The Gospel of Jesus Christ...

...is encapsulated most perfectly in a handful of scriptures from the old world and from the new. Over the centuries the “Good News” has been unsuccessfully altered and adjusted, expanded and deconstructed. Hundreds of churches and false christs have risen bringing many variations of the gospel of the Son of God. The focus has changed at times to someone or something other than the savior, but never to stand the test of time or scriptural backing.

The apostle John succinctly said, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This is the essence of the good news that we are to spread to the world for we are disciples of none other than Jesus Christ. Because of contention over this subject in the new world, the savior explained to his disciples in plain language his gospel saying, “Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.” (3 Nephi 27: 13). Simply put, the true Christ’s descent to this world from our Father’s presence to become the “Way, the Truth and the Life” whereby nobody can come back to the Father but by Him; THAT is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ continued in the Americas to say, “my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. (3 Nephi 27: 14). The scriptures are full of history, guidance, and lessons on morality which lift us and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven and help us to avoid pain and misery in this life, but let us not forget at this special time of year, that all the scriptures and prophets are undone if not for the atoning sacrifice made by the Son of God who condescended to make known God’s love unto us. All the philosophies of men as recorded in books throughout the ages are unable to bridge the gap between our mortal weakness and God’s glory. Therefore, “this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do. (3 Nep 27: 20-21).

Like unto the holy temples of God, may we focus our temples more intently on the Savior Jesus Christ and thank God for the glorious gift of his Son. Merry Christmas.

First we make our habits, then our habits make us.

I recently heard this quote in a business setting and was moved by the depth in which it applies to all of our life decisions (spiritual or otherwise).

First we make our habits.

Much of our life is spent developing habits for better or worse. Our agency is key in many respects to the food we eat, the entertainment we seek, and the manner in which we spend our time. As we mature we have opportunities for higher education and employment and, for the most part, we get to choose the trade, profession or field of interest in which we will spend much of our adult time. We may choose to be homemakers, or seek employment outside the home. Regardless of the paths that we choose our choices build within us habits that make us who we are.
If we immerse ourselves in vain and destructive influences such as immoral and violent entertainment (movies, music, and games), addictive substances and practices (drugs, energy drinks, gambling, pornography), or faith destroying ideas (materials antagonistic to our history, faith or culture) then regardless of our perceived invincibility we develop within ourselves tolerance, lack of sensitivity and even interest in these vain and destructive influences.
If we however immerse ourselves in wholesome, productive, lifting influences that encourage us to think, move and act like God and his servants then we build a different sort of tolerance… a tolerance for sacrifice, service, and sanctity.

Then our habits make us.

Once our tolerance for these influences is set we become altogether a product of our habits. The individual immersed in immoral, crude, or violent movies eventually thinks about, reacts, and behaves like the material being consumed. One doesn’t develop a crude vocabulary by hanging around others who possess the tongue of virtue. Nor does one commit acts of infidelity without first having developed habits which lead him or her down that path.
Alternatively, the way to become like God is painted all throughout the scriptures. We are asked to obtain faith and then add to that faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. (2Pet 1:5-7) We are told elsewhere that those favored of God are those who are humble, repentant, submissive, inclined toward righteousness, merciful, pure, missionary minded, willing to suffer persecution and ultimately desirous for perfection. (Matthew 5:3-12, 48; 3 Nep 12:1-12,48)

Immersing ourselves in the scriptures, developing within ourselves habits of sacrifice and service and seeking to stand in holy places at all times are righteous habits which will make of us righteous and joy-filled servants of our Heavenly Father.

Turning and Returning

Turning is a metaphor used commonly throughout the scriptures describing the nature of our relationship with the Lord. There are numerous accounts of the wicked turning from the Lord to their wickedness and reaping the consequences of their choices. Just as many are the accounts of the righteous repenting and returning or turning back unto the Lord and subsequently gaining his favor once more. Most of us, I am sure, have found that it is not too difficult to turn away from the Lord as we embrace worldliness. More difficult, we have found, is turning back to the Lord in humility that through his patient love we might be healed and changed in our natures. I want to share a handful of scriptures that have impressed me over the years that use the metaphor of turning.

Isaiah explained to the children of Israel that God was perfectly capable of saving them, but they had chosen to reject his hand decreed, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2). Notice how the sins of the people have caused the Lord’s face to be hidden, as if he has turned his back on them. Note that he has not left them, but rather, being unable to look upon sin with the least degree of allowance has turned away (D&C 1:31). I have found time and again this to be true in my own life… that when, in my own pride, I rejected the Lord and his help, He seemed distant and unreachable, but upon repentance he was right there again, as if he had never left. The words of Ezekiel penetrated my heart when he urged, “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions… and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die…? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye (Ezekiel 18: 30-32). There are few examples so beautiful in the old testament that show the Lord’s genuine pleading concern as Ezekiel 18. He pleads with us to turn away from transgression and make a new heart and new spirit. This is the character change that can and must take place in us that we might gain favor with God. Jesus Christ clearly demonstrated his desire to help and heal us saying to the people of Nephi “will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? (3 Nephi 9:13). If we would but return (repent) he would heal us. Then last of all he spoke through Malachi calling the people once again to repentance and making one final promise, “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3:7). What more could we ask for? To gain the Lord’s favor is worth all costs, for it brings ultimately a joint inheritance of all that the Father hath (John 16: 15, Rom. 8: 17). Agency requires that we make the choice, for God has already chosen that if we would return unto Him, then He would return unto us… and heal us.

Whatever our relationship with the Lord may be, I pray that we may strengthen one another, that as we turn from the Lord in weakness, that we may return unto him in humility and once again find favor with him. I am confident He waits anxiously to heal.

Teach Me to Walk in the Light of His Love

Have you ever been thrust from a well lit room into complete darkness? Isn’t it interesting how after a few moments what was complete and utter darkness gives way as our eyes become accustomed to the dark? We begin to notice shapes and find that we can make our way okay in the dark.
Similarly, in the middle of the night, to have someone turn the lights on is almost painful, for our eyes, having been accustomed to the darkness can no longer take in even small amounts of light. We must wait as they slowly adjust and become accustomed to the light.
In matters spiritual we are faced with the same dilemma… and this really becomes the driving force behind why we strive so hard to eliminate evil and pernicious influences from our lives. At the end of the day our souls will be either accustomed to the Light, or to the darkness. We will either find ourselves longing for the darkness to escape the pain of the light before us, or we will be reaching anxiously for the light to escape the ominous dark. Light cleaveth unto light and darkness cleaveth unto darkness. (D&C 88: 40)
I am grateful for all of the influences in my life that continually help me to make hundreds of thousands of little decisions each week that point me towards the light and away from the darkness. At times all of the filtering, service, avoiding, and preparation may become tiresome… but all will be worth it when we are brought into the glorious light of our Heavenly Father’s throne.
May we all strive harder for the true Light, and may He receive us as He has promised.

To Know

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I have watched my children develop and grow over the last decade and recently had an interesting insight about what it is to know God.

There was a day when my children did not know what a peach was. This happens to be my favorite fruit. A freshly picked, juicy peach is something I treasure. I am very happy to report that Shelby just purchased a Lemon Elberta Peach tree and planted it in our back yard. We both look forward to the day that we will benefit from its fruits. Yum.

Still my children, in the beginning, did not know the peach, so I taught them.
Somewhere in their development they learned its shape and color and could pick it out in a book. They could read the letters P E A C H and an image would pop into their mind. But they did not know the peach as I do. They didn’t know the tart, savory taste, the juiciness, the squishy manner in which it gushes flavor with each bite. They had more yet to learn.

Sometime later they were given many opportunities to try peaches out of a can. While this may be rewarding for a child, anyone who has tasted the freshly picked, large juicy ripe peach knows that there is little to no comparison. They did not know the peach as I do.

Then one day they got to taste it… right off the tree. Big, plump, juicy, and ripe. Just the way a peach should be. They really enjoyed it, but it did not stir in them the way it stirred in me. I realized that I had many, many memories attached to these juicy peaches. I had tasted tasteless, sandy types. I had tasted crunchy sour, not-quite-ripe types (the preferred mode in Korea). I had even tasted the plump, juicy, sweet type that still somehow fell short of the peach I have in my memory right now. On occasion, however, I find that peach… and I savor it. I know it when I have it.

It is in just such a situation that I realize that there is necessarily more to knowing a real peach than just knowing how to spell it, spot it out, recognize it’s texture or its flavor. I realize that my knowledge of the peach is limited compared to the farmer who harvests them annually, or the genetic engineer that seeks to create new, better varieties. I know the peach only at one level.

I have reflected at times about what it is to know God. I conclude that, like the peach, we may know him at varying levels of intimacy. I believe His hope is that we partake of his goodness in a very real and personal way. Far from just knowing about him (as anyone who reads the scriptures can), we must strive to really know Him… to have a daily, personal relationship with him. I pity those who stop seeking Him when they have only scratched the surface, for they do not yet know the full flavor. I admittedly have much yet to learn, in truth being as one who knows the flavor of the peach, but little more. I am newly inspired to know my God and His Son Jesus Christ at an ever more intimate level.

HE LIVES!

The Gift of Witnesses (Luke 24:36-43)
What a profound gift the Lord gave humanity when, after his ordeal in the garden and on the cross, he rose again and came in person to witness to the early apostles of the verity of His resurrection. No man had ever done this before. Even when he told the Apostles and disciples plainly that he would die and rise again, they did not understand. While scriptures testify of individuals being raised from the dead, none had ever raised themselves. Nor had they been raised to a glorified, immortal body that could no more die. There was no precedence to look to in comparison.
The gift that I speak of was given during his visit to the apostles behind closed doors. Upon seeing him they were scared speechless for they supposed a ghost had entered their midst. Understanding their troubled hearts, Christ commanded them to look at the wounds which remained upon his hands and feet. For he had fulfilled the words of Isaiah who said, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16). The witness of their eyes, however, was insufficient.
He commanded them to “handle” him saying, “a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.” But they still “believed not for joy, and wondered”. Perhaps they thought they were dreaming or experiencing a collective vision. Surely this was too good to be true… they still couldn’t fully believe what they were experiencing. The witness of touch was yet insufficient.
Then he said unto them, “Have ye any meat?” They did. They brought forth broiled fish and honeycomb… and then the gift of a third witness was given. “He took it, and did eat before them.” He planted in their minds that this experience was truly happening. They could now look at the empty dish, or partially eaten food and see, this was no apparition.
Still, in spite of these three witnesses, false doctrines perpetuated through the centuries that the risen Lord had no physical body to tabernacle his perfect spirit, but was a spirit without form, parts or passions. What a stubborn lot we are! What more could have been done to testify of this?
Then in the dawn of the 19th Century our Heavenly Father, and our risen Lord visited Joseph Smith several times and gave another tremendous witness, a witness to cap all other witnesses. Joseph would later say, “after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: THAT HE LIVES! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father. (D&C 76:22-23)
And that is my testimony also. Happy Easter.

Let Them Come

This post will likely spark some disagreement. I think it is pertinent regarding the immigration debates that are going on lately. While I believe in upholding and sustaining the law, you will all find that I may not agree with you regarding immigration laws. I have a strictly "Let Them Come!" philosophy and to date have found no argument save one to convince me otherwise. I can find no justification for selfishly holding this land to myself. Instead I find examples from the scriptures that make me question where America or Americans are heading spiritually.

Regardless of which side of the issue you sit on, please consider the following scriptures with an open heart.

From Ezek. 16: 49 I pulled this scripture that talks about the sin of Sodom right before its destruction. Interestingly enough Sexual sins (which are also abundantly debated at this time) were only one of their grievous sins. The other was the selfishness of those with money and education. The Lord commands Ezekiel to explain the Jerusalem that they are going to be destroyed because they have become like Sodom. Then he describes in what way. He says, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Pride? Fulness of Bread? Abundance of Idleness? and Not Strengthening those in need? Sounds a lot like this debate raging about immigrants and where they belong.

Interesting to note that right before the destruction of the America's preceding Christ's coming it describes a great division in that people as well. It says in 3 Nephi 6:12, "And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches.

I see in America right now a completely underprivileged class trying to make ends meet. If I personally push them away then how am I any different than the Nephites and Lamanites who were ripe for destruction? It is easy for us to mock because we are the ones with the upper hand. We are the ones who have received great learning because of our riches... and we turn them away.

Please consider an alternative perspective on the immigration issue. Yes, it must be legal... but we are not the ones who enforce the law. As disciples of Christ we are to be the ones visiting those in prison (Matthew 25: 31-46), or rather comforting the immigrants as they feel our heavy hand come down upon them.

31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his aright hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his aright hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Love you all.

When Life Has You By The Ears

When life has you by the ears and comes at you hard from every direction you may feel overwhelmed by the pressures of work, education, family responsibilities, personal weakness, or religious duties. Whether rich or poor, old or young, healthy or unhealthy there are enough problems in life to overwhelm any of us. This is one of many reasons why the Lord has blessed us with His word. Please consider the following instruction from our Savior:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30).

God is the giver of all things and the scriptures record account after account of the Lord blessing the faithful, and withholding from those who ignore his will or reject him. Whatever your problems may be in this life we encourage you to…

1. Establish a relationship with the Lord through prayer
2. Come to know his will through a study of the scriptures
3. Call down his blessings upon you by participating in sacred covenants and ordinances
4. Enable the laws of justice by being faithful to all of your covenants and the commandments of the Lord.

There are many Saints who have learned that the great secret to temporal and spiritual fulfillment lies in doing the Lord’s will. Forget yourself and seek His glory. By doing so you will find the troubles of this world begin to work themselves out.

If you are unemployed or unhappy with your circumstances attend the temple and serve your neighbor. If you are floundering in your education then be more diligent in your scripture study. If you have a personal weakness that seems impossible to overcome, take it daily to the Lord in personal prayer. If your family seems to be falling apart, make and keep sacred covenants… more often. The last thing you will want to do in trying times is distance yourself from the Lord's blessings. As you do the right things the Lord is “bound” to bless you by the eternal laws of Justice… and there is nothing He wants more than to bless you for your faithfulness.