28.12.23

What do I need to pray for?

 

I think it’s sometimes easy for me to see what I think others may need so I pray for others to find the gospel and be converted. I often overlook myself. 


Am I praying for myself to be converted? Do I have a willing heart? Am I praying for a willing heart to seek and do his will or do I think it’s for others because I see all the stuff they need to fix? 


I believe I need to clean my own side of the street (or worry about myself...) and pray for the courage to not only hear his will but to have the courage to put into action what I hear.

7.7.23

So easy to sin… but, even easier to stay clean!

 

Mosiah 2:36-37 says, in part, that “… if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord … that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.”

The active words that are central to this verse are, “if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken”.  Transgression is what drives the Spirit away (a sin of omission can also be a sin of commission, and both are transgressions…).

So, to choose to act (or possibly not act [sin of omission…]) contrary to the Lord’s Will is to lose the Spirit which is sin.  Why else would the Spirit withdraw from you?  You are unclean…

Stay on the strait & narrow path, though, and be clean.

If you start on the strait and narrow, you are clean, and you have the Holy Ghost and Spirit of Christ to guide you and make good choices—now just never step off the path—and stay true till the end! 


Any and every time you are tempted to leave the path or act contrary to that which you’ve been commanded to do, the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Ghost will remind you of what Christ would have you do and the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ will strengthen you so that you can stay on the path of righteousness.


JPS

2.4.23

Pride


1 Nephi (in the Book of Mormon—the keystone of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), chapter 13, verse 9, says:

And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.

I ask myself why do they seek to destroy the saints of God…


I believe the answer is part of the oldest stories of all:

In the Pre-mortal existence, Lucifer’s plan (which was in direct opposition with the plan of God and daughter to destroy the agency of man) was rejected by God the Father and the plan of our eldest brother, Jehovah (who would have the name Jesus on Earth and He would become our Savior and Redeemer!) would be accepted and adopted as The Plan of Salvation or The Plan of Happiness (after all, it was the Father’s Plan, and His Father’s Plan, and His Father’s Plan…).

Lucifer and the third of the host of heaven that followed him, were enemies to God.  Enemies to Jehovah and they hated God the Father and God’s Well-Beloved Son.  They still hate God and His Plan.  Hate Jesus Christ who championed that Plan and everyone who follows that plan…

One way, the easiest way, they can beguile mortals into carrying-out their hate-filled rebellion is through the mortal weekends of pride.  Make man feel that pride through the praise of the world or through that which they feel pride over already…

“… And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.“


JPS


4.11.22

Section 88 of the Doctrine & Covenants and the building-up of Zion

 

This verse seems to be important for section 88 and for building Zion:


The revelation was given after [we] at a conference prayed “separately and vocally to the Lord to reveal his will unto us concerning the upbuilding of Zion.”

25.9.22

Christ's grace and mercy and charity and long-suffering and kindness

 

Regardless of what I've done, no matter what I've accomplished in this life, and even if I've kept myself as clean and spotless and pure and holy as I could, I am still unworthy of any and all of the blessings Elohim and Jesus give me—the blessings are given to me only through Christ's grace and mercy and charity and long-suffering and kindness. I can't claim or demand anything, for I am unworthy of all but damnation...but through Christ I am given everything! Anything that I am given is literally thanks to Jesus Christ and his goodness and love! In answer to Alma's question, I and we have NO grounds to even hope for salvation, only but for God’s LOVE!

Now, out of love for Him, I will follow Him! He told me that I could be forgiven of my sins, be sanctified and glorified through His resurrection and the Atonement He paid, and He is a God of Truth and cannot lie (Enos 1:6 + Lectures on Faith 3:16).

22.9.22

Proximity and Frequency

 

I was thinking about my daughter, who just went-over to a neighborhood friend’s house, and wondered why now, and none of the other 3650 days (ok, she couldn’t have when she was a baby and wouldn’t have been able to until she was five or six [unless Claire’s parents were friends with my wife and I]), but hadn’t even wanted to during the two years that they were in pre-school together…  But it dawned on me: They are now in the same school class together! 

So, add age (maturity) + likes/dislikes + tastes + same grade + same class + the fact that we are in the same neighborhood = fast friends!

Age didn’t do it…  being in the same school didn’t do it… being in the same class didn’t do it…  either dislikes/likes…  add those all together and the fact that they live so close to each other, and voila!

Proximity

Speaking of proximity, just realizing that the same thing is true with our relationship to our Heavenly Father and God.  In fact, it'll work backwards on that list of fast friendship, in fact, if you look even more closely through the first 88-or-so sections of the Doctrine & Covenants, you'll see that there is a progression (not that it always is this progression...): servant, son, friend.  You can be any of those at any time, but it becomes harder to become friends if you are always at a big distance from each other.  In other words, once you are friends, you can simultaneously be any or every of the other types of relationships as well: Friend & Son, Friend & Servant, etc.  But, it is less likely that you can be a friend just because you're a son or a servant.  Again, though, once you are a friend, you can also be any of the other types of relationships (daughter = son, in the case that you are a woman or a girl).

In fact, I would posit that our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes deeper and more sure as you become and remain together for longer periods of time--more scripture reading, more prayers, more time with your family learning together (all requiring the presence of the Holy Ghost [the third member of the Godhead] to become effective), more weeks in Sacrament Meeting, more time studying the Gospel, more time in the temple, more time spent with your spouse and family (and the more time spent with your spouse "established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities").

In other words, the closer you are to those you love, the closer you'll be--the more time you spend together doing the things that are intended to bring you closer together (and eventually make you one), the more time the Spirit is with you and the more united you will become, and the more you will become one.

Frequency

Proximity & Frequency = Fast Friends with God

JPS

23.8.22

Gratitude for daily blessings

 

I usually write in my journal at home, but I wanted to record, here, something of my gratitude and recognition of the bounteous blessings that pour down on and around my head.  My family and my relationship with both My Heavenly Father and my Eldest Brother, Jesus, first and foremost—my sons, Addison, Quentin, and Calvin and my daughter Samantha, as well as my wife jill.  I sometimes worry that I am grateful to and for her more than I should be…  in the report about a personal interview with the Savior, given by David O. McKay, we read about our first responsibility, “


 
First, he will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife. Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual?”

I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, My Savior Jesus, and my wife, jill.

May I learn to love them all better and more perfectly!

JPS

16.7.22

Can the devil or his angels read?

 

I have often wondered if the devil or his angels can read…  This post, however, was spawned by a comment that I heard while listening to a podcast from Book of Mormon Central, where Laman & Lemuel were referenced (Lehi’s oldest sons from the Book of Mormon—the first prophet spoken of and Nephi’s father, who wrote the first two books).  It was said, that this podcaster couldn’t be sure, but that it was his belief that Laman and Lemuel were illiterate.  I am not saying that this is true, but, if they are illiterate, wouldn’t it be most likely true of Satan’s minions?  

Why does it seem like nobody has ever warned against writing things in your journal or diary but it has been said again and again that you should not or be wary of saying things aloud that you wouldn’t want the devil to know about?  

Wouldn’t the same reasoning that would support the idea that Laman&Lemuel couldn’t read also go to support the idea that Satan’s minions can’t read?

Those are my thoughts (some of them…),


JPS


3.12.21

The Soul Felt it’s Worth!?!

 

In the Christmas song, "O Holy Night" there is a line that states, "Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth."

I've been pondering that line for quite some time and would like to express some of my thoughts:

* Did the soul not feel any worth before?  He or she was a child of the Eternal Father, an immortal being, and thus, heir to divinity!  How could it not have felt its worth until then?  Well, to make a claim about one's divinity (and it's not just a casual relationship, but a child of God the Father!!!) is enough to shock anyone into feeling the worth of your soul!

* Everyone's soul is of infinite worth because of Who made it--God the Father and Our Heavenly Mother, but imagine your Father's Well-Beloved-Son, the firstborn spirit child (so, that would make Him our--everyone born on this Earth and all Earth's created by Christ--Elder Brother!!!) sacrificing Himself--an eternal and infinite sacrifice, where "He bled from every poor as He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross" (see Russell M. Nelson's talk in the Sunday morning session if general conference called "The Correct Name of the Church").  All of this as He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity as the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and yet, with His stripes, we are healed (Mosiah 14:5)! 

* He did that for each and every one of His brothers and sisters.  That is how very special you are to Him and to Our Heavenly Father (that He would be willing to allow His firstborn in the flesh to sacrifice Himself and be sacrificed for His brothers and sisters)!

* Imagine that... Your soul is so very, very, very special and of infinite worth!


JPS

10.8.21

What is it about filthiness or uncleanliness that God or the Holy Ghost can’t abide?


What is it about filthiness or uncleanliness that God or the Holy Ghost can’t abide?

And what is it, about choosing sin that makes one unclean?

Here are my thoughts… 

To sin is to act contrary to the will of God but what makes that a sin?

Jesus Christ was the only perfect person to live on this Earth, and perfect = clean and able to stand in God’s presence—so inasmuch as I choose to act contrary to that perfection, I am sinning and the laws of Justice demand that I either follow that perfect example or have to pay!  That’s just the way it is and always has always been!

To act contrary to that example is to sin and to be unclean or filthy and the reason why is because the demands of Justice require that… but why is that the only satisfiable payment or form of universal currency?  Because of the Atonement and the demands of Justice created by the intelligences of the universe require to be satisfied.  You can’t fight a tidal wave, right?

JPS