Joseph Smith called himself the "rough stone rolling" at different times in his life and occasionally explained what he meant by that... In 1843 he said that "The hammer and chisel never was heard on me nor never will be. I desire the learning of heaven alone." At another time he commented that the fact that he was "rolling down the hill" meant that as he was moving through life or rolling down the hill, the obstacles and challenges and hard things in life that he would come into contact with would knock a little piece off here and a little piece off there, until, he said, he would be a polished shaft in the quiver of Jehovah!
What he was saying was, if you will indulge me to explain what he was saying (I never actually having spoken with him before...), that he was going to live his life according to the will of God and that he would almost necessarily come-up-against different pitfalls or obstacles that would try to stop him, but that nothing was going to come between him and the object he was seeking (to accomplish God's will). Those obstacles and challenges would certainly try to destroy him and would knock a piece of that rough stone from the edges, until eventually he would be made entirely smooth and he would be "a polished shaft" and be able to do all things that the Lord asks him to do!
Now, I believe that all of us are rough stones rolling down the hill, inasmuch as we are moving towards the will of God! We must necessarily be moving (see 2 Nephi 2 about, in verse 16-Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.) as none of us can be holding still (we must act!!!) and we must be either choosing to follow Christ or we are choosing to move away from him...
As we are choosing to move towards the Savior, we will be stopped by the difficulties of life and we will be forced to make moral decisions... Each time we choose to fight against the incitements of the adversary of righteousness, we will have a "little piece off here and a little piece off there" (quoting myself and not Joseph Smith... Maybe?) until we become that polished shaft in the quiver of God!
I consider these "blogs" an opportunity to have some more of my rough edges knocked off and welcome and invite all people (that means YOU!) that may have a contrary position to speak up and tell me about it... The fact that I am rolling down the hill does not mean that I'm necessarily going to be writing correct things or a piece of the "Gospel of Josh" (Maybe?) and that you wouldn't want to say something contrary to what I have written... Think about it! Like I said, all of us a rolling one way or the other (and you can't help that... Thanks to agency, every choice we make either leads us either back to God or away from him... Even, "Should I shower first or eat breakfast?" will be a choice that will lead to other choices that will make up your day--I am NOT saying that itself is a moral choice, but will eventually lead to other choices and some of them moral).
So, continue to live your life as you feel you must and realize that you are determining where it is that you will end up by every single choice you make!!!
JPS
30.7.08
Three women who LOVE their men...
I've been thinking about this subject for a while (years actually...) and just have recently read 3 blogsites where the writer was a woman, and she consistently pays great homage or tribute to their husband or man-in-their-life.
I think that this is such a great thing because:
1- No relationship is going to grow and flourish with only half of the couple doing their utmost to keep the love alive in their relationship... Admittedly, I have always think of the man needing to make sure that this "flame" still burns bright, but it seems that I am wrong and it amazes me to see the woman taking up this role with ease!!!
2- The woman tends to know what things are going on in both of their lives and is a natural coordinator to help their marriage/relationship remain in harmony... Both with both of their hectic schedules and their friends and their families and all that is involved in keeping those-things-that-are-keeping-them-together going!
and 3- Women tend to be more sensitive and know perfectly the likes/dislikes, loves and bothersome things (fastidiousities?) at the forefront of their minds and along with their harmonious qualities, can make sure that love flourishes in that relationship...
HEY MEN!!! Wake-up and pay attention to the love that is burning and kept aflame because of mostly what your significant companion (speaking only about women, mind you! Please refer to The Proclamation to the World to understand more fully!) is doing... Then, put your new resolve to action and "step it up"!!!
As to the three women I mentioned at the beginning of this blog are Kristen Harris, Stephanie Stott, and Jinjer Donaldson... Dave, Tom, and Peter are the lucky men (respectively)!
(I in no-way am saying that YOU do not love your man or that this precludes any men from being that great amarist (lover) in their own relationship, this "blog" was just specifically paying tribute to that great feminine love...)
JPS
I think that this is such a great thing because:
1- No relationship is going to grow and flourish with only half of the couple doing their utmost to keep the love alive in their relationship... Admittedly, I have always think of the man needing to make sure that this "flame" still burns bright, but it seems that I am wrong and it amazes me to see the woman taking up this role with ease!!!
2- The woman tends to know what things are going on in both of their lives and is a natural coordinator to help their marriage/relationship remain in harmony... Both with both of their hectic schedules and their friends and their families and all that is involved in keeping those-things-that-are-keeping-them-together going!
and 3- Women tend to be more sensitive and know perfectly the likes/dislikes, loves and bothersome things (fastidiousities?) at the forefront of their minds and along with their harmonious qualities, can make sure that love flourishes in that relationship...
HEY MEN!!! Wake-up and pay attention to the love that is burning and kept aflame because of mostly what your significant companion (speaking only about women, mind you! Please refer to The Proclamation to the World to understand more fully!) is doing... Then, put your new resolve to action and "step it up"!!!
As to the three women I mentioned at the beginning of this blog are Kristen Harris, Stephanie Stott, and Jinjer Donaldson... Dave, Tom, and Peter are the lucky men (respectively)!
(I in no-way am saying that YOU do not love your man or that this precludes any men from being that great amarist (lover) in their own relationship, this "blog" was just specifically paying tribute to that great feminine love...)
JPS
27.7.08
Prejudices and the Living Force...
"True": We all make every decision with all of our baggage and wisdom + knowledge that we've gained from the past, yet I believe that it is very important to make all of our choices afresh and not be "bogged-down" by prejudices or even traditions that we have previously been following...
Remember the words of Qui-Gon Jinn in ""The Phantom Menace" to "listen to the living force".
Isn't it true that we all need to make every decision as if it was the first time we had ever been confronted with that scenario before, even if we may have been in a similar situation many times!
If we don't make our decisions "afresh", then we
Even, though, when we are making decisions based on council given to us from long ago--from the scriptures, from old council from an old prophet, or even from Jesus Christ, we have the confirming promptings from the "ever-living and ever-fresh" Holy Ghost tell you what is God's will!
Remember the words of Qui-Gon Jinn in ""The Phantom Menace" to "listen to the living force".
Isn't it true that we all need to make every decision as if it was the first time we had ever been confronted with that scenario before, even if we may have been in a similar situation many times!
If we don't make our decisions "afresh", then we
Even, though, when we are making decisions based on council given to us from long ago--from the scriptures, from old council from an old prophet, or even from Jesus Christ, we have the confirming promptings from the "ever-living and ever-fresh" Holy Ghost tell you what is God's will!
Is it good for man to be alone?
Well, is it good for a man to be alone?
Since I've written the couple of blogs about events that could have left me depressed and despondent with nothing good to say about marriage, I have been thinking about this very subject every single day (sometimes most-of-the-day...) and yesterday as I was at the temple, the answer came to me!
Answer: No, it is not good for man to be alone...
I'm not saying that I'm starting a new crusade to find a wife or that I'm actually going to change the way that I've lived my life up until now, but I will tell you one way that I have changed: I know that it is not good for man to be alone!
I, of course, knew that all along and had never though, indeed, that it would be good or even preferred for me to be alone, but now I have a spiritual and a temporal witness that it isn't my place or destiny to go through this life by myself--I will go through this life with a companion and helpmeet. Or maybe I won't. It is all up to the Lord's will, but I know now (or have been reminded) the plan of God for me...
JPS
Since I've written the couple of blogs about events that could have left me depressed and despondent with nothing good to say about marriage, I have been thinking about this very subject every single day (sometimes most-of-the-day...) and yesterday as I was at the temple, the answer came to me!
Answer: No, it is not good for man to be alone...
I'm not saying that I'm starting a new crusade to find a wife or that I'm actually going to change the way that I've lived my life up until now, but I will tell you one way that I have changed: I know that it is not good for man to be alone!
I, of course, knew that all along and had never though, indeed, that it would be good or even preferred for me to be alone, but now I have a spiritual and a temporal witness that it isn't my place or destiny to go through this life by myself--I will go through this life with a companion and helpmeet. Or maybe I won't. It is all up to the Lord's will, but I know now (or have been reminded) the plan of God for me...
JPS
Taking the GRE!
Any brilliant suggestions on taking the GRE? What is your best advice on taking the test? Have any little tid-bits that are going to help me take it and get a score that will "promise" acceptance into a worthy grad-school?
JPS
JPS
24.7.08
Hard to understand, save you should inquire of God...
In 1 Nephi chapter 15, we read one one of the dozens of times that Nephi's two elder brothers, Laman and Lemuel, hear a wonderful and spiritually uplifting sermon from their father only to criticize the counsel and the Lord for not being able to understand the teachings...
Nephi hears them out and them asks them, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"
As I was thinking about these lessons (because there is a very good reason that the first book in the Book of Mormon is so chuck-full of great and easy-to-understand lessons--because every single reader has started-over and read the first 10-or-so chapters an almost infinite amount of times!), I had to stop and ask myself:
Am I willing to ask the Lord for help?
The answer, unfortunately, is a resounding "yes" when it comes to things that I find important or things that I would like to have happen... BUT I think that more often and all-too-often I choose to simply let my own brain figure out the answers instead of asking for help from the Lord!
I'm not saying that "the mind" isn't a wonderful thing, capable of an infinite amount of marvels, but only that I feel that I am guilty of "trusting in the arm of flesh" and having the object of my faith be my own body/brain...
How many more things would you think that I would be able to do if I would just ask and trust that the Lord will shine his light down on His child? Is my "not asking" a form of ingratitude? Am I really faithful or in some ways am I not "holding myself back" by not letting my Heavenly Father shine down his gifts onto me?
Aren't you guilty of the same thing, but maybe in a different way?
Jesus Christ has told us, over and over and over that (in fact, it is the most used phrase in all of scripture, quoting the Lord...):
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7, Luke 11:9, 3 Ne. 14:7, and Doctrine and Covenants 42:62)
Need I be afraid to ask?
JPS
Nephi hears them out and them asks them, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"
As I was thinking about these lessons (because there is a very good reason that the first book in the Book of Mormon is so chuck-full of great and easy-to-understand lessons--because every single reader has started-over and read the first 10-or-so chapters an almost infinite amount of times!), I had to stop and ask myself:
Am I willing to ask the Lord for help?
The answer, unfortunately, is a resounding "yes" when it comes to things that I find important or things that I would like to have happen... BUT I think that more often and all-too-often I choose to simply let my own brain figure out the answers instead of asking for help from the Lord!
I'm not saying that "the mind" isn't a wonderful thing, capable of an infinite amount of marvels, but only that I feel that I am guilty of "trusting in the arm of flesh" and having the object of my faith be my own body/brain...
How many more things would you think that I would be able to do if I would just ask and trust that the Lord will shine his light down on His child? Is my "not asking" a form of ingratitude? Am I really faithful or in some ways am I not "holding myself back" by not letting my Heavenly Father shine down his gifts onto me?
Aren't you guilty of the same thing, but maybe in a different way?
Jesus Christ has told us, over and over and over that (in fact, it is the most used phrase in all of scripture, quoting the Lord...):
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7, Luke 11:9, 3 Ne. 14:7, and Doctrine and Covenants 42:62)
Need I be afraid to ask?
JPS
19.7.08
And perhaps thou shalt CAUSE thy nighbor to sin also...
In the Book of Mormon, book of Mosiah, chapter 4, verse 28 we read of a warning that the prophet and king gives to his people:
And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you aborroweth of his neighbor should return the thing that he borroweth, according as he doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin; and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also.
... One of the many arguments or heated discussions or (let's just say it!), fights that we had was about the this concept. The most prominent discussion was about letting Addison play with his friends on Sunday. The family rule (and this rule is not necessarily binding on any other person, but it was our rule...); there was no going over and asking your friend to play on Sunday.
If we were outside, though, (enjoying the day and the outside... You know!) and another family happened to stroll-by and their kids wanted to play with Addison, then that was just fine and completely following the rules! We just did not want other children to see Addison playing outside (or coming over to their house to play...) and take that as license for them to play!
However, the rule was that our children (in this case: child....) were to Keep the Sabbath-Day holy and NOT seek-out opportunities to play with friends, or to even play out in the front-yard and, thus, become a standing-invitation to play on Sunday, etc.
You see the difference?
It was all done under the same concept that we read in this handy scripture! It is completely and totally up to each individual family as to whether or not you will let your own children "play" with their friends on the Sunday, just like it was any other day of the week... For me and for my house, (Joshua 24:15) we considered such an activity completely not in accordance with our Sabbath reverence!!!
Can't you understand?
JPS
And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you aborroweth of his neighbor should return the thing that he borroweth, according as he doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin; and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also.
... One of the many arguments or heated discussions or (let's just say it!), fights that we had was about the this concept. The most prominent discussion was about letting Addison play with his friends on Sunday. The family rule (and this rule is not necessarily binding on any other person, but it was our rule...); there was no going over and asking your friend to play on Sunday.
If we were outside, though, (enjoying the day and the outside... You know!) and another family happened to stroll-by and their kids wanted to play with Addison, then that was just fine and completely following the rules! We just did not want other children to see Addison playing outside (or coming over to their house to play...) and take that as license for them to play!
However, the rule was that our children (in this case: child....) were to Keep the Sabbath-Day holy and NOT seek-out opportunities to play with friends, or to even play out in the front-yard and, thus, become a standing-invitation to play on Sunday, etc.
You see the difference?
It was all done under the same concept that we read in this handy scripture! It is completely and totally up to each individual family as to whether or not you will let your own children "play" with their friends on the Sunday, just like it was any other day of the week... For me and for my house, (Joshua 24:15) we considered such an activity completely not in accordance with our Sabbath reverence!!!
Can't you understand?
JPS
16.7.08
Musing about DIVORCE...
I was talking to a friend the other day who said that going through a divorce must have been really hard. Then he followed that up with, "It must have been really hard on your testimony!"
Actually, now that I think about it again, I'm not sure that this conversation actually ever took place or if it was all implied conversational words to what we were already talking about... Sorry, if it offends you to talk about a theoretical conversation, then, you'll be quite sad to realize that nearly ALL of my posts a theoretical in nature...
Back to the topic-at-hand though! My answer to him was that, "Divorce, like almost all things in life, can either strengthen one's testimony or it can crush it." And, if you think about it, you will need to concede that it's true!!!
Let's look at the two ways you major ways you could react: lose your testimony or be spurred on and get stronger and stronger in your faith!
There will always be different gradations or levels to one's reaction, but we need to mention only these two...
"I JUST GOT A DIVORCE AND NOW I WILL STOP ALL OF MY FAITHFUL ACTIVITIES"
or
"I JUST GOT A DIVORCE AND NOW I WILL MAKE THE MOST OF THIS NEW LIFE AND BECOME STRONGER IN MY FAITH"
Now, why would you turn away from your testimony?
--Maybe you never really had a testimony, but you only recognized the way you felt towards the church and Christ through the love that you had with your wife...
--Maybe you have become bitter because of your divorce; after all, didn't you do everything that you were supposed to have done, including being married in the temple. Didn't you keep all of your covenants? Didn't God let you down then?
--Maybe you have a testimony still, but you lied to yourself about, "I'll go to church next week" over and over again, but time passed and now you found yourself on the elder's quorum presidency short list of people-to-see-lest-they-fall-entirely-inactive!
Now, how would your testimony burn brighter even though you just went through a divorce?
--Maybe you grew from the trial of being separated and even more now that you are divorced, and turn back to life with your new insights hungry for more life-lessons!
--Maybe you were like a newborn chick ready to burst out of your egg, as you feel free now, in some ways, to express your testimony that you feel like had been being pent-up for all those years!
--Maybe you are a living example of what we learn from Ether 12:27-"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Now they have been humbled by the divorce experiences, they are ready to show the Lord just how grateful they are for the experience!
We all know that there is no-such-thing as standing still in your testimony; it is either growing larger or it is shrinking down to nothing. You can't pretend that your trial isn't going to effect you...
Just read the words of Joshua of Old and be inspired by them, Joshua 24:15-"Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
JPS
Actually, now that I think about it again, I'm not sure that this conversation actually ever took place or if it was all implied conversational words to what we were already talking about... Sorry, if it offends you to talk about a theoretical conversation, then, you'll be quite sad to realize that nearly ALL of my posts a theoretical in nature...
Back to the topic-at-hand though! My answer to him was that, "Divorce, like almost all things in life, can either strengthen one's testimony or it can crush it." And, if you think about it, you will need to concede that it's true!!!
Let's look at the two ways you major ways you could react: lose your testimony or be spurred on and get stronger and stronger in your faith!
There will always be different gradations or levels to one's reaction, but we need to mention only these two...
"I JUST GOT A DIVORCE AND NOW I WILL STOP ALL OF MY FAITHFUL ACTIVITIES"
or
"I JUST GOT A DIVORCE AND NOW I WILL MAKE THE MOST OF THIS NEW LIFE AND BECOME STRONGER IN MY FAITH"
Now, why would you turn away from your testimony?
--Maybe you never really had a testimony, but you only recognized the way you felt towards the church and Christ through the love that you had with your wife...
--Maybe you have become bitter because of your divorce; after all, didn't you do everything that you were supposed to have done, including being married in the temple. Didn't you keep all of your covenants? Didn't God let you down then?
--Maybe you have a testimony still, but you lied to yourself about, "I'll go to church next week" over and over again, but time passed and now you found yourself on the elder's quorum presidency short list of people-to-see-lest-they-fall-entirely-inactive!
Now, how would your testimony burn brighter even though you just went through a divorce?
--Maybe you grew from the trial of being separated and even more now that you are divorced, and turn back to life with your new insights hungry for more life-lessons!
--Maybe you were like a newborn chick ready to burst out of your egg, as you feel free now, in some ways, to express your testimony that you feel like had been being pent-up for all those years!
--Maybe you are a living example of what we learn from Ether 12:27-"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Now they have been humbled by the divorce experiences, they are ready to show the Lord just how grateful they are for the experience!
We all know that there is no-such-thing as standing still in your testimony; it is either growing larger or it is shrinking down to nothing. You can't pretend that your trial isn't going to effect you...
Just read the words of Joshua of Old and be inspired by them, Joshua 24:15-"Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
JPS
15.7.08
Eternal companionship?
I have recently been thinking or admitting to myself that I just very-well may not find and marry that someone-with-whom-I-will-spend-eternity in this life... No, stop it! I am being very serious here and not just posting a blog to get some sort of reaction out of you or so that I would be flooded with "get well soon" emails trying to cheer me up...
That does not mean that I am giving-up or that I won't do all that I can to find that person who will be my perfect companion... My goals and my methodology-to-reach-them have not changed in the slightest (but I won't be so aggressive or as aggressive)!
Just living my life as I know that I should will perform all of the "weeding out" that I have purposefully done in the past and will put me on the right path for encountering that wonderful woman who will love me as much as I love her!
Who knows though? I mean, do YOU know? How do you know then?
I am content not knowing, because in the end, I WILL know it all!!!
JPS
That does not mean that I am giving-up or that I won't do all that I can to find that person who will be my perfect companion... My goals and my methodology-to-reach-them have not changed in the slightest (but I won't be so aggressive or as aggressive)!
Just living my life as I know that I should will perform all of the "weeding out" that I have purposefully done in the past and will put me on the right path for encountering that wonderful woman who will love me as much as I love her!
Who knows though? I mean, do YOU know? How do you know then?
I am content not knowing, because in the end, I WILL know it all!!!
JPS
13.7.08
"Lying with his eyes", response!
As you may remember, I did post a blog asking you to respond and comment on the topic at hand, which was, "Lying with his eyes"... I appreciate the two people that responded, but am a little dissapointed in the less-than astounding number of responses from YOU readers...
Both of the pieces from the original blog were specific to phrase "lying with your eyes" as : In "The Island", where it was said,
"Something is wrong! His eyes are lying..." and then the Beatles song actually says,
"Lying with his eyes", both of which imply that one can actually "lie" with one's eyes...
To which Finn replied that, "The eyes look away for a lie" and quoted an Eagle's lyrics:
You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't no way to hide your lyin eyes
and then Cami said that, "I believe eyes can lie." She also refers to movies where the way that the protagonist can tell that the perpetrator is lying is with his eyes...
However, I was looking for some sort of response as to how you can tell that one is lying or how one can lie... Let's turn to the scriptures to see what sort of insight we can glean from their words:
In Deuteronomy 28:56 we read: The tender and delicate woman among you... her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter and then in verse 65: ... but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
(we have the frailty of the eyes and the inconstancy of their gaze...)
But in Proverbs 23: 5-6 we see: Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats...
(we see that where the eye is focused, so the heart's desire lies, but also that as you lie, "[your eyes] fly away as an eagle toward heaven...)
And in Moses 1:11-But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld...
In Doctrine & Covenants 121:2--How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?
(the eye is not an evil thing, but is a pure organ, unless we focus on evil things)
And finally we come back to Christ's appearance among the Nephites in the Book of Mormon where we read that in 3 Nephi chapter 11 verses 5, 8, & 15,
5-And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
8-And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven...
& 15-And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
(again, we see that where the eye is focused, there the faith of the person is also focused and is amplified if it is turned to a faithful thing)
So, we are left to conclude that 1) eyes are inconstant and evil but only evil if one chooses to turn toward evil things, otherwise is a pure organ and able to amplify the good or evil that it is focused on, 2) the eye is nothing without the person focusing the vision on the good. Once the eye's focus is on the good, then the whole body is full of light and in Doctrine & Covenants 77: 4, we see that,
Q. What are we to understand by the eyes and wings, which the beasts had?
A. Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc.
Where we see again in 3 Nephi 13:22-23:
The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. If however, your eye is dark, then if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
You don't want to have dark or lying eyes, for how great is that darkness?
JPS
Both of the pieces from the original blog were specific to phrase "lying with your eyes" as : In "The Island", where it was said,
"Something is wrong! His eyes are lying..." and then the Beatles song actually says,
"Lying with his eyes", both of which imply that one can actually "lie" with one's eyes...
To which Finn replied that, "The eyes look away for a lie" and quoted an Eagle's lyrics:
You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't no way to hide your lyin eyes
and then Cami said that, "I believe eyes can lie." She also refers to movies where the way that the protagonist can tell that the perpetrator is lying is with his eyes...
However, I was looking for some sort of response as to how you can tell that one is lying or how one can lie... Let's turn to the scriptures to see what sort of insight we can glean from their words:
In Deuteronomy 28:56 we read: The tender and delicate woman among you... her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter and then in verse 65: ... but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
(we have the frailty of the eyes and the inconstancy of their gaze...)
But in Proverbs 23: 5-6 we see: Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats...
(we see that where the eye is focused, so the heart's desire lies, but also that as you lie, "[your eyes] fly away as an eagle toward heaven...)
And in Moses 1:11-But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld...
In Doctrine & Covenants 121:2--How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?
(the eye is not an evil thing, but is a pure organ, unless we focus on evil things)
And finally we come back to Christ's appearance among the Nephites in the Book of Mormon where we read that in 3 Nephi chapter 11 verses 5, 8, & 15,
5-And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
8-And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven...
& 15-And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
(again, we see that where the eye is focused, there the faith of the person is also focused and is amplified if it is turned to a faithful thing)
So, we are left to conclude that 1) eyes are inconstant and evil but only evil if one chooses to turn toward evil things, otherwise is a pure organ and able to amplify the good or evil that it is focused on, 2) the eye is nothing without the person focusing the vision on the good. Once the eye's focus is on the good, then the whole body is full of light and in Doctrine & Covenants 77: 4, we see that,
Q. What are we to understand by the eyes and wings, which the beasts had?
A. Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc.
Where we see again in 3 Nephi 13:22-23:
The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. If however, your eye is dark, then if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
You don't want to have dark or lying eyes, for how great is that darkness?
JPS
7.7.08
"Lying with his eyes", feedback!
So, I finished watching the movie "The Island" with Ewan McGregor, and heard a very interesting phrase: "Something is wrong! His eyes are lying...".
This makes me immediately think of the Beatles song, "Happiness is a Warm Gun" which says, "Lying with his eyes, while his hands are busy working overtime...".
I simply want to hear from you all (Yes! Even YOU... and don't think that I won't notice that YOU don't respond); what you all think about lying with your eyes!!!
Just submit your commentary or thoughts as a response to this post... Some time in the future, I will write an entire blog/post about the idea, as it is one of my favorite things to think about in the entire world!
Write away, please!!! I am most interested to hear what you have to say (Matt and others, please refrain from letting a Beatles commentary be mojority of your reply, as I am well aware that you could write pages and pages about that song/the authors/etc., but FOCUS on the meaning behind the words)!
JPS
This makes me immediately think of the Beatles song, "Happiness is a Warm Gun" which says, "Lying with his eyes, while his hands are busy working overtime...".
I simply want to hear from you all (Yes! Even YOU... and don't think that I won't notice that YOU don't respond); what you all think about lying with your eyes!!!
Just submit your commentary or thoughts as a response to this post... Some time in the future, I will write an entire blog/post about the idea, as it is one of my favorite things to think about in the entire world!
Write away, please!!! I am most interested to hear what you have to say (Matt and others, please refrain from letting a Beatles commentary be mojority of your reply, as I am well aware that you could write pages and pages about that song/the authors/etc., but FOCUS on the meaning behind the words)!
JPS
6.7.08
Learning of Heavenly Father from Hollywood?
Watching the movie, The Rainmaker the other night, I had a glimpse of some of the characteristics that are how I think our Heavenly Father operates.
You know how he is often referred to as the Great Eternal Judge Elohim? Well... watching that John Grisham movie last night, a judge played by Danny Glover helped enlighten me as to a way that I can understand the righteous judgment of God.
The first thing that I thought of was how the the judge helped the brand new attorney, Matt Damon plead the case and lead his teams "discovery" words by using the correct verbage and following the correct order. At one point, the judge asks the new attorney if he wouldn't like to begin with a certain pleading, etc. In a very similar way, in order to come before God and in order to be able to receive of his blessings, we have to be shown the correct way and use proper verbage in our pleadings (Romans 8:26-... for we know not what we should pay as we ought..."
God the Father is anxious to help us out in whatever way that he can, if we will but follow his laws, as we read, in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21:
(20) There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
(21) And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
Although He is looking to bless us all, he cannot "look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (D&C 1:31)". In other words, He is looking for any way that He can bless and strenthen and help and guide us, though He must, follow all the regulations and rules and dictates, even He, Himself must follow those same rules (though they are His only) of righteousness, or He would "cease to be God" (Alma 42).
Heavenly Father, in an infinitely superior way than the judge in The Rainmaker, is anxious to help us and give us all the blessings that he can. He is waiting and even "chomping at the bit" to bless each and every one of us (as we are all his children--that means that YES, even YOU! are his son or his daughter) and all we need to do is 1) act righteously and keep his commandments and 2) ask Him for that which we need. The treat part of this all is that even if we're not sure what to ask for, the Spirit will help us to know what to ask for...
JPS
You know how he is often referred to as the Great Eternal Judge Elohim? Well... watching that John Grisham movie last night, a judge played by Danny Glover helped enlighten me as to a way that I can understand the righteous judgment of God.
The first thing that I thought of was how the the judge helped the brand new attorney, Matt Damon plead the case and lead his teams "discovery" words by using the correct verbage and following the correct order. At one point, the judge asks the new attorney if he wouldn't like to begin with a certain pleading, etc. In a very similar way, in order to come before God and in order to be able to receive of his blessings, we have to be shown the correct way and use proper verbage in our pleadings (Romans 8:26-... for we know not what we should pay as we ought..."
God the Father is anxious to help us out in whatever way that he can, if we will but follow his laws, as we read, in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21:
(20) There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
(21) And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
Although He is looking to bless us all, he cannot "look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (D&C 1:31)". In other words, He is looking for any way that He can bless and strenthen and help and guide us, though He must, follow all the regulations and rules and dictates, even He, Himself must follow those same rules (though they are His only) of righteousness, or He would "cease to be God" (Alma 42).
Heavenly Father, in an infinitely superior way than the judge in The Rainmaker, is anxious to help us and give us all the blessings that he can. He is waiting and even "chomping at the bit" to bless each and every one of us (as we are all his children--that means that YES, even YOU! are his son or his daughter) and all we need to do is 1) act righteously and keep his commandments and 2) ask Him for that which we need. The treat part of this all is that even if we're not sure what to ask for, the Spirit will help us to know what to ask for...
JPS
Parting blows...
The way I see it, there are two reasons why you should use a parting blow...
To explain what I am trying to convey with the term, "parting blow" (because each of us knows what the word means, whether we dish them out or whether we have been on the receiving end of one), let me explain what one is, and in the meantime I will answer the question, "why use one?":
1) The most common way these are used is in being malicious! You use a parting blow so that you can ensure that there will be no time for the other person to have a 'quick comeback'... so that you will have "the last word in the matter"... or so that you can defeat the other person and leave them with no will power or time or possibility to respond to your blow!
2) I've just thought of another way to use a "parting blow" with less than the unfair and hurtful way that you used it in the first scenario: You make your last statement or word on the matter in such a way that you have now put the issue to rest and because there is going to be no comeback or response to your statement...
Is there room for both possibilities in your dialogue? Yes. Should you ever use possibility 1 then? I really don't believe that you should ever do such a thing... Which leaves you with the warning that if you think that you need to use a parting blow in a conversation, then it should be done ONLY keeping in mind that if you do stray off-course and say something in a sarcastic or a belittleing or an outright-snotty way, you are in the wrong and can only opologize and do something or say something to let the other know that you are never going to say such a thing again...
Just repent and by so-doing change your mind!
JPS
To explain what I am trying to convey with the term, "parting blow" (because each of us knows what the word means, whether we dish them out or whether we have been on the receiving end of one), let me explain what one is, and in the meantime I will answer the question, "why use one?":
1) The most common way these are used is in being malicious! You use a parting blow so that you can ensure that there will be no time for the other person to have a 'quick comeback'... so that you will have "the last word in the matter"... or so that you can defeat the other person and leave them with no will power or time or possibility to respond to your blow!
2) I've just thought of another way to use a "parting blow" with less than the unfair and hurtful way that you used it in the first scenario: You make your last statement or word on the matter in such a way that you have now put the issue to rest and because there is going to be no comeback or response to your statement...
Is there room for both possibilities in your dialogue? Yes. Should you ever use possibility 1 then? I really don't believe that you should ever do such a thing... Which leaves you with the warning that if you think that you need to use a parting blow in a conversation, then it should be done ONLY keeping in mind that if you do stray off-course and say something in a sarcastic or a belittleing or an outright-snotty way, you are in the wrong and can only opologize and do something or say something to let the other know that you are never going to say such a thing again...
Just repent and by so-doing change your mind!
JPS
3.7.08
LDS singles scene = Greek inspired "eating their own children"...
What?
What was that?
I remember something from my Greek/philosophy studies where an allusion was made to the 'Sun eating ifs own children', meaning that the sun, although it is really big and really powerful/hot, it was so giant that it consumed it's own offspring... I'm not sure where the story came from nor am I sure that I'm alluding to it correctly; I just know that when I went to a LDS singles activity, the idea of 'the sun eating it's own children' came to mind...
Let me explain:
We need to start with the status quo--Hundreds and thousands and even millions of singles in the LDS church. As of right now, almost 1/3 of the church membership are single adults. Now, if you also take into consideration the percentage that are children/minor youth, and you mathematically are left knowing that the single adult percentage of the church is equal to that of the married adults (and 1/3 is left for the children...). That is HUGE!
Next, we also know that the singles are going to be looking to marry and compute their progression charts and because every (maybe not every, but I can only speak from my own perspective!) person wants to make every logical progression through this mortal life--not to mention fulfill their patriarchal blessings (which all of them speak of being eternally married [if not in this lifetime, then in the world to come]...)!!!
We also know that the church shares in this knowledge of the eternal progression of the individual, and that this progression ends at a certain point and an 'eternal spouse' is needed in order to reach the highest degrees of that celestial order!
Finally, we are left with the church feeling the need to help the singles match-up and move on. Only, they have 2 things going against them:
1) The actual single population is made up of somewhat backwards (at least socially speaking...) and recently wounded adults. None of the recently divorced adults feel like they can simply just jump-right-into the "feeding-frendzies" called the single-adult-life and survive on their own;
and 2) the church has no experience playing "match-maker" or at least helping the singles warm into the dating scene and potential marrying-scene...
What we are left-with is mass dating--we all congregate together and do something wholesome and potentially uplifting! Mind-you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but the church is left with an ever-growing 'single adult population' and no end in sight!!!
We, meaning all of the single-adult-LDS-community (the author excluded) need to either learn how to have that drive (isn't it a God-given-drive anyway?) and act on it effectively, or, we need to have the church gain some matchmaking wisdom and teach itself how to help the growing single-acult community learn how to find it's own "marriable" singles (the girls find the boys that they will marry and visa-versa...). Now we have to look at the 2 types of singles: the-never-been-married and the-married-but-now-divorced and see if we can find a single answer for both types of singles...
If not, we are going to only see this population grow and grow (and thank goodness that children are not born into this mindset, but they grow up and naturally find spouses!!!) until we see if end in arranged marriages!?! (would that be that terrible?)
JPS
What was that?
I remember something from my Greek/philosophy studies where an allusion was made to the 'Sun eating ifs own children', meaning that the sun, although it is really big and really powerful/hot, it was so giant that it consumed it's own offspring... I'm not sure where the story came from nor am I sure that I'm alluding to it correctly; I just know that when I went to a LDS singles activity, the idea of 'the sun eating it's own children' came to mind...
Let me explain:
We need to start with the status quo--Hundreds and thousands and even millions of singles in the LDS church. As of right now, almost 1/3 of the church membership are single adults. Now, if you also take into consideration the percentage that are children/minor youth, and you mathematically are left knowing that the single adult percentage of the church is equal to that of the married adults (and 1/3 is left for the children...). That is HUGE!
Next, we also know that the singles are going to be looking to marry and compute their progression charts and because every (maybe not every, but I can only speak from my own perspective!) person wants to make every logical progression through this mortal life--not to mention fulfill their patriarchal blessings (which all of them speak of being eternally married [if not in this lifetime, then in the world to come]...)!!!
We also know that the church shares in this knowledge of the eternal progression of the individual, and that this progression ends at a certain point and an 'eternal spouse' is needed in order to reach the highest degrees of that celestial order!
Finally, we are left with the church feeling the need to help the singles match-up and move on. Only, they have 2 things going against them:
1) The actual single population is made up of somewhat backwards (at least socially speaking...) and recently wounded adults. None of the recently divorced adults feel like they can simply just jump-right-into the "feeding-frendzies" called the single-adult-life and survive on their own;
and 2) the church has no experience playing "match-maker" or at least helping the singles warm into the dating scene and potential marrying-scene...
What we are left-with is mass dating--we all congregate together and do something wholesome and potentially uplifting! Mind-you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but the church is left with an ever-growing 'single adult population' and no end in sight!!!
We, meaning all of the single-adult-LDS-community (the author excluded) need to either learn how to have that drive (isn't it a God-given-drive anyway?) and act on it effectively, or, we need to have the church gain some matchmaking wisdom and teach itself how to help the growing single-acult community learn how to find it's own "marriable" singles (the girls find the boys that they will marry and visa-versa...). Now we have to look at the 2 types of singles: the-never-been-married and the-married-but-now-divorced and see if we can find a single answer for both types of singles...
If not, we are going to only see this population grow and grow (and thank goodness that children are not born into this mindset, but they grow up and naturally find spouses!!!) until we see if end in arranged marriages!?! (would that be that terrible?)
JPS
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