Learning as I go

Talmage and the good Samaritan

2006-09-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

I just want to post the parable of the good Samaritan and include some quotes from Jesus the Christ.

(Luke 10:30-37)

Talmage says a few things that I think are great,

"Doubtless priest as well as Levite salved his conscience with ample excuse for his inhumane conduct; he may have been in a hurry, or was fearful, perhaps, that the robbers would return and make him also a victim of their outrage. Excuses are easy to find; they spring up as readily and plentifully as weeds by the wayside. When the Samaritan came along he saw the wretched state of the wounded man, he had no excuse for he wanted none. ... The essential difference between the Samaritan and the others was that the one had a compassionate heart, while they were unloving and selfish." (Jesus the Christ pg 431-432)

So this makes me wonder how I can be more loving and less selfish. I think that Satan has a tendency to play on our weaknesses in such a way that we don’t realize it. He tries to trick us into rationalizing things until we don’t even realize we are selfish. I’ve seen myself do this a lot, “I deserve a nice quiet night, so I’m going to do what I want tonight.” Instead of doing what I should do which could be anything.

So I guess I just need to make sure that I focus on who I need to be. I think that at the beginning of every day I need to ask myself this question, “What am I going to do so that by the end of today I am happy with myself?” What choices do I need to make in order to ensure that I’m happy? I know what will make me happy and what won’t. It is very tempting to do certain things and be lazy all day long, but I know that at the end of my day I’ll have wished I had done something else.

I hate stories with endings

2006-05-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

I just got home from watching X-men 3. It seems to be the last of a trilogy that I really enjoyed. I hate it when a story I love ends. I read a lot of fantasy books and I hate it when they end too. I always pick up a new one quickly to compensate. I'm excited for Harry Potter book 7, but that will just be another ending. It just makes me sad when things come to an end. Even in life lots of good things come to an end. I was in a great relationship with a girl that ended just a few weeks ago. I have never really liked the idea of beginnings and endings in this sense.

I want you all to know that while things in this life may have a beginning and an ending we do not. The best stories never end they just keep going on forever. This story is the one we are writing without knowing it by the life we live every day. I think it hass to be chronicled somewhere. It is a daily struggle between good and evil. We fight it every day, but even after we win our stories will go on. How great are the blessings of eternity!

They cannot be written

2006-05-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

In 3 Nephi 19:31-35 we read about the prayer of Jesus. This prayer was such that the "tongue cannot speak ..., neither can be written." And yet "the multitude did hear and bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed."

They understood in their hearts that which they couldn't have spoken or written. I'm wondering what you think this means?

I know, but how?

2006-05-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

I had a talk with my friend last night. He is struggling with some things. He doesn’t know how to get back to living righteously. I’ve been there and I tried to give him to help by telling him how I have done things. I have had to rely on the Savior a lot, but haven’t we all. I explained to him how to use the atonement for repenting and in order to have the pains of other peoples sins healed. My family has had to deal with a lot of crap from our past, things that were done to us. Talking to my friend helped me realize just how far my testimony has come.

So here is my question, and maybe it is a dumb one: How do you use the atonement to repent? Also how do you use the atonement to be healed? I know how to use it, but I found out last night that it’s kind of hard to describe to someone.

What's so bad about Helaman?

2006-05-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

In Alma 50:37-38 we read that Alma was hesitant to bestow the records on his son Helaman, or at least that he had wanted to bestow them upon Nephihah first. Did he not trust Helaman? Judging from the Alma chapters 36-42 Alma seemed to trust Shiblon more then his other two sons. Why didn’t he confer the records into Shiblon’s hands?

D&C 122

2006-04-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

In D&C 122 verse 9 we read, "Hold on thy way and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass." What do you think the Lord means by this? "their bounds are set." Who is he talking about, and what does he mean?

What does he mean when he says "hold on thy way and the priesthood shall remain with thee?" Could he have lost the priesthood? I'm really curious about what you all think about this. Because I've never quite understood these last two verses.

He goes on to say, "Thy days are known and they years shall not be numbered less." I think he's talking about eternity here, but I'm not quite sure. What do you think?

I realized something.

2006-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Recently we’ve had some problems with one of our roommates. He has been very hard to live with and nobody has put up with it much. He seemed to be acting very immature and none of us knew why. We figured he was just being a jerk and left it at that. Well we had a run in yesterday morning and we both screamed a lot. I even mentioned that we had discussed it as roommates and that if he didn’t change he would have to find a new place to live.
Probably less then an hour later he came out of his room. I was on my way out when he started to talk. He said he needed to apologize to one of my roommates for the way he had been acting. Then he let me know why he was acting the way he was. He admitted that he needed to change the way he acted. I found out that I needed to change as well. My other roommates and I had been doing some things that were hurting his feelings without even knowing we were. I told him I was sorry and promised him that I would try to do better. I realized that he isn’t just my roommate, he is my friend. It all makes sense now and I’m definitely going to try harder in the future.

It’s amazing how tender hearted we all are. I realized that we really need to be more sensitive and careful about how we communicate with each other. It’s times like this that makes me so grateful for the atonement. In 3rd Nephi Chapter 9 verse 13 Christ said, “Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted that I may heal you?” I feel like I totally hurt my roommate’s feelings. I didn’t realize I was doing it, but I was. I wish that my roommate had an active testimony in the Savior. Then he could be healed by him. So here’s a question for you: Can the atonement work in the life of somebody who doesn’t believe in it? My roommate’s feelings were hurt but things have been reconciled. Do you think that the atonement had a part to play in that?

"the Lamanites have awakened"

2006-04-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

In Mosiah chapter 24 we read about Alma and his people coming under bondage. They had escaped king Noah and were living peacefully until the lamanites came into their land and put Amulon in charge. Later the Lord frees them from their bondage by "causing a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites." While they were asleep the people departed into the wilderness. They were led to another valley where they gave thanks to God for delivering them. In verse 23 the Lord warns Alma saying, "Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awakened and do pursue thee; therefore get thee out of this land, and I will stop the Lamanites in this valley that they come no further in pursuit of this people."

So here is my question. Why didn't the Lord keep the Lamanites asleep? He made a way for the people of Alma to escape but only for a short while? Why not longer? What lesson do you think he may have been trying to teach?

Authority?

2006-04-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'm reading in Mosiah right now and I'm in chapter 18. This is the chapter where Alma babtizes the people at the waters of mormon. In verse 14 it says that, "both Alma and Helam wereburied in the water." I've never quite understood this. So Alma was being babtized by himself? Had he received the priesthood already? In verse 13 he says, "having authority from the Almighty God" when he was about to babtize Helam. Something similar happened when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the priesthood and babtized each other. I'm just curious about what you guys think.

Safety

2006-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

We had this big storm come through this morning while I was studying my scriptures. The wind was really blowing hard. A few of the gusts made my house shake a little. Throughout the storm I was sitting in my room quietly reading my scriptures. I think that is what the gospel does for us in this tumultuous world. We can have peace while the storms rage around us.

Wow

2006-03-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

I just studied about the night when Jesus walked on the water. After studying this Talmage says this, "Into every adult human life come experiences like unto the battling of the storm-tossed voyagers with contrary winds and threatening seas; oftime the night of struggle and danger is far advanced before succor appears; and then, too frequently the saving aid is mistaken for a greater terror. As came unto Peter and his terrified companions in the midst of the turbulent waters, so comes to all who toil in faith, the voice of the Deliverer -"It is I be not afraid." (Jesus the Christ, pg 337)

I thought that was very profound and definitely worth sharing.

Why clay?

2006-03-27T08:20:00.000-08:00

In studying the life of Christ I have found something which I find to be very interesting. When healing the blind Christ did several different things. In the first case he touched their eyes and they immediately received sight. In another case he spat on the ground and anointed the blind man's eyes with clay and asked him to wash his eyes in a nearby pool. In the third case the Lord spit in his eyes, and yet he was not wholly healed. So the Lord placed his hands on his eyes again and his sight was fully restored.

So why did the Lord use so many different methods when he healed the blind? Why didn't he just touch the eyes of all the men being healed? Why did it take a 2nd attempt, or extra work in the third case?

Strengthening your family

2006-03-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

We are told in the proclamation on the family that, "Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God." So how do we do this? Or maybe a better qustion is how are you (those of you with families) doing this right now? And if you are not doing anything to strengthen your families spiritually what could you do different? I don't have my own family right now so I'd like to know what you are doing to strengthen your families.

Elijah

2006-03-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

In 1 kings 18 Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a test to see if their God could beat the Lord. "Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God." (verse 23-24) I kind of had to laugh at verse 27 when "Elijah mocked them." But anyways in verse 29 we read about the response of their Gods, "there was neither voice, nor any answer, nor any that regarded." Just goes to show that Satan really doesn't care, and besides he was being challenged by the Lord. We all know he doesn't stand a chance right? Lets see what the Lord did. Elijah had water poured on the wood several times, probably to remove any doubt about the Lords power. After pouring water on the wood several times "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice."

In 1 Kings 19 Jezebel seeks the life of Elijah after he had proved these prophets of Baal wrong. In verse 4 we read, "But he [Elijah] himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." After this an angel comes two times to feed Elijah and he continues his journey.

So I have a few questions for you all, because I'm a bit confused. First, why did Elijah want to die? I've re read that and thought about it and I honestly don't know. Secondly how is the Lord showing Elijah his love in this story?

An incomplete Bible

2006-03-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

I came across something interesting in the foot notes of Jesus the Christ. It goes along well with this scripture. "And because my words shall hiss forth-many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible." (2 Nephi 29:3)

In Jesus the Christ James E. Talmage says this in a foot note, "Those who oppose the doctrine of continual revelation between God and His Church, on the ground that the Bible is complete as a collection of sacred scriptures, and that alleged revelation not found therein must therefore be spurious, may profitably take note of the many books not included in the Bible, yet mentioned therein, generally in such a way as to leave no doubt that they were once regarded as authentic. Among these extra-Biblical scriptures, the following may be named; some of them are in existence today, and are classed with the Apocrypha; but the greater number are unknown. We read of the Book of the Covenant (Ex 24:7); Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num 21:14); Book of Jasher (Josh 10:13); Book of the Statutes (I Sam 10:25); Book of Enoch (Jude 14); Book of the Acts of Solomon (I Kings 11:41); Book of Nathan the Prophet, and that of Gad the Seer (I Chron 29:29); Book of Ahijah the Shilonite, and visions of Iddo the Seer (2 Chron 9:29); Book of Shemaiah (2 chron 12:15); Story of the Prophet Iddo (2 chron 13:22); Book of Jehu (2 chron 20:34); the Acts of Uzziah, by Isaiah, the son of Amoz (2 chron 26:22); Sayings of the Seers (2 chron 33:19); a missing epistle of Paul to the Corinthians (I Cor 5:9); A missing epistle to the Ephesians (Eph 3:3); missing epistle to the Colossians, written from Laodicea (Col 4:16); a missing epistle of Jude (Jude 3)." (Jesus the Christ pages 119-120)

And after all this work I just discovered a magical link that has them all. Anyways it's just something to think about. It's great to have continued revelation isn't it?

How can we change?

2006-03-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

In 2 Nephi 8:3 (which is also a chapter in Isaiah) we read, "For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord."

In Jesus the Christ I read about the parable of the Sower. I thought that Talmage had some interesting commentary about this. He said that some people have found this parable to be evidence of fatalism. But Talmage goes on to say, "He neither said nor intimated that the hard-baked soil of the wayside might not be plowed, harrowed, fertilized, and so be rendered productive; not that the stony impediment to growth might not be broken up and removed, or an increase of good soil be made by actual addition; nor that the thorns could never be uprooted, and their former habitat rendered fit to support good plants." (pg 285)

Maybe I should tell the story of the beginning of my reactivation into the church. I moved away from Utah to work at Disney world. I was happy to get away from my family, and the church. I thought that I would be ok with things outside of Utah. I moved into an apartment complex that can simply be explained as Babylon. There must have been a seed planted deep inside of me because I thought I'd be ok with Babylon, but I was not. I think that it was more of a weeding process with me then anything else. I decided that what was going on all around me was not right. (Isn't it funny how we can decide something we already knew?) I ended up calling my mother in tears one day asking if she could send me my scriptures. I definitely had a long way to go still, but that was the beginning of my reconversion.

So how do we change? How do we let the lord make our wilderness into Eden? What about those who are in the hard baked soil whom Talmage said (speaking of symbolism of the parable), "no seed can possibly strike root or grow"?

I'm expecting a lot of generic answers here, so please don't worry if they are generic. I would love to hear any stories related to changing. You can always do so anonymously if you feel more comfortable.

Learning from adversity

2006-02-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

How can we learn from adversity? I know there are many people who have had harder trials then me but I feel like I've still had a lot of adversity in my life. How can I learn from this? Neal A. Maxwell said, "In striving for ultimate submission, our wills constitute all we really have to give God anyway. The usual gifts and their derivatives we give to Him could be stamped justifiably 'Return to Sender,' with a capital S. Even when God receives this one gift in return, the fully faithful will receive 'all that [He] hath' (D&C 84:38). What an exchange rate!" (April 2002 Conference) So maybe I'm answering my own question with what may seem like a random quote, but how can I turn my adversity into a learning experience where I am able to turn my will over to him?

Refer to my other blog for information on what is currently going on in my life, and what I consider to be a trial right now. Any advice is sure welcome.

I guess I just feel like my focus right now is on the trial and not so much how I can grow from it. I feel as though I'm worrying so much about the trial that I'm forgetting that he loves me. Neal A. Maxwell said this in the same talk "Our individual worth is already divinely established as 'great'; it does not fluctuate like the stock market."

Maybe my problem is that I'm at the beginning of things and want to see the end. I don't think seeing how things would work out would actually help though. I'm convinced that when I worry about things nothing can really calm me down until I'm ready for it.

I don't always trust the feelings Heavenly Father tries to give me. It's funny that the creator of the universe can command stars to be born, and to die. He can command the earth in all things. If fact everything in this universe obeys his will and yet when he commands me to be at peace I often times don't obey.

Asking for a blessing

2006-02-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've had the opportunity to give two blessings this week and to receive one myself. I want your opinion on this matter. One of the blessings I gave was asked for while I was prompted to offer to give the second one. I think that in the ideal situation a priesthood holder should live in such a way that those around him should feel comfortable asking for a blessing, but I don't think that a lot of women (or men for that matter) feel like they can ask for a blessing.

Sometimes I think that we don't excercise the Melchizedek priesthood as much as we should. Thomas S. Monson Said, "I know of no experience more sweet or feeling more precious than to heed a prompting only to discover that the Lord has answered another person's prayer through you." I think that when we give a blessing we are doing this. I have had to learn that it is ok to ask for a blessing if you need one. Can it be excessive if we ask for blessing too often? How often is too often? What is your opinion about asking for a blessing?

Will we know him?

2006-02-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

I just read 3 Nephi 11. When the Lord calls for Nephi I get the impression that he wasn't surprised by seeing the Lord whereas the other people kind of were. Does that make sense? I guess I just get the feeling from reading 3 Nephi 11:18-20 that Nephi knew the Lord very well.

I know you're probably thinking, "Duh Chuck! He's a prophet, of course he knows him!" But it just made me wonder how well I'll know him when I see him again. Of course I think that to some degree we'll all know him won't we. What do you think?

3 Nephi 9:13

2006-01-31T21:33:00.000-08:00

I just want to copy a scripture here. I have no comment on it other then I think the Lord is so amazing. Here, "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?" 3 Nephi 9:13 I'd love to hear your comments about this scripture. How it makes you feel, maybe even your testimony if you feel comfortable. You can always do so anonymously if you need to.

The inner vessel

2006-01-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

In Alma chapter 60 Moroni sends a letter to Pahoran demanding support for the troops at the front. In verse 23 Moroni says, "Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also." I've found that the wars at the end of Alma are a great metaphor for our war against Satan. We see that without the clean inner vessel that Moroni speaks of the war would have been lost. Not too long after this in the early chapters of the book of Helaman the lamanites attack at the center of the land in Zarahemla and (for a short time) conquer that part of the land.

I've found that in my life I do the best when I'm striving to live righteously out of love not out of obedience. When I worry about everything that is going in my life (at the wars front) I find that it is easier to give ground. When I'm worried about the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law I lose ground. But when I worry more about the inner vessel I find the front stays fairly static. I like to think of the inner vessel as my testimony. I want to give you a very common scriptural reference here, but I want you to think of it in very different terms. Helaman 5:12. Think of it not in terms of a foundation, but in the terms of this war that we are speaking of and your very own inner vessel.

So I find that the best way to combat Satan is with my testimony. If I read my scriptures every day, and pray every day with the goal of keeping the spirit in my life and helping my testimony to grow then I am strengthened. Think of how the U.S. helped to win World War II. Our inner vessel provided all the food, soldiers, materials and other elements necessary to help the allies win the war. I hope that my testimony can be like this.

I think that a good question to ask ourselves at this point is what can our testimonies provide? If we are lacking in man power at the front then what can we do to cleanse our inward vessels? These are of course very personal questions, but they should be asked and answered on a regular basis if we are going to survive the war.

Was it murder?

2006-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

I have always wondered this, maybe you guys can help me shed some light on it. In Alma 62:36 we read this, "And it came to pass that Teancum in his anger did go forth into the camp of the Lamanites ... And he went from place to place, insomuch that he did find the king; and he did cast a javelin at him, which did pierce him near the heart." My question is this, did Teancum commit murder? Was he committing murder when he did the same thing to Amalickiah in chapter Alma chapter 51?

So which is it?

2006-01-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a question that Veryl had:

What is the status of those who, upon dying enter into spirit paradise? One thought is that you would need to live worthily and be endowed, another thought is that you just need to have been baptized. Vyrl said too that he's seen general authority quote supporting both.

Jarom

2006-01-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

In the book of Jarom we read this, "As these plates are small, and as these things are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites, wherefore it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written?"

So here is my question, do you think we could have benefited if Jarom had written more? Many prophets came after him and they wrote plenty. Is it possible that Jarom didn't believe in himself? And if he did not believe in himself was he sinning by not reaching his full potential and writing more?

Sometimes I don't believe that I'm capable of doing what the Lord wants me to do, and being who he wants me to be. So when I don't believe in myself and fall short of my potential am I sinning, or is it just a matter of me settling for less?

A question

2006-01-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Periodically I'd like to throw a question out to everybody and see the responses. Here is my first question. In Mosiah chapter 11 we read about how Abinidi preached to the people. They were angry and sought his life but the Lord delivered him. Abinidi was gone for 2 years. What do you think Abinidi was doing for those 2 years?