The Commandment to Love

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt 22: 37-39)

As proclaimed in this verse, many of the teachings of Christ encourage the love of god and the love of others, which is the “first and great commandment." Another scripture that builds on this commandment is found in 1 John 4:20-21. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?...And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
In other words, if we are to truly be lovers of God, then we must also love our brethren around us, or all people, just as God loves all people. So, to be the people of God and to show how much we love Him we must serve and care for others, even if they are not as kind and loving towards us as they could be. I personally believe that when we love others as Christ would love them, then we are doing His work, and even the most hard-hearted of people can change for the better from our love.
I think Heavenly Father is definitely sad with the propagation of hatred and cruelty that his children so easily treat each other with. However, though it is natural to be spiteful and unkind, I believe that when we are instead loving and kind as God wants us to be, then our love will replace the hatred in people's hearts.
This outpouring of love that "spreads abroad in the hearts of men" has the potential to change the world into a bright place.

Choosing to be Faithful (Hebrews 11)

In Hebrews 11, there is a magnificent sermon on the power of faith and how the faithful have been blessed since creation. Paul names multiple religious celebrities such as Noah and Moses and how their faith brought to pass miracles. Faith precedes miracles, and show that the Lord is pleased with us. It's certainly true that the natural man is rebellious, and it is very easy to give into the temptation to ignore the instructions of God. However, we must not do that! The counsel of the Lord helps us to conquer the darkness in our lives and minds, and put out the "fires" of sin that we started from ignorance. God will always be willing to give us counsel so long as we are willing to turn from the natural man and listen. We must show a change of heart, and turn our rebellion into faith. If we want to please the Lord, then we must believe and have faith in Him.
 I for one want to please the Lord. So, it is crucial that I am always building my faith and remaining faithful, and referring to the examples of the people in the scriptures is always a great place to learn how to improve my faith.
Christ is one of the many examples we can build our faith from, and there are many powerful hymns on living by Christ's example of faith. If anyone was truly faithful during mortality, then Christ was, and by his life so many people also learned to be faithful. He helped those who were struggling, and just like you said, we should also do the same.
When we show our love and faith in the Lord and live by the examples of the righteous, then God will also bless us even in the midst of adversity. It can be difficult to accept or even acknowledge the Lord's chastening, as the natural man wants to flee from anything that damages his/her pride or reveals hidden shame and guilt. However, when we open up to the Lord and fully listen to and accept the chiding of the Lord then we will be humbled and have the unpleasant feelings of guilt and shame washed away. The Lord chastens us because he loves us, and because he wants his children to return to his side. As such, we should not only have the faith to live by the Savior's example, but to have the faith to accept when we have done wrong and so be able to listen to the words of the Lord.

Becoming Full of Goodness

It is important to continually try to become better, and follow Christ’s example. If we wish to be a godly person, we must choose to forsake evil and instead do that which is good and full of righteousness. It is the buildup of sin and temptation that causes us to fall further and further away from the Lord. I rely a lot on prayer and repentance to keep myself clean and to help resist temptation. I find that when I am consistently studying the scriptures it is easier to say no to the whispers of the adversary. I also think that the first and greatest commandment, to love, does much to keep us on the path to righteousness and become more like God.

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."
(1 Timothy 6:10-11)

In these scriptures Paul is teaching Timothy about how to become a “man of God.” From this we can also learn how to better become a godly people and serve the Lord by our actions. The things of evil he uses as examples are temptation through money, envy, and lust which cause great sorrow for the soul. Paul exhorts his brother to “flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.” I feel like these are basic principles of goodness that help us to become more godly, and make up the kind of person that makes up will continuously forsake evil and improve. Though it may be easy to fall to temptation, we ought to spend time becoming a man or woman of God or else we will fall to temptation, be filled with sorrow from sin, and create distance between ourselves and God.

Perfection through the Atonement of Christ

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Romans 5:6-11)
In these verses I noted in particular Paul's words where he compares regular men to Jesus; he mentions that there are those who would “scarcely [die] for a righteous man,” while others would dare die for a good man. So, how much greater is Jesus who died for sinners? There are many people in history who have died for another, but only Christ died for all people no matter who they were or what they believed. Just as we believe in Christ, Christ believes in us and wants us to do what is right. In essence, Paul is referring to the Atonement of Christ in these scriptures. It is through the blood of Christ that we imperfect mortals can obtain joy and salvation.Because the Lord, perfect and loving died for us we are able to reject the natural man and temporal world and become a pure and eternal being who can live with God. This is truly a magnificent gift! Though we may be enemies of God by our nature, because of Christ we can change internally. There is no one who is broken beyond repair, even if we think that is the case. The Lord and his Holy Spirit is there to guide and perfect us .It truly is remarkable the love that God has for each of us, and the lengths and plans that have been put in place so that all can have opportunities to become better, to even become perfect. I am so grateful that the Lord has done so much for me even though I am terribly flawed, and I hope that I will accept His greatest gift so that I can return to Heavenly Father’s presence.

Filled with Light

In this life where it is so easy to be overcome by darkness and despair, it is crucial to any person's well-being, especially spiritual well-being, by surrounding ourselves with good things that will light up our life. One of the best ways to fill our life with light is to learn how to live according to God's laws, and allow His spirit into our homes by acting righteously. While reading the scriptures this week, I was reminded to take a closer look around me, and make an effort to clear out any junk that is distracting me from the Savior and filling my life with a dark haze. By taking the time to think of good things and remember the Savior, I will be spending less time thinking of unclean things which will help me to stay away from temptation.

From the New Testament Paul teaches the people through letters many principles on how to become full of light and to do right by God. Specifically, while he writes to the people of Corinth, and it can be learned that only fully clean can inherit the kingdom and salvation of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), which comes from following Christ and keeping His commandments - in other words, doing righteous actions - and one way to help ourselves have our surroundings filled with light is to associate with righteous people (1 Corinthians 5; 6:15-17).When we surround ourselves with good people, then we also shall do good and have less temptation.

It is not only important to surround ourselves with good people, but good things that will uplift us.
Surrounding ourselves with many good things will help each of us succeed in mortality and learn more of God, helping us to become more like Him. As we are true to our divine natures and become more like Christ, then we will most assuredly be able to stand before God in the last days with honor and grace, our countenances filled with light.

Using Your Power of Choice to Learn of God

Recently I have been reading the book of Acts in the New Testament, and came across the following passage:
"Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." (Acts 14:16-17)
From this scripture I thought about how many witnesses God gives us, yet He also gives us the power to choose if we will search for those witnesses and evidence of His existence. He will always give us witnesses so that we can know of Him, and when we choose to follow God, then an overflowing of blessings will be given.
This scripture occurs after some of the disciples work miracles in Lystra, and are mistaken by the locals for Roman Gods, Mercury and Jupiter (known in Greek mythology as Zeus and Hermes). Because the people of Lystra misunderstand, they immediately gather for idol sacrifice, which the disciples frantically interrupt, proclaiming that they are men and that the people would worship the true God who gives them blessings.Though the Lord allows men to make their own choices, He still gives an abundance of blessings in witness of his power and grace. God is truly generous to mankind, as everything He does is for our good, even to the extent that we are allowed to fail and make mistakes. Just thinking about it simply, we are truly given the power to choose, and it is quite a bit of power indeed.
In modern days it is pretty common for the general populace to jump on trends, bandwagons, and the opinions popular on the internet and media. Having a 'mob-mentality' is pretty common, and unfortunately it doesn't seem like people really even realize what they are doing, and so they continue on in their ways without truly thinking and choosing for themselves. In a way, they are choosing the easy route and letting others choose for them, what they wear, what they say, and even how they should be living their lives!
Once we realize just how much power through choice God gives us, it can be kind of frightening! I for one am not confident in my decision-making skills. However, I am also extremely grateful that we chose Heaven'y Father's plan that allows us to live on this world, imperfect as it may be.

Taking Action for Good

This week during my reading of the Old Testament I found myself focusing on action. Our actions determine our consequences, both those that are temporary, and those that are eternal. The Lord will not accept someone who has lived their entire life with despicable and selfish actions, and has filled their heart only with darkness and indulgence. Acting in line with the Lord's words and will may be difficult, but it is important to our own welfare. The Lord takes note of all our actions and will remember them. For example, those who dare to take advantage of the poor and needy will eventually have to pay the price for their actions. (Amos 8:4-7) If we want to be supported by the Lord, then our actions must be kind and admirable. Whether we are wealthy or poor, how we treat others will be remembered, and our actions will determine both what we attain in this life and the next, and who we will become.

However, even more than righteous actions, the Lord wants our hearts to be righteous. (Hosea 6: 6-7) “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Even if we follow the commandments and go through the actions, if our hearts are not in it then those actions will not mean anything. It is like a ‘gift’ given begrudgingly. Though I might be outwardly following the Lord, if inwardly I am rebellious and withholding my heart, then those actions will mean nothing to me and very little to the Lord. To truly become one of the Lord’s people, I must put my heart into following him. Not only are my actions important, by my intent as well. Just as the Israelites in olden times may have outwardly shown their worship through sacrifice, inwardly there was no actual devotion. In other words, our true devotion is more valuable than false or careless servitude, and it will eventually manifest itself in our outward actions. 

Perfectly Reliable

In reading Jeremiah this last week, and talking with other people from my class where we discuss the Old Testament, the idea of God's steadfastness and reliability came up.The Lord is perfectly reliable, perhaps we don’t fully understand or we forget about him in our daily lives, but when we are seeking him then we can trust that he will be there. So long as we remain focused on the Lord then he will be able to help us and fulfill all blessings he has promised.
In a world full of flawed humans who are forgetful and may not always be dependable, it is nice to know that there is someone who is perfectly reliable. We can always turn to the Lord when we need help in any way, whether for comfort, protection, or strength. That knowledge, in of itself, is comforting. Whatever is good for us and will help us grow in character is something that the Lord can be asked for and be relied upon. He is dependable, even if we do not see the actions of the Lord.

Trust in the Help of the Lord

"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."
(Isaiah 50:4-5, 7)

From this scripture I think about my relationship with God, both how He treats me and how I respond to Him. When immersed in ourselves, it can be difficult to see outside of ourselves, which should be obvious but it still happens all the time. When I am stuck in myself I lose sight of goals, ideas, and motivation, among other things, and this can cause arrogance or pity for oneself. It can cause us to feel like we can only trust our own strength. Yet, the strength of the Lord is much greater than our own, and we can rely on God for help so long as we are willing to go outside of ourselves. And sometimes that can be a hard thing! It can be hard to let the smallest crack in our heart be shown to anyone!
However, in my own struggles I have seen the benefit in trusting in the gifts and help of the Lord, and know that when the world falls apart, we can trust in the Lord to remain. I still need to work on this myself, but I do know that I can fully put my trust in the Lord.

A Cure for Arrogance

Arrogance is all too common among humanity. It's like a genetic disease, just waiting to reveal itself. What is it about wealth, fame, or even deeds that cause a person to become a 'me-centered universe'? It seems natural, and yet we despise it in others. Those who think highly of themselves often think of others as lowly, creating a natural blindness to good qualities others may have. And because of this, arrogance naturally separates a person from other people, only making pride worse. It is also an unhappy way to live: imagine being so full of yourself that there is no room for anything, or anyone, else, leaving you completely alone. Though these people may pretend to be happy, often they are not, and it is because by thinking themselves better than others they have naturally put themselves in exile. A gilded cage, as it were, empty of life.

The scriptures talk a lot about pride and arrogance, placing a higher standard of thinking on human kind. Humility is esteemed while pride is brought down.
"And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness." (Isaiah 5:15) Basically, the prideful will be knocked down a peg and God will be revealed as always being the most powerful - an attribute arrogant people think where they are in the hierarchy. Even if they are temporarily wealthy and renowned, eventually they will lose what they have selfishly kept from the poor and needy – though sometimes this does not happen until the afterlife.
From reading and my own personal experience, the cure for arrogance seems to be service. When we take care of those who are in need and help others it becomes easier to understand and have empathy for them. Yes, some stubborn people are still hard-hearted even after giving millions to charities, but those who actually have personal interaction while serving others are giving of themselves; by serving, they acknowledge that these other people are human, and that they are worth something. In this way their bloated esteem slowly returns to healthier levels.

What Use is Praise?

Seeking the praise of the world will only lead to lost opportunities. Sure, it feels nice to be complimented and acknowledged, but if that is our main and only driving force, then we will be left empty.Job is an excellent example of following the Lord, even when his friends chastise and turn against him.Imagine if Job had decided to take his friends' and wife's advice to "curse God and die!"(Job 2:9) Job's story certainly would not have turned out the same.If I turn to my peers and so turn against the Lord, I will lose the opportunities God has provided. But if I instead turn wholly to the Lord, then He will be able to bless me more than I could imagine.

Though all blessings come from the Lord, in order to obtain these blessings we must be as Job, who knew that the Lord was there for him, even when he was in the lowest of lows. Although he also had his times of despair and hopelessness, Job still believed in God and His almighty power to save.As we take Job's example to heart and wait upon the Lord, 

If we choose to praise God instead of curse Him during times of adversity, then His presence will fill our lives. During my own times of despair, if I can remember Job’s story and so remember my faith, then the Lord will help me through it. At the end, I will become stronger in faith and blessed as the Lord sees fit. Towards ourselves, praise will do very little, but praise towards God will show Him our gratitude, and open the windows of heaven. 

Putting Selfishness Aside

After ignoring this poor blog for a few years, I now have an excellent opportunity to share my thoughts and what I have been learning recently. And what better area of scriptures to work from than the stories surrounding King Solomon? Just as he sought for wisdom in ancient days, we all seek wisdom in one area or another.

One well-known story attributed to King Solomon is of the two harlots fighting over one living child, both claiming it is their own."And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king." (1 Kings 3:22)
However, at the suggestion from King Solomon that the child be cut in two, one woman put aside her personal desires of keeping the child so that it could have a chance to live. "Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it." The other woman's response shows spite and selfishness. "But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it." (1 Kings 3:26) Because the mother did not put herself first, the King recognized her as the true mother, and the child was returned to her.
I think we all have some degree of selfishness inside of us, and learning to become unselfish is one of the great trials of this life. Learning to put ourselves aside and become selfless will bring happiness in our life. We also have another great example of selflessness in the scriptures, of Jesus Christ's life.