What We Always Remember

Helaman 13

We often think of the great courage and sacrifice made by the Son's of Mosiah when they chose to leave their lives among their own people and go and serve their mortal enemies, the Lamanites, by bringing them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Fast forward almost a hundred years and it is the Lamanites being more righteous than the Nephites, and a righteous Lamanite named Samuel who is trying to bring the Nephites back to God.  An angel of the Lord had brought glad tidings to his soul by sharing the life and ministry of Jesus Christ with him, and when he was told to go and share what he knew with the Nephites,  he did.

But they threw him out.

Samuel goes to the land of Zarahemla and preaches unto the people many days (vs. 2) and it  gets him thrown out.  It seems the Nephites took offense at the idea that they needed to repent.

When the voice of the Lord tells Samuel to go back and prophesy whatsoever things should come unto his heart (from the Lord) he just goes right back.

Zarahemla had some serious walls (thank you Captain Moroni?) and it's inhabitants had no intention of letting Samuel back in, but that didn't stop him!  He just climbs up the wall and starts preaching about Christ and repentance and asks them to please change so they won't be destroyed.

I have a feeling he does this hard thing not just because he was assigned to do it, but because  he loves the people of Zarahemla.  That is serious charity.

Not only does this man climb on the wall to stand in front of people who would rather kill him than listen to him, but he makes himself the largest target possible when he stretches out his arms and yells out what is in his heart in case anyone below might miss him.

He preaches faith in the Lord and repentance and warns them of impending destruction (vs. 6).

He explains that the righteous in the city are the only reason they aren't already destroyed (vs. 12).

He warns they will lose their treasures that they hide (vs. 19).

He says they are cursed because they set their hearts upon their riches (vs. 21).

He points out they Don't remember their God, but they Do remember their riches.

 "Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them, Yea, your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and unto  great swelling, envying, strifes, malice, persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities."  (vs. 22).

After he lays out the list of their wickedness, he points out that if a prophet comes and declares the word of God among them, they will be angry with him, try to destroy him, cast him out, say he is a false prophet, a sinner and is of the devil, but if a man comes among them and tells them, do this, and there is no iniquity, do that, and ye shall not suffer (vs. 27),  they will call him a prophet, give him lots of gold, silver, costly apparel, and invite him to all their parties.

And then he delivers verse 29 where his heart seems to be breaking as he pleads with and questions them.  "O ye wicked and ye perverse generation; ye hardened and ye stiff-necked people, how long will ye suppose the the Lord will suffer you?  Yea how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides?   Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?" (vs. 29).

Then comes another sobering part where he says they have wasted their lives.  "...for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great Eternal Head." (vs. 38)

This meaningful chapter urges me to ask questions of myself.  Questions like these…

1.  What are the ways in my life I need to be more courageous in fulfilling my assignments--not necessarily formal callings, but the most important ones like family, being my best self, things in my patriarchal blessing, and others I have received through personal revelation?

2.  What is my heart set upon?

3.  What do I need to repent of?

4.   Am I led by foolish and blind guides?

5.  In the world of Good, Better, and Best, am I seeking all the days of my life for that which  will bring the most happiness?

6.  If the wicked Nephites always remembered their riches and not their God, what am I always remembering that might be getting in the way of always remembering God?

I love the Book of Mormon.  I love the spirit that fills the message contained in it.  And I love this Samuel the Lamanite.

Less than the Dust of the Earth and Blessed with Everlasting Life.

Helaman 12

People think being called less than the dust of the earth is a put-down.  And it is.  But it is also instructive.  Check out these verses in Helaman 12  where it is lamented:

Vs. 7:  How great the nothingness of the children of men, less than the dust of the earth.

Why?  How could we be less than dust?  

Vs 8:  Because the dust of the Earth moves hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.  

So dust is obedient and us, not so much.  

Vs.  18-22:  And apparently, even though we have the freedom to choose to listen or not at this time, when the end comes we will be less than the dust, for God will cut the unrepentant off from his presence.  

This sounds pretty harsh.  Less than the dust of the earth and cut off from his presence.  

But how is it harsh when we were the ones who cut ourselves off from his presence by choice? (Vs. 2-6)  

 Free agency cuts both ways.  

Luckily, Vs. 23 talks about repenting and being saved.  It seems like if we are pathetic at actually being the kind of person we want to be, but we repent and truly strive to be the  people we were meant to be, we're both blest and saved.  

So it is our choice.

Choice, choice, choice.  

Vs. 26:  They that have done good shall have everlasting life; and they that have done evil shall have everlasting damnation.  And thus it is, Amen.  

Pretty straight forward.  Good or Evil.  You get to choose.  

What if I were a refugee?

About a year ago I had a dream that has not faded.  I was in the woods camping with my family.   Nature was beautiful and my family was together  and happy.  But my happy dream turned from sunny to dark.  One by one my older children disappeared and then I couldn't find my husband.   My surroundings changed from nature to a scene of chaos and destruction, and I was very afraid for my younger children and for myself as I realized I was open to any danger an ill-willed stranger wished to bring upon what was left of my family or myself.

 I woke up thinking of refugees.  The fear and helplessness that filled my dream was the waking nightmare for millions of women just like me.  How could I help?  They were so far away!

At the Women's Session of the general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, the women of our church introduced a new program called, "I was a stranger."  Here is the webpage that explains it and gives suggestions of how to help.

 https://www.lds.org/refugees?cid=HP_SA_26-3-2016_dPFD_fCNWS_xLIDyL2-1_&lang=eng

And here is a video that explains why we are interested in helping:

The next week, at our general conference, Elder Patrick Kearon gave this address explaining the problem, why we should help, and what we are doing.

I hope that I will figure out the right way to help.  I hope that, one day, no one will be a refuge.  

Love, Freedom, and 5:00 a.m.

Working out at 5:00 in the morning at the BYU-I gym has some great advantages.  One of them is you can listen to BYU devotionals while you are on the elliptical.  Another is that you can pretty much pick any freshly cleaned elliptical you want because there aren't very many other crazy people in Rexburg who are at the gym that early.

I usually have an inner struggle if the the TV's are on between the part of me that just wants to listen to music and the part of me that knows that,  if I listen to the devotional, I will get an amazing gift of hearing something that will actually help me or my family.   I am glad to say I usually listen.

Yesterday, there was one point in this wonderful talk, right between minutes 24:04-25:05, where Osguthorpe said something that made me think hard about freedom and love and their opposite.

"it is impossible to love unless we choose to love. Love must come from within. It cannot be forced upon us. So for purposes of his own selfish aims, the adversary would have made it impossible for us to keep the first two commandments. He would have made us into nothing."

He would have made us into nothing.  

Let's hear it for a God who would make us into everything that is good. 

But only if we freely choose it.

Look for the one.

So I really like khaki skirts and flip flops.   But I still like this message.  When you are trying to do the Lord's work, it is so much easier for me to think about working with "a class" or "a den" or giving a talk to "a congregation."   One on one is the scariest thing in the world.

 "You don't talk to congregations, you talk to assembled ones,"  he says.   Yep.  I believe it.

Hastening the Work...just not in a good way.

"Hastening the Work"

If you’re a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints, you have heard this phrase in the last few years a lot.    

There is even a website at

https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/members-and-missionaries

 in case you missed it.   But if you aren’t a Mormon and you have no idea what I am talking about, the phrase is short for Hastening the Work of Salvation, which is simply (although it is not simple) letting people know about Jesus Christ, about His love for them, and the way His gospel will change their lives.

This link says it better than I do.  https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/members-and-missionaries#media=14424200789892361816-eng

The amazing thing is this.  It seems like many Mormons are actually stepping it up. 

We can feel it in everything from the youth that have answered a prophetic call for younger missionaries,

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/thousands-more-mormons-choose-missionary-service

to Genealogy,

https://familysearch.org/

to much more meaningful and interactive youth curriculum.

https://www.lds.org/youth/learn?lang=eng

People everywhere and of all faiths are doing more good than ever before!

But here’s the thing.

We’re not the only team on the floor.

And the other team is doing really really well.

  Neil Andersen summed it up well in his last conference address:   

“My young friends, the world will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The scriptures declare that “all things shall be in commotion.”¹ Brigham Young said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.”²

Oh, bother.   

"...in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise."

So the next time you hear, "Hastening the Work", just think twice about who all is doing the hastening.  

What do we do about it?  

Here is the end of  Andersen's talk.  

"Build more firmly your foundation upon the rock of your Redeemer.

Treasure more completely His incomparable life and teachings.

Follow more diligently His example and His commandments.

Embrace more deeply His love, His mercy and grace, and the powerful gifts of His Atonement.

As you do, I promise you that you will see the whirlwinds for what they are—tests, temptations, distractions, or challenges to help you grow. And as you live righteously year after year, I assure you that your experiences will confirm to you again and again that Jesus is the Christ. The spiritual rock under your feet will be solid and secure. You will rejoice that God has placed you here to be a part of the final preparations for Christ’s glorious return.

The Savior said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”²⁵This is His promise to you. I know this promise is real. I know that He lives, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Father Abraham

Many years ago I had the chance to teach the Old Testament to an early morning "seminary" of 14-18 year olds.  As I started studying the book, I was so impressed with each prophet that came along.  But there is something special about Abraham.   He has a really good heart that wants all the right things.

But as I have been reading the Old Testament as our course of study for the year in Sunday School, something different has impressed me. In Genesis 23, after Sarah dies, he has to find a place to bury her, and he asks his neighbors for help.  When they help him and give him a place to bury his wife, he bows before them and thanks them and pays them, even though he is described by them as "a mighty  prince among us."

After he has lovingly taken care of his wife, he turns to the welfare of his son, Isaac, and makes sure he is settled with a good wife and home, before looking to his own life.

I have been looking for the right word to describe this wonderful characteristic of Abraham, and the word gracious keeps coming to mind.

Much like Abraham, there are people in our day who are like "mighty princes"  who enjoy wealth and celebrity.  Some of them are gracious and some, not so much.  Even if we are the farthest thing from "a mighty prince" we can follow Abraham's  example of compassion, mercy, and kindness.