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.

3 Nephi 18:34...Otherwise Entitled: Coming Closer

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: Teasing. I'm an expert teaser; just ask my younger sisters. I am able to easily find people's 'pressure points' and 'buttons'...and I have, over the years, developed the dark art of being able to exploit those pressure points and push those buttons. I am pretty adept at teasing, and sometimes it can cause quite the trouble.
Take, for instance, a particular time at home when I was with my family. We were playing a board game, and I began teasing one of my sisters. As a result of my doing this, she didn't speak to me for some time...which is never a good thing.
This willingness to cause contention and dissension amongst my siblings is a major fault of mine, and although I have certainly worked hard at and become better about not teasing my sisters every chance I get, I still have a VERY long way to go.
In conjunction with that, I'd like to submit 3 Nephi 18:34, a scripture we read that occurs during the Lord Jesus Christ's ministry among a tribe of peoples here on the American continent:
"And I give you these commandments because of the disputations which have been among you. And blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you."
The longer I think about this scripture, the more and more I realize that I have SO MUCH WORK to do in this particular area. Like I've said before, I have a slight - and by slight, I mean a little-bit-more-than-slight - tendency to tease...it's a weakness of mine.
And yet, as I say that, I am reminded of another scripture that is oft-quoted in LDS culture:
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I [the Lord] give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).
We are all mortals. We're all imperfect. We all make mistakes. We all have weakness. One of my many weakness is teasing my younger sisters.
And yet, for a weakness such as that, God extends His hand towards me, and beckons me to recognize my own faults and come unto Him.
Our human tendencies, our faults and frailties, all cause 'disputations' among us. Anger and hatred, wars and violence, slurs and slandering, mocking and backbiting - all of these ruin the spirit of brotherhood that should dwell among us. All of these bar us from coming closer to the Spirit of God that strives to speak to us every second of every day.
I personally challenge myself to give up my excessive teasing habits, and I challenge each and every one of you to find that weakness that seems to give you and those around you grief, and then DO something about it. Turn it into something good and useful, or abandon it completely; whatever is necessary to make that change in your life, I wholeheartedly plead with you to do it.
The great thing about this process: It's never-ending. At first that might sound a little disheartening and gloomy - "Sam, you're saying that we have so much weakness that we'll never be free of it!"
In essence, I am saying that, to a certain degree. In mortality we will constantly be plagued by weakness, every one of us. It is the natural condition of mankind. And yet, we still have a Savior who is constantly beside us as well; the very God of the universe beckons us to release whatever weakness we may be struggling with at that time into His care. He invites us to carry His load, and to become like Him.
For all the weaknesses we have, we should now realize that they offer opportunities to come even closer to our Savior! We must approach Him and plead with Him to take them! Our weaknesses force us to bring ourselves to the mercy seat of the Lord! They give us the chances we need to be humble and come within the presence of the Creator of worlds without end!
Let us all release our weaknesses. Let us all fight against their effects and become better. Let us all bring an end to the disputations amongst ourselves, and let us all come unto Him. It will take time and effort, but we are given an endless supply of chances to do so. We may fall, we may 'slip on the sidewalks', to quote a previous post, but we always have the opportunity to pick ourselves back up and, through the grace and mercy of our Savior, remove those weaknesses in our personal and public lives. :)
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

3 Nephi 11:14...Otherwise Entitled: ARISE

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: Alarm clocks. They're very useful, but sometimes they can be messengers of doom. Do you know what I mean? Maybe I didn't explain that very well; let me try again :)
Alarm clocks are meant to wake us up from slumber and compel us forward to embrace and live out a new day. When we're used to their call, alarm clocks are a part of our daily agenda, and they have the highest priority in making sure we get up on time. When we're not used to their beeping/buzzing, they can become rather annoying.
I believe that God works in the 'alarm clock' business, but not the kind that I've been speaking of. He is more of a spiritual alarm clock maker, and has provided so many wonderful things - tender mercies, blessings, trials, challenges, friends, family, and His holy scriptures - to wake us up from the spiritual slumbers of our day. I would like to share with you a principle that has acted as a spiritual alarm clock for me, and I hope that you too will be able to put its teachings into good use.
In 3 Nephi 11:14, we read:
"Arise, and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world."
For those unfamiliar with the context of this scripture, I shall briefly summarize: The Savior of the world, even Jesus Christ, visited the Americas a little under a year following the Crucifixion and His forty days with the apostles. As He stood in the midst of the people, He spoke the above words.
Notice that He did not say: "Arise, and come forth unto Me...except for you - you look pretty weird, you stay away." Nor did He say: "Arise, and come forth unto Me...well, by you I mean only that section over there; the rest of y'all can just watch and learn."
He did not provide any barriers that kept the people from approaching His glorified and celestial body; He invited all to come unto Him. And we find out that they did in the verse immediately after this:
"And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth..." (3 Nephi 11:15).
Christ's love for these people was unconditional and all-encompassing; He loved them, despite their past sins and wrongs; despite their frailties and weaknesses; despite their physical, emotional, mental, psychological, and spiritual irregularities and faults. He barred none from coming unto Him and feeling the 'prints of the nails in [His] hands and in [His] feet'.
He loved them all.
And here is the alarm clock that I was discussing earlier, the alarm clock that rings with truth and power: If we are meant to follow this divine example, and if said Divinity loved all and exempted none from that love, then what are we commanded to do?
Are we not commanded to love?
I believe we are. There are various scriptures that support this truth. I will quote just a few before I continue my own commentary:
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him" (D&C 18:10-11; emphasis added).
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray fro them which despitefully use you, and persecute you...
"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (KJV Matthew 5:43-44, 46).
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (KJV John 3:14-16).
I speak to all now: Be you of the LDS (Mormon) faith, or of the Baptist or Methodist or Lutheran or Catholic persuasion, or if you aren't Christian, but Jew or Muslim or Hindu. Whether or not you believe in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His charge to LOVE still stands; it is a charge that is surely held within every religion that is of good report and praiseworthy in this world.
To LOVE, my friends! This capability seems so far away, particularly in the dark and grim and cruel world that we now live in...but it is inherently within each and every one of us. And think of what would happen if each of us strengthened our resolve and fortified our hearts in such a way that we would take this challenge from Christ's holy words and go forth and LOVE all of God's children! This world would be changed for good.
My younger brother is no longer in this mortal state; when he passed from this existence he likely felt lost and without this love of which I speak. He died, thinking that there was not a person on this earth that truly loved him.
How many more must die, my friends? How many more beautiful, wonderful, amazing, and truly loved children of God must pass from this weary world before we will finally realize and begin living the divine charges laid before us? How many more must leave us before we will recognize our need not only to feel loved, but TO LOVE?
No more, my beloved friends, no more.
Let US be the ones who make the stand against all of the hate and violence and sorrow that this world has, and let US be the ones who reveal all of the goodness and glory that this world is truly made of.
My brother was truly loved; ask any of his friends and especially ask any of us, his family, and we would all wholeheartedly testify of this truth. But he was unable to see it. I lay part of this sad fact upon my own shoulders; if I could but turn the pages of time backwards I would, and I would hold my brother tightly and tell him how much I love him.
But I cannot.
Or perhaps I can, but not in that same sort of way.
And perhaps you can as well.
There are people out there who need the light of love, my dear friends. There are people out there who are hurting and tired and sad and gloomy. There are people out there who build up walls around their aching hearts. There are people out there who need to feel loved.
And we, with the knowledge we have and the potential of love that blossoms in our breasts, are the ones who need to go forth and bring them that light.
As a Christian, I know that the charge to love is prevalent throughout all sects and faiths who profess the title of Christianity. From what I have studied and learned about the faiths of Islam and Judaism, Hindu and Buddha, this same charge to love exists within their belief systems as well. With that said, I find it no coincidence that one of the binding threads that is the same in all religious views throughout this world is one to LOVE.
We know what we must do; but sometimes it is not that easy to love.
I distinctly remember a time when I was given a calling in Church that required me to serve and lead others. I was nervous to accept it, because I could feel my own selfish tendings and inclinations bubbling within me, threatening to obscure the desires of others in favor of my own vain ambitions.
That night I knelt down and prayed fervently to my Heavenly Father for the gift of CHARITY - that pure love of Christ that He showed when He healed the lepers and ate with publicans - the ability to love others without taking thought for self. I must admit, that love for others did not come that night, nor the next day, nor did it come that week. It took time, but come it did, and I was able to serve others and care about others with a passion that I never knew I could possess.
I am not singular in receiving this gift; you too may possess it, and I hope that you will be willing to pray for it so that we all may be able to go forth and LOVE. There is too much darkness and too little time left in this world, my friends.
Let us ARISE and LOVE; let us see to it that another soul does not perish from this earth! Let us break the bars of hatred that sunder nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples! Let us forge anew the rings of brotherhood and fellowship! Let us recognize that those who sit beside us, walk around us, and who merge before us on the freeway are all children of God! Let us realize this truth, and let us act! Do not let today pass without expressing love for another, without serving someone else, without sharing the love that exists in your hearts with another soul.
This spiritual alarm clock has greatly benefited my life, and though I am not perfect in being a friend to others at all times, I strive to do my best to be such a light to those around me. May I reiterate: I am not the perfect example of loving others! Christ is, though, and we have access to His precious words in our scriptures, ancient and modern. His call to 'Arise' is clear, and His example of love is evident.
Arise, my friends, and LOVE.
Let us share the light we have, and let us change the world together - let us herald in a new day of peace and friendship. Let us love.
May God be with you till we meet again, my beloved friends.

Sam

3 Nephi 10:10...Otherwise Entitled: Biking Uphill

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: Biking. I am an avid fan and supporter of pedal-biking, and find it very enjoyable...well, for the most part. I'm kind of a picky bike rider - there are certain types of terrain that I don't care for, i.e. hills. Anything that starts to incline upward usually starts fermenting an enormous amount of dread within me that often pools in the recesses of my heart. Hills=Yucky. No bueno. No thank you. Pass. Ext-nay on the ills-hay. Moving on. Why-am-I-still-talking-abut-them-like-this????
Once upon a time, me and my dad decided to go on a bike ride. The purpose behind the bike ride was to help me pass off a requirement for my Biking merit badge in Scouts. But both me and my dad enjoy looking at the beautiful mountains that surround my home valley, and so - in order to get credit for Scouts and also to enjoy the grand vistas that surrounded us - we decided to take the 'scenic' biking route.
Unfortunately, this particular decision would require us to bike up several hills in the area...Oh goodie.
I vividly remember one such hill. Along our route we were following a road that cut through the river bottoms. This means that we had the chance to zip down one hill and coast along the road as it leveled out, crossing the river. However, as soon as we'd passed over the river, another hill climbed upwards - and up this hill the road went on. We would have to bike up that hill in order to continue along our journey.
My heart sank.
"Um, Dad...I...uh...I..."
"C'mon; we can rest once we get to the top!" my dad insisted, pedaling even faster.
Oh boy.
My dad and I sped down the declining slope, and continued pedaling hard as the road leveled out. The incline loomed before us - I did not want to try to bike up it, but I also distinctly remembering muttering under my breath to myself: "Okay, Sam, you can do this...you can do this...it's not that high...you can do this..."
There was a wind blowing directly in our face; whenever I find myself in a situation like this my eyes automatically start to water (this is not my way of subtly saying I was crying; my eyes really do water when my face gets pummeled by the wind!). I could barely see my dad biking ahead of me, making substantial progress up the hill.
"You can do this, Sam...you can do this..."
My legs burned, and I ached from the physical exertion that was being required of me. There were brief moments when I was tempted to get off of my bike and walk it up the hill. Had I done so, though, I doubtless would have earned nothing but Dad's disapproval, which was something that I didn't want. If anything, I wanted to make him proud, but I also wanted desperately to focus on nothing but the pain that I felt. However, I decided to continue murmuring "You can do this!" to myself, in addition to focusing on the idea of how wonderful it would be to take a little rest once we reached the crest of the hill.
That was not an easy bike ride...but once we reached the top of that hill, and stopped for a quick water/granola bar break, resting in the shade of a few large trees growing near the road - well, let's just say that it was worth it, whether or not I recognized that at the time.
With that in mind, I'd like to share 3 Nephi 10:10 with you:
"And the earth did cleave together again, that it stood; and the mourning, and the weeping, and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer."
The context of the above passage needs a little explanation: We are taught by the Book of Mormon that during the time of Christ's crucifixion, whilst He suffered on the cross, tremendous storms and natural disasters in conjunction with the suffering and death of the Son of God were taking place throughout the ancient Americas. Terrifying weather and earthquakes (and, some LDS scholars suggest, at least one volcanic eruption) took place all throughout the land, deforming its features and killing hundreds and thousands.
Following the calamities that occurred, a dreadful, tangible darkness (scholars suggest that this 'darkness' could have been volcanic ash) descended over the land, obscuring the light of the sun and extinguishing any fire, flame, or candle that the people tried to light.
For three days this darkness endured, but in the morning the darkness dispersed, and, as read in the above verse, the people's "mourning was turned into joy" and "the earth did cleave together again".
I am completely unaware of the trials, struggles, and heartaches that you are going through at this time. I don't know the complexities of life that beset you, or the sorrows, fears, and doubts that harm you. I do not know if you are LDS, or of another Christian denomination, or if you are of a completely different religious orientation. I do not know if you are old or young, male or female, rich or poor.
All I know is that, many times throughout this life, it feels as if we are biking uphill. It feels like the winds of life smash against our face, blinding our eyes and making our vision cloudy; the exertion of pushing upward against life's steep inclines aches, tears our muscles, weakens our resolves, and hurts our hearts. We just can't see a way to continue onward; we are numb and tired and ready for rest.
I am no stranger to this feeling. Why, I have even felt it just previous to my writing this post! I was watching a clip of the good ole YouTube that brought back very vivid and heartwarming memories of my brother. I struggled to watch the video as I felt tears begin streaming down my face. At one point I broke down into uncontrollable sobbing for only a few seconds - but it was enough to remind me of the heartache that still permeates my life and the lives of my family members.
And yet: The truths contained within 3 Nephi 10:10 are as real and vivid as the sorrow that each and every one of us faces throughout our lives. This particular verse has become even more poignant and meaningful for me. How? It was a verse that was used in the last talk my brother gave in Church.
It was back during Thanksgiving time; our family had been asked to give talks for the meeting that day. My brother gave a beautiful talk that involved Charlie Brown analogies and 3 Nephi 10:10. In his own set of scriptures (which I now use), he has the latter half of that verse marked in bright red pencil.
My brother faced his own trials, challenges, and sorrows, and he marked that verse to help him carry on through his personal 'biking uphill' moments...but now, during a moment when I was going through one of those similar moments, this verse has brought great comfort and peace to my soul. This verse, that my brother marked with his own hand in his own scriptures, has reminded me of that adage: "The night is darkest just before the dawn."
This world is one of telestial nature - in other words, it is imperfect, flawed, corruptible, and is meant to try and test us to our very limits. Our muscles are meant to ache, our eyes are meant to water, and our road is meant to, at times, go uphill.
And yet we find, all throughout the scriptures (particularly in Christ's teachings in the Four Gospels), the command to "Be of good cheer". How? How can we when life is uphill, when we have been hurt or are hurting still? How do we remain happy when the going gets tough?
Well, what did the people who survived the natural disasters of 3 Nephi 10:10 do? They turned "their mourning...into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer."
Perhaps you are not of Christian beliefs; if not, then I invite you to continue reading. I wish to bear testimony to the fact that throughout the darkness and trials and turbulence of life I have been supported by a higher Power, by Deity. You may not know that love and light as Jesus Christ, but I invite you to come to know Him. There have been times when I have turned from Him, and there have been times when I have turned to Him. Always it has been the latter motion that has blessed and benefited my life, and helped me to continue biking uphill.
The good news of the Savior's Gospel provides us all with hope that, even though we may now be floundering in the midnight of remorse, regret, and ruin, we will shortly come to the morning of rejoicing, repentance, renewal, and rebirth. We will be of good cheer, and we still can be through the uphills of life. The darkness need not be permanent: We can embrace that light. Yes, we have to give our best effort in biking up that hill; sometimes we will dismount and walk, sometimes we will fall or crash; but always we can bike upwards, till at last we come to rest beneath the shade of His loving arms, ready to embrace us - including ALL of our weaknesses, frailties, fears, and sorrows. We can maintain our good cheer, no matter the tribulations that flock to us.
Biking uphill and enduring the hardships and trials of this world that fill us with "mourning" and "weeping" and "wailing" and "lamentations" can and will be overcome by the JOY that God has in store for us. When we bike uphill we are forced to rip and tear what muscles we already have - but this gives them the chance to grow bigger, better, and stronger from the experience and ultimately strengthen and improve us as individuals, communities, and nations.
Biking uphill is a challenge and a hardship, but it is always worth that rest in the shade, that "mourning...turned into joy...and lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving...[of] Jesus Christ, [our] Redeemer."
Continuing biking, my friends! Things do get better! They always do! They always will! It may hurt, but press forward! Be of good cheer!
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

Luke 15:11-20...Otherwise Entitled: HOME

*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: The song "Wayfarin' Stranger". If you ever want a song that brings me to tears VERY quickly, start playing/singing "Wayfarin' Stranger". It is an old American folk hymn, and I absolutely love it. Two of the verses that I love especially are as follows:

"I am a poor wayfarin' stranger
While trav'lin' through this world of woe,
But there's no sickness, toil nor danger
In that bright land to which I go.

"I'm goin' there to see my father
I'm goin' there no more to roam,
I'm just a-goin' over Jordan,
I'm just a-goin' over home."

Beautiful lyrics, and a beautiful message as well. This song reminds me so much of my younger brother, who wept with me when we heard this song. Another song that he loved, another song that speaks of 'going home', was also sung at his funeral. It is appropriately named "Going Home"; there are multiple versions of it, but the one my brother loved was sung by Paul Robeson (if you get a chance, you should look it up on YouTube! You won't regret it :) A verse or two thereof:

"Going home, going home,
I'm just going home;
Quiet-like, some still day,
I'm just going home.

"Mother's there expecting me,
Father's waiting too;
Lots of folks gathered there,
All the friends I knew."

Both of these songs have the power to bring me to tears and to make me think so much of my brother. This past weekend, I've had a chance to come home - take a break from school and visit my parents and sisters -  and to visit the temple and learn more truths pertaining to our going to our eternal Home.
Throughout all of it the thoughts of home, my brother, and the eternities that await us after this life have been prevalent in my mind. I find myself standing alone in my bedroom, weeping as I miss my brother; I find myself staring at the grand vista of the mountains that encircle our little community, in awe of the God who crafted them from the shell of this earth; I find myself lost in thought about my family reunited once more, never to part again.
As I recollect on these various thoughts, and as I prepare to embark on the journey back to school once again, I am reminded of a certain story found in the Gospel of Luke. Please allow me to share it with you:
"...A certain man had two sons:
"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that felleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
"And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
"And when he had spent all, there around a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
"And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine [just a sidenote here: Swine/pigs were considered UNCLEAN in the Near Eastern culture. That just goes to show how bad this kid's situation was].
"And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat [in other words: he was so hungry he wanted to eat the unclean beasts' slop]: and no man gave unto him.
"And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
"And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (KJV Luke 15:11-20; emphasis added).
It saddens me greatly when I see or hear or read about all the sadness and sorrow of this world, all of the death and destruction that are part of our telestial existence. There are times when I get so frustrated with all the pigheadedness and pride and selfishness of the world - why can't everyone just be happy? But then I look at myself, and look at my own faults and frailties, and realized that global peace and happiness will surely be a long ways away if everyone is as proud and pigheaded as I am.
And yet, despite all of our faults, despite all of our mistakes, there is a God in Heaven who stands on the metaphorical horizon, watching for us from "a great way off". He wants us to turn around, to forsake the sorrows of this existence, and to come Home.
In Hebrew, there are multiple verbs that can be translated as 'to repent'. One of these verbs - the most prominent - can also be read as 'to return'. This is exactly right: When we repent, we return from our erring ways and come Home to our Heavenly Father.
In essence, this life is much like the college experience: We are raised in our Father's house, and then the time comes when we must leave His celestial courts on high to experience mortality. When our trials and tribulations, growth and pruning, learning and teaching, and strugglings and achievings have come to a mortal end, we return Home - I can't help but feel that our Father does exactly what the father of the parable in Luke does: When we are "a great way off", He sees us and runs and hugs us. And, if we have proved ourselves worthy in this mortal test, we are not only granted permission to live with Him again; He promises to teach us to build our own homes and establish our own families for the eternities to come.
You could say that this life is about GOING HOME. We are 'poor wayfaring strangers' in a "world of woe". We are not meant to be sad or sorrowful; we are meant to have joy. We are meant to repent and return Home. We are meant to 'come to ourselves' and we are meant to come back to our God.
I don't know the trials and the hardships in your lives, nor do I wish to; I don't pretend to comprehend the difficulties that you face each and every day, nor do I plan to. But I do know that we have the blessed opportunity to repent and come Home. Being back in my own bed, sitting on my own couch, being with my beloved family members once again - I have felt so much joy and love and hope and peace as of late, and I am reluctant to leave it behind when I must go back to school.
I am frightened to leave my earthly home behind.
And yet, as I sit here and contemplate that, I remember that although we may at times be separated from that particular home, we are always on our journey back to our eternal Home.
And we never make that journey alone.
In the Islamic faith it is held that there is always an angel on your right and left hand [this is a thought that I find very intriguing, interesting, beautiful, and thought-provoking]; in the LDS Doctrine and Covenants, Section 84, verse 88, we learn of "angels round about [us], to bear [us] up."
As I go through any hard or difficult or depressing times in my life, I find great comfort in applying this principle to my own life. I especially like to imagine the Savior walking beside me on one hand...and my younger brother walking beside me on my other, their arms wrapped around my shoulders, 'bearing me up'. Perhaps it is a childish notion, but it has certainly brought a great deal of peace and strength to my mind when my soul was the "sickness, toil [and] danger" of "Wayfarin' Stranger".
There are two forces at work in this world: a group of physical and spiritual entities, ideas, corporations, and groups that would destroy our souls and our chances of going Home; and a power of physical and spiritual beings, places, and literature that would help us to repent and return Home.
My prayer, as I depart my earthly home once again to go back to college, is that we shall all be able to recognize those on both this side and the other of the veil that would have us come Home again, and that we act upon their promptings and encouragements and forsake our own carnal desires for something of a brighter, more spiritual nature. My prayer is that I will be worthy and able enough to come Home and reunite with my family - with my sweet sisters, whose laughs are like those of the angels on high; with my parents, whose wisdom and counsel have buoyed me up in times of despair and trial; and with my brother, whose face I long to see again in this life, whose laugh I long to hear again, whose handshake I long to feel again. But for now, this is not my lot: For now I must live in a way that I will be reunited with all of them again; I must live in such a way as to meet my brother on the other side and hug him tightly, brothers never to be parted again.
And then...then I will hug my Elder Brother, He who died so that I might have this joyous reunion, He who suffered so that I might come Home to live with my earthly and my heavenly Family once again, He who is the foundation for my eternal Home.
And you too shall have this great joy and opportunity.
May we all repent and return. May we all recognize the good in this world and see the "angels round about [us]".
May we all come Home.

May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam

Helaman 13:2-4...Otherwise Entitled: Arbor Vitae

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: Anatomy. For those who know me uber-well, you will recognize the fact that I have a love-hate relationship with this particular subject. I really and truly do enjoy learning about the amazing human body...but memorization and countless hours of studying for harsh midterms is something that I really and truly do not enjoy. Oh well.
Lately in Anatomy we've started discussing the nervous system. At the particular college I attend, the entire Anatomy class is split into two parts: Lecture, and Lab. In Lecture we've started learning about basic nervous system terminology and functions; in Lab we've been able to identify the various structures and parts of the human nervous system.
There's one part of the nervous system that I'd like to focus on for now. It is known as the cerebellum; it is the bulbous-looking part of the brain that is found on the posterior (back) part of the brain, below the main body of the brain (the cerebrum). When a sagittal cut (in other words, a cut that parts the cerebellum into left and right halves) is made on the cerebellum, we are able to see what it looks like inside. In all actuality, it looks pretty cool! The white and gray matter of the brain are formed in such a way as to make the inside of the cerebellum look like a tree - in fact, the anatomical name for this particular area of the cerebellum is the arbor vitae (Latin for 'tree of life').
The arbor vitae and the cerebellum are both responsible for movement in the body, amongst other functions - without the proper functioning of the arbor vitae we would not be able to walk properly, learn correctly, or function to the fullest.
With this knowledge in mind, I'd like to refocus your attention to Helaman 13:2-4, the scripture referenced in the title:
"And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land...and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.
"But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.
"And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart."
[For those unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were a certain tribe of peoples who were often categorized by their unbelief and hatred of God and those who worshipped Him; however, during Samuel the Lamanite's day, the tables were turned: the Lamanites were, for the most part, those who faithfully served God, while those once of the true faith and correct beliefs had become wicked and persecuted any who still believed in the God of their forefathers]
My religion professor made a very interesting point regarding Samuel the Lamanite. Throughout the entirety of the Book of Mormon, we have a record of only Samuel's teachings and incredible prophecies, which accurately predicted the events surrounding both the birth and death of Jesus Christ - we have no knowledge about Samuel himself. We know much about Samuel the prophet, but we know very little about Samuel the man.
In other words, Samuel was just an ordinary person who was called of God to preach the Gospel to those who once believed but needed to be brought back. He felt the same regular emotions that you and I feel; he experienced anger, sorrow, love, fear, and weakness. He was not exempt from the hardships or trials of this world - a fact that is evidenced when this prophet was cast out of the midst of the people and was barred from entering into their city so that he might return to fulfill God's command to preach the word.
At the point when Samuel was expelled from the city and was returning to his own home, at the moment when the voice of the Lord spoke to him and told him to return and preach whatever happened to come into his heart at that time, Samuel had a choice. He didn't have to do anything; he didn't have to obey the voice from heaven. He didn't have to return to that city and face more failure and defeat. He didn't have to go back and be ridiculed, cast out, and possibly even stoned or killed for his beliefs.
He didn't have to.
Samuel had a choice - a choice to turn around and return to the city, or to keep on the path he was walking down.
This gift of choice, this gift of agency, is something that has been a right and privilege of mankind since Adam. It is most eloquently described by the warrior-prophet Joshua, successor of Moses, in the 24th chapter of the book bearing his name:
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (KJV Joshua 24:15).
Samuel had this same choice just as his Israelite forebears did before him. And what did he do? Allow me to reread for you the fourth verse of Helaman 13 again:
"And it came to pass that [the people] would not suffer that [Samuel] should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart." (emphasis added)
Samuel chose to follow his God. This regular human being chose to move forward in faith.
Remember that arbor vitae we discussed earlier, the portion of the brain that influences movement? We all know and acknowledge the fact that we have a physical arbor vitae within our skulls, helping us to walk, talk, run, jump, and swim.
Is it possible, then, for us also to have a spiritual arbor vitae, some sort of driving force that would propel us forward to do as Samuel and the ancient prophet Joshua did - that is, choose to serve the Lord? Of course there is! And what is another name for this spiritual arbor vitae of ours?
"...[T]he Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him...Wherefore, let us be faithful to him" (1 Nephi 7:12).
In other words, we could call our spiritual arbor vitae - that part within us that, if we choose and will it to, will move us to follow our God's command - FAITH. We receive an excellent definition of faith in Alma 32:21 - "And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."
[For further reading discussing faith, how to grow it, continue to strengthen and nourish it, and how to come closer to our Savior, I wholeheartedly invite you to read the entirety of Alma 32 :)
The interesting thing about faith (spiritual arbor vitae) is that it leads us to the ultimate arbor vitae, the greatest Tree of Life - the Savior Jesus Christ.
In the opening pages of the Book of Mormon, the ancient prophet Lehi received a vision of the tree of life, bearing precious, white fruit that is symbolic of eternal life (if you are interested in reading this beautiful vision, I invite you to read 1 Nephi 8 :) . His son, Nephi, first record-keeper of the Book of Mormon, had such great faith and such earnest desires to see the same things his father saw, that an angel of the Lord revealed this vision unto him as well. He was, in fact, shown some things that his father Lehi never mentioned, things that the vision of the tree of life allegorically depicted but never came outright and stated. Why, Nephi even saw the birth of the Savior:
"And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
"And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! [Now do you know] the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
"And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
"And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul" (1 Nephi 11:20-23).
Just as we will our physical arbor vitae to move us to walk or dance, so, I pray, may we choose to utilize that spiritual arbor vitae of faith. Samuel, an ordinary man blessed with extraordinary knowledge of restored truths, had the exact same opportunity that we do now. May we make the same choice that he did, the choice that will bring us closer to the Tree of Life Himself, the God of the Old Testament, the Savior of the New Testament, and the Redeemer of mankind: Jesus the Christ.
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.

Sam