"And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me — that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world." (Ether 4:12)
Here is a litmus test that struck me when I read it recently. If I look at my choices, how many of them persuade me to do good? Does the music that I listen to fit the bill? The movies I watch? There is no absolute answer to these questions, as there is good and bad in all that I do, but when I read this verse, it reminded me that I need to be more diligent in making good choices. And as I pay more attention to the choices I am going to make, I can now ask a simple question - will this choice lead me to do good? - and determine whether or not it is something that I should do.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Gratitude in Trial (9/25/2009)
"The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!" - President Joseph F. Smith
On Wednesday, my son got in trouble at school. When I got home from work and we had a chat about what had happened, he shared with me just how horrible his life was. He was upset that nobody was interested in hearing how the other kids in class were acting up too, or about how incompetent the teacher was. In short, his life was terrible because I did not accept any of his excuses about why he was kicked out of math class.
After I listened to him rant for a minute, I explained to him that he should be thankful for the things he does have. Like President Smith said in this quote, I started to enumerate the things for which he could be grateful. Life will not always give us what we hope for - it is not always fair in our favor. But if we will stop and be thankful for the things we DO have, it will make enduring the difficult times easier.
On Wednesday, my son got in trouble at school. When I got home from work and we had a chat about what had happened, he shared with me just how horrible his life was. He was upset that nobody was interested in hearing how the other kids in class were acting up too, or about how incompetent the teacher was. In short, his life was terrible because I did not accept any of his excuses about why he was kicked out of math class.
After I listened to him rant for a minute, I explained to him that he should be thankful for the things he does have. Like President Smith said in this quote, I started to enumerate the things for which he could be grateful. Life will not always give us what we hope for - it is not always fair in our favor. But if we will stop and be thankful for the things we DO have, it will make enduring the difficult times easier.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Lowering Clouds (9/23/2009)
"Naturally, believing Christians, even those who have a mature faith in the gospel, are concerned and disturbed by the lowering clouds on the horizon. But they need not be surprised or frantic about their portent, for, as has already been said, at the very beginning of this last dispensation the Lord made it abundantly clear that through the tribulations and calamity that he foresaw and foretold and that we now see coming upon us, there would be a people who, through acceptance and obedience to the gospel, would be able to recognize and resist the powers of evil, build up the promised Zion, and prepare to meet the Christ and be with him in the blessed millennium. And we know further that it is possible for every one of us, who will, to have a place among those people. It is this assurance and this expectation that gives us understanding of the Lord's admonition, 'be not troubled.'" - President Marion G. Romney
These words by President Romney were spoken over 40 years ago in a time that saw the assassination of an American President, the dawning of an ugly war in Southeast Asia, and eroding social mores. Perhaps the events that define today are different, but the concern about the "lowering clouds" among those faithful to Christ have not changed. Then again, neither have the words of encouragement. Regardless of what takes place in the world around us, as long as we remain faithful to the Savior and strive to improve ourselves and our homes, we will have no reason to fear. I hope that as we furrow our brow over today's headlines that we can maintain the eternal perspective that all of these things will soon pass.
These words by President Romney were spoken over 40 years ago in a time that saw the assassination of an American President, the dawning of an ugly war in Southeast Asia, and eroding social mores. Perhaps the events that define today are different, but the concern about the "lowering clouds" among those faithful to Christ have not changed. Then again, neither have the words of encouragement. Regardless of what takes place in the world around us, as long as we remain faithful to the Savior and strive to improve ourselves and our homes, we will have no reason to fear. I hope that as we furrow our brow over today's headlines that we can maintain the eternal perspective that all of these things will soon pass.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Developing On Our Own (9/22/2009)
“There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned.” - President Spencer W. Kimball
My fifth grader has been assigned a report on a famous person to be completed next month. The teacher has outlined the steps he is to take to complete the report, from compiling data on the person to writing the rough and final drafts of the report. It represents a fairly substantial effort, and with the progress he has made based on the effort he has put into the report so far, I confess that I am a bit concerned about his ability to finish it.
Now I am certain that if I wanted to, I could write this report for him, complete with citations, good spelling, and passable grammar. It would not take nearly as much effort as it is taking him, and the results would probably be better. The only problem with a plan like that is that it would not give him the chance to learn what is involved in writing a report, so when he gets to junior high, high school, or college, he will still not know what is involved in that process. Further, the chances are good that if he is ever able to develop this skill, it will be more difficult to learn it later than if he were to learn it now.
Our Father in Heaven wants to give us the same opportunity to learn. He could give us the knowledge and resources we need to overcome every challenge, but were He to do that, we would be deprived of the chance to learn from our own experiences. It is good to ask for our Father's help while we are here on Earth, but as President Kimball says, we still need to do all that we can on our own to learn and grow.
My fifth grader has been assigned a report on a famous person to be completed next month. The teacher has outlined the steps he is to take to complete the report, from compiling data on the person to writing the rough and final drafts of the report. It represents a fairly substantial effort, and with the progress he has made based on the effort he has put into the report so far, I confess that I am a bit concerned about his ability to finish it.
Now I am certain that if I wanted to, I could write this report for him, complete with citations, good spelling, and passable grammar. It would not take nearly as much effort as it is taking him, and the results would probably be better. The only problem with a plan like that is that it would not give him the chance to learn what is involved in writing a report, so when he gets to junior high, high school, or college, he will still not know what is involved in that process. Further, the chances are good that if he is ever able to develop this skill, it will be more difficult to learn it later than if he were to learn it now.
Our Father in Heaven wants to give us the same opportunity to learn. He could give us the knowledge and resources we need to overcome every challenge, but were He to do that, we would be deprived of the chance to learn from our own experiences. It is good to ask for our Father's help while we are here on Earth, but as President Kimball says, we still need to do all that we can on our own to learn and grow.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Our First Resource (9/21/2009)
"Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." (3 Nephi 18:19-20)
I just finished re-reading "The Count of Monte Cristo." In this story, a young man named Edmond Dantes is imprisioned for a crime he did not commit. When he is first thrown in the dungeon, Dumas, the author of this story, makes this observation:
"He (Dantes) was sustained at first by that pride of conscious innocence which is the sequence to hope; then he began to doubt his own innocence, which justified in some measure the governor's belief in his mental alienation; and then, relaxing his sentiment of pride, he addressed his supplications, not to God, but to man. God is always the last resource. Unfortunates, who ought to begin with God, do not have any hope in him till they have exhausted all other means of deliverance."
I find this an interesting observation. When I read this quote, it made me really start to wonder how often I rely on my own intelligence and strength to overcome the obstacles in my life. I hope that as we - myself included - face challenges in life, we will remember to ask our Father for His help, not as a last resort as Dumas suggests, but all along the way.
I just finished re-reading "The Count of Monte Cristo." In this story, a young man named Edmond Dantes is imprisioned for a crime he did not commit. When he is first thrown in the dungeon, Dumas, the author of this story, makes this observation:
"He (Dantes) was sustained at first by that pride of conscious innocence which is the sequence to hope; then he began to doubt his own innocence, which justified in some measure the governor's belief in his mental alienation; and then, relaxing his sentiment of pride, he addressed his supplications, not to God, but to man. God is always the last resource. Unfortunates, who ought to begin with God, do not have any hope in him till they have exhausted all other means of deliverance."
I find this an interesting observation. When I read this quote, it made me really start to wonder how often I rely on my own intelligence and strength to overcome the obstacles in my life. I hope that as we - myself included - face challenges in life, we will remember to ask our Father for His help, not as a last resort as Dumas suggests, but all along the way.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuning In (9/10/2009)
"My first radio was a crystal set. It was hard to tune to the frequency of a particular radio station. One had to literally scratch the receiving wire whisker over the top of the rough crystal to find the right pin point, a little valley or peak on the crystal, where the signal was received. Just a millimeter off on one side or the other of that point and you would lose the signal and get scratchy static. Over time, with patience and perseverance, good eyesight, and a steady hand, you could learn to find the signal point on the crystal without too much difficulty.
"So it is in learning to attune ourselves to the inspiration from God and tune out the scratchy static. We have to work at being tuned in. Most of us need a long time to become tuned in most of the time." - President James E. Faust
In our world today, there are a myriad of things that will interfere with our ability to feel the Spirit and recognize its influence in our lives. So much noise and chaos are not conducive to hearing a still, small voice. If we will patiently strive to seek the Spirit through righteous living, however, we will be able to recognize its guiding influence. And as we continue to practice the principles taught by the Savior, feeling the Spirit will become as natural and effortless as President Faust found it to tune his radio.
"So it is in learning to attune ourselves to the inspiration from God and tune out the scratchy static. We have to work at being tuned in. Most of us need a long time to become tuned in most of the time." - President James E. Faust
In our world today, there are a myriad of things that will interfere with our ability to feel the Spirit and recognize its influence in our lives. So much noise and chaos are not conducive to hearing a still, small voice. If we will patiently strive to seek the Spirit through righteous living, however, we will be able to recognize its guiding influence. And as we continue to practice the principles taught by the Savior, feeling the Spirit will become as natural and effortless as President Faust found it to tune his radio.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Acting in the Savior's Name (9/9/2009)
First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of a thought recently. Apparently working with computers for a living does not exempt one from having issues with them. I am limping along again, however, and hopefully will be back to full force this week.
This week in Fast and Testimony meeting, one of the good brothers of our ward got up and shared his testimony about the importance of being a good home teacher. He recounted how when he moved into the ward, he had been assigned to a family, but there were always other things to do and home teaching did not happen as much as it should have. Years later, the father of the family to which he had been assigned confided to him that at the time he had been their home teacher, the son of the family was struggling, and he felt that the home teacher could have done a great deal of good to help his son.
I understand that there is a great deal of speculation in this scenario, but the lesson was well understood. We never know the influence we can have if we fail to do our part. It might seem silly to say "hello" to someone with whom we are not well acquainted, but a simple greeting may have a huge impact on the recipient of that greeting. The young mother might be able to prepare meals just fine, but who can say how much it would relieve her stress for one night if someone prepared a little extra in their meal and shared with her. Like the song says, "there are chances for work all around just now." I hope that we will take the time to look for them so that we can act in the Savior's name.
This week in Fast and Testimony meeting, one of the good brothers of our ward got up and shared his testimony about the importance of being a good home teacher. He recounted how when he moved into the ward, he had been assigned to a family, but there were always other things to do and home teaching did not happen as much as it should have. Years later, the father of the family to which he had been assigned confided to him that at the time he had been their home teacher, the son of the family was struggling, and he felt that the home teacher could have done a great deal of good to help his son.
I understand that there is a great deal of speculation in this scenario, but the lesson was well understood. We never know the influence we can have if we fail to do our part. It might seem silly to say "hello" to someone with whom we are not well acquainted, but a simple greeting may have a huge impact on the recipient of that greeting. The young mother might be able to prepare meals just fine, but who can say how much it would relieve her stress for one night if someone prepared a little extra in their meal and shared with her. Like the song says, "there are chances for work all around just now." I hope that we will take the time to look for them so that we can act in the Savior's name.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Knowing Who We Are (9/1/2009)
"Many of you are familiar with the musical Fiddler on the Roof. It is a favorite of mine... Tears come to the viewer as he hears the beautiful strains of 'Sunrise, Sunset,' and he seems to appreciate Tevye's love for his native village when the cast sings 'Anatevka.'
"The gaiety of the dance, the rhythm of the music, and the excellence of the acting all fade in significance when Tevye speaks what to me becomes the message of the musical. He gathers his lovely daughters to his side, and, in the simplicity of his peasant surroundings, he counsels them as they ponder their future. 'Remember,' cautions Tevye, 'in Anatevka we know who we are and what God expects us to become.'
"As Latter-day Saints, we know who we are and what God expects us to become." - President Thomas S. Monson
I often share President Kimball's advice with my children when they leave the house to remember who they are and what they stand for. That is not always the easiest thing to do, as the peer pressure of family, friends, and co-workers comes to bear on us. We need to remember what we have been taught, however, and think upon our eternal potential when we decide how we will act in any given situation. As the children of a loving Father, we know what is expected of us, but we also know that there are better things that await us after this life if we will be faithful.
"The gaiety of the dance, the rhythm of the music, and the excellence of the acting all fade in significance when Tevye speaks what to me becomes the message of the musical. He gathers his lovely daughters to his side, and, in the simplicity of his peasant surroundings, he counsels them as they ponder their future. 'Remember,' cautions Tevye, 'in Anatevka we know who we are and what God expects us to become.'
"As Latter-day Saints, we know who we are and what God expects us to become." - President Thomas S. Monson
I often share President Kimball's advice with my children when they leave the house to remember who they are and what they stand for. That is not always the easiest thing to do, as the peer pressure of family, friends, and co-workers comes to bear on us. We need to remember what we have been taught, however, and think upon our eternal potential when we decide how we will act in any given situation. As the children of a loving Father, we know what is expected of us, but we also know that there are better things that await us after this life if we will be faithful.
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