Fortify our Cities

Before Peter became the strong chief apostle that we revere today, he demonstrated much human weakness. Many of us suffer through the same mistakes and weaknesses that Peter made throughout his discipleship. Christ warned Peter that there would come a time when Peter would deny knowing Christ three times. In Matthew 26 v. 69, Peter was in Caiaphas' Palace when a woman asked if he knew Christ. At that point, Peter began fulfilling Christ's prophesy of ultimately denying Christ three times.
My professor shared an interesting insight of how there might be places where we might find ourselves weak in standing up for the truth. For Peter, this was Caiaphas' Palace. If we find ourselves in a place where we struggle standing up for righteousness, we need to avoid this place. One I heard these comments I was reminded of a General Conference talk given by Richard G. Scott in October of 2013 entitled "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ".
When Ammon's Lamanite converts covenanted to never take up the sword again. This was not because it would always be evil to take up the sword but because of their past, it was necessary for them to take extra caution around the weakness of being a former blood thirsty people. This caused me to reflect on my personal weaknesses. I thought of ways I could personally "fortify" (Alma 53:6) my barriers around my weaknesses so I am less likely to fall in temptation.  I am thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ, who can make my weakness a strength (Ether 12:27).

Better understanding the infinite Sacrifice

One of the beauties of the restored gospel how it sheds more light on our savior's infinite sacrifice. The term "atonement" came from William Tyndale during his translation of the bible. He made up to the word to mean the process of becoming "at one" with God. In our new testament class we discussed about a few scriptures that add further light on this subject. In Alma 7:11 Alma explains that as part of the atonement of Jesus Christ, our savior would "go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people."This scripture teaches us that all the trials Christ went through during this time was essential an essential part of the atonement. He had to truly be alone. He had to be rejected and persecuted as an essential part of the atonement process. V. 12 explains to us that he suffered all this so he could personally relate to any pain, suffering, discouragement and sorrow that we might go through. That is comforting to know when I am struggling that I can call upon him to comfort me.

Forget Yourself and Go to Work

This week in New Testament class our professor discussed the role of the Holy Ghost in the Godhead. It is odd on how much we talk of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and not not very much of who the Holy Ghost is as the 3rd member. In John 16:13 Christ tells us that the Holy Ghost "shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come." When we think of the role of the Holy Ghost as simply being a messenger, it tells us how we should act as his servants. When we are on the errand of the Lord, we don't put the focus on us, but on Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost understands that perfectly. He simply does his job and gets out of the way to put focus on our savior. 

The Savior then puts our focus on the Father. In Moses 4:2, Christ told the Father that he would do what the father asked him to do and give Him the glory. That night after the New Testament class , I was in the car with a friend from the mission. As we drove I told him how I saw the bishop of a ward I served in on my mission. The bishop recognized me but didn't know my name. I knew he had seen a lot of missionaries between since a year and a half ago but my mission buddy brought up a good point to me. He asked me "doesn't it felt good knowing that you worked hard and received none of the glory?' I got out of the way so the focus could be on Jesus Christ. Reflecting on the work I had done in that area, I realized that it wasn't a bad sign that the bishop didn't remember my name. When I think of this type of missionary work, I think of the quote by Gordon B. Hinckley's dad- forget yourself and go to work.

God's Gifts

In my New Testament class, we discussed the parable of the talents. This master gives his servants different amounts of talents. Many people assume that Christ is talking of the skills many of us have. However, a talent is simply a sum of money and thus the symbolism can be looked at with a much broader view. A talent can be any gift that our Heavenly Father has given us. this parable is perfect to think of during this thanksgiving season. Some of the gifts my Heavenly Father is a loving family that also loves God. This also reminded me of the verse in the Doctrine of Covenants that tells us of the gifts of the Spirit our Heavenly Father has given us. Doctrine Covenants 46:11-12 says "For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby." I thought of the people I've met through out my life they have told me stories that have happened through the gifts of the Spirit. Many of the gifts that were made present during each miracle were ones I never experienced. At times I struggled believing since I had never had such an experience myself. However, as I grown I've seen miracles myself that manifested to me that Heavenly Father has given me gifts of the Spirit. These experiences with this scripture has helped me gain a stronger testimony in those miracles I have not experienced myself. In the parable of the talents the lord tells both the 5 talent servant and 2 talent servant the same reply. In verse 21 and 23 of Matthew , the lord says "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of the Lord." This shows that our God does not trust those he has given any more responsibility to anymore. He does not have a bigger celestial vision for them. He only expects each of us to do our best with what he has trusted us with. I think of everything I've been taught since I was a child and realize how accountable I am to all of that. I also understand that this knowledge I have given does not make me better in God's eyes by any degree. I am very thankful for everything I have been given.

Overcoming False Traditions

Changing one's way of thinking is one of the hardest changes in this gospel. When one has grown up believing some idea for most of their life, it can be very hard for someone to then believe something else. A false tradition that the Jews believed, including the Apostles, was people were blind because they were sinners. In the beginning of John 9, Christ comes across a blind man that had been blind since birth. In verse 3 Christ took the time to explain to these apostles "neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that works of God should be made manifest in him." I thought of how that might have been hard for the apostles to digest. For the longest time they looked at blind men as sinners and now they were being told otherwise. I thought of how difficult it has been in America's history for groups of people to overcome feelings of racism. I thought of how there might be ways I hold on to false traditions or ideologies that aren't of God. In that way we are all like the blind man by how we can be blinded from the truth because of false traditions we have brought ourselves to believe. Luckily, our savior is there to remove the blindness from us- which would take a miracle. Our savior tells us this in the Book of Mormon. Ether 12:27 we learn Christ will take the weaknesses and imperfections we have and make them in to strengths. I am grateful for my Savior making that possible.

The Showing of True Charity

This week our class had a discussion on the adulteress woman who was brought before Jesus. In an attempt to trick Jesus. the scribes and pharisees brought forth a woman who was "taken in adultery, in the very act..." (John 8:4). As they tried to corner him in to the old testament commandments, he yet again found a way to get out. As these pharisees left, Christ asked had a short conversation with this woman. At the end of the conversation he tells her that he does not condemn but to "go, and sin no more." John 8:11. What I find so beautiful about this is how Christ is showing true charity towards this woman.
In Moroni 7:45 we learn charity "is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity..." If we truly show love to someone then we aren't going to tell them inappropriate behavior as righteousness. Elder Holland confirms this in his talk "The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship". He says "Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others."

As Christ speaks to the adulteress woman, he shows her love and gives her hope that she can repent. I often see myself in that situation of how I can have this rising guilt for my mistakes and Christ gives me that hope that I can change. This story has given me a better understand on how Christlike love works and how views us in our sins. 

The parable of the Soils

It just so happens that this week my BYU professor touched on one of the most intriguing parables to me thus far in my life- the parable of the sower. As it was the topic I decided I wanted to do my essay project on, I had been learning about it a lot. This last week he talked about it in class and it caused me to think about one of the soils that I find the most interesting. A sower is throwing out seeds in to the ground. Christ mentions the seeds land on 4 different types of soil. In Matthew 13:7 it says some of the seeds "fell among thorns; and forthwith they sprung up and choked them;"
One of the beauties of this parable is he actually gives the interpretation. In verse 23 it reads "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." I would like to compare that to the wording of the same parable in Luke 8:14. That verse says "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." The reason I wanted to point out this verse is because it caused me to think of the type of heart that could be included in this group- mine. Fruit has often been compared to as works. There are many times in the scriptures in which this symbolism can be connected. In this context I would like to say the same. The heart mentioned in verse 14 went and worked after hearing the word. Unfortunately, their heart was still in "the pleasures of this life" and so they ultimately brought "no fruit to perfection." This phrase is what really caught my eye. This is someone who is doing the work but with the wrong motivation or does not do the work correctly. For example they may be doing service but their motivation might be so that they look impressive to others. Another example on how they may be doing the right thing the wrong way is when they go home teaching simply so they can report that they got 100% that month. Another example is someone who likes the gospel but it is second in importance behind popularity. The reason I mentioned my heart as this soil is because I realized there has been times when I might have been living righteously but my heart desired the life of popularity. I saw the people at the high school parties. I would never go but in my heart I wish I was there. I feel, over time, my heart transformed as I yielded to the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost took that desire from me.  This is an example of a heart that started "among thorns" but transformed in to "good ground." I also feel that my heart is in different places with different principles of the gospel. For certain principles, my heart was good soil, but for others it may have started out as stony. Over time, through Christ I know my heart can be changed for every principle of the Gospel. That is the beauty of the atonement.