A Trip Across the Ocean

28 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Journeys, Types

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There is a story – a true story.  About a ship, a family, and their journey to a better place.  This story is much more than just a nice story about a trip across the ocean, which is why it was selected among the thousands of other stories written long ago to be included in the “most correct of any book on earth.”1

Nephi and his extended family had gone through many afflictions and struggles in order to build a boat (not after the manner of men) from scratch that would allow them to cross the great waters.  This was no easy task, yet together they persevered, built the ship, gathered many provisions, boarded the ship and then set sail for a better world.  During this sailing trip they were “driven forth before the wind towards the promised land”2  and things were looking up.  Struggles and sacrifice had created strong familial bonds, humility, gratitude, and hope, and traction to move forward to another new beginning.

On this journey, after they “had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days”3 a portion of his family on the boat “began to make themselves merry… to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither, yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.”  Happiness and prosperity and progress had given way to rest, which led to complacency, which always results in forgetfulness.

Fearing that this rudeness and forgetfulness would incur the displeasure of God, and because he knew that this whimsical merriment and exceeding rudeness would no doubt have detrimental consequences to everyone aboard the ship, Nephi “began to speak to them with much soberness; but rather than pay attention to his words, “they were angry with [Nephi]” because they did not enjoy him to telling them what was right.4  Nephi warned them that their behavior was inappropriate.  He even warned them “with much soberness.”  Much soberness is code for “he told them in very plain terms that what they were doing was a bad idea and that they should stop.”  We might even say that he used words like ‘declare’ or ‘warn’).  These people thought and assumed that it was their right to have a little fun, and to decide what was okay and not okay all by themselves, and therefore paid little heed to his words.  In fact, they became angry at Nephi because of his words, and rather than give heed to his warnings they let their anger lead them to action.

Laman and Lemuel took it upon themselves to enforce their opinions by constraining Nephi.  Nephi explained; they “took me and bound me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness”.  As this was happening, Nephi demonstrated no amazing show of power, called down no “signs” from heaven to thwart the mutiny, and likely just calmly yet unmistakably made his position known.   Essentially, Nephi allowed Laman and Lemuel to make their choice and to practice their agency.   The Lord (and Nephi) – just like he has in many other instances, and just like he does today – “did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken.”5  The Lord provides agency to everyone, and everyone means everyone, even when what those people are choosing is harmful.

At this point, I imagine that those individuals who bound Nephi with cords, and who treated him or spoke to him with much rudeness were quite pleased with themselves.  Their actions may have even been met with cheers and applause from others who were tired of Nephi preaching to them about Gods expectations and their behavior – and more importantly about the age-old promise of punishment for disobeying the commandments.  Perhaps they thought that now that Nephi was bound and captive they could be at peace, or that Nephi would change his mind about what is acceptable behavior when he realized and watched their seemingly innocent merriment had not brought forth immediate negative consequences or even when it was explained to him that exceptions should be made to laws while traveling on a boat, after all – times were different now.  It wasn’t the golden days of Jerusalem or the old world any more; they were in a new world on the ocean, they had grown up and things had changed.

There is a critical detail that Laman and Lemuel either didn’t consider, or didn’t think was important enough to worry about in their celebrations.  Nephi was the navigator of the ship.  He was the one that could read the compass.  He was the one that knew where to go and how to get there.

As soon as Laman and Lemuel had tied Nephi up, “the compass that pointed the way whither they should go”6 – “did cease to work”. 7  These two (Laman and Lemuel), and all of their followers – in their haste to be comfortable with their own merriment and by attempting to silencing any naysayers by force – had forfeited their navigational capabilities all in the very same act for which they were celebrating victory.

At this point in the story, a tragic observation is captured in the record.  A simple yet profound truth that reads “they knew not whither they should steer the ship.”8  It wasn’t just that they couldn’t steer the ship – although it was that too. These guys knew the hopeful destination existed but they had no idea how to get there.  These are the guys that wanted to be in charge of the ship and wanted to tell everyone on board that despite what Nephi was saying, that everything was going to be fine, and as a side note they didn’t want anyone else making things difficult for them along the way.  This was okay for a little while; a few hours, maybe even a few days, but some time after their we-tied-Nephi-up party “there arose a great storm, yea a great and terrible tempest, and [they] were driven back upon the waters.”9

As with all decisions to disobey God’s law and/or to ignore the warnings of the prophets, at some point unfavorable consequences are guaranteed to follow.  As soon as this storm came around some of the other passengers on the boat likely  started to see that Nephi had been right all along, and were became uncomfortably aware of the situation.  The only way to peace and safety was to do exactly what Nephi had told them; obey to the Lord, be humble, repent, and keep the commandments.  Everything else is the opposite of that law and will eventually end up in pain and regret.

As this storm worsened, and the situation became dire, Laman and Lemuel “began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless, they did not loose [Nephi].”10  They continued in their ignorance and likely shouted loud enough for everyone to hear that Nephi was still the crazy one and promised that the storm will pass soon enough.  They probably even told everyone that the storm had nothing to do with Nephi being bound and that it was just a coincidence.

It wasn’t until these two brothers understood that “the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish” that they realized the mistake they had made.  They finally understood that despite their hopes and dreams, they really had no idea what they were doing.  They didn’t know how to steer the ship.  To make matters worse, during this tempest, “they (Laman and Lemuel) did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for [Nephi]”11 or who shared Nephi’s values.  They didn’t show any concern for the other passengers on the boat or how the very real consequences of their actions affected all of them.  They didn’t do what was best for the entire group.  They did what they wanted to do and demanded that everyone allow them to do it – and threatened them to stay quiet about any reminders to the contrary – even if it meant death by tempest for every single person aboard the ship.

Only when Laman and Lemuel saw that “they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea” and they finally understood that they had willingly forfeited the right to proper navigation by trusting in themselves and in their own judgment rather than the Lord and his compass did they truly see.  In other words – after being driven backwards upon the waters, and after experiencing a mighty tempest that threatened to destroy the entire party, it wasn’t until they came to the point of their own imminent death did they “hear” the words and warnings that Nephi had spoken.  It is a sobering fact indeed to realize that they really may have only been in it for themselves all along.

Yet, in a flash of long overdue wisdom, these two repented, loosed Nephi from his cords, and he (Nephi) ”took the compass, and it did work whither [he] desired it.  And it came to pass that [he] prayed unto the Lord… and the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.”12  Following that, “Nephi did guide the ship, that [they] sailed again towards the promised land.”13  Problem solved, crisis averted, lessons learned, and they were back on course.

The solution to surviving the great and terrible storm was so simple, and the solution to our great and terrible tempest is still so simple.  Follow the prophet, because “he knows the way.”14  The prophet and his apostles are the ones that can use the compass and that “know whither to steer the ship”.  If we try and put ourselves in charge, by discounting their words or their counsel, ignoring them, or becoming angry with them (essentially binding them), we run the risk of veering off course and being driven backwards.

The last note about this story that I feel is important for us all to remember, is the fact that everyone in the story – both the people who were listening to Nephi and the people who were not – were in the same boat – literally.   They were all experiencing their own individual journeys within the group journey.  The interaction between the two groups was necessary, because after all, “it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things”15 and that includes opposition in opinion and the use of our agency.  I highly doubt that Nephi and his immediate family reacted to his being bound by cursing Laman and Lemuel or calling them names, shunning their families, throwing their hands in the air, losing hope, or asking to take the emergency raft to the nearest island where they could live by themselves – even if that’s what they wanted to do.  I am positive that Nephi and his family didn’t begin to “speak with much rudeness” towards Laman and Lemuel.  I like to think that they fervently prayed and continued to exhibit faith and even let Laman and Lemuel know of their love for them as members of their family and boating party, all while continually declaring and enforcing their values and where they stood on the issue by their quiet yet powerful examples of faithfulness and humility to the Lord.

We are all on a journey.  We have someone who is steering the ship and even better than that; there is someone that is causing the wind to blow – which drives our boat towards the promised land.  The Lord is in charge, and we do not need to doubt that fact.  Let us follow his enticings, be loyal to him, and act like him to be quiet yet powerful examples and demonstrate where we stand by shining with brightness, love, kindness, and hope.

Notes

1 See the Introduction to the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ

2 1 Ne. 18:8

3 1 Ne. 18:9

4 1 Ne. 18:10

5 1 Ne. 18:11

6 1 Ne. 16:10

7 1Ne. 18:12

8 1 Ne. 18:13

9 1 Ne. 18:13

10 1 Ne. 18:13

11 1 Ne. 18:17

12 1 Ne. 18:21

13 1 Ne. 18:22

14 Children’s LDS Songbook, 110, “Follow the Prophet”

15 2 Ne. 2:11

Not Papaya Juice

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Food, Opposition, Silence, Trials

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Something awesome happens when you squeeze an orange.  Juice comes out.  It doesn’t matter whether it is sliced in half and then squeezed with hands directly into a glass or chopped up in big pieces and thrown into a juicer, or even if it is peeled and then ‘juiced’ by my teeth and they chomp up and down, the fact of the matter is that regardless of the particular method of squeezing involved, the juice that is inside that orange is going to come out under pressure.

How strange would it be if we squeezed an orange, only to find something other than orange juice?  Perhaps it could be apple juice, pear juice, or if you are really unlucky it could be guava or a papaya juice – or worse still a glob of black goo.  That’s when you just throw it in the trash (papaya and goo).  We would label it as a Pharisee fruit and shake our heads in disgust wondering what on earth went wrong.

Fruit is a product of a tree1, and rightfully and literally is called the fruit – not just because that’s its name, but also because it is a literal product of, or the end result of the growth process of that tree/vine/bush.  In this sense, the juice that is inside the fruit could be considered the fruit of the fruit – or the end result of that fruit’s maturity – or in other words, what it ultimately has to give at the end of it’s life cycle (when its time to be squeezed).

Paul taught, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”. 2 Peter added, “beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful”.3

Mosiah and Alma were almost identical in their descriptions of the qualities that we should posses (as enticed by the Holy Spirit), being “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and all long-suffering”.4  Then, the Lord himself indicated that power (the only real kind) must gained and exercised by “long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge”… and that our  bowels should be “full of charity, and that virtue should garnish our thoughts unceasingly”.5  By my count that’s a list of at least 31 traits (at least 13 are duplicates) that should be “in us” if we have the spirit and if we are to be good fruit.

The next question then, is what comes out of us when we are squeezed?

Regardless of what method of squeezing is used, or who (or what) is doing the squeezing; if we experience pressure (and we do), our fruit juice will start to come out.  Squeezing could be things like pressure at work,  juggling the various demands on our time, busy schedules for everyone, church callings, high expectations, unfair and perhaps uninformed judgments, words, thoughts, or actions towards us by anyone and everyone, and really every other thing in the whole world that has been specifically tailored to our individual lives, or products of living in a fallen world to see how we respond individually to being squeezed.  After all, that’s why we are here isn’t it?

When things get hard (they will and they do), and the light seems to be fading, and sometimes when the lights are bright and everything is fine, you can bet you’re being squeezed – and what comes out of us (how we treat others, how we turn outward in that moment, how we act, etc.) is a really good indicator of what is really inside of us.  Let’s all hope that when we are being squeezed we have more to offer than a pile of black goo or papaya juice – because this world already has enough anger, resentment, vengeance, un-forgiveness, lack of patience, short-suffering, harshness, contention, vice, vanity, pride, selfishness, and insubordination.  There is enough and to spare of that black goo.  Instead, let’s hope that when things are the hardest, the toughest, the gruesomest, the darkest, and the most difficult – when we are really getting squeezed – that sweet and flavorful fruit juice of the spirit is what people will see coming from us.  Things like patience, charity, long-suffering, kindness, temperance, goodness, faith, joy, meekness, humility, and love.  Let’s match the world and provide enough and to spare.

To come back to the center of everything, let’s think about the time when the best of us all was squeezed beyond anything that you or I can even imagine.  Then realize that during those excruciating moments of absolute pain and anguish, the fruit that was “in him” was literally squeezed right out of him, and was left for all to see – and it was the purest of all love.  Pure, humble, constant, amazing love.   His squeezing was so intense, that it caused him “even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit”. 6 Yet there he was, all the while worried about you and me, and making sure that we had a way out.

Let’s share goodness, even when we don’t think anyone deserves it.  Maybe especially when we know they don’t deserve it, because after all, we are all in the growing process of becoming fruit, and the juice that is inside of us is what we ultimately have to give during every step and leading up to the end of our life cycle.  And fortunately for all of us, a loving father has provided us a strong and beautiful tree (and vine) that provides nourishment, love, and encouragement through his grace to help us be the best fruit we can be.

Notes

1 – I realize that there are some fruits that grow on vines, bushes, or in bogs as well, but the principle is the same (they grow on some type of plant).

2 Galatians 5:22-23

3 2 Peter 1:5-8

4 Mosiah 3:19 and Alma 13:28

5 D&C 121:41-45

6 D&C 19:18

We all Scream for Ice Cream

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Food

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Once upon a time, I was super smart and knew everything. I pretty much ruled the world, which, in fact, revolved around me. I was obviously the most important kid in the universe, and no one could do anything about it.  My kingdom, during this era of enlightenment, was Payson Junior High School.  I was in 8th grade.

My co-rulers and I, who also happened to be equally as smart as I was, made it a daily occasion on our lunch break, to walk the quarter mile off campus to take our lunch at the local Dairy Queen. Now, this Dairy Queen was known throughout all the land as the most delicious, for it served the greasiest fries on the earth and the best pink sauce ever. Anyone familiar with this prize winning establishment can vouch for the authenticity of this statement. An enormous grocery bag of these things could be purchased for a mere 80 cents. But, the prize of the Dairy Queen lunch caravan wasn’t the greasy fries, it was the jumbo ice cream cone. People would travel from all around just to partake of its hugeness.

This ice cream cone only cost around 65 cents, and contained roughly 19 revolutions of ice cream carefully swirled on top of the sugar cone. It was massive. Just for kicks, because we were the collective kings of the jungle, they also placed a plastic monkey toy on top of the Everest cone as homage to our greatness. This tower of sugar, milk and deliciousness kept us coming back day, after day, after day.

You have to imagine in your mind, our group of 14 year old geniuses in those days. There was Myself, Brad, Anthony, Mark, Mo, Josh and others, after purchasing our delectable diabetes cones, would play Street Fighter on the arcade console for the 5 minutes before we had to make our trek back to reality.  The distance from the school would only allow this short time to be enjoyed inside the Dairy Queen, the next 10 minutes or so would be spent trying diligently to consume the entire cone which we had just purchased.  Frequently teetering on the brink of brain freezes, this was no small feat. Oft times we would fail in our attempts, and would sadly, and with much dismay, have to dispose of our remaining cone in the trash can just outside the doors of the school.

One day, Mo, one of the eldest of our company, came up with one of the best consolation prizes ever. In his experienced wisdom, he showed us that it was ok if we didn’t finish our bucket of ice cream upon our return to school.  If we did have a cone left, we could, in our last moments of an enjoyable lunch, throw our remaining frozen treat projectiles “toward” the garbage can.  If the ice cream and cone somehow smacked the brick wall 14 feet above the garbage can, and slowly trickled down, inch by inch, leaving a snails trail of vanilla in its wake, all the better!

Again, we were a group of very smart and brilliant kids.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with 8-10 kids throwing ice cream cones in the general direction of the garbage can everyday after that right?  Pretty soon, in our wisdom, we would actually purposefully eat less ice cream to save most of our cones to make a more dramatic ice cream explosion. Oh man, we had so much fun!…..for about 4 days.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Apparently,the custodians at Payson Junior High School didn’t really like scrubbing down the ice cream war zone everyday. On the 5th day of our ice cream disposal system, after the first 3 missiles were fired at the wall, the sweet little custodian lady burst out from her secret hiding place and we were busted.  The worst part about this whole thing is that it wasn’t until I actually saw her, that I even realized that it probably wasn’t a good idea to chuck ice cream at a wall.  Maybe I wasn’t so super smart after all?

Needless to say, myself, Mo, Brad, Anthony, and a few others were blessed with the privilege of spending a week after school washing lockers, and being servants to the sweet little custodian lady who had the last laugh.  And that is where my life of crime began and ended. Sorry again Mrs. Franz.

I spent a week cleaning after school because I didn’t see the big picture.  I couldn’t see past my own cheap entertainment.  My own selfish desires to watch ice cream cones slowly trickle down a brick wall, took precedence over worrying about who would have to clean it up.  I was blinded by my own indifference.  I didn’t see the big picture.

In the Book of Mormon, Jarom, the son of Enos, was explaining the mindset of the Nephites during his time which was only about 60 years after Lehi left Jerusalem.  These Nephites were supposed to be the righteous ones, they had been separated from the Lamanites, and had the scriptures, and the prophets. But, just as always, something got in the way. He says in Jarom 1:3…..

“Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks; nevertheless, God is exceedingly merciful unto them, and has not as yet swept them off from the face of the land.”

It is our natural tendency to become complacent, to see only what we want to see, and to forget about everything that isn’t directly effecting us. We don’t pause to look at the big picture. We tend to separate, and contain God into a small 3 hour window on Sundays, and forget Him the rest of the week. We cant let this happen to us. 


When we see things happening in the world around us what do we think?  Do we brush it off as something that is only happening halfway across the world, or in some other country, or state?  What about our own community? Do we see attitudes and behaviors that remind us of any societies in the Book of Mormon? Do we involve ourselves with any of them? We need to take the time, and open our blinded eyes, soften our hardened hearts, and start to listen with our spiritual ears.  Its part of what we need to learn here in this life. Lets look at our lives through the lens of the Book of Mormon. If our people had a chapter, what would it read like?

Hopefully we can all learn from my ice cream shenanigans that we need to stop and look at ourselves, and how we are living, to see if there are any ice cream cones that we are chucking at the wall. After all, someone is always watching.

Taking on Goliath

21 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Faith, Giants, Superheroes

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The first of what would be many battles between Harry Potter and “He who shall not be named” shouldn’t have even been a fight. It should have been an easy victory, and not even a contest. It was like a middle school basketball team set to scrimmage the 96’ Chicago Bulls. One side clearly has no business even being there, let alone competing. “He who shall not be named” was a strong, capable, experienced adult and had just taken out two extremely able parents by himself.  All he had to do now was take care of a baby. A baby probably covered in drool and milk stains that couldn’t even talk yet.

However, it wasn’t an easy victory, in fact, it wasn’t a victory at all. The baby not only beat, but flat out smoked the much older, wiser, stronger, more capable wizard. The whipping was so bad it left the wizard with virtually no life and forced him to flee like a dog with his tail between his legs… but that was just the beginning.

Over the course of their next battles the circumstances were pretty similar. The odds were always against and mounting against the young Harry Potter even as he continued to learn and grow because “He who shall not be named” also continued to gain strength. Yet in each battle Harry emerged alive. Fast forward to their last and most awesome battle, it was an epic showdown between the same Harry Potter and the now full strength Voldemort. Harry logically had a donuts chance in a police station. This was a battle between a mere 17 year old student vs. the strongest wizard of all time, this was like the fictional version of David vs. Goliath.

Let me paint this for you like Bob Ross: Harry Potter is 17 years old. He’s a scraggly, skinny, floppy haired kid facing a wizard so powerful, so strong, and so intimidating that the mere mentioning of his name makes grown experienced wizards shutter in fear and wet their robes. The picture of the battle probably looked like the header on this post. However, Harry (David) had no fear of Voldemort (Goliath) even though he was clearly smaller, less capable and less experienced. Why is this? Harry had courage, faith, and he didn’t see it the way we see it. He actually thought he could win. He actually KNEW he could win. That’s why this teenager barely old enough to grow armpit hair could stand against the biggest obstacle imaginable and throw a pie in his face by calling him Tom Riddle in front of everyone. The message Harry was sending was more than just calling him out for what he really was, it was a message of calling out his power. Harry was essentially saying “this power you THINK you have is in YOUR head, not mine”. Long story short Harry Potter worked him like a 9 to 5 Monday through Friday in front of everybody left at Hogwarts. Harry (David) slays Voldemort (Goliath) easy peezy lemon squeezy. Harry solidifies his place even more into wizard history. Light overcame dark and everyone lived happily ever after… well, except for Fred. The End.

On top of being awesome, Harry Potter and the story of David and Goliath have relevance in our lives? How? The fact we are in their exact position every single day facing our own individual Goliaths (or Voldemorts). The world is heading down at a rapid pace. Morals are in massive decay, what is acceptable seems to be ever increasing and more and more people seem to be losing their way each day. We seem to be outmatched, outgunned, undersized, and outnumbered. Furthermore, to make matters worse, our individual Goliaths or Voldemorts are tailored and customized to best destroy each of us. They are built to exploit our weaknesses and detect and then prey upon any chink in our armor. It doesn’t sound good for us does it?

Our Goliaths and Voldemorts could be any number of things. It may be drugs, alcohol, pornography, judging others, stress, language, self doubt, anger, food addictions, thinking we’re not worthy, capable, or good enough, struggling with depression, inappropriate music, bad habits, dishonesty, laziness, various other addictions, or a million other things. It is ANYTHING that that stands in our way or is stopping us from being as Christ like as possible. You may think changing your life for the better and overcoming bad habits is not worth it or impossible. We may not even be trying because we don’t think we can succeed! We may think we’re incapable of forgiving, letting go, or being kind. You know what’s ironic about all that!? Guess who’s telling you that… Your enemy! The very thing in your way is where that false logic is coming from. Look, this is a battle, the enemy will show no mercy and this is nothing more than trash talk. He wants to get in your head. It’s a means of intimidation. He wants you to give up rather than show up. Our enemy wants’ to prevent this battle from even happening. The question is why? Why is he so focus on preventing this battle instead of inviting it?

It’s simple.  It’s because he knows he can’t beat you. It’s that simple. His ploy is fooling YOU into not knowing or realizing that YOU are stronger than he is. His whole act is a giant façade, an act, a hoax, a fraud, a lie, a game he’s playing. He can’t beat us because of who can fight WITH us. Even more it’s who can fight FOR us. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace”. That my good people, is the game changer. Christ ensures and guarantees victory. Christ = check mate to the enemy in every single case. With Christ, only one side ever even has a chance, and it’s not Goliath, it’s not Voldemort, it’s not the 96’ Chicago Bulls… it’s you and me.

Does that mean overcoming evil and changing our lives for the better will be easy? No! — Wait, what!! Didn’t I just explained how this could be a beat down? Here’s the catch…

This “battle” reoccurs every single day. A victory today doesn’t mean the battle is over nor does it insure a victory tomorrow. It doesn’t mean we can let our guard down or take it easy once we achieve victory. Likewise, a loss today doesn’t mean we hang our head and accept defeat tomorrow. No! If you lose today, you pick yourself up, shake the dust off, and get ready to open up a can tomorrow! You never give up! Every day is a new day. Weakness today doesn’t have to mean weakness tomorrow, unless YOU personally allow it to. Our Goliaths and Voldemorts only have as much power as we choose to give them. So the question is: “how much power are we giving them?

The truth is they are built to exploit our weaknesses yes, but we can be altered to handle their every attack! We are built to withstand and overcome. We are bigger, better, and stronger than we know or even think we are. We each are capable of incredible, tremendous, amazing, things, things that we never knew we were capable of. Whether it is a calling, a talent, trait, or ability or simply our example, or personality that shines a light for others we with and through Christ can change hearts, minds, lives, and generations! We can uplift and inspire others and we can affect others in a positive way if we choose to. There is nothing stopping us from doing this other than ourselves. We are so much more than we think we are. It’s just up to us to discover and realize this! The time has come to make the changes needed, roll up our sleeves and get to work… and open a can up a can of awesome!

The Gift of Time

20 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by in Time

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“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”            -Ecclesiastes 3:1

I just got back from a weeks long vacation to California, and the Happiest place on earth.

While I was there I…… spent 3 hours chasing a 2 year old at the beach, saved him from being washed out to sea, got sand in all the uncomfortable crevices in my body, then drove to a hotel in a car full of sandy, wet, little people that smelled just like wet dogs.

Next,  I spent the next 4 days in Disneyland and waited in a lot of long hot lines, chased a 2 year old, stood up on sore feet all day, walked a lot, chased a 2 year old, spent 4 dollars for each churro consumed, took a barely potty-trained 2 year old to the bathroom once an hour, stood in line for food, stood in line to get a fasts ticket so I wouldn’t have to stand in lines for quite so long, chased a 2 year old, baked like a toasted cheeser in the middle of the day, survived the Matterhorn’s teeth jarring concussion causing death ride (seems a lot jerkier than I remember), nearly blew chunks after a roller coaster (I’m apparently too old to ride anymore), chased a 2 year old, wrestled 12 stuffed Sven the reindeer animals out of a 2 year olds death grip, ate so much my stomach is now stretched out and could accommodate a small elephant, chased a 2 year old, waited in some more lines, and…. enjoyed every last minute!

As crazy and as hectic as it was, it was time well spent. Time with my wife, her family and my kids making memories, that I will remember forever.  I’ll remember catching hundreds of ocean crawfish with Brady, Olivia, and Sophia at the beach, and fending off their defensive pincers as we piled them high in our sand buckets. I’ll remember burying Jake up to his neck in the sand. I’ll remember 22 of us on a single Pirate’s of the Caribbean boat nearly scraping the bottom of the ride’s river and causing an indoor Tsunami. I’ll remember my 2 year old’s elated face as he saw and pointed to Mike and Sully in the Monsters Inc ride. Ill remember all my kids slinking back to the hotel room exhausted and collapsing as if they just crossed the Sahara Desert dragging a house behind them. I’ll remember 4 churros being inhaled at lightning speed, Ill remember Jeffy passes being the best thing since sliced bread. Ill remember year old Mickey ears still going strong. I’ll remember the best Salmon I’ve ever eaten at the Bleu Bayou.  I’ll remember all 26 of us fending off heatstroke while waiting in line to get the famous Cinderella castle picture. I’ll remember home made Disneyland countdown chains in our house for weeks. I’ll remember riding the carousel over, and over, and over again, and Jake still wanting to keep going. All of this is priceless.

Time is something that can’t be bought, it cant be saved, or stored for the future. Time itself cannot be hid away or saved, but memories of how that time is spent, can be. Memories and the feelings associated with those memories remain forever, they become part of us.

Memories are what  make us uniquely us. We are nothing but an accumulation of a lifetime of past experiences. These memories influence us in our present lives. And, as we get older, we tend to value this time spent in a much more profound way. How we choose to spend our time, determines the memories we make.

Isn’t it funny that when we are young, we cant wait to be older? We want time to speed up so we can finally go to school, drive, date, go on a mission, go to college, have a job, get an apartment, or buy a car. But, when we are old, this precious gift of time seems to slip so quickly through our fingers.

Time is ultimately the greatest gift we can receive. It we think about it carefully, is it not the one thing  we really want?

Don’t we all just want more time with our kids, our family, our wives or husbands?

Luckily, we know exactly how to make that happen.

When a new family is created in the way the Lord has designed, and in His Temple, the words “for time and all eternity” are used to describe how long this bond can last. That is really beyond what we can honestly comprehend. Eternity is a long time.  Its like forever. No end. Chew on that for just a minute. Eternal means endless time.  Its exactly what we all want. More time.

If we live our lives like our Father wants us to, and follow His directions, we can have all the time together that we can imagine, without any of the distractions of our busy, imperfect world. We can live together as a family and do so without any hurry, deadlines, or limitations. It can be just as we always wanted.

Time is passing us by each day, each hour, and each minute. Lets use it wisely. Lets use it in a way that creates good, lasting memories. Lets use it in a way that is meaningful, and can influence us and our families to be worthy of the greatest gift that we can possibly imagine, the gift of endless time.

Eternal Life.

The Gift of Time

We all, a set amount posses,
if we be rich, or poor,
we cannot hold, or gather up
to save, or try to store.

It creeps along when we are young,
but speeds by when we’re old.
Enables future dreams to fly,
relives in stories told.

The time we spend can fix or mend,
A broken heart’s despair,
It heals the wounds of sad neglect,
and fosters loving care.

This time our Father gives to us,
These moments- are His gift,
To fill with love, and memory sweet,
To strengthen, and uplift.

Loyalty

18 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Loyalty, Sports

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When I was a lot younger, maybe about 10 years old, my Grandma and Grandpa moved to Atlanta Georgia. This marked a monumental shift in the biggest thing in my life at that point, my baseball fandom allegiance.

Up until that point, myself and Tyson, were diehard Cubs fans. We were Cubs fans for two reasons. One, my Grandma and Grandpa lived in Chicago (remember, we were kids and this totally counted as a valid reason) and two, all the games were on WGN so we could watch every one.

My favorite player was, of course, Ryne Sandberg, the best 2nd baseman of all time. Tyson’s favorite player was their right fielder, “The Hawk” Andre Dawson. The man with a rocket launcher for a right arm.

We loved the Cubs. But they were horrible. Really bad.

Around 1988, when my grandparents moved to Atlanta, the unthinkable happened. Our allegiance to the Cubs faltered, fizzled, and apostasized completely. The Cubs had been replaced.

The new beneficiary of our loyalties was the Atlanta Braves. We jumped onto the only other team that was on tv all the time, and so we could still watch every game. The Braves won 54 games that year, and lost 106. It wasn’t exactly easy to be a fan of a such a loser team, but we did it.

Our heroes changed, we now loved Dale Murphy, Ozzie Virgil, Ken Oberkfell, “the penguin” Glen Hubbard (who, when running actually did appear as if he were a penguin, or a hobbit of some sort).

But, the Braves were also horrible. They were a terrible team, but we didn’t care. We cheered for them. We lived as proud Braves fans through all the years of terribleness, until they came around. Our time invested, sweat, tears, and suffering paid off. In 1995, the Braves won the World Series largely because of our unflinching loyalty to the team. You’re welcome Bobbie Cox.

To this day, all Alexanders are still Braves fans. We again suffer as the doldrums have returned, but our loyalty has not dimmed, nor wavered. We haven’t jumped ship with the changing tides to cheer for the popular teams like the Red Sox or Yankees. That would be blasphemous.

Fandom is the perfect way to learn about loyalty. Loyalty is the extreme commitment to something or someone. It cannot be shallow or fickle. Let’s go over some definitions to further this point:

Fair weather fan = only a fan if the team one claims is performing well, if they are terrible, this person will not wear a t shirt, fly a flag, or claim any knowledge or allegiance to their supposed team. But, the minute they are doing well, they come out of the woodwork claiming years of previous allegiance.

Bandwagon fan = this person has about 17 different teams’ t shirts and hats. This person never struggles with a bad team, they just jump to any popular team at the time. This type of fan currently accounts for approximately 86% of all Seattle Seahawks fans. Don’t pretend that this isn’t true.

Die hard fan = will still cheer for their team no matter what, even if they are the worst team in the history of the world. This fan is completely and thoroughly committed.

So what does all of this have to do with anything?

It has everything to do with loyalty.

We can all find examples of loyalty throughout history, let’s look at just one very famous example. Peter.

Peter was the great Apostle, the heir apparent to be the prophet after Christ was gone. This same Peter was the only apostle to actually walk on water towards Jesus in the stormy seas. The same Peter who would draw his sword and slice off an ear of one of the soldiers who would come to arrest Jesus. Not a fair weather fan.

Sounds more like a committed, fiercely loyal, diehard fan.

However, remember this exchange between Peter and Christ on the night of Jesus’ arrest?

Mathew 26

31 ¶And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted (let’s think of converted as “committed” in this context) strengthen thy brethren.

33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Ouch. That must have stung a bit knowing Peter.

But let’s see how this story unfolds.

We know that Peter was with Jesus as the angry crowd of soldiers and Priests came to arrest him. That moment was the end of life as the disciples knew it. There was no more safe passage on the bandwagon. Jesus held out his hand and gave his followers time and opportunity to escape, and what happened next?

Mathew 26:56 “Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”

This is where loyalty enters in.

The team that these disciples had been cheering for wholeheartedly for the last 3 years just lost,  badly. And worse, he seemed to just give up! And soon would probably not even be able to even field a team. So everyone bailed. They all ran away. Just when things got really bad, they quit.

But some, or one, stayed close enough.

Guess who?

Mathew 26:58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

This is where everyone gets to read about Peter’s not so greatest moment. Where he has his trial of faith, where he suddenly has a temporary moment of fair weather fandom.

I picture Peter trying to be as inconspicuous as he can, sneaking as close to where the high priests have taken Jesus into their illegal court, I picture him not saying a word, trying to be invisible, just trying to be as close to Jesus as he can.

But, someone calls him out. 3 someone’s in fact, they saw him cheering for the Savior during the previous games and called him on the carpet.

In his haste to squash his cover being blown, he does the “natural” thing to do, he denies it. 3 times. Then the cock crows, and he snaps back into reality and it’s more than he can take.

Mathew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Peter gets a bad rep for all of this, but let’s remember one thing. How many disciples dared sneak into Jerusalem that night to be close to their savior?

One did.

Who dared take on a whole mob of soldiers to fight for his friend?

One did.

Peter wept bitterly because he realized he had somewhat inadvertently denied knowing his Savior. To him, loyalty was paramount, and because of his weakness, he failed. And he knew it.

But after all of this, what happened to Peter? His true loyalty came through, and he then lead the church through a massive missionary effort, and continued teaching, healing, and performing much of the same miracles that the Lord himself performed. His true loyalty was with the Savior and his actions proved it.

So what can we learn from Peter?

We learn that the trial of our faith comes as we try to get closer to the Savior. Peter’s came in a very literal way. Ours may come as we try to improve our lives to become more like Christ. We will meet people who may want us to feel uncomfortable while we seek out the Savior.  And they may call us out and mock us. But, we have to be loyal to Him. We cannot deny that we know Him. If we stay loyal, we take that final step in truly becoming His, and then He will bless us with added strength and power just as He did with Peter.

Loyalty is more than just words. It’s actions. We need to display our loyalties by the way we live. We need to live our lives in a way that when other people watch us, they know exactly to whom our allegiance lies. Whether it’s in our commitment to our wives or husbands, our kids, our church, or our God. Our actions must mirror our words.

Otherwise, we become fair weather fans, and nobody likes those.

The Most Powerful Power

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Motherhood, Power, Star Wars

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A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, there were some really bad guys that in their quest for more power commenced in building an entire planet called the Death Star.   This Death Star was a spacecraft and galactic super weapon capable of destroying entire planets with its immense super-laser.  It was the game-changer for the bad guys, and they were planning to take over the entire universe.  The good guys didn’t want their friends, innocent people, or entire planets to be destroyed by super lasers, so naturally they went about trying to prevent that from happening.  But, since the Death Star was an entire planet and the good guys didn’t have a super-laser to fight with, this task was nearly impossible due to the dark side’s seemingly unlimited resources and lack of ethical behavior.

The only hope to destroy this Death Star was to attack and destroy its very core.  Attacks to the outside would have been fruitless given its extensive shields, outer defenses, radar, tracting beams, etc.  So, following a careful review of the schematics1, a plan was made by the good guys to send a group of  X fighters to fly through a remote trench and fire two proton torpedoes into a very specific exhaust vent in an effort to cause an initial explosion, which would then lead to a chain reaction of further explosions (important detail), disabling and eventually destroying the entire Death Star.   The rebel forces knew that this plan was in all reality the only way to do any critical or lasting damage to the Death Star.

We, as individuals and members of the church can be likened to the Death Star, and the way we can know that is to recognize that Satan and his group of evil X-wing fighters have identified the trench that leads to a very specific exhaust vent that leads to the ultimate target and they are repeatedly firing proton torpedoes in that direction.  He knows exactly what will happen if they are able to get a torpedo into that vent.  And He knows the destroying chain reaction that will occur, and THAT IS HIS PLAN.  He is desperate to destroy us, and he will not give up.

So, what is the trench?  What is the exhaust vent?  What is the very core of what he is trying to destroy?  Just like when the bad guys on the Death Star tried to identify why the rebel fighters were flying down that particular trench (in order to identify the threat level); we can ask ourselves what are they aiming for?   What is the initial target that if destroyed would cause a chain reaction and destroy everything?  The answer for us is the same as it was for them; their plan is to destroy the source of power that gives life to the entire Death Star.  He knows that if he can destroy that which gives life to the planet it will cause a chain reaction of destruction all on its own.  Thus, the absolute heart of the Death Star (the source of power that gives life) is his primary target.

Put another way, we could also state that Satan’s target is the most powerful power, because like most tyrannical, irrational, evil, and power- hungry rulers, he is petrified of things that can outshine, override, and trump his less powerful power.  He is relentless in his continuing attempts to squash the most powerful power and he targets the group that scares him the most – women.

Satan is targeting the divine, powerful, and magnificent identity of a woman.  Women are absolutely the source of power that he is most afraid of.  He knows that unless he can get to that source and cause it to be destroyed, there is no hope, because if that life giving power source remains intact; repairs and ongoing protection are possible through that power.

The exhaust vent then could be considered the traditional family unit – a legal and lawful marriage between a man and a woman created and ratified in the Lord’s own house  – which provides protection and offers security to the entire family unit.  This exhaust vent is suffering immense collateral damage, by virtue of the relentless barrage of Satan’s attempts to fire proton torpedoes inside the exhaust vent to destroy the source of power – righteous and powerful womanhood.

The trench leading to the vent and that amazing power source is the simple and plain principles and ordinances of the gospel.  Such things as faith, repentance, obedience, agency, scripture study, family home evening, respect, humility, prayer, the sacrament, modesty, virtue, etc. that lead to the culmination of the family unit making covenants and being sealed together for all eternity.  Essentially, Satan and his X-fighters are repeatedly flying along the straight and narrow path firing at anything and everything they can see leading up to the exhaust vent and the culminating ordinances of a sealed family unit.  When he and his followers in their jealous anger see that exhaust vent, they unload everything they have in an attempt to lodge a torpedo through that final protective barrier.  Then, they loop around and try it again, and again, and again, and again, and again in hopes of success.

Since the beginning of what we call time, this has been the focus of his attack.  Satan might know even better than any of us, how important and influential women are to the Lord’s work.  He knows how truly full of power they are, and how much of a difference they make in the world – that’s why he went to work right away to deteriorate the very identity of a women – in a deliberate attack to make them NOT understand, or to misunderstand, to doubt who they really are or the glory of silence.  I hope that all women understand how much you scare him, and even if you don’t know (or don’t realize) it, he does.  “He knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of God will fail”. 2 And perhaps even more sobering a thought, Heber J. Grant indicated, “without the wonderful work of the women I realize that the church would have been a failure”. 3

This barrage from Satan on women will continue and he will not let up.  Media in all its varieties are the primary method in which he makes his attacks.  The rise and success of pornography and all its destructive influence is where he is scoring his greatest victories.  These torpedos have absolutely been fired.  The resulting damage is that virtue is giving way to vice as the preferred characteristic of too many nations and communities, and that the so-called pinnacle of ‘womanhood’ as defined by the world is entirely skewed by all the wrong people.  This will only continue.  And we as defenders of truth and virtue cannot afford to give up the exhaust vent.  At ALL costs, we must protect our source of power.  This means that we need to tighten up the defenses surrounding the exhaust vent.  Make sure that there is absolutely no way that a proton torpedo, stray laser fire, rocks, space dust, nano-bots, or any other unholy or impure thing can get inside that exhaust vent to cause damage.  Better yet, let’s not allow anything to even approach that exhaust vent, by realizing that every attack is focused on that point, and a thorough self-examination may be necessary to make sure that we aren’t giving away any ground or being distracted by the appearance of an important space battle 3 miles above the exhaust vent.  That is a holy place, and we cannot be moved.4

Jesus came to give life – literally.  Women give life – literally.  Jesus gave everything that he had as a sacrifice to benefit all others.  Can you think of someone who sacrifices more of themselves to benefit others than a mother?  Ponder with me the reality of the task given to mothers in this day and age – it is awe inspiring to say the least.  In a world where individuals, communities, and nations are all beginning to throw in the towel on the value, worth, or even the validity of motherhood, nurturing, and old fashioned virtue (because it’s too hard, too thankless, too plain, or too demanding), righteous women across the globe continue to willingly and eagerly follow our savior, and bring life into this world, and not only that – they nurture, teach, lead, love, and sacrifice themselves in order to partner with our Father in heaven in “the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind”. 5   Rather than run away from struggles and hardships, women accept and even cherish the divine role of mother, and they give everything that they have to their children6 to make them better.  Mothers raise children, and then they raise more children, and then they help those children raise their children – all with no sleep and a heart full of love.

I recently had the privilege of watching over 10,000 youth perform at the cultural celebration for the dedication of the Payson Utah Temple.  I was aware of the time commitment that every single participant gave up in order to practice and prepare for that celebration in the months leading up to the actual performance (my oldest daughter was one of them).  Although I was moved by the entire celebration and the numbers that were performed, what I cannot get out of my head is the dedication and sacrifices that were made by the leaders, and more specifically, the mothers of those young men and women.

The week of the celebration I happened to be reading the passages in Alma 56-57 relating the source of the stripling warriors’ power (their mothers).  I could feel the absolute power that these youth had, and I knew in that very moment, that their power source was and is the same today as it was back then – their mothers.  That fact was clear to me, and it was clear to everyone else who was there, as we heard thousands and thousands of young men and women cheer and scream and clap as soon as they got a glimpse of President Eyring.  That is power, and that power comes from the most powerful power.   That night, I looked around where we were seated, and saw mother after mother beaming with joy and happiness, some with sunburnt faces, yet entirely oblivious to the long days, sacrifices, and heartfelt prayers that were needed to get their children to this point – all in a hope that the spirit would speak to each and every one of their sons or daughters in a special and unique way.7 Not a thought for themselves, no hesitation in sacrifice, just a pure love for those to whom they have motherly responsibilities.  Those are women that rule the world, and that is the most powerful power.

President Joseph F. Smith said (to the women of the church): “It is not for you to be led by the women of the world; it is for you to lead the … women of the world”. 8  I can’t imagine a group better suited to lead the world, than the women that I know –  my wife, my sisters, my sisters-in-law, your wives, your sisters, and our mothers.  That is a group that can and will influence entire nations.  That is a group of women that follow the savior, and who choose virtue.  That is a group with power.

“Sisters, we, your brethren, cannot do what you were divinely designated to do from before the foundation of the world. We may try, but we cannot ever hope to replicate your unique gifts. There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman. … All women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother.” 9

How thankful I am to be sealed to one of these amazing women, and have been charged with providing for and (hopefully contributing in some fashion) to the raising of 3 other mothers-in-training so that they can grow up and have the same powerful influence on their children as my wife does in our home.  It is also not lost on me the responsibility I have to the one little man in my house to help him realize, appreciate, and stand up for the power and virtue of his mother, his sisters, women in general, and his future wife.  What an awesome responsibility and privilege we all have as parents.  Let us all resolve to protect them and provide safety for them so that they can continue to give life to our planet.

Notes

Image from lds.org

God and his son Jesus Christ are the ultimate and absolute source of power – including the power that righteous women have as their followers.  Women are a very real source of that power to the family unit – and they can increase that power through covenants with our Father.

1 This schematic was really the only hope that the rebels had for success.  As a note, this schematic was made available to the rebel fighters due to the great personal sacrifice of a woman – a princess in fact.

2 Sheri L. Dew, Are We Not All Mothers? October 2001 General Conference

3 Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941, p. 150 as quoted by James E. Faust in the April 1988 General Conference ‘The Highest Place of Honor’.  Compare Alma 10:23 in this light.

4 D&C 45:32 and 87:8

5 This was a declaration of the first presidency (Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David O. McKay) in Messages of the First Presidency 6:178.  It was also quoted by James E. Faust in the April 1988 General Conference ‘The Highest Place of Honor’.

6 As I use ‘children’ in this context I realize that there are women who are unmarried, or who are unable (for whatever reason) in this earthly life to give birth to their own children).  I reference and include in the word ‘children’ those innumerable people whom they nurture, love, lead, and teach as their ‘children’.  Because after all, are they not all Mothers?  Yes they are.  (See note 2).

7 At one particular point near where we were seated, there were a number of young men dressed up as stripling warriors, who were waiting in the queue to run out onto the field and perform their number.  Since we were seated only a few feet from them I could see and hear the director who was standing there in front of them continually telling them to “wait for it, wait for it, wait for it” (and she wasn’t entirely succeeding).  They kept creeping ever closer to the field, because they literally could not be held back any longer.  I could feel the motherly power that had planted itself in these boys.  It is as real a power as there ever was.

8 Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 184 as quoted by M. Russell Ballard in ‘Mothers and Daughters’ April 2010 General Conference

9 M. Russell Ballard, ‘Mothers and Daughters’ April 2010 General Conference

Means and Ends

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Obedience

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There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated.  And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. 1

I, the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. 2

For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundations of the world. 3

Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves – to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. 4

These four passages outline in a clear way the divine law of agency and accountability.   The first point is that agency has been given to us all – to make our own choices.  We are absolutely free to choose.  But, once we’ve made a choice (or a series of choices) – good or bad – we are not able to change the consequences of that choice, nor are we able to somehow be free of them.5  We cannot have the precious gift of agency AND also wish to be free from the accountability of our choices.  If we attempt to be free of the consequence – it would require us to be free from the ability to choose.  It cannot be both ways.

With that foundation in place, we should understand why we have been given commandments.  The commandments are given by a loving Father in Heaven, not because he is a tyrant who likes things neat and clean, or because he just likes to tell people what to do –  but because he understands the law above and he understands that only by willingly choosing to obey the commandments can we enjoy the blessings that are associated with them.

Now, when we keep the commandments (any one of the many commandments that we have been given) we get to participate in one of the most rewarding elements of the gospel – receiving blessings.  We may even think that this is the end goal of obedience (to gain the blessings) and while that may be partially true – let us remember that these blessings (ends) might be and often are disguised (at least to us) as means.

For example – by obedience to certain commandments – I may be blessed with strength, faith, or a spiritual confirmation.  This blessing is often thought of as an end – but if we look at this strength as a means to a greater end – we may realize that this particular blessing of strength may be given to us in order to overcome or fulfill yet another or perhaps more difficult commandment in the future – or to share it with someone else.  Thus, what was perceived as an end is actually a means to another end.

Now, here is where it gets really fun, because as we realize this (ends are means) it is important for us to view our entire lives as means to and end, but even then, the end result of all of our means, is also the means to a greater end.  Let me explain: let’s say I spend my whole entire life obeying as many commandments as I can, and I receive blessings all along the way that have helped me gain strength (in order to obey even more commandments, help others learn and obey commandments, or to feel the spirit), these means (blessings) can be viewed as ends in and of themselves for particular purposes (someone fasts for a special blessing, or someone is struggling with a particular issue which gets resolved) which if looked at independent from other blessings could be viewed as ends – but when looked at over the lifetime of any one individual – we see a list (hopefully a long one) of means that were given as blessings with the end goal of helping that individual to become like Jesus Christ.

Obedience brings blessings, which when acted upon or implemented become ends (isolated instances of helping answer a prayer or need).  These ends are also means that help us receive more blessings, which can be used as more ends (and on and on).  The end of this process is that we have used the means necessary to ‘bring about a mighty change’ within us so that we don’t view the commandments as restrictions – but they have become the very means by which we can claim mercy through the atonement of Jesus Christ since it is by means of the atonement that any of us can ever receive the ends that we desire so much.  As Alma put it (regarding our helpless state without the atonement) ‘there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man brought upon himself because of his own disobedience’.6

Jesus Christ was perfectly obedient and therefore was a perfect recipient of blessings.  These blessings turned out to be ends for many people (miracles, healings, raising people from the dead, feeding the people, etc.) but also turned out to be means (added strength, faith, spiritual growth line upon line) for his future obedience and performance of the atonement.  Then ultimately those means resulted in the perfect performance of the atonement, which brought about the ultimate end for all of us (possibility of repentance and resurrection).  It just so happens that the atonement is also the means by which any of us are able to draw upon that power (receive those means), and become like him.  Thus we use means to produce ends, which are means to our hopeful end – which will be the eternal development and use of means and ends in ‘bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’.7

I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.8

1 D&C 130:20-21

2 D&C 82:10

3 D&C 132:5

4 2 Ne. 10:23.  See also Hel. 14:30 and 2 Ne. 2:27

5 See also ‘Free Forever, to Act for Themselves’ by D Todd Christofferson, October 2014 General Conference and 2 Ne. 2 (the whole chapter)

6 Alma 42:12 (read chapter 39-42 for the proper context as Alma is teaching this to his son Corianton)

7 Moses 1:39

8 Alma 38:9

The Best and Worst Cookies Ever

10 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Food

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It’s a known fact to everyone who has ever tried my Mom’s chocolate chip or molasses cookies that they are the best cookies ever created by the hands of a mortal. Like Frodo’s sword that glowed blue when there were Orks near, I seemed to have the ability as a kid to detect and sense when there was cookie dough near. Suddenly, like a Duck’s instinctive and unstoppable urge to fly south for the winter I was drawn to the kitchen to eat as much dough as I could before being shooed or forced out. Unfortunately, so were all my siblings. We all arrived within moments clamoring like the seagulls on “Finding Nemo” for a bite (or handful) of cookie dough. Each of us like moths drawn to a flame pretended (or didn’t even pretend) to want to “help prepare” the dough although we all had the same obvious ulterior motives in mind to consume as much dough as possible.

Her cookies were always delicious… except this one time.

I came home to cookies already prepared. I saw that there were about 30 on the plate and naturally planned to eat them all before anyone else saw them. So, I poured a tall glass of milk, and dipped the cookie. I took my first bite expecting a euphoric cookie experience. “crunch”. Peanut? No. Cashew? No. Brazil nut? No. Almond? No. What was this? Uh oh… oh no…. that’s when my mind processed the taste and texture. Walnut! Barf city! I felt I had been duped, had, deceived, tricked, cheated and played. I felt I had been violated as had my taste buds. Yes, the harvest had come and the wheat had not been separated from the tares. I was so upset that I only ate like 17 of the 30 cookies… Yeah, I showed her.

Is this post entirely about whether or not it’s a sin to include walnuts in cookies? No, because we all know it pretty much is. This post is about SEPARATING the walnuts from the cookies… or in more scriptural reference, separating the tares from the wheat.

We all live in the same world. We are all brothers and sisters yet there is turmoil and injustice everywhere. We are aware of the morals and standards of the world that are in such rapid decline its unreal! There is civil unrest, wars, and rumors of war throughout the world. There is so much extortion, violence, murder, theft, dishonestly and breaking of the Sabbath day that it’s treated mundanely and violated so routinely it’s as if there were never commandments against them! The messages portrayed as socially acceptable are mind boggling. The lyrics and messages in music, media, tv shows, and movies today is absolutely unbelievable and seems to be numbing us as a culture to evil itself. It attempts to bombard us until our acceptance of evil reaches a higher teir, only then to repeat that cycle indefinitely. Maybe this is what it means to live in the world, but not be of the world. We must draw our line, because the world will not! It seems we as a people have reached and will continue to push the limits of “anything goes”. This world is very ripe and It seems it truly is time for the harvest. Are we prepared? To further Colby’s message in his last post, If it were in the scriptures we would read somewhere in Moroni where he would have said “Checketh thyself, before thou wrecketh thyself”.

Whether we like it or not, the walnuts will be separated from the cookies, and the tares from the wheat. Hopefully we’re excited about that day. However, the question is: Are we really ready for it? Are we made up of pure delicious cookie, or do we still have walnuts that we need to address and eliminate? If that’s the case, the day is today, the time is now, we can’t afford to procrastinate!

It’s time for a self examination. Right here, right now. What are we made of? Really, when we look deep into ourselves, what are we made of? Are we fully and truly and deeply converted in this Gospel? Are we going to Church because we ourselves desire it? Do we really want to or are we going through the motions because your parents, or spouse wants you to? Are we trying to improve ourselves each day? Are we truly seeking to be more like our Savior? Or… are we as Colby worded it “comfortably complacient?” Are we stuck in cruise control without much thought? Are we hollow and made of words vs made of actions?

It’s time for a wake up call. This sifting process is not separating Members and non members. Not at all! This is separating our hearts, our intents, our desires and who we truly are. God is no respecter of persons and just because we go to Church or just because we have a recommend that doesn’t guarantee our safety. Does it help? Of course!… if we are truly converted! Just being a member isn’t good enough anymore. Just showing up isn’t good enough anymore. Being a “hearer of the word” isn’t good enough anymore! Was it ever good enough? We need to be “doers of the word” also. It seems the time has come to make sure we are deeply rooted into the Gospel of Christ so when the storm comes we will not be torn from our place. We need to be strong and ready.

I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I haven’t done myself, and what’s helped me a ton is very simple. Right now, grab your phone and read the lyrics to the child’s song “If the Savior stood beside me”. Read through it a couple times. Better yet, memorize the chorus. Now, go through 1 entire day with those lyrics constantly in your mind. Think of those lyrics before you made a decision. How would that change your patterns, habits, language, demeanor or thought processes? Would it alter your music choices or entertainment choices? Would it affect what you watch, or do? Would it effect how you parent? How would you change? What would you change?

This post is not to offend others or to elude to myself being superior or perfect. Ha! We all know that’s not true. This is a simple method that has helped me through the years refine myself as I continue to define myself as a follower of Christ. To show my Savior that I know he is my Salvation and my way. That He is my compass. To show him that I not only believe, but also KNOW that fact. To not only say but to also DO those things which I should. To make and continue to make the necessary changes in my life to rid myself of “walnuts” so when the harvest comes, I am as prepared as I can be. Of course you and I will continually have to rely on the Atonement. That’s why it’s there. Use it, don’t abuse it, and let’s decide to make ourselves better every day. Starting Now!

Rocking Out vs. Rocking Out

08 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Music

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About 10 years ago my family decided to “take our talents” from Alta ski resort to another resort for a skiing trip. It was my first time officially snowboarding and I was pumped! Included in my gear was my MP3 player and headphones. After only two times down the mountain I felt like I was pretty much a pro. I was feeling all sorts of overconfident and somehow honestly felt my “training” was complete. So, the third time up the mountain I decided “this hill is for sissies I’m going all the way up to the top”. As I sat at the top looking down the mountain I was about to shred, and at all the punks I was about to show up, I put my headphones in and blasted my favorite band at the time: Sum 41.

The surge of noise, sound, speed and chaos hit my eardrums which triggered my adrenals to start pouring, literally pouring adrenaline into my body. It was like a match had been dropped into a tanker filled with lighter fluid and firecrackers, driving by endless fields of dry parched grass on a windy day. Mix that with male hormones and a faulty sense of self confidence and your neck deep in “hey y’all watch this” territory. I felt like I was bullet proof! I was overconfident, under skilled, out of my league yet completely drunk with adrenaline. I had two options, take out the headphones, calm down, and think logically… or absolutely dominate and destroy that mountain by tearing down it faster than any human or even snow mobile had ever done before. Often times lessons in logic are only learned from illogical choices. Or in other words… we all know which option I chose.

Most of my stories have a happy ending… this isn’t most of my stories. I was just about to break the sound barrier when my board edge “caught” the snow and my takeoff into orbit started. As I was flying through the air I realized I had made a massive mistake and I knew I was totally hosed. I remember as I was approaching my “final decent” after the drinks were served during my flight, I was powerless to change my position due to the momentum I had built up prior to my takeoff. Finally, the unavoidable impact came. The entire responsibility of bringing my speeding body to a halt was given to my face as it plowed deep and  relentlessly into the snowy mountainside like an anchor raging through the ocean in an attempt to slow down a giant runaway ship in a ferocious windstorm. Eventually, my body did finally come to a stop. I was happy and quite surprised to find my face was still on my face. That day, a lesson had been learned. That my good friends, is what we call a reality check.

So what does the story of my face leaving a crater and mile long trench down a mountain have to do with anything? Plenty. Today, my choice of music is very different. In fact, it’s completely opposite. I love Church music. So does that mean my days rocking out to music are over? Does that mean the days of being completely amped and drenched with adrenaline from music are over? Does that mean I can’t blast the tunes ever again? Behold, I say unto you “nay”.

The difference in being completely amped up by Sum 41 and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are polar opposite. Sum 41 “forced” a false confidence that was placed entirely in myself which a recipe for failure every single time. It made the untrue seem true, which of course was proven incorrect in the end. However, the powerful music and message portrayed by one of my favorite power hymns “allows” a powerful confidence to be built in Christ which builds my faith and actually strengthens my testimony. A recipe for success every single time. It simply solidifies the truth as truth, and simply strengthens my faith in that truth which is eternal and unchanging.

Music to me is extremely influential. I think we often overlook how awesome our hymns are! Our hymn book is totally crammed with some of the most awesome power ballads you have ever heard. Granted, they are usually played slowly, as to bring the Spirit in. However, the Spirit is felt multiple different ways, and for me personally, my favorite way is when it’s Powerful, Epic, Overwhelming, Undeniable, and Strong! I love when powerful hymns are played almost resulting in the piano catching fire due to an overload of pure awesomeness! It’s how I love to hear certain hymns played or sang! I love the power and presence they can bring under those conditions. There’s nothing quite like a nice Spiritual beat down which makes you think “yes sir, may I have another”! It makes me wonder if that’s how the Angles sing to Christ in Heaven or how we reacted when we learned we would all get the chance to come to Earth with physical bodies.

I’m not saying this method of “rocking out” to feel the Spirit is for everyone. I’m also not saying there is not a place for quiet, calm, reflective soft hymns, I’m just trying to point out how absolutely POWERFUL many of the songs in our Hymn Books are and that we can still “rock out” in a totally productive way! In fact, if you haven’t in a long time, I want to ask you, right now, take 15 minutes, thumb through the Hymn Book and start reading the lyrics to the songs. Really look into their meaning, the passion, their energy and the message that is portrayed in them. The unmistakable truth they are filled with. It may help you to see the Hymns in whole new light. I know it’s helped me. Plus, who doesn’t like rocking out?

Here’s a few of my faves you could start with:

The Spirit of God, Redeemer of Israel, Praise to the Man, Come, Come Ye Saints, Battle Hymn of the Republic, How Firm a Foundation, I Believe in Christ, Let Us All Press On, Onward Christian Solders, Called To Serve, Carry On, Who’s on the Lord’s Side Who?, Ye Elders of Israel and the list goes on and on and on and on…