One thing I know.

This one thing I know: Great love or respect in a marriage or in a family is not anchored in seeking to create a standard of high performance in a mutually agreed upon worthy endeavor. That is not what ultimately makes that relationship become all that it can be. Rather great love is fostered and grows when there is “an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion”* combined with a deep, true and unwavering mutual appreciation and gratitude for all that is good in the other, regardless of challenges, or weakness, or “level of performance” as we seek, as individuals or as a couple, to simply do the good we can. 

A love thus fostered is the kind of love that will endure, with peace, to the end, long past the time when we are “performing at peak capacity” and far beyond the time in life when an elusive ideal of perfect seamlesss synchronization seemed mentally or physcially possible. It is a love that frees us to become, together, a union that is far beyond the measure of performance and rests simply and wholly in the realm of pure and heaven orchestrated charity. I choose that kind of love. I choose a love that simply is. I do not do it perfectly. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I fail. But it is what I choose. That is one wall upon which I choose to lean my life’s ladder.

“Great beyond comprehension is the love of God. He is our loving Eternal Father. Out of His love for us, He has given an eternal plan which, when followed, leads to exaltation in His kingdom. Out of His love for us, He sent His Firstborn into the world, who, out of His own divine love, gave Himself as a sacrifice for each of us. His was an incomparable gift of love to a world that largely spurned Him. He is our great exemplar. We should let love become the lodestar of our lives…Let that divine love, shed on us, be reflected from our lives onto others of our Father’s children.” ~ Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1989

*G. B. Hinckley, “What God Hath Joined Together”, April 1991

The basics: The Sermon on the Mount

Sermon the Mount. Making it more accessible. Here's the first draft for the first chapter, Matthew 5, starting with verse 16:

When you know a good and right way to live, live that way. That helps other people to see goodness and recognize the goodness of God.

You may get angry sometimes and that anger may make you want to do stupid or bad things. Anger can cause you to make very bad choices Be very wise. Be sure your reasons for anger are good ones. And no matter how much anger you feel, do good things because of it, not bad things. And certainly do not ever let your anger cause you to put down other people, no matter who they are.

Just don't make fun of other people, period.

So...instead....when you have a disagreement with someone or you are mad at them, work hard to find a solution that works for both of you. Working on that will make it much easier for you to hear and understand God's words when you worship at church.

Keep your thoughts focused on what is good, not on what feels exciting and pleasurable, because your thoughts are important as well as your actions.

Repent.

Speak the truth plainly.

Don't swear.

Don't try to make things right by getting even.

When someone makes you give away something or to do extra work, be nice about it and generous too.

Love your neighbor.

Love your enemy.

Be good to people even if they are nasty to you.

Pray for people who are mean.

Do your good deeds quietly. Don't feel like you need to get other people to praise you for doing good things.

Pray privately.

When you pray, say what you think and be respectful.

Be thankful.

Ask Heavenly Father for help and for forgiveness and for the things you need.

Forgive others.

When you fast, don't complain and groan about it.

Be focused on being and doing good, not on getting stuff.

See life clearly and recognize goodness.

Put God ahead of money in your heart.

Be merciful.

Don't judge unkindly.

Worry about your own sins, not other people's sins.

Treat sacred things with respect and share them wisely and with wise restraint.

When you need God's help, ask for it, seek it. You will find it.

Treat others the way you like to be treated.

Seek to live the way God wants you to live and to do what he wants you to do. Doing that leads to eternal life.

Watch what happens when other people make choices and do stuff. That will help you to tell whether or not they are honest and true and good and whether or not their ideas can be trusted.

Be sure that when you are doing something in Jesus' name that it really is what he wants you to be doing.

When you learn Jesus' teachings don't just listen to them, actually do what he teaches.

So, what brings miracles to pass?

Miracles are things that happen when God's power creates a good event that we could not have created by ourselves with our current knowledge and understanding.  Some are big and some are small.  Each one is good.

So, is exact obedience really the thing that brings miracles?

I studied in order to find out what the scriptures say are the things that make a miracle possible.

This is what I found.

Real miracles are possible 

• When God commands them to happen.  (1 Nephi 17:50-51, Mormon 9:16-31))
• According to our faith in Christ (2 Nephi 26:13 and Mosiah 8:18, Alma 57:26, Helaman 4:25, Mormon 9:16-31, Ether 12:8-22, Morni 7:33-42)
• By the power of God (Alma 23:6, Alma 57:26, Helaman 4:25, Mormon 9:16-31)
• When the one who performs the miracle is repentant (3 Nephi 8:1)
• When our hearts are open to understand the Lord's words and we desire to communicate with Him (3 Nephi 19:24-35, Mormon 9:16-31)
• When they are done in the name of Jesus, among a group of peaceful, just, and generous people (4 Nephi 1:25)

And finally (and I think this is important) being able to perform miracles is a gift.  We do not earn the ability to do them.  They are a divine gift.  (Moroni 10:12)

So, no, it seems that exact obedience does not earn or bring miracles.   But God can command them to happen.  And our faith in Christ and his teachings, and our willingness to work with him with a repentant heart helps.

So, once again, we are back to the basics: 

God's divine power 

Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ (not faith in a specific wished for miracle), 

Continuing repentance, 

Honest and willing hearts engaged in communication with God

Continuing to learn about, and live, a Christlike life 

Those bring miracles: events (both large and small) where you see the help or influence of God creating good situations or events that you cannot do yourself.  

Actually, that makes a lot of sense to me. 

3 days ago

Details

Obedience brings what?

So what do the scriptures say are, in reality, the anticipated results of obedience to the commandments of God?

It’s interesting how catchy sentences are so easy to remember.  But there is one problem with catchy phrases in the gospel.  They can oversimplify things.  

I have been thinking about this sentence that was put together by a young missionary several years ago.  So I went to the scriptures to find out what the scriptures really say can be the blessings that come from obedience.

Of course, none of us are perfect in obeying commandments of God, but happily, He does not require perfection before we start seeing some of the results. He freely gives to his children who are trying to do good.  And I think you are. 

Here are a few things I found:

Obedience is sometimes referred to as being “faithful and diligent”. (Doctrine and Covenants 59:3)

Obedience (being faithful and diligent) to God’s commandments helps us

• to know whether or not the commandments are from God (John 7:17)

• to abide in Jesus’ love (John 15:10)

• to love our brothers and sisters with true charity (1st Peter 1:22)

• to become worthy to enter heaven (Matthew 7:21)

• to be unshakeable in times of trouble (Mathew 7:24-25)

• to be prepared for celestial glory (Doctrine and Covenants 88)

• to experience "blessedness" (the happiness that comes to those who find their purpose and fulfillment in God. (Luke 11:28)

• to receive the good things of the earth, good harvest, blessings from above, and more commandments and revelations (Doctrine and Covenants 59:3-4)

That’s an interesting list of specific blessings to consider.

So, being obedient, if it’s done wisely, doesn’t necessarily result in you getting what you want, or being “successful” in your current work.  Instead, it can result in some different distinct blessings that are pretty amazing.

Something to consider: As we look at that list, do we recognize some of those blessings and results unfolding in our lives as we are faithful and diligent? Or are we so focused on other blessings that we want, and that we think we can “earn” with obedience, that we miss the blessings that he so freely gives?

They are amazing.