they have the power to help shape the hearts of young men.
Yesterday all the physical and mental preparation of the last several months came together for Jake. It was needed as the killer butterflies were in full force for the big day. But, just as each time before, and with the constant help of his Mom, he was able to work through them and play and have some great games.
Jake’s team played well, and fought through each game, one by one, and won each of them leading up to the coveted championship contest.
As the game started and the battle began, all the parents were nervous and screaming and yelling. The coaches’ foreheads and neck veins were bulging as they screamed instructions. Constant noise reverberated through the gym. Our coach was fighting through his lost voice from yelling all day during the previous games. The buildup had been intense. The games were intense. The coaches were intense. The stakes were high, and even the little 8 year olds were focused, and inherently understood how big this game was for them.
As the final game’s battle went on, it was a back and forth struggle filled with bad calls, missed opportunities, and blown assignments that are commonplace to any league with little kids. However, as fate would have it, and like the movie script of the day’s destiny, it came down to the very end.
We could almost hear the soft subtle sound of the theme music from Hoosiers starting to play in the back of our minds, as we glanced up at the scoreboard every few seconds. Time started to slow down as every little moment further built the intensity of the occasion. The clock ticked down to under the final minute or so, as the other team tied the game.
After a scramble over a loose ball led to an inbound play, the drama completed its crescendo. Our team had the final opportunity to win the game with just about 7 seconds left. We had the ball out of bounds and we ran our best sideline inbound play.
The imaginary soundtrack music intensified as the clocked ticked down in each of our heads. The Killer butterflies that Jake had successfully vanquished earlier in the day came roaring back with a vengeance finding new hosts in the churning stomachs of the eager spectators.
Fingernail fragments were flying as nervous nibbles went unchecked. Fists were clenched and blood flow stopped. Jake inbounded the ball to Max as he headed towards the basket. He was met with an immediate double team spoiling any chance of a clear shot. He screeched to a halt as he faced the towering wall of opposition, and reversed course. He quickly looked around for a way out, as hope of victory started to wane.
Time ticked away, Max then noticed Jake. He had worked in behind his drive and was clear of defenders. He instinctively flipped the ball back towards him as the drama peaked. Jake caught the ball, and without hesitation, turned to the basket and let it fly.
The music in our minds climaxed intensely as the ball arced upwards, floated impossibly slow and then hung at its midpoint in the air. Time seemed to stop. Life itself on earth stood still. The stars in the firmament paused their cosmic duties for that moment to witness the outcome. As the ball then resumed its downward trajectory, every eye in the gym was fixed singularly on it. Jake’s shooting arm and hand stayed locked in follow-through position as if willing the ball to find its way through the net. The ball’s gentle backward rotation added to the beauty of the moment, as the parabolic arc finally completed its journey, and the ball lit softly within the welcoming embrace of the nylon net. It was over. We had won. We were the champions.
The deafening roar of parents, onlookers, players waiting for the use of the gym, all joined in the ecstasy of the moment drowning out the closing buzzer. People went nuts. inhibitions were thrown out. Grown men danced like fairies across the hardwood. The disbelief soon gave way to utter joy and complete bliss. The Best Day Ever. It became the moment that Jake, and all of us, will remember forever.
This day will be remembered for the loud shouts, and hollering, the hugging, and screaming, fist bumps and high fives. And it should be. But, it should also be remembered for the quiet little moments before it all began when a good mom, knelt down in a quiet room to help a young man slay the killer butterflies.
“Being a good listener” is not a trait we are born with. We have to actively think about it, and be aware of our tendencies to passively dismiss what we are hearing. It demands practice, and and active desire to develop this lifesaving trait.
Several years ago, there was a funny Youtube video that went viral. It was a clip of a little 3-year-old boy arguing with his mother. Apparently, in his understandable overexcitement to pursue the immediate, instant, and pure gratification that would undoubtedly come via grandma’s cupcakes, he ran into a Momma roadblock. He then tried to convince momma that there should be no roadblock to confectionary bliss.
Like most three year olds, he selectively un-heard (an actual inherited genetic trait common in males) his mother’s directions to not eat, or go after said cupcakes.
When caught, he spun an impressively articulated tale, well-steeped in lawyerly gobbledygook, lasting almost three minutes in a hopeless attempt to justify, argue, spin, deflect, and rewrite history. This was his attempt to prove to his mother that he, 3-year-old Matteo, somehow was right, and that he didn’t really have to listen.
Again, actively listening is not a trait we are born with, but one we have to develop.
One of my new favorite examples in the scriptures that perfectly illustrates what it means to really listen, and how our lives may depend on it, is in the new testament. This story is also one of the last discourses that the Savior would deliver before his crucifixion.
On this particular day, the Lord was with his disciples and they were all climbing the Mount of Olives that rises directly across from, and in perfect view of the majesty of the Temple Mount. King Herod’s imposing temple crowned that sacred space and stood magnificently above the city.
The disciples, looking back at this impressive view, commented on the beauty and grandeur of the city, its buildings, and its massive temple centerpiece.
“Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” (Mark 13:1)
View of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
This comment spurred the following prophecy from the Savior…
“Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:2)
It is probably safe to say that this was not the comment that the disciples were expecting. There may have even been a few blank stares. After all, the temple had recently completed a 46 year rebuilding effort initiated by King Herod. It was adorned with special white stone that gleamed brightly in the ample sun. It was crested and decorated with gold donated from Jews throughout the land, and symbolized the wealth, power, and strength of the Jews.
The disciples then posed the obvious follow up question to Jesus…
“Tell us when shall these things be which thou hast said concerning the destruction of the temple, and the Jews;
Jesus’ recorded answers to this and other questions are now known as the Olivet discourse. We read it, or portions of it, in Mathew 24 (improved in clarity in JST-Mathew), Mark 13, Luke 21, and even more recently referred to by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants section 45.
Today, mostly because we have the benefit of hindsight and recorded history, I’d like to focus on the answer to this first question, and what lessons we can glean from it, specifically about developing our listening skills.
His answer to “when shall these things be?” was simple..
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (Luke 21:20)
And they [the Jews] shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)
Mathew described Jesus’ answer a bit differently noting Jesus’ reference to an even earlier prophecy…
“When you, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place…
Then let them who are in Judea flee into the mountains;
Let him who is on the housetop flee, and not return to take anything out of his house; Neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes;” (JST Mathew 1:12-15)
The Lord stated as plain as could be, what would happen to Jerusalem, and her people. AND, even more importantly what to do, and when to do it, to stay safe- When the armies come, head for the hills, and don’t look back.
I imagine that word spread. I’m sure in the A.D. 33 version of the Ensign, or LDSnewsroom, twitter, Instagram and Youtube, that the specifics of the prophecy spoken by the living Prophet, were taught, discussed, and written down.
So how did this prophecy play out? Was anyone listening? Did the early Saints heed the warnings of the prophet and prepare? Or did they argue like little Matteo that the cupcakes really weren’t off limits?
If we fast forward to a few years after Jesus’ crucifixion, the tension between the occupying Romans, and the citizens of Judea increased. Citizen rebels tried to fight back, and attacked two Romans fortresses. The Romans responded forcefully and released their soldiers on those in Caesarea and killed about 20,000 jewish citizens. It then quickly escalated into a full blown war.
After an abandoned earlier attempt at a siege of Jerusalem with a single legion, Flavius Vespasian and his son Titus returned the next spring with and entire army of 60,000 Roman soldiers. They took two and a half years methodically destroying their way back towards Jerusalem.
Once there, Titus surrounded the city and commenced another three-year siege of Jerusalem. It was horrible. Rampant starvation, death, and disease filled the streets. Dead bodies were left to fester piled upon each other in buildings, the smell of death and rot was unbreathable. No one within the city could escape. Those who tried were crucified outside the city walls for all to see.
The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70AD —
a painting by David Roberts (1796-1849).
On sept 26 AD 70 Titus breached the walls of Jerusalem destroying everything and everyone. Men, women, and children were slaughtered. Josephus, an historian, recorded that 1.1 million jews, or 90% of the population, were killed. The remaining 10% were sold into slavery.
Titus then ordered that everything on the temple mount be completely leveled, so the jews would not be compelled to try and reclaim their holy place.
Thirty seven years after Jesus’ prophecy, it had all been fulfilled.
So, again the question is, did anyone make it out alive? Were any members of the primitive church able to escape and “flee into the mountains” as the prophecy dictated? Was anyone prepared? Had any group of members been watching, listening, and recognizing the signs, in order to act on the words of the prophets?
In AD 325 the early Christian historian Eusebius wrote
“The members of the Jerusalem church by means of an oracle [something spoken through revelation or inspiration] given by revelation to acceptable persons there, were ordered to leave the city before the war began and settle in a town in peraea called pella” [Eusebius, Book III, 5:4]
A hundred years later, another historian recorded:
[There was an] exodus from Jerusalem when all the disciples went to live in Pella because Christ had told them to leave Jerusalem and to go away since it would undergo a siege. Because of their advice they lived in Perea … (Epiphanius, Panarion, 29, 7, 7-8)
There was indeed a happy ending for those who had truly listened, followed through, and acted on the warnings of the Lord and his prophets.
As we contemplate the importance of becoming better listeners, let’s examine just the first 16 verses of the 45th section of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Remember, this is the same section in which the Lord references this very same prophetic moment from the Mount of Olives he shared with his disciples 1800 years before…
“Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth…
And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you;…
Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father…
Hearken, O ye people of my church, and ye elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called today and harden not your hearts;…
Wherefore, hearken ye together and let me show unto you even my wisdom—…
Wherefore, hearken and I will reason with you, and I will speak unto you and prophesy, as unto men in days of old.
And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh… (Doctrine and Covenants 45:1-16)
Even those of us who suffer with the genetic impairment of selective hearing can pick up on those hints. I think we are being invited to listen. Remembering also, that…
“…whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38)
We need to be much better at listening to the Lord, his words, the words of his servants, and his Spirit. Through his prophets, the Lord will tell us what to do, where to be, how to be, and when to be there so that we can be safe.
Prophets instruct us, teach us, and inspire us to be prepared. This is the necessary action that is almost always associated with listening to prophetic warnings.
Our preparation, however, is not just stuffing away a year’s supply of whole wheat buckets, canned beets, powdered milk, and 50 pound sacks of beans. It is also referencing the necessary spiritual preparation.
Being spiritually prepared enables us to have the courage to “… not return to take anything out of [our] house;” as we, “flee into the mountains” (JST Mathew 1:12-15).
I imagine that if the Prophet made a special YouTube video asking us to drop everything we were doing, and head to Missouri for an emergency general conference with some “special guests”, most of us would head out immediately.
But, what if that same prophet said it was time to work on our daily scripture study? What if that same prophet asked us to be better at prayer, being thankful, or developing a better testimony? What if he asked us to be more spiritually self-reliant, teach the gospel to our families in our own homes, be better ministers, and to develop an increased capability to “hear him”? Would we be just as willing and committed to do those things?
These are the true tests of our listening skills. These are our opportunities to really prepare, and thus eliminate the fear of the unknown from our lives. Especially when we know there are “bumpy” times ahead.
Catie has often told our kids, from the time they were little that, “…If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30) and she is exactly right.
We may not have physical armies compassed about and threatening us, but we most certainly have the desolation of abomination that is gathering outside ourselves, our homes, and our communities. It is everywhere. It’s in our media, language, merchandise, fashion, and often taught in our schools. Increasing political unrest dominates the news cycle, along with a constant drumbeat of societal pressures to accept sinful behavior as normal. Economic strains, along with increasing health concerns from a world wide pandemic are prevalent throughout the whole world. Cumulative stresses brought about by all these things together may indeed make us feel like we are being compassed about by threatening armies.
We may not currently face impending physical threats posed by the invading armies of Titus, but, does it not feel like our families are under threat of a growing spiritual siege?
Just as the prophetic warnings from Jesus given way back in AD 33 prompted earlier saints, we can also “flee into the mountains” today. We simply need to listen to our Prophet and find safety in not only listening, but acting on his words. Once we divert our focus away from the chaos, instability and stress that flourish out in the world, and focus on the peaceful simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around us that share our hope and faith, we feel different. But, this peace can only come through listening to, and living within the safety of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let us all forget the worldly cupcakes and their fools gold promise of instant satiety, and improve our capacity to listen, to hear, and act. When we do so, we will enjoy the eternal fruits, and living water that come through living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Notes:
If we look a bit more closely at the many topics in the last general conference, we can start to see themes. These are our prophets today, are we really listening to them? Are we actively trying to follow their direction and council? Are we listening with a purpose to change ourselves, our habits, and our character?
There is an idiom that references the unintentional stumbling upon a truth, or accomplishment that seems unlikely for the one performing the act. We’ve seen it used frequently in sports, like when Shaquille O’Neal made free throws, or when the Cubs won the World Series, or other such oddities.
It goes like this, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut in the forest every once in a while.”
I was also the recipient of this dagger when I was just beginning my anesthesia training. I wish I had a nickel for each time I heard that phrase while attempting a spinal block, or intubation by the self proclaimed comedians that were training me.
Other similar, yet not as fun, sayings may be also be used interchangeably. These are the “even a broken clock is right twice a day”, and “every dog has its day” options.
Over the last several years, I have found that this principle can apply to almost any situation. Today, I thought it would be fun to see how this principle applies in music.
Often music can be worthless, distracting, and carry messages that are detrimental. Just go look at the lyrics of the billboard top 100 songs right now…on second thought, don’t do that. But, every once in a while, even a blind squirrel finds a nut in the musical forest.
Enter Willie Nelson.
As a disclaimer, I am not proposing that Willie Nelson, nor any of his compatriots, are secret purveyors of gospel principles in their musical repertoire. Hence the intro referencing blind squirrels and nuts. But when it happens, it happens.
The other day as I was listening to music in the car (perusing the forest for some nuts), I heard a song sung by Willie Nelson called “Sunday Morning Coming Down”.
An interesting fact about this song written by Kris Kristofferson was that it became so popular, that it was covered by at least 14 other musicians. They ranged from Johnny Cash to Telly Savalas (I didn’t even know Mr. Las Vegas sang..?). I guess the message resonated with them…
It was an interesting take on the special nature of Sunday, albeit from the outside looking in. He sang about taking a walk on a Sunday morning, after the “beer [he] had for breakfast“, and “one more for desert“. He went outside to clear his smoke filled head, and noticed that he was missing something in his life. Shocker, I know….
“And it took me back to something that I’d lost Somehow, somewhere along the way”
He then tries to describe how he came to realize something was missing. This “something” was apparently more obvious on Sundays. In the process of the song, Willie stumbles upon some truths, even though it’s a slightly indirect inferred kind of truth.
“In the park I saw a daddy With a laughing’ little girl who he was swinging And I stopped beside a Sunday school And listened to the song that they were singing Then I headed back for home And somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringing And it echoed through the canyons Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday”
“On the Sunday morning sidewalk Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned ‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday Makes a body feel alone And there’s nothin’ short of dyin’ Half as lonesome as the sound On the sleeping city sidewalks Sunday morning coming down”
There is something special about Sundays, and about family, and music, and about what we do on Sunday. Sometimes, even those unfamiliar with that special something even recognize it through a smoke filled haze and a beer buzz.
If we want, we can choose to spend our time scouring the musical forest for food, and settle for these occasional nuts, and be happy to survive on the last remaining sip of evaporating rainwater from a hoof-print (True Grit Mr. La Boeuf reference). Or, we can purposefully take our squirrel blinders off, and indulge in the bountiful feast and drink from the fire-hose of good music that is readily available to us.
To better contrast the difference, let’s look at the nutritional value and level of spiritual satiety we experience between Willie’s nut in the forest song, and one of my favorite Hymns.
“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” is amazing. It is my spiritual entree of smoked brisket, lobster mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, washed down with authentic Brazilian Antartica brand Guaraná. It was “prepared” in 1758 by a 22 year old young man in England named Robert Robinson. Even though the gospel hadn’t even been restored yet, many of the beautiful lyrics in this hymn teach principles of the fullness of the gospel. A gospel that would soon would be restored through Joseph Smith. And it is a full 7 course meal.
If we read the menu from the Mack Wilberg arrangement sung by the Tabernacle choir, we can find some doctrinal pearls hidden inside. Its quite a difference from the tangential inferences that we find in our previous song.
Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above; Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come, And I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God. He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be! Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
Seal it for thy courts above.
I love these verses for the imagery they creates for me. Who doesn’t wasn’t to associate with, or sing like heavenly angels? Yes, please. I imagine many of us have been in a place where we simply want to be better, and yearn for and hunger to be a part of the peace that we know exists beyond the veil.
One of the most powerful phrases in the song is when the author describes his weakness. He admits that he was “prone to wander” and “leave the God [he] loves”. We have all been there. We have all had moments, despite our love of the gospel, our Savior, and our Father in Heaven, that we have wandered. I love that in the very next sentence, the author offers his heart, and then begs the Lord to take it, and “seal” it to Him.
In the subsequent stanza, the words “bind” and “like a fetter” are also used to describe the relationship the author sought with God. This is the part that I think I love the most. It is the juicy, tender, and delicious part of the meal…
These phrases are colorful metaphors of the covenants we seek and receive in the temple.
The temple covenants, especially the sealing ordinance, teach us, and remind us of our potential, and worth to our Father in Heaven. They can also elevate us from any feelings of inadequacy, or unworthiness. What a completely nutritious meal that is. If we let that sink in and digest, it is incredibly satisfying.
This recipe is not new. The feeling that Robert Robinson put into words in 1758 is a hunger that has been on the earth from the beginning. We only need to read a few chapters into the Book of Mormon before we see this same sentiment expressed by one of the strongest, most faithful prophets that has ever lived.
“Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted…
…And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.
And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man;…
…Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.”
-2 Nephi 4:17-28
Nephi was able to rejoice after wading through his feelings of inadequacy and falling short. He saw the end from the beginning let’s remember. How difficult would it be to continue trying to teach, encourage, and invest in those around him when he knew that his entire posterity would eventually fall? He saw it. Yet, the deliciousness of the gospel, and the atonement satiated him so completely that he was able to rejoice despite his prophetic knowledge.
I hope we can all find inspiration, encouragement, and fulfillment in the hymns, poems, and scriptures to help us feel more fed, and “sealed” to God. Especially in these times when we all feel so disconnected from each other.
I hope we look to the best sources when we are hungry or thirsty for meaningful sustenance. I hope we strive to receive, or actively remember receiving the sealing ordinance and its promised blessings.
It is ultimately in the temple ordinances, where the earnest hopes and yearnings expressed in Robert Robinson’s hymn are realized.
It is through the atonement of our Savior that the rejoicing described by Nephi can be experienced, and our hunger truly satiated.
“Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.”
-Doctrine and Covenants 84:20
“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou has made.”
If we go the very familiar story of Captain Moroni in chapter 43 of Alma, we learn about his brilliant strategy to defeat the massive Lamanite army led by Zarahemna. Moroni, although severely outnumbered, had done everything in his power to better prepare his Nephite army to go up against the invading Lamanites. He had prepared his soldiers with thick clothing, breastplates, head shields. He also sent spies to watch the movements of the Lamanites. He didn’t just prepare physically, but also sent a petition to the prophet, Alma, to pray and ask the Lord for help in knowing where to go, and what to do in order to protect his people.
Alma did help by inquiring of the Lord and receiving inspiration. He then sent word as to where the Lamanites would be attacking. Moroni then devised a specific plan in order to maximize the Nephite’s effectiveness, and minimize the number of casualties that both sides would suffer.
He split his army on both sides of the River Sidon, and hid part of his army surrounding a valley on the far side. He assigned Lehi, a skilled and fearless captain, to hide and lead the Nephites on the near side of the River.
As the Lamanites approached the river, and passed the hidden army of Lehi, he attacked and quickly drove the Lamanites into and across the river, to where Moroni was waiting. A huge battle ensued. Even though the Nephites were better prepared, and had the advantage of surprise, the Lamanites nearly defeated them.
I never really thought about this whole scene from Lehi’s perspective. He and his soldiers had maintained their position and remained on the opposite bank of the river and had not taken part in the battle between Moroni and Zarahemna. He had to watch and wait.
And Lehi retained his armies upon the bank of the river Sidon that they should not cross.
-Alma 43:40
Lehi had fulfilled his assigned duty which was to drive them across the river. I imagine it would have been extremely hard to stand back and watch as the events unfolded, close enough to see, but beyond his reach, and out of his control. Im sure he wanted to step in, especially as the battle looked to be lost.
I think many of us at times may feel the same way as Lehi did in that moment. Possibly we feel that was as parents standing back as our kids get older and start making decisions on their own. It may even feel like they are just beyond our reach, or out of our control or influence.
We may feel the same was as employees or employers amid business shutdowns secondary to the pandemic. These are devastating and have nothing to do with our own hard work, or how well we do our jobs. Yet, we often struggle and suffer.
Some things are simply out of our hands.
Some of the lessons we can learn through this difficult time have to do with the elusive twin virtues of patience and trust. We are all important parts of a grand master plan that our Heavenly Father is orchestrating. We are here to learn. Sometimes the lessons come in ways we don’t understand. We simply have to do our best to trust in the Lord and his timing.
We can learn from the experience of Joseph Smith and his unfair incarceration in the Liberty jail. His fate was completely out of his hands, even though he had done everything in his power to do what was right. But still he was forced to endure some of the most excruciating moments of his life.
Even in those difficult moments, he received revelation, and assurance from the Lord. He learned the lesson that he shares with us through Doctrine and Covenants section 122, that…
All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for [our] good… Therefore, fear not… for God shall be with you forever and ever.
-Doctrine and Covenants 122:9
Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are with us. Sometimes they feel closer when we demonstrate our complete dependence and reliance on them. Sometimes it takes an excruciating event to catalyze these feelings. Sometimes we are at our most humble and receptive when we do lose control, and are left with no option but to trust and rely on the plan our Father in Heaven has for us.
Let us choose to trust in Him, and show as much patience as we can so that we may also hear the same words that soothed the heart of Joseph Smith…
Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment.
In 2013, Elder Uchtdorf shared a poem written in 1872, by John Godfrey Saxe about the Six blind men of Indostan who went to see an elephant. Each man touched only a single part of the animal, the ears, tail, leg, etc., and then attempted to describe the whole animal. Although accurate in their particular portion of the elephant they had touched, when they attempted to describe the whole animal, they were all wrong. They were simply unable to see the complete picture. They lacked the proper perspective.
For many of us, it may be equally difficult to see the big picture when we are engrossed in our daily grind, and focused on the struggles we may be experiencing. These last few months have provided plenty of opportunities to struggle.
Paul encouraged patience in our perspective when he said, “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
-1 Corinthians 13:12
It can be enormously difficult to see through the “glass darkly” to understand our big picture, or the nature of life’s elephants given our limited view. It is difficult or even impossible to understand the reasons for the struggles we face. Especially when they are completely overwhelming.
We read of another example of this in the Book of Genesis.After Adam and Eve had partaken of the fruit, and had been sent forth out of the Garden of Eden, their life had obviously changed. The easy life was over. The struggle had just begun. The days of ease and plenty had suddenly come to an end.
The Lord explained their change in scenery this way…
“I will greatly multiply thy sorrow…
Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life… Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee…
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken:
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”
-Genesis 3:16-19
At first glance, this seems like a severe punishment, or banishment into a life of misery, from which there could be no relief nor hope for happiness. It would be hard to see it any other way.
But, there was a little sprinkling of a hint that suggests another possible motive. The Lord stated that He would multiply their sorrow, and that the curse would be “for [their] sake”. And, if we keep reading, only a few verses later, the Lord opens our eyes to the proper big-picture perspective, which is His perspective.
“And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us…”
-Genesis 3:22
The Lord saw the Fall of Adam and Eve as progress towards becoming more like Him, not moving further away.Maybe the obstacles in our paths aren’t stumbling blocks alone, but can also serve as steps that continuously lead us up and forward.
In Hebrews, Paul teaches about how, and why, the Lord often intervenes in our lives.
As we read these verses, let’s maintain the belief that the Lord has our well being and divine development in mind. Let’s swap out the word “chastise” and replace it with the word “challenge”, and see if it helps us realize what the Lord is trying to accomplish.
“…My son, despise not thou the [challenging] of the Lord, nor faint when thou art [challenged] of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he [challengeth], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure [challenging], God dealeth with you as with sons;
for what son is he whom the father [challengeth] not?
Now no [challenging] for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.”
-Hebrews 12:5-12
It has been a rough few months, but let’s us lift up our hanging hands, strengthen our feeble knees, and maybe try and expand our view to account for the eternal perspective. The Lord loves us.He sends us challenges to overcome in order to help us develop into our best selves.
Just this week, in our come follow me lesson, Alma counsels us that we…
“…should be humble and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.”
-Alma 7:23
I know that if we keep our eyes open to the Lord’s eternal plan for us, and allow ourselves to be changed into who we can be, we can look forward to hearing the words from Heaven, just as our first parents did,that we have “become as one of [them]”
The last few months have been the quite a ride. If we listen to the different sources of news and even look outside, there is such a torrent of information. Most of the time, it is conflicting information. Our world, it seems, is in a constant back and forth as to what is true and what isn’t. What is right, and what is wrong. This seems contrary to what our Father in Heaven wants for us.
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace”
– 1 Corinthians 14:33
These situations make it difficult to know exactly who, or what, to believe. This sets the table for massive confusion, uncertainty, doubt, and anxiety. The world needs a source that we can trust and have full confidence in.
Our Father in Heaven is that perfect source. And He has already promised to help!
“If any of you lack wisdom,let him ask of God, …and it shall be given him.”
-James 1:5
I love the story of the Brother of Jared. We can learn so much through his experiences, and his example. He has shown us exactly how we can receive the knowledge, or revelation, and gain the assurance of what is right and wrong. This can help guide our day to day life decisions, as well as help us through the confusion of the outside world.
We don’t all have the same problems as the Brother of Jared. He had to come up with a way to provide light for eight windowless homemade boats. This light had to last enough to travel across (or even through) the “raging deep” to a distant promised land.
But, sometimes our problems seem just as difficult to navigate.
In Ether we read how the Brother of Jared approached the Lord, and why he received an answer to his request.
“Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.
And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
-Ether 3:3,4
The Brother of Jared approached the Lord in complete humility. He recognized his faults, andiniquity, and also recognized that the Lord had already shown mercy to him and his people. He also then approached the Lord in faith, acknowledging the power of the Lord to provide light through the stones that he had prepared.
King Benjamin also encouraged the Nephites to practice this same humility and faith in order to receive knowledge of the truth.
“…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 4:11,12
I hope we can all do our best to seek knowledge and revelation for our own individual lives from the source of all truth. Especially in this time when the truth seems so elusive. We can have the peace and direction we seek if we approach our Father in Heaven in humility and faith.
“Learn of me, and listen to my words, walk in the meekness of my spirit and ye shall have peace in me.”
4 brothers blog 