"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." -Matthew 7:20
I think the best way to know an artist is by their art. The greatest Artist of all of course is God. Think of all the beautiful images there are in the world; the landscapes, the forests, the beaches, the moon, stars, sunsets, the animals, the heights, rivers, and mountains. I believe by studying the art of any artist is the greatest way to gain insight to the creator of the art and it is the same with God and His works.
As the Creator of the physical world God is also the Creator of the spiritual world. By our faith in Him, He can move mountains in us. He gives His mercy and love that can shape our worlds if we let Him. From the experiences I had of helping people in my mission to the blessings I have in my own life, I can see that the fruits of God are many and His hand is the crafter of all the things that are good.
"For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God." -Alma 5:40
There is a lot of disease, destruction, disasters, wars and terrible things in the world. Many of these are the results of disobeying God's commandments. A lot are also natural consequences. Plenty are also just trials given to us to learn from or to get us to turn our hearts over to God.
"And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction." -2 Nephi 5:25
"Therefore, as they were unfaithful they did not prosper nor progress in their journey, but were driven back, and incurred the displeasure of God upon them; and therefore they were smitten with famine and sore afflictions, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty." -Mosiah 1:17
Remember our Heavenly Father has plenty of tools to shape the landscape and our lives and all of them are out of love for us. Only He can give us that beauty that we seek for in our lives. He is the greatest Artist of all and if you look with a pure heart, to the good things in the world, you will see Him.
"...and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." -Alma 30:44
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." -Matthew 5:8
17.3.10
7.3.10
Joseph
Joseph Smith. I don't know everything about this man. I know he was a prophet. I am inclined to think the best prophet the American continent has ever known.
The things Joseph did are insurmountable to really put into a single blog, but John Taylor once summarized it in a single sentence "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it." D&C 135:3
My faith in Jesus Christ is through Joseph Smith's work and calling. I know the Lord because of Joseph Smith. That is what a prophet does; shows us the way to God. I love Joseph Smith for the persistence he showed throughout his life. John Taylor goes on-
In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. D&C 135:3
He did many more acts of kindness and patience. He gave people so much hope and love toward each other and to God. He shined a light on Christianity and gave it back to God by the power of communication between God and man. I love him.
Often times Mormons are criticized for making too much of Joseph. I don't think we make enough of him. I think Joseph shows us that we can achieve so many great things if we exhibit an astounding amount of never failing faith and love for God. He was taught and humbled by God. He was murdered by a mob and died for the work of Jesus Christ.
He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!
The things Joseph did are insurmountable to really put into a single blog, but John Taylor once summarized it in a single sentence "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it." D&C 135:3
My faith in Jesus Christ is through Joseph Smith's work and calling. I know the Lord because of Joseph Smith. That is what a prophet does; shows us the way to God. I love Joseph Smith for the persistence he showed throughout his life. John Taylor goes on-
In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. D&C 135:3
He did many more acts of kindness and patience. He gave people so much hope and love toward each other and to God. He shined a light on Christianity and gave it back to God by the power of communication between God and man. I love him.
Often times Mormons are criticized for making too much of Joseph. I don't think we make enough of him. I think Joseph shows us that we can achieve so many great things if we exhibit an astounding amount of never failing faith and love for God. He was taught and humbled by God. He was murdered by a mob and died for the work of Jesus Christ.
He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!
1.3.10
Death
Death. Lately I’ve been debating on whether or not to write this. I think mainly because its such an encompassing subject that brings out strong emotions.
I went to see one grampa knowing my other grampa had passed away. The still living grampa, grampa Jensen, is on my mother’s side and he has a short time. Upon entering his blue painted room I could see a skinny man that I was told was my grampa. He looked like he had a sculpted frown on his face and his eyes never looked so black and beedy. It was hard to place him with the boisterous, attention loving old man I knew that had tried out for the New York Yankees in his youth and kept a field of apple trees the majority of his adulthood. We slowly entered and timidly began to place this scene in our minds as who our grampa had become. First while he didn’t speak and grandma just would hug and kiss him telling him we’re here and proclaiming her love for her now frail counterpart.
Its heartbreaking to see change. We’re always changing. Each second that comes along means that the one before it has gone and with it a little bit of ourselves, we’ll forever be linked into that second.
My grampa who has passed, Grampa Boyer is now at the cemetery. Its one thing to see someone asleep in a hospital and its another to see them in a coffin and watch the coffin shut. I saw my grandma pay respects to her husband alone while the family mingled.
My dad gave a talk about some of the things his dad had taught him.
“If you ever get a chance to see a man wrestle a bear; take it.” His other brothers spoke of things that carried on in their hearts of who they grew up knowing as their dad. He went to a lot of yard sales, he was a farmer in Iowa and then moved to Utah, he converted to Mormonism, he was kind and very humble. My wife sang the hymn “Be Still, My Soul” and then my uncle began his talk on the Plan of Salvation. “Its not suppose to be easy, that’s what makes it great” he said with tears, respect, and love for the God of the living. Of all the things I’ve felt and heard I think they all were summarized in the words of the hymn “God be with you, till we meet again”. In the church I go to they sang that hymn and all the images of my grampas ran through my head as well as my own mortality. The speaker just before singing that said “Live in the now, the now is all we have, enjoy the journey, enjoy the trials.”
Strange that the only other times I’ve dealt with death have only been dogs.
My grampa Jensen had on a Yankees hat. He started to talk a bit more after he drank what must’ve been a pint of cold water. “My teeth hurt” he said. “Must be that cold cold water” said my mom. “I love it” he said and we started to laugh. “You still got your sense of humor” said grandma. “Humor but no sense” he said. “Looks like you put on some weight here” said grandma. “Wouldn’t be hard” he said in regards to the slim trimmed man he had become. “You know what Bess? I feel like I’m losing my mind”
Our eyes teared up and we gave our goodbyes. Good bye coming from the saying “God be with you”. I took a secret picture with my cell phone, trying to make sense of what I was seeing and keep an image of my grampa reserved. Someday I’ll be in that place.
Often times growing up I would be so sad and start to cry if my mom went to the store and didn’t come back right away. I would imagine scenarios of not seeing her again. My dad had a heart attack about 9 years ago that could’ve killed him. I think about losing them and I don’t know why other than because I love them so I’m trying to reserve that deep feeling in my heart. Its too easy to take things for granted.
At the hospital I saw a sign that said “You are the key to the past, present and future” on the wall. In the church we talk of linking families forever in a chain of souls that live with Heavenly Father. We have temples that do “work for the dead” as we say which means baptisms, covenants, ordinances, promises, sealings, endowments, initiatories, and that all means that we swear our souls to God. We often think of the temple as the holiest ground, the most peaceful dwelling, the mountain of the Lord. It’s a beautiful place and it all has that substantative feeling of living for the dead, doing what others cannot, and being in place of another. All to prepare for returning to the presence of our Heavenly Father so that we can live together in happiness, even though we sometimes struggle with that now.
Growing up I never thought that one day I would review all the experiences of being with one person. The present has a way of insulating itself from the realization that it will soon be the past. My memories of my grampas have always been mostly the holidays, weddings, or some event on the calendars that give us a reason to get together. I wish I could have had more memories that had no obligatory excuse for seeing them other than just loving them and wanting to be with them. Seems like its easy for us to fall into that mindset of needing a calendar to tell us when its okay to visit or give presents. That’s very sad.
How do you deal with death? We do all the time without knowing it. We pass through time, saying goodbye to the past. Time is a train that never stops. We just get off from time to time and say good bye. Then more people get on and the train keeps moving.
I went to see one grampa knowing my other grampa had passed away. The still living grampa, grampa Jensen, is on my mother’s side and he has a short time. Upon entering his blue painted room I could see a skinny man that I was told was my grampa. He looked like he had a sculpted frown on his face and his eyes never looked so black and beedy. It was hard to place him with the boisterous, attention loving old man I knew that had tried out for the New York Yankees in his youth and kept a field of apple trees the majority of his adulthood. We slowly entered and timidly began to place this scene in our minds as who our grampa had become. First while he didn’t speak and grandma just would hug and kiss him telling him we’re here and proclaiming her love for her now frail counterpart.
Its heartbreaking to see change. We’re always changing. Each second that comes along means that the one before it has gone and with it a little bit of ourselves, we’ll forever be linked into that second.
My grampa who has passed, Grampa Boyer is now at the cemetery. Its one thing to see someone asleep in a hospital and its another to see them in a coffin and watch the coffin shut. I saw my grandma pay respects to her husband alone while the family mingled.
My dad gave a talk about some of the things his dad had taught him.
“If you ever get a chance to see a man wrestle a bear; take it.” His other brothers spoke of things that carried on in their hearts of who they grew up knowing as their dad. He went to a lot of yard sales, he was a farmer in Iowa and then moved to Utah, he converted to Mormonism, he was kind and very humble. My wife sang the hymn “Be Still, My Soul” and then my uncle began his talk on the Plan of Salvation. “Its not suppose to be easy, that’s what makes it great” he said with tears, respect, and love for the God of the living. Of all the things I’ve felt and heard I think they all were summarized in the words of the hymn “God be with you, till we meet again”. In the church I go to they sang that hymn and all the images of my grampas ran through my head as well as my own mortality. The speaker just before singing that said “Live in the now, the now is all we have, enjoy the journey, enjoy the trials.”
Strange that the only other times I’ve dealt with death have only been dogs.
My grampa Jensen had on a Yankees hat. He started to talk a bit more after he drank what must’ve been a pint of cold water. “My teeth hurt” he said. “Must be that cold cold water” said my mom. “I love it” he said and we started to laugh. “You still got your sense of humor” said grandma. “Humor but no sense” he said. “Looks like you put on some weight here” said grandma. “Wouldn’t be hard” he said in regards to the slim trimmed man he had become. “You know what Bess? I feel like I’m losing my mind”
Our eyes teared up and we gave our goodbyes. Good bye coming from the saying “God be with you”. I took a secret picture with my cell phone, trying to make sense of what I was seeing and keep an image of my grampa reserved. Someday I’ll be in that place.
Often times growing up I would be so sad and start to cry if my mom went to the store and didn’t come back right away. I would imagine scenarios of not seeing her again. My dad had a heart attack about 9 years ago that could’ve killed him. I think about losing them and I don’t know why other than because I love them so I’m trying to reserve that deep feeling in my heart. Its too easy to take things for granted.
At the hospital I saw a sign that said “You are the key to the past, present and future” on the wall. In the church we talk of linking families forever in a chain of souls that live with Heavenly Father. We have temples that do “work for the dead” as we say which means baptisms, covenants, ordinances, promises, sealings, endowments, initiatories, and that all means that we swear our souls to God. We often think of the temple as the holiest ground, the most peaceful dwelling, the mountain of the Lord. It’s a beautiful place and it all has that substantative feeling of living for the dead, doing what others cannot, and being in place of another. All to prepare for returning to the presence of our Heavenly Father so that we can live together in happiness, even though we sometimes struggle with that now.
Growing up I never thought that one day I would review all the experiences of being with one person. The present has a way of insulating itself from the realization that it will soon be the past. My memories of my grampas have always been mostly the holidays, weddings, or some event on the calendars that give us a reason to get together. I wish I could have had more memories that had no obligatory excuse for seeing them other than just loving them and wanting to be with them. Seems like its easy for us to fall into that mindset of needing a calendar to tell us when its okay to visit or give presents. That’s very sad.
How do you deal with death? We do all the time without knowing it. We pass through time, saying goodbye to the past. Time is a train that never stops. We just get off from time to time and say good bye. Then more people get on and the train keeps moving.
28.2.10
We're in the People Business
I had a good lesson today on serving others. We say it a lot but what does it mean? It means making life easier for others. The teacher also mentioned how he once heard a president say "We're in the people business". Whether that is listening or painting someone's house, there are so many ways we can help people.
A normal company is in the game of making money. Creating value for a service. The Church sees the true value of people as the number 1 priority. So, value is gauged by how helpful it is to people.
The number one way of helping people is by sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ (also known as The Gospel). The Gospel is the most valuable thing and in the scriptures is referred to as the "Pearl of Great Price".
I heard about a finding in Psychology, that said people are more likely to stop to help someone, by the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, than in a big city, because in the big city, everyone who comes along just thinks someone else will stop.
Often we feel inconvenienced by serving, because of time constraints, but in God's eyes what better use of time is there than to serve? As King Benjamin says "When ye are in the service of your fellow, ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:17
A normal company is in the game of making money. Creating value for a service. The Church sees the true value of people as the number 1 priority. So, value is gauged by how helpful it is to people.
The number one way of helping people is by sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ (also known as The Gospel). The Gospel is the most valuable thing and in the scriptures is referred to as the "Pearl of Great Price".
I heard about a finding in Psychology, that said people are more likely to stop to help someone, by the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, than in a big city, because in the big city, everyone who comes along just thinks someone else will stop.
Often we feel inconvenienced by serving, because of time constraints, but in God's eyes what better use of time is there than to serve? As King Benjamin says "When ye are in the service of your fellow, ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:17
14.2.10
Deals with the Devil
Sometimes in life and often on TV shows (especially Lost) the good guy will make a deal with the bad guy in order to not have the bad guy do something really bad. They think it will be better this way. They think if they don't do what the bad guy says then that really bad thing will be the good guy's fault! Such a false concept. Like those boyfriends that manipulate their girlfriends by saying "if you break up with me, I'll kill myself" so they stay with them cause they don't want to feel responsible for a suicide. How false of an idea!
Those that commit the wickedness are the only ones responsible for the wickedness. The righteous aren't bound to the acts of the wicked in any degree. We don't have to play these games or make these deals. This is a very manipulative act designed to make the righteous disobey God and to shift the responsibility of their unrighteousness to someone else.
Alma and Amulek puts that idea in perspective:
And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
We don't have to make deals with the devil for the seemingly greater good. Because they'll be judged for their own actions and we'll be judged for ours. We may think "I can't tell this person my hidden secret because it will destroy him/her and then they will do something really crazy" but that is ridiculous because its not up to us what people do with their lives. We have to respect their agency and our own. We have to trust in God and let Him judge them for their own choices.
Its not right for us to be basing our obedience to the commandments on if others will or will not obey. Also, we can't let the weight of their choices be upon ourselves.
If someone is only righteous because we did something bad for them, then they aren't righteous at all and suddenly we aren't righteous either.
If someone said to me "Hold up this bank and kill that guy or I will blow up a school bus" I wouldn't succumb to that demand because I know God would judge the wicked for their own actions and not mine. You can't say at the judgment bar "I only sinned so others wouldn't" because God gave us all free agency to choose for ourselves, good from evil. And, if people choose to do good or evil in any degree it will be to their own exaltation or damnation.
Conclusion: don't make a deal with the devil for what seems like a greater good because its not possible that anything good can come from bringing yourself down.
Those that commit the wickedness are the only ones responsible for the wickedness. The righteous aren't bound to the acts of the wicked in any degree. We don't have to play these games or make these deals. This is a very manipulative act designed to make the righteous disobey God and to shift the responsibility of their unrighteousness to someone else.
Alma and Amulek puts that idea in perspective:
And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
We don't have to make deals with the devil for the seemingly greater good. Because they'll be judged for their own actions and we'll be judged for ours. We may think "I can't tell this person my hidden secret because it will destroy him/her and then they will do something really crazy" but that is ridiculous because its not up to us what people do with their lives. We have to respect their agency and our own. We have to trust in God and let Him judge them for their own choices.
Its not right for us to be basing our obedience to the commandments on if others will or will not obey. Also, we can't let the weight of their choices be upon ourselves.
If someone is only righteous because we did something bad for them, then they aren't righteous at all and suddenly we aren't righteous either.
If someone said to me "Hold up this bank and kill that guy or I will blow up a school bus" I wouldn't succumb to that demand because I know God would judge the wicked for their own actions and not mine. You can't say at the judgment bar "I only sinned so others wouldn't" because God gave us all free agency to choose for ourselves, good from evil. And, if people choose to do good or evil in any degree it will be to their own exaltation or damnation.
Conclusion: don't make a deal with the devil for what seems like a greater good because its not possible that anything good can come from bringing yourself down.
7.2.10
Words and Works Ballon Analogy
A good way to interpret the scriptures that say "By their fruits ye shall know them" and "With their lips they do honor me but their hearts are far from me"-
If words were balloons then works would be the helium.
If words were balloons then works would be the helium.
27.1.10
Zits of Life
Two ways to resolve a zit.
Pinch it and pop it, scrap it and push it.
Or
Wash it and let it go.
I think the more we can do the latter in all of life's form of zits then we'll be a lot better off.
Pinch it and pop it, scrap it and push it.
Or
Wash it and let it go.
I think the more we can do the latter in all of life's form of zits then we'll be a lot better off.
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