The Master of Ocean and Earth and Skies

26 Thursday May 2016

Posted by Colby Alexander in Battle, Divinity, Example, General, Humility, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Loyalty, Obedience, Opposition, Optimism, Patience, Power, Pride, Prophets, Strength, Success, Weakness, Weather

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Everyday life is full of gospel lessons. They are everywhere. You just have to look for them. Who would have ever thought that even Saturday morning cartoons could teach us about the Savior and His power! Yes, even Donald Duck can teach us.

I want to share a certain scripture and then go on to explain how the lesson in this scripture can be shown in a Donald Duck cartoon, and then how it came to life in another powerful way in the late 1700’s. It will be a bit like Bill and Ted’s excellent gospel adventure. Hang on.

The scripture is in Luke. Chapter 8 verse 25. This is Jesus and his desciples speaking in a boat. Jesus had just calmed the angry seas during a sudden storm on their way across a certain lake, simply by commanding them to be still…

“And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him”?

This is the same story that inspired the Hymn “Master, the Tempest is Raging”. The lyrics are a perfect set up for the rest of this post. Especially the part about the late 1700’s. Here is the second verse, and the chorus…

Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master.
Oh, hasten and take control!

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.

The cool part of the story and the hymn, is that we learn that the Savior has power over everything! Including the winds, water, weather, and all the elements. We learn the same lesson in the Book of Mormon when Lehi and Nephi are crossing the ocean, and Laman and Lemuel tie Nephi up so they can have their little dance party. Only by repenting, releasing Nephi, and a subsequent petition sent to the Master of earth and skies, does the storm cease! The weather is controlled by the Lord!

Now, back to Saturday morning cartoons. In this next little clip, Donald learns all about this same principle. Sometimes the weather does funny things. Things that don’t exactly make sense. It can be sunny one second, and rainy the next. Check this out…..

Donald Duck learns the hard way that weather can only be controlled by the Lord! Normal men cannot be blamed, nor take the credit for good, or bad weather! Its God’s little way of making sure that He alone is responsible for it. When He doesn’t want you to go golfing in sunny weather, you don’t go!

Now, lets rewind to the year 1776. General George Washington had picked a fight with the largest most powerful Army/Navy/Military in the world at the time. Great Britain. He’s got a bunch of volunteer farmers fighting for him, who aren’t exactly striking fear into the British. The odds are that the “war” will be over in about 10 minutes, it was like Mike Tyson vs Steve Urkel. The Rebel soldiers had no chance. They weren’t as well trained, well equipped, or as numerous. The one thing they did have on their side, however, was the Master of Ocean and Earth and Skies! This is how He played his part….

Example 1. The Battle of Dorchester heights. This little battle was just outside of Boston. The British had taken control of the port city, and Washington and his little army was just outside wondering what on earth they could possibly do to fight and not get blown away. One of Washington’s colonels, Henry Knox, had heard that way over in New Jersey the Americans had captured some Cannons and supplies, and that if he could go see if he could get them to Boston, They might have a chance. Washington sent him off, and a few months later, Henry Knox returned with 120,000 pounds of morters and cannon. But here is where the details of the story go right along with Donald Duck. After getting to Fort Ticonderoga where the Cannons had been taken, he built sleds to transport them back to Boston, although no snow was on the ground. That took faith. He then waited several days, until Christmas Day, when a blizzard hit, and the Hudson river froze over, allowing for easy crossing. By January 1776 his delivery was made. The customized weather allowed the quick transport all the way back to Boston. But, that wasn’t all. More heavenly weather would come!

Henry Knox

The new cannon had to be sent to the top of the Hill to overlook and bomb Boston. The only problem was, if the British saw the Americans hauling cannons up the hill, they would have attacked with their huge numbers, and mopped the floor with them. So, of course, the Lord sent a heavenly haze to conceal their move up to Dorchester Heights above Boston, right in front of the British lines. Unseen. But, the Lord wasn’t done yet.

Washington now had his cannon on top of the hill, but was still way outnumbered by the British. General Howe, the British commander, then decided to send his War-boats to cross the harbor and attack Washington’s spot on the hill. But, as the British sent the boats off, the day, which had started abnormally warm and pleasant, changed by nightfall into a storm that Washington’s officers called the “hurrycane” of hail, snow, and sleet!

Two British boats were blown ashore. One American Leutenant said it was the worst storm he had ever seen. Talk about a bad day. Just to add salt to the wound, after these divine weather interventions, there happened to be a sudden outbreak of small pox in Boston where the British troops were stationed. They had seen enough, they were just like Donald Duck trying to golf, and soon thereafter said, “peace out” and left Boston!

The British were stunned. But if we look back and examine it through gospel lenses, we see a pattern that is forming. Consider this scripture in 2 Nephi. Its describing the wealthy, powerful, and worldly. See if it fits in this context…

“And the harp, and the aviol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.”

-2 Nephi 15:12

Example 2. Escape from Brooklyn Heights. Washington’s tactics in the war were often just a matter of not getting wiped of the face of the earth. More like a prevent defense, or not losing, rather than going for the knockout win. One of these grand escapes was in Brooklyn. This miracle happened after Washington’s troops were surrounded and cornered on 3 sides by British soldiers, and blocked off by the East river on the 4th side. The British Navy had hundreds of ships in New York Harbor and was sending ships up the river to completely surround Washington’s troops. He had already lost 25% of his army in the previous days of fighting. It was pretty hopeless. The war would be over in those next 10 minutes. Well, not exactly. Maybe just as soon as the rain stopped pounding the area, making it impossible to keep the powder dry, or even move in the mud. No knockout attacks were possible. Weird huh? Not really, if we know who sent the rain!

For some reason, Washington decided to wait for 3 days, then, on the 3rd night, attempt a daring overnight escape. All the troops will be silently sent across the East river on small boats. The same river that the British were coming up in order to surround them. It was supposed to be game over. The British only had one single problem. The Lord was on the American side. And, again, being all powerful, He controls the weather!

That night, an abnormal northeasterly wind picked up, preventing the British ships from being able to come up the river to cut off Washington’s escape. Then at 9 pm, the wind shifted and blew to the west to help Washington’s boats escape. When morning came, not all the troops were across yet, so, not a problem, the Lord sent a fog so thick that “no one could see a man even 6 yards away” but this fog was only on the long island side of the river, on the New York side, it was clear as a bell. As the last of the boats entered the water, the fog started to lift, and the British moved in, only to find an abandoned camp! The timing was so perfect, that the British even took a few shots at the last boats that were just out of range.

Washington’s 9000 men escaped! And just to make sure the British didn’t immediately follow and destroy them the next day, a fire broke out in the city just in time to take away the British soldiers attention.

What was it exactly that made the Americans different? Why did the Lord help them, and not the British?

Two simple reasons stand out. First, America is a covenant land. The Jaradites were lead here, the Mulekites were lead here, and the Nephites were lead here. To this land. For that reason alone, we know that “inasmuch as ye keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land”! The covenant stands even today. The covenant is for the land, not only the people on it.

The second reason was that Washington was not your everyday commander. He was a very religious man. He understood exactly who was ultimately in control of the outcome of the war. He knew that “Providence” was America’s only hope for victory. He demanded that his men lived virtuously. He demanded that they watched their language, that they had scripture study, and that they prayed to petition the help of the Master of ocean and earth and skies! He was just like Moroni, and Mormon. He knew that his soldiers needed to be worthy of the blessings of Heaven, or they had no chance. They were completely dependent on Him. Sound familiar? Sounds just like the people of Limhi, and the people of Ammon, and the People of Alma. History really does repeat itself.

That is why America won the war. She was led by a man who understood that God was in charge. During his inaugural address, Washington said this…

“No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency”

Remember, the Lord needed a nation built on religious freedom in order to garner in His last dispensation of the gospel. The United States constitution was ratified and officially binding in 1788, only 17 years later, in 1805, Joseph Smith was born.

No matter how helpless the situation may seem, we can learn the lessons over and over both in the scriptures and out. Gods people will prevail. Our loyalty needs to be to Him. He will never forget them. Even when its raining! Let’s always try to be worthy to be called His People.

“And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;”

-Moses 7:61

Stealing Signs of the Times

01 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by Colby Alexander in Book of Mormon, General, Jesus Christ

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I love baseball. Some people hate it, and think its the most boring game ever invented. But, if you have ever played it, you start to understand all the little intricacies and strategies that happen covertly just under the surface. Its like a game of chess or poker. Each at bat is a separate war between the pitcher and the batter, the runners and the infielders, the guessing game of the type and location of each pitch, and the placement of the outfielders. Every little thing counts. Even a little tiny detail can be used as an advantage.

Because of this, baseball is full of secret signs to communicate strategies between the managers and the players, or between the players themselves. At the same time, the other team spends the whole game trying to decipher those signals to gain the advantage. And it’s a worth while endeavor because some seemingly insignificant bit of intercepted information can mean the difference in the game.

When I was playing in high school, I had an at bat I won’t ever forget. I was up to bat with a runner on second base. I was facing a very good pitcher from American Fork. He was about 6’4″ and 240 lbs, and was throwing his fastball in the 90 mph range-which is not easy to hit, by the way.

We weren’t having much success against him needless to say. After he delivered his first pitch, a nasty curve ball, that I swung at and missed horribly, the catcher did something I had never seen or heard before. He complained loudly about how the pitcher had missed the sign. It was supposed to be a fastball, but a curve came.

Not only did he complain, but he lazily yelled out to the pitcher that it was the “second” one, meaning the second sign out of the 6 or 7 given. The catcher usually flashes these hand signals to the pitcher to hide, or disguise the pitch from any possible spies, like the one I had standing on 2nd base.

So, what did I do? I casually walked over to the 3rd base coach to pretend like I was confused about something, and let him know that I had just discovered the pitcher/catcher code. He then, in turn, casually called the runner on second, over to have a mini-conference. During this huddle, he told him to watch for the second sign given by the catcher, and pass that info on to me, the batter, through a previously designed secret sign of our own – open hands for a curve, and closed hands for a fastball.

It was a brilliant plan, a perfectly perfect clandestine operation was taking place. It was perfect because the second base runner stands almost directly behind the pitcher when he leads off, and is in the perfect spot to pass on the sign to the waiting batter as he crouches into his lead, and hangs his hands down. If this worked, I would soon know which pitch was coming. And, as we learn from GI Joe, knowing is half the battle.

So, I tapped my cleats, and stood into the box, and peered right behind the pitcher to my teammate leading off of second base. As the pitcher finally nodded his head and readied for the pitch, I saw his two hands hanging down in clenched fists. A fastball. I knew it 1 second before it left the pitcher’s hand. I knew what was coming. I had the advantage.

I took my step, and confidently swung at that pitch as it howled in towards the plate at 90 mph. Then, the pitcher’s head whiplashed back at about that same speed as the ball exploded off my bat, out of the infield, flew over the left fielder, and over the fence for a home run. It was hard not to smirk too much as I jogged around the bases. Mission accomplished.

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. Sometimes all you need to know, is what pitch is coming.

This principle is demonstrated over and over again in the Book of Mormon. If we read it, we soon realize that history has repeated itself. Over and over again. Mormon, by inspiration, compiled and abridged an almost perfect book to teach us all we need to know to be successful in our lives. Not only within our own families, but within our communities and countries.

The key to all of this success is Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon details over and over again the struggles of a people trying to survive in a difficult world. Sometimes they thrived, other times, not so much. But, through it all, we learn that happiness and prosperity come through faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ.

In Mormon chapter 7, the whole purpose of the Book of Mormon is summarized in a few verses. Think of this chapter as our secret signal from our runner on second base. It tells us in a few sentences, what is important. Mormon says….

“Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.”

“Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.”

“Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.”

“…Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you…”

“For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe…”

“…And if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior,… it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.”

Mormon gave us the signs from second base. We know what is coming. We know how to prepare for the pitches from Satan. We know how he will deliver the pitch, and how to hit it. But, our success comes only if we pay attention to the small details, and ACT on them. Real success comes when we commit ourselves to follow Jesus Christ.

The Lord has given us the advantage to win the game against evil. This advantage is the Book of Mormon. It teaches us that the only way to win is to believe in Christ, and follow him. Thats it. Simple. By using this advantage, we can know whats coming, we can see clearly, and have confidence in our abilities to succeed. If we truly commit, and use this advantage the Lord has provided for us, we can, and will succeed.

5 Josephs

28 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by Colby Alexander in Example, Fatherhood, General, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Prophets, Resurrection

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Joseph

One of the cool things that comes with Christmas, are the new videos that the church puts out around this time. This year was a good one showing the birth of Christ through Joseph’s eyes. If you missed it, Here it is. These videos keep getting better and better. I really liked the fact that Mary and Joseph, and everyone around doesn’t look like they were born in Idaho, or that they are in the theatrical production department at BYU. They actually look, and speak as if they were in that part of the world. It makes it a lot easier to imagine what it would have been like in Jerusalem during that time.

We don’t really know a lot about Joseph through the scriptures, but we can draw several conclusions based on what we do know. The one simple thing that stands out to me is the name “Joseph”. I don’t think anything, especially having to do with the life of Jesus Christ, is by chance. Joseph’s name was not by chance. This was the man who would raise a perfect son. He would be the fatherly example to the one who would be the perfect example.

Just for fun, lets check out all the other Josephs we know. The pattern we see will show us that the name Joseph is kind of a big deal. As we think, maybe it will be even more obvious how great a man he must have been simply because God gave him a name was destined to be so meaningful.

Joseph #1.

Joseph Greets his Brothers in Egypt

Probably the Joseph after which most other subsequent Josephs are named. Was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, or Israel. He was sold into Egypt by his own brothers as a slave and, as the story goes, won over the heart of the Pharaoh, received visions from God warning of the 7 years of plenty and of famine, and basically saved or brought salvation to Egypt, and in turn, his whole family, the covenant family of Israel, from certain death. A branch of this Joseph’s lineage also happened to be a group led by Lehi, and Nephi, who were the first authors of a book called the Book of Mormon. Not too shabby at all.

Joseph #2

Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea. This Joseph is just briefly mentioned in scripture as well, but what a privilege he had. He provided the tomb for the Savior after he was crucified. He acted against his peers and almost all the contemporaries around him, and provided a safe place for the body of the Lord. It was from his tomb, that the Savior would emerge in his resurrected glorified form. It was from his tomb, that the gift of immortality for all men would be realized. It was from his tomb that the realization of eternal life could be possible! It was from his tomb, that salvation came in the form of the glorified resurrected Lord!

Joseph #3

Joseph Smith Sr.

Joseph Smith Sr. was responsible for raising the future prophet that would restore the complete gospel of Jesus Christ in the last dispensation. He instilled in his son, and his whole family, the values, and lessons that gave a young 14 year old boy the understanding that he could go to a grove of trees and ask the questions that would eventually change the world. As an added bonus, he was also the first patriarch of the restored church.

Joseph #4

Joseph Smith Jr.

One of the beneficiaries of the amazing Joseph Smith Sr. was his son, Joseph Smith Jr. This Joseph grew to be the great prophet of the restoration. He received more by way of revelation, and prophetic writings than any other prophet. Ever. He saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. Through this Joseph, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored, which provides the necessary ordinances that brings salvation to all men.

Joseph #5

Joseph and Jesus

All of these Josephs are amazing, they make up an elite All-Time All-Joseph team. So, is it any wonder, that the final Joseph, the Joseph that raised Jesus, the humble carpenter, also carries that name? Our Father in Heaven would not leave his son in the care of an ordinary man. He needed a humble, righteous, obedient, and loving man. He needed a man that would, quite literally, fill his own role in an earthly sense. He needed a man who would teach and raise the only begotten Son of God as if he were his own. He needed a man in whom he would entrust the Savior of the world. He needed a man, who would be humble enough to accept his calling, even though the boy he would raise, knew at a very early age, who his real Father was. Joseph was that man. So, even though we learn precious little about Joseph the man who raised Jesus, we can imagine that he may be one of the greatest men to ever walk on earth, because God the Father trusted him, and only him, to care for his little boy, the Savior of us all!
So, whats in a name? A lot. when we pause and think about the intricate symphony that our Father in Heaven is directing, it is evident. Every name has meaning, every note is where its meant to be, every moment, every place, every event is just as its meant to be. The name Joseph, by itself, is an honor. Lets think about that great man a little more this Christmas, and give him his place among the greatest Josephs of all time!

P.S. Other Josephs that that were also awesome but for this list earned “honorable mentions” include Joseph (brother of Nephi), Joseph Fielding Smith, Joseph F. Smith, and the apostles Joseph F. Merrill (1931), and Joseph B. Worthlin (1986). As a side note, it is interesting that since the restoration of the gospel in 1830, 3 of the 16 presidents of the church have been named Joseph.

The Crumbling Walls of Stone

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by Colby Alexander in Battle, Faith, General, Jesus Christ, Loyalty, Poems, Prison, Trials, Weakness

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No matter what is happening in our world, or even in our own neighborhoods, or communities, we can be safe. Its hard to believe sometimes given the nature of our enemies. Real safety isn’t a mortal achievement at all, but an eternal one. Once we realize that our lives don’t really start when we are born, nor end when we die, we can see with the proper perspective to understand this.

Sometimes it seems like we are living in a modern day movie of history repeating itself. If that is so, lets look to what our ancient forefathers did to keep themselves safe, or what they didn’t do to bring on their demise.

In the scriptures, we learn that our modern difficulties will only increase, times will be harder, and evil will grow in scope, and power. We need to be able to recognize what is really happening all around us, and not repeat the same mistakes that so many throughout history have made- the mistake of forgetting God. We cannot forget who we are, why we are here, and in whom we must rely to find real safety, and real peace.

The Crumbling Walls of Stone

The walls of stone around us built by hands of mortal make,
have claimed to offer solace from dark storm, strong wind, and quake.

Protecting from our foes without, this shelter here inside,
constructed by the hands of those who fought, and bled, and died.

And for these many years have stood, sustained by God alone,
As men within these walls have knelt before our Maker’s throne.

But now, dark forces in and out, relentlessly conspire,
to weaken all these stones, by fear, and flame of dragon fire.

For not all men within now kneel before the strength and pow’r,
of Him whose hand would strengthen all in desperation’s hour.

Now as the walls around us fall, and enemies abound,
He still extends His call to us, His safety can be found,

And we can be untouched by flying shards of rending stone,
To walk in peace and safety- even though we walk alone,

And as our father Alma walked with pow’r from prison rent,
So can we, if we rely, on Him who Father sent.

These great walls, sustained by God, now stand all on their own,
Relying on the strength of men, and crumbling ancient stone.

Are we now ready, in our hearts, to face the world outside?
To kneel, to walk, and stand alone, and in the Lord confide?

Come feel His warming love, and light, that neither fades nor dims!
Petition his eternal peace that comes through faith in Him!

Though enemies deride, and tempests beat before our face,
Our souls can stand fulfilled, instilled, with everlasting grace!

Graduating from the Obliviousness of the Benchwarmer

16 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by Colby Alexander in Battle, Divinity, General, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Sports

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When I was a sophomore in high school, I was able to dress out, and sit on the end of the bench during the varsity basketball games. There were 4 or 5 of us. We loved it because we felt absolutely no pressure to win because we were just afterthoughts, or decorations really. We were basically cheerleaders in uniforms, as we were so far down the bench we could barely see the coaches at the other end.

On occasion, however, when we (the varsity team) were up big, we would get our chance to play in garbage time. We would get in and play our hearts out for our shot at getting our name in the paper by scoring a point. That was the ultimate goal, in our 15 year old minds, to become famous by getting our name in print. Of course, we also had a great time inventing the now infamous celebratory dance that we named “the chicken”. The game itself meant nothing to us really, because we weren’t seniors, and it wasn’t really even our team. We just thought about how awesome we could dance, and hoped we could get some playing time, maybe. We looked a lot like these guys..Who are hilarious by the way…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdwQCa-uVL8

Although we had a great time, and made fools of ourselves dancing, the thing we didn’t understand really until later, was that the games actually meant something. Not that what we were doing was anything bad, but we kind of missed the opportunity to be more of a part of the real game that was going on. We were a little oblivious to the reality of what was at stake. We were a bit blinded by whatever-ness, or lack of perspective. We were content in our little party space at the end of the bench, while the real game was happening all around us.

Today, I feel, many of us are still living our lives like we are the benchwarmers. We are content in our little corners of our lives and sometimes fail to see the importance and gravity of the game that is going on all around us. We are in a game for our lives. The outcome determines our place in the eternities. And sometimes we are only concerned if we can get mentioned in the paper the next morning.

If we take a step back, and look at the test we are in we can think…who are the players? Who are we playing against? Do we even realize we are living right in the middle of the final minutes of the most important game ever?

So how does this look in real life? Over the last few months, there have been an increase in dramatic events that have changed the way many people feel about their lives. With terrorist attacks in Paris, and now in San Bernadino right here at home, it has created an increased level of anxiety and fear. People are grasping at anything, everything, and anybody who claims to offer safety and security. Safety and relative peace cannot be guaranteed, and seem unattainable even impossible. But, we need to remember… what game we are playing?

Are we playing the “whoever dies with the most stuff wins” game? Or, the “whoever gets their name in the paper the most wins” game? Or, the “whoever can dance the most awesome chicken at the end of the bench” game? If so, we will look for peace and safety in the wrong places. We will fall prey to the illusion of secular security, which is nothing more than false security.

When we look at our lives differently, the way we should see them, everything changes. We then begin to realize that the real game is between good and evil and we are here to choose for ourselves which team we want to be on, and then become key players on the team. The only way to win, and achieve true safety and real peace is to align ourselves as close as possible to the One who will ultimately win the game. He is the author of the peace we seek, the Prince of Peace.

Jesus Christ is the only way to find peace. He alone provides the real lasting safety that we all seek, because that is the whole point of this game of life we are all playing. In this game, the elusive sentiment of true happiness is only awarded when we completely and fully disregard the world’s mirage of secular security. When we stop concentrating only on how awesome our chicken dance is, and actually start playing to win.

It is then we will realize that we are involved in a game on a much larger playing field than we ever thought, and we aren’t just hoping for the few minutes of playing time awarded to the scrubs in garbage time, our minds and hearts can be more committed to the pursuit of real and lasting peace, love, security and divine safety that comes only through the Savior of the world.

Joseph Smith wrote about the way the game will end, and its perfect to read when we feel overwhelmed with all the negative or when the evil in the world seems overwhelming, and the game seems to be lost. Just remember, we choose which team we want to be on!

He wrote, “the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).

Real peace and safety can come to us. But, it comes when we look to Christ. He pours it upon us when we try to be like Him, and follow Him. He has invited all of us to do so, and find the peace and safety only He provides.

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalms 4:8)

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10)

“Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.” (D&C 6:34)

Satisfaction

01 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Tyson Alexander in atonement, Fundamentals, Jesus Christ

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I have been at a conference in Milwaukee all week (for work). This conference has a focus on education, and therefore offers classes, workshops, seminars, and hands-on activities in order to educate and inform all conference attendees catered to the particular industry in which I work. Throughout each day, there are a wide range of topics and several options for classes that are offered in simultaneous timeslots, which means that the conference attendees can choose 1 of 8 classes for each time slot that classes are offered. Towards the end of the week – today in fact – I was on the schedule to deliver a presentation. In this presentation, I was to speak for an entire hour regarding how the use of technology could be helpful in the management of PSM. To most of you, this seems like the most boring topic ever (or completely irrelevant to life in general), and you’re probably right. As I have chronicled on this blog before (here), my company offers a software product to help in an area where most people want to ignore, which means that not very many people want help at all, let alone look for it. So, imagine with me my ever-growing unease with this prospect of giving an hour-long presentation to 80 empty chairs.

As time went on, and this assignment weighed in my mind, I became ever more pessimistic and anxious about it. Four months ago, I envisioned the room packed full of people (standing room only) chomping at the bit to devour our product with eager haste and begging me to continue despite the time restrictions leaving all other classrooms and speakers with emptiness. One month ago, I envisioned the room mostly full of attendees taking notes and at least nodding their heads with interest. Two weeks ago, I envisioned around 40 people there, but then as this week started, I started to reduce my hopes that maybe 10 people would be present. Until finally, as I spoke with my wonderful wife last night and early this morning, I wondered if even a single person would attend my presentation. With this dreadful thought in my mind at 2:50 PM, I started the 5-minute walk from our booth (we are also an exhibitor at this conference) to room 103C, and during that time I gave myself the following pep talk. “Tyson, it is probable that not a single person will be in that room where you are scheduled to speak for an hour, and that’s ok. If that is the case and that room is completely empty, those chairs are going to learn how technology and a centralized system can help their management of PSM.” I steadied myself and rounded the corner to where there was a sign with my speaking topic, our company logo, and I braced myself for the worst….and then I saw people.

People were there waiting! People were in their seats before I even got there. People had read the conference agenda, perused the available topics, and they had (of their own free will and choice) selected my presentation to attend. How could this be? I was immediately satisfied. What’s more, the 3 individuals that I had personally invited to my presentation were all present – satisfied again. Then, as I set up for my presentation, I watched with further satisfaction, as additional people trickled in and sat down. In the end (as I started my presentation) I estimated that there were between 25 and 30 people who gave their attention to me.¹With this boost in my self confidence and this feeling of satisfaction, I was strengthened and went on to deliver the most amazing PSM related technology presentation that the 3:00 PM time slot of the 2015 RETA conference will ever see.

Which, interestingly enough, brings me to a scripture passage that I have read several times and have recently been thinking about – related to satisfaction. It is part of Abinidi’s message to king Noah and his wicked priests. For a quick background,² the people had captured and imprisoned Abinidi for preaching against them and their leadership and in a deliberate attempt “to cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him” he was brought before king Noah and his priests where they began to question him. As Abinidi withstood all of their words, and continued his detailed outlining of their wickedness in a frank and matter-of-fact way, the bad guys got angrier. This led to them attempting to “lay their hands on him” and take him away, but he wasn’t finished with his message. He “said unto them: Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver.” Then, Abinidi’s “face shone with exceeding luster”, and “he spake with power and authority from God.” It is during this powerful and authoritative luster faced message that I quote Abinidi:

“When his soul has been made an offering for sin [speaking of Christ’s suffering during the grueling and agonizing atonement hours] he shall see his seed.”³ “He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.”⁴

I don’t have a good personal example to relate to that concept, but the closest thing I can relate is a mother experiencing intense labor that gets to hear her precious newborn baby cry for the very first time. She is (and has been for several months) in the midst of a grueling and agonizing life creating pregnancy and painful delivery, which can absolutely be termed a “travail”, and all at once – in an instant even – is satisfied when that crying baby is placed in her arms and is therefore willing and able to continue on with the labor process, and indeed discount the months of pain as a satisfactory tradeoff for joy. I have seen the pain and anguish of difficult labor displaced immediately by tears of joy on my wife’s face (more than once). I can’t understand how it feels – yet somehow I can understand why it feels.

With that tender concept of satisfaction during our Lord’s anguishing travail in mind, I would like to add to our understanding of the passage delivered by Abinidi (and Isaiah) in his moments of shining glory with a verse recorded by Luke (referencing the exact same tender, crucial, amazing, grueling moment of travail). It is found in Luke 22:43 which reads “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”

Could it be that this angel which appeared to the savior in the garden during his most pressing and agonizing hours – to strengthen him – somehow made it possible for the Lord to “see his seed” and “see the travail of his soul”, and therefore “be satisfied”? Could it be that the strengthening agent that the Lord needed during his intense suffering was to hear the crying voice of a newborn baby like you and me? Could it be that all in an instant, that anguish and hurt brought upon him by the pain and weight of the world (a necessary part of the life giving process) was immediately swept away by the visual image of his children that he loved so much? I think so. I think that gave him strength, just like it gave my wife strength, and just like it gives so many others strength. That is the power of families, and that is the power of relationships, and that is the power of love and that is the power of life. That idea could also be strengthened by the scriptural phrases of “perfect love casteth out all fear” (Moroni 8:16)

Now, I am not one to compare a lowly trade show presentation to the precious hours of the atonement, or even the childbearing process which both give life to the world, yet I did feel satisfaction in seeing a few bodies in the chairs that was equal to my anxiety – and therefore satisfied my heart. Imagine then, the amount of joy and love that our savior feels with each of us – if the sound of our voice or the image of our faces in his mind allowed him to be satisfied in the most grueling moment imaginable during those garden hours. Satisfaction equal to his anxiety, or as Alma put it “nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were [his] pains… that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was [his] joy.”⁵

The Savior loves us deeply, more deeply than we can understand. Let us all try and feel that love by allowing his sacrifice to be felt more deeply in our hearts.

Notes

¹ For reference, I have presented a similar topic at a similar (much larger) conference once before (by invitation even) and the number of attendees was in the single digits (like 6 or 7), which no doubt led to my trepidation, but that’s just a side note for context.

² This background can be read in Mosiah chapters 12 and 13

³ Mosiah 15:10 (please note this is the reference from footnote b in Mosiah 14:10, where Abinidi is quoting Isaiah. These verses are nearly identical. Also, please note that Abinidi also asks and answers the question: who is ‘his seed’? in the natural flow of this same amazing discourse (see Mosiah 15:10-13). See also Mosiah 5:7.

⁴ Mosiah 14:11

⁵ Alma 36:21

Treasure In Earthen Vessels

20 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by Colby Alexander in General, Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, Light, Love, Motivation, Opposition, Poems, Strength, Trials, Weakness

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Sometimes we don’t see our own worth in the eyes of God. We are his children, and he knows and loves each one of us perfectly. We mean everything to Him. He knows us, our problems, our fears, our apprehensions, our insecurities, our weaknesses, our doubts, our reservations, everything. He knows how we feel, how we think, how we are afraid to open up to our problems, and admit them even to ourselves. He knows! And He understands. And yet, He still loves us unconditionally! Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of our true worth in His eyes, not our own, or anyone else’s. Just His.

For our Sunday School lesson this week, part of the scripture reading was in 2 Corinthians Chapter 4. As I was skimming through those verses, I read this which beautifully explained this principle to me. This is Paul speaking…

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

I loved these words of encouragement. Paul and all the Saints and apostles and disciples were being persecuted for what they believed. But, in their sadness, pain, and worry, they had solace in Jesus Christ and in the comfort that He gives. The closer to the Comforter we get, the greater our resilience to pain, and suffering becomes, and the closer we get to our Savior.

Lets all look at our difficult times as opportunities to become closer to the Comforter, and to Jesus Christ who sends Him to us.

A Humble Prayer

My God! Through vessel weak and frail,
Wherein thy treasure hides,
I beg thy light, through darkened veil,
reveal my worth inside,

And when dark hours with me abide,
And I, alone, can’t see
help me perceive thy treasure’s light,
Thou hiddest deep in me!

3 Days

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by Colby Alexander in Easter, Jesus Christ, Poems, Resurrection

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In honor of the Easter season, and in the spirit of recognizing its significance, I’d like for us to think of how much the Savior was able to accomplish in such a relatively short amount of time. His ministry started when he was 30 years old, and lasted only 3 short years, culminating in his crucifixion and resurrection. 3 years to change the course of human history. We can also break those 3 years down even further, His most lasting and meaningful moments could be highlighted in 3 different days or events.

3 Days

Three greater days have never passed before the eyes of men,
In all of God’s created worlds, from when all time began.
They came in chaos, strife, and pain, with peace left far behind,
the crucial fulcrum of mankind’s meridian of time..

Day 1

First of three, that night foreseen, His sacred supper blessed.
The Christ, betrayed, retired to pray, find peace, and quiet rest.
But peace came not that night at all, but blood from every pore,
As our Brother, all alone, atoned, our sins He bore.

While crushed with pain, for sins not his, He prayed on bended knees,
an angel came to comfort give, His strength in hour of need.
He drank the bitter dregs from cup o’erflown with sin of man.
His love for us the reason for fulfilling Father’s plan

First darkened night of storm and quake then fear from nature’s wrath,
For man had seen the Son of God, yet heeded not His path,
And Christ alone, bore all the weight of justice through that night,
And Evil thought its victory won, delighted in His plight!

Through deep humiliation’s path, He walked, but did not speak,
He bore our burdens, felt our pain, passed through our trials bleak.
And then descended far below what man could take, and live.
So he could succor us in need, true empathy He’d give.

He hung upon the cross, and felt completely left alone,
For God the Father, left him in that moment to atone,
He drank the cup, fulfilled his calling in our Father’s plan
The single greatest moment in the history of man!

God’s anger at the wickedness of man was then displayed,
as lightning, thunder, quakes, and storm brought forward man’s dismay,
But soon the darkened skies of angered God would be replaced,
By dancing sunbeams in the garden, welcoming the day.

Day 2

The second day on earth was still, disciples left behind,
were left to wonder how it was that man had been so blind,
to fail to see the miracles of Gods begotten son,
they crucified their only hope, The Lord, the Chosen One.

But though the battered body of our Lord lay in the tomb,
His spirit lifted from the confines of the little room,
And gathered with the other spirits in God’s paradise,
He taught that broken were the bands from evil’s deadly vice.

And all who’d follow Him would have the chance to be baptized,
For mercy, love and justice rule, His law not compromised,
Three days in heaven’s paradise instructing all who’d died,
Before returning down to earth as He had prophesied.

This short time in paradise gave hope to countless souls,
creating need for those alive to bring into the fold,
their loved ones who had died without the knowledge of the Christ,
nor of His loving message of atoning sacrifice.

And now His temples dot the earth where veil is thin at times
Between the seen and unseen souls who truly follow Christ
And ancient are the blessing giv’n to all who enter there,
While rescuing those hopeful souls from endless dark despair

And by this link to fathers gone our hearts to them do turn,
And through the Spirit’s sealing power, their hearts to us return,
For all God’s children have the power of choice to follow Him,
Whether born in priesthood light, or circumstances grim.

For Christ enabled on that day, the worthy ones below,
To act in proxy, for the spirits who had come to know,
And then accepted gospel truths, but with no flesh and bone,
Could not fulfill the ordinance nor covenant on their own.

Day 3

The third day was the brightest one, renewed in spirit’s fire,
For resurrected was our Lord, no longer He required,
Any mortal thing on earth, For He had conquered death,
Became the way, the truth, and life, for hope, he gave new breath.

The morning light on that third day had symbolized anew,
That light had overcome both dark and sorrow from the tomb.
And equal as the deepest pain from loss of God’s own Son,
Was hope and love and confidence for victory was won!

No longer would the chains of hell or death be absolute,
For Christ had Risn’ in perfect form, though marks in hand and foot,
Remained for all to feel and look with tears and trembling hands
Reminders of the pain he felt fulfilling Father’s plan.

His gift to us, without condition, none to be deprived,
Was that of immortality; if earned, Eternal life.
He conquered death by taking up His mortal body’s frame,
But now exalted, quickened, by the power in His name

Three days of mighty consequence in many different ways,
For dark they were before with storm, now lit with heavens rays
And all mankind will struggle to fulfill our hearts on earth,
Unless we follow Jesus Christ, The One who gives us worth.

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