When to Follow, When to Lead

We have a realm of responsibility. When we try to control things outside of that realm we fall from firm ground. The Alcoholics Anonymous members have a prayer called the Serenity prayer that says:

"God, Give us the grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed, Courage
to change the things which should be changed,
And the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other."

The distinction of when to follow and when to lead is essential for us to gain so that we may not stretch ourselves too thin or too little. We shouldn't try to control too much and we shouldn't be irresponsible over too little. But the question is how do we know what is within our power and what is not only out of our reach but none of our business?

My wife and I live in an apartment downtown. We had a neighbor move in 2 months after we did. We got along good with him and frequently had chats as we saw him walking his dogs. Then we began to smell smoke in our apartment daily. We told the manager of this and they talked to our neighbor. We also started hearing loud music and yelling from our neighbor after hours and have often been woken up by him in the night. One night we felt it necessary to call the cops. Since then we have had a hard time feeling comfortable in that apartment. He frequently mocks us as he walks by our place and lulls us into arguments about his behavior. We now are trying to get him evicted and/or move away. Right now our management is looking into this and how to best quell the situation. We're very upset.

Now, our responsibility isn't to try and control our neighbor's choices in life. But, we do have a responsibility to make sure that our boundaries are respected. Our neighbor has crossed the line of our privacy. Once he has done that then it is in our responsibility to make sure he follows the rules which are affecting us. He must follow and we must lead. If we were the ones who cause the offense then we must learn to follow the rules. We have taken steps to ensure his irresponsible behavior is dealt with by contacting authorities such as our landlords, the police, and possibly a lawyer. It would be inappropriate and crossing the line for us to reach beyond the laws and take matters into our own hands and try to physically kick him out ourselves. We must follow the laws and policies of the authorities. They must lead and we must follow. We cannot overstep our bounds and think to run the system on the whim of our own personal feelings. That would be out of our realm of responsibility. We must leave it up to the authorities to deal with this by the law and if they fail then we must do what we can to make sure our boundaries aren't disrespected. That might mean moving away or appealing to higher authorities. A church history example of this would be when the saints crossed the plains from the East to settle in the West to escape the persecution. First the saints appealed to the government by the laws of freedom of religion and the right to live safely but we're ignored.

I think an easy answer to the question of when to follow and when to lead would be to follow the Holy Ghost's promptings. Often thats not easy when our thoughts, wants, or feelings cloud our judgment. It is God's realms of responsibility to answer us when we ask with real intent. But, it is our realm of responsibility to not overstep our boundaries in what we are asking. He says "Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you; and if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation” DC 88:64-65.

Often we must pray to God for an answer or help. Often we must act and follow the laws of the land and of God. Often God is giving us a chance to grow by the adversity of dealing with those who overstep their boundaries, offend us, mock, or challenge us. It is our responsibility to return good for evil. It is our opportunity to forgive and have patience. It is our time to follow God and lead our way to Him when all falls against us. We must always follow the Lord. We must always lead ourselves away from the harm of evil.

The Scrabble Parable and Gifts from God

I found the greatest eternal truths in the game of Scrabble the other day. My wife and I were playing and my mind quickly thought upon the things of the Gospel and life in general.

While playing Scrabble you receive a certain amount of letters. These letters are given at random and are given to you to use the best you can. When you use the letters you are given more, so as to always have a fill of what you need in order to play the game.

Winning doesn't matter. Just as in life you can play your hardest or try your darndest but you still might lose everything. What matters then is that you do play. Sometimes I found myself not wanting to put down some letters for fear that I might give another an advantage or for fear of looking dumb and not getting enough points.

But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine danger is kindled against them.
And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have. -Doctrine and Covenants 60:2-3

Part of the foundation of the United States is that "all men are created equal" and that every man may be free to pursue life, liberty and happiness. But, we are not all endowed with the same gifts or abilities or even timing as to be equal in greatness. In Scrabble you may think of a great word but just not have the letters or you may have the letters and someone else takes the word or uses it in a way that makes it impossible for you to do the same. This constant change happens in life. Each day we may find familiar surroundings but have different opportunities. We may have different ideas and use time differently. The Lord is aware which is why He asks of us to not fear or hide the talents which we are given. Use it or lose it. We may wait to do something once we are assured a great return but this is not the way to gain favor with the Lord. We must play the talents we have and play them to the maximum or they will turn to our demise.

At the end of Scrabble there is a rule that whatever letters you can't play will be taken away from your total score. I think this same condemnation applies to us in eternities. "But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also." -2 Nephi 9:30

"For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; or whosoever will save his life, shall be willing to lay it down for my sake; and if he is not willing to lay it down for my sake, he shall lose it." -Joseph Smith Translation Mark 8: 37-38:37

The gifts you have are meant to be played and thats the reason they're given. Not for points to win, or money to be lifted up in pride, but, to be played, to show gratitude toward God, for giving them. As the scripture says "if laborers in Zion labor for money, they shall perish."- 2 Ne. 26: 31

Joy of Creation

I think one of the most challenging things to anyone is how to create a life for ourselves that makes us happy. The scriptures talk about this all the time.
"...men are, that they might have joy." - 2 Nephi 2:25

The reason we're here is to have joy. I find for me the greatest joy I can have is by creating. Who hasn't felt that sense of satisfaction after following a recipe and having the brownies actually taste good? Or who hasn't wrote something for school and worked over the details and then felt good after the teacher wrote a little smiley face? I'm an absolute addict to making art- http://eldigitalartist.blogspot.com/. Its not work for me because its a pleasure, a joy. If we look around the world or just at ourselves we can find plenty of things we've created that stir up a sense of joy in us. But alas, there is "opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11). Sometimes by seeking to create happy lives we fill our lives with mundane or trite things that can't give us that satisfaction of joy of creation to our souls.

Satan always offers poor replacements for the real thing. We might think we can create happiness in ourselves by buying it. This is false, we can't replace sincere love for a sincere paycheck. We might think to eat food to fill an emotional void. This is false. Sure, we might be satisfied and a little plump for a bit, but that feeling soon subsides and we're stuck in the same predicament we were in before (only maybe fatter and more in debt). You can't fill your spirit with material things. You may fill your time with temporal things, but, the Lord warns "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." (Math 6:19)

Of course, the Lord has the remedy. He says "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it." (Mark 8:35). From the things we create, we are expanding who we are. We are giving our life unto others and thus gaining it. Joy comes from the person we create in ourselves.

When I take a picture (or photoshop a picture, as the case may be) I exercise who I am and am showing a little piece of who I am. There is a quote that says something along the lines of "everything you create or do is a self portrait." How can we excuse ourselves from our creations? We cannot. We are bound to them, just as parents are to their children.

What role is the Lord in our creating? He is the Creator. We are a lineage of celestial heritage. He gave us the creating powers we enjoy. Remember the scriptures say we are that we might have joy. Lets now talk about how this joy is not acquired. The scriptures say "Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." -(Alma 41:10). Wickedness never was happiness but it sure is fun, right? Yeah, I have a scripture for that too-

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.
Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.- 2 Nephi 28:8-9

Notice the doctrines of Satan (and unhappiness) are always vanity centered, consuming for the self, the fleeting things of the world, the fads, the momentary bliss, the trivial, the meaningless and the crude things that flatter our pride, feed our appetites and build up defenses against creating and growing as people. That, is the big difference between the Lord and Satan. The Lord offers us an eternal perspective of joy, while Satan only offers whatever feels good now. On the one hand we are to create, while on the other only to consume to our appetites. We all need to consume, of course, but the problem is when we seek to consume the temporal to our eternal appetites, upon doing that we will be left with an emptiness (once we find out what temporal really means in the eternities). So, the problem with wickedness and why it was never happiness is simply because its fleeting, and destructive to our eternal progress. Its filling our souls with the short lived as a replacement for the eternal life Christ offers.

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." -1 John 5:11

To acquire the eternal joy (eternal life) of the Lord, we can't buy it, we can't sell it, and we can't obtain it through deception or manipulation. We can only create it. By following the Creator, Jesus Christ.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." -Psalm 51:10

Surely the Lord cares more about us that we know and wants us to have joy, for that is the measure of our creation.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -Matt 6:30-33

In other words, worry not to surround yourself with comfort in this life, for the Lord will comfort you and give you what you need to live in this life and the next, if you will put Him first.

"And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true." -Mosiah 4:12

Living a Christlike life, faith in Christ, faith in His commandments, doing the things God would want us to do with a pure heart, forgiving, loving your neighbor as yourself, seeking treasure of heaven, turning the other cheek, being humble, being thankful, being virtuous and true, all these things exemplified in the Lord are how we can follow Him and have joy in our creation, or a real and eternal life.