Blinding light of truth

When the unrighteous see the bright light of the Gospel or the Gospel in action, it must be similar to walking into the bright light after being in a cave with no light...

JPS

Whatsoever He sayeth unto you, do it!

Even though she wasn’t saying this to you or me, shouldn’t this imperative as given by Mary, the mother of Jesus (at the wedding feast in Cana) be taken personally and lived steadfastly by each of us—by you and by me?  After all, aren’t we commanded-to and should be following Him in everything we do already?

Elder L. Whitney Clayton, in April of 2017, said:

“The Savior performed His first recorded miracle at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. Mary, His mother, and His disciples were there as well. Mary apparently felt some responsibility for the success of the feast. During the celebration, a problem arose—the wedding hosts ran out of wine. Mary was concerned and went to Jesus. They spoke briefly; then Mary turned to the servants and said:

“Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

“And there were set there six waterpots of stone. … [These waterpots weren’t used to store drinking water but were used for ceremonial washings under the law of Moses.]

“Jesus saith unto [the servants], Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

“And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

“[Then] the ruler of the feast … tasted the water that was made wine” and expressed surprise that the best wine was served so late in the feast.1

We usually remember this event because transforming water to wine was a demonstration of the power of God—it was a miracle. That is an important message, but there is another important message in John’s account. Mary was “a precious and chosen vessel,”2 called by God to give birth to, nurture, and raise the very Son of God. She knew more about Him than anyone else on earth. She knew the truth of His miraculous birth. She knew that He was sinless and that He “spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.”3 Mary knew of His extraordinary capacity to solve problems, including one as personal as providing wine for a wedding feast. She had unshakable confidence in Him and in His divine power. Her simple, straightforward instruction to the servants had no caveats, no qualifications, no limitations: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”

Mary had been a young woman when the angel Gabriel appeared unto her. At first she had been “troubled” by being called “highly favoured” and “blessed … among women … and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” Gabriel reassured her that she had nothing to fear—the news he brought was good. She would “conceive in [her] womb … the Son of the Highest” and “bring forth a son … [who] shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever.”

Mary wondered aloud, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

The angel explained but only briefly, affirming to her that “with God nothing [is] impossible.”

Mary humbly responded that she would do what God asked, without demanding to know specifics and undoubtedly in spite of having countless questions about the implications for her life. She committed herself without exactly understanding why He was asking that of her or how things would work out. She accepted God’s word unconditionally and in advance,4 with little knowledge of what lay ahead. With simple trust in God, Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”5

When we decide to do “whatsoever [God] saith unto” us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God’s will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality. Over time, simple habits of belief lead to miraculous results. They transform our faith from a seedling into a dynamic power for good in our lives. Then, when challenges come our way, our rootedness in Christ provides steadfastness for our souls. God shores up our weaknesses, increases our joys, and causes “all things [to] work together for [our] good.”6

A few years ago, I spoke with a young bishop who was spending hours each week counseling with members of his ward. He made a striking observation. The problems that members of his ward faced, he said, were those faced by Church members everywhere—issues such as how to establish a happy marriage; struggles with balancing work, family, and Church duties; challenges with the Word of Wisdom, with employment, or with pornography; or trouble gaining peace about a Church policy or historical question they didn’t understand.

His counsel to ward members very often included getting back to simple practices of faith, such as studying the Book of Mormon—as we were counseled by President Thomas S. Monson to do—paying tithing, and serving in the Church with devotion. Frequently, however, their response to him was one of skepticism: “I don’t agree with you, Bishop. We all know those are good things to do. We talk about those things all the time in the Church. But I’m not sure you’re understanding me. What does doing any of those things have to do with the issues I’m facing?”

It’s a fair question. Over time, that young bishop and I have observed that those who are deliberate about doing the “small and simple things”7—obeying in seemingly little ways—are blessed with faith and strength that go far beyond the actual acts of obedience themselves and, in fact, may seem totally unrelated to them. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face. But they are related. In my experience, getting the little daily habits of faith right is the single best way to fortify ourselves against the troubles of life, whatever they may be. Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do.

Consider Naaman, a “captain of the host of … Syria, … a mighty man in valour,” and a leper. A servant girl told of a prophet in Israel who could heal Naaman, and so he traveled with an escort of servants, soldiers, and gifts to Israel, eventually arriving at Elisha’s house. Elisha’s servant, not Elisha himself, informed Naaman that the Lord’s command was to “go and wash in [the river] Jordan seven times.” A simple thing. Perhaps this simple prescription struck the mighty warrior as so illogical, simplistic, or beneath his dignity that he found the mere suggestion offensive. At the very least, Elisha’s instruction didn’t make sense to Naaman, “so he turned and went away in a rage.”

But Naaman’s servants gently approached him and observed that he would have done “some great thing” if Elisha had asked it of him. They noted that since he was asked to do only a small task, shouldn’t he do it, even if he didn’t understand why? Naaman reconsidered his reaction and perhaps skeptically, but obediently, “went … down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan” and was miraculously healed.8

Some rewards of obedience do come quickly; others come only after we are tested. In the Pearl of Great Price, we read about Adam’s tireless diligence in keeping the commandment to offer sacrifices. When the angel asked Adam why he was offering sacrifices, he answered, “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.” The angel explained that his sacrifices were “a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.” But that explanation came only after Adam had demonstrated his commitment to obeying the Lord for “many days” without knowing why he was supposed to offer those sacrifices.9

God will always bless us for our steadfast obedience to His gospel and loyalty to His Church, but He rarely shows us His timetable for doing so in advance. He doesn’t show us the whole picture from the outset. That is where faith, hope, and trusting in the Lord come in.

God asks us to bear with Him—to trust Him and to follow Him. He pleads with us to “dispute not because ye see not.” He cautions us that we shouldn’t expect easy answers or quick fixes from heaven. Things work out when we stand firm during the “trial of [our] faith,” however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming.10 I am not speaking of “blind obedience”11 but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord.

The trial of our faith will always involve staying true to simple, daily practices of faith. Then, and only then, does He promise that we will receive the divine response for which we long. Only once we have proven our willingness to do what He asks without demanding to know the whens, the whys, and the hows do we “reap the rewards of [our] faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering.”12Real obedience accepts God’s commandments unconditionally and in advance.13

Every day, consciously or otherwise, we all choose “whom [we] will serve.”14 We demonstrate our determination to serve the Lord by faithfully engaging in daily acts of devotion. The Lord promises to direct our paths,15 but for Him to do that, we have to walk, trusting that He knows the way because He is “the way.”16 We must fill our own waterpots up to the brim. When we trust and follow Him, our lives, like water to wine, are transformed. We become something more and better than we ever otherwise could be. Trust in the Lord, and “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.“

So, have faith in doing what Jesus Christ himself has and is asking us to do, we will be able to expect the same miracles promised to us by the Son of the Living God!

Don't just take my word for it--do it!

JPS

The Prayer of Faith

In the Book of Enos, in the Book of Mormon, in the thirteenth verse, it reads, “And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him--that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation--“.  And now, of course, we have seen the promised blessings come to pass, as the work of salvation has blossomed like the rose with those descendants.

My thought was that I wish or hope to be able to pray and ask for things that come to pass, literally.  Even though Enos never saw the fruition of his work or his faith, he saw it happen with an eye of faith!

Let my prayers work so well and let them be ever as faithful!

JPS

Why dost thou offer sacrifices?

Adam was asked, by an angel, after being obedient in worshiping the Lord and making making sacrifices to Him, for many days, “Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?” (from the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, which is a selection from the revelations, translations, and narrations of Joseph Smith first prophet, seer, and revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints):

    And Adam said unto him: “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”
    And then the angel spake, saying: “This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
    Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.”

Why didn’t Adam already know why he had been offering sacrifices?  It wouldn't have been blind obedience, regardless of "why" he was offering sacrifices, as he was trusting in the Lord and he knew it was a form of worship--he knew he was worshipping the Lord as he was sacrificing.  But, why had he made sacrifices for many days without knowing why?

I have given this some thought and have come to a conclusion that makes sense to me: When you get in trouble, maybe have broken the only commandment given to you (but of the fruit of the tree which thou beholds in the midst of the garden, God hath said—"Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die").  Nevertheless and notwithstanding, Satan knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world by beguiling Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.  

Adam and Eve ate the fruit.  We are all alive, thanks to that act!  It is not a bad or terrible decision, it was wise and good.

Back, though, to the "Why".  Why didn't Adam know?  When you were young and in your parent's house, did you feel like you should ask questions about your "punishment"?  Even though sacrificing was in no way a punishment, it followed Adam breaking his Father's rule: "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die"  And you did eat it.  I don't know how Adam and Eve felt, but I know that they must have been crushed when they realized that they were going to die and that they were going to forever be cast out of the presence of God.

When God tells you that there is a way to be able to be resurrected and be able to enter God's presence again--because of the Atonement of Christ.   Out of absolute gratitude you are asked/commanded to offer sacrifices.  You just perform those sacrifices and never even ask why--even for years! 

That's why, I think, he never asked why...

JPS

Cause you to commit sin, did we?

True, true...

Mosiah 4:28 says:

And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you borroweth 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.

I think “causing your neighbor to sin” is just putting another in any situation where they would have to choose to do right, because the natural man (or doing nothing or just following the crowd or your neighbor, will lead to sin!).

So, when you sin and leave a terrible example for your neighbor—your sin of omission you are saying that it’s all right if you choose NOT to do everything good or commission, that it’s ok to sin a little...  Your example can “cause” others to sin.

Not really, because everyone has their agency.  Not even Satan can “cause” you to sin.  But the scriptures are warning us not to teach others incorrect principles—especially your children or others in your family!

JPS

Thou art mine younger brother...

Because of righteousness, the following younger brothers did rule over the elder:

Abel, son of Adam (ruled over the other brothers that aren’t even nominated in scripture)

Joseph, son of Jacob

Jacob, son of Isaac

Nephi, son of Lehi

... jealous of that right to rule, but lost it, so then envious of the right to rule that their younger brother now has!

JPS

Bitter vs Sweet

So, if the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil was "delicious to the taste and very desirable," then the tree of life's fruit is necessarily bitter...  Tree of life fruit is bitter without the knowledge, experience, memories of trials and children and successes and joys that necessarily come with life!  Fruit of knowledge of food and evil is delicious to the taste like milk is to a newborn but fruit from the tree of life is like a gourmet meal...  hardly bitter, but to a baby, it would be!

JPS

The Gospel Irony

In 2 Nephi 2:7, we read that, “Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.”

Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds of scriptures that I could use to point this out, but the thought came to me while reading this verse of scripture about the irony of the Savior of Man suffering, bleeding, and dying for every man, woman, and child born on this Earth and many more Earths, when it is HE who has done nothing wrong.  Him who has not offended the law or any person or perfect rule or Spirit.  Him who is the person who deserves it least of all, and yet He did it willingly for us...

Jesus Christ suffered unimaginable pain and anguish, pressure and absolute mind-numbing-sorrow, when He was the only man or person who needed to face Justice because of anything done wrong or out of any debt whatsoever!

He volunteered to go-through or experience all of that for us.  Another part of irony is that, it is because of Him having experienced that first-hand, in the flesh, experientially (not knowing it "through the Spirit" or because He is one with God that Father)--His blood, His sweat, His tears, His body bruised and broken, that has brought out both the possibility of Eternal Life (through His mercy and grace) as well as the Resurrection (through His mercy and grace).3

He only asks of us (those who will partake of the two glorious gifts or even the gift of the resurrection) only to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

The tragically ironic part of this "story" is that every person who is born (on this world and others), will be resurrected regardless of what they do or what they believe...  Just done--perfected body!  Even those Sons of Perdition will receive one.  Jesus Christ paid for everyone's sins, though--in other words, everyone could have been made pure and clean to live eternally with their loved-ones and God the Father.  Everyone might have enjoyed this ultimate gift, because the price was already paid, and paid-in-full; millions or billions or more (especially if we're counting numberless worlds...) will have wasted that gift.

Everyone will be resurrected, regardless of what their choices were, but many if not most will have already been paid for "full-admission" into the Celestial Kingdom, and that price was or will have been wasted!  Or, if you want to think of it, in terms if some sort of punishment, that wasted pain and suffering will damn you in the end if not accepted.  Sorry, but true.

JPS

Is it weakness or not asking for help?

So, all things being equal or starting from scratch, or setting-it-up the best way that I can think of, we were born on this Earth? Or YOU were born on third Earth, and therefore followed Jesus Christ when we were in Heaven.  There was no vail of forgetfulness then, and you chose the right when before our Father.

What’s the difference now?  Your mom loves you and you love her, so why isn’t her desire for you to follow the Father enough of an incentive?  Unlike your Father and Mother in Heaven, you can see your mom...  Why is the weakness of the flesh (2 Nephi 4: 17-21) and the natural man (Mosiah 3:19) enough to keep you from choosing what you know is right?  Choosing not to disappoint your mom?

Dr. C. Terry Warner would say that it all comes back to self-betrayal in his book, “Bonds that Make us Free”.  I am asking that even more fundamental question: Why do we choose and do things we know we shouldn’t?  Thinking in a place and a way that isn’t limited by man or your body or temptation or even the devil/Lucifer/Satan, we have shown that we are able to choose the right over the wrong—why not do it every time?

Guess the answer is: we are mortal and weak!  That’s just not good enough for me, though...  Because we can and do choose the right oftentimes. We are still left with the question: Why not every time?  Why do I have the strength sometimes but not all of the time?

You could say, “Well, that’s the trial of Life, Josh!”  The only thing that makes it easier to make that right choice over what your weak flesh wants, is to align yourself with the power that comes from the Atonement of Jesus Christ—the Enabling powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ!

JPS

Example from Laman & Lemuel

What do I need to personally do to not become hard in my heart and not look into God as I ought?  What were Laman & Lemuel not doing that they I should be doing?  Because, besides the overt offenses to Nephi, we don't know that their thoughts were so bad, EXCEPT when we look at their OMISSIONS or things they did not do, that they were commanded to do:

• Were they reading their scriptures?

• Were they praying?

• Were they obeying their father & their mother?

• Were they going to the Mountain of the Lord, oft?

• Were they having FHE with their wife and children?

• Were they teaching that which had been taught to them to others?

• Were they activating less-active family members?

• Were they performing service?

• Were they loving their wife with all the love they had?

• Were they loving their children like their wife?

All of this is contingent, though, on a supposition that they were being prompted by the Holy Ghost to follow Christ—so, only like a 0.00% chance that they weren’t...

JPS

Can/Does man see one member of the Godhead simultaeoisly or at the same time?

Sure, in cases like John the baptist at Christ's baptism or with Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove...  Or in verse 1 Nephi 11:27 where Nephi sees Christ and the Holy Ghost (with the Father recognizing the Son--which is exactly like John the Baptist...).  But what about 1 Nephi 11:12 (where the Holy Ghost had gone before Nephi's presence when the Virgin was with child...) or how the disciples aren't given the Holy Ghost till after Christ is no longer with them!  --  in the economy of God, I just don't think that man needs more than one member of the Godhead there at once (redundant?)!  Just as scriptures are not re-translated if it's possible to get your hands on the already-existing copy!

JPS

Escape Velocity

Another scientific concept that conceptually is very similar to “event horizon”, that I have already written about here and here.  You could say that the concept that I have tried to analogize to this celestial concept--doing the sort of things and being the sort of person that will call down the blessings of heaven into your life--to an event horizon, but you might also think, "Don't you mean to compare it to 'escape velocity'?"  Wikipedia defines it as: "In physics, escape velocity is the minimum speed needed for an object to escape from the gravitational influence of a massive body. "  Let me explain why the idea of an event horizon lends itself "better" than of idea escape velocity...

Simply put: We are continuously and constantly being called HOME to our Heavenly Father's kingdom--where our intelligences were given spirit bodies and where we originally all shouted for joy as we accepted our Elder Brother's presentation of our Father in Heaven's Plan of Salvation!  We all do all we can to return to Him and our Heavenly Family (some of us are taking a long detour, but our wanted destination is the same...).  We aren't wanting to escape His love and blessings.  We all feel the tug and pull back to our Heavenly Home.

Thus, we are returning to God or being "sucked home", as an event horizon, and not trying to escape our home.

JPS

Calvin Stott's baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and becoming a newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

He did it.  On 10:30 this day, October 7th, 2017--he was baptized!

Pianist: Quentin Carney (older brother -- in vivo)

Opening prayer: Samantha Stott (little sis)

Talk on Baptism: Brenda Stott (paternal grandmother)

Baptism: Josh Stott (father) & Calvin Stott (in se)

Talk on the Holy Ghost: Addison Stott (older brother -- from Solinas, CA; video uploaded to YouTube)

Confirmation: Josh Stott (father) & Paul Stott (paternal grandfather), Brian Larson (maternal grandfather), Jeff Larson (uncle), Rory Brooks (4th ward [homeward] bishopric representative)

New Twist on Running Faster than You are Able

Remember, remember that we are commanded not to run faster than we are able?

When we, or at least I hear or read that, I am inclined to think only about myself: "I shouldn't stress about doing more than I am asked to do (which is absolutely true -- think of Ammon/Aaron [taking too much "joy" in yourself and your accomplishments or Alma's soliloquy "Oh, that I were an angel").  But, what about everyone else?  Can you think of everybody else having been commanded not to run faster than they are able?!?

Now, apply that very same principle to everyone else" that are not running faster than they are able!  You zealot!

So stop thinking that the world should be further along than it is (even though we should all be, individually, continually improving and becoming better at keeping the covenants we've made); stop wishing that people should be better able to control themselves (and remember that you should worry about better controlling YOURSELF better!!!); stop wondering why some people (specifically and individually) aren't better than they are.  We all should be better than we are, but you need to be more charitable and stop being the world's judge and your brother's and sister's judge!

Jesus Christ, our perfect exemplar, is worried about helping them become better (and, for that matter, helping YOU become better) but not "worried about them" in the moment, but is actively helping them at being better than they are right now.  Christ is perfectly charitable--charitable for everyone--it's He that paid the price for their sins and weaknesses, paid the price for their infirmities and sadness; can't you just let Him do His job?  He is only doing it perfectly well...have you ever done job or anything as perfectly well?  Give Him and give them a break!

Do start/keep being and becoming better!  Remember all that you've already learned from the scriptures and the temple and from college and Terry Warner: As you improve and are a better person, you will be giving those around you different things to respond-to and different requests ("respond to me as a human [I-Thou], instead of an object [I-it]" and as you become more perceptive to the Spirit, you will make better choices and do and say the things that your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would want you to do/say).

Think of your own family.  Both you and every single member of your family has been commanded not to run faster than they are able--in other words, don't try to do more than you've been asked to do and if you find yourself trying to do just that--STOP IT!!!

Be more patient.  Be more charitable.  Be more of both!

JPS

Christ simultaneously sees us as Eternal beings with an eternal end as He sees us in our sin!

God can't look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.  Yet, Christ is eternally and infinitely forgiving and compassionate.

Watch/Listen to Elder Dale Gunnar Renlund's April 2017 talk, Our Good Shepard, where he cites the example of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables comparison of the bishop of Digne to Christ and asks, "All the same, should the scabs of the sheep cause the shepherd to recoil?"

The narrator (Hugo) provides a definitive answer: NO!

"The Savior’s mortal ministry was indeed characterized by love, compassion, and empathy.  He did not disdainfully walk the dusty roads of Galilee and Judea, flinching at the sight of sinners.  He did not dodge them in abject horror.  No, He ate with them.  He helped and blessed, lifted and edified, and replaced fear and despair with hope and joy.  Like the true shepherd He is, He seeks us and finds us to offer relief and hope.  Understanding His compassion and love helps us exercise faith in Him—to repent and be healed."

Christ views sin in us as a condition that needs His treatment, care, and compassion!

"... our genuine conversion brings 'meekness, and lowliness of heart,' which invites 'the Holy Ghost [and fills us with] perfect love,' an 'unfeigned love' for others."

We need to go to those who need help--rest-homes, care-centers, homeless-shelters, soup-kitchens...  We need to be willing seek-out missionary opportunities as directed by the Spirit--also need to remember that we're not full-time missionaries or general authorities...  Get and Be out-of-our-comfort-zone!!!  Till it becomes your comfort zone...

"Understanding His compassion and love helps us exercise faith in Him—to repent and be healed...  Our role is also to help and bless, lift and edify, and replace fear and despair with hope and joy."

We can motivate people to change by our compassion and mercy, just as the Savior did!

"The Savior’s compassion, love, and mercy draw us toward Him... [And] through His Atonement, we are no longer satisfied with our sinful state.

As we understand His role, through doing as He has done, we become more like Him and naturally do more of His work, which helps us become more like Him.  ...  The fastest way to become like our Savior is to do His work--as we do His work, we will repent more and understand Him & our Heavenly Father more... 

Christ told the phrases that implied that the woman taken in-the-very-act-of-adultry, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

The woman was left alone (as those who had planned to kill her left, their consciences having been pricked) and "she was motivated to change because of His compassion and mercy."

We get further insight by the Joseph Smith translation of the bible of what happened then:

"And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name.” JST John 8:11

"God is clear about what is right and acceptable to Him and what is wrong and sinful. This is not because He desires to have mindless, obedient followers. No, our Heavenly Father desires that His children knowingly and willingly choose to become like Him and qualify for the kind of life He enjoys."

"Our role is also to help and bless, lift and edify, and replace fear and despair with hope and joy."

JPS

Eternal plan & covenant

The Eternal Plam of Happiness has a built-in covenant:

God's covenant -- God, our Eternal Father in Heaven, the God of the whole, entire, universe (as in, any part in the whole, wide, universe that you can imagine or think of or draw or wonder about [except imaginary parts of the universe or parts that are not real and true--but, He is your God and created your brain]) has promised or covenanted with us that He will give us everything that He possesses when we (you and I and she and he) keep our end of the covenant.

Our covenant -- We promise to obey His laws, rules, and by following the example of His perfect Son!

Seem a little too-heavy?  That's it...  All we have to do is follow His Son, which includes being baptized, repenting of our sins (both sins of commission and omission), making every other covenant (after baptism--the gateway to the Celestial Kingdom) required, and endure to the end.

The beauty is that once we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, he will "teach us all things that we should do" (2 Nephi 32:5).  Just as the words of Christ will tell you all things that you should do (2 Nephi 32:3).

Not hard at all.  C. Terry Warner used to tell his classes (and possibly wrote it in his book, Bonds that make Us Free), that this life is hard, but not hard to bare!).

JPS

Why is suffering the preferred payment for Justice?

Ok, so we have mankind--all of Heavenly Father's children born to this Earth--lost and damned.  What do we need?  To be brought back into His presence and be resurrected.  How can that happen?  Jehovah volunteered to suffer the Atonement and pay the debt to Justice and grant us all a resurrected body, just as He now has one (and can resurrect us all, as He now has that Priesthood Key and knowledge and power...).  Sure, ok; I get it--the only Eternal currency that the intelligences of the Universe accept is suffering--but why?  Is it the pain?  Is it the cosmic juices used-up to recover from that?  Is it like the universal endorphin rush (like cutting)?

I think my question now has moved from "Why was that suffering necessary?" to "Why does the payment come in the form of suffering?"  "Is suffering necessary to progress?"

If I bring it back to earthly experiences, I am left with examples like the breaking down of muscle--in order to make a muscle grow, you must first break-down the muscle to allow it to rebuild itself bigger and stronger than before.

From what I can gather, "After you workout (where you are essentially breaking-down your muscles), your body repairs or replaces damaged muscle fibers (myofibrils) through a cellular process where it fuses muscle fibers together to form new muscle protein strands or create muscle hypertrophy (growth)..."  These new muscle strands increase in thickness and number, thus, leaving you with more muscles! (So how do you actually add muscle to your muscle cells? This is where Satellite cells come in and act like stem cells for your muscles. When activated, they help to add more nuclei to the muscle cells and therefore contribute directly to the growth of myofibrils (muscle cells)...  stress is a major component involved in the growth of a muscle.

Now, let's turn back to our spirits.  If our spiritual muscles are what makes us able to be more perfect in following Jesus Christ's example, then we must "break them down" by exercise and causing our muscles to be "stressed" so that we can recover and the spiritual muscles will be bigger.

We are commanded to repent.  Not just turn around, but change and become something new--something better!  Repentance is a source of stress.  If you are repenting (or think you are repenting) and it is not stressful, in the words borrowed from Mr. Mom, "You're doing it wrong!"

So, why is the stress or the break-down of spiritual muscle (and I am equating suffering with that break-down) necessary for Justice?  Remember, Christ has satisfied any debt that you or any of us owes to Justice and has taken-upon himself not only our sins and weaknesses but also the role of Justice--He is the new benefactor of our "loan", so-to-speak...  Is my suffering adding anything to His Mercy?  No!  My suffering can in no way be used to cause the intelligences or Justice to do anything for me, but Christ can through the enabling power of His atonement!  

But, why does and how can Christ's suffering have any sway?  Just because of the injustice and the pity owed him.  That guilt that we feel, may be part of the suffering too (because Christ felt no guilt, being completely free from sin, we may need the guilt as part of our suffering).

Think of Matthew 26:39, which says:

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

It may be that the only payment that is acceptable to satisfy Justice for sin: suffering!

JPS

Hard to do or hard concept to understand?

... "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."  As a school counselor, I had to study and learn and use Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs as I thought of and counseled others.  Here is an abbreviated list:

• Physiological needs (air, water, food, shelter, clothing)
• Safety (personal security, financial security, health)
• Love/Belonging (social belonging, family, intimate relations, mentors, colleagues)
• Esteem (respect from others, respect for yourself)
• Self-Actualization (desire to accomplish all that one can to be all one can be!)

Maslow thought that these needs were all inter-related and dependent on each of the other steps.  What I have noticed and seen, not only in the counseling I've done, but also as I have had relationships and seen the lives of others, is that when one of those needs is completely or almost completely lacking (i.e. if somebody has no food or water or air), he or she is incapacitated to some degree while attempts are made to fulfill that need.

While it is true that some or all of you is incapacitated, on some level, a person continues to function (also, in some degree) until death.  Nor is it true that simply because one or two or even all but the life-sustaining-needs are ignored or not fulfilled, that you (one) is (are) kept from offering or fulfilling those needs for others (i.e. a dying mother rescues their child or gives away their last nourishment to their child).

These examples are understandable and even expected, whereas Jesus Christ's injunction and commandment applies to everyone in every and any circumstance: "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."  He asks us to satisfy (or more, if we can) one or all of the needs, just as we roam the Earth seeking to satisfy or fulfill our own needs (physiological needs [air, water, food, shelter, clothing]), etc. and these can be the most simple to accomplish, because of money...

JPS

A Trump from the Mouths of Babes

My daughter, our daughter, Samantha (Sami is how she addresses herself) finally got ahold of a toy recorder that she walks around the house blasting and which my wife will secretly dispose of if that continues for much longer, and she calls it, "a trumpet" (which it isn't).  She loves to go to the temple and touch the side of the temple.  She loves to admire the glowing golden angel Moroni who blows a trumpet to the East.

Sami blows the trumpet (in any direction) a bunch of times and shouts-out, "THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!"

From the mouths of babes we hear pure testimony given: "THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!"

JPS

Causing Him further Grief

"We developed an intense desire to stop causing him further grief'" - Elder Dale G. Renlund said in his April 2016 talk, "That I Might Draw All Men unto Me".

There are no "neutral moves" in life...  you are either moving away from God or towards Him!  We are only causing him or adding to His and our Heavenly Father's joy.  By so, adding to Christ's joy, we are also not "causing Him further grief".

I remember having a serious conversation when I was in my teens, where my mom came to tears as she was explaining to me this same exact concept: not only when I did something "wrong" was I likely to get "in trouble" with my mom or dad or bishop, but, more importantly, when I sinned, I was adding to Jesus Christ's pain and suffering in Gethsemane.

Since God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, and Christ suffered the consequences of every sin that you or I or anyone ever does (that isn't repented of....  mind you, that is a very important caveat!), when I sinned knowingly (and didn't repent of it), I was adding to the pain and sorrow and even the spilled blood that Christ freely spilt in the Garden of Gethsemene for every one of our Heavenly Father's children.

I will remember that chat and my mom's tears forever!

I will not "cause Him further grief"!

JPS