All Truth Belongs to the Mormons

In the previous post, I said that we receive knowledge a little bit at a time. When we act on knowledge, we prepare ourselves to receive more knowledge. Knowledge has been described in the scriptures as light and truth. Light has a strong metaphor for seeing. We use the word "enlightened" to denote a high level of understanding.

The truths that are most important are the truths that help us fulfill God's purposes. His main objective is to enable us to become like Him. We do not need to have all truth to do accomplish this. Our limited minds could not comprehend all truth anyway. We only need certain truths (such as the knowledge of the Atonement) that will lead us to do certain things (repent and be baptized). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church to have every one of these truths. God leads the church through prophets to keep the truths pure because man is easily confused by mixing these doctrines with the philosophies of man. (Ephesians 2:20) No other church has prophets authorized to speak on behalf of God. Though they may have leaders that are partly inspired by God. The fact that the LDS church contains all of these truths does not mean that it has every truth, nor does it mean that it is the only one with truth.

God gives light and truth to all nations, but he gives them as much as they are ready to receive. (Alma 29:8) A 1978 First Presidency message of the church states: "the great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals." Many religions and philosophies have parts of the truth. Any truth that they have belongs to us, the Mormons. We claim all truths found in any religion whether it is Hindu, Buddhist, or Islam.

The Process of Knowledge

Knowledge is a process. God is a powerful source of truth. We can gain knowledge when God reveals it to us. The process of receiving truth from a divine source is called revelation. Different types of revelation include: (1) testifying, (2) prophesying, (3) comforting, (4) uplifting, (5) informing, (6) restraining, (7) confirming, and (8) impelling. Recently my very close friend had a spiritual experience where she was comforted during a time of great despair. This spiritual experience was essentially a form of revelation—knowledge.

Sometimes we will receive unconditional revelation. Alma's spiritual experience in the Book of Mormon is an example of this. But most of the time we receive revelation upon certain conditions. One condition is the willingness to act upon the knowledge that we are given. Therefore, we increase knowledge through an integration of knowledge and behavior. The root of the word integration is the same for the word "integrity". Having integrity means speaking, thinking, and acting in harmony. This is essential to developing character. Character and knowledge have a reinforcing pattern. Acting on knowledge develops our character and strengthening our character leads to more knowledge by preparing us to receive revelation.

If we are not willing to incorporate new knowledge into our lives, new knowledge will only condemn us. We are accountable for the knowledge that we receive. Those with more knowledge are more strictly judged than those with less knowledge. Alma 32:19 says, "And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?"

God has given us faculties of logic and reason to expand our knowledge. Logic is the ability to generate conclusions based on premises or assumptions. For example:

(1) All Asians eat rice.
(2) Vanny is Asian.
(3) Therefore, Vanny eats rice.

(1) and (2) are premises; (3) is the conclusion. If the premises are true, reason confirms that the conclusion is true and we have increased our knowledge. But reason cannot validate its own premises and therefore it is only as good as its premises. If one starts with false premises reason is useless in the pursuit of expanding knowledge. Truth can be rendered reasonable, but it does not arise from reason alone.

Revelation from God provides premises from which we can discover more truth. We can receive this revelation personally or impersonally through witnesses. The first thing that investigators of the church are asked to do is to read the Book of Mormon and to ask God if it is a true book. If the Book of Mormon is true, then it must follow that Joseph Smith (who translated the book by the power of God) was a prophet. If Joseph Smith was a prophet, then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must logically be the only true church—meaning that it accurately represents the state of things as they really are. One must also conclude that IF the Book of Mormon is false, then Joseph Smith was one of the greatest liars and charlatans who ever lived. The church he started is a lie, which means that the members of the LDS church are grossly mistaken about their convictions.

God cannot contradict himself, therefore 2 religions that contradict each other cannot both be true. Various churches may share many great and important truths, but only one church can be directed by God Himself—everything else is a human counterfeit.

Those who honestly seek for knowledge will receive it. According to 2 Nephi 28:30 " thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."

Individualism and the Gospel

Today in church the sunday school teacher shared a story about when he was investigating the gospel. Even though he was starting to change his life for the better, his family was completely opposed to his interest in the Gospel. His family was Catholic. As he described it, there was war in his family. His Aunts wrote him negative letters, his parents and siblings yelled at him for his interest. As he was thinking about being baptized, he wondered why there was so much contention surrounding his decision. He was frustrated and tossed his brand new scriptures on his bed. They happened to flip open to Matthew 10:34-37 which said.

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

From this verse, he realized that he had to make his own decision despite the consequences.

These verses emphasize individual salvation. We are not saved by our culture or community. We are saved individually by living the principles of Christ. As Jeffrey R. Holland said in the October 2010 confererence, "The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you."

Finding Good Books

The other day, my friend Matt Lind asked me how I choose books to read and/or purchase. Since then, I have thought more about this question. I post it here because of the oft-quoted scripture in section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants that reads, “… seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom. …” (D&C 88:118.) Here are my thoughts:

I first found out about my favorite author, Thomas Sowell, by reading his columns in the Deseret News. I liked some of his columns so much that I would cut them out and save them, though I never owned a book of his until there was a free book givaway online—it was "Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One" which was a great read though I can't remember what I had to do to get the free book.

If I really love an author, I read whatever else that author has written. For example, since I started reading Thomas Sowell I have purchased over 15 of his books. I own some of his books in both audiobook format and traditional paper. I use this same effect for college courses and online videos. I do a lot of research about the professor before I take their class. If I have some extra time or if I need some filler credits, I will retake a course from a good teacher no matter what the subject.

As for videos, if I find great speaker, I scour the web searching for any other videos that feature that speaker. When I first saw Bjorn Lomborg's TED talk, I immediately looked for other videos about him. From that point, I purchased his book "Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming (Vintage)" which is one of the best book purchases I have made. Another TED speaker is Steven Pinker. I now have 3 of his books. His books are not only fun but provide good cerebral exercise even though I disagree with much of what he writes. Milton Friedman is another great speaker whose videos persuaded me open my wallet. I have since purchased 4 books by Milton Friedman among which is Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition—a great read. On the website Uncommon Knowledge—where great authors and thinkers are interviewed—I found out about "Victor Davis Hanson" who mainly writes about war and war history.

Sometimes my professor or teacher will recommend or require books to read for the course. Dr. Kearl, my econ 110 teacher had us read "Armchair Economist: Economics & Everyday Life" by Steven Landsburg. I now have 3 of Landsburg's books, 2 of which (including Armchair) were awesome. One of my design teachers, Eric Gillett, recommended "The Brand Gap: Expanded Edition" by Marty Neumeier. I liked it so much that I bought "Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands" by the same author.

Blogs and websites are a great way to find good books and authors. I found Tyler Cowen's blog by simply looking for the best blogs on economics. I have been interested in books that he has recommended which I may read in the future, but I really loved his own book, "Create Your Own Economy: The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World" which is one of the most original-feeling books that I have ever read. I first heard about it on his blog, but I wasn't convinced to purchase it until I heard him talk about it on a youtube video. I think I got it the day it came out.

Recommendations or gifts from friends are always great. I still remember my friend Andrew Cottle saying, "You have got to listen to this" when he lent me the audiobook "Atlas Shrugged". I had never heard of Atlas Shrugged until then. I am currently rereading it and blogging about it chapter by chapter on the Gentlemen's Renaissance Man's Book Club for Men blog. One of the founders of the GRMBCFM and close friend Scott Lind has recommended some great books—among them are "The Theory of the Leisure class" and "Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing (3rd Edition)."

Listening to live speakers gives me added energy and interest in books. When Arthur Brooks came to speak at BYU for a devotional, he talked about his book, "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism". It gave such fascinating facts and figures that I also bought "Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America--and How We Can Get More of It." Both books are great references for writing.

Radio talk shows interview authors that interest me. I can't think of any books that I really loved, that I first heard about on a radio talk show. Though many times my interest in books has been strengthened after I hear about an author or book a second or third time on a radio talk show.

I find many good books simply cited or quoted in the books I read. I will eventually read "Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi since he was quoted in at least 6 of the books that I read this year.

Browsing Barnes and Nobles or Borders is always fun. I usually find books that relate to topics that I have been thinking about for a long time.

Part of finding books to read is simply finding the time to start books. The best advice that I have ever heard about reading books is by Tyler Cowen who said, “We should treat books a little more like we treat TV channels.” Many readers have the urge to finish whatever they start. This urge is non-productive. “People have this innate view — it comes from friendship and marriage — that commitment is good. Which I agree with,” he says. That view shouldn’t, he says, carry over to inanimate objects.” If we find that the book we are reading is uninteresting or has low relative value, we should immediately stop and read something else. What we have read is a sunk cost as they say in economics. We should begin reading with the question, "Is this the best available thing in the world that I could be reading right now?" It is okay to start a lot of books and not finish most of them.

Doing Well to silence the ignorant

I just read a profound verse. 1 Peter 2:15: "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men".

There is much ignorance in the world. I myself am very ignorant even though I study daily. When I read the above verse, I thought of the ignorant arguments of modern-day atheists such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Dan Dennett, Steven Pinker and others. Even though these men are very learned, their arguments against religion are ignorant because they have never given religion a fair trial. They rightly attack many false beliefs that too many religious people hold, but they commit the fallacy of composition by supposing that all religious people hold the same erroneous views. Their suppositions about the world lead them to believe that faith and revelation are foolish things. They have influenced many people—sometimes for better, but mostly for worse.

There are many people who are persuaded by atheist arguments. Sometimes these people (atheists, agnostics, secularists) are our very good friends and acquaintances. However if they are honest, these people cannot help but see that we have achieved what they want if we live the gospel. Here are some examples of the differences between religious people and non-religious people.

• A 2004 study has shown that 43% of religious folks said they were "very happy" with their lives as opposed to 23% of secularists.

• When you account for variables, a religious person is 13 percentage points more likely than the nonreligious person to say he or she is very happy. The difference is even higher for Mormons.

• 36% of people who prayed everyday (regardless of whether they attended church services) said they were very happy versus 21% of people who never prayed.

• Religious people are significantly happier than atheists and oddly enough atheists are happier than agnostics of which only 12% are happy.

• Religious people are more educated and less ignorant of the world around them than people who do not go to church.

• When accounting for variables a college graduate is 7% more likely to be a churchgoer than the nongraduate.

• A religious person is 38% more likely than a non-religious person to give charity and they give away 4X more money per year.

• Religious people are 52% more likely than non-religious people to volunteer.

• They are 16% more likely than non-religious people to give explicitly to nonreligious charities and 54% more likely to volunteer for these causes.

• They are far more likely to donate blood.

• More likely to give food or money to a homeless person.

• More likely to return change mistakenly given by the cashier.

(These figures and accompanying explanations are found in the book Gross National Happiness by the economist Arthur Brooks.)

If we are engaged in "well doing" we will silence the ignorance of foolish men. If they really want what our lives embody, they will be persuaded to learn about our faith. Reasoning with these people will not budge them, but what you are, if you are what you ought to be, will call into question all they have come to believe about religion. I personally want to live my life in such a way that people will say, "There must be something special about Mormonism because Gavin is a Mormon."

Destruction and our connection with the future

I was just reading Helaman 13 about Samuel the Lamanite. Samuel, like Isaiah, prophesied of destruction to the people in their day. They not only prophesied of short-term destruction, but long-term—very long-term destruction as a result of wickedness. Samuel prophesied of the destruction that would happen to the Nephites 400 years after the coming of Christ. It seems a bit odd to prophesy about something that would not happen for another 400 years. If the people truly are wicked, which they were in Samuel's time, why would they care about something so far in the future?

It is probably the case that Samuel's prophecies were mainly for us in the Latter-days. The prophecy teaches us that the Lord is consistent with His word. He knows what will happen and we should not doubt that the prophecies will eventually come true. For us, we should prepare for the second coming, which will surely happen. But, the most important point, I think is that even if the second coming is still centuries away we should repent not only for our sakes, but for the sakes of those who we will influence in this life especially our own children.
In the Book of Mormon, the lamanites caused much sin and wickedness because of the tradition of their fathers. In D&C 93 we learn that, "that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers." What we do today will leave a legacy, regardless of whether it is noticed or unnoticed, positive or negative. Repenting not only saves ourselves, but affects our children. Our examples will turn into traditions by which the next generation will be influenced. Therefore, we must repent in order to strengthen our eternal family who will be alive at the second coming. We are connected to those in the past, the present, and the future.

On a related note, we must also preserve a righteous laws to pass on to our children. Righteous laws help people stay righteous. In Helaman 4 and 5, "they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people." Preserving righteous laws will not only help us in the short term, but will help our children in the long term as well. This is one of the reasons why the Lord chastened us to preserve the Constitution. Personal repentance and the righteousness of government are interconnected.

Arguments for the existence of God and accountability

I am learning about St. Thomas Aquinas in my philosophy class. He wrote 5 arguments for the existence of God. Here they are grossly summarized:

1. It is impossible for something to move itself. Everything in motion must have been moved by something else until you must eventually get to an unmoved mover—this is God
2. Everything that happens has a cause, tracing causes back will take you to the first cause of all things—There must be a first causer—this is God.
3. Somethings can exist or not exist, but they cannot change from existing to not existing or vice versa because then there would have been a time when nothing existed, and nothing could have begun to exist. Our existence is due to something that necessarily exists which owes its necessity to no cause outside itself—this is God
4. Things are better or worse. Therefore, there must be something that is best—this is God.
5. Things act intelligently and they must have received their intelligence from somewhere—it must have been God.

Even though Aquinas makes these arguments sound a lot smarter, they are all flawed. In our earthly existence, I do not believe that we will ever have a logical proof for the existence of God.

The reason why I do not think that we will ever discover a logical proof is because God loves us. As soon as we know something we are accountable to God for that thing. People would not change their behavior if they discovered an incontrovertible proof. Therefore they would be more accountable for their actions. Alma 32:19 says, "And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?" Therefore, I think that God protects us by requiring that we develop faith. Our innocence and ignorance can sometimes be a blessing.

Now, to say that there is no proof does not mean that there is no rational evidence for believing. We can know that God exists through experience and witnesses. We often have spiritual experiences, but we do not always recognize them. We must first start with the foundation that God exists in order to see the evidences of Him. As Alma said, "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." I do not believe that Alma meant that one can look at these things and discover God, but that once we know God, we can then see His hand in our lives.

Judge not, What?

Later in when Christ is teaching the Nephites, He ceases talking specifically to the apostles and turns back to the multitude. He starts teaches that we should not judge others.
On the surface this teaching is also foolish. Christ's teachings are not foolish, therefore we must try to understand the proper context of His teachings.

We have to judge everyday. Anyone who has any with principle must be judgmental of some things. To not judge would be to accept relativism. We must not tolerate certain things. He must judge criminals and put them in prison. We must judge between political parties. We must judge between competing cultural conventions. We must judge the person that we want to date and eventually marry. If you reject a date, you judged that he was not worthy of you, if you accept a date, you are judging that he is more worthy. When we walk down the street and see a person who looks troubled and dangerous, we avoid him—this is judging. If we had infinite knowledge, we may have known that the odd-looking person is really a sweetheart, or a millionaire in disguise. But, we don't have infinite knowledge. Knowledge is not free. Because we are so limited in knowledge, we can only judge based on small cues—The way people dress, who they associate with, the way they talk etc.

What I believe that Christ means is that we should not permanently judge others. We have very limited knowledge, therefore we should not judge who is going to hell. That is not our job. Our job is to judge a "righteous judgement" (Alma 41: 14). But, it is God's job to give out eternal judgements. Therefore, we should never judge anyone is going to hell (unless we are told in the scriptures). We also should make sure that we are worrying about our own weaknesses before we worry about the weaknesses of others. When we overcome our own weaknesses, we will naturally be more understanding and forgiving of others. We will not want to give out any permanent judgement.

So, judge righteously, repent, and be forgiving.

Take no thought for the morrow. What?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ teaches, "Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." 3 Nephi 13:34
This teaching is horrible. Of course we have to think about tomorrow and organize our lives around long-term goals—especially financial goals. We have to plan and count the cost of our plans and prepare for the future. If this teaching was taken at face value, it would mean that we should not even think about food storage.
As most teachings of Christ, looking at the surface can be misleading. So what did He mean by this teaching. If we look at the entire context, we learn that Christ is speaking specifically to the 12 apostles (verse 25). He is teaching them that they shouldn't worry about what to eat or drink, or about what to wear. The apostles shouldn't worry about these things because they will be taken care of by the Church. The apostles had a very specific task to do—teaching and managing the kingdom. They would be able to focus more on this job by not worrying about what they will eat.
In the latter days, when apostles are called, they quit whatever they were doing before. Apostles are full time. They are given a sufficient amount of money to live. They don't have to worry about money. The money given them does not come from tithing or fast offerings. It comes from the investments of the Church.
3 Nephi 13:34 has a very specific meaning to a very specific group. This is a good example of why understanding the context of a teaching is vital to its correct interpretation.

Spiritual Leeches

We are surrounded by lakes that house spiritual leeches. They are places and people who could potentially harm the sensitive gift of the Holy Ghost we have been given.
Leeches lurk in dark places where they can be hidden. They try and avoid as much light as possible. Sinful behavior does not normally take place in mid-day where everyone can see it. It is done behind closed curtains, or doors. Sinful behavior always tries to hide itself where it thinks it will not be noticed. D&C 50:23-25 explains this principle: "And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;" A major part of avoiding sinful behavior is staying out of "dark" situations. Places, or people that could be harmful to your spiritual well being. The book of Ecclesiastes shares some advice on how we can accomplish this, the preacher says: "Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness." (Ecc.2:13). Always standing in light and truth is wise, and will allow you to elude contact with spiritual leeches.
Avoiding spiritual leeches is our best option for spiritual well being. Let me explain why. Leeches, once attached to its host, have an anti-coagulating chemical that drains the blood more fluidly from the host to the leech. Sinful behavior in comparison is similar. Sin does not all the sudden appear in someone's life, rather it works its way in slowly, and once one has sinned to a degree, unless stopped immediately, it will be easier to commit greater sins in the future. For example those with addictions or problems with greed first had a small taste, and then things escalated into something they cannot control on their own. Nephi explained it this way: "Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God- he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. And others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: all is well in Zion; yea, Zion propereth, all is well- and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. (2 Nephi 28:7-8, 21). As we search the scriptures we find many instances where this is the case. The first example we find is in Genesis with the story of Cain and Abel: "But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." (Gen. 4:5-8). In those few short verses we see how a little sin unchecked can become a big problem. There are also examples in the scriptures of righteous men and women who knew what to do when "sin lieth at the door". Joseph while living in Egypt was tempted by Potipher's wife and Joseph was able to resist temptation partly because he knew the consequences of committing such a sin. He states: "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:9). We all know how the rest of the story goes, Joseph runs from the "dark" situation that he had found himself in, and we should do the same.
Because of the anti-coagulating chemical that leeches carry, after a leech is removed from its host, the host continues to bleed for an extended period of time. We must understand that the consequences of sinful behavior do not end immediately after the sinful behavior has ceased. If this were the case we wouldn't hear anyone discussing the best food that cures a hangover, or hear any political debate on the topic of abortion. Some sinful behavior has some long term, and even life time consequences (D&C 88:86). It is sad to see the ones we love, or even ourselves submit to sinful behavior, but no matter how much we have been absorbed there is a way out. Christ is the ultimate healer and comforter. Isaiah testified: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53:5). Christ paid the price to become such. As He explained the sacrament to his apostles he said: "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. 26:28). As we dedicate ourselves more fully to his teachings we can feel of his healing power. A story from the Savior's ministry comes to mind: "And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. " (Luke 5:17-24). This is a testament to all that Christ heals both our physical and spiritual wounds caused by sinful behavior.
There are many scriptures that testify of Christ's healing power through the atonement, but my favorite is Alma 7:11-12: "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." There is no one more qualified to heal us than our Savior. He loves us infinitely, and he gave the infinite sacrifice for sin (2 Nephi 2:7). He is our infinite Savior, and therefore saves us infinitely. We must come unto Him to receive the healing and forgiveness we need.
Eventually we will all be bitten by a spiritual leech. Let us immediately recognize our sins when they occur and learn to come unto Christ with a broken heart and a contrite spirit for healing to take place. We then must avoid the dark and stay in the light.

Cleave

GENESIS: 2

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS

SECTION 42

22 Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.

SECTION 25

13 Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.

With my marriage coming up in a little less than a year, I have developed a strong interest to know exactly what I am committing myself to. While thinking about the subject a single word kept coming back to me: cleave.

cleave

   [kleev]

1.

to adhere closely; stick; cling.

2.

to remain faithful: to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution.

I like the slogan I've often seen on television, "Verb, it's what you do", not, "Verb, it's what you ought to be doing." The word cleave is a verb. Once we understand what words mean, it is makes "to engrave them upon our hearts" a more meaningful commitment. In the world today, the society in which I have been raised, cleaving to one's wife is not portrayed well. The commitment of marriage is seen as limiting and degrading to a man, while living an immoral, single life with "no strings attached" is glorified and set as the role model for us by media and celebrities.

Though, I'm sure many of us are already well aware of this.

Have any of you seen Dick Van Dyke? It's one of my very favorites, in fact, I would say it is my favorite television program. In a particular episode titled The Man from Emperor, the main character Rob Petrie is faced with the very same issues I described above. His reactions and defense for his family strong values are admiral and warm my heart. Below is a link to watch the conclusion of the episode. For a little background, Rob has just come home from a business meeting to discuss a job offer from a magazine known as Emperor, which is known for it's very scandalously dressed women. I think it was meant to be a Playboy imitation of sorts.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/114054/the-dick-van-dyke-show-the-man-from-emperor?c=1237:1522

Though the link is only of the conclusion of the episode (about 5 mins) I hope you will take time to watch the full episode (25 mins). It' not only funny, but teaches even more good values.

Unchanging God

Recently while studying the New Testament for my personal study and also the Old Testament for Sunday School, I have noticed a difference with God. Which bothered me, since I have been taught that God is always the same; same as he was then as he is now. The differences I've noticed is that in the Old Testament God was much more violent and aggressive with his children. Some examples of God acting this way is: Samuel 15, when God commands all the Amalekites to be slain (including man, woman and child, even all beasts), or Acts chapter 5 when God kills a couple for not being honest about their tithing. Can you imagine God asking us to kill an entire nation of people, even children? Or killing us as we stand at the bishop's office when we know the amount isn't honest? Crazy right?

At first I didn't think too much about it because it bothered me so much. I asked myself, "So, why is it that God is so harsh and so justice oriented whereas today I feel like the God I know is much more merciful and loving?", "Did the prophets who wrote the scriptures just forget to write about that subtle, caring and forgiving side of God that I know so well?", or, "Does God really change?" I felt like a cat whose fur was being rubbed the wrong way whenever I read stories like the ones I mentioned. But I feel like I can finally give an answer to my questions, and better yet, reasons for those answers too.

First and foremost I know that God is the same today as he was yesterday, because he is perfect and perfection has no need to change. So if God didn't change what did? I think we did, the children of Israel. I think although God himself, his nature, does not change his methods of working with his children change according to what we need. I related this idea to a 6 year old and a 16 year old to my boyfriend, Jeff. Here is exactly what I said through several texts:

"I've learned that God is always the same. God of Abraham is my God as well. I understand that he does not change, but his children do change. And because we change, his methods change. Like Jacob 5 (the parable of the olive trees of the Lord's orchard), how to best nourish us. I like to think of ourselves like the "older children" of God. you wouldn't spank a 16 year old- but that doesn't mean they need less discipline than a 6 year old either. I think the Israelites of the ancient days were more like [6] year olds [and they required a stricter, firmer form of discipline in order to understand and appreciate God's will.]"

I am happy with this answer and I am no longer bothered about those stories I read about in the Old Testament. Boy, it sure feels great to find answers to questions!

Climbing to a Glorious Day

Fear clutched my mind and heart. I couldn't imagine going up, and I didn't believe I could go down. I really had gotten myself into a predicament. I had chosen to go to the ropes course with my girlfriend, and even though my efforts to act brave before the actual climbing kept my mind at ease, I knew climbing to the top of the 50 foot wooden behemoth of a tower was out of the question. In my mind it wasn't possible. Previous to the climbing I had set a goal to get to a platform about 10 feet from the top, but as I clutched the hand holds on the diagonally rising wooden beam my feeble goal seemed out of reach. Defeated I climbed down to a lower platform halfway between the ground and my goal I looked at my girlfriend with vanquished eyes. All I saw in her face was encouragement and hope. How could I let a pretty face like that down? A new strength surged within me. Maybe I could climb higher. A thought, or maybe a seed of faith? With this new strength I started up the wooden beam again. I learned from my last attempt that looking down is not a good idea because it made me even more scared. I looked forward with resolve. "Just keep looking forward," the thought resounded in my mind. I climbed higher one hand hold at a time and got stuck in the same place partly out of fear, and partly out of not knowing where to put my feet to go higher. "Where is a foot hold!?" I yelled down.
"Put your left foot where your right foot is, and put your left foot on the foot hold a little higher up!" They yelled back. They were right, but it was easier said than done. With much more mental effort than physical I carefully did as they suggested and hoisted myself higher. With shouts of encouragement from my girlfriend, and the perspective of moving forward I continued on until I reached my goal. I sat exhausted on the small platform with my legs hanging off the edge. I stood heavy, but relieved breaths. I had done it! "You're almost there," shouted my girlfriend, "just a little bit farther." She was right. I only had 10 feet to go to reach the top of the tower. I might be able to do that. I had already come this far, why not go the extra mile (or in this case 10 feet). Putting the foot of faith forward I climbed the rope ladder that lead to the top. As I stood on the top of the tower I looked around amazed not by the stunning view, but by the incredible feat I had just accomplished. Accomplished is a good word because that is how I felt. Never had I been this high, and I overcame a previous fear. Not only was my self-esteem boosted, but the lessons I learned through the experience are priceless, and applicable. This was a glorious day in the life of Jeffrey Beck. I challenge you to have glorious days.

Talk on faith that I gave last Sunday

One of my favorite childhood games to play was Jenga. Jenga is a simple game where you start by setting up a tall stack of wooden blocks. Players take turns by first removing blocks from the stack and then placing that block on the top of the stack while trying to avoid knocking it over. I can be pretty competitive at this game. One of my favorite strategies is to take away the blocks around the bottom first making the stack structurally weak from the beginning forcing the other players to be especially careful from the beginning.

When the foundation of the stack of wooden blocks is weak the entire structure is weak. World-views and belief systems are the same way. A person's set of beliefs often begin with a few foundational assumptions or paradigms about the world by which they begin to stack other beliefs on top of those beliefs. The best way to cause another person to loose confidence in their beliefs is to remove or weaken those foundational assumptions or beliefs.

If we were to take all of the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and stack them on top of each other like the wooden blocks of jenga, what would be our foundational assumptions and beliefs? One of our foundational principles is our belief in agency, because if we have no agency, then the plan of salvation would be completely pointless. The stack would crumble if we did not have agency at the bottom. Another core principle is faith. Without faith there is no repentance, without repentance there is no baptism and no Holy Ghost and no eternal life and so on. According to Joseph Smith "faith is the first principle in revealed religion and the foundation of all righteousness".

It seems that one of Satan's best strategies against religion would be to attack or confuse the principle of faith.
What are some of the ways that Satan attacks this principle?

In the ancient world in the Book of Mormon, a man who was anti-christ named Korihor sought to destroy the beliefs of the followers of Christ. We learn from the record in Alma chapter 30 that he had much success. He led many believers away from Christ because he attacked their foundational beliefs concerning faith. He said, "Ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ."

In the modern world we hear similar attacks on faith. Bertrand Russell said, "We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence." Another public intellectual Richard Dawkins has also said, "faith is merely belief without evidence; a process of active non-thinking which is not subject to peer review."

Attacks from the philosophies of men, from both the ancient and modern times try to redefine faith as something that believers cling to without any evidence. "Your faith is a crutch" they would say. If our faith was the way that they define it then they would be right. But our faith is not like they define it.

This is why it is important for those with faith to understand it clearly and define our faith to the world before enemies of religion define it for us. Understanding faith and defining it properly will help us build the foundation of our testimony and knowledge of the truths of the gospel that build upon this foundation.

So what is the accurate definition of faith?

The apostle Paul defined faith as "the substance(later clarified by Joseph Smith as assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." and Alma declared that faith is not a perfect knowledge; rather, if we have faith, we “hope for things which are not seen [but] are true”

This definition of faith contrasts with the definition of faith given by those who are against religion. Their definition says that having faith is accepting something without evidence or assurance, however, the true definition is that faith “is the assurance we have of the existence of unseen things.

An example of faith is found in Alma 58:11 where the armies of Helaman are at war with the Lamanites. Helaman said, "Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him."

The faith of Helaman's army was based on evidence only it was the kind of evidence that they could not see. They could not see that they would be delivered from death in war, for those events had not happened yet. But they had assurances such as the peace that they felt which gave them hope and strengthened their faith.

We have assurances that if we repent, we will be forgiven. We have assurances that Christ lives and that he has atoned for our sins even though we cannot see these things. When we bear our testimonies we proclaim that through faith, we know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he was visited by God and Jesus Christ and restored the Gospel. We cannot see these things with our eyes but we can experience that they are true through faith.

In the church we believe in science and reason, and in faith. Whereas those who would attack religion limit themselves to only science and reason. Therefore, those with faith can see things that vindicate our faith that are practically invisible to those who deny faith.

In a 2000 BYU a devotional address, Richard N. Williams said something that was really profound to me, he said,

" The truth of the gospel rests on the occurrence of certain events. There was a Man, Jesus, or there was not; He overcame the whole of sin and darkness in the garden or He did not; the tomb was empty or it was not.

The truth of events is not confirmed by reason or science but by witnesses. Because of the restoration of the true gospel, we are blessed with an abundance of witnesses. This is why the apostolic authority of special witnesses and the restoration of the gifts of the Spirit are essential to the true church. Scriptures also witness of these things, and we Latter-day Saints have an embarrassment of riches where scripture is concerned. In this context, faith is not what we cling to when we do not know truth, faith is the knowledge of truth nourished by good acts. It is strengthened by witnesses capable of penetrating our very souls and culminates in the palpable fruits of sure and certain experience.
Faith is not a placeholder for knowledge or what we cling to in its absence. faith is substance, it is evidence--the evidence Alma talked about; the evidence God gives us by many witnesses; the evidence we give to each other; and what we evidence in our own lives. It is not the substitute for things hoped for but their very substance.

D&C 93:1

This verse has always been meaningful to me. Those who follow these steps will see Christ.
(Organizational numbers added)

"VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who

1. forsaketh his sins
2. and cometh unto me,
3. and calleth on my name,
4. and obeyeth my voice,
5. and keepeth my commandments,

* shall see my face and know that I am;"

(1-5) are the conditions
(*) is the promise

How does one forsake his sins?
• Through faith in the Atonement
• Repentance
• Seeking virtuous things(Article of Faith 13) to replace the unvirtuous things in our life

How does one come unto Christ?
• Studying his words
• Consistently striving to become like him

How does one call on Christ's name?
• Deep and thoughtful prayer

How do we obey Christ's voice?
• Obtain his voice through revelation
• Follow those feelings and thoughts consistently

How do we keep Christ's commandments?
• Learn the commandments through reading the scriptures to understand what they are
• Set goals to internalize the most personally difficult commandments


I will add to this list later...

Being Blind

Here's an entry in my note journal that I thought I would share from March 1st.

Scripture Study while @ work

Today, I've been reading in Matthew learning more about the Savior's life and ministry while he was on this earth. I've been reading for about 2 hours now, in between calls at work, yet nothing I've read today impacted me as strongly as this short miracle that Jesus performs for two blind men.

Matthew 20:32-34

^30. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

^31. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

^32. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

^33. They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

^34. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him

Comparing this to other miracles that I had recently read about, (like Christ raising the dead) it seems odd, that this one stood out to me so strongly. The verses of 30 and 31 of this chapter, painted the scene so clearly: Two blind men sitting by the road, Jesus Christ and his followers passing by, the two men cry out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David!", Christ's followers "rebuked them" ( Rebuke: to express sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove; reprimand. -Dicitonary.com ), Yet, "Jesus stood still, and answered them."

I can't help but wonder about those two blind men. Who were they? How long had they been blind? Where were their families? What kind of hardships had they been through?

What did Jesus Christ see in them that others did not see?

What does Christ see in me?

(While typing this I noticed that it was Christ's followers that chastised the blind men for calling out to Christ, while weren't they themselves blind to the worth of these two men? I think, in a way, we are all blind, and, in contrast, it is Christ who is the one who can see all things.)

I am so grateful for my Savior. His compassion becomes more and more clear to me as I read of his life in Matthew. His compassion and mercy is my hope and security. I know he lives and I will follow him. I hope that as I follow Christ, I will not be blind as his followers were, but learn to see the value of everyone and everything.

-Tessa Dior

A Bible, a Bible, we have a Bible

Over time, interpretations are added to doctrines that make them lose their true value and meaning. The jews added their interpretations to the law which prevented them from accepting the new law when Christ came. Similarly, Christianity interpreted the scriptures in a way that was incompatible with new revelation.

Holding on to beliefs and traditions is part of human nature which has been of great benefit to humanity. However it can also have the negative effect of maintaining incorrect traditions and false interpretations of scripture. It can make us closed off to new learning that may come from revelation and/or science.

One of the great benefits of science is that it can challenge our interpretations and assumptions that we have wrapped around pure doctrine. Those who reject good science from a religious standpoint may sometimes be like those who say that they already have a bible and need no more bible. Those with strong testimony and faith should not fear new knowledge even if it doesn't reach us through theological channels first.

It's the Little Things

I was having kind of a rough night tonight and some bad memories were bouncing around my mind. That horrible overwhelming tidal wave of emotion was creeping ever so slowly towards my sanity and I knew I couldn't hold the tears in any longer.

When I was down and feeling as low as I could be, my mom talked to me. And that helped a little. I got some good advice and got some things off my chest.

And then my mom said we had got heart-attacked. (This is when hearts are plastered all over your front door in an expression of love.) On the door step was a little bag of candy for me with Happy Valentines Day! written all over it. I'm not sure who it was from, but I think it was my relief society presidency.

And then my friend told me that I was so cool on Facebook. I mean, how could that possibly help, right? But it did. It made me warm all the way to my toes.

I love the Heavenly Father sends us friends and family to help us. Even when we don't necessarily ask for it.

Mediocre Turkeys

"Remember the Turkeys who learned to fly, and then walked home." -a quote from James C. Christensen's journal.

In this quote, I relate myself to those turkeys at the times in my life, when I become comfortable in a state of mediocrity. Mediocre in this sense meaning: of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate. (dictionary.com)

I've been taught, since youth, that as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that we were never meant to let ourselves settle to be anything less than our very best. In fact, we are expected to reach beyond what the world expects of us, and become a better people.

"Men cannot really long rest content with mediocrity once they see excellence is within their reach."

-Thomas S. Monson

In a New Era article, by Sterling W. Sill in 1976, this assistant to the Council of the Twelve went as far as to compare mediocrity to a trap. A means of the devil for the purpose to capture, defeat, confound, or ensnare. The following is the concluding paragraph from that message.

"Each of us is a child of God, formed in God’s image and endowed with his attributes, heir to his kingdom, with an understanding of our own eternal potentialities. There is everything in knowing our origin and destiny and in constantly reaffirming them in our lives. We are the offspring of divinity. We have inherited the creator’s wisdom and power. We should cling to our inheritance. We should think of ourselves as children of omnipotence. We should never let the thought escape us, even for a moment. We should keep our feet out of the traps, and we should never let evil destroy this inspiring picture of ourselves."

When we settle into that false sense of security of mediocrity, it may seem as if you are at a neutral stand. You may think you are neither moving more towards God, or towards Satan, but in reality you are moving towards something worse. You become indifferent, and when you are indifferent, nothing can help you except yourself. You literally become your worst enemy.

I attended a class by Sister Wilcken in August of 2008, which was titled, The Enemy Within. This class really inspired me to snap out of my state of mediocrity and work, really work towards the better future. I remember a quote from Sister Holland that she shared with us,

"Our worst enemy is ourselves. If we are constantly fighting internal fears, then we won't have energy for the ones that come from the outside."

When I first heard that quote about the turkeys who learned to fly and then walked home, I thought it was pretty funny, but the more I thought about it, the more serious I realized it was. I realized that I'm often a turkey. I have been given this gospel ever since I can first remember, a doctrine that is meant to help me find that eternal potential and reach a divine and holy state. And what a gift it is! Going back to Sister Wilcken's words,

"If you reject a gift, you reject the giver of the gift. Would you reject your God? For he has given you everything."

I suppose the purpose of my sharing this with you, is to encourage you to remember your God- and not be a turkey.