Immortals experience

My Sisters,

Let me start with a quote:

    It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which,if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Tags: inspirational

Sisters, we are teachers of some precious souls and it is important to remember that they (and us) are immortals having a temporal experience and not the other way around. Teach with kindness; be stern and truthful not swaying to the left or right to show them the way. I know it's a strait way with sharp turns and twists but it was made for us all and if the Lord is at your helm, you will gain an experience that will bless your whole life.

Thanks again for your service and dedication. You can do this work. Give your all and your sacrifice will be accepted and will lead you to a path that will be a shining jewel to your life. 

Again we pray for you and those you find and teach.

Nathan Bingham

Still fascinated with imortality

Reading books about vampires I came to realize that with a mortal approach to an immortal event perhaps I am seeing more and more of what people are feeling about the possibility of their soul.

Vampire books and movies show a limited view. They (the authors and writers) cut out the Spirit from the equation making it at times terrifying. 

In reading some of these fellows work I realized that there is some flaws that perhaps are in our immortal promise as some may see their reward as a curse and others will see it as a blessing. In the various novels and movies, vampires struggle with what to do with their lives. They go to the beaches of Europe and feel empty while us mortals see the beaches as a blessing and opportunity. Will we also see it as the same when we are immortal and have seen the expereiences a thousand times?

Don't be seduced by the coolness

Original picture here.

I was reflecting on the seven deadly sins and how almost each has a church. Not one of brick and mortar but virtual and while I was thinking of such things, my mind reflected on the virtues (strengths of body and spirit) that were the opposite. All of those thoughts brought me to one phrase, "Don't be seduced by the coolness". 

It seems all too often that this poor world has been sucked into the church of Babylon in one form or another by sin. Pride, greed (lasciviousness), wrath (rage), envy (covetous), lust, gluttony, and sloth run rampant among our dear brothers and sisters like a California wildfire, burning and affecting every one of us. Each sin is toxic and grossly addicting but like a cool beer commercial, is introduced as harmless and fun and can be shared with others. Many have learned that the sins of this world lead to loneliness, pain, and heartache, a seriously dark place. 

The Lord through scripture has taught us seven great virtues to counter them so that we can be strong. He has also taught us what to strengthen our spirits to fortify us against that great advisory that would seek to undermine our work. The virtues are prudence (foresight), justice, temperance (bridled passion), and courage (or fortitude/virtue), faith, hope, and charity. Each of these virtues is an action word. Like sin that requires action or a decision, so does virtue. Muscles of the mind and body need constant exercise. The constant struggle to build your character through mental spiritual and physical exercise is vitally important. 

So what do we do? Work daily. We could be the people that we want to be but we must be earnest in working to be those people that we want to become. Being good requires work and effort like exercise. May we all make that great effort to be the kind of people we want to be. 

The Lords storehouse

 I was thinking this week upon the temple and the term the Lord's storehouse (D&C 42). I pondered how that the Lord aims to gather all the wealth of the children of Zion to the warehouses and how in another thought he aims to gather his elect and the children of Israel. It dawned on me then at that time that the Lord really emphasized the importance of temples because he needed a place where He could gather the bundled sheaves. That is, in part, part of the purpose of the temple; a place to gather and record the wealth of the Lord. In the doctrine and covenants, we are told that if we build temples that we will be blessed. I believe that if we have a temple-centered heart (and maintain it) that we too will be blessed and that the adversary will have little power over us. 

Perhaps this is one of my shorter posts but I needed to get it out there.