No Fear

I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

Doctrine & Covenants 38:30

We live in a time when it can seem like impending doom is just around every corner.  Now days, anxiety is a very common ailment.  How can we live without fear?  Like the verse says, “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”

            So how do we prepare so we need not fear? Let’s look at a few areas:

·         Spiritually:  Are you totally committed to following Jesus Christ.  Is there some areas you need to recommit yourself? Are you committed to following His prophets?

·         Socially: Are you committed to blessings the lives of your family and others? 

·         Emotionally: Are there people you need to ask for forgiveness or you need to forgive? Are you living in an emotionally healthy way?

·         Financially: Are you striving to avoid and get out of debt? Could you deal with economic trouble like the loss of a job?  Do you have food storage?

Today’s Takeaway: Consider if there is any of those areas listed in which you live in fear. What if today was your last day on earth?  What would you need to make right first? What things can you do to be better prepared? Most of all, what do you need to do to be a fully committed follower of Jesus Christ?

Feelings for Sin

Crying repentance, saying: Save yourselves from this untoward generation, and come forth out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted with the flesh.

Doctrine & Covenants 36:6

Do you have a thing for sin? How should we feel about sin?  Doctrine and Covenants 36:6 gives a great word picture.  In ancient times there were many kinds of skin disease like leprosy.  Although the people would try to place bandages to stem the infections, the disease would break through the skin. Not surprisingly, in Leviticus 13:52 they were commanded to burn the clothing which had contact with the disease.  Here the disease and the spotted garments are a metaphor for sin. So how should we feel about sin?  What feelings do you associate with sin?  Hatred? Disgust? Are you repulsed by sin?  Or are you interested, perhaps curious about sin?  When you see immoral images on TV, are you sickened, or a little bit fascinated? Does violence on TV draw you in?  Surely, you would never do those kinds of things, but are you entertained by watching others sin?  Media has a way of desensitizing us to what is naturally vulgar, immoral, and repulsive.  Alexander Pope observed:

     “Vice is a monster of so frightful mien

     As to be hated needs but to be seen;

     Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

     We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Does the notion of sexual immorality repulse you as much as chewing tobacco? Or rubbing up against someone with breaking infections on their skin?

Today’s Takeaway: Our hearts need to change so that we are just as disgusted by sin as a bandage oozing with the plague.  Think of a sin where, instead of feeling sick by it, you have allowed yourself to feel curious or fascinated.  What will you need to do to change your feelings about that sin so that you despise it?  A change in media choices?  Change in friends? Start that road today to change how you feel about sin.

I hope these "Recharges" are helpful for you.  As you probably know, "Liking" a page on FaceBook does not mean you will see it in your feed.  So if you want to make sure you get these each day, make sure you subscribe to the blog by putting in your email. Also, please feel free to “Share” on Facebook to let others know what you like.  

Letting It Go

 42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

 43 By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.

Doctrine & Covenants 58:42-43

Are you one of those people that when you’re totally sick, you will still avoid vomiting at all costs? Some of my children are like that.  No matter how awful they feel, they will avoid throwing up; and if they do vomit, they will try to let out as little as possible.  But slowly they are learning that after throwing up, and getting it ALL out, they start to feel a lot better.

When serving as a bishop, I have seen that it is the same with people coming to confess sins. They have already done the hardest part by coming to my office, but then they are seriously tempted to only partially confess what they did wrong, or not totally own up to it. So I have used this analogy and invited them to just get it all out, and reassured them how much better they will feel afterwards.

It doesn't matter if it is the type of sin you confess to the Lord, a bishop, or the type of sins we confess to those we hurt; confession brings relief. All sin brings us down and makes us depressed, angry, lonely, and spiritually sick. Don’t try to learn to live with it like so many do. Foolishly, some try to deal with the long term misery in order to avoid the short term pain of confession. The short term pain is worth the long term enjoyment of finally being free from the mistake.  

Today’s Recharge: Whether needing to confess to the Lord, a bishop, spouse, or just someone you have hurt, you are going to feel much better once you have gotten it out and owned up to your behavior. Is there some sin in your life you have not confessed to the person you need to? Like the song says, “Let it go” by confessing and rediscover the freedom from sin that the Lord gives us. 

Yesterday, Tomorrow, or Today?

8 And verily I say unto thee, thine heart is now right before me at this time; and, behold, I have bestowed great blessings upon thy head;

 9 Nevertheless, thou hast seen great sorrow, for thou hast rejected me many times because of pride and the cares of the world.

Doctrine & Covenants 39:8-9

Sections 39 and 40 are very interesting sections of the Doctrine & Covenants. James Covill was a Methodist preacher who had pastored for forty years, but when he heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he accepted it and said that he would obey any command given from the Lord through the prophet Joseph Smith.  So Section 39 is the Lord’s revelation to him where he is told, “thine heart is now right before me at this time;”  Yet in Section 40 we learn that James Covill changed his mind and rejected the Gospel.  So here is the question: why did an omniscient, all knowing God, give this beautiful revelation to James Covill, if He knew James would shortly turn around and reject it?  For that matter, why does God work with so many people that He knows will later turn their hearts away from Him?

It is because of this important principle: God works with us in the present tense.  Although He sees all of the past, present, and future clearly, God works with us in the present.  You could go to a Patriarch and find many beautiful revelations from the Lord to people who have now turned far away from God.  So why were the beautiful blessings given?  Because if those young men and women would have continued on the path they were on that day as they got those blessings, then all of those things would have come true.

God does not work with us based on our past.  He does not work with us according to what He knows we will do.  He works with us how we are today.

Today’s Takeaway: So when is the last time you recommitted yourself to the Lord?  Did you do it on Sunday with the Sacrament?  How about this morning? Today, are you fully committed to Him?  God doesn’t care so much about how you have run the race, as much as how you are running the race of life today. How can you live for the Lord today?

A Heart for the Suffering

And inasmuch as ye impart of your substance unto the poor, ye will do it unto me; and they shall be laid before the bishop of my church and his counselors, two of the elders, or high priests, such as he shall appoint or has appointed and set apart for that purpose.

Doctrine & Covenants 42:31

For many years we talked about the three-fold mission of the Church: proclaim the Gospel, perfect the saints, and redeem the dead.  Now in the most recently updated handbook of the Church, instead of them being called missions, they are referred to as purposes of the Church. And instead of there being just three purposes, a fourth has been added: "to care for the poor and needy". Of course, anyone who is familiar with the efforts of the Church has always seen this important work going on in the Church. In the early days, the Law of Consecration was practiced through the “United Order” to help care for those in need.  And today through Fast offerings and other charitable contributions, there is no limit to how much we can give to help others.

The Lord has always shown a special place in His heart for the poor and suffering. As Christ’s disciples, there are many ways we can help the poor and suffering. Two ways are by contributions to Fast offerings and to the Humanitarian Aid Fund. 

How much should we give?  C.S. Lewis taught, “If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Today’s Takeaway: How are you and your family doing with this important purpose God has given to his true disciples? Is there a small bit more you can give to help relieve the suffering in the world? A little goes a long way. 

Meditating Mormons

This is a more recent picture of Richard Frye.
Thank you, my friend.

And ye must practice virtue and holiness before me continually. Even so. Amen.

Doctrine & Covenants 46:33

In one area of my mission in the Philippines, I served with an Elder Frye. One of the first mornings there, I saw him sitting Indian style on his bed in what looked like a meditative state.  I felt like I shouldn’t disturb him but later that morning I said something sarcastic like, “You realize, Elder, we aren't Hindu, right?” He kindly said that he was in fact meditating.  He then explained that each morning he tried to mediate through his day and how to be the kind of person he wanted to be; he would think through how he would see that day and how he would like to approach each situation as a godly man.  He would think through situations that might frustrate him and how he would like to approach them in a better way.  He would “practice virtue” in his mind so when the actual events came, he had already practiced through what he would do.

Have you ever done the opposite of this? Have you ever had a conflict and imagined through a whole argument or fight that later never happened? You imagined what they might say and how you would react to get the best of them?  How often does your mind take you into the very opposite than the kind of person you want to be?  I think of it as the opposite of this verse. Instead of practicing virtue, we might often practice vice in our mind.  Then when the situation happens, we don’t always do what we should.

Today’s Takeaway: Take a few minutes and try meditating through your day; think of who you will see and interact with: family, work associates, friends. Practice through in your mind how you can be your best self in thosepotential situations. Think of situations where you often give in to temptation and meditate through how you will be different this time. This can be a powerful tool to becoming the man or woman of God you want to be. And remember practice makes perfect. 

If this or any post is a help in your life, please share it with others. Thanks.

"By The Way..."

 26 And let my servants Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt take their journey, and preach by the way, even unto this same land.

 27 And let my servants Solomon Hancock and Simeon Carter also take their journey unto this same land, and preach by the way.

Doctrine & Covenants 52:26-27

As the Lord is calling these missionaries in Doctrine & Covenants 52:22-27, in just six verses He commands them five times to preach "by the way”.  Whether you are a full-time missionary or an “every member a missionary” –missionary, there is a great secret to missionary work in that phrase. Sometimes we think of missionary work as a particular event, but really the best missionary work happens along the way. The best missionary work happens as we are going about our lives: at home, work, school, the store, etc…

The phrase is also the perfect thing to say:

·         “By the way, there is a neat activity at our church tonight, would you…”

·         “By the way, this weekend was awesome, at church we learned about how…”

·         “By the way, I saw a huge blessing in my life yesterday when…”

·         “By the way, if you aren't busy Sunday, you should come to church with us…”

Today’s Takeaway: Think through where you will be today and who you will see along the way.  Who could you casually talk to about God or the Church? Is there an activity you could invite someone to, or invite their children to participate in? See if you can mention something about your faith and what God has done for you.  Some of the very best missionary work happens "by the way..."