I've realized I've had a lot of experiences. I once did stand up comedy, I've been a security guard in the graveyard shift by myself, I've been to the ocean, I've flown in an airplane, I've seen Washington D.C. etc. I could go on and on, as most of us could. Have they all taught me something? Overall, no. Have they been good? Overall, yes. Should I stop asking questions to myself and then answering them? Probably.
As by the title you can see where I'm going with this blog. Experiences are great, but I think accomplishments are greater. Accomplishments are always experiences but not the other way around. This subject has been on my mind lately because I feel inclined to do more accomplishments in my life than experiences. The brethren in the church leadership have said-
I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life. -M. Russel Ballard
Looking back, I can see all my experiences vs accomplishments and can easily assess that I learned a great deal more from my accomplishments. This is because none of my accomplishments came without work and determination. But, my experiences often came and left without any real effort on my part, and left me with little more than a story or a quip.
My greatest accomplishment was probably being called as a missionary for the church, to go to San Diego, learn Spanish, and teach the word. This wasn't just sitting on the street corner and shouting random things about God, this was work. We had to go door to door, with an unknown companion, talk in a foreign language, to foreign people, about a religion foreign to them and have them actually accept a life changing message. We kept records of people we taught, how many lessons we taught, how many people we talked to, what their doubts were, and then report all this to authorities above us. This wasn't just preaching, it was a organized effort that required 24 hour vigilance and not only that you had to know what to say and how to say it in another language and I could go on. Was that an experience? Hell yes. Was it an accomplishment? Yes, but I regret not doing more.
19.11.09
What Do the Scriptures Say About Money and the Poor?
1 Timothy 6:9
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Luke 12:15-34
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the
heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Alma 31:28
Alma 1:30
And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
2 Nephi 9:11
But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.
1 Cor. 10: 24
Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
James 1:10-11
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the agrace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
4 Nephi 1:3
And they had aall things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly bgift.
Doctrine and Covenants 104:15-16
And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.
But it must needs be done in mine own away; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Luke 12:15-34
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the
heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Alma 31:28
Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say—We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish.
Alma 1:30
And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
2 Nephi 9:11
But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.
1 Cor. 10: 24
Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
James 1:10-11
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the agrace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
4 Nephi 1:3
And they had aall things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly bgift.
Doctrine and Covenants 104:15-16
And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.
But it must needs be done in mine own away; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.
17.11.09
Heroine
I have a friend who is on Heroin. It never occurred to me that the name also means the feminine hero. What a strange name for a drug. But, drugs are strange. She was a missionary. She taught the gospel. She lived a pure life. She has tons of friends and loves life. Heroin is threatening to take away all the things that are important in life. She has a real good friend. My wife. They were companions and served will all their heart, might, mind and strength. Right now she needs to do that more than anything to fight Heroin. How sad. How unbelievably unfortunate. Heroin never quits. Once it has you, it won't ever let go. All a person can do (in my humble, educated opinion) is grow stronger than the addiction.
What is a hero? A hero is someone who is stronger and needed in a time of weakness or vulnerability. What is Heroin? Its a life sucking villain that eats your fabric of sanity away with each barrier you try to shield yourself from it.
I'm so sad. She was brilliant last night as we had Family Home Evening. She was laughing and looked like a lot of fun but I know on the inside there was this beast, that couldn't wait to get her away from her loving friends and punish her soul by stretching the hole that heroin has punched. This beast is Satan. I feel no need to differentiate the two- Heroin and Satan. For they are one in purpose- to ravish and destroy all that is sacred and good in your life and replace it with an unquenchable fire of despair and pain.
Tonight my friend is in withdrawals. I can see on her face that these are not simple cravings. The look on her face says she is drowning, burning, choking, crying, dying, stinging, harrowing and losing. Why did she fall? That doesn't matter. All that matters is how we're going to catch her. We love her. I imagine God thinking the same things about our (although minor in comparison but gigantic when compared to divinity) missteps and tumbles. He probably sees the future of our behavior on a scale more defined then we ever could and it penetrates His heart all the more. "If only they'd look to the Savior" He says. If only we'd look to the arms that are continually stretched forth before us. Then we'd understand.
Its no use to condemn the sins of others unless we can help the sinner. What do we gain by the sins of others? There is not a clean conscience in the convicting of another. There is not time for the blame game if you love them. Its not a time to point fingers but to stretch out hands in love and friendship. As we strive to help others, we are bettering ourselves. As we try to blame others, we are only diminishing ourselves. I don't blame my friend for doing drugs, although it would've been easier for her if she didn't, but that doesn't matter now that she is on the ropes and getting kidnapped by her addiction. I don't wish to walk away with clean hands and a cold shoulder. Think of the parables the Savior taught- How many good samaritans were there? Just one, out of how many that just passed the dying soul on the ground? Or what about the Prodigal son, whose father welcomed him home from running away, with open arms? In both cases, the person who was righteous didn't care how or why the person was in the condition they were in. They only thought to love and restore them to life. Is it not the same with God? Is it not the same with you?
The thing that most amazes me about this whole ordeal is that my friend ran away for so long from dealing with the addiction. When we run away from a problem, we feed the problem. She has tried so many times before and lost everytime. The addiction whipped her butt. It will continue to whip her butt. But, she has decided to face it. Its going to keep beating her but she can be sustained, she can endure and she will triumph. She will. Heroin has only got her physically. Tonight, she showed that it doesn't quite have her spiritually, because she has faced the biggest opponent that everybody has to fight sooner or later- PRIDE. If we let pride grow it will be all the harder to knock out but if we continue to humble ourselves we won't have to wait until our whole life is on the line to keep pride in it's place.
Her name isn't important because we all are similar to her in this battle. We all have to face our pride and our sins. Its the same fight. Its easier to win if we decide to train for it beforehand. If we wait till its too late we might not make it. I know my friend will make it. She is a hero. A real heroine.
Update: After a few more ravenous events and hardships she has gone through rehab and by all accounts is getting better everyday.
What is a hero? A hero is someone who is stronger and needed in a time of weakness or vulnerability. What is Heroin? Its a life sucking villain that eats your fabric of sanity away with each barrier you try to shield yourself from it.
I'm so sad. She was brilliant last night as we had Family Home Evening. She was laughing and looked like a lot of fun but I know on the inside there was this beast, that couldn't wait to get her away from her loving friends and punish her soul by stretching the hole that heroin has punched. This beast is Satan. I feel no need to differentiate the two- Heroin and Satan. For they are one in purpose- to ravish and destroy all that is sacred and good in your life and replace it with an unquenchable fire of despair and pain.
Tonight my friend is in withdrawals. I can see on her face that these are not simple cravings. The look on her face says she is drowning, burning, choking, crying, dying, stinging, harrowing and losing. Why did she fall? That doesn't matter. All that matters is how we're going to catch her. We love her. I imagine God thinking the same things about our (although minor in comparison but gigantic when compared to divinity) missteps and tumbles. He probably sees the future of our behavior on a scale more defined then we ever could and it penetrates His heart all the more. "If only they'd look to the Savior" He says. If only we'd look to the arms that are continually stretched forth before us. Then we'd understand.
Its no use to condemn the sins of others unless we can help the sinner. What do we gain by the sins of others? There is not a clean conscience in the convicting of another. There is not time for the blame game if you love them. Its not a time to point fingers but to stretch out hands in love and friendship. As we strive to help others, we are bettering ourselves. As we try to blame others, we are only diminishing ourselves. I don't blame my friend for doing drugs, although it would've been easier for her if she didn't, but that doesn't matter now that she is on the ropes and getting kidnapped by her addiction. I don't wish to walk away with clean hands and a cold shoulder. Think of the parables the Savior taught- How many good samaritans were there? Just one, out of how many that just passed the dying soul on the ground? Or what about the Prodigal son, whose father welcomed him home from running away, with open arms? In both cases, the person who was righteous didn't care how or why the person was in the condition they were in. They only thought to love and restore them to life. Is it not the same with God? Is it not the same with you?
The thing that most amazes me about this whole ordeal is that my friend ran away for so long from dealing with the addiction. When we run away from a problem, we feed the problem. She has tried so many times before and lost everytime. The addiction whipped her butt. It will continue to whip her butt. But, she has decided to face it. Its going to keep beating her but she can be sustained, she can endure and she will triumph. She will. Heroin has only got her physically. Tonight, she showed that it doesn't quite have her spiritually, because she has faced the biggest opponent that everybody has to fight sooner or later- PRIDE. If we let pride grow it will be all the harder to knock out but if we continue to humble ourselves we won't have to wait until our whole life is on the line to keep pride in it's place.
Her name isn't important because we all are similar to her in this battle. We all have to face our pride and our sins. Its the same fight. Its easier to win if we decide to train for it beforehand. If we wait till its too late we might not make it. I know my friend will make it. She is a hero. A real heroine.
Update: After a few more ravenous events and hardships she has gone through rehab and by all accounts is getting better everyday.
Benefit of the Doubt
Everybody is a little good and a little bad. Sometimes it seems easy to make someone out to be a bad guy, when they're not all bad, and likewise good, when they're not all good. Why do we wish to label others and judge them? Its easy. Its easier for our minds to label people, so we know how to treat them or to stay away from them. We do it to have control. But, we don't know so much.
We don't know what others are really thinking or what they are capable of doing but the Lord does. The Lord knows us best and gives us time to repent and do good.
Alma taught, "There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead" (Alma 12:24). God has granted us chance to repent and be righteous. Should we not give others a chance as well?
Nephi said, "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17).
He also said "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do" (1 Nephi 4:6).
I think the only judgment we can truly trust is that of the Spirit. By following the Spirit we have safety in the Lord. We will be given the wisdom we need and the intelligence to manage all the crazy situations or crazy people we encounter. In the church you always hear people saying things similar to Nephi saying "I don't know why I did it but I had a feeling and was prompted" and oft times it comes to fruition that it was for the best.
Thus, its crucial that we look at others as our brothers and sisters and not enemies, for our only true enemy is sin, not the sinner. For if we hate the sinner we must hate ourselves for we are all imperfect and sinful in God's eyes. But, God sees us for who we are and thus gives us a chance to do good. Amen.
We don't know what others are really thinking or what they are capable of doing but the Lord does. The Lord knows us best and gives us time to repent and do good.
Alma taught, "There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead" (Alma 12:24). God has granted us chance to repent and be righteous. Should we not give others a chance as well?
Nephi said, "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17).
He also said "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do" (1 Nephi 4:6).
I think the only judgment we can truly trust is that of the Spirit. By following the Spirit we have safety in the Lord. We will be given the wisdom we need and the intelligence to manage all the crazy situations or crazy people we encounter. In the church you always hear people saying things similar to Nephi saying "I don't know why I did it but I had a feeling and was prompted" and oft times it comes to fruition that it was for the best.
Thus, its crucial that we look at others as our brothers and sisters and not enemies, for our only true enemy is sin, not the sinner. For if we hate the sinner we must hate ourselves for we are all imperfect and sinful in God's eyes. But, God sees us for who we are and thus gives us a chance to do good. Amen.
Sacrifice
“The Important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are;
For what we could become”
- CHARLES DUBOIS
“Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16).
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Math 19:21-26)
When God asks us to pay tithing, its not so the church can have money. When God asks us to fast, its not so we can lose weight. When God asks us to do anything, it is for us to remember that it is God we serve and not lesser gods like money, food or ourselves. When we ask God for help, He asks us to give up worldly things, so He can give us heavenly things. If we reject His commandments, we are rejecting His help. If we aren't giving anything to God then we are giving our hearts to the gods of this world and what a poor substitute that is, for the God who created all things.
For what we could become”
- CHARLES DUBOIS
“Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16).
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Math 19:21-26)
When God asks us to pay tithing, its not so the church can have money. When God asks us to fast, its not so we can lose weight. When God asks us to do anything, it is for us to remember that it is God we serve and not lesser gods like money, food or ourselves. When we ask God for help, He asks us to give up worldly things, so He can give us heavenly things. If we reject His commandments, we are rejecting His help. If we aren't giving anything to God then we are giving our hearts to the gods of this world and what a poor substitute that is, for the God who created all things.
5.11.09
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.
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