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

Light the World! #LightTheWorld

https://www.mormon.org/
#LightTheWorld 

Church Launches 'Light the World' Christmas Initiative

A global effort to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and encourage people to serve others during the Christmas season is being launched by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The “Light the World” Christmas initiative will reach worldwide audiences from Friday, November 25, 2016, through January 1, 2017.

The initiative focuses on celebrating and sharing the light of Jesus Christ, the “light of the world” (John 8:12).

“As we follow the example of the Savior and live as He lived and as He taught, that light will burn within us and will light the way for others,” said President Thomas S. Monsonin a general conference address in October 2015.

“It's the Christmas season,” said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We have lights — all kinds of lights on our houses, on our trees, on our dining tables. So if we link those wonderful traditions with the source of truth, even Christ as the source of light, it just made great sense to all of us that that would be the theme that we would employ this year.”

Sharable online content is available at mormon.org beginning November 25, including a video that invites the public to perform acts of service following Christ’s example during the Christmas season. The service effort will kick off Thursday, December 1, with a Worldwide Day of Service.

Elder Bednar explained, “The whole purpose of this initiative is to celebrate and share the Light of Christ. What we hope people will do is not simply think about the Savior during this Christmas season, or even just learn more about Him. What we hope is that they will come to know Him by doing what He did.” 

A playable/downloadable version of the main video is also available on the Church’s Gospel Library app. In addition, 25 short videos offering daily ideas for service can be shared on social media during the initiative.

Elder Bednar said the Church is not trying to overwhelm people with ideas for service during the Christmas season. “These are very simple things that the Savior has provided the example. And we, in a very appropriate, simple way during this Christmas season, can do the same things that He did. He healed the blind. We can help the blind to see. We might, for example, read a story to someone in a nursing home who cannot see. Doesn't take a lot of time, but a small, simple act of service that exemplifies the Light of Christ.”

The shareable content is being posted on the social media pages of mormon.org such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram. Those on social media are encouraged to share their experiences by using the hashtag #LIGHTtheWORLD.

The website, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, features a downloadable advent calendar, “In 25 Ways. Over 25 Days.” A web landing page is provided for 26 other languages. The calendar provides daily ideas for planning service opportunities in December leading up to Christmas Day.

In addition, the initiative is offered via internet sites, displays in English-speaking Church visitors’ centers worldwide and the Mexico City Visitors’ Center, member and missionary tools and outdoor advertising, including billboards in New York City’s Times Square; Salt Lake City; Los Angeles; Johannesburg, South Africa; Philippines; and Mexico.  

The video was produced in 33 languages. It will be available in Albanian, Armenian, Cebuano, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Fijian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Tongan and Ukrainian.

The Church’s Missionary Department has been sponsoring Christmas and Easter initiatives for the past several years to reach broader audiences with the Church’s message that Jesus Christ was born, lived, died and was resurrected to save all mankind.

Last December, the “A Savior Is Born”Christmas initiative reached millions of people around the world. The video had more than 50 million views. Millions were also reached last spring with the “Follow Him” Easter initiative. 

JPS