Sometimes Good is Good Enough

Reading: Ether 2

In this life we are free to make our own choices. God has given us our agency and no one can take it from us. The choices we make can sometimes be right, and sometimes wrong. Many of our choices, though, are a choice between options that are only slightly better or worse than each other or even the same.

For example, in Ether 2 God commanded the Brother of Jared to build his ships in a certain way. The Brother of Jared could choose to obey God, which would be right, or disobey God, which would be wrong.  However, when it came to how to get light into the ships God asked the Brother of Jared to come up with his own solution. In Ether 2:22-23 it says:

And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness? And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?

In this situation the Brother of Jared could have come up any number of solutions to the light problem.  What he decided to do was to molten several small stones and ask God to touch them so that they would illuminate the boats.  However, he probably could have come up with several similar solutions that also could have worked.

Lately I have been getting hung up on the idea that every choice I make has a wrong answer or a right answer. Often, this just isn’t the case. For example, there is no one “right” thing to make for dinner or one “right” activity to do with my daughter.  There are many examples in the scriptures of when men of God were asked to do something, but then left to themselves to decide the way they should do it. I have been asked to take care of my family but many of the specifics are left to me. In these situations trying to figure out what is exactly “right” can lead to undue stress and confusion.

Today as I make decisions I am going to remind myself to be happy with “good” and not stress myself out looking for “best” when there may not be one “best” answer.

Do you ever have the problem of getting hung up on what is “best” when there really isn’t one best answer? Can you think of choices we make that may have many good answers, but no one obvious best answer?

Looking for Peace

Reading: D&C 19:23, Matthew 11:29

All of us are looking for some kind of peace.  There are many different approaches to finding peace, such as finding peace in material possessions, finding peace in recognition, finding peace in performance, finding peace in entertainment, and so on. Sometimes as I search for peace, without even realizing it, I start looking for peace in the wrong places.  The scriptures tell us there is only one good place to search for peace. In Doctrine & Covenants 19:23 it states:

Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.

Today I’m going to watch the way of think and try to spot what I am thinking will give me peace.  Like, am I watching this TV show because I think it will help me have peace when maybe something else is better? Am I thinking that I will have peace if only I can get my house totally clean? Am I really looking for peace in the right places?

How does the gospel bring you peace? Do you sometimes start looking for peace in the wrong places?

Defying Logic

Reading: Helaman 16

As I read the stories in the Book of Mormon leading up to the coming of Christ I often find many parallels to our day. Today as we were reading Helaman 16 I was struck with the similarity between the way people rebelled against Samuels prophecies and the way people today often feel about religion. The people reasoned that the prophecies were not logical, and were designed to keep them oppressed.  They reasoned that any miracle was just a trick to keep them hoodwinked. The people explained,

And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants unto them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word; and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives

Today many people feel the same way about religion.  They feel that religion is just a tool for controlling people and keeping people ignorant.  While it would be easy for me to flippantly dismiss their opinion, it is true that religion is sometimes used just that way.  We see in the news all the time about cults or very conservative countries where religion is used to justify horrific actions. However, they are wrong in thinking in that because some religions are used in a despicable way, that all religions are the same.

I think the only way to combat the idea that religion is controlling, oppresive, and silly is for the members of the church to strive ever more vigilantly to exemplify the Savior. The Savior was loving, forgiving, patient, and never controlling. The true gospel is enlightening and uplifting and ennobling, and while many will reject our telling them, if we can show them in our lives they will see the truth eventually.

Today I am going to think of some scriptures that show how the gospel is not a tool for controlling others against their will and write them in my journal.

What experiences have you had that have shown you that the church is trying to help you and not trying to control you or “keep you down”?

Questions For A Better You

Reading: Alma 5

Every time I read Alma chapter 5 I remember learning about this chapter in Seminary. I this chapter Alma asks question after question designed to encourage you to repent and become a better person. My teacher told us that anytime she was feeling like she was out of whack she would read through Alma 5 and answer all the questions.

Here are just a few of the questions Alma asks in Alma 5:

• And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? (verse 14)
• I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? (verse 19)
• And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? (verse 27)
• And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions? (verse 30)
• And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? (verse 39)
• Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them? (verse 55)

In Alma 5 it seems like Alma covers every area in which we can improve. When I read this chapter and take the questions personally, I often find one or two areas where I can improve. Some of the questions (such as “Are you a murderer?) don’t apply to me, but some help me renew my commitment to living the gospel.

Today I am going to write in my journal about my renewed commitment to living the gospel, and what I can do to better answer Alma’s questions.

When you read Alma’s chapter are there any questions that stand out to you?

Politics and Preaching

Reading: Alma 4:16-19

Imagine if the president of the United States called a press conference and announced that after looking at  all of the problems the country faced he decided that the best, most effective thing he could do to help the country was to resign as president and instead travel the country preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  To most people this scenario seems ridiculous, yet it happened in the Book of Mormon.

Alma, as the new chief judge, was troubled by the problems in the land of the Nephites and so found another honorable man to take over his position as chief judge.  In Alma 4:19 it says:

And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.

The church is very careful to remain neutral on political issues, and will only take any kind of position when they feel that the issue is moral, which happens very rarely.  This is just my own thinking, but it seems to me that part of the reason they do this is because they realize the same thing that Alma did: that the best way to help people was in reaching out with testimony, not by making laws.

Today it is easy to get wrapped up in the drama and emotion of politics.  Sometimes I feel like there is very little I can do because I am not in a position of power.  Yet, here we learn that as members of the church with the pure gospel we are in a greater position to improve the country than most politicians.  Like Alma of old, we can do more by sharing the gospel than an elected official can do by changing laws.

Today I am going to pray for help to see opportunities to share the gospel, and for the wisdom and courage to do so wisely.

Have you noticed times where the conversion to an ideal was more effective than an enforced rule? Can you think of any hot political issues where people’s positions might be affected by their conversion to the gospel?

Sunday Will Come

Reading: “Sunday Will Come,” Mormon Messages Channel, YouTube.com, shown below

All of us go through hard time in our lives.  Yet we can all look forward in faith to a time when things will be better, and we will have peace.

As I watched this video featuring Elder Wirthlin I felt that he was someone who knew about hard times.  While I really don’t know much about his personal life, you can see the effects of age as he speaks.  When he says, “Someday we will be free from pain,” you get the sense that here is a man who knows what pain is.  He has found peace through the gospel of Jesus Christ, so it helps me to believe that I also can find peace.

Today I am going to take a few minutes a few times throughout the day to think about the Savior and the promises he has made to his faithful servants.

What peace have you found in your life through the gospel?

Faith and Knowledge

Reading: Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the following:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In my experiences with faith I have come to understand that an important aspect of faith is the sharing of knowledge.  For example, someone must explain to me who God is and what his role is for me to have faith in him.  Or, taking what may be a more familiar example, if I was sick and someone explained to me that a medical procedure could cure me of my sickness then I could have faith in that procedure.  It would take my faith in order to go through with the procedure.

This example shows how faith can be a source of power.  Through my faith in the medical procedure I am then saved from my sickness.  Without the faith to go through with the procedure, that idea would be worthlesss to me.

Having faith in God can also be a great source of power in our lives. When we act with the knowledge that God is there and that He loves and us and wants the best for us we gain great blessings.

Today I am going to look for examples of faith as I read the scriptures.

What actions of faith have brought great blessings to your life?

Fathers

Reading: “A Father Indeed,” from MormonMessages Channel on Youtube.com, shown below

This past weekend we celebrated father’s day. Our church is very much focused on families, so it is always special to be reminded of how important our families are. The above video was put out by the church on the MormonMessages channel on YouTube. It’s a beatiful story of what it means to be a father.

Today I’m going to tell my husband how grateful I am for all that he does for our family. He loves being a father and it shows.

What have the fathers in your life done for you? What about your Heavenly Father?

Every Member a Missonary

Reading: “Bring Souls Unto Me,” Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2009 General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session

Recently I had a discussion about people we knew who had fallen away from the church.  We agreed that in many cases all it would have taken was a small amount of fellowshipping from ward members to get these people to come back to church, but in too many cases this friendship was never extended.

I, personally, am certainly not perfect in this area either.  I struggle with shyness, and while I am working to overcome it, I still often feel guilty that I don’t reach out to as many people as I could. I worry that I am missing the opportunity t

A Story Of Faith

Reading: Conversations Podcast, Episode 3, Interview with Herbert Klopfer

I have been very much enjoying the new podcasts available through the Mormon Channel. The podcasts go into greater depth than a simple rebroadcast of a previous talk.  One podcast I especially enjoy is Conversations, where people with a special perspective or interesting story are interviewed about their lives.

One interview I particularly enjoyed was the story of Herbert Klopfer.  Herbert Klopfer lived in West Germany first through World War II and then through the communist occupation.  Herbert Klopfer’s father was the mission president for the area before he was recruited into the German army and died on the Russian front.  Klopfer’s mother raised him and his siblings alone.

Practicing the Mormon religion under Communist control was a tricky and often dangerous endeavour.  While still a teenager, Klopfer’s mother risked a daring escape from West Germany.  Klopfer continued to serve the church in Europe until he eventually moved to the United States.  He became very involved in a musical capacity and wrote the hymn “Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth” which is in the current hymn book.

All of this is just a summary from my memory of listening almost a week ago, so I encourage you to listen to the whole story by clicking the reading link above.

Listening to Herbert Klopfer’s story helped me to see how blessed I am, but also showed me how we can continue to live the gospel even while there are incredible forces fighting against us.  I hope that I can continue to have faith like Herbert Klopfer even while my own society become more and more opposed to religion.

Today I am going to thank Heavenly Father for the privelege to live in a country where, at least for now, I am free to practice my religion without interference from the government.

Is there anyone who stands as an example to you of faith?  What about their story makes it special to you?