What are You Willing to Give?

Alma 22:15—“Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.”

The Book of Mormon contains many significant accounts of missionaries and their experiences of helping others come unto Christ. One of these valiant missionaries, Aaron, had the unique opportunity to be of great service to the King of all the land. Originally, that was Aaron’s humble offer to the king; to simply be his servant. However, the king denied the offer and became curious when he realized Aaron was one of Ammon’s brethren.

The King continues to ask Aaron questions about the things spoken of by Ammon. Aaron then magnifies his ultimate calling as a servant of the Lord, and teaches and testifies of God. He also teaches the king of the joy we find in following Jesus Christ. The king becomes so desirous to obtain this joy Aaron describes, that he declares he would be willing to give up all that he owns. In verse 15 of chapter 22 the king askes Aaron, “What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which though hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.”

Unlike this eager king, many of us have already received this great joy, or felt it in some degree in our lives. It is import however, that we frequently ask ourselves, “What am I willing to give up that I may continue to have this pure joy from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life?” or better, “What more must I give up in order to become more committed to following our Savior?”

Can Ye Feel so Now?

Alma 5:26—“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?”

How many times a day do you feel the love of God swelling within your soul? Do you remember the last time you felt the power of redemption through Christ take hold of you? I feel the Lord has given us sufficient means as to embrace these joyful emotions daily. As we strive to faithfully live a life devoted to righteousness and following the Savior, we can feel “to sing the song of redeeming love” constantly and let this song drive our actions to the benefit of our life and the lives of those around us.

I testify of the Gospel; the truthfulness of it, and the joy it brings into our lives. Mosiah 4:11 reads, “… as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, …and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily,…”

The key to continually feeling such peace and joy in our lives is to REMEMBER. Always remember Him. I would suggest the reason we are commanded to pray daily, is to help us to always remember him. As we humble ourselves and strive to follow Him daily, it becomes easier to have retain in our hearts the greatest sense of happiness.

Trusting in the Lord

Mosiah 23:22, 24:13-15—“(22) …whosoever puteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. (15) …the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”

I’ve realized the two most powerful life lessons learned from studying the Book of Mormon are: 1. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and we are saved in and through His atoning sacrifice, and 2. Life is full of challenges. Both lessons one and two are blessings we should be thankful to Heavenly Father for every day. We’ll always be thankful for the Atonement and how it effects our eternal existence, but have you ever thanked God for your challenges?

Some may think a loving God would never let His people go through hardships and trials. However, I’ve come to learn that God loves us enough to let us face challenges. There is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone. I would also suggest God chastens us to help us always remember Him. He wants us to turn to Him and partake of the true joy that comes through following Jesus Christ and applying the principles of his gospel. However, we wouldn’t be able to do so if we don’t encounter the challenges of life.

So how do we find joy even when facing hard times, and how can we be grateful for those hard times? Chapters 21 through 24 of Mosiah tell the story of two different groups of people; the people of Limhi, and the people of Alma. Both groups of people were in bondage, but they handled the trial in two separate ways. Limhi and his people complained and tried to handle their problems in their own prideful ways, neglecting the hand of the Lord. Three times, they struggled in feebleness attempting to power their own way out of bondage, and three times they failed. Finally, they humbled themselves down to the dust and depths of humility, and began to “cry unto the Lord”. The Lord slowly eased their burdens.

They second group of people, the people of Alma, never forgot the Lord in their afflictions. Even after a sentence of death was threatened to anyone who would pray to God, the people of Alma poured out their hearts to God, and God heard them as he does all prayers. Mosiah 24 verse 14 reads, “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”

As we put our trust in God, and know that he will come to us in times of need, we will find happiness, even in times of struggle. Know there are always opportunities of growth and learning found in challenges. Always remember Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will provide their enabling grace to those that seek for it in their lives.

”Don't ever think you're by yourself. Take a stand for that which is right, and the world may misunderstand you and criticize you, but you never go alone, for somewhere I read that ‘One with God is a majority,’ and God has a way of transforming a minority into a majority. Walk with him this morning and believe in him and do what is right and he'll be with you even until the consummation of the ages. Yes, I've seen the lightning flash, I've heard the thunder roll, I've felt sin's breakers dashing trying to conquer my soul but I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on, he promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the Service of Our God

Mosiah 2: 17-18—“(17) …when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (18) Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?”

The first few chapters of the book Mosiah, contains one of the greatest sermons found in holy scriptures. As we read this powerful speech delivered by King Benjamin we learn of different teachings and doctrine of the gospel. He speaks about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how salvation can only come in and through Christ. He mentions the role of prophets and the importance of overcoming the “natural man” in each of us through submissiveness, meekness, humility, patience and love. He also urges us to be active in serving others.

Service is an act of help or work motivated by humility and love that is performed for someone else. I believe in the simple happiness that we create for ourselves through hobbies, or successes small and big, or many other things. However, I have found that no happiness compares to the joy felt as you put forth honest effort in making others happy. As you serve others sincerely, there comes a special power that can bring light to not only the receiver’s darkest days, but also the giver’s.

King Benjamin prophetically declares that “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” When we are happy, Heavenly Father is happy. We operate as tools in the hands of the Lord as we serve others. An act of service directly blesses the life of who we are serving, and God’s tender mercies flow into our lives as we are honest in service.

I see a symbolic nature in verse 18 of chapter 2 as we relate it to our lives. Who do we call our King? We proclaim Jesus Christ to be the King of Kings. In what ways has your King labored to serve you? Our Savior has served us in infinite measures. We can humbly choose to follow His example and constantly be seeking opportunities to serve another. Our lives can become more meaningful as we apply such a divine privilege daily.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”—Mahatma Gandhi

A Wrestle Before God

Enos 1: 5-6—“(5) And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. (6) And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.”

I grew up in a family of 5 boys. That’s one older brother and 3 younger than me. I don’t think I have to say much else for you to guess there’s always been plenty of rough-housing. I think of opposition when it comes to wrestling. And oh what great feelings of satisfaction and joy come when you are triumphant, both in physical wrestles (especially when your little brother who’s actually bigger than you, thinks he take you) and in spiritual wrestles.

These spiritual wrestles may come in different forms. Maybe you feel prompted to do something, but aren’t exactly comfortable with the idea of doing it. Perhaps you’ve already done something that’s making you uncomfortable because you shouldn’t have done it, and now you must figure out how to fix it. Whatever shape these spiritual wrestles come, they tend to be a bit more difficult than physical wrestles.

A common theme found in the Book of Mormon is the power of forgiveness that can flow into our lives through faithful application of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we do make mistakes, we sin. We can receive a forgiveness of these mistakes, and this forgiveness is truly a one of the greatest forms of happiness one can embrace. However, before we feel this incredible power, there tends to be a wrestle. Please don’t let this make you hesitant to seek for that power in your life. I say you shouldn’t be hesitant, because these wrestles happen “before” God. God is on our side, and He is fighting with us.

Something I’ve learned in life is nothing worth keeping is easy getting. I’ve also found that it is in the struggle that we learn the most. We come to find and know ourselves, and we become better through it. One of the best fights we can make in this life is to be honest with ourselves. What is holding you back from your potential? What is getting in the way of your true happiness? Find it. Fight it. With the help of God, you can overcome.

The Vineyard of the Lord

             Jacob 5: 24—“And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit.”

              One of my favorite passages of scripture is found in the book of Jacob. Chapter 5 is where we find the illustrious Allegory of the Olive Trees. Jacob quotes another prophet named Zenos, relating the allegory. Basically, the allegory is a representation of us, our interaction with the world and our relationship with the Lord.

              Zenos was prophetically explaining the scattering and gathering of Israel. However, as we diligently read and ponder on the meaning of this allegory, we realize the personal applications. I don’t know much about gardening. Much is mentioned about pruning and digging and so forth. The Lord will prune us, or take things from our lives that are hindering us from achieving our potential. He will dig around the roots of our soul, in other words drive us to be humble. He will nourish us with His word, through His servants, in His way. He will graft new blessings into our daily lives. Finally, He will burn those things that are of no importance.

              I’m grateful for the process by which the Lord develops us. At times it may seem hard, bitter, never-ending, lonely. But in the end, the Lord’s work and His glory is to make us happy. Look to the future and trust Him.

Follow the Prophet, Don't Go Astray.

              Jacob 4: 6—“Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy…”

              Prophet: a person who speaks for God, or by divine inspiration. I believe in Prophets of God. In other words, I believe in a loving Heavenly Father who is willing to speak to us through his chosen servants. We frequently refer to the living prophet of God as the Lord’s mouthpiece. Today, we are blessed to have the loving guidance of our dear prophet and current president of the Church, Thomas S. Monson.

              President Monson receives revelation directly from the Lord for the benefit of us. Us! It seems as if there’s this odd misconception that the one I see as a literal servant of the Lord, is considered someone who is lying to us. Those of us who have humbly followed the counsel of holy prophets of God can boldly join me in proclaiming that is far from the truth. Prophets have been called of God to lead us. To protect us. To bring us come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. To help us have happiness in greater abundance.

              Chapter 4 in the book of Jacob shares key principles in our attitude towards following the prophet. Receiving the words of the prophets with thankful hearts can help us recognize the blessings bestowed in our lives, and will raise us to a higher plane of living allowing us to receive a fullness of blessings prepared for us. Obedience is the key to happiness in this life. Prophets are the key to learning obedience.

              I’m grateful for the continuation of the Lord’s generous pattern in calling prophets. Our prophet speaks to us frequently. Most recently he’s encouraged us to sincerely show Christ-like love in our interactions with others in a message called titled As I Have Loved You. What a holy privilege we have in listening and heeding the words of the Prophet. I know that as we do so, it can bring power and hope into our daily lives.

              “The words of the prophets are like manna to our souls.”—Carl F. McConkie