When our Heavenly Father wanted to save the world, He didn’t take over a country or develop a militia. He sent a helpless child to a choice and worthy woman and a humble and believing man living in insecure circumstances in a conquered land occupied by a hostile force. The harsh geopolitical and military circumstances of Christ’s birth should remind us that Heavenly Father can bless us even if the external circumstances of our lives aren’t necessarily easy or peaceful.¹

Jesus taught: “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God”² and “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”³

King Benjamin explained that we must put off the natural man and “[become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] 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”⁴

That is quite a list but for now, I am going to focus on two qualities. 1) Being full of love, and 2) Being willing to submit to all things which the Lord inflicts upon us.

It is easy to find examples of these child-like behaviors in the scriptures.

Now…

Paul, after he explains charity, states: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”⁵

To be child-like is not the same as being childish. There is an important distinction there. Obviously, as we learn, practice, and develop, our behavior should change. Child-like qualities of innocence, humility, simplicity, faith, and love should grow and mature into traits like wisdom, leadership, accountability, dependability, and self-mastery.⁶

Examples of child-like behavior in the scriptures:

We have to start with our perfect example in all ways, Jesus Christ. We celebrate the baby born in Bethlehem not simply for the miraculous birth, but also for his selfless life, infinite atonement, and perfect resurrection. Christ grew in wisdom and stature, he performed miracles and commanded the elements, but he never became full of himself or slothful. Isaiah described his as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”⁷, but our Lord and Savior never complained, murmured, nor shirked his exceptional responsibility. He didn’t constantly groan under the weight of His office.¹

He served others, shared joy, and became the light of the world. He was, (as King Benjamin taught) full of love, and willing to submit to the Father. In the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”⁸

Another example, this time from the Book of Mormon: The people of Alma were oppressed, beaten, and had heavy burdens placed upon their backs. When they prayed, they were threatened with death, but they continued to pray in their hearts. Their prayers were heard. “And it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord”.⁹

The people of Alma demonstrated child-like qualities of love and submission to God’s will. They were blessed with strength to endure and overcome the afflictions placed upon them.

We can all think of someone that we know who demonstrates these child-like qualities.

My friend, Sean Thomas has been described as ‘stubbornly optimistic’. And he is.  He radiates happiness, and no matter what life throws at him, he is smiling right back. He has a child’s love and happiness. He is child-like in the best ways.

Grandpa Ralph is a man who is full of love and willing to submit to the will of our Heavenly Father (and to the will of his wife). He did not always have an easy go at life, he has endured trials while lifting and teaching others, all while maintaining a cheerful attitude.

To fully appreciate this brief story, you have to have known Ralph and Deon, and their awesome and inspiring relationship. The following exchange can be found on family search submitted by Grandpa Ralph himself:

TIME: Some time in the 1980’s.

HITCHCOCK HOME PHONE RINGS: RALPH ANSWERS: “Hello, this is the hen pecked husband at the Happy Hitchcock House… May I help you?”

DEON: (over hearing the salutation) ” !! RRAALLPPHH !!

RALPH: “It’s Helen, and it’s for you.”

RALPH: (Unstated comment to himself) “Being a happily hen pecked husband is one of the pillars of our good marriage. But, because Deon did her hen pecking with such a style and precision that I not only accepted it, (most of it) and depended on it to benefit our marriage. But, I had to let her know that I knew what she was doing.”

Grandpa Ralph liked to tease his true love, he liked to laugh… as did Deon. Now, before you get upset, you should know that every person who ever saw my Grandfather interact in any way with my Grandmother, knew that he loved her dearly. He would do anything for her – no question. There is no way that anyone could deny that. He was cheerful.

My little boy Blake is a tangible example to us of child-like behavior. He can’t talk or give sermons on Christ-like attitudes and how we can achieve them. He does, however serve others and spread happiness. He likes to smile at people. When he does, he spreads love and light, it is really neat to see. It is something so simple, but smiling when we see others really can make a difference.

Joseph Smith, while in Liberty Jail wrote to the saints: “a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves. Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God”.¹⁰

We celebrate Christmas and the birth of the Lord for what Jesus grew to be and what he has done for us. With the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the power of his grace and atonement, we can change, we can grow. We can strive to be as children and cheerfully submit to His will, because, as Pual taught: “When we are weak, then we are strong”¹¹

————————————————————————-

1. Scott E. Ferrin, Christmas and Christ’s Invitation to Become as a Little Child: What Manner… BYU Speech Dec. 10, 2013.
2. Luke 18:16
3. Matthew 18:3
4. Mosiah 3:19
5. 1 Corinthians 13:11
6. Derek A. Cuthbert, The Meaning of Maturity, General Conference, Oct 1982
7. Isaiah 53:3
8. Luke 22:42
9. Mosiah 24:15
10. Doctrine and Covenants 123:16-17
11. 2 Corinthians 12:10

I love to ski. One of my favorite parts of skiing actually comes after you have ‘dominated’ the slopes – or repeatedly slammed your backside all over the mountain. It is after you limp back to the lodge and realize how sore your feet are. It happens when you sit down after a long, awesome day. It is taking off your ski boots.

It is feet nirvana. It is truly sweet relief.

So…

A couple days ago I accompanied the Elders to a couple appointments that they had made. One was to a less active member that went really well. We left feeling excited, uplifted, and happy. It was fantastic.

The second appointment was with a very good man. He had spent years studying the Bible and doing his best to follow Jesus Christ. Through the visit we felt that we were spinning our wheels and that we were just not going to accomplish much. It was not confrontation at all, but it was not at all like our first appointment.

I dropped off the Elders at their apartment for the night and started home. I felt disappointed, saddened, and even a bit confused while pondering the discussion we had. I pulled over, said a brief prayer, and turned the music on.¹

I hit play, and no more than two notes into the song I felt an almost instant calm. It felt like I was taking off ski boots. It was a very perceptible relief and peace. My mind was able to slow down, and my testimony grew.

The spirit communicates to each of us differently and individually. When I feel the spirit it is usually a calm, peaceful feeling – like being wrapped up in a warm quilt. I have also, on occasion, felt a burning in my chest that I cannot deny. I can now say that the spirit made me feel an intense relief – like removing ski boots.²

Our Savior knows us individually. The Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.³ I don’t think this means English or Spanish or whatever other language you speak with your physical mouth and vocal cords. The spirit knows how we think, what motivates us, and how to prick our hearts and pierce our souls with stillness.⁴ During Christ’s ministry on this continent he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.⁵ The Lord can speak to us absolutely and in a way that is perfectly custom fit for our ears and hearts.

The hymn that ‘happened’ to be playing when I turned the music on?… Where Can I Turn for Peace. The tender mercies of the Lord are real. They are free. They are awesome. They are not random coincidence.⁶

‘Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish? Who, who can understand? He, only one.

He answers privately, reaches my reaching, In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.

Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching. Constant He is and kind, Love without end.’⁷

¹ I am obsessed with Ben Howington and his guitar. His version of ‘We’ll Bring the World His Truth’ is amazing, but I hate to single out one song because I think that all of his stuff is lights out. I pretty much listen to him non-stop. Mormonguitar.com if you care.

² There are many descriptions of how the spirit makes us feel. We find several in the scriptures. I heard a great description not too long ago in a testimony meeting though – the speaker explained that to him, the spirit feels like “liquid sunshine” is being poured over him. I thought that was so great.

³ 2 Nephi 31:3

⁴ Jarom 1:12, 3 Nephi 17:3

⁵ 3 Nephi 17:21

⁶ ‘The tender mercies of the Lord’ by David A. Bednar – In addition to an extremely relevant post by Colby.

⁷ Hymnbook #129 — Also referenced by Colby recently here.

Also, if you have not read the First Presidency Preface in the Hymn Book in a while, it’s worth a refresher. “Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns… We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.”

Sound familiar? You are probably remembering Tyson’s thoughts on the Spirit of Christmas. For Riley’s take on hymns.

Your lungs are awesome. They magically make you breathe to regulate a precise balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, among several other jobs critical to life. They do this despite your best efforts to overcome this balance. The lungs even have a super secret stash of air that is used only in emergencies. In fact, it is very difficult to access this stash. In order to access it, you have to stop breathing.

I’m not talking like hold your breath stop breathing, but chemically induced apnea stop breathing. When someone is given a drug that shuts off the breathing center in the lungs and the brain, the body quickly uses the available oxygen and, if needed, opens the secret stash called the functional residual capacity (FRC) to stay alive.

Interestingly enough, the air we breathe in (and the air in the FRC) is only about 21 percent oxygen and the average adult uses about 3-4 mL of oxygen/kilogram/minute to maintain an adequate oxygen level. So the average 150-pound person needs about 280 mL of oxygen/minute. Now, the secret FRC lung vault can hold about 2 liters of air. So, 21 percent of 2 liters is 420 – this means that right now, your FRC has 420 mL of available oxygen should you receive a lethal dose of Propofol. Knowing that you need approximately 280 mL of oxygen, this would give you about (420/280 = 1.5) one and a half minutes before the oxygen level in your blood starts to drop.

Still with me? If you need to take a break and grab a drink or something, I understand. We haven’t got to the awesome part yet…

Upon inducing anesthesia, we frequently induce apnea and take over the respiratory system. We do not often tell our patients that we will administer a lethal dose of Propofol in order to induce apnea. We say that you (the patient) will fall asleep and you will wake up. Let’s be honest, you don’t care about the details, you just want to be out…

Anyway, we understand how to monitor and manipulate the FRC for everyone’s benefit. As I have just explained it would take around a minute and a half of not breathing before we see any changes on the monitor. It really shouldn’t take longer than that for your CRNA to take over your breathing and start to mechanically deliver oxygen in order to sustain life. There are several techniques and tools that we learn to use to do this most efficiently, and it is awesome. But… things don’t always go smoothly. The real trick is understanding or predicting the patients who are at greater risk than normal and preventing those bad situations, giving yourself the best possible chance for success and safety.

At this point, I feel that I should tell you that anesthesia is very safe and that this is precisely what anesthesia providers have been trained for, and it really is what we do everyday, several times a day… If you asked me to analyze some data about marketing or customer satisfaction and present it to a board of anybody, I would be terrified…

Now, there is a very simple practice called pre-oxygenation that your CRNA can use in order to make sure that you are safe and that your oxygen level remains perfectly within the happy brain zone. Earlier we learned about how the air (and the FRC) contains 21 percent oxygen. Prior to surgery, your CRNA will put a mask on your face and have you take several deep breaths of 100 percent oxygen. Filling your lungs (and your FRC) with 100 percent oxygen has some amazing consequences. Lets do more math… here comes the awesome part…

As mentioned above, your FRC at 21 percent gives you 1.5 minutes of high oxygen levels. If you fill your FRC with 100 percent oxygen, you get 2000 mL or oxygen (instead of air). Knowing that you need 280 mL or oxygen/minute to keep levels up, math tells you that you theoretically get (2000/280 = 7.1) 7 minutes before your oxygen levels will drop.

Yes, you could shut your lungs down for more than 7 minutes before your oxygen levels even start to decrease. That means that after pre-oxygenation, I could give you a drug that would stop you from breathing, leave the O.R., walk down the hall to the cafeteria, grab a doughnut, sit and eat the doughnut, walk back, wash my hands, and come back into the O.R. before your oxygen levels drop.

Now, of course there are disease processes and several conditions that alter this, and I am simplifying things, but the basis remains true. One and a half minutes of safe oxygen levels versus 7 minutes of safe oxygen levels is very significant. And all this due to the simple means of applying a mask for a few moments before surgery… such a simple thing can greatly increase a patient’s safety and security.

So… What does this have to do with anything that belongs on this blog?

In Alma 49, we learn about the city of Noah: “the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, yea, even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah.”

What are the means of Moroni?  He used simple means: dirt, sticks, and rocks to create great things: impenetrable forts.  These provided safety and security to his people.  But more than that, Moroni “had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God” (Alma 48:7).  Faith and trust in the Lord was the true strength of Moroni’s armies.

Our simple means include the primary answers…

Daily scripture study is a simple process that plays a crucial role in keeping us safe and secure against the adversary. It brings strength and inspiration in times of need. Church attendance and partaking of the sacrament is a simple way to fill your spiritual FRC with 100 percent goodness. Like pre-oxygenation, prayer does not have to take hours to be affective. The blessings of simple obedience are endless. Let’s invest our time and trust in the basics. After all, by small and simple things are great things brought to pass (Alma 37:6).

Perspective is the way we see things when we look at them from a certain distance… It is like being in a forest and having a tree in front of you. Unless we step back, we will not be able to appreciate what a forest really is. So what is the eternal perspective of the Gospel?

Our loving heavenly Father has created a plan for us. This plan is called the plan of happiness. We chose to participate in this plan by coming to earth, gaining experience, and learning so that we could return to Him and receive a fullness of joy.

“Understanding this plan of happiness provides us with an eternal perspective and helps us to truly value the commandments, the ordinances, the covenants, and the trials and tribulations. ” – Elder Pino

1. Understanding and having an eternal perspective helps us truly value the commandments.

The commandments are the rules. Elder Holland said: we need [you] to stay on [the team] and stop dribbling out of bounds just when we need you to get in the game and play your hearts out! In almost all athletic contests of which I know, there are lines drawn on the floor or field within which every participant must stay in order to compete.”

The rules or commandments are not there to hinder us or keep us reigned in from having fun. The rules are there to make sure we are having fun!

I grew up across the street from a complex of baseball fields. There were 6 in total. Fields 1, 5, and 6 were used for little league games, the other were used for pony league, and high school ball. I played baseball every summer and it seemed like everyone else did. After our games, my friends and I would stick around and play baseball until it was so dark that we couldn’t see the ball anymore.   There were never enough of us to play full on baseball, so we would play ‘double-or-nothing’. I loved playing on fields 5 and 6. But we quit well before dark if we had to play on field 1.

Field 1 didn’t have an outfield fence. This created 2 problems. 1) the ball would roll forever. This made for really long innings of the 2 outfielders running all over the place. 2) Because the field didn’t really end there were people in the “outfield” that we had to watch out for… They didn’t understand that six 12-year-old kids were in the middle of a very important game – and it couldn’t wait. It wasn’t fun to try and explain to them that the ball was flying at them because they were in our field. That is when I learned that boundaries were actually a good thing.

Could you imagine playing soccer or football without any out of bounds?

That is only part of it… We have all probably played a game before where someone is bending the rules a bit. I think we all know who I am talking about…

Not only is it not fun to play without boundaries, it is not fun to play with others who don’t follow the rules and it is even worse when you are playing with others who don’t know that rules. Football without rules would be a bloody free for all.

So… having an eternal perspective not only helps us keep the commandments, but also helps us truly value them (especially the hard ones like home teaching or service or Sabbath day observance). The commandments exist to help bring us happiness. If you are struggling with a commandment, it will help to approach the commandment using an eternal perspective.

2. Understanding and having an eternal perspective helps us truly value ordinances and covenants.

Ordinances and covenants can be very powerful. How often do we remember the importance of taking the sacrament and what it really means? Many of us have made covenants.   Do we always remember them?

I know that for me personally I need to be much better and keep an eternal perspective regarding covenants. It is easy for me to remember the contracts that I have signed regarding work, a car, a house, etc.… and I get caught up in mortal contracts and the consequences of them, but do not always take the time to evaluate and ponder the eternal covenants that I have made. I invite you all to re-study and re-ponder the importance and the power of the sacrament and the other ordinances and covenants that you have made.

3. Understanding and having and eternal perspective helps us truly value the trials and tribulations.

Jesus Christ told Joseph Smith: “Peace by unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.”

Speaking to His apostles, He said: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

He reassured Moroni: “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble… for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

How can we ‘truly value’ the “gift” of weakness? These scriptures teach us that we are to endure our afflictions well, be of good cheer, be humble, and have faith…

We will struggle, we will fail – that is part of life. But if we have the right perspective, we can come to value the trials and tribulations. The Lord has said that he gives us weakness. It is up to us to decide whether to value and use the gift, or to throw it outside in hopes that some passerby will come by and pick it up.

An example of this can be found in the book of Mormon. Ammon is with the servants of king Lamoni. The bad guys come and scatter the flocks because they are bad guys. Ammon knows that he is on the Lord’s errand. He has an eternal perspective on things. The servants of King Lamoni are on the king’s errand. They have a temporal or mortal perspective. Let’s see and compare how they feel about the same trial…

The servants said: ‘Now the servants of the king began to murmur, saying: Now the king will slay us, as he has our brethren because their flocks were scattered by the wickedness of these men. And they began to weep exceedingly.’

Compared that response to: ‘Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth… the power which is in me… that I may lead them to believe in my words.

Completely opposite feelings, servants were weeping while Ammon felt joy. That is the difference of perspective and faith. Nephi and his older brothers provide another example of this. They went through the same trials and tribulations. They were together. Nephi knew he was on the Lord’s errand and had an eternal perspective. His brothers were following what they thought were the foolish imaginings of their father. Their perspective was mortal.

The trials were not easier for Ammon or Nephi, but having the proper perspective made an enormous difference in every aspect of their lives.

Elder Pino states: “It is extremely important that we do not make decisions of eternal value from the perspective of mortality… The Lord knows what He wants to accomplish with each of us. He knows the kind of reform He wants to achieve in our lives, and we do not have the right to counsel Him. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.”

Again, we all have struggles.   Continue in obedience, really push yourself. Try even harder and you will see the blessings. They will come I promise you. As you continue to keep the commandments (especially the hard ones) and pray to see the eternal perspective… YOU WILL SEE IT.

My Grandfather has a tie. This is a very special tie. It was given to him by his true love. In all of my experiences with them together I never saw anything but unconditional love from my grandfather toward my grandmother. She has since passed on and is now in heaven making sure all things are in order, that everyone is using correct grammar, and overseeing the flowerbeds.

I noticed this special tie at my sister’s wedding. The entire family was outside the temple waiting for the couple. I approached and told him that I liked his tie. He thanked me, smiled and in true Grandpa Ralph fashion, began to teach.

He taught me that each Scottish clan had their colors or specific plaid pattern that they would wear. It made me think of flags or banners used in war – individual titles of liberty, if you will. Everyone knew who you were and to whom you belonged based on the colors you wore. He was wearing his prized McIntosh plaid tie.

My grandmother was a McIntosh… and you knew it… red hair and all. She had given him the tie. Grandpa continued to tell me that he wore this tie on special occasions when he thought that Grandma would have liked to be there (such as weddings and baptisms).² He joked that the only problem with the tie was that most of the family thinks that he only owns one tie.

He continued, still in true Grandpa Ralph fashion, now to apply his lesson on Scottish history to me. He asked me my middle name. Its Sam. He asked me where I got my middle name. He reminded me that I am named after a great man. A McIntosh. And that the colors that he was wearing, are my colors too.

Fast forward several months…

I received a package in the mail 4 days ago. Included were a McIntosh crest and a tie. This is a very special tie. It was given to me by someone I truly love. It is my very own McIntosh plaid tie. ‘Coincidentally’ enough I spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday (two days after receiving the tie) about keeping an eternal perspective and how it helps give us the right motivation. It was only on my way to church as I was thinking about how awesome I looked in my new tie that I truly understood what this tie was all about to me.

Yes, it symbolized my grandmother and grandfather, their legacy, their love and teaching, and their examples of discipleship… but the thought was given to me that I should zoom out and look at things from a farther off perspective. That is when it really hit me. Men had been wearing McIntosh plaid for years and years and years before I was born. Good men, like my grandfather, and great grandfather. I was just one person carrying the colors. Family is so important. Names are not always just names. The gospel of Jesus Christ is eternal. My hope now is that someday my children, (especially my first, because of his name) will understand how awesome a responsibility it is to wear McIntosh plaid.

²Grandpa was at my son’s baptism some days after the wedding wearing his McIntosh plaid tie. It meant a great deal to me. I was very happy to see him, and I was very happy to see the tie. I do want to say that, while I have gained a tremendous amount of love and respect for the McIntosh name, it takes nothing away from what it means to me to be an Alexander. I have been compared to other Alexanders my whole life, and I am humbled to be included in the group.