Moroni 7:11...Otherwise Entitled: Let Us ACT

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Agency. It is the God-given gift to choose for one's self, the power to act and not be acted upon. We have to use this gift of agency every day of our lives, in determining what we will wear, what we will eat, what we will say and think. Ultimately, the greatest use of our agency will be the decision to follow Christ, or to not.
In Moroni 7:11 we read:
"For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil."
Recall with me the recent bombings in the Boston Marathon. I believe that that person or those persons who planted the explosives have allowed their souls to become so corrupted, proud, and wicked that they were willing to harm other human beings for no good reason, and I am firmly against them. I hope and pray that the local and federal authorities will find those responsible for this terrorist act and hold them accountable for their actions, punishing them with the severity that justice will require of them.
But it is not on those wicked men that I wish to focus this post.
It is on those others - the innocents, the runners, the bystanders, the spectators, the children - that I wish to speak.
There are many who witnessed this act of depravity and violence, and ultimately decided that our world was a great reflection of that darkness manifest. It is true: There are many, many, MANY bad things in this world today - but should we drown out light with darkness?
Shall we forget those who instantly leapt to their feet to help those harmed by the blast? Shall we forget the hundreds of local Bostonians who opened the doors of their hearts and homes to those who needed shelter? Shall we forget the immediate medical attention of those in desperate need of healing? Shall we forget the millions devastated by this attack, who immediately fell to their knees and offered pleas to God for mercy on those affected by the bombing?
When darkness looms - as it does every day in every country and on every continent - there is always light to drive it away. There are always the people, the good people, who will choose to ACT for that which they know to be right. There are always the people who are willing to fight back the darkness.
Today is a shorter post than usual (some of you are probably saying prayers of gratitude for that...ya welcome :) but I hope that the length does not diminish my point. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered in Gethsemane, was tried without cause in the house of Caiaphas, and was crucified on Golgotha's summit for you and I; He died so that we may CHOOSE: either to ACT, or to be acted upon.
The darkness of trials and tragedy need not mar our convictions to God, nor should they halt our eternal progression back home. When we are in need, aiding angels in the forms of friends, family, neighbors, and/or co-workers shall come to buoy us up. When others are in need of similar help, let US be those who choose to use our divinely appointed agency; let US be the ones who will not allow the attacks of wicked men to destroy the hopes and dreams of others; let US be those who will act on behalf of their fellow men and bring light back into their lives.
I pray that God will bless those who suffer from the attacks in Boston, and I pray that God will bless each and every one of you in your personal and public trials and tragedies. He is Supreme, and He is Loving. He will not fail us, and He expects us to be there to help others. Let us ACT, my friends! Let us ACT and share with others the light of truth and hope, of love and rejoicing. Let us ACT :)
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

Ether 6:12...Otherwise Entitled: A New Dawn

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Spring. Right now, from where I am sitting typing this here post, I can see up a small hill. A recent rain has drenched the surroundings, and the green of the grass is vibrant and alive. Pink and white blossoms are beginning to adorn the trees, and the flowers are beginning to bloom in vivid rainbows of color; the brown and gray of winter are dying - the rebirth of good ole spring is finally here! Green is coming back! The air smells of a lovely April shower that is sure to bring about some May flowers.
Physically spring is a rebirth of life - the cold and gloom associated with much of winter is forced to give way to beauty and renewal. Spiritually, spring is also associated with a rebirth. Easter and Passover - both spring-time festivities - mark rebirths: one of a Savior come to the world; the other of a people from their Egyptian captivity.
All in all, spring is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts.
We, individually and occasionally collectively, sometimes need 'springs' of our own. Whether or not these rebirths - spiritual, physical, emotional, or otherwise - occur in the actual season of spring or not is inconsequential. What matters is that they happen.
In the Book of Mormon, we learn of an ancient tribe of peoples - known as the Jaredites - who once dwelt in the shadows of the Tower of Babel (this tower is spoken of in Genesis 11). At the time that the Lord confounded the languages of men, producing a diversity of tongues and speeches that were, until then, unheard of, a man known as Mahonri and his brother, Jared, led a clan under the direction of the Lord away from the area. Their language was untainted and remained as it had been before; they were given a specific commandment of the Lord to remove themselves to a new land - a land of promise. Eventually, these people led by Jared and Mahonri (known collectively as the Jaredites) would come to the Americas via a fleet of eight barges; they would soon come to establish a mighty civilization.
The Jaredites were commanded to go "into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth" (Ether 1:42), and they followed this commandment. They left the scenery of Babel's wickedness for the untainted and fertile lands of the New World. They left behind sin and destruction for a new chance of survival and hope.
In many ways, the Jaredite exodus is one that can parallel our own journeys in life. Sometimes we are stuck in a rut of sin, or in a pit of depression, or in a cycle of neglect and abuse, or even in a simple bad mood. Sometimes we become so lost in the dreary world around us that our vision is clouded, and we forget the good that God has in store for us if we are faithful.
At times like these it becomes necessary that we have a spiritual reawakening, a new dawn to our endeavors. At times like these it becomes pivotal that we forsake the tower of Babel and renew our quest for "the land of promise, which [is] choice above all other lands, which the Lord God [has] preserved for a righteous people" (Ether 2:7).
How do we do it? How do we lay aside the baggage of bleakness and put on the robe of renewal?
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (KJV Matthew 11:28-30).
For those of you that have visited my blog before, you will know that I am not ashamed to say that I am a Christian, and that I truly believe that when we lay our sins, iniquities, troubles, burdens, depressions, anxieties, and fears upon the back of Him who speaks in the above verses - even Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World - we can begin our journeys for a new dawn. It seems difficult, and it is; it seems too good to be true, but it really works; it seems that it can't possibly achieve the success we desire or need, but it does! By turning to our Lord, we can find forgiveness and mercy and the strength to leave behind the woes and worries of yesterday in exchange for the hopes of today and tomorrow.
Some of you likely have physical ailments, spiritual trials, mental anxieties and depressions, emotional struggles and conflicts, and economical mountains to climb. To all who are reading this blog and are willing to take it seriously, I offer this simple phrase: Find out for yourself.
Let the Lord alleviate your pain; let Him provide you with the strength and courage you need to not only face your struggles, but to let go of your doubts and your fears. Let Him give you the key that will open the door to a new day!
And when at last, you come to rest on the blissful shores of hope, when at last we all shall come to the realization that life's grand journey is about enduring through the winters and growing in the springs and summers, we shall do as the scripture of this post's title states:
"[When we shall] set [our] feet upon the shores of the promised land [we shall bow[ ourselves down upon the face of the land, and [we will] humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and [will] shed tears of joy before the Lord" (Ether 6:12).
Let us press on for a new dawn, my friends! Let us turn to the Savior and give Him the power to do more with our lives than we can! Let us let go of our dark winters and personal towers of Babel, and let us look forward to the coming spring, to the new dawn that is peaking over the mountains, to the promised land of glory and happiness that lies before us.
On, on to the dawn!
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

Mormon 9:11...Otherwise Entitled: Adventures of the Ear and Mouth

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Ear-aches. Yeah, once upon a time - and by 'once upon a time', I mean quite recently - I developed an ear-ache that quickly devolved into an ear infection. Yuck. One of the worst things ever. My ear canal became swollen, putting lots of pressure on the muscles that worked my jaw. One consequence of this that you can surely imagine is this: A very difficult time trying to eat food.
Shortly after I developed the infection, I tried to eat a bowl of cereal. Little did I know the absolute pain that would shoot through my mouth as I tried to eat my Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I found myself unable to finish it; the pain was too great.
For the next while, I didn't eat very much. It simply hurt too much.
So it was that as I was walking up the stairs from the basement (where I'd been doing laundry) back to my apartment, I could feel my feet dragging. My eyes were trying to close, and I felt a sluggishness drape itself across me like a worn and tattered blanket. I was weak - I needed nourishment. I needed food.
Earlier that day I'd discovered something quite interesting: If I tugged on my infected ear in a specific way, the jaw muscles were effected in a way that made biting down less painful. I'd done this without any food in my mouth, though; now was the time to actually experiment with this idea.
I attempted to eat a poptart in this manner, tugging on my ear in the way I mentioned. I thought that I'd been clever to figure out this new method in order to eat.
Yeah right.
It hurt to eat that poptart just as much as it had hurt to eat anything else.
But I was still in desperate need of food.
I made a ham-and-cheese sandwich, and sat down on my bed. I remember uttering a silent prayer, there alone in my room, that in essence went something like: "Heavenly Father, please help me to eat this sandwich. I never thought I'd pray for something like this, but I don't think that I can do this by myself. It hurts too much. Please help me."
With this having been said, I proceeded to take a bite out of my sandwich, abandoning my technique of tugging on my ear. The first bite did hurt, but I chewed slowly...and that's what made all the difference. Not tugging on my ear, not trying to gulp down the food and not chew my food at all. I merely took my time and ate the sandwich. My jaw muscles protested against this, but I continued eating and chewing. After a while, I almost forgot about the pain that had become associated with eating as I came to the final bites of the sandwich. Granted, it took longer than eating a sandwich normally does - but I ate it!
With that being said, I now wish to share with you a scripture that I will try to connect with the adventures of my ear and mouth:
"But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are" (Mormon 9:11).
Sometimes we forget in this busy world of hustling, bustling, meetings, stress, and packed schedules that there is a God in Heaven who watches over and loves each and every one of us. This ear infection has taught me much about the Lord's workings amongst mankind; and the fact that I was able to eat that sandwich today is proof to me that we do worship a God of miracles, One who works with who and what we are!
He works His miracles through our imperfections, melting away our dross till at last we shine as gold and reflect His countenance. He can choose to bring about some almighty occurrence that will change our hearts and minds - yet, throughout my own experience, I have found that He often teaches me and works miracles in my daily life through the many small and simple things that I do. I am reminded of how great He really is by the minute things in my life that He helps manage for me.
I suppose the point of this post is: Look around you! This world is full of miracles, big and small! The fact that I was able to eat that sandwich is a miracle to me! I didn't think I'd be able to get through the whole thing, but I did! The Lord loves each and every one of us, my friends, and He is more invested in your life than you know. He is more invested in your life that you yourself are.
I encourage you to take some time today, and tomorrow, and the rest of your life, to ponder upon the miracles that the Lord works for you, and the miracles that He works through you. As I have done this I have been able to see His Hand more fully in my life, and I have been reinvigorated with a desire to help others see those miracles in their lives as well.
God still works miracles, my friends! He is not dead nor doth He sleep! Let's spread this message to the rest of the world! Let's help them to see that the Lord loves each and every one of His children, and that He works miracles for them every second of every minute of every hour of every day! :)
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

Isaiah 53:10...Otherwise Entitled: Prolong His Days

*NOTE TO THE READER: This particular post is not a required one for my Book of Mormon class - I've decided that I kinda like blogging. So I said to myself: "Sam, you are your own man - it's your blog, you can write a post whenevs you want to." And so that's what I've decided to do. Be warned, though: Another blog will be coming later this week in conjunction with my religion class.
Don't say I didn't warn you.....

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Stars. Far above us, below us, around us, millions and billions and trillions of miles away, are so many stars. Enormous balls of fiery gas and elemental reactions, powered by energy that scientists can only dream of. The mysteries that stars hold and the distances that are required to be traveled in order to reach said mysteries are so mind-boggling to me! And that's partly what makes them so very fascinating in my mind!
I've found that this is the case with a lot of things. When I don't understand a question or concept, I will either do one of two things: A) I will reject it and walk away from it because I am disinterested and without understanding (my math scores from high school should prove this point quite accurately); or 2) I will spend an excessive amount of time researching and studying out the problem so that I can finally come to a conclusion that fits.
For almost all of my life there has been one such problem that I have studied and pondered and thought about. I have received various answers pertaining to it, but never anything that can truly explain all of its mysteries. I feel that my situation reflects every other human being's in regards to this question; no mortal can truly fathom the depths of the answer that has been provided to us by God for this particular query.
The question that I speak of and have pondered many hours upon is that of the Atonement. For those who are unfamiliar with this term, please allow me to elaborate: When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ entered the Garden of Gethsemane (located on the Mount of Olives outside of the city Jerusalem), He began to atone for the sins of mankind. This Atonement continued from Gethsemane until His triumphant Resurrection, and was the means whereby man can be saved from the deteriorating effects of sin and death. Because of the Atonement, we are ALL guaranteed our respective bodies of flesh and bone in their perfect states at Judgment Day. We will ALL be resurrected. Additionally, when we repent of our sins, are cleansed from iniquity, and follow after the commandments and covenants that God has set in place for us, we are given the opportunity to not only be resurrected, but to become glorified like God, and to become as He is.
This is what the Atonement does for us.
And our beloved Savior performed it for each and every one of us! It is both a collective gift of salvation for all of God's children, and a very individual and personal bestowal of eternal life to those who are faithful to the Lord's teachings.
What I've just explained are the basic teachings and principles of the Atonement (if you would like more information, I suggest talking with the missionaries of the LDS Church, or with an ecclesiastical leader of that faith - they will be more than happy to answer the questions you may have! I also apologize if my explanation was somewhat hard to understand; I tried to make it clear, but sometimes that only complicates things :) .
As I said, I've studied about the Atonement for most of my life, as has almost every other Christian on the face of the planet. However, in a recent religion class I had an interesting lesson that made me ponder about the Atonement in a totally new light.
My professor was discussing the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, and quoted this verse:
"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him [Jesus Christ]; he [God the Father] put him [Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son] to grief; when thou shalt make his soul [Christ's] an offering for sin, he [Christ] shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand" (KJV Isaiah 53:10).
'Seed' in this context is a reference to 'children'. In the Book of Mormon we receive further insight on the 'seed' of Christ:
"And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters" (Mosiah 5:7).
We are all children of our beloved Heavenly Father, to whom we pray. We can additionally be adopted by Christ when we choose to follow Him and covenant with Him. (I know that this is a complex theological discussion in and of itself, just like the Atonement; if you do have questions regarding it, I highly encourage you to talk with the LDS missionaries, or with a bishop or stake president of that faith! :)
My professor here suggested that perhaps, while Christ suffered for our sins at Gethsemane, and maybe even in Roman chains and on Golgotha's cross, He might have '[seen] his seed' or the children of our Heavenly Father that He adopts through the covenant He makes with them. He might have seen those faithful saints and followers who worshiped Him prior to His coming; He might also have seen those of our Heavenly Father's children who had yet to come to earth, and who had yet to have their faith in Christ and His Atonement be tested by the trials and follies of this world.
In other words, He might have seen us.
Now I'd like to make a quick announcement here: What follows is speculation. It is not doctrine, just a possibility. I am not trying to make this canonical or scriptural, and I highly emphasize the fact that the 'for-sure' truth that we have pertaining to the Atonement of Christ can be found in the Holy Scriptures and in the words of living prophets today. I merely offer a speculation, only a speculation - an interesting one at that, though, that offered to me, at least, some very personal insights of my Savior that have helped me to appreciate His Atonement more fully.
Perhaps, as our Savior knelt in Gethsemane, bleeding and atoning for our sins, we each might have had a chance to be with Him. Perhaps, if He knelt at a large rock, gripping its sides as the pain and anguish of his body clenched and contracted His aching muscles, we might have stood on the other side of that rock and looked Him in the eye. Perhaps we would have knelt down on the other side of that altar (for those of you LDS members reading this who have had the experience to attend the temple, this might have a little more of a poignant message for you as well), clasping His tired hands in our own. Maybe we would have looked at Him and said: "Please, Lord, don't stop. Please...do this for me."
And then He might have looked up at us, and, with pain in His voice but hope in His eyes, He would say: "I will, Sam. I love you."
Think of that for a moment. Three of the most powerful words in the English language - I. Love. You. - all combined as a Being of divine authority and power condescended to earth to atone for a mortal and weak mankind. Why would He do something so powerful, so painful, so terrible and great and wonderful and unbearable?
Because He loves us. He loves me. He loves you, whoever you are and whatever circumstances you may be in.
It says in Isaiah 53:10 that "when...he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days." My professor suggested that maybe, in seeing us, those priceless children of God whom He loves so deeply, Christ received the extra measure of strength necessary to go on performing the infinite Atonement that has now set us free from the bands of death and hell.
And yet, we are supposed to "liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning" (1 Nephi 19:23). It is certainly speculation when I say that mayhaps we had a brief but personal moment with the Savior as He atoned for our sins, and that mayhaps that moment, combined with the trillion others as the rest of God's children stood before Him and pleaded with Him to "do this for me". However, it is not speculation, but a firm testimony that I give now, when I say that when we reverse those tables - when we are suffering through the trials and agonies of life, when the hard times are at their hardest - when we hear or feel His words say to us: "Please...do this for Me"...well, my friends, that is when we must prolong our days. That is when we must call upon our last reserves of strength and courage to persevere through our current trials and tribulations. That is when we must walk but a portion of the hard road that Jesus walked for us. That is when we must call upon the aid of Christ and the miraculous Atonement He made for each of us. That is when we need not suffer alone - that is when we must turn to Christ and let Him help us to "prolong [our] days".
My friends, my brothers and sisters, I don't understand the meaning of many of the difficulties in my own life. Nor do I understand the reasoning behind the heartache and distress that we each are called to go through at some point or another whilst on this earth. All I can say for certain is this: Christ has done it for us. All we have to do now is rely on Him, trust in His knowledge and care, and then act accordingly. With faith, good works, and a hope in His grace, we can have "the pleasure of the Lord...prosper in [our hands]". With a knowledge that the Savior performed an infinite Atonement that can wipe away our sins, that can repeatedly correct the multiple wrongs we shall certainly perform in this life, we can move forward with faith, and hope, and love of God in our hearts.
Let us spread this good news, my friends! Let us spread these glad tidings of great joy! Let us prolong our days for Him, and let us dedicate those days to Him.
May God be with you till we meet again, my dear friends.

Sam

Mormon 1:6...Otherwise Entitled: FAMILY :)

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Spaghetti. One fine Sunday afternoon, I decided to make some of it [and by 'it', I mean spaghetti]. I grabbed a package that was slightly bigger than the others I'd bought, and went about my way making some spaghetti. I grabbed a pot, filled it with water, and began breaking the spaghetti noodles in half and throwing them into it. When I was about halfway through the package, I realize that there was a lot of spaghetti in the pot. Turns out that I'd made an ENORMOUS amount of spaghetti, and had completely underestimated just how much was in that package.
As I dumped the spaghetti into a strainer to cool off and drain the water, I couldn't help but stare mournfully at the mountain of pasta that stood before me. I'd only used half a package, but I'd made enough spaghetti to feed a small army for a month.
[Okay, so I might be exaggerating just a wee bit; but what's a story without some embellishment?! :) ]
I thought to myself: I have made a huge mistake. Too much of a good thing is never good...right?
Well, when we talk about spaghetti, then I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. When we talk about toys or video games or hobbies, too much of that really good thing can sometimes be detrimental or a wasteful use of our time.
There are only a few things in this world that defy that principle of 'Too much of a good thing'. Today I'd like to talk about one of them.
Before I do though, I'd like to share Mormon 1:6, a verse that we discussed in a religion class of mine:
"And it came to pass that I [Mormon, later to become a warrior-prophet who would abridge the sacred writings of his people into a single volume, the Book of Mormon], being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward..."
My religion professor made the comment that young Mormon's family, who moved from their original home to another, can parallel many modern-day families. Perhaps Mormon's family was facing hard times - financially, socially, politically, spiritually, emotionally - or perhaps they merely needed a change of scenery. Perhaps it only mentions Mormon's father because his mother recently passed away; or mayhaps it is because Mormon's father was the patriarch of a large family, and for the sake of convenience Mormon only mentioned him. We may never know; all that we can be sure of is Mormon and his family were relocated to another place.
Not just Mormon; not just Mormon's father - it was their whole family. And it is about the FAMILY that I'd like to talk about today.
There have been several notable persons who have affirmed that the family is the building block of society. In The Family: A Proclamation to the World (written and delivered by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church in 1995), we read:
"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential...Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."
The family is a precious gift that God has given us, an institution that this world in this age seeks to threaten and harm by various means and ways. Love is mocked, rudeness and disrespect are encouraged, the values that parents try to cultivate in their children are now degraded and trodden under the foot of the media, violence, pornography, drugs, and so forth.
The FAMILY - this is one of those exceptions to the rule of 'Too much of a good thing is not good'. The family seems to invoke another age-old adage: You can never have too much of this good thing.
Lately my thoughts have been directed towards my family. Thanks to a conference my father was going to attend near my university, I was able to spend the past weekend with my family, who commuted down here in near-blizzard conditions. We played games, walked around campus, talked, laughed, watched a movie or two, and just had a good time.
Never have I been more appreciative of my sisters or my parents. My heart ached as I bid them farewell and watched them drive away from my apartment; I just wanted to be with them.
My love for my family has grown tenfold since the death of my younger brother, nearly three months ago. As I stood there over his open casket, my hands holding his, tears freely flowing down my face, I half-thought, half-said aloud a plea that my brother, whenever he was able to, be allowed to be with the rest of his family. I prayed for him, and I still pray for him; and I feel that, although he is physically gone from us, his spirit was with my parents, my sisters, and I as we spent time together. This calming, soothing reassurance that I will see my brother again brings greater faith in my Savior Jesus Christ, whose atoning sacrifice made sure the resurrection of the souls of men.
We are all part of families, whether or not they are sundered by death, divorce, financial difficulties, lack of employment, too much employment, sickness, or distance. In addition to these mortal families that are meant to be the vehicles of joy and delight in this mortal phase of existence, we are all part of God's family. We are all His sons and daughters, imbued with a divine destiny and heritage. We are meant to become like Him, and have our own families as He does. We are meant to love and to cherish.
The perfect place to practice this eventual grandeur is in our own homes, with the families He has blessed us with. And the perfect time to defend this eternal and valuable blessing is the HERE AND NOW! A man and a wife - held together by the covenant of marriage, through sickness, health, poverty, wealth, hard times, and good times - with their children (if they are able to have them; whether or not they are biological or adopted). That is the family unit that God has ordained for His children on earth. That is what we must defend!
*For more information pertaining to the LDS beliefs and standards of family, I highly suggest that you take a moment and read The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It is an excellent read, and outlines and defines all that I've spoken on and much more!*
I am very thankful for what the LDS faith holds to be true regarding the family. We believe that families are eternal; that in the temple sacred ordinances and covenants enable us to be with our families forever. Death can sunder those bonds only temporarily; and even then we still have our departed loved ones beside us. This truth has brought SO MUCH comfort to me, especially since these past few weeks have been full of thoughts of my brother. I anticipate the day when he and I shall be reunited; I am excited for all of the stories and adventures we'll tell and swap with one another. He is my best friend, both before and after he passed away, and his influence is still pivotal and prevailing in my life today. I am so grateful for him, and for the fact that he'll always be my brother :)
To some this doctrine of family may be strange or embarrassing or even offending, but I stand as a witness that it is truth. For that fact I am so grateful and so blessed. Whether you are at home or a phone call away, tell your family how much you love them as soon as you possibly can! Let's make this world a better place, one family at a time!
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

3 Nephi 23:1...Otherwise Entitled: Milk, Meat, and Mercy

I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Steak. Just thinking about it almost makes my mouth water. Yum. Steak is delicious, exquisite, and delightful to eat...but it is a food that can only be appreciated by those who are physically able to eat it. A baby would find steak far less appealing than the other foods that are necessary for its growth (e.g. milk and Gerbers).
In the LDS faith this example of 'milk v. meat' can have many spiritual parallels, the chiefest being this: The 'milk' of the Gospel - otherwise known as the basic principles and teachings of the Church - is what we as youth and younglings in the Church must consume at first, and continue doing so throughout the rest of our lives. The 'meat' of the Gospel is the weightier, sometimes harder-to-understand doctrines and principles of the Church that are studied, pondered, and understood alongside the 'milk' once the individual or collective are spiritually mature enough for it.
An example of this 'meat' is the book of Isaiah, found in the Old Testament. Whether or not you are a member of the LDS faith, the writings of Isaiah are beautiful, profound, and often extremely difficult to understand. Because of our modern-day lifestyles and misunderstanding of historical contexts, the book of Isaiah becomes one of those sections of scripture that many faithful members of many religious sects choose to skip over or merely skim through.
When the Savior Jesus Christ was preaching amongst the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, He gave them an interesting commandment:
"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1).
The words of Isaiah are great in the sight of God - the One Who gave those words to that prophet! If the Lord puts such great emphasis on this particular example of 'meat' to be had in the scriptures, we should indeed do more than merely speed through Isaiah's words. We need to take a close, in-depth, personal study of this prophet in order to come to know our Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, as well as ourselves, even better.
For time's sake, I shall examine but a single verse from Isaiah's writings, and hope that, after we've read through it, we all will have a greater desire to undertake the task of studying Isaiah and coming closer to our Lord and Savior through his words.
"Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still" (JST Isaiah 9:17).
There is not much context to explain behind this verse, other than this: The House of Israel has sinned against her God, and He must punish her for breaking the covenants and commandments that He has given to that chosen nation. The Lord must chasten the children of Israel, and their chastening must be severe. Israel has left the sight of God; now God must punish it.
The last sentence of this verse is particularly intriguing: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Most of the scholarly world interprets this scripture to mean that the Lord will punish Israel, and His almighty hand is held up still, prepared to 'beat more sense' into the rebellious nation of His covenant. This interpretation does illustrate the justice of God, a force that I will not discredit nor disregard; but, if I may, I would like to share the classic LDS view of this scripture.
"For all this his anger is not turned away" - The Lord will have justice and recompense for the sins of Israel. They must repent; their hearts have become so hardened, though, that it seems unlikely that they will repent by themselves. God must chasten them and bring hard trials upon and against them in the hopes that they will remember Him.
"But his hand is stretched out still" - Here we can find great comfort. This phrase illustrates not God's justice, but God's mercy. The Lord is one who demands recompense for sins, but offers complete forgiveness for those sins. At first, such a principle as this would be considered confusing and complicated, but in reality it is far from such.
When we repent and return to the Lord in the sincerity of our hearts, forsaking the wrong things that we've done, we are given the opportunity to accept and receive this divine mercy. When we leave behind the quiet invitations of our loving God and follow after the false gods and idols that likewise ensnared the Israel of Isaiah's day, we only invoke the judgment and justice of God.
The turning point of this whole equation, the one variable that makes the laws of justice and mercy coincide and cooperate so perfectly, is not of mortal origin; rather, that one piece of the puzzle that makes the principles of justice and mercy function properly is a Being of ultimate power. He is Jesus Christ, our Mediator with God the Father. Christ suffered on Golgotha and in Gethsemane the wrath of Almighty God. He endured the justice of God that we but partially feel when we are chastened and afflicted.
Christ suffered the justice of God so that He might be able to extend that divine mercy to those who will accept it. He took upon Himself that justice so that, if we will turn to Him and follow in His ways, fulfilling the commandments and ordinances He has set before us in mortality, we may lay claim to His mercy and become like Him. If we forsake Him, then we must inevitably suffer the justice of God that Christ Himself suffered, the horrors of which cannot be imagined by the human mind.
My friends, this divine and magnificent truth that we've just discussed has been analyzed from a single verse of scripture from the book of Isaiah. A single verse! There are sixty-six chapters in this marvelous book, and almost every single verse within all of these chapters has something to offer that will testify of Christ, and strengthen our testimony in Him through such a concise but poignant study as the one that we have just made.
I encourage each and every one of us - myself included - to take a more serious study of the writings of Isaiah to heart. His words, the words inspired by God Himself, will bring us happiness, joy, and the desire to live righteously and worthy of the mercy of the Lord.
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

Isaiah 54:7-8...Otherwise Entitled: The Parable of the Shoppers

*NOTE TO THE READER: This particular post is not a required one for my Book of Mormon class - I've decided that I kinda like blogging. So I said to myself: "Sam, you are your own man - it's your blog, you can write a post whenevs you want to." And so that's what I've decided to do. Be warned, though: Another blog will be coming later this week in conjunction with my religion class.
This blog has additional import: It is a copy of a term paper I had to write for a religion class. It will be longer than all of the other posts that I have put here. I do hope that you might get a chance to read it, and I hope that you will enjoy it :)
But, like I said, it is LONG.
Don't say I didn't warn you.....

THE PARABLE OF THE SHOPPERS: The Gathering of Israel and Redemption of Zion

In latter days as well as in times of old, the House of Israel has been the chosen vessel of the Lord, the people by whom He enlightens the rest of mankind with His knowledge, power, and blessings. And yet, through her own choice of disobedience, Israel in ancient days forsook her God and worshipped “the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers had made” (Isaiah 2:8). However, God’s covenant still remained, and the Restoration of His Gospel through Joseph Smith became the “ensign for the nations, [to] assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah” (Isaiah 11:12). We now live in the time of the gathering of Israel and the redemption of God’s Zion.

            Perhaps this principle is best illustrated in what I like to call ‘The Parable of the Shoppers’. Imagine, for a moment, that a mother and father went to a large store, and brought with them their young children. The parents repeatedly told the children that if they would stay by them, they (the parents) would buy their kids candy or some sort of goodie at the end of the trip. As they walked around the store, the kids became distracted by various toys that seemed to pull them away from their parents; repeatedly Mom and Dad would call for their children to come back or else the treat at the end of the trip would be forfeited.

            Several times the kids returned to walk beside their parents, but inevitably they wandered off again, this time straying far beyond the sound of their parents’ voice. For a time these children wandered around the store, lost and allured by innumerable distractions and devices.

            At long last one older child sought out his parents, who had been frantically searching for their lost kids. They quickly decided upon a meeting place and time for the family to reunite, and then they sent their child who returned to help them search for the other children. In due course of time, the parents and their children (who had been found and gathered together through the help of the older child) met at the foreordained place, and, after a quick rebuke and a swift outpouring of love and gratitude for their reunion, the family went about their business.

            Hopefully this parable helps illustrate the broad history—past, present, and future—of the House of Israel, God’s covenant people. Throughout this course of this essay, we can liken those parents in this parable to the God of the Old Testament, Jehovah, and the Savior of the New, Jesus Christ, who are the same Being. The children are, of course, the House of Israel.

            As has been stated, the House of Israel was God’s chosen nation, His covenant-making and –keeping people. But what covenant established this peculiar and pivotal relationship with God? And to whom was it given?

            The answer to these questions can be found in Genesis 12-22, and in Abraham 2:6-13, in which the Lord made a covenant with Father Abraham in days of yore. In essence, this covenant, according to Abraham’s worthiness and faithfulness, would yield to him “land which I [Jehovah] will give unto thy seed after thee [Abraham] for an everlasting possession, when they hearken to my voice” (Abraham 2:6). The Lord God promised Abraham seed beyond number, a Priesthood beyond earthly power, and deliverance from carnal devices; in addition, He revealed to Abraham the truths, principles, ordinances, and covenants of the everlasting Gospel.

            The knowledge and blessings were passed down through Abraham’s birthright son, Isaac, and then on to his second-born, Jacob, who ‘bought’ the birthright and the blessings of the covenant from his elder brother Esau. Jacob—whose name was changed to Israel by God Himself (see Genesis 35:9-13)—became the father and patriarch of the House of Israel, the covenant people of the Lord, who had the knowledge and blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant above discussed.

            It is through the writings of Isaiah that we learn many great and wonderful details about the consequences of both breaking and keeping this covenant. In keeping this covenant, we are given the opportunity to “go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). This beautiful and highly poetic passage of Hebraic writing demonstrates the love that God has for His chosen people, and the willingness He displays in order to teach them of His mysteries.

            But God will not be mocked, and once His chosen have forsaken Him and turned to false gods and idols, His wrath cannot be stayed. “For they shall be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire” (JST Isaiah 29:6).

            Throughout the history of the Israelites, they often wandered from the encircling arms of Jehovah to participate in the crude and wicked ceremonies of Ba’al, Ashteroth, Molech, and other heathen gods of the indigenous Canaanites. This tendency to wander can be equated with the frequent distractions that the little children of the Parable of the Shoppers had; they too left the side of their parents, eager to be enthralled by interesting toys and frivolities. It was only when their parents called that they returned.

            But the day was soon coming when these children—both in the store, and of the House of Israel—would wander completely away from their parents’ warning voices.

            The kingdom of Israel (governed chiefly by the tribe of Ephraim, a son of Joseph son of Jacob/Israel, and populated by ten of the Twelve Tribes of the House of Israel) was the first of the two Israelite kingdoms to turn completely from God and follow after the groves of Ashteroth and Ba’al. In approximately 720 B.C. the Lord allowed the Assyrian Empire to conquer Israel and disperse the Ten Tribes throughout the ancient world. As told to Isaiah by the Lord, the Assyrians came close to conquering the other Israelite kingdom, Judah, but did not succeed: “Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them [the kingdom of Judah] the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory…he shall pass through Judah; he shall overthrow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck” (Isaiah 8:7-8).

            In other words, Judah would be nearly completely overrun by the Assyrian armies, but would eventually be saved by the might of God, as demonstrated in Isaiah 37:36—“Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians [185,000 soldiers]: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.”

            However, God knew, and through His Spirit Isaiah could foresee, that even the kingdom of Judah—whose capitol was Jerusalem, in which stood the Holy Temple—would one day apostatize just like her northern counterpart, the kingdom of Israel. He alerted the kingdom of Judah to this fact by preaching of the might of Babylon, at that time now more than a minor city in Assyria that would one day grow to become the superpower of the ancient world. One day (in approximately one hundred and fifty years), Babylon would overthrow the apostate city of Jerusalem and would carry the remainder of the House of Israel into captivity.

            If we recall the Parable of the Shoppers, we can now see that this Diaspora—spurred by wickedness and disobedience on the part of the children of Israel—can be correlated to the children finally wandering away from the sound of their parents’ voices. Because the children of Israel were unwilling to keep the commandments of God and walk in the ways of the Abrahamic Covenant, they were forced into exile and scattered all throughout the four corners of the world. And yet they still bore the title of God’s covenant children; He would still keep the promise that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so many of the prophets and leaders of that people.

            This meant that a gathering of the House of Israel had to occur.

            We must keep in mind the fact that all mankind is an enormous family, spiritually and physically. The House of Israel is the chosen branch of the human family to bring the light of the Lord’s Gospel to the rest of the world, in order to bring them Home to that God who gave them life. But with Israel scattered and lost, who will gather that House so that the rest of the world may be saved? And where will Israel gather?

            Through a series of events that culminated in the tribe of Reuben losing the birthright of the Abrahamic Covenant—that is, to head the House of Israel—Ephraim was given that honor. Ephraim, as we must recall, was the chief tribe of the kingdom of Israel. Judah and Ephraim, the two largest tribes of the House of Israel, were often at odds with each other; there are many historical reasons for their separation into opposing kingdoms.

            Because the tribe of Ephraim bears the birthright of Israel, it must be that tribe that begins to gather the House of Israel, as guided and directed by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. At that time, the “envy...of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim” (Isaiah 11:13).

            Today we now know of the tribe of Judah as the Jewish people, whose gathering back to the Holy Land of their forefathers is in accordance with the prophecies of old. And Ephraim? This tribe is symbolized by the older child of the parable, who returned to his parents and helped to seek out the other lost children. We learn of Ephraim’s mission, and of the latter-day leader of that tribe, in the words of the Book of Mormon: “For Joseph [the son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery in Egypt] truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins...And unto him will I [the Lord God] give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers...And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord” (2 Nephi 3:6-7, 13).

            This is a reference to Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration, who was blessed and foreordained by God to bring about a restoration not only of the Abrahamic Covenant to the House of Israel, but also of the new and everlasting covenant of the principles and ordinances of this Gospel to the earth. There have been times when the tribe of Ephraim has been equated to the Latter-day Saints, and the tribe of Judah of course to the Jews. Together these two chief tribes shall bring about the gathering of the rest of the children of Israel, and with them the entire human family.

            Recall now, from the Parable of the Shoppers, that the parents designated a meeting-place for the family. In scriptures, this meeting-place is known as Zion. Throughout the ancient writ, Zion and Jerusalem are considered the same location; in latter-day revelation and scripture we learn of a New Jerusalem, to be built on the American continent. For the most part, Judah shall gather at Old Jerusalem, and Ephraim at the New Jerusalem (according to scripture, to be built in Missouri): both are equivalent to Zion.

            But Zion is more than a physical place. “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). When we speak of redeeming Zion, we could literally be referring to the physical location, the ‘meeting-place’ for our shopping family. We could also be referring to the spiritual redemption of Zion, the return of the House of Israel to the covenants given by Jehovah to Father Abraham. For the purpose of time and length, we shall discuss the spiritual redemption of Zion.

            Even though Judah and Ephraim and the rest of Israel abandoned their God, even though the children wandered beyond the voices of the parents in the store—Jehovah will still have mercy on His chosen people, and upon all those who will listen and heed the message that they bring. “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).

            To be redeemed is to be bought back; Jehovah bought His people, and all peoples, back from death and sin through the power of His infinite Atonement when He condescended to earth. Christ has redeemed us all, and it is through the power of this spiritual redemption that we can not only go to the physical locale of Zion, but we can become “of one heart and one mind”. Through the power of His Atonement, we can go forth as emissaries of Ephraim and help gather in the rest of the House of Israel, as well as the Gentiles with whom they’ve mixed. Through the power of His Atonement our family, spiritual and physical, can be brought back to the meeting-place of redeemed Zion, and be given a chance to become ONE with our Savior Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Parents. Through the power of His Atonement, Zion is redeemed, Israel is gathered, and we as individuals and a collective are brought to become more like He who redeemed and redeems us: Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind.