Being a leader

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Do we covet the world or covenant with God? There is a careful balance of being ourselves and following the Savior our way and exploring our lives through the gospel. Be careful of wandering ideas that lead us away from the gospel. Remember what I wrote before, your testimony, the scriptures and words of the modern prophets are the iron rod that will lead us to heaven.

Are we jewels of the Lord or just coveting stones? Malachi 3:17 refers to us as the jewels of the Lord. We are His cherished offspring. Our relationship is important to Him, but we must work on it. It is said that we will recognize the Savior when we meet Him. We are trying to find how we connect to Him through the gospel and our obedience is the first step.

Paul warned us that if we use the wrong sources we could be "Ever learning but never coming to the truth" (2 Tim 36-7). We can be quickly seduces by threads of the gospel that lead us away from the fruit of the gospel. Keep to the core; to the root of the gospel, faith, repentance and covenant renewal. If you never depart from that your testimony will grow astronomically.

Leadership comes through decipleship. A long time ago I met a young man in the MTC (I was a missionary at the time) Blendi Kokona came from Albania. He was a convert who sought knowledge and because of his trials and tribulations got to know missionaries who saught someone to teach them. Through sharing the gospel. This young convert left his country and serve the Savior. Because of him friends and family joined the church, the scriptures were translated and he found joy in the Atonement and his Savior.

God does not expect perfect faith or knowledge. Satan knows the Savior lives but he has no faith or drive to follow the Savior. Avoid following people who think the same. Perfection comes through faith. We don't need to know everything. What is expected of us is our willingness to follow the Redeemer because he will carry us in hard times because we follow Him in our toughest times.

Despite not thy youth (see alt translation in https://www.biblestudytools.com/1-timothy/4-12-compare.html). You are young now. As I mentioned earlier you don't need to know everything. Your testimony of Christ is so important. Missionaries are young for a reason. In the translation of this scripture Timothy was told let no one mock you or trouble you or think less of you because of your youth. You are ten, don't worry about what you don't know. Pray, fast and study the scriptures, those simple things will give you a hidden strength always.

God doesn't give a Spirit of fear. An example of this is the story of Joan of Arc. As a young teen she followed the spirit. She wanted to follow the Savior and did this example for France. No one shook her testimony. Like the prophet Joseph, she lived and died in obedience to the principals and ordinances she knew. She died at nineteen because her own people could not accept her or her testimony. Be strong in trial and you will see trials are a small moment. 

Reprove betimes with sharpness is counciled to us in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C121:41-43). Paul was racing all over the countryside as was the other apostles. The devil was unraveling the church and administration was important. Chasing false doctrine without chasing the saints are a balance. We want to bring the members together. We want teachers and leaders to teach through the Scriptures, through their testimony, use the words of the prophets and Savior. When we do that, the priesthood power is manifested in the keys given to us as leaders. Class, you will see more of that as you are given more responsibility in the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We will know pain but we choose to suffer. When the Apostle was tried, he didn't let pain define him but looked for what he could learn from his experience. Heavenly Father is doing the same for all of us. Pain will be part of all of our lives. Suffering, though, is defined by us. Is our pain, insult, betrayal going to define us? Yes it hurts and need time to heal but let it go and we can heal faster. 

We need to make sure the sheep are fed what they need. (Timothy 1:3) Don't feed questions but answers. All too often we want to race beyond the mark and not give a simple answer to questions that you youth might have. For that, I apologize. (See President Kimball - Man of Action.)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2007/01/spencer-w-kimball-man-of-action?lang=eng

 Be bold. You and I have a unquenchable spirit that drives us to be a powerful lead towards the testimony of Jesus. All to often Satan wants us to cover from opportunities of telling others how much we know and love Jesus; how the gospel has changed us to be who we are now and who we aim to be an who we want to be with. (2 Tim 1:6-8)

2 Tim chapter 3 talks about what we should warn about. Reading it, I realized that it says nothing about pandemics, floods, storms, wars fires etc. It talks about what boils inside each of us. We are warned in the very ten commandments about all of it. When we lie, covet, dishonored parents, show pride this shows outwardly the things that Paul warned us in chapter three. We need to love God and our fellow man.

Truth will change behavior. When we embrace the gospel and follow the Savior it is like a pendulum that swings one way. We cannot go back to a resting state. We will swing hard to the other direction. We need to yoke ourselves to the Savior so that we can push towards the light.

 Finally I want  to discuss Predestined vs. Forordinated. The word predestined is used in Timothy. The idea that Heavenly Father wants some of us and not others is foolish. He wants all of us to come home. In the preexistence he ordained us to roles that we could accomplish in the preexistence, our mortality and in the eternity. We have been given and will be given blessings that will continue to enrich our lives. This is done through the gospel, through the priesthood, and the Savior's precious gift of the Atonement. Show your love for the Savior by helping others and you will know more about what the Savior wants more for your life.

We will learn more next week

Challenges

1) Read Hebrews 1-6

2) Think of times when you were given responsibility.

Bullion

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I have reflected on repentance and thought of the sin that through repentance flavored my sin filled life and while it taught me so much it also changed me. In cooking, bullion has a place and time but for not all things. Beef or chicken bullion would corrupt a cake quickly as would a sin filled life corrupt my spiritual knowledge and experience. I thought of that all day and have thought how I can be more Holy as the Savior is holy. Certainly time cannot be erased but sin can. I need to make a better effort to be a better man so I will further be proud of the Gospel of Christ. Each day I attempt to seek the Lord's forgiveness, turn to Him in prayer and read the scriptures. God help me I am trying to be like Jesus as the song says. I fear that like a top spinning that it gets harder and harder the older I get, however teaching primary has kept it simple enough for my heart to understand moreso the gospel and has been a real teacher to me. I want my bullion to be of gold and not of beef salt. That means looking for fervently to the Savior in all His examples.

Sin and the natural man are so eager to polyte our experiences so it troubles me that at times I have become as flavored salt and not as pure salt. Not to say that the recipe that is my life is spoiled but perhaps I have prevented some experiences from occuring because of my weakness. I just thank God that He has been so kind in giving my Redeemer and that the option to be pure allows my book of life, my recipe truly can be complete.

A moo point

I was talking and laughing with my wife and we were talking about an old TV show, Friends. It was during this time that my wife brought up the point that Joey made of "moo point" that something were as important as the opinion of a cow. 

At times we are cornered by bulls and they bully us with their moo points telling us to do it say something contrary to our core. Learning this week has been an odd experience but a powerful one. At times when we hear a bunch of moos, let us listen to one who makes sense. 

All are trying to come to God

Perhaps the title is misleading as not all are trying to come to God as some have given themselves to worship the god of deceit and lies; Satan. I am not writing about them. I wish to bring up those that earnestly seek to follow God as they know how and wish goodness and kindness on others.

Said Ezra Taft Benson quoting Orson F. Whitney...

“Perhaps the Lord needs such men on the outside of His Church to help it along,” said the late Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Quorum of the Twelve. “They are among its auxiliaries and can do more good for the cause where the Lord has placed them, than anywhere else. . . . Hence, some are drawn into the fold and receive a testimony of the truth; while others remain unconverted . . . the beauties and glories of the gospel being veiled temporarily from their view, for a wise purpose. The Lord will open their eyes in His own due time. God is using more than one person for the accomplishment of His great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous for any one people. . . . We do not quarrel with the Gentiles. They are our partners in a certain sense.” (Conference our partners in a certain sense.” (Conference Report, April 1928, p. 59.) (Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints by Elder Ezra Taft Benson General Conference - April 8, 1972).

I have read books like Mere Christianity (by C. S. Lewis), Dune (by Frank Herbert), and other great books. None of them LDS but inspired to lift and enlighten men and women to reflect upon the three divine questions; namely, who are we, where did we come from and where are we going. 

When reflecting upon God and His kingdom, I find it hard to imagine that all the ideas of heaven could be right but they can be wholly wrong either. My wife and I reflect on these things. We hope that the one who loved horses in this life is riding in the next; the outdoorsman is camping hunting and hiking. It would make no sense that God, an intimate and eternal being who loves all of His children, would give joy in this life that could not be given in the next life. Still, I cannot encapsulate the magnitude of what heaven would be like. 

In my life I have learned joy and charity in struggle, faith when I was thought to be alone, hope when reading the word of God, and forgiveness when I sought to repent and improve, putting away the old me for something better.

I assume it is no different for anyone else here on Earth. Each of us has been led to a light that lifts us and inspires us. Our eyes are opened in each new chapter of our lives when we thought that we were awake the whole time. Each challenge we take on changes us and refines us like silver or gold. Just when you think the Master is done, He bends and folds the metals and he's to make something even better. Perhaps the analogy isn't even close. Gold rings and silver necklaces are mere trinkets but I have a limited view of beauty as I have only seen the craftsmanship of man's hands and the beauty of nature, God's creation.

I recall at one point in my life when I was eager to dismiss others because of their different views. I pull my faith and views close because I didn't want them tarnished by others not realizing that they could grow and become better. As a missionary, I had a fragile testimony. As a young adult, I was easily swayed. I didn't want the sway that moved my tender branches, to destroy my young roots in my understanding of the gospel. Now I am older and wiser (well, at least older) and I find strength in sharing common strength in who I know to be the Lord God of Hosts. Perhaps I am still limited but I know God is helping this sleeper to awaken.

The Red Sea and the Atonement

When the Red Sea closed, we hope that the Israel children remember the symbolism. God knew death and sin were racing to catch them and relief and a haven were on the other side of the sea. Once that sea was parted it and they crossed, it, the mighty sea, closed on death and sin like the Atonement so that it could not pursue them any longer. I hope that this is us. Jesus has drowned the sins and death that awaits us, awaits our failure in both our present and future. It will not be done if we cross the impossible with faith.

Baptism

All this week I have reflected on baptism. The act to become holy to the Lord by entering in water, barefoot and vulnerable.

I reflected my own baptism and how I was excited with anticipation of the ordinance. I was going to commit myself to the Lord by making a covenant to seek to be pure.

When we are baptized it is for a mere moment where we cannot see, hear, and cannot breathe. We are completely vulnerable. We are dependent on the Lord and priesthood to survive. Now, dad didn't let me drown but pulled me out of the water. 

As I reflected on how short the act was I marveled how mortality is also so short. We go from a place of trust seeing all, hearing all, and basking in the breath of life. We enter mortality where we cannot see nor hear the Lord. Fear could easily overcome us because we then ask "God where art thou?" our whole lives not knowing that our Father was there the whole time keeping us safe and being in control.

I have taken the time this week to thank God for my baptism in mortality and for showing me His hand and mercy in this experience. I am grateful that I have lived as long as I have to see and recognize God's love for each of us. I hope to be a saint that others will remember for their smile and good spirit but above all, I hope that the Savior is now more in my countenance than when I started this mortal journey.

Tradition and Restoration

While Israel had twelve sons and a daughter, I wish to focus on two Juda and Joseph. It occurred to me that these two sons are the covenant sons of Rachel and Leah. One has been blessed to cleave to the gospel as hard as they can and are hated for it whilst the other son, his family, has restored the gospel to all the earth and has looked out for the sons and daughters of the elder brother. I am a son of Joseph and more so to all of Israel. I look for an understanding of the gospel through both eastern and western viewpoints. This year studying I have gained a greater and greater grasp and relationship of my Savior and Redeemer. I love how my eyes have opened so much these last three to four years. Life has been kind and my increase is because of a merciful God. Likewise, my trials have been fashioned for my experience and though hard, I love it.