Unit 01
Lesson 06
I had a friend in High School, who wasn't a very close friend, but he someone that I would spend time with every now and then. He was a grade older than me and when he graduated, we stopped hanging out. It wasn't until I was going to college at BYU-Idaho sitting in my dorm apartment doing homework when I received a text from this friend, "Hello, you probably don't remember me... but do you have time to talk?" surprised that he would text me after years of not speaking to each other, I quickly called him. When he answered but didn't say anything I asked, "Trevor?" not really sure what he was wanting and without even a "hello" or "how are you doing?" he asked me a question that I will never forget, "why are you so happy?" it wasn't an accusatory question, it was sincere, and it took me so off guard at first I didn't really know what to say back. "What do you mean Trevor?" there was a pause, "well, I've tried everything! ....And I am still not happy. I remember in High School that you were always happy.... and so I wanted to know why... and how?" still feeling a little confused I said, "Trevor, we haven't talked in years... so, I don't really know what you have been up to lately. What have you tried to make yourself happy?" He then explained to me how after he graduated High School he got into drugs, alcohol, going to clubs... pretty much everything that a good little mormon boy shouldn't do. Then he explained to me that his girlfriend for almost 2 years (they had been living together) had left him.... and now he just didn't know what to do! He even said, "I have been going to that surfing place in Salt lake... that makes me happy... sometimes... but it's so expensive! And so I am losing all of my money... I miss my girlfriend.... and I am just miserable!"
I wasn't really sure what I should say back or how I could help him. I didn't know if I wanted to cry because of the mess he had gotten himself into or laugh that the answer is so clear and he's not seeing it. In that moment these words came into my mind, "he knows" and with that I said, "Trevor, I think you know exactly why you're not happy." I could hear him start to cry over the phone, "I know Rebekah, I know... I just...." I could tell he was struggling to know what to say so I cut in, "you just don't know how to fix it? Or how to change what you've done and who you've been?" I could hear him cry again.
We ended up talking a long time that night. He decided to go see his bishop and change his life. We didn't speak hardly at all and I didn't ever know what happened until I was on my mission and my mom sent me a picture of him the day he received the melchezidek priesthood. He recently has gotten married and is living the life he always wanted.
I have thought about that night, almost 4 years ago, often and I have wondered why he chose me out of all the people he knew in High School? He later told me it was because of my example.
Can an example really make that big of an impact on someone's life? I believe that it can.
One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is when Alma has just been made the chief judge over the land of the Nephites. He has done his best to keep the church strong but he had some difficulty and this is why, "Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people."(Alma 4:11)
It was because of the example of the members that the nonbelievers didn't want anything to do with the church.... which is the one thing that will truly make them happy. I think back on High School, and I didn't do anything drastic or overly dramatic to show that I followed the gospel, but Trevor noticed that I was happy because I was living the gospel. Yeah, he got caught up in some stupid things, but he remembered what would make him truly happy. I wonder what would've happened to Trevor if I hadn't lived the gospel like I should've? We need to remember that people watch us, they watch what we do, say, and how we act.
Lastly, John in the New Testament, sends a letter to Gaius and I love what he says to him at the very beginning, "I rejoice greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth." (3 James 1:3)
I don't know about you, but I want to be like Gaius, where there is good said of me. That people can tell and testify that I walk in truth... because I am happy.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
False Teacher: New Testament
Unit 02
Lesson 06
I'm ashamed to admit that I got suckered into buying a beauty product... at a booth in the mall of all places! In my defense, it was a stressful day running aimlessly around the mall trying to find the perfect birthday gift for my little sister... when I was stopped by a man in a tight fest, slicked black hair and alligator shoes. To be honest, I couldn't really understand what he was saying because he was talking so fast but before I knew it, his little assistant was rubbing something on my arm and whipping it off to show all of the dirt it was taking off. Tight vest man, "You see! This product gives you just beautiful skin." one thing led to another and I bought the product, only to find that my skin feels no different and I get no refund.
Have you ever been tricked by "false promises" or believed something that you probably should've known wasn't true. My mom would always tell me, "if it sounds too good to be true... it is!" Thinking of this experience I had in the mall, I feel as though the world we live in today, there are so many people that are promising us; happiness, joy, fulfillment, peace... in things that are false.
I have always been interested in learning more about the anti-christ's in the Book of Mormon because I believe that they have a lot of the same characteristics that these smooth talkers in our day have.
Jacob 7:1-3 speaks of a man named, Sherem, "And now it came to pass after some years had passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem. And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ. And he labored diligently that he might lead away the hearts of the people..."
I find it interesting that Sherem used flattering words and that he was a hard worker.
Alma 1:2-4 speaks of Nehor, "and it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment-seat, there was a man brought before him to be judged, a man who was large, and was noted for his much strength. And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their head and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life."
This type of teaching is known as Priestcraft Alma says later, "were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction." Wow! The things that Nehor taught could have destroyed the Nephites completely.
Alma 30:12-16 speaks of Korihor (which is personally my favorite), "And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying: O ye that are bound down under foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? why do ye look fo a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come. Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers. How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ. Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of you minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so."
All three of these Anti-Christ's teach different things and they present themselves differently to the people, but as my mom says, "if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... it's a duck."
In the New Testament, Peter describes these false teachers as well, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Peter 2:1)
I don't know about you, but sometimes it can be hard to discern between truth and error. Sometimes these Anti-Christ's aren't as evident as they are in the book of mormon and new testament. In those days the Anti-Christ's really emphasized "Christ won't come" and "priests should be paid" but it's not that obvious in our day what they are teaching. I came across a talk not too long ago from Sister Beck and she taught, "anything Anti-Family is Anti-Christ" (teaching the doctrine of the family, 2009) I love that thought! It makes it clearer to discern what is coming from God and what is false. In the family: a proclamation to the world, God teaches us the true meaning of a family, and their purpose on earth. When we compare the worlds teachings to this document, it becomes increasingly easier to discern between truth and error. I want to mention just three and then encourage you to read through it and find things yourself.
1. Homosexual Marriage
The world: it is their right to get married because they love each other.
Our Heavenly Father: "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between a man and a women is essential to his eternal plan."
2. Sexual Intimacy before marriage:
The world: It's okay to live with each other without being married! This way you will know if you truly are a good fit for each other.
Our Heavenly Father: "Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."
3. Yolo: You only live once:
The world: What ever we do in this life, doesn't really matter. We need to live it up as much as we can because we won't get a second chance.
Our Heavenly Father: "In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted his plan by which his children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress towards perfection and ultimately their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life."
Lesson 06
I'm ashamed to admit that I got suckered into buying a beauty product... at a booth in the mall of all places! In my defense, it was a stressful day running aimlessly around the mall trying to find the perfect birthday gift for my little sister... when I was stopped by a man in a tight fest, slicked black hair and alligator shoes. To be honest, I couldn't really understand what he was saying because he was talking so fast but before I knew it, his little assistant was rubbing something on my arm and whipping it off to show all of the dirt it was taking off. Tight vest man, "You see! This product gives you just beautiful skin." one thing led to another and I bought the product, only to find that my skin feels no different and I get no refund.
Have you ever been tricked by "false promises" or believed something that you probably should've known wasn't true. My mom would always tell me, "if it sounds too good to be true... it is!" Thinking of this experience I had in the mall, I feel as though the world we live in today, there are so many people that are promising us; happiness, joy, fulfillment, peace... in things that are false.
I have always been interested in learning more about the anti-christ's in the Book of Mormon because I believe that they have a lot of the same characteristics that these smooth talkers in our day have.
Jacob 7:1-3 speaks of a man named, Sherem, "And now it came to pass after some years had passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem. And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ. And he labored diligently that he might lead away the hearts of the people..."
I find it interesting that Sherem used flattering words and that he was a hard worker.
Alma 1:2-4 speaks of Nehor, "and it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment-seat, there was a man brought before him to be judged, a man who was large, and was noted for his much strength. And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their head and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life."
This type of teaching is known as Priestcraft Alma says later, "were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction." Wow! The things that Nehor taught could have destroyed the Nephites completely.
Alma 30:12-16 speaks of Korihor (which is personally my favorite), "And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying: O ye that are bound down under foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? why do ye look fo a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come. Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers. How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ. Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of you minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so."
All three of these Anti-Christ's teach different things and they present themselves differently to the people, but as my mom says, "if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... it's a duck."
In the New Testament, Peter describes these false teachers as well, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Peter 2:1)
I don't know about you, but sometimes it can be hard to discern between truth and error. Sometimes these Anti-Christ's aren't as evident as they are in the book of mormon and new testament. In those days the Anti-Christ's really emphasized "Christ won't come" and "priests should be paid" but it's not that obvious in our day what they are teaching. I came across a talk not too long ago from Sister Beck and she taught, "anything Anti-Family is Anti-Christ" (teaching the doctrine of the family, 2009) I love that thought! It makes it clearer to discern what is coming from God and what is false. In the family: a proclamation to the world, God teaches us the true meaning of a family, and their purpose on earth. When we compare the worlds teachings to this document, it becomes increasingly easier to discern between truth and error. I want to mention just three and then encourage you to read through it and find things yourself.
1. Homosexual Marriage
The world: it is their right to get married because they love each other.
Our Heavenly Father: "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between a man and a women is essential to his eternal plan."
2. Sexual Intimacy before marriage:
The world: It's okay to live with each other without being married! This way you will know if you truly are a good fit for each other.
Our Heavenly Father: "Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."
3. Yolo: You only live once:
The world: What ever we do in this life, doesn't really matter. We need to live it up as much as we can because we won't get a second chance.
Our Heavenly Father: "In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted his plan by which his children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress towards perfection and ultimately their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life."
Friday, December 11, 2015
Waiting on the Lord: New Testament
Unit 02
Lesson 05
Student Choice #2
My husband and I were driving the other day and the song, "Renegades" came on. We were both singing along and when it got to the chorus I started to belt, "Living like we're in a cage!" Craig turned down the music and asked, "what do you think they are saying??" feeling confused I replied, "living like we're in a cage...." he literally couldn't stop laughing! Finally, when he could barely talk again, he said, "Rebekah..." laughter... "they're saying 'living like renegades" more laughter... "not 'living like we're in a cage!'" and then he proceeded to laugh for the rest of the car ride home.
In my defense, I dare you to listen to that song again and you tell me, what does it sound like they are saying? (here is the link-->https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSJhrO2Ydao )
From this silly scenario, I've learned that you can't always trust what you hear. The most ironic part of my lyric mix up is Renegades are meant to be "free spirited" runaways... and I was interpreting them saying the exact opposite of what they wanted their song to mean.
When it comes to the gospel, how can we know what we are hearing is true? It's not as easy as looking up the lyrics to "renegades" to find answers to gospel questions. God expects us to act and wait.
One of my favorite missionary chapters was about Alma when he is teaching the poor of the Zoramites about Faith. There is something in that chapter that I found (only after reading it a million times...) that I had never noticed before. Alma compares faith to planting a seed in the ground and then nourishing it so it'll grow. At the very end of the chapter he says this Alma 32:43
"Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you."
I used to imagine Alma was saying that we sweat, we work, we dig, and prune, and then one day our little seed becomes a tree and wa-la! It has this wonderful fruit and you're set for the rest of your life. Not so. I don't know about you... but there have been times where I've done a whole lot of pruning... sweating... working... digging... and still have a barren tree. Have you ever experienced that? I mean, I would go months and months, without seeing as much as a blossom on my tree! But why? I think Alma answers it in the last sentence, "waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you." Faith isn't just the process of growing the tree... it's the constant waiting and constant nourishment that needs to be done until the tree brings forth fruit.
My father-in-law has his own fruit trees and, boy, are they a lot of work! He's constantly either pruning them, or watering them! But then, when you eat some of the fruit from the tree... you realize why he does it.
Just thinking about my father-in-law and his trees, makes me believe that Alma taught a great representation of how to grow our faith and receive the benefits from it. It's not automatic, it takes work, but it's worth it in the end.
I think some of us grow our tree and then expect it to just spontaneously give us fruit when we need it. I believe that this goes along with James 1:25
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
I love how James refers to those who stop nourishing their faith as "forgetful hearers" because I think a lot of us who stop nourishing our tree aren't always doing it on purpose, but because we have forgotten.
As I have thought about these scriptures this week and my own personal experiences with faith, I know that as we are doers of the word and not just hearers only... or in other words... if we continually strengthen our faith everyday and not just expect it to grow on its own, Heavenly Father will bless us. I love what King Benjamin says when he is talking to his people right before he dies Mosiah 2:41
"Consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God, for they are blessed in all things. Both temperal and spiritual..."
Lesson 05
Student Choice #2
My husband and I were driving the other day and the song, "Renegades" came on. We were both singing along and when it got to the chorus I started to belt, "Living like we're in a cage!" Craig turned down the music and asked, "what do you think they are saying??" feeling confused I replied, "living like we're in a cage...." he literally couldn't stop laughing! Finally, when he could barely talk again, he said, "Rebekah..." laughter... "they're saying 'living like renegades" more laughter... "not 'living like we're in a cage!'" and then he proceeded to laugh for the rest of the car ride home.
In my defense, I dare you to listen to that song again and you tell me, what does it sound like they are saying? (here is the link-->https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSJhrO2Ydao )
From this silly scenario, I've learned that you can't always trust what you hear. The most ironic part of my lyric mix up is Renegades are meant to be "free spirited" runaways... and I was interpreting them saying the exact opposite of what they wanted their song to mean.
When it comes to the gospel, how can we know what we are hearing is true? It's not as easy as looking up the lyrics to "renegades" to find answers to gospel questions. God expects us to act and wait.
One of my favorite missionary chapters was about Alma when he is teaching the poor of the Zoramites about Faith. There is something in that chapter that I found (only after reading it a million times...) that I had never noticed before. Alma compares faith to planting a seed in the ground and then nourishing it so it'll grow. At the very end of the chapter he says this Alma 32:43
"Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you."
I used to imagine Alma was saying that we sweat, we work, we dig, and prune, and then one day our little seed becomes a tree and wa-la! It has this wonderful fruit and you're set for the rest of your life. Not so. I don't know about you... but there have been times where I've done a whole lot of pruning... sweating... working... digging... and still have a barren tree. Have you ever experienced that? I mean, I would go months and months, without seeing as much as a blossom on my tree! But why? I think Alma answers it in the last sentence, "waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you." Faith isn't just the process of growing the tree... it's the constant waiting and constant nourishment that needs to be done until the tree brings forth fruit.
My father-in-law has his own fruit trees and, boy, are they a lot of work! He's constantly either pruning them, or watering them! But then, when you eat some of the fruit from the tree... you realize why he does it.
Just thinking about my father-in-law and his trees, makes me believe that Alma taught a great representation of how to grow our faith and receive the benefits from it. It's not automatic, it takes work, but it's worth it in the end.
I think some of us grow our tree and then expect it to just spontaneously give us fruit when we need it. I believe that this goes along with James 1:25
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
I love how James refers to those who stop nourishing their faith as "forgetful hearers" because I think a lot of us who stop nourishing our tree aren't always doing it on purpose, but because we have forgotten.
As I have thought about these scriptures this week and my own personal experiences with faith, I know that as we are doers of the word and not just hearers only... or in other words... if we continually strengthen our faith everyday and not just expect it to grow on its own, Heavenly Father will bless us. I love what King Benjamin says when he is talking to his people right before he dies Mosiah 2:41
"Consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God, for they are blessed in all things. Both temperal and spiritual..."
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Fiery Trials
Unit 02 (choice #4)
Lesson 05
7 months ago I had life pretty much figured out... or so I thought. I was newly married, living in the perfect apartment, with the perfect job, and with the perfect life. My husband and I would go on long bike rides, rock climb, and do pretty much whatever we wanted.
It was, in short, perfect.
I wasn't naive enough to imagine my life would stay that way forever, but "surely" I thought, "Surely, Heavenly Father will give me a small break after all the years and months of blood, sweat, and tears that I had put into my mission as well as getting married." Ha! President Uchtdorf once said something that I'd like to interject, "We make plans... and God laughs." Looking back now, I even laugh at myself for thinking such a ridiculous thought!
But why? Why is that thought so absurd and ridiculous and blinded and, and... hilarious? Why didn't Heavenly Father give me a break from my trials, sorrow, and heartache? There I was this little girl who had finally convinced her dad to buy her the toy she most desperately wanted... only to get home and realize the batteries weren't included. It was so seemingly unfair.
I was living quite literally the very words that Peter taught to the saints, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:" (1 Peter 4:12)
Don't you love how matter of fact Peter is in that verse? It's as if he is saying with amazement, "why are you so confused?? Trials are part of life! Don't you know that?"
Although, it was that very thought, trials are part of life, that made me scared and hope that I wouldn't have anymore. Does that mean that I will never have peace? Will I live my whole life worried about "what trial is coming next"? Will I ever be happy?
It seemed like not very long until things started to crumble. We were getting kicked out of our apartment because our landlord was selling his contract, we found out that Criag's mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Craig lost his job, I had to work full time and do school full time to support us and graduate, people at my job were becoming increasingly more difficult to work with, and I was feeling completely alone.
It felt as if not only did my "toy" not come with batteries, but it was completely self destructing right before my eyes.
It took everything I had to keep my head above water. It was that terrifying sensation that if I stop moving, I'm going to drowned.
It was during this time that I was reminded of the popular verse in Alma, when he is talking to the people in Gideon and is teaching them about Jesus Christ and his atonement.
Alma 7:11-12
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bid his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to his infirmities."
I know at some point you have probably heard the definition of the word succor which means "to run to the aid of" but there is a part of the definition that is often left out and that is, "to run to the aid of... as if you were drowning"
Christ didn't just come skippering over to me as I was wallowing in self pity. I feel like that is sometimes how people see that scripture, "I didn't want to do it for myself so Christ had to come help me...." as if we put up a tent of wallow and gloom and camp out in our pitiful situations, not moving until he comes and rescues us.
No, when Alma says succor it means that we are physically, emotionally, and mentally drowning. That's how it felt, metaphorically "do or die". We are doing everything possible to stay a float but it's not enough, we need help.
I love the verse in 1 Peter 4:13, it's the one right after Peter talks about fiery trials, he says, "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
Going back to what I said earlier about trials being part of life... and wondering if that means we will never have peace or happiness. To answer; yes, of course we will! Trials are meant to make us stronger, and to be difficult, but we are not left alone because Christ does succor us. We become partakers of Christ's sufferings and that is when his glory is revealed.
Even though all of these trials were difficult, Christ strengthened both my husband and I through it. Not only that, but a lot of them ended up being not as bad as we had anticipated. We ended up not getting kicked out of our apartment, Craig's mother has her last chemo treatment this week and has been incredibly strong, Craig received a great job offer at Ford in Michigan starting in June, and I have been able to work and do school without much difficulty.
Yes, trials come, but Christ won't allow us to drown.
Lesson 05
7 months ago I had life pretty much figured out... or so I thought. I was newly married, living in the perfect apartment, with the perfect job, and with the perfect life. My husband and I would go on long bike rides, rock climb, and do pretty much whatever we wanted.
It was, in short, perfect.
I wasn't naive enough to imagine my life would stay that way forever, but "surely" I thought, "Surely, Heavenly Father will give me a small break after all the years and months of blood, sweat, and tears that I had put into my mission as well as getting married." Ha! President Uchtdorf once said something that I'd like to interject, "We make plans... and God laughs." Looking back now, I even laugh at myself for thinking such a ridiculous thought!
But why? Why is that thought so absurd and ridiculous and blinded and, and... hilarious? Why didn't Heavenly Father give me a break from my trials, sorrow, and heartache? There I was this little girl who had finally convinced her dad to buy her the toy she most desperately wanted... only to get home and realize the batteries weren't included. It was so seemingly unfair.
I was living quite literally the very words that Peter taught to the saints, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:" (1 Peter 4:12)
Don't you love how matter of fact Peter is in that verse? It's as if he is saying with amazement, "why are you so confused?? Trials are part of life! Don't you know that?"
Although, it was that very thought, trials are part of life, that made me scared and hope that I wouldn't have anymore. Does that mean that I will never have peace? Will I live my whole life worried about "what trial is coming next"? Will I ever be happy?
It seemed like not very long until things started to crumble. We were getting kicked out of our apartment because our landlord was selling his contract, we found out that Criag's mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Craig lost his job, I had to work full time and do school full time to support us and graduate, people at my job were becoming increasingly more difficult to work with, and I was feeling completely alone.
It felt as if not only did my "toy" not come with batteries, but it was completely self destructing right before my eyes.
It took everything I had to keep my head above water. It was that terrifying sensation that if I stop moving, I'm going to drowned.
It was during this time that I was reminded of the popular verse in Alma, when he is talking to the people in Gideon and is teaching them about Jesus Christ and his atonement.
Alma 7:11-12
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bid his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to his infirmities."
I know at some point you have probably heard the definition of the word succor which means "to run to the aid of" but there is a part of the definition that is often left out and that is, "to run to the aid of... as if you were drowning"
Christ didn't just come skippering over to me as I was wallowing in self pity. I feel like that is sometimes how people see that scripture, "I didn't want to do it for myself so Christ had to come help me...." as if we put up a tent of wallow and gloom and camp out in our pitiful situations, not moving until he comes and rescues us.
No, when Alma says succor it means that we are physically, emotionally, and mentally drowning. That's how it felt, metaphorically "do or die". We are doing everything possible to stay a float but it's not enough, we need help.
I love the verse in 1 Peter 4:13, it's the one right after Peter talks about fiery trials, he says, "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
Going back to what I said earlier about trials being part of life... and wondering if that means we will never have peace or happiness. To answer; yes, of course we will! Trials are meant to make us stronger, and to be difficult, but we are not left alone because Christ does succor us. We become partakers of Christ's sufferings and that is when his glory is revealed.
Even though all of these trials were difficult, Christ strengthened both my husband and I through it. Not only that, but a lot of them ended up being not as bad as we had anticipated. We ended up not getting kicked out of our apartment, Craig's mother has her last chemo treatment this week and has been incredibly strong, Craig received a great job offer at Ford in Michigan starting in June, and I have been able to work and do school without much difficulty.
Yes, trials come, but Christ won't allow us to drown.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Rest of the Lord: New Testament Class
Unit 02
Lesson 04
I had been out on my mission about 4 months when we started teaching a woman in Philomath, Oregon. She was a bright women who knew the scriptures well, I remember teaching her the Plan of Salvation lesson and as we taught her about the Celestial kingdom I asked her what she thought heaven would be like and she replied, "we sit and glorify God for the rest of eternity!" I looked over at my trainer expecting her to answer... but she didn't, not yet... she was a poised, seasoned missionary, she would really think before she said something... I on the other hand seemed to blurt everything out that came to my mind! Before I knew it, I had said back, "Jenny, you can't even go to three hours of church without getting antsy and bored... how on earth do you expect to praise God for all eternity??"
...Yep, neither Jenny nor my trainer knew what to say back. In my defense though, my comment wasn't meant to be a direct attack against Jenny's "spirituality" because she can't sit through church, that wasn't the point. It was really a question for all of us... do we really expect God to make us praise him for hours and hours on end when we finally make it to heaven? Is that the ultimate goal? Is that what it means to enter into the rest of the Lord...or is there more than that?
In Hebrews 12:9 we learn that God is our Heavenly Father, "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" For a moment, think about your own parents. What were some of the hopes and dreams that your parents had for you as you grew up? Or if you have kids, what do you hope for your own children? I know that my parents wanted me to become like them, in the sense that they wanted me to be happy, have a family, and be successful. Ultimately, they wanted the best for me.
Now think about this, if someone were to ask your parents 10-20 years ago "when your children are grown, would you want them to follow you around everywhere and praise you for eternity?" what do you think your parents would've said? I can tell you this much, that would be my mom's worst nightmare, haha! We know that our Heavenly Father has desired the same things for us (his children) as our earthly parents, I would even to go as far as to say that I believe the root of why our parents desire the best for us is because it's ingrained in them from a Heavenly Parent. We learn this in D&C 132:14, "and shall (speaking of the righteous) inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths" God wants to give us everything that he has because he loves us.
But just like any good parent knows, there are certain consequences, good and bad, that come as we strive to become like them. God has given us the gift of agency and so we choose who we become and what we do, or parents can't choose for us. When I child chooses to drink alcohol, use drugs, get pregnant out of wedlock... etc. the parent never stops loving them, not ever. But they know that these things have made it hard for their child to ever become like them. It's the same with God, there is a warning (well, actually, there are many but I just want to mention one) that God has given us concerning whether or not we can enter into his rest (or in other words, become like him) and this warning is found in Hebrews 3:12-15 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you in evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we must give heed to his words, keep his commandments, exhort one another daily, be partakers of Christ's sacrifice, be steadfast to the end, and not give into sin.
I have a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children, he wants us to become like him, but in order to do this we must obey him.
Lesson 04
I had been out on my mission about 4 months when we started teaching a woman in Philomath, Oregon. She was a bright women who knew the scriptures well, I remember teaching her the Plan of Salvation lesson and as we taught her about the Celestial kingdom I asked her what she thought heaven would be like and she replied, "we sit and glorify God for the rest of eternity!" I looked over at my trainer expecting her to answer... but she didn't, not yet... she was a poised, seasoned missionary, she would really think before she said something... I on the other hand seemed to blurt everything out that came to my mind! Before I knew it, I had said back, "Jenny, you can't even go to three hours of church without getting antsy and bored... how on earth do you expect to praise God for all eternity??"
...Yep, neither Jenny nor my trainer knew what to say back. In my defense though, my comment wasn't meant to be a direct attack against Jenny's "spirituality" because she can't sit through church, that wasn't the point. It was really a question for all of us... do we really expect God to make us praise him for hours and hours on end when we finally make it to heaven? Is that the ultimate goal? Is that what it means to enter into the rest of the Lord...or is there more than that?
In Hebrews 12:9 we learn that God is our Heavenly Father, "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" For a moment, think about your own parents. What were some of the hopes and dreams that your parents had for you as you grew up? Or if you have kids, what do you hope for your own children? I know that my parents wanted me to become like them, in the sense that they wanted me to be happy, have a family, and be successful. Ultimately, they wanted the best for me.
Now think about this, if someone were to ask your parents 10-20 years ago "when your children are grown, would you want them to follow you around everywhere and praise you for eternity?" what do you think your parents would've said? I can tell you this much, that would be my mom's worst nightmare, haha! We know that our Heavenly Father has desired the same things for us (his children) as our earthly parents, I would even to go as far as to say that I believe the root of why our parents desire the best for us is because it's ingrained in them from a Heavenly Parent. We learn this in D&C 132:14, "and shall (speaking of the righteous) inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths" God wants to give us everything that he has because he loves us.
But just like any good parent knows, there are certain consequences, good and bad, that come as we strive to become like them. God has given us the gift of agency and so we choose who we become and what we do, or parents can't choose for us. When I child chooses to drink alcohol, use drugs, get pregnant out of wedlock... etc. the parent never stops loving them, not ever. But they know that these things have made it hard for their child to ever become like them. It's the same with God, there is a warning (well, actually, there are many but I just want to mention one) that God has given us concerning whether or not we can enter into his rest (or in other words, become like him) and this warning is found in Hebrews 3:12-15 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you in evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we must give heed to his words, keep his commandments, exhort one another daily, be partakers of Christ's sacrifice, be steadfast to the end, and not give into sin.
I have a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children, he wants us to become like him, but in order to do this we must obey him.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Deep Beauty: New Testament Class
Student Choice 02
Lesson 04
Have you ever seen a rebellious high school student that dyes their hair, pierces their nose, or wear's crazy clothes because they claim "I'm just trying to be different!". What's so ironic about this is, everyone else is "trying to be different" in the same exact way! Years ago I had a Book of Mormon teacher one time tell our class, "If you want to be different and stand out... keep the standards of the church." that rang true to me.
My husband and I went to Italy in the summer for our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time, it's absolutely beautiful there! But do you want to know something that I noticed? EVERY single girl was wearing a tank top and shorty-shorts... and there I was with my T-shirt and pants... talk about feeling like a fly in milk! I stood out more than anyone! At first, I felt uncomfortable and less beautiful than all of the other girls but I learned something important, beauty doesn't depend on what you wear, it's how you live your life that's important. And I want to add, if you're living your life close to the spirit, you're not going to feel comfortable wearing revealing clothes.
The Isaiah verses in 2 Nephi 13:16-26 have always bothered me... and I realized not to long ago why it's because ALL of this time I have been reading them wrong! Go figure, reading Isaiah wrong isn't that hard to do with all of the symbolism... it's amazing anyone can understand, haha! But once I finally realized what Isaiah was saying, it has become one of my favorite chapters. Before I had this epiphany, I always thought that Isaiah was saying, "If you ever try to look good, smell good, or wear jewelry, then you are a sinner!" I thought that I needed to walk around looking like a pioneer to please God, but this isn't true. In-fact I believe that when we do get ready for the day and feel good about ourselves it's easier to have the spirit with us. The key to the verses is (2 Nephi 13:16) "Moreover, the Lord saith: because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go..." then they are cursed. It's not so much what they wear, but how they are wearing it. The word haughty means; arrogance, supriority, pridefulness. Stretched-forth necks; cant you just picture girls sticking up their noses at others? Wanton eyes; meaning trying to get men's attention in a bad way.
And then after this verse, that is when Isaiah describes the things that these girls are wearing, but it's not the actual things that are "bad" it's why they are wearing them that is wrong.
I had the same thought in 1 Timothy 2:9-10. When Paul says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." Again, doesn't it feel like he is saying that we need to walk around in our bonnets and cloth dresses feeling shameful and hideous? But when I read verse 10 it became clear "but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." It's not about what we wear, but how we wear it. In-fact, it's not about what we wear at all! It's about doing good works and having God's spirit with us.
Lastly, I want to share something that really changed the way that I viewed myself in High School. I don't know about you but High School was a war between the beauties, meaning, you were only popular and cool if you were beautiful. I watched so many girls hurt themselves and hate themselves because they weren't "beautiful enough" and to make matters worse, boys on the football team would come up with rude nicknames for girls... even the ones that I thought were beautiful.
It was during this time when I was trying to figure out what beauty even was and how I could obtain it that Sister Elaine Dalton (I love her!) gave her conference talk called, "remember who you are!" back in 2010. She said, "I learned about what I now call “deep beauty”—the kind of beauty that shines from the inside
out. It is the kind of beauty that cannot be painted on, surgically
created, or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn’t wash off.
It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue.
It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of
beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women like your mother and
grandmother. It is a beauty that is earned through faith, repentance,
and honoring covenants." Months after this address, she visited my High School to do a morning side (a fire side in the morning) when she walked in, all I could focus on was how beautiful she was and how she just glowed. I was actually asked to give the closing prayer and so I got to talk with her briefly afterwards. Her example and the things that she has taught me about "deep beauty" have changed my life because it's the type of beauty that I have searched for since.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Salvation
Unit 02
Lesson 03
In Romans 12-13 Paul gave much counsel that leads to salvation. Read each of the following verses and list what Paul taught would help lead to salvation:
Romans 12:1- Present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God.
Romans 12:2- Don't be of the world, have clean thoughts and mind, following the will of God and do good.
Romans 12:9- Cleave to the good, stay completely away from all evil, and love without restraint.
Romans 12:13- have charity, be hospitable, be kind to others.
Romans 12:16- don't depend on your own wisdom or the wisdom of men. But be of the same mind with those in the church.
Romans 12:21- don't let evil overcome you, but be good and you'll be able to overcome evil.
Romans 13:1- the priesthood power (power from God) will help us, especially as we subject ourselves to that power.
Romans 13:3- The power of the world can be hard to overcome, especially because they receive so much praise for what they do... but if we do good works and help others and serve God, we will receive the glory of God.
Romans 13:8- Love everyone. It's possible to hate the sin, but to love the sinner.
Romans 13:9- Don't commit adultery, don't kill, don't steal, don't bear false witness, and don't covet.
Lesson 03
In Romans 12-13 Paul gave much counsel that leads to salvation. Read each of the following verses and list what Paul taught would help lead to salvation:
Romans 12:1- Present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God.
Romans 12:2- Don't be of the world, have clean thoughts and mind, following the will of God and do good.
Romans 12:9- Cleave to the good, stay completely away from all evil, and love without restraint.
Romans 12:13- have charity, be hospitable, be kind to others.
Romans 12:16- don't depend on your own wisdom or the wisdom of men. But be of the same mind with those in the church.
Romans 12:21- don't let evil overcome you, but be good and you'll be able to overcome evil.
Romans 13:1- the priesthood power (power from God) will help us, especially as we subject ourselves to that power.
Romans 13:3- The power of the world can be hard to overcome, especially because they receive so much praise for what they do... but if we do good works and help others and serve God, we will receive the glory of God.
Romans 13:8- Love everyone. It's possible to hate the sin, but to love the sinner.
Romans 13:9- Don't commit adultery, don't kill, don't steal, don't bear false witness, and don't covet.
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