My Thoughts

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me.

I already shared a Conference talk related to my verse yesterday, but I love this one too much not to share as well:

“The Great and Wonderful Love”

Anthony D. Perkins
Of the First Quorum of the Seventy

"Children in pure faith proclaim, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” ¹ But sometimes youth and adults do not feel the power of this simple declaration.

Satan is the “enemy to all righteousness”; ² thus he plants doubts about the nature of the Godhead and our relationship with Them. Jesus Christ prophesied that in the last days even the very elect would be deceived. ³ Consider three examples of how Lucifer is “laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.” ⁴

The snare of false inadequacy. A faithful young person feels unable to meet the expectations of others. At home and school, she is rarely praised and often criticized. The popular media tells her she is not beautiful enough or smart enough. Every day this righteous sister questions whether she is an individual worthy of Heavenly Father’s love, the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, or the Spirit’s constant guidance.

The snare of exaggerated imperfection. An outstanding missionary feels incapable of meeting the expectations of God. In his mind, this worthy elder imagines a stern Heavenly Father bound to irrevocable justice, a Savior capable of cleansing others’ transgressions but not this elder’s own, and a Holy Ghost unwilling to accompany an imperfect person.

The snare of needless guilt. A middle-aged woman is a devoted mother, a loving friend, a faithful Church servant, and a frequent temple patron. But in her heart, this sister cannot forgive herself of sins committed years ago that she has repented of and fully resolved with priesthood leaders. She doubts that her life will ever be acceptable to the Lord and has lost hope of eternal life in Heavenly Father’s presence.

If you have any thoughts and feelings similar to these good Saints, I invite you to become as a little child and feel again “the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world.” ⁵ Childlike faith in the perfect love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will “divide asunder” ⁶ Satan’s snares of inadequacy, imperfection, and guilt.

Proverbs teaches, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” ⁷ May I suggest—in addition to consistent prayers, scripture study, and Church and temple attendance—five changes to your thoughts and heart to more fully feel the tender love of God.

First, see yourself as a precious child of a loving Father in Heaven. Our children with confidence sing, “I am a child of God, and he has sent me here.” ⁸ Little children feel and know what perhaps you have forgotten. You are the beloved son or daughter of Heavenly Father, created “in his own image,” ⁹ and of immense value—so much so that Jesus Christ gave His life for you.

God the Father is merciful and has infinite love for you despite your faults. Only the voice of Satan will cause you to feel of no value. In contrast, the Holy Ghost will cause you to feel “godly sorrow” ¹⁰ unto repentance in a manner that fills you with hope of positive change.

When you feel worthless, “remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” ¹¹ Refrain from repeatedly thinking or saying negative words about yourself—there is a clear difference between humility and humiliation. Identify and use your unique talents rather than dwelling on your weaknesses.

Second, place your burdens on Jesus Christ. When you feel overwhelmed by expectations and challenges, do not fight the battle alone. Follow the example of small children, and drop to your knees in prayer.

Jesus Christ has commanded us, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” ¹² Doubt, fear, and worry indicate we have taken all of life’s burdens and anxieties on ourselves. When plagued by thoughts that you are inadequate, confidently say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” ¹³ Then as you “cheerfully do all things that lie in [your] power,” ¹⁴ you can rest assured that the Lord will do the remainder and things will work out all right.

The Savior promised, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ As you “cast [your] burden upon the Lord,” ¹⁶ you will feel the peace of the Spirit. ¹⁷

Third, forgive yourself of sins and imperfections.  

...

Fourth, sustain hope of eternal life.  

^... 

Fifth, find joy each day.  

...

I testify of Heavenly Father, who in great and wonderful love reaches out to each of His children. I bear witness of Jesus Christ, who is “mighty to save” ²⁹ us from our inadequacies, imperfections, and sins. I bear testimony of the Holy Ghost, who will accompany the imperfect yet penitent soul. To you faithful and worthy Saints who struggle with latter-day snares of the devil, ³⁰ “may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son.” ³¹ In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I have been struggling with feelings of inadequacy. I don't know how I will ever realize the expectations I have for myself, to say nothing of the admonition to "be ye therefore perfect." Some days, I don't even know if I can fulfill such mundane tasks as doing the dishes or taking a shower, let alone teaching my children in love and patience. There are so many times that I fall so short of where I would like to be, and where I feel like I should be. It's painful.  

I do need to remind myself in those times that perhaps I am trying too much to do it by myself. Like a toddler unable to tie my shoes, I need to stop insisting on doing it all by myself. I need to allow my Savior to help me in all things so that I can receive His grace and strength. 

One of my favorite lines of hymn says:

...

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene--one step enough for me

...

I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that thou

Shouldst lead me on.

I loved to choose and see my path; but now,

Lead thou me on!

...

I need to keep telling myself that one step is enough for me, so long as I know that what I am doing is according to His will. I do not need all the answers, I only need to take that one step in faith. With the help of His immeasurable strength we will accomplish more than I ever imagined of myself alone.

Lead thou me on!

https://www.facebook.com/lds.david.a.bednar/videos/756863984341345/

 

In Context

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me.

This verse comes near the end of Paul's Epistle to the Philippians. The epistle consists of four chapters with the general outline as follows: 

(excerpted from the Bible Dictionary)

1. Salutation, thanksgiving, and prayer on their behalf (1:1-11).

2. Personal: dealing with the progress of the missionary work (1:12-26).

3. Exhortation to unity, humility, and perseverance (2:1-18).

4. Paul's own plans, and those of Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19-30).

5. Warning against false teachers (3:1--4:9).

6. Thanks for their assistance, and conclusion (4:10-23).

Other ideas of note in chapter 4:

Verse 4 - partial inspiration for hymn #66 "Rejoice the Lord is King!"

Verse 6 - requests to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

Verse 7 - The peace of God passeth all understanding

Verse 8 - The admonition of Paul mentioned in the 13th article of faith

Verses 11&12 - Being content in whatsoever state, humility or abundance, hunger or fullness

Verse 19 - God will supply all needs

What's Your Verse?

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me.

Why I Chose This Verse

Matthew 5:43-45

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.

Cross Reference

Matthew 5:43-45

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."

What's Your Verse?

Matthew 5:43-45

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.

My Thoughts

1 Samuel 16:7

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. 

In Context

1 Samuel 16:7

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)

What's Your Verse?

1 Samuel 16:7

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.