Matthew 16:24-26

I few weeks ago I read Pastor Joel Tooley's report of a post-election political campaign rally he recently attended in which he felt called upon to protect a mother and child who were being physically threatened and the experience of the threats and vile language that he, his young daughter as well as the woman and her child experienced.

And then in my scripture reading a few days later (Matthew 16) I read, again, this verse

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, 'If any will come after me, let him come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosover will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?'"

And I was struck that, unlike the point made the various Bible commentaries I've read about this passage that talk about the importance of maintaining your faith and your truth-speaking about Jesus, in spite of persecution, for me this is more.  It is about being willing to be uncomfortable, tired, exhausted, brave in the face of fear, and to suffer emotional or physical pain and even experience death as a consequence of living Jesus' commandments to love, feed, protect, visit, help, educate and succor those you are called, as a disciple, to assist.

In Jesus' time, each condemned man or woman carried his her own cross, the very thing upon which they would suffer and die.

And for us, taking up the work that we do as disciples is, in fact, carrying with us, always, a work that, if we do it right, will result in our being in situations that will result in our suffering fear or pain, and, for some of us, physical death, as we love, feed, protect, visit, teach, succor and help.

And the call is to do that difficult, often courageous, work when we encounter it, and not just simply keeping ourselves and our families safe, refreshed,  happy or comfortable in the blessings of the gospel.

Listening and confidence

In a meeting or on the phone….

Note:  This is not a post that is written in response  to national or regional politics.  Though there may be some tangential connections, my thoughts here are directed at interactions with people who are speaking to you or to a group with which you have elected to gather in order to listen to them.  This is not about our responses to soundbites and debates in the news media or our responses to the individuals who show up in those soundbites and debates.  That is fodder for another post.

Recently I sat in a meeting where a woman that I dearly love spoke of truths I understand.

I have noticed that when  I love a well-meaning person who is speaking at a meeting or in a personal conversation, the virtuous positions they espouse sink more deeply into my heart than when I am reserved in my affection for him or her.  And, similarly, when listening to someone I dearly love espouse understanding that I think  is seriously flawed, I am more easily able to forgive and  and not be overwhelmed with sorrow, anger or dismay over the less virtuous positions he or she may advocate than when I am reserved in my affection,  and, from there, simply continue on wisely and well  in what I understand  to be wisest and best.

So, I am learning, brotherly love not only increases my ability to recognize and embrace what is wise and good, but it also increases my ability to proceed in that good path wisely and confidently, minimally upset by misguided and wrong statements pronounced by someone who means well but does not understand or even rejects  the good that I understand.

Therefore, when I am  seated in a meeting, or am in a conversation, listening to a well-meaning person who doesn’t understand the goodness or virtue that  I understand and love, if I feel  my anger and frustration levels rising, or my sorrow start to become overwhelming, I may wish to take stock of my personal commitment to the development and practice of brotherly love.

I have learned that though anger or angst or dismay  may impel me to higher levels of energy, brotherly love gives me greater ability to proceed, undisturbed, in the course I understand to be wisest, most virtuous and best with greater effectiveness and with calm confidence when someone  who I think should know better because of the evidence and information they have, rejects that course.

 “Let thy bowels be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God…”
Doctrine and Covenants 121:45

Confidence in what you believe is good, maintained in a soul committed to brotherly love, I have found, is more effective,  unperturbable, and empowering than confidence in what you believe is good mixed with angst, dismay, frustration or anger brought on because you have not yet chosen  brotherly love in a relationship with someone who is espousing what you believe is a very wrong course.  Charity towards all, regardless of the presence or total absence of mutual comprehension,  does, it seems, directly affect your ability to move forward with calm, unaffected confidence.

As a side note,  over 40 years ago a  teacher once asked why I thought the phrase “and to the household of faith” was in that verse, above, in Doctrine and Covenants 121 that speaks of waxing strong in confidence as one pursues a virtuous course of thinking and action.   Why  mention that household when that subset is already part of the set of “all men”.  I have thought about that question many times.

I think I understand better now why that is there.

A Guide to Letting Go of Your Perfectly Good Things

This post is from Zoe Kim who blogs on http://www.theminimalistplate.com/

Keeping it here for future reference and discussion.

Finding our lives under everything we own is more than clearing away just junk. Often it requires removing good quality things. Expensive things. Useful things. Admired things. Fancy things. It means letting go of perfectly good stuff in order to pursue something more meaningful.

I began de-owning my excess six years ago. My husband deployed frequently and we had two children under five. I was spending more time doing something with our stuff than doing something with my family.

With my husband half-way across the world, the kids and I had to pack up to move again. It was our third move in six years, but this one was just down the street. How difficult could that be?

Well, the process of personally packing, unpacking, and organizing all of our stuff drained the joy right out of me—for two months. I wanted to take my kids to the beach, play at the park, and listen to their laughter. But I was exhausted, and stressed. Busy taking care of all our stuff.

It was in that stress, exhaustion, and desire to live better that I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment. I began to see the real cost of our stuff— and it was way overpriced!

I started peeling away the layers of excess. And I was on a roll—until I hit that layer of perfectly good things! Valuable things that people spent much time and life to purchase. I felt wasteful and sick at the thought of giving it away. This was good stuff— wasn’t it? Maybe so. But I was learning, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” —Henry Thoreau

It is possible to break through the layer of perfectly good things. Through the process, I learned these practical steps:

1. Accept the mistake. Often, we will see many mistakes as we start to purge all the ‘good stuff.’ Acknowledge it was a mistake so you can move on. Keeping something that does not add value to your life keeps you stuck holding on to the mistake.

2. Shift your perspective. As I journey further into minimalism, I realized there is far more joy in giving things away than can ever be found in owning more.

3. Designate a spot. In the beginning, I would walk through my house and see things I thought I wanted to donate but they stayed put until I set up a spot to start putting it all. Set up a box, closet or room to place your donation items. Remove them from your house often.

4. Community. Share your excess with your community. Donate books to schools and libraries. Donate clothing and other household goods to local foster care organizations, shelters, and your local food pantry.

5. Experiment. Experimentation by elimination has helped me shed the layers of good stuff quicker. I simplified my beauty and bath routine by removing 60-80% of my products. Much to my surprise, many things I kept had no real value to my day.

6. Keep your eye on your why. In times of discouragement, make a choice to focus on why you are giving perfectly good things away. Remember, you’re giving up the good for the best.

7. Ask yourself better questions.

Does it serve its purpose—to serve my purpose?
We’re often not consciously thinking about our motives when we keep things, but everything has a cost. How much are you willing to sacrifice your passion and purpose for possessions? Some of our things serve a purpose. The important things give our lives meaning and joy. The useless ones just drain our time.

Can this be useful to someone else?
When we hold on to good things we do not need, we keep them from being helpful to others. I used to think it would be wasteful just to give things away that were barely used or not used at all—especially if they weren’t cheap. But then I thought, what if I just own my mistake in buying this thing by giving it away.

Would I leave this as someone else’s’ responsibility?
With my spouse deployed in harm’s way, I was expected to plan. I filled out the spouse deployment form—pages filled with detailed questions and answers should my husband be killed. Experiences like these gave me more prudence. What will the state of my stuff look like when I’m no longer here? Do I enjoy this enough to leave if for someone to take care of—because it will be my family taking care of it someday?

How do you want to live your life?
Own too much, and you’ll live a life owned by your stuff. Say yes when you should say no and you’ll live a life organized by others. Keep more than you need, and you’ll give less to those in need.

The journey to minimalism might look like it’s about going through and purging your possessions. But it’s much more about going through your heart. “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” Marie Kondo

I’ve often wondered if I would have journeyed into minimalism had we not experienced the active duty military life. If we hadn’t moved so often and been stretched in stress, would I have kept it all put-away—like organized hoarding happily?

Nonetheless, I’m grateful for the experiences which brought me to the path to living more intentionally with a lot less.

***

Zoë Kim blogs at The Minimalist Plate where she inspires others to live an intentional life by owning less, creating new habits, and cultivating opportunities to give.

Luke 24. Counseling together. Learning from each other. Avoiding being fools and slow of heart to believe.

Luke 24

They [Mary Magdalene, Joanna, James' mother Mary, and other women] found the sepulchre empty and encountered “two men in shining garments” who said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

And the women “remembered [Jesus'] words”!!!! Oh yes!! That's right!! He did!! and so they went, bringing the news of their experience with the angels to the eleven apostles, most certainly reminding them, as they had been reminded, of what Jesus had said about being crucified and rising again on the third day.

Which experiences and things the apostles apparently did not only not remember, but also pooh-poohed the women's words as “idle tales” and did not believe them...

though Peter did, to his credit, go and look for himself, and wonder, afterwards, at the empty tomb that he found.

I think we may have found here, in the early church, an example of an extreme lack of the skill of counseling together, an inability of one group of people to consider the information from another, likely due to their sex in this case, but which in other cases may be due to different things that make the one group fail to listen or believe the words of another, simply because they are “other” and their ideas, perspectives and experiences are very different than our current patterns of thinking.

So...next, that same day, we have the “road to Emmaus” story, where two are traveling and encounter the resurrected Jesus, and do not realize who he is, and tell him their understanding of what happened over the last three days and of the odd, and not quite believed, tale the women had told. And what does Jesus say?

“O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”

And then, later, he sits down with those two, and the eleven, and once again, unfolds the details in the scriptures that he had told them before and that they had not remembered, and which failure to remember abetted their discounting of what the women had been reminded of and believed.

One message I suspect that may have had running though their minds: "I should have listened to them.  It would have been less awkward for me now, if I had.  And I certainly would have saved myself many hours of grief."

I really hope that no heavenly messenger or other divine being ever again has good cause to say to me, “O fool, and slow of heart to believe...” due to my out of hand rejection of the beliefs and experiences of others who have joined me in councils and conferences and circles of conversation, or whose experiences and words preceded mine by many years; rejecting because they are, in my mind, “other”, people whose experiences or perspectives or energy levels or understanding or cultural background, or ethnicity, or sex or age or anything else make me subconsciously discount their stories or the news they bring.

I'm certain that I have deserved it sometimes. It is an easy habit to fall into and a difficult one to recognize in oneself and then totally eradicate instead of laughing and excusing one's behavior, or becoming defensive or irritated or dismissive when it is pointed out.

So, once again, I am in awe of the careful, patient, thoughtful, listeners I know.

God's Love.

"No mistake, sin, or choice will change God’s love for us. That does not mean sinful conduct is condoned, nor does it remove our obligation to repent when sins are committed. But do not forget, Heavenly Father knows and loves each of you, and He is always ready to help."

Ronald Rasband, "Lest Thou Forget", October 2016

A New Year. Renewed Life? Day 5

Day 5: A reflection on the good that what we  have omitted rather than the not so good we have committed.

This is the last of the 5 days of reflection.  And I find it particularly hopeful because it requires that I look carefully at what moral principles I am already converted to and use those as the basis for reflection.  It is easier it be asked to recommit to things that you already wish to do, but just haven't made the time or preparations for instead of being asked to stop doing stuff that you are indulging in and aren't sure you really want to give up.

So today’s piece focuses on actions that are the results of our decisions based upon our own internal priorites and moral compasses rather than prescribed external requirements of avoidance of evil: Things like Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love your neighbor as yourself. When smitten, turn the other cheek. When asked for a coat, give your cloak also. Forgive, not just once but seventy times seven,  all of which require an inner commitment and a personal moral evaluation. This was the essence of the new gospel. There is, if you look at it carefully,  more emphasis on perceive, choose and do in the gospel than on do not.

Moral agency has been given to each of us to make choices as to things to do and ways to respond.  And it is good to reflect on and recommit ourselves and our resources to the actions and understandings that we believe are good, but to which we neglect to commit sufficient time or resources in our busy pursuit of other demands or interests in our lives.

What are the moral priorities in your life to which you would be wise to recommit your time, talents and resource and make plans to incorporate better in your life?  What actions and responses would increase in your life if you did so?

For each person the answer will be different.  Here are some questions to ask yourself, or to get you thinking about other questions that would apply to you.

After each of the following questions, pause and listen for God's impressions.

Questions for reflection: (a) Am I  neglecting regular time in thoughtful study of scripture and meditation thereon? ___ (b)  Have I recognized certain sins in my life but failed to fully repent and make restitution? ___ (c) Do I neglect to speak truth? ___ (d) Have I neglected to use my gifts and talents to bless others? ___   (e) Have I failed to treat others with whom I disagree with wise forbearance? ___ (f) Am I daily forgetting to seek to reflect God’s grace in my interactions and choices? ___ (g) Am I failing to donate resources to help those who are less fortunate than I?  (h) Have I neglected to work at improving my marriage and family life? ___ (i) Do I fail to regularly communicate with God?

It’s a new year, and a new time, with time for reflection, increased understanding and thoughtful change.  Writing what you wish to implement anew in your life will help.

All this for some enlightening and hopeful understanding and course correction that will increase the peace in your heart,  the wise, accurate hope in your perceptions, and an increased ability to recognize and find greater comprehension in the resultant good changes in your life and in the lives of others.  Enjoy.

A blessed New Year to you.

New Year. Renewed Life? Day 4

Day 3 gave me some good food for thought about how well or not I forgive others' failures in my heart.  Unlike God, who chooses and decides with infinite comprehension to forgive or not, we are called to hand up our sinned-against anguish to Him to deal with in infinite justice or mercy, as is best.  Wise handing up is hard.  And forgiveness is not always easy.  But it is, I believe, infinitely liberating. 

(note: Forgiveness does not mean that we cease to work for justice in this life or excuse sin, but it does enable us so that we may be liberated to work for justice without rancor or hatred or fear, working instead out of compassion for those wronged and a focus on repairing and healing, not retribution.)

So perhaps its appropriate that the hope in today's reflection hinges upon understanding better the process of God's gift of forgiveness to me as I seek Him and seek to change who I am.  I sense that that may also ultimately be similarly infinitely liberating as is our forgiveness of others.

Day 4: Victory Over Sins of Commission

“...will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?”

3 Nephi 9:

Repentance, if you look at the Greek and Hebrew words used in the New and Old Testament, refers to a change of heart; changing what you love and who you want to be and the resultant change of direction in your life.

And sins of commission are the times when we do, say or think anything God has forbidden or warned against. Repentance, therefore, in a religious sense, is becoming a person whose change of heart reflects a change of what you love; turning you into a person who, in spite of the attraction of various actions forbidden by God, loves and is committed to God and goodness and finds light and peace enough in that commitment to enable him or her to choose God and goodness instead of choosing indulgence in that which God has warned against.

The things warned against can be anything from actions and words to thoughts or relationships. The trick is to be brave enough to see them for what they are and address them, seeking to change so that we love and to act in goodness, rather than excusing our forays into indulging in wrong things, or hoping that maybe God will act like an indulgent, unconcerned babysitter towards us and our sins, rather than a loving and concerned father.

There are a myriad of questions we can ask ourselves as we reflect. Below are a few. You may find that there are others that better address the areas in which a change of heart will be wise repentance for you. So, if it's helpful, write them instead. The key is to be honest with yourself about which questions will help you make that change in what and who you love so that your actions will reflect that.

Some possible questions for reflection: (a) Am I engaged in any form of physical, mental, online or phone immorality or unethical behavior? ___ (b) Do the things I read or watch for entertainment celebrate or embody glorifying violence against or the objectification of others? ___ (c) Do I have habits that abuse or neglect my body? ___ (d) Are there things or people that I trust more than I trust God?___ (e) Am I a thoughtful, wise steward with my financial resources? ___ (f) Am I in any way harsh or unkind to others? ___ (g) Which sins do I confess but still have trouble fully forsaking? ___ (h) Have I abused God's grace by taking sin lightly? ___

Repentance is hard because it involves change. Trying to do it by simply gritting your teeth, listing what you will do and won't do, and exercising self-mastery may help you change your actions and is very helpful in this process. But we are also seeking a step beyond that; not just a change in what we do, but also in who and what (God and mankind and goodness) we love more than we love our own self-indulgence in less-worthy actions. And we can pray for that.  It is charity.

Charity ...seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth...

Cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all... and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him, wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love

Moroni 7:45-48

New Year. Renewed Life? Day 3

Day 2 gave me one more reminder of my need to be slow to wrath and to leaps into intense speech.

Here is Day 3.

Right Relationships and Wise Reconciliation

"So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  

Matthew 5:23-24  

 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.  By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

John 13:34-35  

"Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves."

 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

With God, everything is about relationships. At its heart, spirituality is about loving God and one another and listening to God and to each other. We place ourselves far from God when we fail to love and fail to listen.

Questions for reflection: (a) Is there anyone (past or present) that I realize I have offended but to whom have not apologized? ___ (b) Have I failed to seek full reconciliation and make restitution to anyone I have harmed? ___ (c) Do I harbor the slightest unforgiveness and anger toward anyone? ___ (d) Do I privately rehearse angry things I would like to say to certain people? ___ (e) Have I become less able to respond with love because of disappointments with God or with others? ___ (f) As a parent, am I serving and guiding my family both temporally and spiritually? ___ (g) Have I in any way failed to treat my parents kindly and patiently? ___ (h) Have I spoken or e-mailed destructively about anyone? ___ (i) Have I publicly criticized or maligned someone I personally know who is trying to do good but is doing so imperfectly? ___ (j) Have I forwarded criticism that fosters nothing but hate, despising or great fear? (k) Am I involved in any form of gossip or fear-mongering? ___ (l) Do I tend to hurt and offend people with my words or e-mails? ___ (m) Is there any pattern of failing to forgive others, including spiritual leaders, whose imperfections disappoint me? ___

Relationships are tricky. Some people are extremely hard to love. Sometimes our efforts at reconciliation are tossed back in our faces with rejection and vitriol. Sometimes people are destructive and dangerous. Sometimes our sense of hurt or fear makes the thought of loving terrifying. 

 But loving and is not embracing. And loving is not excusing.   Loving is seeing others with God's eyes, which are full of grace and truth. 

Forgiving is not embracing.  It is letting go of the hardness in our hearts, handing the hurt up to God to heal and moving forward in peace and goodwill and wisdom.

 When we turn to God for clear revelation of specific steps we may need to take to repair our hearts and make relationships better there are answers. Resolve to be utterly honest with yourself and resist the human tendency to rationalize the sin of failing to love.

For prayer and repentance, determine now to put off sins of relationship. These hurts can be handed up to God as we move forward towards increased ability to love and listen.

Are there certain people to whom I should apologize? ___ Do I need to take specific steps of restitution? ____ (Restitution means repaying something I have taken or publicly seeking to restore a reputation I have damaged.) Is there some offense or bitterness I need to finally release? ___

Be completely honest with God and yourself. If people are coming to mind with whom you need to make a contact for reconciliation, or patterns in your responses to others that need to be changed, that is likely God speaking to your heart. Take time to write out specific steps you may feel guided to take.

Praying to be able to see another the way God sees him or her, and how to respond and move forward with both love and wisdom, really does work.

New Year. Renewed life? Day 1

Today is December 31. (Yes, I know the date above says December 30, but my blog is set to the day it is in my hometown, but right now I am on the other side of the world.)  So here, tomorrow starts a new year.  Impressed by the thoughts I encountered as part of one church’s formal commitment to 5 days of repentance and renewal I am borrowing and adapting from their thoughts and writing on that topic and hope to spend time over the next 5 days starting my New Year with new focus.  Since I am looking forward to finding it helpful, I am sharing it.  

The following is adapted from their plans for  Day 1: Integrity in Attitude and Focus

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns. 

See if there is any offensive way in me;

lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 139:23-24

Prayerfully work through the following reflective questions. After each of the following questions, pause and allow God to speak to you.

Questions for reflection: (a) Do I tend to think more about worldly things than spiritual? ___ (b) Does the focus of my thoughts often indicate a lack of remembering and loving others and loving to do good? ___ (c)What is the ratio of the amount of time I spend on hobbies, sports or recreation to the amount of time I spend in study of scripture and in prayer? ___ (d) Do I have any patterns of unclean or lustful thoughts? ___ (e) Have I opened the door to destructive self-indulgence or objectification of others by anything I view online or in other media? ___ (f) Do I frequently have thoughts that are envious or jealous? ___ (g) Am I overly competitive and self-exalting? ___ (h) Am I interested in serving God only if I can have a preeminent role? ___ (i) Am I determined to get my way? ___ (j) Am I overly interested in being noticed? ___ (k) Do I often have thoughts that are angry or resentful? ___ (l) Am I frequently dominated by thoughts of doubt in God’s power  instead of trust in his love and power? ___ (m) Do I consistently harbor thoughts of bitterness and unforgiveness of others?  Of myself? ___ (n) Do I  brood about harsh things I would like to say to certain people or groups? 

Helaman 3:35:  The process of moving towards joy and consolation through  yielding your heart to God and embracing light and goodness.

Suggested course of action:   For prayer and repentance, review what you know about repentance.  Seek to learn more. Resolve now to put off sinful thoughts and ally yourself with Christ by faith. Be willing to be specific in what you confess and forsake. Place strong focus on identifying the specific righteous thoughts that will replace those that are wrong. List some of your key points for change.

Pause in prayer and trust God to empower you to, with the Holy Spirit, to change.

To Be Trusted and Also to Love

I hear a quote cited every once in a while.  David O. McKay once cited it in a talk he gave.  It was written by the theologian George MacDonald and appears in his book, The Marquis of Lossie.

I think it is often misunderstood.  I'll have to read the book in order to be sure, but from the writings of his that I have read, I think that MacDonald is thinking about reassurance to those who have made decisions that have been based upon their commitment to love of God and to their covenants with  Him (including love of neighbor) and who, when they made those decision, have been condemned by others who are important to them.   And I think he was also writing to those who are facing the dilemma of having to choose between keeping their covenants, with love, and pleasing or having their actions understood someone whose love is conditioned upon their choosing to be or do something different.

Unfortunately, I hear this quote sometimes used to justify hard-hearted covenant keeping; the kind that causes one to think, consciously or unconsciously, "I will do A, being trustworthy to what I think God requires, and everyone who wants me do differently than A be damned.  I will choose to do this noble thing and who cares about those who do not agree."

And they miss the whole point that the first two things that God trusts us to do are his first two commandments; love God and love others.

I think it is human nature, when one is condemned or grossly misunderstood for doing what one thinks is right, to harden your heart towards the person who objects in order to lesson the pain of that condemnation and accusation.  But that is not what Christ expects of us.

And so one of the ways I can watch over my own discipleship is by watching not only whether God can trust me to keep my covenants of ministry, charity, repentance, faith, fidelity, sacrifice, diligence and consecration, but also, at the same time, whether He can trust me to keep my heart loving wisely with to patience, non-judgmentalism, love and forgiveness in my interactions with others, particularly those who disagree with, misunderstand or condemn me for my ideas, opinions or choices.

Not perfect at it.  But that's what I hope.

"...but that the world, through him, might be saved"

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world, through him might be saved."   John 3:17

"To condemn the world gives to the English reader a stronger impression than that of the original Greek. The word (κρίνω, krino, the Latin c(k)erno, and the English dis-cern) means originally to separate, and in the moral sense to separate good from evil. "  ~ Charles John Ellicott, English theologian, 1819-1905,  Elllicott's Commentary for English Readers

God did not send his son to separate the world, but to save the world.  Spiritual death is separation from God.  Spiritual life is being fully with Him.  

Jesus came to connect us with God, totally, completely, freely.  He came to open the way for our return, for our ability to not only choose to be and change into a fully good, honest, wise, love and light-filled individual, but also to open the door for our healing, and to fully undo the damage we have caused, since none of us would otherwise be able to stand in God's presence for long, so fully aware of the difference between us and how far from what God is we are in Goodness, Truth, Love and Light.

None of us are there yet.  But He he came to open that door, and shepherd us through if we are willing, whether we recognize His hand in it or not.

Saving is what he offers.  Salvation is a word that means many different things to different people, all of them dealing with good things.  And it is a word that incorporates amazing principles and realities.

I like this attempt at defining it, from The Pulpit Commentary, first published in 1909:

"Through him the world may be saved from its ruin, by reason of individuals accepting his grace. The saving of humanity as a whole issues from the believing and living of men. God's love of the world and his sending of his Son aim at the saving of the world as their Divine end. Salvation (σωτηρία) is the largest of all the famous biblical terms which denote the restoration and blessedness of man. It means all that is elsewhere denoted by "justification," but much more than that. It connotes all that is included in "regeneration" and "sanctification," but more than these terms taken by themselves. It includes all that is involved in "redemption" and "adoption" and the "full assurance," and also the conditions of "appropriation" - the subjective states which are the human antecedents of grace received, such as "faith" and "repentance," with all the "fruits of the Spirit." These Divine blessings originated in the bosom of the Father, where the only begotten Son forevermore abides, and they are all poured forth through the Son upon the world in the coming of the Christ. He was sent to save."

God rest ye merry, gentlmen.
Let nothing you dismay.
Remember, Christ, our Savior, 
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power 
When we have gone astray.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy!

3 Nephi 20:8

John chapter 4 is the chapter were Jesus tells the woman at the well
Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again:
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.

John, chapter 6 is the chapter where Jesus tells his followers
He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever.

And those statements in chapter 6 sounded so unusual that many people thought he was just too weird, and 
From that time on, many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.…

So what is this never being thirsty or this receiving enough sustenance to be able to live by eating and drinking him?

3 Nephi 20:8

And he said unto them: He that eateth of this bread [he had just administered bread and wine to them in sacramental form] eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled.

I think that the message is this:

That it is the spiritual hunger of the soul that He fills and satisfies.

That the living of the laws he taught may make your life better and your sense of accomplishment increase.  They may cause you to do more good in the world and be more dedicated to good causes.  They may help keep you out of trouble and make you more energized and help you feel more enlightened and on track.  They may keep you busily occupied all your life long.

But that living those laws. though extremely worthy and important and good, will not eliminate spiritual hunger.  Only when we make Him part of ourselves, taking into our very souls who and what he is and what he taught, do our souls cease their sense of insufficency and, instead, begin to feel brim-full.

Or, as he said later, at the passover supper:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect (complete and whole) in one.

Doctrine and Covenants 105. After slogging your way to Missouri.

Today our Sunday school class spent some time in Doctrine and Covenants 105.  It was recorded in 1834, after the Zion's Camp group had trudged the long, difficult journey to Missouri and, in spite of their efforts, were completely unable to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the problem of bigotry and violent expulsion of people from Jackson County.

Before He lays out the instructions as to how they should proceed (stay a while and see if you can help, but do not resort to violence) the Lord explains why their efforts to effectuate political redress or righteous action on the part of governing officials have not been successful.

I was struck by how it may well apply to us today as well and perhaps even why some do not see how they may have contributed to where we find ourselves now, or the fallout in the near future.

"They [members of the church in general] have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them;

"And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom;

"And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law if the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.

"And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience [to celestial law], if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer....

"Behold [they say that God] will deliver [the poor and the afflicted] in time if trouble, [so] we will not go up into Zion, and will keep our moneys.

"Therefore, in consequence of the transgressions of my people, it is expedient in me that mine leaders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion, that they themselves may be prepared, and that my people may be taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly their duty, and the things which I require at their hands."

Larry Barkdull has an interesting article on what "the law of the celestial kingdom" means HERE.  In a nutshell it is love of God and fellow men, a belief that all things belong to God and that we are stewards thereof, a willingness to create unity by esteeming others as ourselves, exercising agency wisely, setting aside selfishness and seeking equality according to wants, needs and family situations, being accountable to God for the responsibilities to which he has entrusted us, exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins, embracing the teachings of Jesus, seeking to end poverty in our communities, and the use of priesthood power to bless and assist those who are physically or mentally or emotionally ill or in need.  (The last one is what they were counseled specifically as a first step to while they spent the last bit of time in Missouri).

So, as my country heads into a political situation where my people, including many of those who profess to know Christ, find themselves faced with (and in many cases actually having voted for) newly appointed or elected politicians who apparently do not listen and are not interested in listening to or responding to the afflictions of people who are victims of violence and bigotry ( in the 1834 situation, one of them was my great, great grandmother, along with her parents and siblings, and another was Lewis's great, great grandfather, with his wife and their two little children--now it is others), I see parallels.

Though there are many, many leaders and members of my faith who do understand what living a celestial law means, I think that by and large there are far, far too many of us who "have not learned to be obedient to the things which [He has] required" of us, that many of us harden our hearts to imparting of our substance to the poor and afflicted as becometh saints. And we are certainly not united in a Celestial manner, but are constantly having to be reminded over the pulpit to stop judging or resenting each other and be more charitably inclined and to step up our wise use of priesthood power to bless and help others, and consecrate our lives more fully to a celestial law level.  And so, it seems we are in for some chastening, learning things the hard way "by the things which we suffer".

I hope we believers,  learn quickly as we are "taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly [our] duty, and the things which [God] require[s] at [our] hands".  If I were a church leader, having figuratively slogged my way to Missouri with my very human cohorts, and feeling the intransigence of those members who refused to leave their comfort zone and help, I certainly would feel my patience being tried as I "wait for a season...that [I] may be prepared".  I suspect that many of them do.

Alabastar box of very precious ointment Matthew 26:7-8

Thriftiness is often good.  It's even emotionally satisfying.  There's something very gratifying about having made do with less, or creating something good with little financial outlay, or finding a great deal, or wearing a piece of clothing you like and that you found for a song at a second hand shop.  But it is not always what is best.  Sometimes spending more is worthwhile.  Which thing I had not thought about much


"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon, the leper, There came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as He was eating {at food {meat}}. But when His disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, He said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon Me. For ye have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial. Verily I say unto you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."

This verse has often given me pause, because I recognize myself  in the disciples' response.  This time through I looked at the situation more closely.

The scenario:

Jesus knows he will be betrayed and crucified.  His disciples have been told, but they desperately hope it is not true, except for one who has decided to act treacherously anyway.  He is living with what he knows is imminent and, rather than seeking reassurance or empathy or emotional support from others, he spends that time giving of himself; washing feet, offering the first sacrament, teaching what they will need to know to be able to carry on without him.  They see him as their teacher and Savior. They are in the student and follower mode.  They are receiver mode.  They see what he does for them and respect and love him for it, they try to be good stewards, but they do not minister to him in return.

But she does.  

She does not do so thriftily, counting the cost and trying to spend as little as possible, but she kindly and abundantly gives as she ministers to him.

Amidst all of the difficult anticipation of what was coming and the giving of himself that he was doing in spite of that, what a solace that gift of ministry may well have been to him.

What I learn:  That thrift is a good practice, but it is not always the best virtue. It is not an independent measure of our rightness. We must also be freely willing to give and spend according to and beyond what is thrifty when it is good to do so.  "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" is the way Christ describes some of the giving from our Father in Heaven.  (Luke 6:38)  We must learn to feel free to do that kind of giving as well when it is needed and we have the means.

The disciples' response is indignation.  "To what purpose is this waste?  For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor." 

Thrift is good.  Giving to the poor is good.  But they are not to be used as an excuse for scrimping on ministering when it is needed here and now and I am not to judge or find fault with others who feel called to spend abundantly as they minister.

Plans for the future

“My plans for the future are to serve more and better, to worry less about the things that are unimportant, to let my wife and children know how much I love them, to openly support whatever I can see is good, to appreciate and to encourage everyone in the best way possible, and, in short, to do more of what makes life meaningful.” 
― Norris B. Finlayson, Tree Farm Days

When light-hearted laughter actually makes things worse.

Our branch builders here are, as far as I can tell, really good about treating the culture here with respect. I am grateful for that.

 A recent day spent with some people from away reminded me how much I do not like conversations or even brief comments that discuss things in a culture that are different from mine and that involve laughter, even if it is just cheerful laughter due to surprise.  I REALLY, REALLY  don’t like those.  They create separation between “us” and “them”.  They reduce comprehension to differences in the outward appearance instead of appreciation for the values and ingenuity or good principles that are behind them.  They alienate people from that culture who overhear you.  I think I not only don’t like those kinds of conversation, I despise them.  They are destructive in subtle ways that are not seen, but are potent.

I understand that they are often an  unconscious and spontaneous response and that those who respond that way generally have no clue about the effect that they have and usually would consider themselves people of goodwill, but I still really, really don't like those laughing conversations and comments.

Election results (pun intended)

I have long believed that, in the scriptures, "the elect" refers to people who have been taught light and truth; who have been blessed to hear it and have, at least in form, declared that they embrace it.   I know and deeply love so many of them.

This morning I woke up with these phrases from Jesus' words and Isaiah's warnings ringing through my mind:  "even the very elect shall be deceived" and "woe unto those who call good evil and evil good, who put darkness for light and light for darkness".  I will be studying these passages.

I believe that this is happening now in ways that far too many of "the elect", are tragically blind to. I believe that Jesus understood that it would happen, many, many times in the centuries that would follow, and knowing that he knew, I will turn to his counsel as I navigate this time.

I mourn, but I do not abandon hope in Christ.  I will continue to stand firm in what he has taught, continue to be a voice for it, support those who comprehend it, and pray to be able to ever fight against hate, fear, disdain, dismissiveness or pride that may threaten to invade my own heart and mind as I do so.

And whosoever: Anger, Raca and Fool, Matthew 5

I woke up this morning thinking about the state of discourse in my own country, both in the realm of politics and in the realm of religious and social dialogue, with these verses ultimately ringing through my head:

But I say to you, That whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment: and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: and whoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

“Raca.—As far as the dictionary sense of the word goes, it is the same as that of the “vain fellows” of Judges 9:4, Jdg_11:3; Proverbs 12:11; but all words of abuse depend for their full force on popular association, and raca, like words of kindred meaning among ourselves, was in common use as expressing not anger only but insolent contempt. The temper condemned is that in which anger has so far gained the mastery that we no longer recognize a ‘brother’ in the man who has offended us, but look on him with malignant scorn.” -- Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905)

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has ought against you Leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.;

“Because men are very apt to fall into rash anger, and to express their anger by contemptuous speeches and abusive names, fancying that there is no sin in these things, or but little, and that the compensation may easily be made for them by acts of devotion, Jesus declares that atonement is not to be made for these offenses by any offerings, how costly soever, and therefore prescribes immediate repentance and reparation as the only remedies of them. He insisted particularly on reparation, assuring us that, unless it be made, God will not accept the worship of such offenders, being infinitely better pleased with repentance than with sacrifices, or external worship of any kind, how specious soever those duties may appear in the eye of vulgar understandings. Vain, therefore, is their presumption, who fancy they can make amends for yet more gross acts of injustice, by acts of devotion.” —  Rev James MacKnight DD (1721-1800)

Have we, as individuals,  indulged in the sin of dismissive speech and scorn?  Are we, as a nation, involved in this sin that Jesus so fully condemns?  Absolutely: in the realm of politics, in the realm of civil discourse, in the realm of social and moral discussion and debate, in our media and in our conversations in our homes, with our neighbors, in our workplaces, in our schools and even, heaven help us, in our Sunday School classes.  And so we must honestly answer the question; in what ways have we also embraced and excused this sin in ourselves, for we cannot escape being lulled into complacent acceptance of hell-worthy thinking and speaking when we are so fully immersed in it in our society.  We easily recognize it in the people with whose ideas we fully disagree.  But we excuse it in ourselves.

Some versions of the Bible add the phrase “without a cause” to this injunction against being scornful or dismissive of another.  However, the  earliest extant manuscripts of these verses do not include this phrase, neither does the version (JST) I often refer to.  (See also 3 Ne. 12)  Perhaps they were added to manuscripts  later as a thoughtful individual contemplated the very human response of righteous indignation.  But in its earliest form of these verses  Jesus condemns scorn for, or the angry dismissing as foolishness of, the ideas and actions of others, period, no excuses.   It is a call to each of us, me, you, all of us, to  repentance of even our own most self-justified sins of scorn and self-righteous dismissiveness of others with whom we disagree.

Only when we are able to make those changes in ourselves, speaking and thinking of others with whom we passionately disagree with human dignity regardless of how completely or thoroughly we disagree with them, and regardless of whether or not they make those changes in themselves, will we have any logical hope to be able to move towards iterations of  the various lasting changes in our society that we each, variously,  so desperately want and then make them last.

The blessing of hearing and turning away. Acts 3:26

"to you first, God, having raised up His child Jesus, did send him, blessing you, in the turning away of each one from your evil ways."
Acts 3:26

The lessons we teach here often focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, speaking reverently and gratefully for his gift of taking the punishment for our sins, paying the price for them, so that we may repent and stand, redeemed and "justified", before God at the last day. 

There is another profound blessing that comes as we learn the teachings Jesus taught when God sent him to earth and he lived here and as, a result of that learning, repent,  turning away from our evil ways.  And that blessing is every day, not just at the last day.

I realize how much freer and meaningful and profound our daily lives are when we turn from "evil ways" and follow the teachings of Christ (whether or not we realize they are the things he taught). And also, I am aware of how many unhappy natural and logical consequences we avoid that would otherwise arise from our own personal choices to indulge in "evil ways".  

We do not usually speak of this because doing so causes us to sound too much like the pharisee praying in the temple "Oh Lord, I am grateful that I am not like so and so...."  (Luke 18:10-12) And that's a pit to avoid like the plague.

But this verse at the end of Peter's remarks to the crowd at the temple reminds me that it is good to stop and recognize privately, to God, the daily, freeing, blessing it is to have been made aware of the wise principles and practices that Jesus taught while on earth, and the blessing of being able to choose them, and that I should be humbly grateful for the logical and natural consequences that result when we incorporate them daily into our lives.

"We thank thee for every blessing, bestowed by thy bounteous hand".