In speaking of Captain Moroni, the narrator says an interesting thing:
12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
As Moroni gave his service as the commander of the armies of the Nephites, he viewed his abilities as privileges and blessing that he could bestow upon his people. He willingly used his gifts and talents to help others. He was grateful for the opportunity to serve and make a difference.
Do our hearts swell with thanksgiving when we are priveliged and blessed by the Lord?
Is Captain Moroni charging for his services? If you have a gift from God, do you bless the lifes of others with it? Do you believe that it should be given freely for the benefit of all? Does this apply to temporal gifts as well as spiritual gifts? Whatever we are gifted in, we use that gift for the benefit and welfare of others. I think some of us draw the line between spiritual gifts and temporal gives. Spiritual gifts are used to benefit others but temporal gifts (the ability to make money or grow wealth) are used for our own benefit. This seems to be a faulty paradigm. Either we serve God or we serve mammon. You see, it's a paradigm shift. Instead of believing everything that I do temporally is mine and I can do with it as I please, we believe that all gifts both spiritual and temporal are gifts from God and it is a great privelege and blessing to bestow upon others so they can be rich like us. Now, that I believe is following Christ and a major tenant of the gospel.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Alma 48:6-7 Preparing the hearts of the people
Humans are highly susceptible. What we listen to, read and watch molds our view of what we believe is right or wrong. If we want to develop the spiritual man within us, we put spiritual things into our minds. If we enjoy the baser things, we fill our minds with that kind of material. If we listen to contentious messages, we either turn it off our start agreeing with what is being said. Captain Moroni and Amalickiah were manipulating their peoples back in the Nephite times. In Alma 48:7 we read:
"Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God."
I agree with what Moroni is doing. We all need to have our minds prepared before the testing occurs. Once our minds are prepared to be faithful, when the trial occurs, enough faith can be mustered to meet the challenge. This is happening every time we read our scriptures. It happens when the prophets confer with us during General Conference.
On the other hand there are many deceiving voices out there trying to get us believe lies. There are base TV shows, music lyrics, talk show hosts, movies, etc. They can help us become more carnal, sensual and devilish. They can make feel contentious. In Alma 48:1 we read:
"And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites."
The Lamanites were bombarded with war propaganda from towers erected to disseminate information. Previously they were scared of the power of the Nephites. Many had taken oaths never to come against Nephites again. But the constant bombardment from these towers, swayed the Lamanites into taking up arms again. Their towers are equivalent to our air ways.
We need to be careful not to get sucked into the negativity of the age. We need to be careful not watch movies and TV shows that bring out our baser selves. We are what we listen to. So, listen to and watch good, uplifting and wholesome things!
"Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God."
I agree with what Moroni is doing. We all need to have our minds prepared before the testing occurs. Once our minds are prepared to be faithful, when the trial occurs, enough faith can be mustered to meet the challenge. This is happening every time we read our scriptures. It happens when the prophets confer with us during General Conference.
On the other hand there are many deceiving voices out there trying to get us believe lies. There are base TV shows, music lyrics, talk show hosts, movies, etc. They can help us become more carnal, sensual and devilish. They can make feel contentious. In Alma 48:1 we read:
"And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites."
The Lamanites were bombarded with war propaganda from towers erected to disseminate information. Previously they were scared of the power of the Nephites. Many had taken oaths never to come against Nephites again. But the constant bombardment from these towers, swayed the Lamanites into taking up arms again. Their towers are equivalent to our air ways.
We need to be careful not to get sucked into the negativity of the age. We need to be careful not watch movies and TV shows that bring out our baser selves. We are what we listen to. So, listen to and watch good, uplifting and wholesome things!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The easiness of the way
Sometimes as a Latter-Day Saint I think I have it all wrong. When I read verses like the one in Alma 37:40 I start to wonder if I am complicating matters. The verse says, 'For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.' I am not sure I completely understand this verse. I figure that compass represents word of God which comes in various forms: The Holy Ghost, the scriptures, the prophets, etc. It is as easy to give heed to the word of God now as it was for Lehi's family to give heed to the Liahona. Hum, I am still not getting it completely. In 1 Nephi 16:28 I read, 'And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.' Faith, diligence and heed. I first must believe and cast off my doubt. Then I must be diligent. Diligence is the earnest and persistent application to an undertaking; steady effort. It's the steadfast part of the faith. 2 Nephi 31:20 says, 'Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.' I think diligence is akin to being steadfast. So what is heed? Heed is to pay attention to; listen to and consider. Since the writing on the Liahona changed from time to time, so it is today that our instructions from the various sources changes from time to time. As I receive new instruction, I need pay attention to it, listen to it and consider it.
The word 'easy' still bothers me. In verse 46 it says, 'O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.'
Alma is either stating that the way is easy or that it is easy to get side tracked in a pursuit to living the gospel. If the way is truly easy, that would mean that once a person has a change in heart his path through life becomes significantly easier. He believes that he will be guided and directed and comforted as he travels through the vissitudes of life. He is at rest. He has burdens but they a swallowed up in Christ. Slothful means disinclined to work or exertion; lazy. Alma is exhorting his son to keep on working even though he in in the way. I think it is easy to get into the trap of enjoying the nice things of life and forgetting to get out there to do our duty. Serving isn't necesarily fun but it grows our spirits.
I hope to get to a place in my life where the living the gospel is easy. Even though it is easy, we should alway be found doing our next errand from the Lord.
The word 'easy' still bothers me. In verse 46 it says, 'O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.'
Alma is either stating that the way is easy or that it is easy to get side tracked in a pursuit to living the gospel. If the way is truly easy, that would mean that once a person has a change in heart his path through life becomes significantly easier. He believes that he will be guided and directed and comforted as he travels through the vissitudes of life. He is at rest. He has burdens but they a swallowed up in Christ. Slothful means disinclined to work or exertion; lazy. Alma is exhorting his son to keep on working even though he in in the way. I think it is easy to get into the trap of enjoying the nice things of life and forgetting to get out there to do our duty. Serving isn't necesarily fun but it grows our spirits.
I hope to get to a place in my life where the living the gospel is easy. Even though it is easy, we should alway be found doing our next errand from the Lord.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
How To Find Rest To Your Souls?
How does one find rest to their souls? Alma teaches his son that the way to rest is "... repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ". He then says that we should be "... humble ... [and] ...be meek and lowly in heart [and] to withstand every temptation of the devil, with [our] faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. "(Alma 37:33) What I see here is the need walk the low road, to have a certain attitude.
Alma than tells us to ..."never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls." (v.34) So, rest is found by those who do good works and are very humble. He then adds that we start doing these things at an early age.
How do I walk with meekness and lowliness of heart? This requires coming unto Christ on a daily basis. In verse 36 Alma says, "Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. " In order to walk with God, we must always remember Him in all that we do. Alma continues the same counsel in verse 37, "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God". And, "if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. "
This is the gospel way of life in a nut shell. Alma explains it very clearly. There isn't any compartmentalization of parts of our life. In our business we act one way and in our home we act another way and at church we act another way. We act the same at all times and places. Nephi declared, "May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!" (2 Nephi 4:32)
Rest to our souls comes by walking the humble path of life, every increasing our reliance on the Lord. This approach to life is foolishness in the eyes of the world. The natural man in each us cries out NO WAY as we consider and contemplate these deep changes in our disicipleship.
Alma than tells us to ..."never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls." (v.34) So, rest is found by those who do good works and are very humble. He then adds that we start doing these things at an early age.
How do I walk with meekness and lowliness of heart? This requires coming unto Christ on a daily basis. In verse 36 Alma says, "Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. " In order to walk with God, we must always remember Him in all that we do. Alma continues the same counsel in verse 37, "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God". And, "if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. "
This is the gospel way of life in a nut shell. Alma explains it very clearly. There isn't any compartmentalization of parts of our life. In our business we act one way and in our home we act another way and at church we act another way. We act the same at all times and places. Nephi declared, "May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!" (2 Nephi 4:32)
Rest to our souls comes by walking the humble path of life, every increasing our reliance on the Lord. This approach to life is foolishness in the eyes of the world. The natural man in each us cries out NO WAY as we consider and contemplate these deep changes in our disicipleship.
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