"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.
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