Christ has given us everything. He's given us an atonement through which we can repent and return to live with Him and The Father again. He's suffered for our pains and sorrows, so He really knows what each individual is dealing with. He's even given us the earth itself for us to live on. He's descended below all things, and risen above every pain and conflict that has ever existed. He gave the blind man sight, the deaf back his hearing, He even raised people from the dead.
If Christ is so powerful, and so above us, what can we possibly give Him that's of value that He wouldn't be able to just create Himself?
I'm of the opinion that there is really only one thing that quite fits that bill. Ironically, the only true gift we can give Him is something He's already given us. Its our agency. Our agency is the only unique thing we can give to Christ.
In class this week, we talked about how the greatest works of God are manifest in the everyday lives of obedient people. For example, the elements don't have the power to decide to follow Christ. When Christ asks the sea to be calm, it has to be, the sea has to listen. Contrary to the elements, we do have a choice. Christ can't force us to "come unto Him." That decision is all on us. Isn't that idea amazing? That after the countless worlds Christ has created, after the infinite atonement He has suffered, the greatest gift we can possibly give Him is to obey and follow Him? And the crazy thing is, if we follow his plea to follow Him, He blesses us with even more. It's not something I totally understand. Christ gives us everything we know, gives us a way to be clean again, and promises us eternal life if we just follow Him and the Father? It seems almost too good to be true.
Well, if that's my job, that is to come unto Christ, I want to do it as its described in 3 Ne 10:6 and come unto Him with "full purpose of heart." Christ has given us so much, and asked for so little. He promises eternal salvation if we just follow the commandments. Anyways, my point in this is: if Christ is so willing to give me everything, and asks only for my obedience in return, well then, I am going to be the best follower that I know how to be.
As a missionary, I'm going to be subject to A LOT of rules that I'm definitely not used to. And while some of the rule I think may be a little... much... (i.e. you have to wash your car once a week, what the heck is that about?!) I know that my success as a missionary will be highly dependent on whether or not I'm serving and obeying with "full purpose of heart." I'm not saying that washing my car is really going to matter that much, but rather its the attitude I have towards all of the little rules that is going to affect my service (including whether or not I take car of my car as asked). I really love this next quote, especially as it pertains to missionary work.
"When obedience ceases to be and irritant and becomes our goal, in that moment God will endow us with power." -Ezra Taft Benson
I know that promise is real, and have seen it, at least to some extent in my life already. I'm for sure not a perfect follower of Christ, but, like any other Christian, I'm doing my best. What was that thing that Elder Holland said in General Conference? It was something about how with the exception of Christ, God has only ever worked with imperfect people...ya, He's pretty used to it. The beautiful thing is that every time we mess up, if we recommit to do our best to follow Christ in the future, we are forgiven time and time again.
Anyways, at the end of the day, if the only thing I can give to Christ is my agency to follow Him, by golly, I want to do it with "full purpose of heart."
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Week 14: Charity.
Another long one:)
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things..if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail." Moroni 7 45-46
This is an excerpt from my journal during my second year of Young Women's Girls Camp:
"We just got through with a lesson from one of the sister missionaries. She told us about a ton of amazing ladies that have been in the church and how the grounds are named after them. [My YW leader] got up after she left, and told us that she felt prompted to tell us that there will come a time in our life when we have to decide what kind of person we are going to be. She said the decision may be now, or then years from now, but when it comes, or even before, we should pick someone to model ourselves after."
That day I chose a handful of women that I hoped to be like someday. That list has been added to many times since I was 13, and it continues to grow. I didn't realize it at the time, but now as I reflect back on those ladies, they all have at least one thing in common. They have all taught me something about charity.
I've thought a lot about what I wanted to post tonight. A few days ago I spent a lot of time reading my old journals looking for specific examples of times when these ladies showed me charity, and I found a lot. Surprisingly, none of them seemed right to include in the post.... I think the reason why none of the experiences felt quite right was maybe because
1. I didn't want to box in my idea of "charity." It's not something you an "arrive" at. Charity, I think, is a lot of things, and I felt with each combo of experiences I tried, I wasn't able to capture what my actual perception of charity is.
2. This list of ladies is pretty long, there's no way I could include an experience with each one of them that portrayed what they taught me about charity, but there's no way I could just leave one or two out because without them, my perception is totally altered.
Conclusion: Charity is a lifestyle. I don't think that's really news to anyone, but it's something I think is definitely worth thinking about. Maybe the real reason I couldn't find experiences I wanted to write about is because charity can't be rolled up into "an experience."
When I think of my definition of charity, I think of mango cherry popsicles, tutoring in math, and many hours spent rehearsing for performances. I think of giving 12 year-old girls hope that they could become something worth being proud of. I think of standing up for a first-year news staff member who hasn't quite learned how to work in the system. I think of silly camp songs about cheeseburgers or Noah, odd jobs, and new skills. I think of dead animal rooms with giant moose heads, and eating my first artichoke. I think of the best mom I could ever ask for who was raised by a pretty incredible woman herself. I think of aunts who take me shopping, or support me in my latest money making venture. I think of Christ-centered homes where friends are always welcome.
From rolling on the floor with laughter (sometimes literally), to tearful embraces, to some of the strongest testimonies I've ever heard, these women exemplify exactly what I think it means to be a charitable disciple of Christ.
In my ward each year, every day of Young Womens' camp you were assigned a "secret sister" for the day. Your job was to keep an eye on that sister all day and at the end of the day, all the girls and leaders from the ward stood together in a circle and said the things we noticed about our "secret sister" or just the things we love about them. One night, when it was my turn to talk about a leader who has had a pretty significant impact on me, I got a little teary thinking about how grateful I am for her influence. That night I recorded this, "How can you possibly express your love to someone you feel so indebted to?"
Isn't that kinda how it works with Christ? He has given us so much, how can we possibly show Him our gratitude when the debt is so big?
I'm no expert, and I'm not sure I'll ever be, but here's one way:
"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17)
According to the Bible Dictionary, Charity is "The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love...the pure love of Christ."
If there's one thing those women have taught me, it's that people, all people, ought to be loved. Regardless of who they are, or what choices they make, everyone needs someone who believes in them and who is constantly rooting for them. They showed me their love through their constant attitude of charity, and I am so grateful for their examples.
I'm gonna wrap up with this quote by Marvin J. Ashton:
"Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge, or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."
I'm grateful for that YW leader and the challenge she made to me to pick women to model my life after. To me that was an act of charity, and that simple challenge really has made a lasting impact in my life.
Anyways, I hope throughout my life that I will be able to develop a lifestyle of charity, and that eventually I will be able to love people as Christ would have me love them!
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things..if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail." Moroni 7 45-46
This is an excerpt from my journal during my second year of Young Women's Girls Camp:
"We just got through with a lesson from one of the sister missionaries. She told us about a ton of amazing ladies that have been in the church and how the grounds are named after them. [My YW leader] got up after she left, and told us that she felt prompted to tell us that there will come a time in our life when we have to decide what kind of person we are going to be. She said the decision may be now, or then years from now, but when it comes, or even before, we should pick someone to model ourselves after."
That day I chose a handful of women that I hoped to be like someday. That list has been added to many times since I was 13, and it continues to grow. I didn't realize it at the time, but now as I reflect back on those ladies, they all have at least one thing in common. They have all taught me something about charity.
I've thought a lot about what I wanted to post tonight. A few days ago I spent a lot of time reading my old journals looking for specific examples of times when these ladies showed me charity, and I found a lot. Surprisingly, none of them seemed right to include in the post.... I think the reason why none of the experiences felt quite right was maybe because
1. I didn't want to box in my idea of "charity." It's not something you an "arrive" at. Charity, I think, is a lot of things, and I felt with each combo of experiences I tried, I wasn't able to capture what my actual perception of charity is.
2. This list of ladies is pretty long, there's no way I could include an experience with each one of them that portrayed what they taught me about charity, but there's no way I could just leave one or two out because without them, my perception is totally altered.
Conclusion: Charity is a lifestyle. I don't think that's really news to anyone, but it's something I think is definitely worth thinking about. Maybe the real reason I couldn't find experiences I wanted to write about is because charity can't be rolled up into "an experience."
When I think of my definition of charity, I think of mango cherry popsicles, tutoring in math, and many hours spent rehearsing for performances. I think of giving 12 year-old girls hope that they could become something worth being proud of. I think of standing up for a first-year news staff member who hasn't quite learned how to work in the system. I think of silly camp songs about cheeseburgers or Noah, odd jobs, and new skills. I think of dead animal rooms with giant moose heads, and eating my first artichoke. I think of the best mom I could ever ask for who was raised by a pretty incredible woman herself. I think of aunts who take me shopping, or support me in my latest money making venture. I think of Christ-centered homes where friends are always welcome.
From rolling on the floor with laughter (sometimes literally), to tearful embraces, to some of the strongest testimonies I've ever heard, these women exemplify exactly what I think it means to be a charitable disciple of Christ.
In my ward each year, every day of Young Womens' camp you were assigned a "secret sister" for the day. Your job was to keep an eye on that sister all day and at the end of the day, all the girls and leaders from the ward stood together in a circle and said the things we noticed about our "secret sister" or just the things we love about them. One night, when it was my turn to talk about a leader who has had a pretty significant impact on me, I got a little teary thinking about how grateful I am for her influence. That night I recorded this, "How can you possibly express your love to someone you feel so indebted to?"
Isn't that kinda how it works with Christ? He has given us so much, how can we possibly show Him our gratitude when the debt is so big?
I'm no expert, and I'm not sure I'll ever be, but here's one way:
"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17)
According to the Bible Dictionary, Charity is "The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love...the pure love of Christ."
If there's one thing those women have taught me, it's that people, all people, ought to be loved. Regardless of who they are, or what choices they make, everyone needs someone who believes in them and who is constantly rooting for them. They showed me their love through their constant attitude of charity, and I am so grateful for their examples.
I'm gonna wrap up with this quote by Marvin J. Ashton:
"Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge, or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."
I'm grateful for that YW leader and the challenge she made to me to pick women to model my life after. To me that was an act of charity, and that simple challenge really has made a lasting impact in my life.
Anyways, I hope throughout my life that I will be able to develop a lifestyle of charity, and that eventually I will be able to love people as Christ would have me love them!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Week 13: Because They Were Different
The book of Ether (which is contained in the Book of Mormon) is a record of a civilization who inhabited the Americas called "the Jaredites." They traveled by barge-like vessels from the Old World to the Americas at the time when the Lord confounded the language at the Tower of Babel. The Jaredites started out as an extremely righteous people. After many years of living in the Americas (like a ton of generations later) the people reverted to wickedness as they sought power through secrecy and deceit. The Lord sent many prophets to call the people to repentance in hopes that they would return to Him and not destroy themselves. For many years the people didn't listen and war spread throughout the people. One of the prophets the Lord called was named Ether.
By the time Ether comes along, people are basically hopeless. Ether tries to get the people to repent many times, but is rejected consistently. Did I mention war is everywhere? Wicked abounds so much that Ether has to hide himself "in the cavity of a rock" just to stay safe.
Years later, the prophet Moroni is called by God, and he abridges the record of Ether (Moroni and Ether were from two totally different societies). He too lives in a wicked society and has to hide to save his life. He spends many many years alone and has to watch the destruction of his people.
These men didn't have easy lives. Being among the very few righteous people who weren't killed, they had to have been extremely lonely. Moroni often talks about his feelings of inadequacy and weakness. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be the only one left.
Today, I hope these men know what a difference they have made in my life. I'm not sure how we'll all meet up in the next life, but when I get to the other side, I'm excited to shake their hands and sincerely thank them for their faith and perseverance. I want to thank them for not conforming to the wicked practices they were surrounded by, and for showing me that even people as strong as them feel inadequate sometimes. I want to thank them for showing me that you never stand alone when you stand with God.
I want to thank them for being different.
Elaine S. Dalton provides me with the take away lesson for today. In this last weekend's general conference talking about saints in our day she said, "they made a difference, because they were different."
Moroni and Ether were definitely different from the worlds they lived in, and now that their records are available to us in The Book of Mormon I can only imagine the influence they have had, and will continue to have in years to come. They have surely made a difference because they were different.
I hope that throughout my life, like Moroni and Ether, I will be able to make a difference by being different.
By the time Ether comes along, people are basically hopeless. Ether tries to get the people to repent many times, but is rejected consistently. Did I mention war is everywhere? Wicked abounds so much that Ether has to hide himself "in the cavity of a rock" just to stay safe.
Years later, the prophet Moroni is called by God, and he abridges the record of Ether (Moroni and Ether were from two totally different societies). He too lives in a wicked society and has to hide to save his life. He spends many many years alone and has to watch the destruction of his people.
These men didn't have easy lives. Being among the very few righteous people who weren't killed, they had to have been extremely lonely. Moroni often talks about his feelings of inadequacy and weakness. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be the only one left.
Today, I hope these men know what a difference they have made in my life. I'm not sure how we'll all meet up in the next life, but when I get to the other side, I'm excited to shake their hands and sincerely thank them for their faith and perseverance. I want to thank them for not conforming to the wicked practices they were surrounded by, and for showing me that even people as strong as them feel inadequate sometimes. I want to thank them for showing me that you never stand alone when you stand with God.
I want to thank them for being different.
Elaine S. Dalton provides me with the take away lesson for today. In this last weekend's general conference talking about saints in our day she said, "they made a difference, because they were different."
Moroni and Ether were definitely different from the worlds they lived in, and now that their records are available to us in The Book of Mormon I can only imagine the influence they have had, and will continue to have in years to come. They have surely made a difference because they were different.
I hope that throughout my life, like Moroni and Ether, I will be able to make a difference by being different.
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