Finals

As we have been finishing our study of the Book of Mormon as well as the semester I have pondered the end of everything.  Obviously we don’t know when exactly the end of our mortal existence is but I have been thinking about what I have learned and if I have learned enough to pass.  What does the Lord put on His Final Exam?  Have I learned all that I need to be prepared?  Have I engraven the name of Christ on my heart?  This has lead me to read an amazing scripture, Moroni 10:32.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.”

After reading this scripture it seems to me that this Final Exam of life isn’t only out of 100 points.  It does have an A or B or even an F beside its grade.  This exam isn’t going to affect a GPA or even have to be taken in a specific location with a date and time assigned to it.

This exam is over a lifetime.  Moroni uses words such as:  “come,” “perfected,” “deny,” “love,” and “grace.”  These are attributes and things we develop and show through our commitment to Him.  There is another point extremely important!  No one will or can get a 100%!  God puts an extreme curve on the Exam called “GRACE.”  We can not complete all the requirements without Him, He is the one that takes the missed questions and lifts our understanding to His.  We through Christ as an aid can and will do our absolute best we can.

Deception

I have been studying a few tactics that the Devil uses to deter us from our ultimate goal of eternal life.  In the book “Following Christ” it mentions three tactics he uses.  First, affliction then deception and finally iniquity.  I wanted to focus on the second, deception.

In Alma 12:9 there is an insight that helps illustrate this topic, it says:

“And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.”

It mentions quite clearly that the mysteries of God are revealed to individuals.  Although they must follow strict command from God that “they shall not impart.”  In other words they are to keep their mouths SHUT!  They can share with others what God has already revealed to the Church in the scriptures and through his prophets, but the rest is private.  Stephen E Robinson says, “keeping it private is a sacred obligation.”

This is such an interesting obligation, but really puts in perspective the line of authority of revelation from God.  We are to receive revelation from the Prophet as well as Stake Presidents and Bishops as well as personal revelation for ourselves.  Others cannot receive any such revelations for us.  It definitely can clear us so much confusion if others begin to teach things they have experienced or witnessed, we will know that they are not for us.  Satan uses this tactic so that there is almost confusion within the safety zone of the Church.  If he can’t get us from the outside he’ll get in and have us impose our opinion or point of view on others through “revelations.”  We are warned to stay away from those using our religion to alter us or our thinking.

This begs the question whether I am keeping my personal revelation personal.  Or have my personal revelations become public?!  This concept creates an almost more sacred feeling to my personal revelations and instructions from the Savior.  These personal revelations are like tiny treasures that accumulate throughout a lifetime.

Variety

Does following Christ make us all the same?  Does walking the same path to reach the same destination make each traveler the exact same?  I would have to say no!

Many times I look around and find myself in a place overflowing with good.  A place where the majority of individuals are striving for the same things.  I find so many similarities in everyone I tend to group them all together as a whole.  Yet we learn from the scriptures that we are each individually different.

There is a scripture that was shared in this past General Conference that I love.  It is found in 2 Nephi 26:33 and says, “...and he [Christ] doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

To me this scripture is a reminder that we are ALL not only invited to come unto Him, but that we are all different.  It is a simple invitation yet outlines so much more.  We can see that there is variety within all of God's children and that is good.  Christ doesn’t want us to change our differences and become a uniform people as to our situations/backgrounds.  

Elder Holland gives some great insight on this, “...it is by divine design that not all the voices in God’s choir are the same. It takes variety—sopranos and altos, baritones and basses—to make rich music.”  We are to work toward one purpose and goal as children of our Father in Heaven but to also maintain the “variety” that Elder Holland mentions.  

That begs the question, What makes ME different?  What can I bring to the choir?  How can my past or present situation bring variety to God's Kingdom?  I think it is something so important especially in our situation, studying at BYU, to bring our OWN voice to the choir.  We shouldn’t try and mold ourselves to what the world or others want us to sing like, but use our differences to uplift others.

True Happiness

This weekend has been jammed packed with spiritual insights from General Conference.  For the first time in my life I was able to attend Conference at the Conference Center in SLC and that was an amazing experience.

One of the many amazing talks that I heard that really stuck out to me was by M. Joseph Brough of the Young Men’s General Presidency.  He spoke of guidance, counseling and guiding the youth of the church to understand the world.  He emphasized in a scripture that really hit me hard, Alma 41:10.  The last part of the scripture is what I want to focus on.  It reads:

“Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.”

It is such a simple phrase, “wickedness never was happiness.”  One that we have heard numberless times as members of the church.  Yet when he talked on this topic it took on a more significant meaning.  To me it teaches the principle that we will never reach a fullness of happiness or joy as long as we are disobeying the Lord.  No matter how big or small our disobedience is, we will not come to be truly happy.

He focuses on how parents and leaders of the youth need to teach them this principle through various methods.  A few he listed were, to let them be around you to see your example, connect them to heaven, and let them lead.

I currently am not in a position to teach the youth, but I am still fortifying my own personal testimony.  I then began to ponder on my own life.  What makes ME really happy?  What brings me true joy?  What are my true desires in life?  Are they uplifting?  As I pursue these things am I being 100% obedient?

After a personal examination I found some things that I can improve.  I asked myself if I have non disposition to do evil, or do I find pleasure in things in contrary to the Lord's will.  Obviously the natural man is part of this mortal existence, but I grew in my desire to do what will bring me lasting happiness.  I know I or anyone will never reach perfection in this life, but this scripture and talk do not only apply to the youth of the church but to each of us.

Wickedness didn’t bring happiness to those in The Book of Mormon, and will continue to drag us down more and more as we give in to temptations.  I found new found power and resilience to follow more closely the Savior's example as I read and pondered this scripture.

"...that shall ye also do..."

One of my favorite sections of the Book of Mormon is when Christ visits the Nephites in the Americas.  For me one of the most powerful chapters to relate this event is in 3 Nephi chapter 27.  I would like to emphasize mostly in verse 21 of the chapter.  It reads,

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do…”

As I read this verse it hits me hard to think that all Christ's gospel is, is to do as He did!  It is such a simple yet complex solution to our everyday lifestyles.   I for one find it extremely daunting and tiring at times to compare my every action to that of Christ and ask myself if I am doing exactly what He would do.

As I was studying this verse I did some research online to find some amazing material.  On the website BookofMormonCentral.org I found a section talking exactly about this verse!  It made me think more about what Christ really wants us to do in His church as well as in our own lives.  As the verse says we are to do what we have seen HIM do….if we really study Christ's ministry among the Nephites we can answer this question.  We can analyze what we do as members of the church and really understand why we do what we do.  Why do we read the scriptures, whey do we have FHE every week?  The article hits on this very point, and explains it way better than I can.  It says,

“For example, why do church members regularly attend sacrament meetings and bear their testimonies? That is what Jesus did on His first day in Bountiful, proclaiming “this shall ye always do” (3 Nephi 18:11; 3 Nephi 11:10–11).  Why do church members regularly read their scriptures? That is what Jesus did, reciting the words of Isaiah to the people and commanding them to “search these things diligently” (3 Nephi 23:1). Why do church members pray often in their families? That is what Jesus did, saying “as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church” (3 Nephi 18:16). Why do church members sustain living prophets and apostles? That is what Jesus did, declaring that the people should “give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen” (3 Nephi 12:1). Jesus’ visitation among the Nephites gives an extended portrait of his life and teachings.”

As you can see everything we do within as well as outside of the church is to follow Christ's example. I knew that we didn’t do things blindly, but it has been so heartwarming to me to see how perfect God’s master plan is.  How he chose and sent Christ to lay before us the way, literal instructions to success and not only point the way before us but hold our hand the whole way.

I am extremely grateful to know that my life has a purpose, my life has a plan.  We all can gain more direction in what steps we should take as we study more on Christ's life and teachings.  As President Nelson counseled in his last BYU devotional, we should all learn as much about Christ's life as possible through earnest study.  I know that to be true.

Power and Great Glory

In First Nephi chapter 14 verse 14; Nephi sees our day and says “...I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”  In the world we live in we are combated and confronted by Satan on every side, there is almost nowhere to turn.  So like Nephi prophesied, we are armed with righteousness and power and with great glory to battle against the numberless attacks of the adversary.

The principle that stuck out to me is that this “power of the Lamb of God” descended on certain groups of people.  The scripture doesn’t say, “and the power descended upon every living soul” yet it uses descriptive adjectives such as: “covenant people” and “saints of the church.”  If we want this great power to protect and arm ourselves we should find out how to become the covenant people, and the saints of His church.  It is not merely being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints that guarantees this power.

President Eyring chimes in on this topic and comments that, “We also arm ourselves with righteousness and power as we ‘treasure up in [our] minds continually the words of life’ (D/C 84:85).”  We are to do the small and simple things in life; read scriptures, attend the temple, etc.

Eyring goes further to state that we are not alone in this battle.  He goes on to say that, “In our battle against evil, we must always remember that we have help from both sides of the veil.”  As I feel stressed and burdened and weighed down during my week it is extremely comforting and heartening to know how much help and POWER I really do have backing me up.  It is far greater than any temptation, attack, bad thought, or problem Satan can send our way.  We can rejoice to know that Christ and our Father in heaven will never abandon us, never.

Depths of Humility

Humility. In the 1828 Edition of the Webster Dictionary part of the definition states; “...a modest estimate of one’s own worth...a deep sense of one’s own unworthiness in the sight of God, and submission to the divine will.”

We can read of a strong example of humility in The Book of Mormon.  In Mosiah 21:1-14 the King Limhi and his people have been enslaved by the Lamanites and are required to pay a high tax by the Lamanite King.  After a time the afflictions became almost unbearable and in verse five it says that the people claimed that there was “no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands….”  The Nephites then turned to war.  They wanted to fight their way out of the afflictions they were in, with their own strength.  After THREE consecutive lost battles the Nephites “humble themselves even unto the dust…”  I find this pattern so insightful and can be applicable to my own life.  It begs so many questions such as:  How did Limhi’s people humble themselves even to the dust?  Did they get liberated?  What was their process of change?

We learn in these verses a model on how WE as individuals and a people as a whole can humble ourselves.  After three consecutive losses at battle they had a change and  in verses 13-14 it states,

“13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies.

14 And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.”

A few things that jumped out to me were that they, “subjected themselves to the yoke of bondage…” and that “they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God…”  I found that humility is not merely subjecting yourself to others in bondage, or being weak and not fighting back.  It is much more than that.  Humility is understanding your reliance on God and submitting to his will.  And almost more importantly; as we submit ourselves we are to “cry unto (our) God...even all the day long…”  We are to rely on HIS arm, not ours in moments of affliction.  In this part of the Book of Mormon the people of Limhi had to pass through this moment; it was God’s divine will at that moment.

How many times do we, do I, find ourselves trying to rely on OUR own arm or strength, to be able to “pull through” the week or “ace an exam” without crying unto the Lord?  I find it a common pattern in my own life: studying, eating and social life all come before scripture study or deep personal revelation and meditation.  Just as the people of Limhi sometimes I try to fight harder and harder to keep my head above water, when all I have to do is counsel with my loving Father.  Just like the people of Limhi the Lord will help us “...begin to prosper by degrees in the land.”