The Pain Of Sin

Well given that it has been four years since this blog was last written on I am sure nobody will read this, and if they do it will months from now. That's okay though I am writing this mostly for me and feel like that everyone else who does read it can only be benefitted. I have been thinking a lot lately about repentance process how it works and what all it encompasses. I started to think about the common conception of repentance being as Alma the younger described, as being racked with torment and 0the pains of a damned soul, and being in inexpressible horror. Even I myself don't always look forward to repenting because it isn't generally because it brings with it remorse and guilt. But today I learned a few things from the Spirit. I began thinking about the parable of prodigal son. Here is a man that had wasted all the money his father had given him in riotous living, with harlots and everything else you can imagine. He soon finds himself at the rock bottom of the pit he has dug for himself. One of the saddest descriptions of the guilt that is felt before repentance is given by him, in Luke 15:18-19 when he says: I have sinned against heaven [and my father]. and am no more worthy to be called [his] son. I think after sinning Satan would love for us to think this. This son decides to repentant and come unto his father, planning on getting a job as his servant. He thought his father would look down on him and scold him for doing so many bad things. Well he goes home and his father who had been patiently waiting, hoping he would comeback runs out to meet him and receives him with open arms. And as the son describes to his father his thoughts of being unworthy to be his son, the father stops him and begins to celebrate that his long lost son has finally comes home and treats him like royalty for finally coming home. So what part of the prodigal sons repentance was painful? Well given that the repentance was when he returned to his father none of it. Partying, eating steak with your old friends doesn't sound painful to me. Repentance, returning to our Father, is one of the greatest celebrations we could have in this life. Repentance is the greatest mercy that the Father could show to his children. The prodigal sons father did want his son to suffer before he would let him back into the house. He was super excited and couldn't wait to help his son. Our Father doesn't want us to suffer its not about punishing us for our sins. He just wants us back home and there is no nothing so exquisite as the joy of repentance. Repentance is the good news! What we often think of repentance as being awful is not the repentance at all. What makes us feel so lousy during the repentance process is sin. The sin is what is causing the pain in the guilt. The sin is what made alma feel so terribly rotten just before he repents. But as he repents and calls upon our Savior Jesus Christ he immediately remembered his pains no more. Repentance is what delivered Alma from the pains of a damned soul. How grateful I am truly am for the gift of Repentance. I am grateful for the Atonement that Christ made in my behalf. I wish I understood better then I do. I am grateful for the Spirit that can teach us these fundamental doctrines.

Why Shepherds?

So I Remembered something yesterday that I had forgotten for a while. It was something I learned in my institute class over the summer. Does it seem strange to anyone that God would send angels to the shepherds to announce the birth of his son? Well one of my instiute teachers explained why God did that.

If I remember right he said that the shepherds were of the tribe of Levi. And the shepherds were responsible for witnessing the births of the first born males in the flock. They would verify that it was without blemish and then the lamb could be used for sacrifices. Well with that knowledge it makes sense that he would appear to the shepherds so they could claim him to be the son of God, the first born male, with out blemish and ready to be sacrificed. Pretty cool.

Some Thoughts From Ether

Ok, so everyone who reads this blog has already heard what I'm going to put here but I wanted to write it out. So here goes.

In the book of Ether the brother of Jared is told to build ships or barges and Just like Nephi his blueprints for these barges come from the Lord. But...

There were two problems with the barges. Now how does that happen? Why are there problems with the Lords plan for a barge? He's perfect. He doesn't make mistakes.

Well it must be significant so lets look at the two problems. First: No Air. Second: No Light.
Hmm... Sounds a little like another one of God's creations that have two problems. Our Bodies.

Here is what I mean. What happens with out air? They die. What happens to our bodies. We die.
What happens without light? Well, the Jaredites say they can't steer. But what happens to us without light. Spiritually we can't steer we can't see and we die the second 'spiritual death' cut off from God.

Now lets see how the Lord takes care of these problems. First, the air, the Lord just tells the brother of Jared what to do he takes care of it himself. Well, that makes sense the Lord just 'takes care of' our physical death. We are guaranteed immortality we will be resurrected guaranteed. Ok first problem taken care of.

What about the second problem? The light. Here the Lord tells the brother of Jared to figure it out for himself. And after much puzzling the brother of Jared decides that the answer is to ask the Lord to take care of it. Sure he thought of the stones but he knew he couldn't do it himself. Likewise we can't take care of our second problem ourselves we have to stew about it a bit and realize that the answer is to 'come unto Christ' and let him touch us to solve the second problem. No Light. One of Christ's titles is the Light Giver. (I think) But it makes sense. From him comes the light of truth and through his atonement we can dwell in the light and be brought back into Gods presence and gain Eternal Life.

"For this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal Life of man."

Immortally? Check. Taken care of. Problem one solved.

Eternal Life? Well. The way is there. Christ is the way and 'the life' So what are we going to do about it?

Proxy Work

Sunday was the first time we meet our ward bishop or any of those guys and we were in priesthood, and my bishop, who is a very good man I love him dearly, said something interesting about proxy work. He said, "A lot of Christians and people form other faiths don't understand proxy work or how you can be baptized for someone else." He continued, "To them I like to say that Christ was the ultimate example of proxy work He did for me what I could not do for myself, and because he did I can and will be saved. The same pattern is fallowed in going and doing baptism for the dead. You are doing something for some else that they can't do for themselves."

The whole idea of proxy work show how great the wisdom of our God. It allows us to serve and help others with something that is drastically important I also am extremely great that god allows proxy work with the atonement if not we all would be one hundred percent and completely screwed.

The Book of Mormon Is Great literature.

Everyone dies in the end.

Paratroopers

I received an interesting analogy from a scoutmaster at Timberline this year.

He said that we are, as the children of Ephraim, Paratroopers dropped to a Telestial world from a Celestial sphere.

Now that's an interesting Idea.

Here are a few things I've thought about since:

Ok, so we are Paratroopers now usually this entails a mission yes? Well as far as my limited knowledge goes Paratroopers or Special units are used most often for Reconnaissance or Recovery. Well Since we are sent from an all knowing commander in chief Reconnaissance is probably not the one. So Recovery. "And I say unto you how great will be your joy if ye bring save one soul unto me" Ok so I'm paraphrasing a little but it makes sense. It aligns with our commander in chiefs goal to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

Now a few things are key to a behind the enemy lines mission. First, and we've all heard this before, is communication. What is Satan always trying to do. Mess with our communication back to our heavenly father (commander in chief). Another thing I would consider important if I got stuck behind enemy lines would be to get a small tight group of other Paratroopers with me to help out and support each other. Sound like families? So what group would the enemy want to destroy. (I don't even need to start listing the ways Satan is after the Family).

Ok. Nothing new. But Interesting. Another thing the Paratrooper analogy entails is when the battle starts. Um...Its already going. We know it has because we talk about the first stage of the battle from before this earth was created. Well we've been 'saved' for this 'last day' for a 'special purpose'. So the battle started Long before we got here. We dodged bullets as we were on our way (Abortion) and we continue to dodge bullets every day. There is not much rest when we are stuck behind enemy lines.

Now we know a few key things that will help. One what our mission is. As I've said we are to bring as many back as possible. We know, and this is the second thing, That we will win. We were sent before the 'air strike' if you will to get as many out as we can before the Commander in Chief decides its time to cleanse this area. So how do we fight. The same way we did and were trained in in that celestial world we came from. "and by the power of their testimonies and by the blood of the lamb they over came Satan" again...not word for word but it gets the point across.

Well. Wait. What about Secret Combinations. What about Government control. What about depression...Well we are behind enemy lines. If I was in Germany in WWII I wouldn't worry so much about going up and spitting in Hitlers face and calling him dirty names and telling him to change is police state. I'd worry about getting my tight group of commando's out (Family) and Try to help as many of my buddy's, civilians or anyone willing to listen to get out of there!

So It's not doctrine...But it's a pretty cool way to look at our situation here on this earth. At least I thought so.

The Hole

This is a humorous cool story

On the first day... a man walks down a street...
Suddenly the world goes dark. He thinks he is lost.
Then he realizes he is in a deep hole. He tries to find his way out, and it takes a very long time. Once he is out the day is gone ... so he walks back home.

On the second day... the man walks down the same street.
The world goes dark again. He is in the hole again.
He takes a while to recognize where he is.
Eventually he finds his way out... and so again he walks back home.

On the third day... the man again walks down the street.
He knows the hole is there and pretends not to see the hole... and closes his eyes. Once again he falls into the hole, and climbs out ... and walks back home, the day lost once again.

On the fourth day... the man walks cautiously down the street.
He sees the hole and this time walks around it. He is pleased.
But the world goes dark again. He has fallen into another hole.
He climbs out of the second hole, walks home ... and alas... falls into the first hole. He gets out of the first hole... and walks back home... to think.

On the fifth day... the man walks confidently down the street.
He sees the first hole..... and recognizes it.
He walks around it... but forgets the second hole, which he walks directly into.
He gets out immediately... and walks straight back home - to weep and hope.

On the sixth day... the man walks nervously down the street...
The hole is there and he thinks "I won't fall into the hole again"... and walks around the hole. He sees the second hole, avoids the second hole... but as he passes, he loses his balance... and falls in. Climbing out he walks back home ... taking the time to carefully avoid all the holes.

On the seventh day... the same man goes for a walk....

... and chooses to walk down a different street.


How often are we all like this man? By being a spectator of this it's funny and the guy looks like an idiot. But I know all too often I make the same mistakes over and over and over again simply because I am too proud to do things differently or to choose a path where I know that I will not be tempted to make that mistake. So just think about the path you are choosing, is it the same one you have chosen many times before and fallen in to the same holes, if so find a different road to walk on that doesn't have the holes.



(*wow that was deep....honestly*)