A Reason for Suffering

27 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Tyson Alexander in atonement, Example, General, Patience, Strength

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All of us on earth go through hard times. Each one of us has a gamut of difficulties that we go through. Some are short lived, some are chronic, and some seem to be permanent. All of them are hopefully teaching us a lesson, but there also happens to be the trials, struggles, difficulties, and pain that just won’t go away (or the continue to reappear) that we just can’t shake no matter what we try. We plead with heavenly father to be free from them or to overcome them, but to no avail – they just linger and we wonder to ourselves why this must be, or why we as individuals are selected to suffer so much. We may even agree to suffer through them but plead for a clear answer why.

Beyond the normal answers like 1) opposition provides us with joy, and 2) struggles bring us strength, there is something that I discovered a few weeks ago that I hadn’t realized before that helped me understand why some of these difficulties seem to never leave (and the Lord may never intend for them to leave) – even after the person suffering has likely learned plenty of great lessons about suffering and/or dealing with trials, exercised much patience, and even submitted fully to the Lord’s will.

Alma 17 is the beginning chapters outlining the missionary service of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites. In verses 10-11 the Lord is speaking to Ammon and his party (on the eve of them splitting up to preach) and “visits them with his spirit” and tells them to “be comforted”. Then the Lord gives Ammon some instruction that I think is fascinating. He says: “ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls”.

For the first time, I understood very clearly that there are people in the world just like Ammon, who are or have been instructed by the Lord to “be patient in long-suffering and afflictions” (some of which may not ever be schedule to subside), just so that I can see their good examples of righteousness while they are ‘in the furnace of affliction’. This thought was a light bulb for me, and I began to think of the many people who I have seen deal with trials, hard times, struggles, and a multitude of outside circumstances that aren’t a direct result of poor choices and yet they seem to show forth their good examples of patience and long suffering over the years – and now I am even more inspired when I think that they agreed to this trial and are enduring it well, just so that I can be provided with their example and have my faith strengthened. Unbelievable.

This thought also helped me read through the remaining stories of Ammon and his brethren in a different light. For example; Alma 24, Alma 28, and Alma 30 all contained stories that could be directly tied to how one individual’s faith filled and kind actions (a.k.a patience in long-suffering during a hard time) is what caused the spirit and subsequent conversion of another to take place.

I also started to look at my own life and those around me, and I asked myself the question – are my trials teaching me something? Maybe. But if my trials or hardships are recurring or seemingly unending, does that mean I’m missing the point repeadetly? Not necessarily. It might just mean that the Lord trusts me and expects me to be patient, kind, and good all along the way so that other people may see my example and be inspired. Thus, when we continue to look for the end of a particular struggle, we may be looking for something that will never ever come. Talk about a lesson in patience in long-suffering.

Part of why the scriptures, and the Book of Mormon in particular resonate so strongly with us is that they are filled with stories about people who wrote about their daily and repeated struggles with hardship, and were able to keep the faith and inspire other people all along the way (which happens to inspire us many years later). After all, isn’t that why the Lord places us in families, and wards, and neighborhoods? So that we can watch each other suffer, and be inspired by their examples? I never thought of it that way, but I definitely have been inspired by them.

With that in mind, and the idea that other people’s struggles are in place (partly) for us to be inspired, there is another scripture passage that I would like to share. It comes from Alma 53 where the people of Ammon were almost ready to break their covenant of peace (where they buried their weapons of war) in order to help the Nephite army. Helaman convinces them not do that, and by not breaking their covenant, and by not joining the army, the record indicates that they (the non-fighters) were “compelled to behold their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time”.

These uber-righteous, and faithful saints who just wanted to help their friends were left to watch these Nephites, who had already sacrificed so much on their behalf “wade through their afflictions” during this dangerous circumstance. Imagine with me the mental pain and suffering that these great people endured just by watching their brethren suffer. It is no wonder that their children were then inspired to join Helaman’s army. I don’t know if Helaman knew that helping them to keep their covenant would cause greater suffering, which in turn would cause greater conviction and motivation in those who were watching – but that is how sacrifice works.

One of the blessings of the spirit is that we have the ability to “see things as they really are”. And ‘things as they really are’ include a whole lot of suffering. Every single day and every single week in your neighborhood and in mine there are people (old and young) who are in the absolute throws of suffering. But you and I wouldn’t necessarily know it because maybe we don’t look for it, we misunderstand it for something else, or because of how well they are showing their patience in long-suffering – and they do it because they love the savior, and they trust him, and their faith is so strong. I can promise that if you pay attention, the Lord will bless you with the eyes to see, and the heart to feel the unlimited love that he has for these faithful saints as they continue to come and worship him. You will be inspired by them and their strength, and you will see their example “in him”.

The Lord Jesus Christ went in to the garden of Gethsemane and suffered unspeakable pains and anguish. This left the rest of human history with the opportunity and charge to “behold [our brother] wade through [his] affliction, in [his] dangerous circumstances. From this one event, and his perfect love and unselfish action during his most intense suffering we are inspired, and we feel love, and we feel gratitude. Although his sacrifice satisfied all of the necessary elements (justice, sin, death, etc.) for salvation and for our path home – I imagine that Heavenly Father indicated to him at least once or twice that a large part of his mission here on earth was to “be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them”. He is the ultimate example of love and sacrifice – and he is the one who can accompany us during our hard times because he has felt them, and he will feel them, and he wants us to know him.

I hope that the next time we are suffering, stressed out, full of grief, or burdened by weights we feel are too heavy, we can look around and think of the people who are looking at us, who are watching us (they are watching), and who – through our faith filled actions – will see the savior and his love overcoming the trials.

I will not suffer my name to be polluted

16 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by Tyson Alexander in General, Patience, Strength

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My little brother Riley tells a lot of funny stories about his high school days, but one in particular involves a somewhat poorly made cabinet/dresser that he put together in wood shop. He tells the story that during this semester in class he disregarded most of the detailed and mundane instructions that the shop instructor gave because he didn’t have time for them (or maybe because he was pretty sure he could just figure it out on his own). Either way, the semester came and went, and the time arrived for their ‘projects’ to be completed, passed off, and then taken home. At this point the exchange between Riley and Coach Lunt (shop teacher) went something like this:

Riley: (as he gathers his wooden project and heads towards the door) “See you later coach, thanks for all the good times”.

Coach: “Woah, where do you think you are going with that (pointing to Riley’s project)?”

Riley: “Home – I’m finished with it”.

Coach: “No. There is absolutely no way on earth that thing is leaving my shop.”

Riley: “What are you talking about – it’s totally fine”

Coach: “If someone sees that leaving my shop, I will probably lose my job”

Riley: “Well, I think it’s awesome”

Coach: “Bring it to me…..right now.”

Following this exchange, Riley watched while Coach Lunt performed an entire semester’s worth of rehabilitative and reconstructive wooden surgery on Riley’s project in order to make it not only functional, but appealing. Glue was no longer the primary material and most of the lines were straight and the drawers would actually open. At which point, Coach Lunt was at least willing to let it leave his shop – essentially with his name on it.

There is a scripture passage that we can relate to this idea; it is found in 1 Nephi 20: 10-11.

For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted…

Short, simple, yet so amazing.

We need to remember at the outset that he is currently (like right now) refining us, which by necessity places us in situations and circumstances that we don’t like or want to be – yet they force us to deal with frustration, anger, exhaustion, or anxiety. He terms this place the “furnace of affliction”. Don’t forget that while we are there (in the middle of the despair) – he wants to know how we will act, what we will choose, what we will say, and if we rely on him and trust him and continue to be kind, patient, loving, faithful, etc. while he is seemingly gone from before our face. If we continue to choose him, we make ourselves eligible to be chosen by him.

But why does he do this? Why does he not allow a shoddy excuse for a cabinet to leave his shop? Well, because he will not suffer his name to be polluted – just like Coach Lunt.

The Lord is a master craftsman, a shaper of souls, and a maker of men (and women). If we try and waltz out as a (self-proclaimed) completed project before he thinks we are ready – we’ll have a conversation similar to the one Riley had with Coach Lunt – and he will remind us that even though we may think we are pretty awesome, that we have made some progress, or even if we are totally satisfied with our current state, in his view we haven’t spent nearly enough time in the furnace to burn off all that crud and he’s not allowing us to leave his shop until he’s made some more improvements. So let’s all just hang tight, get as comfy as we can, and watch him work (and try as best we can to help him help us).

Just Breathe

16 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by Colby Alexander in Battle, Failure, Fundamentals, General, Journeys, Motivation, Patience, Success, Weakness

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In November of last year, for reasons beyond my comprehension, I decided that I was going to try and do a triathlon. That rash decision was a direct result of me being shown up big time by my little brother Tyson. He had just finished a full Ironman triathlon, and made it look easy.

As has been well documented in this blog, competition among us brothers has always been, and will probably always be, in the forefront of our relationships. Let’s at least try and call it “healthy competition”. We push each other to be better. Or, we push ourselves to try to be as good as the other guy. This triathlon thing though….?

Last time I wrote about this, I described the initial attempts I had made in the swimming pool. These initial forays trying to swim didn’t go smoothly. They instead made me feel more like I was in that Gravity movie with George Clooney and was spinning out of control in a punctured space suit, hurtling and cartwheeling towards the black abyss of outer space. Tyson had warned me about that and kept saying that I would eventually get it. But it wasn’t happening very quickly.

When trying to swim the right way, or trying to emulate the way the real swimmers do it, you have to alternate breathing by turning your head either left or right, while you are pulling your way through the water. All this while your head is probably halfway submerged in the water. The official way to do this is during every third stroke. Thats how they teach it on youtube anyway, and thats where I learn to do everything.

If I wanted to be a good swimmer, I was supposed to take a stroke with my right, left, then quickly inhale a breath while turning my head to the left on the third stroke. I was then supposed to repeat and alternate ad nauseam until I either passed out, drowned, or made it to the other side of the pool. The pros make it look easy, but its not. Its not, because swimming is a very “aerobic” exercise in a very anaerobic (underwater) environment.

For the first several months I made small improvements. I went from an initial limit of around 100 meters, to being able to go to almost 400 meters without stopping to perform life saving measures. That may seem nice, but when you consider the length of the swim on a “half” ironman triathlon is 1.2 miles or 1,930 meters it puts a damper on your excitement. It makes you feel like you have to clean the entire bathroom with only a toothbrush, and only using your teeth. Not pretty. I started to see myself as being the only one needing to swim with Dora the Explorer arm floaties during the triathlon.

I was pretty discouraged, I couldn’t seem to be able to build up enough endurance to even sniff what I was supposed to be able to do. I would go to the pool almost every single day, and the same thing would happen. I’d swim 450 meters, nearly pass out, get nauseous, and see stars for the next 3 hours while I recovered on the couch (which was not exactly getting me prepared to bike for 3 hours, then run for an hour and a half immediately after I swam).

It was about this time that a timely phone call to Tyson changed everything. We were talking about techniques and things, and he passively mentioned that he took a breath every other stroke, not every third. I decided to try out this super secret, highly advanced technique of breathing more often instead of tempting death and nearly drowning each time I entered the pool. It turned out that breathing more often was a good idea. Funny. So I guess if you’re suffocating under water, breathing more often is helpful. Why didn’t I think of that?

The next time I went to the pool, I tried it. I took off, and took a nice deep breath every other stroke, and kept going. I passed my old record of 500 meters, and kept going. I passed 750 meters and kept going, then 900, and all the way to 1000 meters. I stopped only because I had to pinch myself and make sure it was real. It was. I shook my head and wondered again why I hadn’t previously thought of breathing more when I was out of breath. It was just that simple.

The next day, I decided to see just how far I could go, and made it to 2000 meters without stopping. I just laughed at myself to think that such a simple change had made such a drastic improvement in what I was doing. I decided that every “how to swim” video on youtube should have Pearl Jam singing the theme song, “Just Breathe”.

As I contemplated this improvement, and as I was swimming for those longer training days in the pool, I kept thinking about how much better my life was now that I had a steady supply of oxygen, or breath. I thought about the similarities of having enough “breath” in all the aspects of my life. I thought about the significance of spending one day a week concentrating as much as possible on the good things in life, my Savior, and the gospel. It reminded me of how Sundays, and everyday really, could be that breath of fresh air.

Sometimes its easy to get caught up in trying to do to much of our everyday stuff, that we seldom take the time to spiritually breathe. We are here on this planet for a purpose. That purpose is not to make the most money, have the best toys, or be the most successful in our chosen field. We are here to learn to be like God.

He puts us here for that reason alone.

As I have been through my daily, weekly and yearly routines, I have been guilty of trying to tough it out for too long without taking a breath. I have struggled to make it even a few hundred meters before I felt like I couldn’t keep going. I was seemingly doing the right things, I just wasn’t “breathing” often enough.

Our physical bodies need oxygen to survive and function. Our spirits also need constant spiritual oxygen for nourishment. When its continuous, it feeds us in a way that enables us to continue progressing and we become stronger and stronger. We become a smoother swimmer so to speak. We feel more comfortable, excited, and familiar with our purpose on earth. If we go too long without it, we tend to struggle, and sometimes find ourselves on the couch seeing stars.

Every day I should be breathing in the lessons taught in the scriptures, praying, and thinking about my real purpose on this planet, and taking in big deep breaths with my spirit. It makes a difference. If I do it daily, as the “professional swimmers” have counseled us to do, I will have plenty of spiritual oxygen for endurance.

Breathing gives us life. It sustains our mortal lives, but the frequent breathing in of spiritual oxygen is just as critical to our spiritual survival and endurance. After all, thats really the hard part, enduring to the end.

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
–Job 33:4

Digging Ditches to Be Happy

13 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by Colby Alexander in Battle, Book of Mormon, Brothers, General, Motivation, Patience, Preparation, Strength, Weakness

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A few months ago, I traveled to California with my wife to watch my brother Tyson compete in an Ironman triathlon. It was pretty amazing to see him, along with everyone else, both men and women, swim, bike, and run for 8 or 10 or 12+ hours straight. It was nuts. Imagine getting up early, before the sun is anywhere near up, and wading into a dark river and swimming for about an hour- with no stopping, rest, or lifeguard. Then, instead of dying an anonymous silent death and sinking to the bottom of the murky water, you run to your bike, and hop onto the most uncomfortable bike seat ever designed, and start pedaling- for about 6 hours. Then, after crouching and straining on that bike for the same amount of time as two full length Lord of the Rings movies, and looking more like a crooked old lady with scoliosis, you get to relax by running a full marathon. Its mind boggling.

After witnessing this event, and seeing Tyson do so well. I had a familiar feeling start to swell inside me. It was a familiar feeling that had been silent, dormant, and suppressed for quite a while, but began to fester up just like a long forgotten illness. It was the re-emergence of the “I can’t let my brother beat me” syndrome that I thought I had fully recovered from. Turns out, there really is no cure. You can’t beat it, you can only hope to contain it.

Tyson, from years of competition growing up together, knew just the kind of salt to throw in that freshly opened wound as over the next few days, he “encouraged” me to throw my hat in the triathlon ring. Smarter men, like my other younger brothers Casey and Riley, would have been wise enough to see the end game, and let that “encouragement” go unacknowledged or laugh it off altogether. But, because of my newly reopened competition illness, I fell for it. Both Tyson and I suffer from rather severe strains of this disease.

I had previously enjoyed a stronghold on the long distance running record amongst my brothers with a full marathon, but even that looked pretty pathetic now. I had just been ceremoniously slapped across the cheek with the proverbial gauntlet. And he did it in such a nice way which was even worse.

So, I was done. And, soon after returning home, I signed myself up for a small triathlon, and started training. Running and biking weren’t so bad, having done endurance training before. But, here’s the difference, you can breathe when you run or bike. And I happen to be very fond of breathing. Swimming, however, presented as a whole different set of problems for me.

The first time I hit the pool, I knew it would be tough, but that was an understatement. I never realized just how far 25 meters can be until I tried to swim it. It then got worse as I then turned around, and did it again, and again, and again. It was exhausting. Its kind of like tying a plastic bag over your head, and walking on your hands up a steep hill.

After my first training session in the pool, I didn’t die, but I did I feel nauseous and lightheaded for hours afterwards. And that was only after about a whopping 200 meters with life-saving gasping-for-air breaks after each 25 meters. I was in trouble.

The next 8 weeks were brutal. I was thrown by how slow my progress was. I was used to being able to train regularly for 2-3 weeks while running, and seeing some significant improvements. With swimming, I was able to go a bit further, but it was very slow, slow, slow improvement. I felt I was improving at the pace of the sloth at the DMV in Zootopia.

Swimming was the obvious weak link on my chain. I knew that going in, but that reality soon started to hit me, hard. I started to have serious doubts, not necessarily about my ability to finish the race, but in my ability to actually survive the race. The way I saw it, if I didn’t somehow have arm floaties on, I only stood at about a 50:50 chance of surviving the swim portion. Seriously. I’m not even kidding.

Now, I don’t like to have weaknesses, let alone having very apparent ones, so this was uncharted territory in a sense. I was eating some serious humble pie, like several meals a day strict diet of humble pie. It was frustrating, but I stuck with it.

Now, after almost 12 weeks, I am proud to say that I have confidence that I will not die in 3 weeks when I go for my first little triathlon. It has been a slow go, but I can tell I have made improvements. Thank goodness, because, I don’t want to get lapped by those 87 year old grandmas because I can’t get out of the pool.

This process that I am in the middle of- this process of trying to get rid of my weakness, and possibly even turn it into a strength, is a principle that we are familiar with. Its frequently taught in the Book of Mormon. A few weeks ago, I recognized this principle all over again in a seemingly unrelated story. This time it was embedded in the way the Nephites dug ditches.

In Tyson’s last post, he mentioned that Moroni had prepared the Nephites to fight in the most unfair way possible against the Lamanites. He did it with unprecedented preparation. You can read it HERE. This process employed by Moroni has everything to do with the famous scripture from Ether. In his book, he explains why we have these weaknesses….

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:5)

Ether wasn’t necessarily talking about swimming, or even Nephites digging ditches, but the principle applies to both of these scenarios.

We learn all about Moroni’s ditches in Alma chapter 49. It explains how the Nephites rebuilt the city of Ammonihah after it had been destroyed. They rebuilt it and then some. It was obviously regarded as a weak spot for the Nephites….

“Behold, I said that the city of Ammonihah had been rebuilt. I say unto you, yea, that it was in part rebuilt; and because the Lamanites had destroyed it once because of the iniquity of the people, they supposed that it would again become an easy prey for them. But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold, the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which was so high that the Lamanites could not cast their stones and their arrows at them that they might take effect, neither could they come upon them save it was by their place of entrance. Now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security.” (Alma 49:3-5)

So, the Lamanites were looking for the wimpiest spot to attack the Nephites. Remember that Ammonihah was wiped out in one day. It should have been easy pickins’ for the Lamanites. The Nephite resistance should have been like me swimming 100 meters in the pool. Weak cheese. But, the Nephites had worked hard- very hard, in fact, to prepare themselves for that moment.

The Nephites had dug a ditch, not just any ditch, but a ditch so deep, and the accompanying ridge of earth was so high, they couldn’t hit the top by throwing stones or shooting arrows. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think that is a lot of dirt. Thats a big hole, and a big bank of earth.

I picture these Nephite soldiers shoveling, hauling, digging, laboring day after day load after load after load to prepare this city. I can imagine that in the beginning, it seemed like a daunting task, kind of like me imagining myself swimming in a dark river for over 2 miles at 5:00 a.m. But they kept at it. I am absolutely positive, that when these Nephites finished moving that vast amount of dirt, and constructing this massive protective wall all around their entire city, they were stronger than when they started. How could they not be? They probably looked like a bunch of linebackers fresh from the gym.

But, it didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen by a lightning strike, or by the fairy Godmother coming and throwing twinkle dust the ground and turning it into a perfectly structured dirt fort. We don’t know exactly how they constructed this ditch or the bank of earth, but it wasn’t with a back hoe or diesel powered crane.

It was built bit by bit, little by little, Im sure almost imperceptible progress was made. But the process made those that were working on it strong, and the process is what transformed the city from a weak point into a stronghold. That same weak city that had been wiped out in a single day.

But, it wasn’t just one city. The Lamanites, came looking to take out Ammonihah, took one look, and said, “No thanks, peace out”, and headed instead to attack another weak spot, the city of Noah. But, Moroni was one step ahead…

“But behold, to their astonishment, 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. (Alma 49:14)

“Now behold, the Lamanites could not get into their forts of security by any other way save by the entrance, because of the highness of the bank which had been thrown up, and the depth of the ditch which had been dug round about, save it were by the entrance.

And thus were the Nephites prepared to destroy all such as should attempt to climb up to enter the fort by any other way, by casting over stones and arrows at them.

Now when they found that they could not obtain power over the Nephites by the pass, they began to dig down their banks of earth that they might obtain a pass to their armies, that they might have an equal chance to fight; but behold, in these attempts they were swept off by the stones and arrows which were thrown at them; and instead of filling up their ditches by pulling down the banks of earth, they were filled up in a measure with their dead and wounded bodies.”

Thus the Nephites had all power over their enemies; and thus the Lamanites did attempt to destroy the Nephites until their chief captains were all slain; yea, and more than a thousand of the Lamanites were slain; while, on the other hand, there was not a single soul of the Nephites which was slain.” (Alma 49:18-23)

The Nephites had gained the advantage. They had put in the time, and had become incredibly strong. But it wasn’t by accident. It was a long, deliberate process. The cities and men had become strong by identifying and working on their weaknesses. By working, digging, scrambling, struggling, pulling, pushing, sweating, and preparing.

The Lord can, and will make our weaknesses strong, but he doesn’t just give it to us. It requires work on our end. We need to first recognize our weaknesses, and then we need to humbly commit to strengthen it by work. Then, the Lord blesses us, and aids us in our own little battles.

Moroni didn’t strengthen just the obvious weak spots, he strengthened all the cities. He didn’t take a look at Ammonihah, or Noah, and say, “Nice, our job is done.” He kept going. There is always room for improvement, or strengthening. That means, at the same time, there is always work to do. We can’t stop shoveling, or hauling, striving, or trying.

“And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war…” (Alma 50:1)

The beauty of all of this hard work isn’t just in the final product. A strong fort made for our own protection isn’t the only end goal. In addition to the increased strength where once we were weak, we are also happier.

We are happy when we work, get stronger, improve, and accomplish. Yes, we then become stronger. But, we also are happier along the way. The Lord blesses us in sneaky ways sometimes. Who would have thought, that through all this time of massive preparation, digging ditches, chopping trees, and laboring night and day that the Nephites would be the happiest they had ever been?

“But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.” (Alma 50:23)

The Nephites were happy. Happier, in fact, than ever. Even after digging seemingly endless numbers of ditches and trenches, and hauling dirt back and forth. Their strength came from the security of shoring up their places of retreat, and strengthening their weaknesses.

Sometimes our improvement doesn’t have to be pretty, or glorious, or fancy, or amazingly awesome. Sometimes we get better simply by working at our weaknesses. It may be slow, but it is always worth it.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. The Great Pyramid of Giza took 20 years to build. The Great Wall of China took thousands of years altogether to make, and the iconic temple that sits in the middle of Salt Lake City took over 40 years to finally complete.

Lets not lose sight of our goal- to be the best we can be, and live with God again. Lets look at our weaknesses only as opportunities for future strengths, and lets commit to be just as willing to work at them as the Nephites were in digging their ditches. Because, in the end, just like the Nephites, our safety and happiness is at stake.

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

And

21 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by Tyson Alexander in General, Love, Patience

≈ 1 Comment

bible-pictures-jesus-arrested-999346-print

A few weeks ago, the youth of our ward hosted a ‘sweethearts’ dinner for the empty nester couples in our ward (couples aged 55+ or whose children have all left the home). This dinner was held the week of Valentine’s day, so naturally the theme was love. I was asked by the organizer to say a few words following the dinner (as part of the actual program), which may or may not have been wise (depending on who you ask) on the topic of love. So, I thought about the target audience (young men and young women aged 12-18, and seniors over 55 who – based on life experience – have very different ideas about what love is), and debated on what I could say to the primary audience – people who have been married longer than I have been alive – about love, since they all know more about it than I do.

I wasn’t really coming up with much on my own. But, then I had the best idea ever – to call my grandpa. He’s 84, very wise, and has given me many lessons about love whether he meant to at the time or not. He has also been married¹ for longer than I’ve been alive – much longer. I just knew he would know exactly what to say to this audience.

Prior to calling him, I thought about the millions of times my brothers and I were at his house doing yard work at my grandmothers rather unique bidding. She was very particular, opinionated, a bit feisty, and she always got exactly what she wanted. These traits appeared to my 16-year-old yard worker eyes to be torture (suffering) since I failed to see any rationale or sound reasoning for most of it. There are many lessons that were shared by my grandfather’s extraordinary patience, calm words, and loving example, most of which I have yet to fully understand.² But, when I was 16, It just seemed like non-stop torture because I didn’t quite understand what was happening and how someone could change their mind so many times and still be right every single time. In all this thinking – I forgot (code for failed) to actually call my grandpa and ask him for his thoughts.

So, my speaking engagement arrived, and I was standing in front of this senior crowd, the first thing out of my mouth went something like this: “Those of you who have been married for a long time, will likely understand what I’m about to say much better I do, and certainly much better than the youth that are here eating dinner with you, but I am going to quote a scripture – one of the most famous scriptures – on pure love. Please pay attention to the very first word used to describe the characteristics of this pure love…… ‘And charity suffereth long……’” Then I paused, and then highlighted the fact that of all the words to describe love, the first one we get is that it ‘suffereth long’.³

While that got a chuckle out of the crowd, because I imagine they are all a bit like my grandpa, in the sense that the youth (who don’t understand quite yet what love really is) think that the longer you are married, the longer you suffer – especially if one of the partners tends to be a bit particular and/or vocal, feisty, or needy about a few things (which youth perceive as ‘torture’ or ‘suffering’) – and most of us can at least relate jokingly to that idea.

But, what comes next in that scripture is the most important – the word and (and is such an overlooked word – probably because of how often it is used), is very important – especially in this verse (Moroni 7:45) because of how it expands on the phrase and our understanding of ‘suffereth long’ and those other qualities that follow it. Charity suffereth long and is kind. We all know plenty of people who ‘suffer’ (for any length of time) and immediately get crotchety and mean, but how many people who suffer can be kind to everyone else while they are suffering? The fact is that most of us turn into raging maniacs just because we haven’t eaten in a few hours (basically as soon as we start to ‘suffer’ we cease to be kind).

When we are squeezed (tempted, tried, tested, etc.) or made to ‘suffer’ or even ‘suffer long’ are we kind (meaning at the same time)? We should be. Yet, Moroni and Paul didn’t just stop there (with kindness). They both taught that in order to have real love, we need to be kind, and envy not, and be not puffed up, and⁴ seek not our own, and be not easily provoked, and think no evil, and rejoice not in iniquity (wickedness in the world, or other people’s failures), but (rather) rejoice in the truth, and bear all things, and believe all things, and hope all things, and endure all things – all simultaneously while suffering long (in good times and in bad). That is love. J-Biebs never sings about those things does he….

When you make cookies, if you forget to add flour, your cookies are not going to be cookies. They might sort of look like cookies, but they won’t taste like cookies. They might taste like love without kindness or love with a dash of envy – just a bit off (maybe a mirage of a cookie). The same is true if you forget salt, baking soda, sugar, eggs, or any other of the necessary ingredients. The recipe calls for all of the individual ingredients to work together to create a cookie – not just a ball of butter and sugar with a chocolate chip or two disguised as a cookie. The closer you get to adding all of the ingredients in the dough, the closer you get to a real cookie.

Recently, our little community (ward/stake) was heartbroken over the tragic and sudden death of a young mother of 5 children that we all knew and loved. AND, it presented an opportunity for pure love to be shown. Her husband (a bishop, and someone who is filled to overflowing with this pure love), and his 5 kids began to suffer (and will continue to suffer ‘long’ because of their new and very different life without her) beyond what most of us will ever need to endure, AND they were kind. And he (the husband) didn’t envy. And he thinks no evil. And he is bearing all things. In responding to our thoughts, prayers, words, and love following her passing, he was only worried about us, our family, and how we were doing. He is a Christ-like cookie – possessing all of the necessary ingredients for love. Their oldest son (age 15) spent the first few minutes of his talk during the funeral thanking other people who had showed him support and love and kindess during the past few days, and in coming to the funeral to show love for his mother. He was a spitting image of his father, and a very tangible fruit of his parents’ love and intentional effort in parenting with love.

So, the next time we read a list of attributes or a list of ingredients for gospel living (the scriptures are full of them), let us notice the use of ‘and’ (or commas) and remember that the requirement is not to choose only the best or first item on the list, but to somehow multi-task and incorporate all of the items on the list. Or the next time you feel like you are ‘suffering’ remember that part of the reason mortality is stuffed full of difficult circumstances, challenges, and hard times is so that we can learn to suffer and be kind – just like Jesus.

Notes

1 My grandmother passed away 4 years ago, but they are very much still married.

2 I probably won’t even understand until I am 84 just how amazing my grandfather really is, and what true love really is. By then, the memories of what he taught me at such a young age, will finally dawn on me.

3 See Moroni 7:45, and to be sure we understand, the exact same phrase was used (first again) in 1 Cor. 13:4

4 Although a comma is used in this phrase (and others that follow) in the context of separating similar adjectives, the meaning of ‘and’ is implied in the use of those commas.

The Divine Duality of Adversity

22 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Colby Alexander in atonement, Faith, General, Opposition, Patience

≈ 1 Comment

Sports can teach us almost anything. Growing up, I played baseball, basketball, football, golf, pickle ball, wiffle ball, and, everyone’s favorite 5th grade sport, butt ball. Each one of these sports taught me about how to work hard, practice, work as a team, and all of those happy feel good things that are common to sport analogies. But, it also taught me about the reality of loss, pain, sorrow, discouragement, and disappointment.

In today’s society, there seems to be a growing trend to try and shelter our kids from these realities. We give out trophies to all who participate, no one gets thrown out at first, no one loses, and no one wins. We do this to make sure that we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. The problem with this thinking, is that it can create a false bubble of reality where nothing but contrived happiness and joy exists and never teaches the lessons of how to process the reality of losing, or the unavoidable disappointment that life will bring.

When we do this, we find ourselves just like the inside of Riley’s head in the movie, Inside Out, where “Joy” the happy emotion, tries to completely eliminate “Sadness” from ever having any kind of control over Riley’s emotions, she tries to protect Riley from ever feeling anything but joy. A great idea right? But, in the end, Joy realizes that sadness is not only acceptable, but an essential necessity to feel the complete fullness of joy. The contrast, or recovery from sadness, is what highlights true happiness in its fullness.

Some of us go through challenges that are nothing short of devastating. For some, the disappointment or sorrow hits hard as in when a child passes away. For others its watching a son or daughter lose their way. Some circumstances seem almost unbearable, with no hope for any good to come of them. What do we do then? How do we deal with devastation? We need help. We cannot do it alone. That is the whole point of passing through disappointment, and sorrow, or pain and suffering. We are supposed to learn from them.

These scenarios have played out since the beginning of time, and they will continue. Lets just look at a few examples of adversity and painful things happening, even to good and righteous people…

Mormon was the prophet and military leader that knowingly watched as his entire people ignored his inspired pleas for repentance, and openly chose wickedness. These were his people, the very ones for which he was responsible. His teaching fell upon deaf and rebellious ears, and 230,000 of his men, the Nephites, were slaughtered in a single battle. They were completely wiped out by the Lamanites, because they chose wickedness. We can only imagine the disappointment and sorrow he felt. He wrote, “O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord!..how could ye have rejected that Jesus who stood with open arms to receive you! How is it that ye could have fallen! But, Behold ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.” (Mormon 6:16-19)

Moroni, Mormon’s son, also witnessed this last great battle as a captain over 10,000 men. He then watched as the Lamanites killed his father, and turned after him. He then spent the remaining years of his life completely alone, running for his life.

Ether, a Jaradite prophet, just like Mormon and Moroni, witnessed the entire wicked self destruction of his people when they refused to listen to his pleadings for their repentance. The great final battle claimed the lives of over 2 million men women and children. They not only rejected his teachings, but tried to kill him for doing so.

There are countless examples of devastating disappointments and sorrows. How did they deal with them? How did they continue to go forward while it seemed everything in the world was against them, even though they were doing what was right?

Think of it this way, what positives came of the examples of Mormon, Moroni, and Ether? What can we learn from them? Mormon, and Moroni both penned some of the most powerful chapters in the Book of Mormon, probably at the same time they were dealing with the destruction of their people. Moroni’s promise, that has led to the spiritual conversion of countless people, was written while completely alone, wandering in the wilderness. One of the best chapters in scripture on the principle of faith was written by the prophet Ether as he watched his people completely self destruct. Sometimes bad things do happen to good or great people, but sometimes great things come from it.

Part of life is understanding that we will have problems, that we will lose, we will be dealt a crap sandwich once in a while. But, what do we do with that crap sandwich? Do we bury our head in the sand and give up? Or, do we try to deal with it like the best chef’s on Chopped, and add bacon, chipotle peppers, and transform that crap sandwich into a chorizo preschutto, drizzled with a poblano pepper aoli?

The Lord told Joseph Smith while he was illegally imprisoned in the Liberty Jail, “that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:7)

The Lord also taught this when his disciples were feeling abandoned, lonely, helpless, and overwhelmed (and he will say the same to all of us), “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you” (John 14:18) “Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you, and learn of me;…. and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matt 11:28,29)

When we turn to the Lord, our Elder Brother, He comforts us, He succors us, He changes us. As hard as it is, we need to try and see our lives as our Father in Heaven does. We need to try and see our disappointments and sorrows as opportunities to allow Jesus Christ to be the one who stands by our side to lift us up.

The ultimate lesson from our Father in Heaven is this, He wants us to grow, experience a full life. We really gain the experience He wants us to have when we pass through disappointment, and then use the gift of the Atonement of His Son to help us through the hard times. So, even though the sorrow is real, and the disappointment unbearably hard and devastating at times, these times are, in reality, opportunities to better know His Son. This is the divine duality of adversity. They are opportunities to open ourselves to the fullness of His Comforter. The contrast we then feel becomes the knowledge and experience our Father in Heaven needs us to understand. And maybe our experiences will benefit us in the future, or may benefit others who can learn from us.

Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
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 here finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end.

Hymn 129 Where can I turn for Peace?

Mowing the lawn in flip-flops

14 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by Tyson Alexander in Patience, Service, Silence, Teaching, Trials

≈ Leave a comment

A couple of Saturdays ago, I asked Luke (my 10-year-old son) to mow the lawn. Based on his body language, and his verbal protests this burden that I had laid upon his shoulders was equivalent to asking him to build the Egyptian pyramids (not on MineCraft). So, in an effort to console him; I explained that this process of mowing the lawn could in fact be very beneficial to him. I explained that it could help build his muscles (he didn’t care), I explained that it could strengthen his understanding of the growth and life cycle process of grass (he didn’t care), I explained that it makes our home look nice and I even explained that by him doing that chore it would allow me to continue to perform other duties in the yard that also needed to be done (he didn’t care). This left me with the opportunity of teaching him that in order for him to play Xbox that day or ever again that he would need to mow the lawn (and suddenly he cared a lot) and agreed to perform the task.

After this discussion, I started to get things ready for him to perform this monumental task. I went to the shed and got the lawnmower. I put gas in it. I primed it. Then I brought it to the edge of the driveway where the lawn starts. I also trimmed the entire exterior of the lawn, so that when the lawn was mowed, it would look uniform in its mowed state. While I was thus preparing – so was he. Luke located an electronic device, secured his headphones, selected and configured his epic playlist, and appeared next to me pumped up and ready to go – wearing his flip-flops…. After I made him change into real shoes and I had started the lawnmower for him¹ he went to work.

About 20 minutes later he came to me as a sweaty mess and informed me that he was done. I asked if he had done the front and the side – all I heard in return was a huff and a grumble (and maybe a moan). Off he went again (until he came back 30 seconds later and asked me to start the lawnmower for him again). Another 15 minutes passed and he strolled confidently around the corner and proceeded to tell me that he was really done this time. He had done it. I thanked him and let him know that there were Gatorades in the fridge in the garage for times just like this when demanding physical feats are performed against all odds and electrolyte replenishment is needed. He disappeared immediately.

Naturally, I stopped what I was doing to go inspect his Egyptian pyramid, and just shook my head because what I saw was pretty much a hot mess of sort-of mowed grass. Sprinkled within the strips of mowed grass there were long lengths of not-mowed grass, and even a 4-foot strip of lawn that had been ignored completely. The rows were uneven, scattered, and the mowed parts didn’t quite make it to the edge of the lawn where I had trimmed. It looked like the lawn got a haircut from a blind man.

I was faced with two choices; go get him to finish the job, or clean up his mess. I have chosen the first of these two options in several similar situations, just as many of you probably have. After all, the layout of this story is pretty much exactly the same as when we ask any of our young children to clean their rooms, or when we ask their other (and sometimes older) siblings to help load or unload the dishwasher, sweep the floor, fold laundry, to pick up the house, to do their homework, or honestly to perform any task at all. The fact of the matter is that they won’t do it as good as we do even when we tell them to “clean it like I would clean it”. They just can’t. At least not yet.

Luke had worked hard. The sweat on his red face had proved it. He felt like he gave it his all and I (his father) – knowing him and his personality as well as anyone – was fully aware of the effort he gave. Even though the result was far from perfect, and far from what I would even consider satisfactory I was nevertheless happy enough with his effort to go over nearly the entire front lawn again and finish the job. Next time around, and as he grows older, I will no doubt help him to see that although I am happy with his previous effort, I will identify a few areas of improvement and inform him of my updated expectations – and I may or may not still use the Xbox as leverage if needed. Because even if he doesn’t care about building his own muscles -I do. I know the result of continued hard work and can envision a time where I can just ask him to mow the lawn and have complete faith that it will happen – just like I would do it.

Our father in heaven asks us to mow the lawn.² Sometimes that feels like He’s asking us to build the Egyptian pyramids, and as He’s explaining how it will help our muscles grow and provide us with context for the life cycle of grass, we mope around in a huff, murmur, and moan looking for our flip flops. Then, while we are selecting our epic playlist hoping that our task will somehow escape us He is diligently “preparing the way for us that we may accomplish the thing which He commandeth us”.³

Then, after we finally make an effort, and when we’ve made a completely juvenile attempt at making the amazon jungle look like Wrigley Field and approach Him with sweat on our brows; He smiles at us, thanks us for our hard work, and hands us an ice cold Gatorade. As we walk in the house to collapse on the couch from exhaustion He walks behind us and mows the lawn again to make sure that it was done correctly and that every piece of grass gets mowed.

As we grow older, and this process is repeated He will gently explain to us how mowing the lawn is helping us, and someday He hopes that we will come to learn not only how to mow the lawn just like He would, but why it is so important to mow the lawn at all.

Notes

¹ Before you think that Luke is completely helpless, you should know that our lawnmower really is difficult to start, and is also fairly hard to operate in general. It’s old and does not have the fancy ‘self-propelled’ feature that many other lawnmowers do.

² This task of mowing the lawn could be replaced with any task referenced above (cleaning the house, washing the dishes, vacuuming, scrubbing the toilets, homework, etc.)

³ 1 Ne. 3:7

Terrible as and Army with Banners

15 Friday May 2015

Posted by Tyson Alexander in Faith, Opposition, Patience, Power, Prison, Trials

≈ 1 Comment

We’ve all seen the movie scene where the hero or heroes walk in super slow motion through explosions, train wrecks, the concrete runway to a space ship, gunfire, or other dramatic and death defying scenery while some amazingly crafted music plays amid slow and deliberate helicopter thumping above that causes us all to drool and think to ourselves “these guys are so awesome”. I’ve done it, you’ve done it, and your mom has done it. That’s why it’s in the movies, over and over again.

Variations on this theme could include the super slow motion impact of a Russian boxing glove causing spittle and blood to erupt from Rocky Balboa’s mouth, or maybe his blood stained face hitting the mat and bouncing like a rubber kickball.

The point is, these scenes are designed to stir deep feelings in us. And they work. What they try to depict is great power, strength, the will to overcome, or absolute show-stopping beauty and/or victory over all odds.

These scenes are pretty awesome on their own, but they are extra cool if we have been shown the backstory, struggle, and hardships that the hero had to endure before getting to this dramatic victory point. Rocky had to get pummeled to the point of near unconsciousness or death by Ivan in order for his comeback to be dramatic. Rudy had to endure rejection after rejection after rejection before finally getting accepted into Notre Dame. Harry has to withstand 7 years of turmoil and ridicule from peers, death eaters, and everyone else before he gets to the turning point. If we aren’t exposed to the tear-wrenching struggles that the hero endures, to the point of hopelessness then we can’t enjoy the success story of finally overcoming the battle.

As viewers of these stories, the more invested we become in the back story (the internal struggles, the motivating factors, the love and agony, and the ever growing willpower to endure) that is developing within the hero during the hard times, the more the story means to us at the moment of triumph.

In Alma 9-14, there is a story that fits this mold. Alma the younger, and his companion Amulek are preaching the word to the people who live in the city Ammonihah. The people of Ammonihah are not to eager to help them out – or even be friendly at all. Prior to this event, Alma had already tried to preach to the people in Ammonihah (Alma 8:8-13) without success, and he had gone through many struggles (much labor in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, and eventually they reviled him, spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city). With that, Alma’s backstory includes “being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul”. It was at this time, while Alma was “in the furnace of affliction” (see 1 Ne. 20:10) that he is instructed to go back to the city of Ammonihah and preach to them again. He didn’t get to lick his wounds, he didn’t get to take a time out, and he didn’t get to move on to a nicer city. He was instructed to continue his tribulation and anguish of soul with more tribulation and anguish of soul. We all know that a tragic backstory is only improved by more tragedy right?

Alma meets up with Amulek, who happens to live in the city of Ammonihah (with a backstory of his own), and they start preaching. Notice in verse 1 of their record (Alma 9:1) that as soon as Alma started teaching, the people started contending with him. They didn’t wait, they didn’t take it easy on him – they likely remembered “casting him out” previously and were looking forward to it again. This continues while both Alma and Amulek preach to the people, and then it comes to a head when the people get so angry with them that “they took them and bound them with strong cords” and presented them to the chief judge of the land. To add to the tragedy of this back story (it will still get a lot worse), one man who happened to believe them, and was convinced of the truth, stuck up for them and “began to cry unto the people” (including the chief judge) – only to have the people “spit upon him, and cast him out” as well.

Being tied up and bound is bad. Having someone who sticks up for you cast out is worse. But then the people who have become angry take it to the next level by spreading that anger to others including “all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them”. Now it’s really bad. Imagine that you are Alma at this point and you think to yourself. “Why was I told to come preach here again”? It seems that anyone who believes me is getting cast out, stoned, or being treated poorly”. I doubt he thought to himself “this tragic backstory is just getting better and better”.

Not satisfied with simple stoning’s and physical rejections, the angered people of Ammonihah decided to pass the point of no return when “they brought the wives and children [of those whom they’d cast out and stoned] together, and whosever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire”. We are now at level 10. This is bad. But, the tragic backstory continues without relief, because they (the people of Ammonihah) then “took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire”. Put yourself in Amulek’s place. He lives in this city. He likely knew most all of these people who believed and were carried forth to the ‘place of martyrdom” (after all, he was ‘a man of no small reputation’ and ‘had many kindreds and friends through his industry’). This backstory just became absolutely gruesome for Amulek. He can’t handle any more, and pleads with Alma to “exercise the power of God” to save them, but it wasn’t meant to be.¹

That tragic incident adds to our investment into the backstory of these two missionaries/prophets. I can’t help but feel pain and loss and anguish with them in that moment of struggle and despair. And it gets worse.

After this martyrdom of all the believers, the chief judge and his cronies come and pour salt into the Alma and Amulek’s wounds. They come over and taunt, sneer, and “smite them upon their cheeks” all while asking if they have anything else to “preach again to this people”. The chief judge, like most others in positions of assumed authority, is really feeling good at this point. He no doubt enjoys the fact that Alma and Amulek are bound with strong cords, it makes him feel powerful; he likely watched them shed many tears of sorrow during the atrocious burnings, which added to his feeling of power. And now he is reveling in his showy demonstration of power to these two, and to further prove his assumed power, he says “ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thy faith. And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves?” The chief judge thinks he is in charge. He thinks he has power. And not just power, he thinks he has much power. He thinks he is powerful. He continues “know ye not that I have power”? He commands them to speak, to answer, to respond, but “they answered him nothing”.

It probably can’t get worse can it? Yes, it can.

This continues for the next several (many) days. The chief judge and his priests jeering, taunting, gnashing their teeth upon them, spitting upon them, mocking them and smiting Alma and Amulek all while asking them that “If ye have such great power, why do ye not deliver yourselves”? And “they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst; and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked”. Can we even imagine many days of this torture, after being forced to witness ‘the place of martyrdom”? I can’t. Yet through all this suffereing, Alma and Amulek ‘answered him nothing’. Kingly silence (sound familiar)?

At this point, the viewer/reader should take a time out. Pause, and recognize that at this very moment, the moment when there is no way it can get worse. Death would be the only release from this torture. This is the point where Rocky falls on his face on the mat. This is where Rudy sits down on the bench before opening the letter knowing full well that it’s now or never – literally. This is the point where the hero might actually succumb to the weight of the task. This is the tipping point where the music starts to play very softly, and we sense that something amazing is about to happen. The hair on our arms and legs starts to stand up, and we can sense some real power is just around the corner. And while that may be true, this inkling of real power, might just be enough to endure a bit more tragedy. Because as the music starts to play softly, the chief judge, and his cronies one by one “even until the last” went forth and smote them one last time, saying the same words (prove to us your power). Then it happens.

“When the last had spoken unto them – (not until after the very last had spoken their bitter angry words) the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet”. That was it. I imagine two starving, thirsty, beaten, naked, dirty, bloody, and physically weakened men roped to a wall in a prison taking punch after punch from the chief judge and his evil priests for “many days” – all of a sudden stand up with a look in their eye that is unmistakable. Absolute majesty and power. That look on their face is the look of righteous anger – kindled. They stand up, they cry; “O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance”. And then they broke the cords with which they were bound. The music is starting to get a little louder at this point, and the bad guys even hear it (not to mention the scene of their prisoners miraculously loosing their bands). They know that their pretend power is no match at all for these two – and “they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them”. Shadows and darkness flee before the light.

Now, we are at full crescendo in the soundtrack; the priests and the chief judge and the lawyers and the teachers (all the bad guys) are overcome with fear and fall to the earth (still within the prison), the earth shakes mightily, the walls of the prison are rent in twain and everyone inside the prison is crushed by the falling walls.

Queue movie scene above, where the prison walls are crumbling down, huge cement stones are flying everywhere, debris is crushing bad guy after bad guy after bad guy (with screams of anguish, despair, panic, and the very definition of fear on their faces), dust and rocks are flying everywhere and there is no possible way that anyone can survive the destructive carnage brought about by this mighty earthquake. People nearby can hear the destruction and run to see what is happening only to see Alma and Amulek as they straightway came forth into the city – somehow unscathed. These people see this scene – two starving, thirsty, beaten, naked, dirty, bloody, and physically weakened men who had been bound in prison and made to endure unspeakable torment – walking calmly from a scene of great destruction… and they run away. “They fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions”. What a great description of real power. The image of these two was powerful and wonderful and awe inspiring, even as “terrible as an army with banners”.² Power that has absolutely nothing to do with physical strength and everything to do with men “becoming as [children], submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon them” (Mosiah 3:19).

Alma and Amulek might not have ever known that they would be delivered. They certainly didn’t have a countdown to deliverance chart in the prison that they were able to track. They may not have even known until that very moment when ‘the power of God was upon them’ that they would even be delivered at all. Such is the case with us. Our tragic and necessary backstory is being written every day. It will include some trials, some wrestling with the Lord, some taunting, some jeering, some smiting upon our cheeks, and maybe even some hunger, thirst, imprisonment, or silence from the heavens.

After all, our trials are hand crafted just for us – that’s why they are our own. I don’t get your trials and you don’t get mine – because it’s easy for me to deal with, solve, and overcome other people’s problems, but somehow very difficult to deal with, solve, and overcome my own. Nephi felt that way when he said, “I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all” (1 Ne. 15:5) and if Nephi felt that way – I can feel that way. Our afflictions are tailored specifically to our needs by a loving father in order to maximize effective humility and produce faith and repentance (which leads to positive experience, wisdom, testimony, gratitude, and patience). So in a sense, our afflictions are and should be ‘above all’ and they cannot be compared to other people’s afflictions (or the outward manifestation of their afflictions, which may seem much easier to bear than our own). Yet, we should try and recognize our afflictions for what they are – contributions to our backstory that will ultimately lead to the most positive moment of triumph and we can be given the power of God.

So, in the moment when it seems dark, heavy, gloomy, or when people are jeering, smiting, and taunting us, let’s remember that if we are patient, attentive, and humble, the power of God will come upon us – and at some point in the future we will just know when it’s time to stand up. We will hear (or feel) the hero soundtrack start to play, so “just keep listening, because pretty soon you’ll start to figure out your part”. ³ Let us in that moment, be able to ‘standwith brightness’. The Lord himself has told us “I will give them power that they may behold and view these things as they are… in this the rising up and the coming forth of my church out of the wilderness – clear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners” (D&C 5:13-14).

Notes

1 – I don’t include it here, but this is a common theme in the world (If God really loves us, why does he allow us to suffer? The answer is in Alma 14:11 and it has at least 2 parts; 1) Innocent people (especially martyrs), killed by wicked people are ‘received with glory’ into heaven; and 2) the Lord loves us all enough to give us free agency and choice – even if we use or abuse that agency to kill or take a life in order to provide perfect justice to all. There can be no arguing with the consequences of murder. In other words, the Lord allows everyone to seal their own fate by their actions, choices, and agency.

2 D&C 5:14. See also Songs of Solomon 6:4,10

3 – See “Glorious” by David Archuleta

Artwork above taken from LDS.org (1991 Gary L. Kapp)

4 brothers blog

Category Archives: Patience

A Reason for Suffering

I will not suffer my name to be polluted

Just Breathe

Digging Ditches to Be Happy

The Master of Ocean and Earth and Skies

And

The Divine Duality of Adversity

Mowing the lawn in flip-flops

Terrible as and Army with Banners

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