5 Ways to Withstand Persecution in the Latter-days.

It comes as no surprise that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is becoming more distasteful to the world at large. As the world is taking a more “progressive” stance on morality it continues to digress away from the teaching and admonitions of the Lord. Naturally as the Church takes an unyielding stance on controversial topics such as gay marriage, abortion, and morality in general, it is under attack by those who adopt standards of moral relativism. These people often violently and viciously defend their “rights” to disobey God by attack those who exercise their right to worship. As members of the Church we will continue to face opposition and persecution from those who are hell bent on forcing their philosophy of benign whateverism. We know from the Doctine and Covenants that in the last days the very elect of God will be deceived and men’s hearts shall fail them. So what can we do to prevent this? Lehi’s dream holds all the answers. (1 Nephi Chapter 8)

1.  Grab hold of the rod

In Lehi’s dream there is a large field, in this field are many paths. One of these paths has an iron rod as a handrail. This is the only path that led to the tree of life. Our Iron Rod is the scripture and the words of our modern day prophets. So why is it so important to read the scriptures? Because they contain the words of eternal life; as we read the scriptures daily they will lift our thoughts heavenward. They provided an eternal perspective that make all the distractions and fades that the world sends our way seem meaningless. As our focus in on heaven, eternal life, and forever families we are filled with a hope that motivates the correct course of action.

2. Don’t let Go!!

After the people grabbed hold of the rod great mists of darkness clouded the path and many lost their way. This would not have been possible if they would not have let go of the iron rod. Today the mists of darkness come in the form for intellectual and moral arguments based on logic. To exaggerate a few: “A woman should be allowed to kill her unborn child because it is still part of her body.” “Two people should have intimate relationships, it is natural and very desirable, to hold out for marriage is a waste of time.” “It is not reasonable that there should be a God.” Do any of these sound familiar? If we are consistent with studying the scriptures, praying, and heeding the words of our modern day prophets we will not get confused and lost in the swirling mists of darkness. How many of us can list the people that Kim Kardashian has been married to, but cannot remember what President Monson talked about in his last conference talk?

3. Remember which way you face.

As the people made their way to the tree of life and partook of the fruit they found it to be delicious to their souls. But then in shame many of them turned away. Discouraged by the taunts and jeers from the people in the great and spacious building. Elder Lynn G. Ribbons in his recent general conference address reminded us that we need to face the right way. Those who get discouraged, ashamed of the testimony they had, and turn from the Lord do so because they forget which way they face. We would do well to remember that our accountability is to God. Look to the example of Daniel, who chose death before he would stop praying. Or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego who survived the fiery furnace because they refused to worship the statue of Kind Nebuchadnezzar. As we hold ourselves accountable to God and not to man we will remain strong in the truth.

4. Be prepared to answer hard questions.

Many will question you and your faith. Prepare for this by, wait for it, studying the scriptures! Elder L. Tom Perry taught how to graciously share the gospel in a talk in General Conference in October 2011. Said he,

 “We can help “disabuse the public mind” and correct misinformation when we are portrayed as something we are not. More important, though, we can share who we are.”

He then continued to tell the saints to be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ, to be righteous examples, and to speak up about the Church. As we prepare ourselves and share the gospel it will solidify and strengthen our own testimony.

5. Wait on the Lord.

The Book of Mosiah tells twin tales of two people who endured similar hardships in two different manners. The people of King Noah were captured and enslaved by the Lamanites. On three different occasions under the leadership of King Limhi they went to battle to try to break the chains of enslavement. Each time they were slaughtered and suffered debilitating losses. Finally when they were sufficiently humbled the Lord provided a way for them to escape, without bloodshed. Now compare that to the people of Alma the Elder. They left the people of King Noah so they could practice their faith in peace. But in the words of Mormon “Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.” Soon they were captured by the Lamanites and also forced to be their slaves. The people of Alma did  cry to the Lord for deliverance. Their faith was not in vain. “The Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” Then finally after sufficient patience and faith had been proven they were delivered from their captors. So when faced with persecution are we going to fight or submit cheerfully to the will of the Lord?

       I heard a sad story of a sister who, after a temple marriage, left the church. A decade later she has become a vigorous supporter of women’s rights. Recently she sat down with my father and told him that in our church we do not allow women to speak or even pray. How does one become so disillusioned about the faith of her childhood? Because she abandoned it and let the darkness of doubt fill the void where the Spirit of the Lord once resided.  It is my prayer and hope that we will be able to bare our persecutions without losing our faith or our hope. Read your scriptures daily. Pray to the Lord will all your heart. Remember which way you face and bear your trial with grace and patience. God will support you in trials and persecution. I promise it will be worth it in the end!

Wisdom of Days Past

I was looking for something to write a poem on before it fluttered away and I came across a small note book. It was labeled, "Elder Solomon's Proverbs". Apparently I kept a proverbs book at the end of my mission. Here is the wisdom that I recorded. It had me thinking for the rest of the day!

1. A slothful servants looks for excuses to quit; a wise servant diligently seeks means to accomplish
2. The riches of the world are a salty cracker to a hungry man; the treasure of heaven are a feast to strangers and wonders.
3. He that seeks righteousness builds the kingdom of God; he whose heart is inclined to wickedness seeks destruction.
4. The worlds of a wise man are recored and kept; a fools word is presently forgotten.
5. A wise man passes through opposition and is strengthened; a fool heaps to himself strife.
6. A prudent man sees improvement; a fool hungers for approval.
7. The humble have honors in heaven; the proud shall be abased.
8. Those who seek the Lord shall be supported; he that seeks the world will find himself alone.
9. A wise man teaches his son to love and his daughter virtue; a fool seeks pleasure.
10. The hand of the Lord is righteousness; whoever seeks it shall be upheld
11. No matter how good they are, excuses never hide facts.
12. A wise king stands where all may see and leads to righteousness; a fool hides in darkness.
13. He who doubts his first impressions inhibits the inspiration of the Lord.
14. A wise man asketh questions and gaineth understanding; but a fool sits in darkness.
15. A wise youth makes his father proud and will be established; a foolish youth may still repent.
16. Who can gain understanding? He that seeks the Lord and petitions at his throne shall find hidden treasures of knowledge.
17. Righteousness is like a flower, it is pleasing to the eye, but if it is plucked form its root it will wither and die.
18. Wisdom is a successful hypothesis.
19. Wounds may heal but scares remain.
20. We are that we may become.
21. It is best to receive honor freely given from another.
22. If we are not progressing we are damned.
23. Without patience, hope is lost.
24. At the conclusion of all this God's greatest interest is the final product.
25. Joy is the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams.
26. To pray and ponder on the scriptures is to have communion with the Holy Spirit.
27. Only sinners need fear proximity.
28. The King calls his Princes, the obedient come, the disobedient lose their inheritance.

How Do You Know It's Love?

It is springtime and love is in the air. With the staggering amount of recent engagements and wedding announcements that are bombarding my Facebook page I have pondered the question over and over again, “how do you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with this person?” Of course every couples answer is going to be different. “He makes me laugh.” “I can talk with her about anything.” “I love the way he listens to me.” Then there is always the romance story, whether it is love at first sight or an intense uphill battle through the friend zone. Though I have fallen in and out of love a time or two I have never experienced the irrevocable forever kind of love that I envision precedes marriage vows. So I continue to ask the question “How can you know?” I found a satisfactory answer by pretending that my daughter just came rushing into our living room with a ring on her finger, excited about her recent betrothal. Naturally I being her father want to protect her from doing anything stupid so I sit her down and ask her a bunch of questions to help her see if she was really in love. Of course this is hypothetical but it helped me visualize it all and I’ll share with you the questions and advice I came up with.

1.     How well do you know him? Vowing to spend the rest of eternity with a person is absolutely crazy in my mind. Promising to spend the rest of eternity with a stranger is just insane. You need to know some fundamental things about a person before you make that jump. You need to know and be able to predict how they are going to react in certain situations. Do they stress eat? Or do they resort to retail therapy? Do they shut down when confronted with a difficult problem or patiently seek solutions? How do they handle anger? Every one gets angry; it’s inevitable. If you didn’t get angry I would steer clear because eventually you are going to blow. Do they become threatening or are they able to communicate? What are their dreams and aspirations? You don’t have to have the exact same plans for the future but it is important that they are similar and that you will both be able to work together towards goals. Are you willing to trust them with the task of raising you children? Or providing for your family?

2.     How well do you communicate with each other? Learning the answer to this question takes a great amount of time and observation. You may feel confident in your ability to communicate but then realize that it is completely one sided. Communication is a two way street. To communicate effectively both persons need to listen emphatically and speak clearly. Transparency and honestly are the key to communication. To be a strong couple you cannot allow anything to come between you, not kids, parents, financial problems, or even home decorating ideas! Yes that is asking a lot and no I am not asking you to yield you personal identity. What I am saying that that communication and compromise need to be of paramount importance. You need to learn how to communicate before you make big decision together. Try it out on the little things like “Honey, what would you like for dinner?” Part of transparency is assertiveness. If you are laying down and letting whatever fly then you are not being honest with your partner or yourself and this will only lead to future issues. Have confidence and faith that your views and desires will be given the attention they deserve. If they are not you should rethink spending eternity with someone who doesn’t appreciate your views. Further you should be able to have uncomfortable conversations. I think it is important that every girl ask her fiancé if they have ever viewed pornography.  If they say no they are more likely then not lying. Serious couples should talk about fidelity expectations and plan on ways to prevent outside invasion and distractions. Men, be men and be honest.

3.     Third and final topic of questions. Do you love each other? Love to me is a deep yearning for and devotion to the person who holds all of your affection. Can you say this about your partner? Do you think about them when you have nothing else to do? Does your heart skip when they send you that first text of the day? Do you ache every time you have to say goodbye? Even if it is just for the night? When you think of something exciting to do, do you imagine doing it with them? When you learn something new are you excited to share it with them?  Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to stand by them? Is you attraction skin deep? It is only a rare few that can retain their prime beauty through out the rest of life. Will you still be able to see her (or his) beauty when the muscles weaken, the skin stretches, and the fat pops out of nowhere and won’t go away? Can you feel the attraction whenever they walk into the room?

I heard of a study that purported that people could typically wear a social mask in a relationship for about nine months before the demons start showing themselves. Good communication and transparency can speed that time up. Personally I hope that when I eventually get married it will be to a girl who sees me with my masks off and is still willing to stand by my side. Further I would hope that any and all masks are off before I get married. Knowing each other is a fundamental process to the development of a good relationship. Learning whom you are with, what makes them tick, their dreams, desires, and quarks is one of the greatest, and most exciting part of a relationship.

A Picture is a 1000 words

Recently I have been pounded with work obligations and homework. So naturally needing a bit of variety I have been looking for ways to distract myself. I'd get boring otherwise. One day, while looking for such a distraction I noticed my camera. Then I had a brilliant idea, which became several ideas which has grow into a bit of a hobby. Let me share the fruits of this hobby with you :)

 

So what do you think? A productive waste of my time? Or should I just put my nose back into my books? Comments are welcome :)

Foundations of testimony

I completely forgot that due to a neighboring wards stake conference our meetings were pushed back by an hour so I arrived at church and found myself with an extra hour of scripture study time. So after rifling though I landed on Doctrine and Covenants section 18. Here The Lord reassures Oliver Cowdery that he had received a spiritual witness that the things he was writing (as a scrip for the translation of the Book of Mormon) were true. Then he gave him what I thought was an interesting commandment he said "And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written;" I found it very interesting that that commandment give was conditional on knowledge. IF you know that they are true. So then in the next verses the lord tells him "for in them are all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you." The three things The Lord specified as being in the scriptures kinda jumped out to me. Oliver is being command to rely on the words which are written concerning the church the gospel and the rock. So I asked myself why does The Lord specify these three things? How will a knowledge of the foundation of the church, the gospel, and the rock (who is Christ) change Oliver's (or our) behavior to make him more favorable and prepared? Then The Lord gives him a promise that if he builds the church on the foundation of the gospel and Christ then the gates of hell would not prevail against him. Knowledge, faith and service. That's really what it comes down to. Knowing the words which are written are true. Having faith to rely on them. Then using that testimony and faith to build others we will become people who are converted. We will become like the high priest described in Alma 13 who "after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence;" or we may become as Moroni who it was said if him "yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts if the children of men."

Our Intelligent Experience Part 1

     I had a very profound experience in my early teenage years that has been a source of inquiry and pondering every since it happened. I remember one day standing in front of the mirror in the hallway bathroom in my home. I looked into my own eyes and had a very deep excitement start deep in my and it seemed to spread throughout the rest of me. It was odd because it was also accompanied by a small degree of frustration. The thoughts accompanying this feeling were, 'This is really me!' 'I cannot believe I'm actually here having this experience (meaning life as a whole)' and 'This is actually real!' This experience repeated its self several times and looking back I have dissected and analyzed what happened and used how I was feeling and thinking to understand better questions that each of us seek after. Philosophical questions really such was 'What is me?' 'How did I come into being?' 'Why do I feel like I am WITHIN my body?'. As I further my education in fields of philosophy, psychology, science, and spirituality I have found knowledge and information which has led me to the conclusion though out intelligent experience has several different levels, each level combined defining who we are at this present moment of mortality. For me there are four different levels of 'being' physical, neurological, mental, and spiritual. I will endeavor to explain how each level contributes to our intelligent experience ( I do not say cognitive or mortal because both are limited and my explanations will involve a timeline which goes beyond the reaches of cognation and mortally). I will appeal to the three disciplines of knowledge. Science, which defines laws and relationships between physical objects as know to use through experimentation and observation. Philosophy, which is the rational and logical 'conclusions' the brilliant minds of men have come to concerning questions that science has not yet found a way to answer. And theology, information given to us through revelation, more specifically I will appeal to the revelations I believe to have been given to us through the merciful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who sent His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ as an example and an Atoner, who restored His gospel once again to this earth through His chosen prophet Joseph Smith. Is that specific enough?
     The first level of intelligent experience that we have is on a physical, perceptual level. I'm talking about our basic senses and the experiences that they afford us. Last semester I took an introduction to psychology class and one of the chapters that we studies was all about how our body perceives and understands the world around us. For instance right now I am typing this while listening to a random station I found and liked on Spotify. My macbook speakers create sounds waves which find themselves into my ears. As these waves enter my inner ear they hit tiny hairs. At the root of these hairs are little sensory cells which monitor the vibrations in the hair caused by the sounds waves. They then report these vibrations in a message to the brain telling it what they observed. Or our eyes. Brilliant little things they are! Light enters into our eyes and is focused onto the back of our retina. Little cells call cones and rod report the intensity of light including the wavelength and frequency of the light waves then report their findings to the brain.
    Which brings me then to our next level of experience. Everything that we have a conscious knowledge of experiencing is all second hand. All of our perceptions are an 'image' created by our brain as an interpretation of information provided by neurological transmissions sent from our sensory cells which were activated by physical stimuli. Crazy when you think about it. Sometimes when I think about it I am super grateful for how wonderful my body and brain are! The fact that I can have so many different parts working together at the same time to create a seemingly singular experience which is in fact dozens of different experiences simultaneously observed and fused together is a truly awesome thing to realize. This is the function of the brain. It works as a transformer and relayor of information. It transforms neurotransmissions into a cognitive experience which our mind is able to manipulate, predict, and evaluate. The brain is an amazing processing organ, receiving and sending thousands of messages constantly all at the same time. I think of it as a relay station but but instead of different employees running around carrying memos it has areas which are in charge of certain functions. The down fall is that it is mortal and is subject to corruption. We see it all the time with addiction, mental illnesses and injuries. It is more or less scientific fact that brain damage or abnormalities can lead to partial or complete cognitive and behavioral changes. However contrary to what this supports I feel that the mind and the brain are different therefore cognitive and neurological activity are different though very closely related. The brain is a two-way relayor between the mind and the body. For the most part the brain can handle the day to day mundane commands and maintenances necessary for the body function correctly, however, when a decision is to be made it it turns to the mind who then will make a decision, and tell the brain who then tells the body how to react. Now this is how I rectify the contradiction that though the health of the brain directly effects mental capabilities the brain is different and separate from the mind. As a brain and certain nerves are damaged the brain become incapable of communicating with body, resulting is paralysis. In a very similar way as the brain is damaged its ability to communicate accurately with the mind is limited. We have drugs that can temporarily do this for us. we use them almost every time we 'go under' for surgery. I am talking about our unconscious state, a state where the brain and mind are not connected and communicating. This is a total separation, but there can also be partial separations. Alcohol consumption we know limits our judgment, reasoning ability, balance and perception. This is because it is a poison that damages and disrupts our brain-mind connection and the brain-body connection. There is a story of a railway foreman, a good respectable man, who had a gruesome injury in which a metal tamping rod went through his head causing sever damage to his frontal lobe. After the injury "Gabe was no longer Gabe". Whatever was good about this foreman was lost. Rather then being temperate and moderate he began irrational and extreme. He was completely aware of his decisions but was making completely different ones then he always had in the past. I theorize this is because the 'satellite' in his brain that was used to communicate inhibitions, reverence, and respect from the mind was destroyed rendering him incapable to used that information in his decision making. In the absence of restraint from the mind, the brain reverted to its primal programing in the decision making process and the natural instincts to procreate, and fight for survival dominated the 'court room'.
     Our intelligent experience has many layers, each deeply connected to the other. As we understand them better we can learn how we can make the best decisions possible and learn how to best communicate with ourselves. Science can tell us just how the body and brain communicate with each other to create a tangible and cognitive experience. However our experience goes deeper then that and until science catches up we must rely on philosophy and theology to learn how our mind is connected to our feelings and how both our feelings and mind communicate with our spirit.

Justification

While analyzing the difference in day to day function between the brain and the spirit I have come up with an interesting observation concerning justification. For the purpose of making my point I will be referring to two different types of justification: self-justification (self-betrayal) and Godly justification. One of the key characteristics of life is having choices. Each day we are presented with a myriad of choices and each choice like a drop of water into a bucket helps create and forge our characters. More often then not each choice is relatively simple to make, it is almost even automatic, done without thinking. However, sometimes we are presented with new situations, stimuli and temptations during which times we must evaluate and decide on what would be the best choice. When a moral issue comes into question there is more often then not an internal struggle fought by our brain, who's purpose is natural survival fueled by aggression, lust and instinct and our spirit which seeks the will of God, honor, and peace. The ensuing battle is what I can justification and depending on which side wins it is either self-justification (self-betrayal) or Godly-justification. Self-justification (self-betrayal) is when we allow our brain to determine the true of our perceptions or in other words when we allow the natural man to sit in the throne of decision. It is when we tell our selves 'it's ok just this once' or 'it doesn't really matter because everyone else is doing it' or when we simply just bullheadedly go ahead ignoring the gentle pleadings of our spirit. The more often we self  justify the more comfortable we are will allowing our low, crude, carnal, and filthy natural man to sit in the throne of decision. Tainting everything he touches, the natural man as he steers the ship will created false perceptions, unfair judgements, and will dull our moral sensitivities. Each of these symptoms if you will make it more and more difficult to make the right choice when it presents its self. The good news however is that there is a way to scrub clean the throne room and throw out the impostor. Remember that allowing the natural man to rule is like welcoming an impostor beggar to sit in a kings throne. Our bodies were created and given to us for the purpose of housing our spirits. The throne of decision rightfully belongs to the part of us which is eternal and pure, the essence which is both the offspring of God, made in the very likeness of Him and has the potentiality to attain what God is and has. The Book of Mormon teaches that it is very difficult to overthrow an unrighteous king and impossible to do without much bloodshed. It is the same for us when we allow the natural man to usurp power and control. It becomes more difficult when he has been in place for a long time because the longer the natural man contaminates the throne of decision the more deeply rooted our false perceptions and clouded judgement become. However it is possible and the process is called Godly justification. this is when we are: 1.) taught and tutored by the spirit of God,  2.) our eyes are opened to see between truth and error causing our false perception to crumble and the cloud over our judgement to disperse,  and finally 3.) when we reclaim the throne of decision and are ruled by our spirit and its Godly tendencies. It can be a long and arduous process but this battle is not fought alone. Each of us are given the Light of Christ which illuminates the battlefield which when hearkened to gives us directions. Also we have the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost serves as a personal advisor throughout this process. He is like a royal consultant who (as we hearken to Him) opens our eyes and gives us power to act in accordance with Gods will. This happens as we immerse ourselves in activities that are inviting to spiritual experiences. By reading the scriptures we are taught by the spirit principles and patterns which as they are applied to our personal lives will become a war strategy and game plan to regain the throne. acts of service and participating in spiritual uplifting activities will rise our spiritual self confidence and deepen our resolve to become more spiritually minded. Finally through prayer, sincere prayer where we poor our hearts out to God and listen intently, we will gain the mind of God. He will teach us correct perceptions and righteous judgements. And just as over time the natural man was able to maneuver his way into the throne of decision and taint our being we put off the natural man and return the throne to its rightful heir. This is when we will find peace. As we allow ourselves to be spiritually minded we do not have to struggle with guilt which is the result of self-justification (self-betrayal) or deal with the confusion which results from false perceptions.  So remember as Paul taught the Romans "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God... but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (kill) the deeds of the body, ye shall live." and as Nephi echoed "O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness is transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal." We become who we are mentally and who we are mentally is defined by who we yield most often to. So let us remember and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and put off the natural man and become a Saint through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.