Satan: The Inception Artist

My daily Book of Mormon reading has brought me up to a reppetitive part of the Nephite storyline: high frequency pride cycle.

They had just believed the words of Samuel the Lamanite, but many began to do wicked things. Of the righteous, they reasoned that they were trying to keep them in ignorance:

“...therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true” (Helaman 16:20)

...speaking of the prophecies that habe been fulfilled, and will yet be fulfilled.

Satan had successfully convinced them that good is evil, and evil is good! And what a great way for them to rationalize their evil doings. (Not!)

I recall from the movie Inception a scene where Eames and Cobb discuss the approach of incepting an idea in a CEO's mind. Eames points out that to approach the topic of corporate dynamics would become convoluted due to all the aspects involved. But if they can pinpoint a simple aspect of the CEO's life, they can based their inception on it.

They choose to influence the CEO's relationship with his father: the desire to please his father. This CEO had recently inherited the company from his him.

Looking at the movie in a strange and different perspective, I make the following comment: had the CEO been guided by more righteous motives, he would not have been deceived.

Satan likewise exploits the desires of our hearts that are unrighteous. We will always have some part of us that isn't perfectly aligned with God, and Satan tries to use that as leverage.

Our Heavenly Father's counter to this is simple: keep the commandments. A set of laws, founded by doctrines of love and salvation that we can measure ourselves by.

Satan has been known in the scriptures to perform anonymous inceptions of thoughts – if he can convince us that the planted idea is our own, not his – or better yet, God's idea – he can get away with a lot!

Was there evil inception in Saul's choice to save the best of the lands he was commanded to utterly kill? Was there possible inception in Judas thinking he was doing Jesus good? (Read Talmage's Jesus the Christ) Was there obvious inception of Satan convincing Cain to offer an unworthy sacrifice to God? Yes.

My Institute teachers have recently reiterated that the tandard works are so called because they are the standard against which we can measure all other beliefs. Scripture study is thus a magnificent defence against the anonymous inception Satan seeks to employ.

I pray we not be deceived.

Elder Lawrence in the April 2017 genereal conference said,

"The devil is brazen when it comes to putting wicked ideas into our minds. The Book of Mormon teaches that Satan whispers unclean and unkind thoughts and sows thoughts of doubt. He nags us to act on addictive urges and to entertain selfishness and greed. He doesn’t want us to recognize where these ideas are coming from, so he whispers, 'I am no devil, for there is none' (2 Nephi 28:22)."

God has declared, “And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived” (JS–Matthew 1:37). Let us do so.

An Angle on Improvement

Have you ever observed your mother -- or father (whoever is the chef of the family) empty the liquid out of a can, like canned tomatoes?

Instead of opening the can completely, it's easier to obtain the fluid inside if you puncture a hole for the fluid to flow out of. A puncture is made on both ends of the can. If you don't make both punctures, the liquid won't come out that easily.

Why are both punctures needed? So that air can enter the top hole while the liquid pours out the bottom hole. Otherwise, the liquid will find it hard to exit.

I have discovered this to be like bad habits.

During my high school years, I used to swear a lot. I know right? I was so bad.

Eventually I gained a testimony, and realized within myself that swearing is not good. So I tried stoppping - which was hard! But I figured that I could replace swear words with other words. My mother would say "Oh sugar!" My piano teacher would say, "<Oh no, I forgot! But it was funny!>"

Cold turkey clean language was harder than this replacement theory in practice.

I believe this applies to any habit - just find a replacement, and it should make it easier.

Trinkets in the Desert

My trip to university found me growing an attachment to the Navier—Stokes equation. It is a mathematical formula named after Claude-Louis Navier and George Gabriel Stokes that describes how fluid flows, and can be applied to the ocean, to the atmosphere, to blood flow, to pollution dynamics, and many more things.

However, it is currently unsolvable. Our currently greatest mathematical minds and tools can’t solve it – unless there is something simplified about it – for example, say we have water flowing through a pipe. We can solve it then if that pipe is a simple, straight pipe.

Today is Tuesday. And every Tuesday finds me in Institute at university. 2pm. I’m hardly ever late.

We read of a glorious revelation given Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery: a vision given to them of the three degrees of glory, and what amazing blessing await the faithful! We made a list of only some of them:

• ·         Enlightened by the Spirit
• ·         Know His will
• ·         Understanding
• ·         Wisdom
• ·         Wonders of Eternity
• ·         All mysteries

A big smile comes to me when I think about how God knows the solution (or knows if one exists) to the Navier-Stokes equation – along with all the other problems that the Clay Mathematics Institute will reward a million dollars to he or she who solves any of them.

All mysteries! Just think about that. Nothing is mysterious to Him, for He knows it all!

And sometimes I am tempted with my passions to study mathematics and cut my scripture study short. I am reminded of the words of Johann Schmidt. He finally claims the tesseract – a powerful substance which he uses to unleash upon his enemies – and says, “And the Fuhrer digs for trinkets in the desert.”

After some research online, I discovered that it is a reference to the hunt for the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones. The Ark is impressed to give great power to its possessor, and Schmidt holds in his hands a power that will grant him likewise.

Schmidt is a villain in the movie, but for a positive reference, I ask us: what power do we seek? Do we spend our time seeking influence over others? Do we use our time in education, for knowledge is power?

Elder Neal A Maxwell said, “If, in the end, you have not chosen Jesus Christ it will not matter what you have chosen.” And “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” Do we have room and time for Christ to be a part of our everyday life?

Personally, I feel a very stark difference to my day when I have sincerely spent time in prayer and scripture study as one of the first things I do each day, compared to when I have not.

One of the big questions I face in my life is, “What weaknesses do I have that are unknown to me, but everyone else can see, and they struggle with me because of it?” On one hand, it would be nice to see it all, so I can stop it all. On the other hand, I’m not so sure I could handle knowing all my weaknesses – I have enough to deal with already, whilst being open to improvement still.

Speaking of those who enter the Celestial Kingdom, The Lord revealed that “They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace” (D&C 76:94).

Wouldn’t it be great, to see myself clearly, every part of me, with such a great understanding of who I am? It might be a false quote, but we can capture the idea of our potential if it is true: “If we were to see ourselves in the pre-existence, we would bow down and worship ourselves” (attributed to Joseph Smith).

There is so much more to life than the video games we may play, or the movies we watch, or the Navier-Stokes equations, or our favourite football or movie star. All these are good, as long as we use them for good purposes.

I pray we find that trinket of living the gospel in our daily lives, and discover the joy that comes with it!

Lessons from an Apostle and His Wife's Life

“It’s been amazing to me how many times I’ve seen the hand of the Lord act and intervene in my life every single day if I have the faith, courage, and discipline to do that. You have to act and pray or you miss the Lord’s hand in your life."

- Sister Susan Bednar

Just before a conference in another country, Elder Bednar had a few minutes to speak with missionaries at the missionary training center. Elder Bednar felt inspired to give an overview of his last general conference talk on the difference between being called to the work and being assigned to a specific area to serve. “Why in the world did I talk about that? If I’ve only got 10 minutes, why did I talk about that?" Elder Bednar asked his wife after leaving the meeting.

Elder Bednar learned the powerful reason later, when the MTC president asked him how he'd learned about the sister missionary in the front row—someone Elder Bednar knew nothing about.The MTC president explained the missionary's assignment had been changed just three days previously, something that upset and distressed her. "I think the message you just delivered was just for her,” Elder Bednar recalls the MTC president saying.

Elder Bednar then met with the sister missionary. “I told her, ‘I’m here for a lot of reasons, and maybe the major one was the Lord sent me to deliver that message, which I had not planned to do, so that you would know He knows you by name,'” Elder Bednar told East Idaho News. “What I’ve learned over the years is we’ll travel halfway around the world and we always find one person or a series of individuals that the Lord sends us to bless.”

- Elder Bednar

All Things Typify of Christ

Nephi said,

"...all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him."
 - 2 Nephi 11:4

In applying this thought to the signs and wonders Samuel the Lamanite spoke of, I found some symbols of Christ in the destructions prophecied of.

Helaman 4:20
"...the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you..."

 - During the Atonement, the Father withdrew His presence, just as the sun now withdraws its light.

Helaman 4:21
"...and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up;"

 - Christ is the great foundation. He has been bruised, broken, torn for us.

Helaman 4:22
"Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yeah, both above the earth and beneath.

- A speaker a listened to yesterday quoted this song: "Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." Another song I know sings, "Broken hearts are deeper: they've been open wide. And the tears become containers to hold more love inside."

Helaman 4:23
"...mountains laid low, like unto a valley..."

 - Many, many interpretations come to mind. One is, what people esteemed important to criticize Christ of, will soon be seen as something ridiculous and insignificant to focus on - even seen at the wrong angle. What people wrongly esteemed as nought in Christ will be brought forth with great power.

Helaman 4:24
"And many highways shall be broken up..."

 - Highways are manmade, designed to help us get to places fast. They can be symbolic of man's designed routes to success. Whatever unfairness in this life comes due to the highways for the unjust, the wealthy, the influential, the popular - their highways shall be broken up.

Helaman 4:24
"...many cities shall become desolate."

 - What was once the big, reliable thing - money, jobs, people, Centrelink - will become desolate once all discover the truth that is in Christ. They who are the inspiration of our time - Grant Cardone, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, the influential and the popular - as wonderful as they are, will pale in comparison to He who owns worlds without end, and who just suffered and died for them. Indeed, in one moment someday, all will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ.

Helaman 4:25
"And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead..."

Christ brings us to life. No matter how dead we feel, or how impossible a good thing may seem, Christ can bring our righteous dreams to life. He can heal our families. He can resurrect our strengths.

An Incredible Example

Give us... hmm... maybe 500 years? How improved would we be by then?

Some of God's spirits choose to reach incredible spirituality levels quite early. Nephi is one such example, of whom I am reading of right now in the Book of Mormon.

Nephi had just predicted two major events: the murder of the chief judge, and the confession of the murderer.

“And now there were some among the people, who said that Nephi was a prophet. And there were others who said: Behold, he is a god, for except he was a god he could not know of all things. For behold, he has told us the thoughts of our hearts, and also has told us things; and even he has brought unto our knowledge the true murderer of our chief judge.”

And what do they do next?

“And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them.”

...why?! I guess it is true: miracles don't convert people, unless they've opened their hearts.

Nephi's reaction is natural.

“And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him... being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities...”

Nephi had followed every word the Lord had given him, and yet the wicked Nephites still didn't repent. Is this a lesson here for any perfectionists?

But the Lord recognizes his obedience.

“...as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people... And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea,”

And this is the amazing part:

“...even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.”

...huh?

Did I read that right?

Whatever Nephi says, will happen.

God gives him this power because he is so trustworthy.

If there is to be any doubt in a reader's mind as to what exactly the Lord means, He elaborates:

“Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people. Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.”

Now, if this doesn't prompt a reader to take introspection, I'd assume that reader was me the first few times I read the Book of Mormon.

But one can imagine what life would be like if every word I spoke came true. If every thought I had would be fulfilled.

Now, that's a depressing thought for me... unless I understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ: which I do. Enough to know that God designed this mortal life for growth and development, not for perfection.

I mean, missionaries once summed up the total hours required to keep all their missionary rules: 25 hours. In general, it's impossible to be perfectly obedient.

But as Brad Wilcox taught, our relationship with Christ is like our relationship with our mother who pays for piano lessons. We don't (and probably can't) pay mum back. But we can show our appreciation for her payment by practicing the piano, listening to our teacher.

As Christ paid the ultimate price for us – the price required For falling short – we now have time on our side. We can now have the consequences of sin and mistakes mostly and eventually completely alleviated. We have the opportunity to grow and be perfected one day. I take for granted, every day I live, for that plus one day I live, and for the laughter, the joy, the experiences I have, which would be weighed down by the consequences of my past mistakes if I didn't have my Saviour.

May we appreciate both the alleviation and the destination, as we sojourn through this glorious life!

Thought of the Day: The LDS Lifestyle

...and I mean "LDS" when I've titled it so. In otherwords, a saintly life.

Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Well then, what if we thought of the gospel, comprising all the covenants, commandments and principles as a way of life? Not just dos and don'ts?

Let me illustrate with a juxtaposition.

A man is content with simply paying his tithes and fast offering. His fasting is spiritual,

Sure, he is keeping his commandment, but is he doing so much more? More that internalizes the principles behind tithes and offerings?

Does he make the mental link between his payments and the opportunity to attend chapels and temples? Does he know where his tithes and offerings go? When he actually meets the homeless, does he spare a meal for them? Does he reach out to serve the needy not only through his fast offering? Does he truly have a spirit of service toward the needy and widowed? It is true religion anyway.

This idea of a commandment or principle being a lifestyle can be applied to... yes, any commandment or principle.

Take faith for example.

Ariel Szuch said in her article, "The Practice of Choosing Faith:"

“More than anything, I’ve learned over time that choosing faith isn’t a big, one-time choice (“I’ve chosen faith, and therefore I will never have any doubts or fears ever again!”)—it’s a practice. It’s an ongoing effort made up of many smaller choices strung together over days and months and years. There are ups and downs, and I may not always progress as fast as I think I should, but God is patient with my progress, and if He is, I can be too. He is pleased with every effort; all He asks is that I keep trying and keep turning to Him instead of clinging to my fears. And I can do that.”

She has learned that faith is a lifestyle. That is thinking beyond "faith is a principle of the gospel," into the realm of "faith is my life!"

I encourage all of us to see every commandment and principle of the gospel in this way.

Favourite Quotes

Here are some of my favourite, most impactful quotes.

“You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary’s mischief will be that power.”

• President Boyd K Packer, The Power of the Priesthood

“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”

• Doctrine & Covenants 121:45-46

“...you ought not to teach even the alphabet or the multiplication tables without the Spirit of God.”

• Brigham Young, Karl G. Maeser: A Biography

“The most important principle I can share: Anchor your life in Jesus Christ, your Redeemer. Make your Eternal Father and His Beloved Son the most important priority in your life--more important than life itself, more important than a beloved companion or children or anyone on earth. Make their will your central desire. Then all that you need for happiness will come to you.”

• Richard G Scott, The Power of Correct Principles

“Thee lift me and I’ll lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.”

• Quaker Proverb

“No empty chairs.”

• Unknown origin

Moses: Among the Most Meek

Moses was raised as Egyptian "sovereignty." His life was one without want. But for him it seemed his heart had lied in the people he had as slaves.

He broke the sixth of the ten commandments. His flee sent him to the wilderness. While there he tended flocks of sheep – a life different, but, was he in despair?

He married and became acquanted with the God of Israel. The rest of his life was tilted by a burning bush he found.

From the bush he receieved encouragement, purpose, and faith. All gifts from God that carried him throughout the rest of his days.

Can you imagine being the mouthpiece to turn water into blood? Or calling on the locusts, or freeing slaves from an entire nation?

Can you imagine leading an entire, rebellious nation through wilderness of testing, sieving and repenting?

Nowadays, Moses lives among the Greats. He returned once for Christ, then for Smith. But remember that it started from his obedience to a bush's voice.

What does this mean for us, when our hearts start to burn within? This is when the Saviour is knocking – will you open and let Him in?

If we follow that warm burning, and feed it spiritually, we'll find a life magnificent  in happiness and righteous dreams.

For some it's not a burning. It might be goosebumps or just an idea. But whatever is good cometh from God, so follow it, I beg of you.

For then one day you'll be among the Greats – you'll turn around and see Moses. And reach the Father's embrace. It's His warmth that you and Moses felt from the burning of a heart or a bush.

Quote of the Day: Testimony

“Someone once said you can’t visually tell the difference between a strand of cobweb and a strand of powerful cable—until stress is put on the strand. Our testimonies are that way, and for most of us, the days of stress for our testimonies have already begun. It may not be the death of a loved one. We might not yet have been asked to give up something that is really precious to us, though the time for such a test may well come to us by and by. Our current stress is more likely to come in the form of overpowering temptations, which show us that a shallow acceptance of the gospel does not have the power to cope with the full fury of the powers of darkness. Perhaps there is a mission call to a place of illness and disappointment, when we had planned on a mission to a place of unbounded opportunity. Or perhaps there are too many questions to which our limited knowledge simply has no answer, and those who claim to know more than we do taunt us with what appears to be a persuasive certainty.

“When those times come, our testimonies must be more than the cobweb strands of a fair-weather faith. They need to be like strands of cable, powerful enough to resist the shafts of him who would destroy us. In our days of stress and trouble, we must be built ‘upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, … that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, … and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you, … because of the rock upon which ye are built.’ (Helaman 5:12.)” (Bruce C Hafen, The Believing Heart, 2nd ed. [1990], 21–22).

The Transformation of Character

"Keep the commandments" is a recurring, essential and almost a broken-revord of a theme in the Book of Mormon. So many civilisations have learned (or still don't learn from) the hard way that it is throigh the commandments of God, respectively repenting in them, that begins their path to prosperity and peace.

So, we want to keep them. But most of us are imperfect. We choose the stupid choice over the better choice sometimes, and we know it. We often choose the good over the better.

But my first note is that God doesn't view us by how we are now. Rather, by how we can become. So, this article touches on that process of becoming.

Cold turkey? Works sometimes. Not for large things like negativity. It almost worked for migoreng.

Establish punishments if I make a mistake? That just makes me depressed.

Talk with lots of trusted people about it? Sure! But it doesn't directly build the most powerful protectiom against sin and transgression.

I propose a process that has worked for me for a long time. I discover something new to improve in, and I apply it to this process.

1. The Envisioning: "Faith begins with how you talk to yourself" (Craig Manning).

You know the difference between urgency and haste? To be urgent is to give immediate attention. To be hasty is to rush things. I prefer to be urgent. And although I may not get the quickest outcome, this process begins with just the way we view ourselves.

They say our imagination and the power of our mind is fascinating and transforming - I double testify. In this step, I imagine myself keeping the commandment. I envision my desires fully to keeping it to the glory of God. I picture myself absolutely in love with keeping it.

I have discovered that it is okay, and it is not procrastination to say, "Father, I am not that way now, and I might not be that way soon, but I plan to be. It has begun in my mind. I pray Thee, wilt Thou spread it to my whole being?" Because no one changes in all good ways in one day or one moment.

As I go about my day, I picture what I would do in different circumstances I come across where I would keep the righteous principle. A good example is mossionary work: imagine how you would make this person laugh and then attract them to the gospel. Imagine how you would win that elderly lady's heart and the  teach her that families can be together forever. I have done it, it works! Just imagine it, and let that desire grow inside you. Sound familiar?

Alma 32:27 "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."

If this is too hard, then instead I imagine desiring to keep the principle. And if that doesn't work, then I imagine myself imagining myself desiring to keep hat principle. Then if that doesn't work, then I imagine myself imagining myself imagining... you get the point. I find that if that imagination and desire is kept, then it works up the levels until it reaches reality. Combine it all with prayer.

2. The Leaking.

I wish I could find that quote... the one that says something like, "the mind finds it repulsive to believe things it doesn't want to believe." The Envisioning first step is designed to overcome that.

When I first attended University, I wanted my bus driver (however rough he drove) to know of my gratitude. Plus, a world full of grateful people would be a peaceful one, and why can't I start being that difference I want to see in the world?

I was so nervous to say thank you every time. Anyone who has been in that circumstance with that feeling will undertand. But I kept the desire to thank him/her in my heart.

I got close to saying it sometimes. I would maybe look at him, then rush off the bus. Or I would open my mouth, then close it again. Or I rationalized that exiting out the back door is too far away.

But I still kept my desire, and found reasons against the negative rationalizations, such as "Aaron, you can call it loud enough, not too loud, and he will hear you."

One day I did it! I said "thank you!" And walked out the door.

And I did it again eventually. Then again soon after. And again and again.

Nowadays, it is a natural part of my behaviour. Because I let my desires leak out of my heart, into my actions. And I never let go of those desires, I just let it grow.

This is one reason why the scriptures refer to our actions as fruits: they are the fruits of our desires.

If I were to include scriptures to support every paragraph in this article, it would be even longer than it already is, so I challenge any reader to find supporting scriptures (yes, for the mathematicians reading, it is a proof by exercise).

What behaviours do you want as a natural part of your character? I invite you to apply this process. Lean on my testimony thay it has worked for me, and work with the Lord through prayer for it to work.

A Big Difference

Helaman 4:11-13

11 Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God.

12 And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—

13 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.

How do we avoid this cycle of pride? Those who read the Book of Mormon are well aware that they sin again, suffer the consequences, then repent again, and repeat.

When the Nephites repent, they were surely sincere. How do we stay repentant?

I think a wonderful distinction is most likely in Lehi's dream.

Elder Bednar draws a lesson on two character groups: that those who made it to the tree either stayed or fell away. The difference was in their approach to the tree: one group was merely clinging to the rod, and the other continually holding fast.

Let's observe some differences between the two groups, shall we? Fasten your seatbelts:

Made it to The Tree but fell away	Made it to The Tree and remained there
Clinging to the rod of iron: One definition of “cling” is to “be overly dependent on (someone) emotionally” (Google). An example of this is in a child who clings to their mother when shy or afraid, but lets go of mother when confident – in both heart and deed. The word of God needs to be in our hearts continually, not just when we are in need or afraid.	Continually holding fast: The word of God remained with the people in their hearts from day to day. In the beginning of each day, they ensured that they would remember the Lord their God and the principles and standards of truth to uphold. At the end of each day, they measured their performance before the Lord, even if nothing “churchy” was done that day. This process of evaluation is likely natural because they truly desire to be close to the Lord.
John Bytheway uses the analogy of a speaker in church bringing a big jug of The Living Water he or she has accumulated in his/her preparation for the speaking assignment, and from life in general. Speakers who have the characteristic of falling away from the tree only bring cups about the size of the sacrament cups: small and easily spilt.	Those who have the characteristic of remaining at the tree and holding fast to the rod have brought their own jug to capture as much as they can from sacrament and other meetings. While almost all can walk away from church claiming to bring something new/refreshing with them, not all are “feasting” on God’s word.
I combine the words of two influential speakers in this box: “Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to [become] heavenly” (Brad Wilcox).	“President Marion G. Romney said once, you’ll remember, service is not just something we do to get into heaven, but service is the way of life in heaven. You know, it’s God’s way of life. It’s what we do there” (Elder Christofferson, The Gospel Answers Life’s Problems and Challenges).
Partiality: Do you open your heart to only some of the doctrines of the truth that are convenient for you? Do you turn yourself off when the topic or speaker is uninteresting?	Or do you ask in heart and mind, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth” and let the Spirit be the true speaker, no matter the talent, preparedness, spirituality of the speaker? And do you desire to improve yourself before the Lord in all areas?
“It is significant that the second group pressed forward with faith and commitment. They also had the added blessing of the rod of iron, and they were clinging to it! However, as they were confronted with persecution and adversity, they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. Even with faith, commitment, and the word of God, this group eventually was lost—perhaps because they only periodically read or studied or searched the scriptures. Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only occasional “bursts” of study or irregular dipping rather than consistent, ongoing immersion in the word of God” (Bednar).	“The third group also pressed forward with faith and conviction; however, there is no indication that they wandered off, fell into forbidden paths, or were lost. Perhaps this third group of people consistently read and studied and searched the scriptures. Perhaps it was diligence and devotion to a seemingly “small and simple [thing]” (Alma 37:6) that saved the third group from perishing. Perhaps it was “the knowledge of the Lord” and “the knowledge of the truth” (Alma 23:5, 6) obtained through faithful study of the scriptures that yielded the spiritual gift of humility—such that this group of people “fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree” (1 Nephi 8:30; emphasis added). Perhaps it was the spiritual nourishment and strength provided by continually “feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20) that enabled this group to heed not the scorning and mocking of the people in the great and spacious building (see 1 Nephi 8:33). This is the group you and I should strive to join” (Bednar).

The above table and analysis is the personal result of much ponderation. I, of myself, am surprised to have found so much distinction between two groups who seemed almost parallel when I first read of them in my youth.

The Tree of Life is symbolic of the Saviour, but it can also be symbolic of many other things in life. Since all good things come from the Saviour, how we treat everything good in our lives (from a scale of abusing to ignoring to full appreciation) is suggestive of our understanding of who the Saviour is, and what He means to us.

We can thus say within ourselves to the blessings of people and things in our lives, “how I treat you is an indication of my relationship with the Saviour.”

One only has to ponder the story of the ten lepers who approached Christ to see another difference between those who merely cling to the rod, and those who continually hold fast to it. One only has to ponder their place and state among the four types of soil to see the superiority in the spiritual humility of the good soil.

Quote of the Day: Goals

“There are many who struggle and climb and finally reach the top of the ladder, only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall.”

 - Unknown (Quoted by Boyd K Packer)

Quote of the Day: Faith

"Faith begins with how you talk to yourself."

 - Craig Manning

How to Handle your Goliaths

Among my favourite lessons in Institute was last Wednesday - the Spirit was strong, and the topic so relevant - at least the Spirit made it relevant - to my life at this time.

The moral?

Because David learned to protect his sheep from bears and lions, he knew how to handle his Goliaths.
 - Glenda Alekna

What are the bears and lions in your life right now? They could be small, or large. Do you notice them?

Here are some examples of bears and lions:

• Social closure: You limit your friendships because you're afraid of how to handle friendships that go awkward.
• Family time: You need to spend more time with your family.
• The "scripture push": This is what I refer to as the difficulty of giving my daily scripture study time the meaningful attention and sincerity it needs to bless me.
• Spiritual distraction: Just how much do you seek the will of the Lord as you attend sacrament meeting, Institute, and even during your day to day activities? Are you always open to the promptings of the Holy Ghost?

I list these examples in particular because 1. like a bear to sheep, they are large! 2. They are also things I have dealt with in my life. 3. I have discovered that fighting against these things have given returning blessings of help and grace as my Goliaths have come. This last reason is most personal to me. Here are ways the above bears and lions help in fighting Goliaths:

• Social inclusiveness: So many times, when I choose to forget my issues and make a friend, that friend ends up helping me!
• Family time: I think one of the sources of the most growth, the most reward and the most happiness lies here.
• The "scripture push": Scripture pushes result in that moment when you're going through a difficult time, and the perfect scripture or quote from a prophet pops into your mind and makes you smile, and your burden lightens like unto feathers.
• Spiritual attentiveness: The Spirit knows everything. Including what makes you happy, including the solution to your problem, and while the solution is underway, He helps you know that everything is always alright in the end. And if it's not alright, it's not the end!

Goliaths can be lifelong. I've dealt with negativity, and have only overcome it recently. It comes back every now and then, but I am stronger than it, especially with the help of the Lord. You know what other Goliaths are out there: A destructive family. Depression and anxiety. Loss of purpose in life. Losing a loved one. The list goes on.

I pray we all appreciate our lions and bears for the opportunities they give us. I pray we all stop hiding our sheep from any bears and lions, and in the strength of the Lord, handle those bears like a boss, and those lions like the Lord would if He were entrusted with the sheep. May we be well prepared for the Goliaths that are sure to come in our lives.

Quotes from Toni Sorenson's "Refined By Christ"

All from the 2013 A5 page publication.

"Christ knows that every decision we make between right and wrong or between better and best matters. 'It makes a difference to all eternity whether we do right or wrong today' (James Freeman Clarke, Elbert Hubbard's Scrap Book [1923], 95)."

"Much that is required sometimes becomes too much. We break. We quit. We label ourselves failures. Guess what? When we do that we're wrong... Satan... wants us think that we are how we feel. Take a minute to think deeply about that. How we feel is not who we are. We might feel like failures but as long as we are still trying, we are not failures. We are works in progress."
- page 10

"Refinement doesn't work if we are not grateful for our Refiner and His work. His work is perfecting and saving us, and unless we are grateful for what He does on our behalf, impurities will never leave us. 'Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. ... And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things' (D&C 59:7,21)."

"...figure out your passion. What floats your boat, rings your bell, lights your tree?... With purpose, cause, and passion, the end you envision will absolutely become the reality you live. If you have a painting in you, paint. If you have a song to sing, sing. Don't judge your own creation. Just create it. Banish doubt and fear and step out of your own way if you have to. Write if you're a writer and invent if you're an inventor."

- Page 32