The Many Ways We Choose To Be Acted Upon

One of the vices that plagues my generation is the lure of being "acted upon." In many instances, an event will occur that affects us directly and we can either choose to be a victim and effortlessly react, or do something about it. Here are some examples:

Stimulus: You come home and someone ate your food in the fridge.
Acted upon response: effortless natural reaction (get frustrated). 
Acting response: Choose to not be upset and be grateful they got to enjoy it.

Stimulus: You realize you committed a sin more serious than you have before.
Acted upon response: Hide it, get a little depressed and ashamed; try not to do it again.
Acting response: Repent and realize Christ paid for your sins. True repentance leads to experiencing joy (2 Ne. 4).

Stimulus: Someone insults you unintentionally.
Acted upon response: you choose to feel hurt and snap back at them either to their face or behind their back or hold a grudge.
Acting response: You experience empathy and understand they didn't mean to offend so you shake it off.

Stimulus: Your heart is broken and you confide in someone close to you and they imply your feelings are invalid and insignificant.
Acted upon response: You get upset with them and resort to mindless, unhealthy coping methods.
Acting response: Yeah that will make it hurt even more, but you seek a feeling of reciprocated love and trust with Heavenly Father.

Remember Satan sought to destroy the agency of man? He still does. His strategy is to convince us that we are victims when stimuli like these examples happen and we're perfectly justified in reacting naturally. He gives us mindless "pacifiers" to help us unhealthily cope with stress, rejection, and despondency like scrolling through social media, playing video games, watching TV, using an addiction (which all of these can be), and turning every direction except for up. He also subtly attacks our agency from behind by attacking our responsibility to our choices. He tells us that we don't have to suffer the consequences of our actions which are the result of being afflicted. Essentially, he tells us that we don't have to reap what we sow.
Between every stimulus and a response there is a space and in that space we have our agency where we can choose to use it and act or we can not use it and be acted upon. Each of those examples show a positive way to respond to a negative stimulus. It will take practice and intentional effort, but it will help us be more like Christ.
Final thought: "...when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo..." (Helaman 5:12, emphasis added) What is "it" referring to?
The devil's afflictions and temptations can't drag us down to hell. No one can force us there the way we can't be forced to Heaven. "It" = our response. When the devil sends forth his temptations and afflictions, we have the choice to send ourselves to hell and captivity or to freedom and prosperity by our "it," how we respond to him. He dangles the bait: "this person offended you" or "someone inconsiderately inconvenienced you," do not take the bait! Let us stay strong and choose Christ because it's in these little moments where we slowly hand over our agency to Satan instead of being Christ's agent.

5 Things I Want My Future Children To Know About Forgiveness

1. Jesus Christ loves you and knows you perfectly.
He understands what you are going through and where you will end up. He wants you to cleave unto Him the way He cleaves unto you (Jacob 6:5). He knows you will recover and become so strong in the Gospel, and the things you learn during your struggles will help you to become an even better person overall.

2. God never runs out of forgiveness. The atonement (what Jesus did for us) is infinite:

“Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.”
(Alma 5:33)“With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth forever.”
(Psalms 136:12)

3. Your desire to be forgiven couldn’t come close to how much God desires to forgive you. His whole purpose is your spiritual success. He wants to spoil you with so many blessings that you need to qualify for first. He knows what’s in store for you because He is experiencing it right now!

4. God’s grace is readily available to everyone. God is willing to grant all the help and strength we need to help us along. All we need to do is ask, seek, and knock. 

5. The purpose of the atonement is not to cleanse, but to transform. We make mistakes and we learn from them. Rather than repeatedly sinning then asking for forgiveness, the Savior can help us change our desires, our actions, our habits, even our very character to be more like Him. When your heart changes, you become a whole new person.

I love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  His words give me faith. His atonement gives me hope. They are my Manna from Heaven.

A Pattern In Each Dispensation

Each dispensation begins with an exodus (an exit into a new land):

~Adam and Eve began mortality by exiting the garden of Eden.

~Enoch and his city exited earth to be in the presence of God.

~Noah and his family left his land in an ark.

~At the Tower of Babel, the people’s languages were changed and they were scattered among the land.

~Abraham and his wife were commanded to leave the land of Ur, of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan.

~That is when Abraham’s grandson, Joseph, was sold into Egypt.

~Moses led the people out of Egypt, and after 40 years, arrived in Sinai.

~Before the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 600 B.C., Lehi and his family left the continent entirely and arrived in the Americas.

~We read in Luke 2 that Joseph and Mary left Nazareth to preserve the life of the Savior, which is why He was born in Bethlehem 70 miles away.

~In this dispensation, the Lord’s people exited several locations (Ohio, Missouri, Illinois) and ultimately settled in Utah.

~At the 2nd Coming, Christ will usher in the Millenium, at which point there will be an exodus when the lost tribes are all physically gathered together.

~After the Millenium, the earth will become the Celestial Kingdom and will be relocated near Kolob.

I love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  His words give me faith. His atonement gives me hope. They are my Manna from Heaven.

“Watch and Pray”

 

We are always under spiritual attack. There are many warning signs to watch for which, if we are not careful, will lead to iniquitous lifestyles.

~ Loss of spiritual desire. The goal of any spiritual attack is to turn you away from what God wants to do in your life. That is why the first warning sign of attack is a loss of spiritual desire. Take it as a compliment that Satan acknowledges you’re important in God’s plan to the point he tries to take away your spiritual desire.

~ Physical fatigue. I know that doesn't sound very spiritual, but keep in mind that we are created beings—spirit and body. If my body is weak, it allows things to get into my mind, and that allows things to negatively affect my spirit. Stay active, eat healthy,and spend time outside.

~ "Lack attack." There are times when it seems that all of your resources dry up at the same time. The enemy attacks in this to get you to take your eyes off of God and put your eyes on money. If he can get you worrying rather than worshipping, you will start making decisions based on stress. Always remember there are two times in your life when you are especially vulnerable to temptation: when you have nothing and when you have everything. Stay close to God in both the good times and the bad times.

~ Weak prayer life. "Could you not watch with Me one hour?" Jesus asked His disciples. Then He told them, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:40-41). “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan” (D&C 10:5).

~ Feeling overwhelmed and helpless. It doesn't take long for feelings of being overwhelmed to lead to hopelessness and depression. Elder Holland gave great counsel, summarizing: “Above all never lose faith in your Father in Heaven who loves you more than you can comprehend. Trust in God. Hold on to His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee.” Remember, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). If the adversary can get you to lose hope, he can get you to stop living by faith.

~ Old habits and lifestyles resurface. If this begins to happen, do not ignore the warning conviction of the Holy Spirit. Strengthen Godly relationships.

~ Pulling away from Godly relationships. Look around. Have you pulled out of relationships with people from church? Are more and more of your friends carnally-minded rather than spiritually-minded? If so, you are stumbling around the battleground and the enemy has a target on your head. I know personally the blessings that come from spiritually-strong friends, as well as the risks from carnally-minded friends. “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve” (Josh. 24:15; Alma 30:8).

 

Five "Do Nots" to break the enemy's attack. Once you've taken a stand against the enemy's attack, here are five "do nots" you must remember.

• Do not forget who made you. God created you with storms in mind. He has equipped you and you are going to make it through in Him.
• Do not forsake the time and place of prayer. Two things that are vital to a successful prayer life: a time of prayer and a place of prayer.
• Do not forsake the place of power. Church is a place of power. Go every week. The temple provides power; attend often. priesthood blessings provide power; ask for, and cherish them.
• Do not forsake the power of counsel. It is good to be around people who have lived longer, done more than you have and can give wise counsel.
• Do not disconnect from church leaders. Don't wait until the enemy is tearing you to pieces to seek the aid of those in a leadership role in your ward.

If you are under attack, you can arm yourself against the enemy's schemes, equip yourself to fight and win! Put on the full armor of God and trust in Him!

Kings and Queens of Righteousness

Melchizedek is of Hebrew origin. The Hebrew word "melek" means king, and "tsedek" means righteousness, so the name is explained as meaning "king of righteousness."

That serves as a reminder for all Melchizedek priesthood holders to consistently seek to be kings of righteousness.

The same holds true to women who are sealed (or yet to be sealed) in the temple to a Melchizedek priesthood holder. When couples are sealed in the temple, they are to become "one flesh" (Gen. 2:24) at which point they equally share the blessings of, and access to the Melchizedek priesthood, as well as the responsibility to honor and worthily qualify for its power. Therefore women ought to consistently seek to be queens of righteousness as men seek to be kings of righteousness.

I love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  His words give me faith. His teachings give me hope. They are my Manna from Heaven.

Jesus Wept

The shortest verse in the Bible, but also very significant. 

Lazarus, Mary’s brother, had just died. But why would Jesus weep? He knew back in verse 14 that Lazarus had died without anyone telling Him. The Holy Ghost told Him, or perhaps the spirit of Lazarus himself. Yet, the Savior weeps when Mary told Him the news, and the Jews obviously think Jesus is sad that Lazarus is gone:

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
 
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
 
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
 
35 Jesus wept.
 
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

(KJV)
 

Christ knows the eternal plan more than anyone else on earth. He knew where Lazarus was, and that he is in a state of peace and happiness. What reason would Jesus have to weep?

The answer is found in the words of one of His prophets about 170 years earlier in the American continent.

While explaining the meaning of the baptismal covenant, Alma teaches:

8 …Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
 
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
 
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

(Book of Mormon, Mosiah ch. 18)

Jesus was baptized with the same authority, making the same covenants, as the people were in the Book of Mormon. He was keeping His baptismal covenant by mourning with Mary over the loss of her brother.

I love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  His words give me faith. His teachings give me hope. They are my Manna from Heaven.

Share Your Light (poem)

 
How has the Gospel brought you comfort and joy?
Some memories you have, Satan wants to destroy,
 
When were the times you felt strength and peace,
When burdens and trials seem to decrease?
 
What kind of feelings come to your heart,
When you know your family will never ever part?
 
What other blessings bring you elation?
Priesthood, the temple, perhaps exaltation?
 
Now imagine your life without any of these,
No assurance for your family, no guarantees.
 
No priesthood blessings, no peace from the temple,
You’d think your placement on earth is accidental.
 
No divine plan, no patriarchal blessing,
Instead of knowing there is a God, you’re guessing.
 
This is normal for most people on earth,
oblivious to these blessings and of their worth.
 
Imagine our Father looking down from above,
yearning that all will accept His great love.
 
Oh, that we could borrow His eyes to see,
the way He sees all humanity.
 
Sometimes these blessings we might take for granted,
let’s not forget what we are commanded,
 
You’re stewards over the testimonies you’re given,
God trusts you’ll share them and not keep them hidden.

My brothers and sisters, we’re obligated to share,
the truths we thank our God for in prayer.
 
Hasten the work; the 2^nd coming draws nearer,
The signs of the times couldn’t be any clearer.
 
We covenant to serve Jesus Christ, our Master,
now let us try serving just a little bit faster.
 
Do not fear of losing a friend,
just one invitation, it won’t be the end.
 
We have opportunities to extend to all,
Our message applies to both small and tall,
 
Whether black or white, whether bond or free,
whether old, or young, or LGBT.
 
The church fell away which Jesus had started,
the priesthood, the gospel, it all had departed.
 
Then in 1830, His church was restored,
priesthood and guidance, to depart never more.
 
God does speak to man once again,
there’s a prophet on earth just like there had been.
 
Like Moses, Noah, and Abraham of old,
there’s a prophet today, just as foretold.
 
What light fills my soul when I hear this great truth,
this light shines inside both me and you.
 
Share your light; do not delay,
how can you share the gospel today?”

I love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  His words give me faith. His teachings give me hope. They are my Manna from Heaven.