Chapter 33 - Recipe for Joy

It is with a bit of a heavy heart that I read my scriptures this morning.  Being the parent of adult children isn’t the easiest thing we are required to go through – especially when we see them making serious mistakes and suffer from them.  At this point in the game, it would seem prudent to be quiet observers rather than armchair quarterbacks – unless, of course, they ask for our thoughts.  This is rarely the case of a child who was raised in the gospel and has chosen to bushwhack her way through this life rather than follow the path the Lord has designed.  Why do we do that?  I know I had my time of weakness as well.  But I didn’t disbelieve.  I was just weak.

This chapter is filled with advice I would have a weaker person know.  Verse 1 for example tells us we must plant the seed (or word) in our hearts and exercise faith.  I’ve written: How?  The next few verses are quite descriptive in answering this question.

• Worship your God
• Search the scriptures (and understand them)
• Pray – everywhere!  Not just in the synagogue they helped to build and are forbidden to use.
• Pray sincerely in afflictions
• Nourish the word by faith

It is the nourishing part that takes time.  We’ve become a “nuke-it” generation and when things don’t happen fast enough for us, we lose faith.  This is so sad.  We’re promised in verse 23 that our burdens may be light.  Wow, sign me up!  What is the price tag for this blessing?  Chapter 32 covers it in more detailed way.  However, worshiping God, searching the scriptures for understanding, praying always and nourishing our faith are the answers.  These aren’t hard things, but the Lord does require it of us.   And we are promised we can do it – “if ye will.  Amen.”

Alma 29 – The Desires of Our Hearts

I’ve always been a big fan of Chapter 29 for two reasons.  1) It is a gorgeous song by Wanda West Palmer, and 2) I desire the opportunity to share my testimony with others that they might have the joy of the gospel in their lives. 

However, I noticed something this time around that hasn’t stood out to me quite like it did this morning.  Perhaps it is because of Elder Pliler’s talk in sacrament meeting last week and the theme of his talk was that God grants us according to the desires of our hearts.  Alma says this very thing in verses 4 and 5.  God grants us blessings according to our desires – unto death or unto life.  These are unalterable, according to our own will whether to the degree of salvation or destruction (4).  To those who know good and evil – in other words, have read the Book of Mormon, accepted it as truth, and accepted the Savior as their redeemer - his wishes for life or death, joy or remorse, will be granted.  This is a sobering thought.

As I ponder this thought I think back to my careless youth.  I was taught the gospel in my home as a child.  I had a testimony and I knew the gospel was true.  However, there were a few things I desired to experience that I did not want to leave this world without experiencing.  My weakness in obedience to the commandments chipped away and these desires were soon realized – much to my sorrow.  I see this same pattern in the lives of others who have walked a similar path.  The only way for it to have a happy ending is through the power of the Atonement and the gift of repentance.  We are so very blessed to have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who was willing to pay the price for our mistakes so that we can return to the path that will lead us to our Heavenly Father.  How grateful I am for this blessing and this brings me full circle to the beginning of Chapter 29 – O that I were an angel and could have the wish of my heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

How I love our missionaries who are doing just that.  I love reading their letters to their families and the strong testimonies they bear to the truthfulness of the gospel and the joy that comes from embracing it, living it and sharing it.  This too is the desire of my heart I hope to attain as soon as my husband retires.

In the meantime, I pray for opportunities to share my testimony with others – and watch carefully for that opportunity.

I Have Given You an Example - Elder Scott

In reading Elder Scott’s Conference talk April 2014, "I Have Given You an Example", he mentions ways we can be a righteous and good influence on our loved ones and those we hope will accept the gospel.  It is worthy of being written as bullet points:

• Sincerely love those we want to help in righteousness
• Sharing lessons I have learned, experiences I have had, and principles I have followed to find solutions to my own struggles.
• Show sincere interest in their well being.
• Share my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Encourage those I love to seek to understand what the Lord would have them do.
• Ask them questions.
• Allow them sufficient time to ponder and seek to work out the answers for themselves.
• Help them know how to pray and to recognize answers to their prayers.
• Help them know the scriptures are a vital source of receiving and recognizing answers.
• Focus my life on the most basic principles – Plan of Salvation
• Sharing what I know
• Help loved ones want to commit to obey all God’s commandments and to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ.
• Always seek to strengthen families.
• Love them.
• Trust them.  I really liked this:  Every child of God in mortality chose the Savior’s plan.  Trust that given the opportunity, they will do so again.
• Share principles that help them to press forward.  We all grow line upon line.  Keep it simple.
• Bear testimony of Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Use prayer, the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, and my commitment to Priesthood ordinances.
• Concentrate on this basic principle:  The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes possible our becoming more like our Father in Heaven so that we can live together eternally in our family units.

 That’s a long list and one to ponder a lot!  As I counsel with my children who, for some reason, will confide in me, I need to internalize the scripture references he used at the end of his talk.  They speak of the perfectness of Christ and His pattern for everyone in life.  Elder Scott tells us to study them diligently.  It’s a long list, and needs to be given the time it deserves.  

• Alma 7 - Christ will be born of Mary—He will loose the bands of death and bear the sins of His people—Those who repent, are baptized, and keep the commandments will have eternal life—Filthiness cannot inherit the kingdom of God—Humility, faith, hope, and charity are required.
• Alma 42 - Christ will be born of Mary—He will loose the bands of death and bear the sins of His people—Those who repent, are baptized, and keep the commandments will have eternal life—Filthiness cannot inherit the kingdom of God—Humility, faith, hope, and charity are required.
• 3 Nephi Chapters 11-30 – The time the Savior spent teaching His “other sheep” in Ancient America.
• Moroni 10:32-33 – Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.
• D&C 18:10-16 – The worth of souls is great in the eyes of God.
• D&C 19:13-19 – If we don’t repent, we must suffer even as Christ suffered.  In other words, our sins will be paid for twice because Christ has already paid for them!
• D&C 29:3 – If we sin after having been forgiven already, perils will come.  This doesn’t mean we can’t repent again.  Just don’t be surprised when things go bad.
• D&C 88:1-13 - 1–5, Faithful Saints receive that Comforter, which is the promise of eternal life; 6–13, All things are controlled and governed by the Light of Christ;
• Moses 5:6-12 – Adam and Eve praise God because of their transgressions they were able to bear children and experience good from evil. 

Elder Scott’s marching orders are:  Remember to do as the Savior has done, i.e. share our love, trust and knowledge of truth with others who have not yet embraced the brilliant light of the gospel.  It fits quite well with our RS lessons yesterday. 

Alma 28 - The Inequality of Men

This is a power-packed chapter with much to think about.  It is the end of the account of Ammon and his brethren and their missionary labors.  For fifteen years they labored as missionaries.  It is the last two verses that I want to focus on though.  They are filled with “and thus we see” bullets:

• How great the inequality of man is.  Why?  Because of sin and transgression and the power of the devil and his cunning plans which are devised to ensnare the hearts of men.
• The great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord
• The reason – even the great reason – of sorrow, and of rejoicing.  Sorrow because of death and destructions among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life.

The choice belongs to us.  We can choose sorrow or joy.  We create the inequality!  When we are in the process of making poor choices, we don’t realize we are actually choosing Satan’s plan over the Plan of Salvation until we have dug our pit so deep we feel it is impossible to dig our way out.  The story of the Lamanites in these chapters lets us see there is a way prepared to return and it is through our Savior Jesus Christ, and accepting him as our Savior and Redeemer that this is possible – a big step when you feel you are on the bottom of the heap!

It seems there are as many ways to dig ourselves into this pit as there are people who do so.  But there is only one way out.  As I’ve been counseling with my children and their families, I realize so totally there is only one way out of trouble and that’s through the door that will lead us back to the path the Lord has given us for happiness.  It doesn’t really matter the trouble, and some day I’m going to coin a way to tell them not to tell me the sordid details, because it really doesn’t matter.  All that matters is that they start making wise choices again – that they choose to run to their Savior and recommit to keep the commandments and their covenants at baptism as well as temple covenants.  Until that happens folks, we can be assured the troubles will continue and heartache will abound.  Yes, from the outside looking in the inequality of man is great, but the control is in the hands of the sinner.  The power to save is in the hands of our Savior!

As covenant children of our Heavenly Father, we must be diligent in our labors in the vineyards of the Lord.  What does that mean?  It means those things that we have been called to do, we do with a commitment to build the kingdom.  It also means those things we have covenanted to do at baptism (Mosiah 18) i.e. mourn for those that mourn, bear one another’s burdens, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places even until death.  These are our marching orders daily!  We need to be doing these things in our own family as well as outside our home.  It requires us to get out of our comfort zone sometimes.  No, we must get out of our comfort zone a lot!

I marvel at a sister in our ward that walks up to total strangers and strikes up a conversation and then hands them a Book of Mormon.  I want to follow that example.  I try to be on the watch for people who might need a friend and a visit.  I pray for those who are suffering for whatever reason.  I know there is much more I should be doing.  I also find opportunities to help my family.  It can be a busy calling, but it is the only way back to our Heavenly Father.  If that were the only reason to obey, that would be good enough.  The real miracle of living like this is the joy it brings in our lives which creates the “inequality of man” spoken of in Alma 28:13.   It is serving our Lord that sets us apart and brings joy into our lives.  Yes, it requires time and effort, but a small price to pay for that joy – that inequality.

Alma 26 - True Love Changes Lives

Ammon is overcome with the glory of the Lord and the blessings they have received as they served the Lamanites and taught them the truth of the gospel.  In his glorying, he asks his brethren this question in verse 21:  “. . . what natural man is there that knoweth these things?  I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.”

What things is Ammon talking about?  He’s talking about the mysteries of heaven.  As he asks the question, he answers it.  Only the penitent – those who truly repent of their sins and forsake all evil and come unto Christ – are able to know the truth of all things.  Nothing happens until that happens.  That is why the importance to repent and commit. 

I see those in bondage to the wrong choices they have made in their lives and I can’t help but grieve for them.  As I was saying my prayer this morning, I pondered the awful situation of one such lovely young woman.  She is in a horribly dark abyss and she is sad and knows no true joy.  The way out is so easy.  I remember being there as though it were yesterday.  It is the decision to come out that is the hard part.  Keeping the commandments and following after righteousness – for me at least – was the easy part.  I knew the gospel, and there were those on the sidelines ready to help me once I made up my mind to change.  I believe that is true for all of us.  I needed to relearn a lot of things, but I knew the truth. 

I read a conference talk this morning as well.  Elder Richard G. Scott asked the question:  How can each of us become such a significant influence?   (Speaking of influencing others for good.)  His answer:  We must be sure to sincerely love those we want to help in righteousness so they can begin to develop confidence in God’s love. For so many in the world, the first challenge in accepting the gospel is to develop faith in a Father in Heaven, who loves them perfectly. It is easier to develop that faith when they have friends or family members who love them in a similar way.

So my marching orders are to love so that faith can be developed.  That is what Ammon and his brethren did.  They loved.  True love is hard to turn from.