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.