Saturday, March 25, 2017

The Will Of The Father

In Matthew 26:39, Christ begins to perform the Atonement. The verse isn't long, but is one of my favorites in the entire Bible. The reason for this is that we get a look at the character of Christ. We all know that Christ was perfect as he ministered and completed his Earthly mission, but this verse takes it a step further. The verse reads-

"39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and aprayed, saying, O my bFather, if it be possible, let this ccup pass from me: nevertheless not as I dwill, but as ethou fwilt."

This scripture humanizes Christ a bit for me, which I like a lot. At times, it can be hard to have a relationship with Christ or God because we feel they are so superior to us. This verse shows me that, even Christ Himself, saw how difficult and painful the Atonement was going to be and asked to not do it unless it was the will of the Father.

As we go throughout our lives, we will encounter many situations where we must react in a similar way. There will be temptations that may seem enticing to us, but they are not the will of the Father, thus we must put aside our own pride and desires to do the right thing. I think a good example of this is confessing of a sin. To sit down with a leader and confess to wrongdoing is extremely difficult. No one likes to admit that they are wrong, or have made a mistake. But, we know that true repentance can only take place as we share those things with a Priesthood leader with the authority to help us. In this way, we are doing as Christ did as He performed the Atonement. We know that confession, and the resulting process of repentance will be painful, but being truly forgiven is worth so much more than our pride.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Which is greater? The gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

This week we were told to read in Matthew. I was especially struck by Matthew 23:17 which says the following:

 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

I gave this verse a lot of thought as I think it pertains to me especially at this time in my life. This week was crazy because I heard back from a job that I applied for a couple of months ago. I found out that I got the job, which is great! I'll be making a great deal more money than any other point in my life, which will allow me to provide for my family. I'm extremely blessed to get this job right out of college.

So, when I read the above referenced verse, it hit me quite hard. I need to be very careful to not let financial gain take too much of a place in my life. God should always be first, followed by everything else. This is the pattern due to the fact that because of God, we are able to have everything else. Without God, there is no temple, no gold, no great post-college jobs.

I think the formula for keeping our priorities in life in check isn't that complex. Love God, Love our neighbor, and constantly be improving. I'm grateful for this next chapter of my life, and also excited for all the good that I can do with increased financial prosperity.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Faith Can Move Mountains


This week I wanted to touch on what is taught in Matthew 17:20. This verse is one that is tossed around frequently in religious circles, but not often realistically considered. In this scripture we are taught that faith can move mountains. Let us take a moment and consider what this is really saying. If we, as insignificant small beings, demonstrate a force that cannot be physically seen, anything is possible with the inclusion of gigantic bits of earth moving to our will.

Now, upon consideration of the logic above, this seems absolutely impossible. It is human nature to have doubt and question things, but I believe we are missing and important lesson. God, or whatever form of deity you believe in, does not work in ways we understand. God is not bind to work in accordance of the laws of men. It is for this reason it is so difficult for us to understand when things don't operate in accordance to those laws. Remember that they are man-made laws, laws that we created and change as we determine more about the world around us. God is not bound to these laws.

So, next time we need something to happen in our lives that seems impossible, remember that it may seem impossible to us, but not to someone who operates by different laws and loves us. As the picture above shows, simply making a change to the word impossible leaves possible, and we have the great fortune of working with someone with the power to cross-out those first two letters.  

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Spiritual Roots

This week our readings in the New Testament touched the Parable of the Sower. I wanted to comment on that parable and what it means to me.

I think about my life, the good and the bad, the times I did things right, and the times I did things wrong. The times where things went wrong were times when my spiritual
roots were not very strong. I find this so interesting because, for me at least, it was difficult to gain a testimony and realize the spirituality was important to me. I have watched people become great men and leaders, and those who do have strong roots. If I am to achieve my full potential in life, it will necessary to be strongly rooted to my gospel upbringing.

Individual roots are generally small and not strong by themselves, but when combined together they hold up mighty trees. This is perfectly applicable to how our gospel roots work in our lives. Saying daily prayer, studying the scriptures, and attending church each week are small things by themselves. But, when combined together, they enable us to resist temptation and stand firm.

I would encourage the reader of this to analyze not only your gospel-related roots, but all the important roots you have in your life. How are your family, ethical, and social roots? All of these combined lead us into a productive, fulfilling life.