Good afternoon! I was a day latter on my blog than I had anticipated. This is a story I used and I think the name will make sense.
This is the story of Everyman. But, for simple reasons, I will call this man Arthur Dent. Arthur is so preoccupied by the trivialities of life that when the end comes, he is caught completely unaware. The plans of his home destruction have been available for a year and the plans for the destruction of Earth for centuries.
Fortunately, Arthur saves the man who can save him: Ford Prefect. Ford is an alien, who came to earth to conduct research for an article for the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
Yes, this is a fictional story. But, let us examine it for a second. Arthur is much like us: you, me, your neighbors. We are all aware of our impeding doom, our mortal death. This is much like Arthur who should have known his house was going to be destroyed. But, being caught up everyday, has had no time to do anything about it. Church will be there next week, I can go then. But, to some, next week never comes. And when the crew comes, they will quietly lay in front of a bulldozer and argue the fact that they are not ready.
Some of us are like the people in the bar at the destruction of earth: we just quietly put a paper bag over our heads, lay down, and hope for the best.
In our lives, we can relate the destruction of Arthur’s house to our mortal life: it will happen. Maybe not when we want it to, but it will and we are aware it will end. Hopefully, we can avoid earth’s destruction - the spiritual death.
Ford saves Arthur’s life, hitchhiking across a Vogon’s ship and they have an adventure together. Ford is much like the Savior: follow him and avoid the spiritual death. Arthur took a leap of faith with Ford, much like what we must do with Christ. He is there and he will help. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt 7:7).
This story also teaches us that not all evil is like the big, scary Vogons. Some of the adversaries greatest tricks is to slowly get us to let go of that rod, that straight and narrow path. It is not always something huge, but, much like our seeds of faith, they, too, are slowly growing and sprouting.
Our guide is not one of hitchhiking or the galaxy, but of life. Our scriptures, our prophets, our teachers are our guides. All things holy from God. At the end of the movie, Arthur is given a choice: return to a new, manufactured earth, representing his prior life, or continue on the “Heart of Gold,” the spaceship, and continue his journey. Also, across the back of the Hitchhiker’s Guide, in bright yellow are the words “Don’t Panic!”
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Behold the Man
So, our Stake President has challenged us to read the New Testament this year. Something I have not done since high school. I have always found the New Testament to be somewhat slow and not as exciting, I accepted the challenge.
Several months ago, when Laura and I got married, moved into our new house, we were asked to give talks. As it turned out, I had a talk about fatherhood and being a good husband. I cannot say that I am the best example, for I fall short of the man I want to become. I found my research easy and found many great examples of fathers and men throughout the scriptures.
I want to go through this talk again. It has been awhile and I was not able to recite all during my given time.
As Latter-day Saints use the words "saved" and "salvation," there are at least 6 different meanings. According to some of these, our salvation is assured - we are already saved. In others, salvation must be spoken of as a future event, or as a conditioned upon a future event. But in all of these meanings, or kinds of salvation, salvation is in and through Jesus Christ.
To summarize those 6 meanings spoken of:
1. We are saved from the permanent effects of death because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all mankind will be resurrected.
2. We are saved from sin through Christ's Atonement and by following the gospel plan. Repentance is an important part of being saved from the consequences of our sins.
3. We are saved when we are 'born again.' This happens when we enter into a covenant relationship with Christ by accepting baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and taking Christ's name upon us. We must also faithfully keep and renew that covenant relationship.
4. We are saved from the darkness of ignorance as we leanr about the gospel plan. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings light into our lives.
5. We are saved from the second death, which is final spiritual death, becuase of Christ's Atonement. Everyone, except for those few who become sons of perdition, will enter in a kingdom of glory.
6. Our hope is that we will be finally saved in the celestial kingdom. In addition to the other requirements, this salvation, or exaltation, also requires that we make sacred covenants in God's temples and remain faithful to them.
"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"
"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" (Alma 5: 14, 11).
Our actions take form into our countenance. Everyone, even non-members, can be shown through their works.
Bishop Richard Edgley once received a letter from a family friend who needed help. This letter was the ultimate plea for assitance. After struggling to raise her children as a single mother, this lady remarried. Her non-member husband was a rough outdoorsman, who attempted to express his manhood through drinking, foul language, tough talk, and questionable behavior. Her concern was that her husband's example was teaching her son that these indeed were the traits of manhood.
Satan is the great deceiver. His religion, his philosophy, and his work is based on lies and deception. His objective is to thwart the work of the Lord by misleading us and eventually making us "miserable like unto himself" (2 Nephi 2:27). He would have us believe that he is the man and that his ways bring us to manhood.
By contrast, Jesus voluntarily submitted himself to the will of the Father. As a result, He was betrayed, accused, beaten, and judged. His sacrifice was not mandatory. It was borne out of courage, duty, and love and it led Him to the bitter cup that caused Him to bleed from every pore. After Pilate had witnessed the enormous suffering and humiliation of Jesus and even argued for His release, he finally succumbed to the demand of the Jews. As he turned Him over for crucifixion, he did so with the simple, but defining words "Behold the man!" (John 19:5).
Yes, Jesus is the man. He possesses all characteristics of the true, ideal man. His ways, not Satan's way, lead to manhood. Anyone who believes otherwise is already tangling himself up in the everlasting chains of Satan's deception (2 Nephi 28:19).
Every young man must choose between good and evil and between the ways of God and the ways of Satan. When a young man begins to smoke to prove he is a man, whose man is he becoming? When a young man begins to drink, taking drugs, participate in immorality, is boisterous or unruly, whose man is he becoming? It has been said that many a boy begins smoking as a teenager to prove he is a man, and he tries to quit at age 30 for the same reason. There is no manhood in succumbing to Satan. There is no manhood in being defeated by his principles.
Real courage includes standing against the evil one, even when we stand alone, often feeling the disdain and the ridicule of others. This is courage. This is strength. This is manhood, and it will be tough.
Bishop Edgley goes on with his talk, telling od a young man he had to help. The man wanted to serve a mission, but because of his past, he had to go through and repent of his sins. The bishop doubted that someone could prepare himself to worthily serve a mission with a past like the boys. During the interview, he simply asked "Why am I visiting with you tonight?" The boy laid out his past. After reviewing and confessing his transgrssion, he began talking about his atonement and the years of painful repentance that brought him to that day.
The boy expressed gratitude that the Atonement was sufficient to rescue a boy like him. The bishop allowed him to go on a mission under one circumstance: To be the best missionary in the entire church.
About 4 months later, Bishop Edgley ran into the man at a missionary devotional at the MTC. He could not remember the boy, but when the boy told him he was the best missionary in the MTC, a single tear drop silently trickled down his cheek. He thought "Here is a man. He met his Gethsemane. He paid the prainful price of repentance. He has humbled himself and submitted himself to the redemptive power of the Savior. He has met the challenges, he has measured up to true manhood."
I simply say: "Behold, the man!"
You can describe a man in inches, pounds, complexion, or physique. But you measure a man by character, compassion, integrity, tenderness, and principle. When Alma querried "Have ye received his image in your countenance", he was talking about the attributes of true manhood.
Every priesthood bearer should seek to be known simply as a man of God. As the song beckons "with no apparent beauty that man should him desire. He was the promised Savior, to purify with fire. The world depised his plainess but those who followed him found love and light and purity, a beauty from within. Have ye received his image in your countenance? Does the light of Christ shine in your eyes? Will he known you when he comes again because you will be like him? When he sees you will the father know his child?"
One day, will we know each other based solely on our countenance? Did we know each other as intelligences solely based on this? "Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keep my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;" (D&C 93:1).
One day, I hope someone can approach me and say "You know Brother Toma, you look somehow different. You look as if Christ was here today."
Elder D. Todd Chrisofferson said: In large measure, true manhood is defined in our relationship to women. The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. By divine design, fathers are to preside over the families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the neccessities of life and protection for their families.
He goes on to talk about hos he visited members of the Church in many countries and despite differences in circumstances and cultures, he had been impressed with the faith and capacity of our women, including some of the very young. So many of them possess a remarkable faith and goodness. They know the scriptures. The are poised and confident. I ask myself "Do we have man to match these women? Are our young men developing into worthy companions that such women can look up to and respect?"
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave specific counsel to young men: "The girl you marry will take a terrible chance on you. You will largely determine the remainder of her life."
Paul wrote to Timothy "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel" (1 Timothy 5:8).
Good men sometimes make mistakes. A man of integrity will honestly face and correct his mistakes and this is an example we can respect. Sometimes we fail. True manhood is not always measure by the fruits of one's labors, but by the labors themselves - by one's striving.
Though he will make some sacrifices and deny himself some pleasures in the course of honoring his commitments, the true man leads a rewarding life. He gives much through home teaching and other callings, but he receives much more and he lives conten in the approval of his Heavenly Father. The life of true manhood is the good life.
As the Conte of Monte Cristo said to young Albert: "Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you: as Albert Mondago, the man!"
Are we standing up to the storms when they come? Are we building our foundations to combat against the storms? Are we raising our children to be as Albert, standing against temptation as Christ did? When we introduce them, shall we also say "Behold, the Man!"?
I like to think of myself as a gardener. By no means am I one. In fact, growing up, the greenest plants I was able to grow was mold. But in recent years, I have had the opportunity to tend a few gardens and learn some.
Gardening is not just planting seeds and watering them. There is work to be done, soil to fertilize, knowing the weather, how deep to plant each seed, how much water to give and even how to tell when the fruits or vegetables are ready. Also, some birds and bugs can interfere.
As our countenace grows and changes, so does our garden. We must daily weed out our gardens. Constant care should be given to ensure our garden's survival. Are we nurturing our seeds of faith, of charity, of love, or seeds of gospel study? Or are our weeds of doubt, frusteration, and anger growing over? You see, weeds will grow without nurture. They will steal our precious water of life our good seeds need.
Luckily, our garden has a gardener. Someone who has much more expertise than I. A savior to our garden, if you will. For those weeds who look to become too burdenful. Somedays, it may look like as if there is no end. That some of our plants like faith may nowhere be found. But if we ask our gardener, he will gladly clear our weeds. Maybe at the end of that day, as I lay covered in blood, sweat, tears and dirt may I resemble him even more. Maybe it will be shown dressed in white at the temple. Perhaps it may be the self realization as I look at myself in the mirror. Whenever or where it be, I still have faith that growing spiritually will allow me to be as Christ.
I am sorry for taking so long, but this is a dear topic to me. I appreciate you reading it.
Several months ago, when Laura and I got married, moved into our new house, we were asked to give talks. As it turned out, I had a talk about fatherhood and being a good husband. I cannot say that I am the best example, for I fall short of the man I want to become. I found my research easy and found many great examples of fathers and men throughout the scriptures.
I want to go through this talk again. It has been awhile and I was not able to recite all during my given time.
As Latter-day Saints use the words "saved" and "salvation," there are at least 6 different meanings. According to some of these, our salvation is assured - we are already saved. In others, salvation must be spoken of as a future event, or as a conditioned upon a future event. But in all of these meanings, or kinds of salvation, salvation is in and through Jesus Christ.
To summarize those 6 meanings spoken of:
1. We are saved from the permanent effects of death because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all mankind will be resurrected.
2. We are saved from sin through Christ's Atonement and by following the gospel plan. Repentance is an important part of being saved from the consequences of our sins.
3. We are saved when we are 'born again.' This happens when we enter into a covenant relationship with Christ by accepting baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and taking Christ's name upon us. We must also faithfully keep and renew that covenant relationship.
4. We are saved from the darkness of ignorance as we leanr about the gospel plan. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings light into our lives.
5. We are saved from the second death, which is final spiritual death, becuase of Christ's Atonement. Everyone, except for those few who become sons of perdition, will enter in a kingdom of glory.
6. Our hope is that we will be finally saved in the celestial kingdom. In addition to the other requirements, this salvation, or exaltation, also requires that we make sacred covenants in God's temples and remain faithful to them.
"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"
"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" (Alma 5: 14, 11).
Our actions take form into our countenance. Everyone, even non-members, can be shown through their works.
Bishop Richard Edgley once received a letter from a family friend who needed help. This letter was the ultimate plea for assitance. After struggling to raise her children as a single mother, this lady remarried. Her non-member husband was a rough outdoorsman, who attempted to express his manhood through drinking, foul language, tough talk, and questionable behavior. Her concern was that her husband's example was teaching her son that these indeed were the traits of manhood.
Satan is the great deceiver. His religion, his philosophy, and his work is based on lies and deception. His objective is to thwart the work of the Lord by misleading us and eventually making us "miserable like unto himself" (2 Nephi 2:27). He would have us believe that he is the man and that his ways bring us to manhood.
By contrast, Jesus voluntarily submitted himself to the will of the Father. As a result, He was betrayed, accused, beaten, and judged. His sacrifice was not mandatory. It was borne out of courage, duty, and love and it led Him to the bitter cup that caused Him to bleed from every pore. After Pilate had witnessed the enormous suffering and humiliation of Jesus and even argued for His release, he finally succumbed to the demand of the Jews. As he turned Him over for crucifixion, he did so with the simple, but defining words "Behold the man!" (John 19:5).
Yes, Jesus is the man. He possesses all characteristics of the true, ideal man. His ways, not Satan's way, lead to manhood. Anyone who believes otherwise is already tangling himself up in the everlasting chains of Satan's deception (2 Nephi 28:19).
Every young man must choose between good and evil and between the ways of God and the ways of Satan. When a young man begins to smoke to prove he is a man, whose man is he becoming? When a young man begins to drink, taking drugs, participate in immorality, is boisterous or unruly, whose man is he becoming? It has been said that many a boy begins smoking as a teenager to prove he is a man, and he tries to quit at age 30 for the same reason. There is no manhood in succumbing to Satan. There is no manhood in being defeated by his principles.
Real courage includes standing against the evil one, even when we stand alone, often feeling the disdain and the ridicule of others. This is courage. This is strength. This is manhood, and it will be tough.
Bishop Edgley goes on with his talk, telling od a young man he had to help. The man wanted to serve a mission, but because of his past, he had to go through and repent of his sins. The bishop doubted that someone could prepare himself to worthily serve a mission with a past like the boys. During the interview, he simply asked "Why am I visiting with you tonight?" The boy laid out his past. After reviewing and confessing his transgrssion, he began talking about his atonement and the years of painful repentance that brought him to that day.
The boy expressed gratitude that the Atonement was sufficient to rescue a boy like him. The bishop allowed him to go on a mission under one circumstance: To be the best missionary in the entire church.
About 4 months later, Bishop Edgley ran into the man at a missionary devotional at the MTC. He could not remember the boy, but when the boy told him he was the best missionary in the MTC, a single tear drop silently trickled down his cheek. He thought "Here is a man. He met his Gethsemane. He paid the prainful price of repentance. He has humbled himself and submitted himself to the redemptive power of the Savior. He has met the challenges, he has measured up to true manhood."
I simply say: "Behold, the man!"
You can describe a man in inches, pounds, complexion, or physique. But you measure a man by character, compassion, integrity, tenderness, and principle. When Alma querried "Have ye received his image in your countenance", he was talking about the attributes of true manhood.
Every priesthood bearer should seek to be known simply as a man of God. As the song beckons "with no apparent beauty that man should him desire. He was the promised Savior, to purify with fire. The world depised his plainess but those who followed him found love and light and purity, a beauty from within. Have ye received his image in your countenance? Does the light of Christ shine in your eyes? Will he known you when he comes again because you will be like him? When he sees you will the father know his child?"
One day, will we know each other based solely on our countenance? Did we know each other as intelligences solely based on this? "Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keep my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;" (D&C 93:1).
One day, I hope someone can approach me and say "You know Brother Toma, you look somehow different. You look as if Christ was here today."
Elder D. Todd Chrisofferson said: In large measure, true manhood is defined in our relationship to women. The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. By divine design, fathers are to preside over the families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the neccessities of life and protection for their families.
He goes on to talk about hos he visited members of the Church in many countries and despite differences in circumstances and cultures, he had been impressed with the faith and capacity of our women, including some of the very young. So many of them possess a remarkable faith and goodness. They know the scriptures. The are poised and confident. I ask myself "Do we have man to match these women? Are our young men developing into worthy companions that such women can look up to and respect?"
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave specific counsel to young men: "The girl you marry will take a terrible chance on you. You will largely determine the remainder of her life."
Paul wrote to Timothy "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel" (1 Timothy 5:8).
Good men sometimes make mistakes. A man of integrity will honestly face and correct his mistakes and this is an example we can respect. Sometimes we fail. True manhood is not always measure by the fruits of one's labors, but by the labors themselves - by one's striving.
Though he will make some sacrifices and deny himself some pleasures in the course of honoring his commitments, the true man leads a rewarding life. He gives much through home teaching and other callings, but he receives much more and he lives conten in the approval of his Heavenly Father. The life of true manhood is the good life.
As the Conte of Monte Cristo said to young Albert: "Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you: as Albert Mondago, the man!"
Are we standing up to the storms when they come? Are we building our foundations to combat against the storms? Are we raising our children to be as Albert, standing against temptation as Christ did? When we introduce them, shall we also say "Behold, the Man!"?
I like to think of myself as a gardener. By no means am I one. In fact, growing up, the greenest plants I was able to grow was mold. But in recent years, I have had the opportunity to tend a few gardens and learn some.
Gardening is not just planting seeds and watering them. There is work to be done, soil to fertilize, knowing the weather, how deep to plant each seed, how much water to give and even how to tell when the fruits or vegetables are ready. Also, some birds and bugs can interfere.
As our countenace grows and changes, so does our garden. We must daily weed out our gardens. Constant care should be given to ensure our garden's survival. Are we nurturing our seeds of faith, of charity, of love, or seeds of gospel study? Or are our weeds of doubt, frusteration, and anger growing over? You see, weeds will grow without nurture. They will steal our precious water of life our good seeds need.
Luckily, our garden has a gardener. Someone who has much more expertise than I. A savior to our garden, if you will. For those weeds who look to become too burdenful. Somedays, it may look like as if there is no end. That some of our plants like faith may nowhere be found. But if we ask our gardener, he will gladly clear our weeds. Maybe at the end of that day, as I lay covered in blood, sweat, tears and dirt may I resemble him even more. Maybe it will be shown dressed in white at the temple. Perhaps it may be the self realization as I look at myself in the mirror. Whenever or where it be, I still have faith that growing spiritually will allow me to be as Christ.
I am sorry for taking so long, but this is a dear topic to me. I appreciate you reading it.
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