Ponderize

Ye hath 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 for them which despitefully use

you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which

is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the

evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just

and on the unjust.

I think this may be the most difficult thing asked of us in this life. If we could master the principle of loving all God's children, especially our enemy, I think the rest of our spiritual priorities would fall into place.

As I mentioned in an earlier post. I have those who have acted against me as an enemy, and I have in turn acted as an enemy against others. Some of these transgressions are such that it would take a real miracle to resolve them in this life. I am not confident that it will happen in every case, although I do hope that our enmity can be resolved, if not in this life, in the one to come.

In the meantime, I feel it is my duty to do whatever part I can. I have attempted to apologize for times where I have not acted well, though I know it is probably too little, too late in several instances. How I wish I had exercised an ounce of prevention in the first place.

In doing what I can for my abusers, I want to become the type of person that prays for them. I want to be like the sons of Mosiah, who could not stand the thought that any human soul should perish. (Mosiah 28:3)

These are my thoughts on abuse that I wrote down as I am attempting to write my personal history:

Life is hard. Bad things happen. Many if not most of us are hurting inside in one way or another. It affects us. We are changed from it. Maybe we make choices we shouldn't and pass the pain down the line. Whatever the cause, whatever the reason, we hurt and are hurt by each other, and I believe it's more common than anyone would let on.

I've spent some time working through my pain, sometimes productively, and sometimes in a less than healthy way. It's changed and affected me. I only hope when this is over I can say it's been for the better and that it's made me stronger, more compassionate, and wiser.

As wrong as some of the things we people do to each other are, I worry more about the damage the offenders are doing to their own souls than anything else. I would hope they have not damaged themselves beyond repair, because I know they are loved by a just, but also compassionate, God and that he weeps for their loss.

I hope that when this life is ended and we all sit down before the throne of God that we can understand each other in relation to our pain, our poor choices, and mistakes. I hope the anger and bitterness will melt away and that we can say, "We were just mortals," in the same way in this life we sometimes say "We were just children." I hope that we can chalk it up to experience and learning and move forward in our eternal progression-lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down.

And I do mean that. But even if my enemies never change, never wish to repent, I still would not want to have the sin of anger in my heart either. Anger is exhausting. Once it gets hold, it is so difficult to overcome, and even when I think I am making progress, I get knocked back down and have to try all over again.

It's a very humbling journey to try to overcome the natural man. I am glad that I have a perfect brother who was willing to pray, and then to atone, for my sinful soul.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Why I Chose This Verse

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 for the which despitefully use

you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which

is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the

evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just

and on the unjust.

I chose this verse because I have some pain and hurt in my past. I've spent a long time being angry and unloving toward those who have abused and neglected me. Hatred is exhausting. It festers. It does nothing for growth and self-improvement. I would like to be done having those feelings toward others.

In return, I have also recognized times where I have acted as the enemy and have caused pain in other people's lives. The idea that they may be suffering from pain and hate for something I did is sad to me-not for my sake, but for how may have affected their quality of life.

I am nowhere near mastering this admonition, but I work to remind myself of it often, especially when I fail.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Cross Reference

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 for them which despitefully use

you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which

is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the

evil and and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just

and on the unjust.

love:

D&C 112:11

neighbour:

TG Neighbor

Love:

TG Love

enemies:

TG Enemies

TG Opposition

bless:

TG Retribution

curse:

TG Curse

good:

TG Benevolence

hate:

TG Hate

pray:
Job 42:10
Acts 7:55-60
TG Pray

persecute:
TG Persecution

may be:
GR may become
Mosiah 5:7

children:
TG Sons and Daughters of God

rain:
Job 2:10
2 Nephi 2:11
Alma 60:13
D&C 5:22
D&C 29:39
D&C 122:5-9

"Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse" by Elder Richard G. Scott

excerpt:

"Forgiveness

During prolonged recovery from massive surgery, a patient anticipates complete healing in patience, trusting in others’ care. He does not always understand the importance of the treatment prescribed, but his obedience speeds recovery. So it is with you struggling to heal the scars of abuse. Forgiveness, for example, can be hard to understand, even more difficult to give. Begin by withholding judgment. You don’t know what abusers may have suffered as victims when innocent. The way to repentance must be kept open for them. Leave the handling of aggressors to others. As you experience an easing of your own pain, full forgiveness will come more easily.

You cannot erase what has been done, but you can forgive. (see D&C 64:10.) Forgiveness heals terrible, tragic wounds, for it allows the love of God to purge your heart and mind of the poison of hate. It cleanses your consciousness of the desire for revenge. It makes place for the purifying, healing, restoring love of the Lord.

The Master counseled, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you.” (3 Ne. 12:44; italics added.)

Bitterness and hatred are harmful. They produce much that is destructive. They postpone the relief and healing you yearn for. Through rationalization and self-pity, they can transform a victim into an abuser. Let God be the judge—you cannot do it as well as he can.

To be counseled to just forget abuse is not helpful. You need to understand the principles which will bring healing. I repeat, most often that comes through an understanding priesthood leader who has inspiration and the power of the priesthood to bless you."

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

In Context

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt

love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unt you, Love your enemies, bless

them that curse you, do good to them that hate

you, and pray for them which despitefully use

you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father

which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on

the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just

and on the unjust.

These verses are a part of the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is probably the most powerful talk given in the history of the world. It took place at the beginning of Christ's ministry.

After he was baptized, Christ spent his 40 days fasting in the wilderness. He was tempted by the devil, and refuted him 3 times. He started preaching repentance at that time. He gathered his disciples and invited them to be fishers of men. They then went about Galilee, and people began hearing about him and formed great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond Jordan.

Seeing the great multitudes, he went up into the mountain and gave this profound speech that we call the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount includes the following:

- The Beatitudes: "Blessed are....for they shall...."

- Ye are the salt of the earth...Ye are the light of the world....

- Come to fulfill the law

- A set of higher laws:

- Not just that thou shalt not kill, but also not to be angry; Reconcile with your brother/adversary

- Not just that thou shalt not commit adultery, but also not to lust; Avoid divorce

- No longer perform unto the Lord thine oaths, but to swear not at all; Let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay

- No longer an eye for an eye, but to turn the other cheek

(Insert this verse.)

- Not only love your neighbors, but also your enemies

- Be ye therefore perfect

- Do not serve or pray before men to receive their praise, but in secret

- The Lord's Prayer

- Forgive others and you will be forgiven

- Do not disfigure your faces when you fast

- Lay up treasures in heaven, not earthly treasures

- No man can serve two masters

- Consider the lilies

- Seek first the kingdom of God and these things shall be added unto you

- Judge not; beams and motes

- Give not that which is holy unto the dogs

- Ask and it shall be given, knock and it shall be opened unto you

- Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way

- Beware of false prophets

- By their fruits ye shall know them

- Not everyone that calls Lord, lord shall enter into the kingdom, but he that does the will of the Father

- A wise man builds on a firm foundation

And when he concluded, the people "were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:28-29)

Monday, October 26, 2015

What's Your Verse?

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 for them which despitefully use

you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which

is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil

and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just

and on the unjust.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

My Thoughts

But the LORD said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance, or on

the height of his stature; because

I have refused him: for the Lord

seeth not as man seeth; for man

looketh on the outward appearance,

but the LORD looketh on the heart.

This has been an interesting verse for me to ponder. There are several aspects related to this that I could cover. The one I have most closely related to this in the past is "don't judge a book by its cover," or the implication is: don't judge a person by what they look like. Books could be written on this topic.

Interestingly enough, when I was looking for a related talk with this verse, I chose the one I did because it was referenced in relation to hypocrisy and deception. When our outer self is not in harmony with our inner self, we are being deceptive. We may manage to fool those around us, but the Lord knows what is inside our hearts. There is also much that could be said on this topic.

Now, because of my current interest in Image Management, I am interested in how these principles relate to our dress, grooming, and body language, and will spend my time focusing there, rather than on judging, deception, or hypocrisy. These topics do tie in though, so keep them in the back of your mind.

Generally speaking, when we think of clothes in relation to our faith, the overwhelming majority of the advice points to "don't be immodest." And certainly that is an important admonition to follow. However, I think sometimes we loose sight of what we should be doing with dress and appearance because we feel like we have the "what not to wear" aspect already covered.

We also think of clothes in relation to our faith as something that is demonstrative of pride. In the book of Mormon, whenever the people are entering into a pride cycle, they tend to start wearing costly apparel and thinking that they are better than their more humbly dressed brethren.

On that note, Isaiah chapter 3 has a fascinating narrative for what happens to the haughty daughters of Zion who are caught up in their clothes and jewelry. I particularly remember the part that says "instead of sweet smell there shall be a stink...and instead of well set hair baldness".

In the past, these ideas altogether have given me the impression that the less we care about our dress the better. But now, I do not believe that is the case at all.

We are made in God's image. Our body is sacred. It is a temple. One of the first things our Father did for us on our mortal journey was to clothe our first parents. What we decide to put on our bodies is important spiritually, emotionally, socially, and psychologically.

We also cannot avoid getting dressed each day. Therefore, what we wear needs to not only avoid being a spiritual hindrance, but also be spiritually beneficial as well. Yes, we should wear modest clothing. But that doesn't mean any old t-shirt that covers your shoulders will do either.

Why are there flowers on temple square? Technically the building should be able to function without the large amount of effort put into landscaping right? And yet, there they are.

In dealing with our temples it is not only that they keep the grounds free of trash and debris, but they also adorn the grounds in beauty. The physical exterior is symbolic for and indicative of the spiritual interior. There is a reason we use high quality craftsmanship and beautiful landscaping here.

Our body is a temple. And the physical exterior also needs to be indicative of the beauty we find in our spiritual interior. We are instructed not only to avoid immodesty, but to be clean, and neat, and wear clothes in good taste as well.

Just as the Word of Wisdom would be incomplete if we were only told what not to ingest, our dress and appearance standards are also incomplete if we stop at the "do not be immodest" admonition.

Elder Christofferson said:

“It offends God when we come into His house, especially on His holy day, not groomed and dressed in the most careful and modest manner that our circumstances permit. . . . Some say dress and hair don’t matter—they say it’s what’s inside that counts. I believe that it is what’s inside a person that truly counts, but that’s what worries me. Casual dress at holy places and events is a message about what is inside a person. It may be pride or rebellion or something else, but at a minimum it says, ‘I don’t get it. I don’t understand the difference between the sacred and the profane.’ . . . You are a Saint of the great latter-day dispensation—look the part. . . .
“Acting and dressing in a way to honor sacred events and places is about God.” (D. Todd Christofferson, “A Sense of the Sacred,” New Era, June 2006, 30).

Or in other words, if our inside is clean and beautiful, we will also honor sacred places by dressing in a way that is clean and beautiful. Also notice that he uses the word "casual" as opposed to "immodest." One can be modest and still be dressed inappropriately, especially in holy places.

In Alma it says:

" ...and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely."

Comely means attractive or beautiful to look at. It did not say that they wore sackcloth and ashes.

So how do we dress in such a way that we can be beautiful but not prideful about our beauty?

My rule of thumb is that the role of clothing is to draw attention to the wearer, not to itself. Clothing is distracting and therefore inappropriate if it draws attention away from the wearer and to the clothing itself for being too slobbish, too snobbish, or generally incongruent with the wearers personality, values, and goals.

You should be able to dress in such a way that you are so comfortable and confident in what you are wearing that you can walk out of the door and then forget about it completely. In our culture that means that makeup, an attractive hairstyle, and accessories are perfectly appropriate when used to draw attention to the wearer instead of drawing attention to the makeup, hair, or accessories themselves.

It also needs to be said that while the attention needs to be drawn to the wearer, this refers to the person themselves, and not to their body. Drawing attention to the body (or parts of the body) distracts from the person's communicative ability.

Nothing disrupts spiritual progress quite like getting drawn back to the physical plane again, and again, and again because of distracting clothing, especially your own. (This includes uncomfortable clothes. Have you ever tried to sit still and pay attention with an itchy tag?)

We need to honor what is in our hearts with how our outward appearance is adorned. Then we can stand as a light of Christ by showing our fellow men what the Lord already knows is in our hearts.

My take away from all this rambling:

- No, we should not judge one another based on our appearance.
- However, we do need to make an effort (for ourselves) to dress with image integrity, or look like who we say we are.
- Only being modest is not enough. We also need to also dress nicely and beautifully and in such a way that our mind and our spirit are free to think and feel things beyond they physical.
- It's okay to wear beautiful things, and to enjoy makeup and jewelry! Just make sure you are wearing them, not the other way around.
- One of the best ways to show others what is in our heart is by dressing our outward self in harmony with those values.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Why I Chose This Verse

But the LORD said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance, or on

the height of his stature; because

I have refused him: for the LORD

seeth not as man seeth; for man

looketh on the outward appearance,

but the LORD looketh on the heart.

I chose this verse because I have recently become interested in the field of Image Management. While thinking about it, this verse came up on Sunday. I decided to ponderize it this week to help me keep perspective in my new interests.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Cross Reference

TG Discernment, Spiritual

But the LORD said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance, or on

the height of his stature; because

I have refused him: for the LORD

seeth not as man seeth; for man

looketh on the outward appearance,

but the LORD looketh on the heart.

seeth:

Job 10:4

man:

Isaiah 55:8(8-9)

appearance:

2 Corinthians 10:7

LORD:

TG God, Omniscience of

heart:

TG Heart

TG Judgment

"True to the Truth" by Joseph B. Wirthlin

excerpt:

" 'No Hypocrisy and No Deception'

Truth can also describe “that which is [actually] the case rather than what is manifest or assumed,” as in the true dimensions of a problem or the true nature of an individual.

Do we, indeed, actually live the gospel, or do we just manifest the appearance of righteousness so that those around us assume we are faithful when, in reality, our hearts and unseen actions are not true to the Lord’s teachings?

Do we take on only the “form of godliness” while denying the “power thereof”?¹¹

Are we righteous in fact, or do we feign obedience only when we think others are watching?

The Lord has made it clear that He will not be fooled by appearances, and He has warned us not to be false to Him or to others. He has cautioned us to be wary of those who project a false front, who put on a bright pretense that hides a darker reality. We know that the Lord “looketh on the heart” and not on the “outward appearance.”¹²

The Savior taught us to “judge not according to the appearance”¹³ and warned us against wolves who “come to [us] in sheep’s clothing” and whose deception can only be discovered “by [examining] their fruits.”¹⁴

Nephi taught that we must walk the path of faith “with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God.”¹⁵

We know that “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways”¹⁶ and that we cannot “serve two masters.”¹⁷ President Marion G. Romney wisely observed that there are too many of us “who try to serve the Lord without offending the devil.”¹⁸

“The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.”¹⁹ Hence, the first of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,”²⁰ and the Savior declared that the first and great commandment is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”²¹ Only when we give our all and overcome our pride and walk the path of faith without deviation can we honestly sing, “Lord, accept our true devotion.”²² "

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

In Context

But the LORD said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance, or on

the height of his stature; because

I have refused him: for the LORD

seeth not as man seeth; for man

looketh on the outward appearance,

but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Samuel is the prophet at the time of this story. He was the same boy that Hannah prayed for and promised up to the Lord, and who answered "Here am I" when he heard His voice as a child. Saul was the king, and had seriously offended the Lord by his disobedience. So the Lord sends Samuel to anoint a new king from the sons of Jesse. (Note that his being anointed means that he would not immediately take on the role as King, but would do so at a later time.)

Because it was dangerous to announce what was happening, Samuel is told to make his errand that of going to worship. He takes an offering, and invites Jesse and his family to join him, where he examines the sons to determine who is to be anointed.

Samuel believes it is to be Eliab.

Then this memorable admonition is given.

Samuel then looks at each of the sons and determines through the Spirit that the Lord had not chosen any of them. He then asks if there are any sons not present, and determines that the youngest, David, is out tending the sheep.

David is brought to him, and is anointed.

Interestingly, in verse 12 he is described as "ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to."

Saul, having lost the Spirit of the Lord is afflicted with evil spirits. In the text, it says an "evil spirit from God." However, we know that God never sends evil spirits to afflict and torment. The Joseph Smith Translation clearly denotes such in verses 14, 15, 16, and 23 by inserting "which is not of God."

The servants of Saul mention that there is a son of Jesse who plays the harp, and is "cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and is a comely person, and the LORD is with him." (verse 18)

They send for him and David becomes Saul's armour-bearer. Whenever Saul is afflicted by evil spirits, David plays the harp and "Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." (verse 23)

Monday, October 19, 2015

What's Your Verse?

But the Lord said unto Samuel,

look not on his countenance, or on

the height of his stature; because

I have refused him: for the LORD

seeth not as man seeth; for man

looketh on the outward appearance,

but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Friday, October 16, 2015

My Thoughts

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is

upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son

of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when

the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his

shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his

mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no

power over you to drag you down to the gulf of

misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon

which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a

foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I have had the experience of grieving for several people in my life who have chosen to leave the Church. In fact, I have had the experience of going through my own period of doubt and uncertainty and personal apostasy. It has taken me these experiences to really come to terms with the idea that the path of discipleship is not easy. It was not meant to be easy. It will never be easy.

Helaman makes it clear in his admonition to his sons that they will experience profound adversities, that the "mighty storm [of the devil] shall beat upon you" and that absolutely nothing will preserve them from his grasp except being built upon the foundation of Christ.

I am uncertain why this level of intense, sustained adversity escaped my expectation before. But I now know that it is only when we have faithfully passed through the temptations and adversities of the devil that we can truly be called disciples of Christ. If we are to follow Christ, we must pass through our own set of personalized trials, as he passed through His.

Thankfully we will not be subject to the same depth and breadth as He was, but we will be asked to endure everything of which we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually able, knowing all the while that we will not be tested above our personal threshold (Alma 13:28 ; 1 Corinthians 10:13).

Satan has been called "the prince of this world."

“So powerful was he in the Master’s day that the Master referred to Satan as ‘the prince of this world,’ but he added, ‘the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.’ (John 14:30.) We must be able to say, though the power is evil on every side, ‘As for me and my house, we shall serve the God of this land.’ The prince of this world is coming to tempt every one of us, and the only ones who will stand through these evil days are those who have founded their houses upon the rock, as the Master said: when the storms descended and the winds blew and the rains came and beat upon the house, it fell not because it was founded upon the rock. That is what the Lord is trying to say to us today.” (Harold B. Lee in British Area Conference Report, Aug. 1971, p. 135.)

It is an interesting title "the prince of this world." I think sometimes we tend to imagine Satan as a nuisance who pops up and wreaks a little havoc when God is not paying attention. Then when we look around we are surprised and we ask, "How can a just and loving God allow this?"

We are misinformed.

We are here living under "the prince of this world," who, though unlawfully, has the (temporary) power, ability, and motivation to wreak his havoc openly. We are safe from him only to the degree that we align ourselves with the True King of Kings. It is after the trial is over that Satan will be bound and no longer reign upon the earth. Until then, we need to be aware of the very real danger we are in, and seek the appropriate shelter.

We have been blessed though. He has not left us comfortless. Darkness cannot coexist with Light. When we maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we have the strength and guidance to endure. Personal temptations are lessened and made bearable. Our mortal pains and difficulties are put into perspective. We are brought to Christ and made safe though him.

Through the wind and the storm and the hail, we become stronger. We grow and improve. When we come unto Him, we also become like Him, in degrees, here a little, and there a little. We are able to not only endure, but to also become refined and better versions of ourselves.

"The journey of discipleship is not an easy one. It has been called a “course of steady improvement.” As we travel along that strait and narrow path, the Spirit continually challenges us to be better and to climb higher. The Holy Ghost makes an ideal traveling companion. If we are humble and teachable, He will take us by the hand and lead us home." ("What Lack I Yet?", by Elder Lawrence in the October 2015 General Conference)

"The journey of discipleship is not an easy one."

Be wary. Satan also coaxes, flatters, soothes and uses a flaxen cord (2 Nephi 26:22). He impersonates, and he counterfeits. His approaches are many, and though not all of them are loud, they are unrelenting.

Build your foundation in Christ. Only He can keep you and lead you safely home.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Why I Chose This Verse

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is

upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son

of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when

the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his

shafts in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and his

mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no

power over you to drag you down to the gulf of

misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon

which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a

foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I am not usually good at remembering actual scripture references. I tend to remember the words and sometimes need to look them up in the index to find out where they actually are. As I was thinking through the scriptures I wanted to use for the week, I was thinking in terms of the words and phrases that make them up. I had several that I was considering, including this one.

When Sunday night came, I was still undecided, so I said a short prayer to ask if there was one I should focus on specifically. In my mind, came "Helaman 5:12" almost immediately. Because I am not always good with references, I had to actually go and look it up before I knew which one it was.

It was a simple experience, but also a testimony to me that prayers do get answered, and that the Spirit has the power to bring all things to our remembrance. This includes scripture references.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Cross Reference

And now my sons, remember, remember that it is

upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son

of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when

the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his

shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his

mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no

power over you to drag you down to the gulf of

misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon

which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a

foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

rock:

foundation:

Isaiah 28: 16 (14-17)

Jacob 4:16

storm:

Alma 26:6

3 Nephi 14:25 (25, 27)

Excerpts from Spiritual Whirlwinds by Neil L. Andersen

given during the April 2014 General Conference

"In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree from winds that are sure to return.

You are infinitely more precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead."

"Don’t let the whirlwinds drag you down. These are your days—to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Build more firmly your foundation upon the rock of your Redeemer.

Treasure more completely His incomparable life and teachings.

Follow more diligently His example and His commandments.

Embrace more deeply His love, His mercy and grace, and the powerful gifts of His Atonement.

As you do, I promise you that you will see the whirlwinds for what they are—tests, temptations, distractions, or challenges to help you grow. And as you live righteously year after year, I assure you that your experiences will confirm to you again and again that Jesus is the Christ. The spiritual rock under your feet will be solid and secure. You will rejoice that God has placed you here to be a part of the final preparations for Christ’s glorious return."

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

In Context