I spend lots of my quiet moments thinking about the people throughout my life that have had strong positive impacts on me. I like to think in terms of a "Top 10" list of people, though I rarely get very far in trying to actually rank people relative to each other. I'm not even sure its an even 10 people on the list- I really spend most of my time thinking about who would or could be on the list and what I have learned from them. I thought I'd take a minute to start putting some of these down "on paper" to help organize my thinking. This isn't a comprehensive list, and it isn't specifically prioritized either. I'm confident I'll have to come at this in several installments to do it justice.
Immediate Family
I dare you to even try to imagine what or how you would be if you hadn't had your parents in your life. From my Dad I learned a lot about character, integrity and service. Joseph Smith said in the Lectures on Faith that a man needs to know that he is living his life in keeping with the will of God to have sufficient faith for salvation. Whenever I think about that principle I think about my Dad. He loves God and does his best (as far as I can tell) to live it- every day. From my Mom I learned a love of words, ideas and analytical thinking. I am especially grateful that she was willing to put aside what could have been a very rewarding and stimulating life in the world of work and ideas to be my Mom. Between these two cornerstones, what a foundation for a good life!
Laurie has been part of my life for almost 2/3 of the time I have been drawing breath on this earth. She made it possible for me to get where I am, in no small part because she gives me a safe shelter from the storm. She is a planner and organizer. Having her in my life, I don't feel like I have to manage or prevent so many catastrophes. In the spiritual aspects of life she has been something of a flywheel to me. I can't recall a time in 20 years of marriage where she slacked up on attending church or sacrificing for the kids (and me).
There have been other family members who have had impacts for good, though relative to my parents and Laurie they are more indirect in their impacts. These include my maternal Grandmother who lives to serve others and my paternal Grandfather who worked as a policeman and had earned himself such a sterling reputation that it left a strong impression on me at an early age. Most of my personal memories of him include failing health, but I have always respected him for his years of public service and moral strength.
Next post: The People Who Made Me- Friends...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
This is a talk I prepared for church a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, there were six youth speakers and a musical number as well. I only ended up with about 5 minutes to speak, and not much of this was included.
Be Thou an Example of the Believers…
Context: Paul and the fulfilled law
Paul was a unique teacher of the gospel. While the Savior and most of the apostles were Hebrews and rarely left the small geographic area of Israel, Paul was a Roman, and traveled widely around the Roman empire, building up churches and supporting local church leaders. Paul often tried to teach members of the Church, raised in Jewish tradition, that Jesus asked us to live a higher law than the law of Moses. We are no longer expected just to keep the 10 commandments, and live a law of observances. Now we are to follow Christ and live as he lived, to offer a sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Our requirement is to be the best we can, to be sanctified by the spirit, not just to be justified by achieving a minimum standard of obedience.
Timothy: an example of the believers
In 1 Timothy 4, Paul is coaching Timothy, one of his most trusted missionary companions and assistants this principle again. He points out that Timothy should be aware that because of his youth, some people with weaker testimonies or who haven’t yet learned the true nature of God and the gospel may misinterpret his behavior if he isn’t careful. He warns him to always be careful to be a good example. We have heard six talks already about the specific types of behavior that Paul mentioned- that could cause stumbling blocks for others. I have been asked to follow up on these talks by addressing this larger principle of being an example of the believers. We have heard talks this morning about ways to be good examples. I would like to describe some of what we can learn from Paul about what NOT being a good example can mean.
Eating Meat Offered to Idols
Paul attempts to illustrate this principle in 1 Corinthians 8. He describes, in those 13 verses, a unique example of the new way we are to live. He also shows us how easy it is to subtly let our pride get in the way and be a bad example in spite of our righteousness. In speaking about the practice of eating meat that had previously been offered as sacrifice to false gods, he says that it is not enough for us to know that idols are dead and meaningless. This personal justification may meet the factual criteria of righteousness. However, we must use that knowledge in the full context of a humble follower of Christ- always concerned about others and the impact of our actions- not just avoiding explicit sin.
I would like to read verses 9 through 12 of 1 Corinthians 8, in which Paul quite clearly describes the importance of not letting our pride allow us to rationalize being a bad example.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
So What?: Don’t undermine the faith of others
I can’t think of any time I’ve ever had the opportunity to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. For years I had carried this story around in my head, understanding roughly the point Paul was trying to make, but not sure exactly how it applied to me. I would like to propose to you what I think it means in today’s world, and as a member of the Church, to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Remember that the key issue is not the meat or the eating, it is the risk that we will act in a way that others will misinterpret. The sin is not teaching false doctrine, it is to act in a way that may undermine the faith of others.
We are always teaching: Marriage counseling
Years ago, when I worked as a marriage counselor, I had several occasions to get to know women who were in abusive relationships. Some of these were very ugly relationships, and as is almost always the case, there were not obvious or simple solutions to the situations. Early in each discussion, in an attempt to understand the woman’s position in the situation, I would generally ask whether she had considered leaving her husband or partner. In almost every case where there were children in the family, I would hear the response that whether or not they had considered leaving, the reason they had not actually left was out of concern for the lesson it would teach the children. This is a noble response. These women were choosing to subject themselves to personal violence or humiliation in order to benefit their children. There is no single appropriate recommendation for whether to stay in a relationship or not given a checklist of good or bad elements.
I did, however, come to the conclusion that addresses a much larger lesson for life. I think this lesson is very much like the lesson Paul would teach us. We are always teaching those around us. Whether we are teaching explicitly and intentionally to our children, or whether we are inadvertently teaching our neighbors or coworkers or friends- we are always teaching. In the case of the abused mothers I described earlier, while they were intentional about teaching their children that marriage is important and divorce is a bad thing, what they were teaching even more forcefully- whether they liked the message or not- was that staying married is more important than being safe or respected in your family relationships. Most mothers find this to be the last message they would actively teach their daughters.
We are always teaching those around us. We have special stewardships for our own children and those we have callings to help, but our responsibility is not specific. In Paul’s messages we see he instruction to always think carefully about our behavior, not just to be careful who sees us.
Me: Teaching by example is hard and humbling
This capacity for unintended teaching is one of the most powerfully unsettling forces in my life. I have my personal flaws, and I don’t always live up to this ideal, but I regularly think about my impact on others. Are there times when, in spite of my noble words about my testimony or my faith in Christ, my children see me behaving in a way that destroys their faith? There are obvious forms of hypocrisy that could undermine our moral authority at home, like asking others to tell callers that we aren’t home- when obviously we really are. These should be easy to recognize if we give it some thought. I’m even more concerned about more subtle inconsistencies. Do I tell my sons that they should willingly perform Priesthood service, but gripe or decline when I am asked to help someone move? Do we accept the callings we are given? Even if we accept, how do our family members hear us talk about the new calling? Do we, in all that we say and do, support our Bishop and Stake President?...Not just in how we act toward them and in our callings, but in all that we do- in the words our spouses, children or coworkers hear? What subtle messages do we send to our children about the Temple, tithing, church attendance, respect for spouse, love of God and other important things through our sins of omission or casual criticism?
Do I really have to live this higher standard?
You might ask, “Aren’t my kids, friends, neighbors and friends smart enough to understand that I’m not perfect? That I can believe in tithing or the Temple even if I don’t pay or go regularly? That is the problem. Paul warns us that people regularly can’t or don’t make that distinction. The statistics for smoking are telling. All else being equal, children of smokers are twice as likely as children of non-smokers to begin smoking. This is true even if the smoking parents make a point of discouraging smoking in their children. Do as I say, not as I do, doesn’t work. Children learn early in life that behavior is a far better indication of how people think and feel than what they say.
Another way to look at this challenge is that we are here to become more like Christ. Can you picture the Savior saying to himself, “I lived a righteous life, and kept all the commandments, if they weren’t so lazy and sinful, they could, too?” No, Christ spent his entire life and every bit of his energy both teaching and setting example for us. He worried about the faithless and how they would be strengthened by his actions. He never whined or complained or criticized others behind their backs.
Summary
Paul taught about the fulfilled Mosaic law, and encouraged Timothy and others to live in such a way that they would be an example to others. Not just an example of keeping the letter of the law, and obeying the commandments, but an example that would build faith in others, strengthening them and helping them see the wisdom in righteous living. May we strive to “let no man despise our youth” because of the attitude we carry or our cutting of corners in living the gospel.
Be Thou an Example of the Believers…
Context: Paul and the fulfilled law
Paul was a unique teacher of the gospel. While the Savior and most of the apostles were Hebrews and rarely left the small geographic area of Israel, Paul was a Roman, and traveled widely around the Roman empire, building up churches and supporting local church leaders. Paul often tried to teach members of the Church, raised in Jewish tradition, that Jesus asked us to live a higher law than the law of Moses. We are no longer expected just to keep the 10 commandments, and live a law of observances. Now we are to follow Christ and live as he lived, to offer a sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Our requirement is to be the best we can, to be sanctified by the spirit, not just to be justified by achieving a minimum standard of obedience.
Timothy: an example of the believers
In 1 Timothy 4, Paul is coaching Timothy, one of his most trusted missionary companions and assistants this principle again. He points out that Timothy should be aware that because of his youth, some people with weaker testimonies or who haven’t yet learned the true nature of God and the gospel may misinterpret his behavior if he isn’t careful. He warns him to always be careful to be a good example. We have heard six talks already about the specific types of behavior that Paul mentioned- that could cause stumbling blocks for others. I have been asked to follow up on these talks by addressing this larger principle of being an example of the believers. We have heard talks this morning about ways to be good examples. I would like to describe some of what we can learn from Paul about what NOT being a good example can mean.
Eating Meat Offered to Idols
Paul attempts to illustrate this principle in 1 Corinthians 8. He describes, in those 13 verses, a unique example of the new way we are to live. He also shows us how easy it is to subtly let our pride get in the way and be a bad example in spite of our righteousness. In speaking about the practice of eating meat that had previously been offered as sacrifice to false gods, he says that it is not enough for us to know that idols are dead and meaningless. This personal justification may meet the factual criteria of righteousness. However, we must use that knowledge in the full context of a humble follower of Christ- always concerned about others and the impact of our actions- not just avoiding explicit sin.
I would like to read verses 9 through 12 of 1 Corinthians 8, in which Paul quite clearly describes the importance of not letting our pride allow us to rationalize being a bad example.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
So What?: Don’t undermine the faith of others
I can’t think of any time I’ve ever had the opportunity to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. For years I had carried this story around in my head, understanding roughly the point Paul was trying to make, but not sure exactly how it applied to me. I would like to propose to you what I think it means in today’s world, and as a member of the Church, to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Remember that the key issue is not the meat or the eating, it is the risk that we will act in a way that others will misinterpret. The sin is not teaching false doctrine, it is to act in a way that may undermine the faith of others.
We are always teaching: Marriage counseling
Years ago, when I worked as a marriage counselor, I had several occasions to get to know women who were in abusive relationships. Some of these were very ugly relationships, and as is almost always the case, there were not obvious or simple solutions to the situations. Early in each discussion, in an attempt to understand the woman’s position in the situation, I would generally ask whether she had considered leaving her husband or partner. In almost every case where there were children in the family, I would hear the response that whether or not they had considered leaving, the reason they had not actually left was out of concern for the lesson it would teach the children. This is a noble response. These women were choosing to subject themselves to personal violence or humiliation in order to benefit their children. There is no single appropriate recommendation for whether to stay in a relationship or not given a checklist of good or bad elements.
I did, however, come to the conclusion that addresses a much larger lesson for life. I think this lesson is very much like the lesson Paul would teach us. We are always teaching those around us. Whether we are teaching explicitly and intentionally to our children, or whether we are inadvertently teaching our neighbors or coworkers or friends- we are always teaching. In the case of the abused mothers I described earlier, while they were intentional about teaching their children that marriage is important and divorce is a bad thing, what they were teaching even more forcefully- whether they liked the message or not- was that staying married is more important than being safe or respected in your family relationships. Most mothers find this to be the last message they would actively teach their daughters.
We are always teaching those around us. We have special stewardships for our own children and those we have callings to help, but our responsibility is not specific. In Paul’s messages we see he instruction to always think carefully about our behavior, not just to be careful who sees us.
Me: Teaching by example is hard and humbling
This capacity for unintended teaching is one of the most powerfully unsettling forces in my life. I have my personal flaws, and I don’t always live up to this ideal, but I regularly think about my impact on others. Are there times when, in spite of my noble words about my testimony or my faith in Christ, my children see me behaving in a way that destroys their faith? There are obvious forms of hypocrisy that could undermine our moral authority at home, like asking others to tell callers that we aren’t home- when obviously we really are. These should be easy to recognize if we give it some thought. I’m even more concerned about more subtle inconsistencies. Do I tell my sons that they should willingly perform Priesthood service, but gripe or decline when I am asked to help someone move? Do we accept the callings we are given? Even if we accept, how do our family members hear us talk about the new calling? Do we, in all that we say and do, support our Bishop and Stake President?...Not just in how we act toward them and in our callings, but in all that we do- in the words our spouses, children or coworkers hear? What subtle messages do we send to our children about the Temple, tithing, church attendance, respect for spouse, love of God and other important things through our sins of omission or casual criticism?
Do I really have to live this higher standard?
You might ask, “Aren’t my kids, friends, neighbors and friends smart enough to understand that I’m not perfect? That I can believe in tithing or the Temple even if I don’t pay or go regularly? That is the problem. Paul warns us that people regularly can’t or don’t make that distinction. The statistics for smoking are telling. All else being equal, children of smokers are twice as likely as children of non-smokers to begin smoking. This is true even if the smoking parents make a point of discouraging smoking in their children. Do as I say, not as I do, doesn’t work. Children learn early in life that behavior is a far better indication of how people think and feel than what they say.
Another way to look at this challenge is that we are here to become more like Christ. Can you picture the Savior saying to himself, “I lived a righteous life, and kept all the commandments, if they weren’t so lazy and sinful, they could, too?” No, Christ spent his entire life and every bit of his energy both teaching and setting example for us. He worried about the faithless and how they would be strengthened by his actions. He never whined or complained or criticized others behind their backs.
Summary
Paul taught about the fulfilled Mosaic law, and encouraged Timothy and others to live in such a way that they would be an example to others. Not just an example of keeping the letter of the law, and obeying the commandments, but an example that would build faith in others, strengthening them and helping them see the wisdom in righteous living. May we strive to “let no man despise our youth” because of the attitude we carry or our cutting of corners in living the gospel.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
...and how do you know it?
I went to a fireside tonight with Wes, Ethan and Jacob. There were two primary speakers, Katie Rogerson, who recently returned from a full-time mission to the New York Rochester Mission, and one of the current full-time missionaries in our area. Ironically, the Elder was originally from upstate New York. It's a small world within the Church.
In Sister Rogerson's remarks she asked the youth to think of some gospel principle that they "know" and then identify how they know it. She asked some of the youth to share these points. Of course, most identified that the way they know their "truth" is because the Holy Ghost bore witness to them about the point. I, of course, thought about the times when I have felt most strongly and undeniably the Spirit bearing witness of some point or principle. The experiences that came to mind were:
1. Moments of profound witness that God loves the person I am speaking with. These usually happened when I was a therapist and was working hard to support and help people.
2. On my mission, when I spent weeks memorizing Joseph Smith's account of his First Vision, I experienced visceral and unforgettable witnesses from the Holy Spirit that these events really happened.
3. In high school, my seminary teacher once promised us and challenged us that if we would pray out loud for 10 minutes daily we would receive a strong witness that prayer works and God is listening. He was right.
As I pondered these experiences (I'm afraid I wasn't paying very good attention to the presentation any more), I realized that these experiences shared key commonalities with the Book of Mormon challenge- if you make a commitment to demonstrate your faith, then the seed will grow and you will receive a witness of what you have done.
It struck me that this is a pattern for living that is not really all that new, just new to me- for now. In relation to missionary work, the principle should hold true as well, pray for an opportunity to help someone become converted to the gospel and He will help it happen and in the process you couldn't help but have powerful spiritual experiences in support of that endeavor.
I will have to find a way to incorporate this learning (and a challenge to dive into one of these tests) into my work with the 14 and 15 year old young men in the Church.
In Sister Rogerson's remarks she asked the youth to think of some gospel principle that they "know" and then identify how they know it. She asked some of the youth to share these points. Of course, most identified that the way they know their "truth" is because the Holy Ghost bore witness to them about the point. I, of course, thought about the times when I have felt most strongly and undeniably the Spirit bearing witness of some point or principle. The experiences that came to mind were:
1. Moments of profound witness that God loves the person I am speaking with. These usually happened when I was a therapist and was working hard to support and help people.
2. On my mission, when I spent weeks memorizing Joseph Smith's account of his First Vision, I experienced visceral and unforgettable witnesses from the Holy Spirit that these events really happened.
3. In high school, my seminary teacher once promised us and challenged us that if we would pray out loud for 10 minutes daily we would receive a strong witness that prayer works and God is listening. He was right.
As I pondered these experiences (I'm afraid I wasn't paying very good attention to the presentation any more), I realized that these experiences shared key commonalities with the Book of Mormon challenge- if you make a commitment to demonstrate your faith, then the seed will grow and you will receive a witness of what you have done.
It struck me that this is a pattern for living that is not really all that new, just new to me- for now. In relation to missionary work, the principle should hold true as well, pray for an opportunity to help someone become converted to the gospel and He will help it happen and in the process you couldn't help but have powerful spiritual experiences in support of that endeavor.
I will have to find a way to incorporate this learning (and a challenge to dive into one of these tests) into my work with the 14 and 15 year old young men in the Church.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Spiritual Lessons -- Looking forward to the Second Coming
As I indicated in my last post, I have been experiencing very strong spiritual reactions to certain lines in the Pageant. Those reactions tended to be associated with statements about the experience of others in seeing the Lord, either in the past or as promised in the future.
As part of our regular Pageant activities as we approach the end of the season, we attended a testimony meeting today. Actually, there were several different meetings so that teenagers were together, young adults were together, and the old folks were together. The reason I am explaining all of this is that during the testimony meeting today I had another moment of stark realization. The clarity of that moment contained the following bit of wisdom.
I spent most of the first 25 years of my life getting to understand the flowchart of the plan of salvation. I have spent the last 15 or so years working to comprehend how much our Heavenly Father and our Savior love us. I have heard (and repeated) many times the idea that the phrase "the great and dreadful day of the Lord" refers to the the fact that when He returns people will experience the event in one of two ways. Either they have lived lives of sin and will find the event dreadful, or they have been preparing for the day and will find it a joyful time.
During today's testimony meeting I realized that the experiences I have been having relative to the pageant lines regarding seeing the Savior face to face someday were teaching me to understand that when we feel his love for us and are making reasonable attempts to live the gospel, we will look forward eagerly to his return. We will ache to see him and feel his embrace. Without that aspect, the love of Christ, I had been imagining that the truly righteous somehow wanted the second coming of Christ to happen for reasons akin to reducing the amount of time involved in "enduring to the end." This never rang true- obviously.
In summary, what I learned at Pageant this year is that I can (and should) look forward to the return of the Good Shepherd. I should watch as I read the scriptures for promises that He will return to his flock. The imagery and symbolism of these statements are backed by the promise that He who created the Earth and everything in it loves us more than we can comprehend and wants nothing less than for each and every one of us to become the very best we can be and return to live with Him. He really died on the cross for us, and he still bears the marks in His hands and feet and side to bear witness to it. If we live worthy (i.e., have faith, repent, make and keep baptismal covenants and endure to the end) we will someday have the privilege of seeing those marks and touching him and speaking to him. We will have the chance to feel again that endless love. What better way to shore up our motivation and steady our boats against the winds of the world than to hold that vision close to our hearts?
As part of our regular Pageant activities as we approach the end of the season, we attended a testimony meeting today. Actually, there were several different meetings so that teenagers were together, young adults were together, and the old folks were together. The reason I am explaining all of this is that during the testimony meeting today I had another moment of stark realization. The clarity of that moment contained the following bit of wisdom.
I spent most of the first 25 years of my life getting to understand the flowchart of the plan of salvation. I have spent the last 15 or so years working to comprehend how much our Heavenly Father and our Savior love us. I have heard (and repeated) many times the idea that the phrase "the great and dreadful day of the Lord" refers to the the fact that when He returns people will experience the event in one of two ways. Either they have lived lives of sin and will find the event dreadful, or they have been preparing for the day and will find it a joyful time.
During today's testimony meeting I realized that the experiences I have been having relative to the pageant lines regarding seeing the Savior face to face someday were teaching me to understand that when we feel his love for us and are making reasonable attempts to live the gospel, we will look forward eagerly to his return. We will ache to see him and feel his embrace. Without that aspect, the love of Christ, I had been imagining that the truly righteous somehow wanted the second coming of Christ to happen for reasons akin to reducing the amount of time involved in "enduring to the end." This never rang true- obviously.
In summary, what I learned at Pageant this year is that I can (and should) look forward to the return of the Good Shepherd. I should watch as I read the scriptures for promises that He will return to his flock. The imagery and symbolism of these statements are backed by the promise that He who created the Earth and everything in it loves us more than we can comprehend and wants nothing less than for each and every one of us to become the very best we can be and return to live with Him. He really died on the cross for us, and he still bears the marks in His hands and feet and side to bear witness to it. If we live worthy (i.e., have faith, repent, make and keep baptismal covenants and endure to the end) we will someday have the privilege of seeing those marks and touching him and speaking to him. We will have the chance to feel again that endless love. What better way to shore up our motivation and steady our boats against the winds of the world than to hold that vision close to our hearts?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Hill Cumorah Pageant
Our family has been participating in the LDS Hill Cumorah Pageant Link Link for the last couple of weeks. When I say participating, I mean that we have been part of the cast. There are a little over 700 of us putting on a religious play that lasts about an hour and 15 minutes. We arrived on site, without casting or script preparations a week to the day before our first performance. There is a phenomenal amount of preparation and professionalism that allows the Pageant to execute so much in so little time.
The objective of the Pageant is to testify of Christ through the retelling of the key stories of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel.
The reason why participation in the Pageant is coinciding with my creation of a gratitude blog is that I have felt so strongly during this trip the hand of God in my life. I have especially been surprised by my deepening testimony of the Savior.
We have been on site for a little over 10 days now. In that time, I think I have shed more tears in less time than ever before in my life. I have felt the spirit so strongly, so often, testifying to me of the divine mission of the Savior and the truth of the messages of the Book of Mormon. I think part of the reason for my deep experience is our location. Spending so much time here in the "Cradle of the Restoration" helps to keep me focused on the reality of it all. I'm sure that even more responsible is the experience of reenacting the key archetypal scenes from the Book of Mormon.
I suspect that I was emotionally prepared for this by our trip to Washington D.C. the week before we started our Pageant experience. Seeing the National Cemetary in Arlington and the memorials dedicated to FDR, Lincoln, Jefferson and others really put me in the right state of mind to appreciate all of our blessings. The hand of God is so apparent in the creation of a free land- where those in power were more focused on the establishment of a free land than the perpetuation of their own personal power...
So while I have felt so very touched by the Spirit these last few weeks, the moment of gratitude I would like to call out in particular something that happened last night. As we have been practicing here, there have been frequent moments in which the Spirit bore strong witness to me, humbling me with feelings of His love for us and the truth of the messages being told. The tender mercy that happened last night is that mid show I realized there was a pattern to my "moments." They weren't just happening randomly or even at my "favorite" parts of the show. Rather, the spirit would bring me to tears at very particular moments, moments when the actors or the narrator were evoking images of either Christ returning or the opportunities that select few have had to see Him and interact with Him. These are a few of the lines as best I can recall them, to illustrate (I'll try to update these as I see more of them and as I have the chance to validate the wording in the days to come):
Nephi: You could promise me no greater blessing. My children's children shall see the face of Christ...
III Nephi: ...after his Resurrection... We shall see His face. We shall call His name and He shall answer us...
Mormon: They [the people of another nation in the future that God shall establish] shall know that the people that lived in this land saw the face of Christ...
Moroni: And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust? [Moroni 10:27]
In the past I have witnessed the shaping of my testimony around other topics. Noticing that these moments have been themed around Christ returning and the promise of seeing his face was a deeply moving experience. I will certainly particpate in subsequent rehearsals and performances with a more focused eye and heart.
The objective of the Pageant is to testify of Christ through the retelling of the key stories of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel.
The reason why participation in the Pageant is coinciding with my creation of a gratitude blog is that I have felt so strongly during this trip the hand of God in my life. I have especially been surprised by my deepening testimony of the Savior.
We have been on site for a little over 10 days now. In that time, I think I have shed more tears in less time than ever before in my life. I have felt the spirit so strongly, so often, testifying to me of the divine mission of the Savior and the truth of the messages of the Book of Mormon. I think part of the reason for my deep experience is our location. Spending so much time here in the "Cradle of the Restoration" helps to keep me focused on the reality of it all. I'm sure that even more responsible is the experience of reenacting the key archetypal scenes from the Book of Mormon.
I suspect that I was emotionally prepared for this by our trip to Washington D.C. the week before we started our Pageant experience. Seeing the National Cemetary in Arlington and the memorials dedicated to FDR, Lincoln, Jefferson and others really put me in the right state of mind to appreciate all of our blessings. The hand of God is so apparent in the creation of a free land- where those in power were more focused on the establishment of a free land than the perpetuation of their own personal power...
So while I have felt so very touched by the Spirit these last few weeks, the moment of gratitude I would like to call out in particular something that happened last night. As we have been practicing here, there have been frequent moments in which the Spirit bore strong witness to me, humbling me with feelings of His love for us and the truth of the messages being told. The tender mercy that happened last night is that mid show I realized there was a pattern to my "moments." They weren't just happening randomly or even at my "favorite" parts of the show. Rather, the spirit would bring me to tears at very particular moments, moments when the actors or the narrator were evoking images of either Christ returning or the opportunities that select few have had to see Him and interact with Him. These are a few of the lines as best I can recall them, to illustrate (I'll try to update these as I see more of them and as I have the chance to validate the wording in the days to come):
Nephi: You could promise me no greater blessing. My children's children shall see the face of Christ...
III Nephi: ...after his Resurrection... We shall see His face. We shall call His name and He shall answer us...
Mormon: They [the people of another nation in the future that God shall establish] shall know that the people that lived in this land saw the face of Christ...
Moroni: And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust? [Moroni 10:27]
In the past I have witnessed the shaping of my testimony around other topics. Noticing that these moments have been themed around Christ returning and the promise of seeing his face was a deeply moving experience. I will certainly particpate in subsequent rehearsals and performances with a more focused eye and heart.
Getting Started
I have been feeling really blessed lately. Laurie has been spending a good deal of time and effort posting to the family blog about our family vacation, and that got me to thinking. In particular, I have been thinking about two different talks by LDS leaders. The first is Elder Eyring's challenge in conference recently to keep a journal of all the ways we have been blessed by God in our lives. O Remember, Remember. In that talk he challenged us to find new ways to recognize and remember God's kindnesses to us. The second is the talk by Elder Ballard that encourages us to speak up in the new communications mediums to share our testimonies of the gospel. Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet.
I will do my best to keep a record here of the spiritual experiences I have and the blessings I notice from God in my life. No promises, but I will try...
I will do my best to keep a record here of the spiritual experiences I have and the blessings I notice from God in my life. No promises, but I will try...
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