He Wants Us to Seek Him

The Book of Mormon puts me such a thoughtful mood. I started reading it from the beginning again today and, can I just stop here and say I love this book? Seriously. It is a miracle. Go read it.

Anyway, as I began to read the Book of Mormon again I was paying attention to the words and example of Nephi. He always seems to teach me something, and this time was no different. This time, he reminded me of the importance of seeking.

"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart" (1 Ne. 2:19).

" . . . I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him . . . For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round" (1 Ne. 10:17, 19).

Nephi wanted us to know that it was not his bloodline, wealth, position, or even his righteousness alone that gave him his special relationship with God, but his desire to know. When Nephi's father Lehi had a vision that resulted in him leading his family into the wilderness, I am sure that the Lord would have been pleased if Nephi had simply believed in his father's visions, especially since his brothers Laman and Lemuel did not. But what really cemented Nephi's relationship with the Lord was his desire to find out for himself. He sought the Lord for his own, personal testimony, and was given all that he asked for and more.

I think I have been too content for too long. I have been going along with the gospel in the way that Nephi could have merely gone along with his father. I have not questioned my testimony of the gospel, but maybe in not questioning my testimony I have also not questioned, period.

Well, today I am reminded of how much the Lord likes questions, and especially when the questions come from a sincere seeker. So let's never be afraid to seek Him.

Thoughts on Messing Up During the Sacrament Prayers

The Sacrament (otherwise known as Communion, the Eucharist, etc. in other faiths) is at the heart of religious observance in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We repeat it nearly every Sunday during the most important and sacred meeting, appropriately named Sacrament Meeting. Ideally, it is a time when members are able to forget all worldly distractions, focus exclusively on the Savior, and renew our baptismal covenants with Him.

I have always found it thought-provoking that the youth of the Church is in charge of this most sacred ordinance. The young priests--often about sixteen years old--are in charge of blessing the bread and water that is then passed to the congregation by deacons and teachers who are younger still, ranging in age from twelve to fifteen. Other priesthood holders of all ages may participate in its administration, but the Sacrament is primarily the responsibility of these teenagers.

Is it not interesting that God would hand over control of this most sacred of ordinances to the youth, and not to the more mature adults? To be frank, the youth are often rowdy and immature, sometimes seen joking around during Sacrament Meeting when they should be observing reverence, much to the chagrin of adult leaders. In addition, some have a tendency to speed through and/or mumble the sacramental prayers instead of giving them their due respect.

When this happens, the Bishop may decide to have the prayers repeated until they are said correctly. These prayers are the only ones that are repeated word-for-word in our worship meetings. God considered them so important that he gave us the very words we should use in Doctrine and Covenants 20:75-79. The words reflect the covenants we made at our baptism and remind us of our duties in keeping these covenants, including taking upon ourselves the name of the Son, remembering Him, and keeping His commandments. We are then promised the continual guidance of the Holy Ghost.

But why is it so important, really, that these words are said verbatim, to the extent that not a single word can be omitted or submitted? Sometimes, when a prayer is said incorrectly, the priest feels embarrassed, the members feel uncomfortable, and visitors feel confused about why exactly they are hearing the same prayer repeated. This can cause further awkwardness for the members who may feel the need to explain what is happening to the visitor. Sometimes, we may wish that we can just move on without going through the uncomfortable process of repeating the prayer.

However, my thoughts on the subject today brought me peace in the knowledge that the Lord's Church is in good hands. His ordinances are, among other things, physical symbols of our covenants and relationship with God. Wouldn't a casual attitude about said ordinances reflect a casual attitude about our relationship with Him? 

As the scripture says, "In the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest" (D&C 84:20).

I am glad that the sacred ordinances of the Church are not treated lightly.

Though the Sacrament may be in the hands of the youth, God does not expect less of them. Through their service, the youth learn the care needed in the administration of godly things. They are given a symbol and a type of the fact that God does require perfection in all things, but that is not to say that He requires it the first time. We may mess up and have to try again, sometimes many times. It may cause us and others around us pain and discomfort. Our failure may cause us to want to just give up and avoid any future embarrassment. But in the end, if we endure, following the only true path of repentance, which is through the Savior, we will have the comfort of knowing that we did things the right way--God's way--and that in the last day He will look at us and say, "Well, done, my good and faithful servant." 

Hello Again! And, Finding the Pearl of Great Price

From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth,
From the laziness that is content with half-truth,
From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,
O God of truth, deliver us.
_____

Let that poem be a motto for a new season.

Hello again. It's been years. Almost four years. I gave up writing in this blog to serve in the Peru Piura Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I left on October 5, 2011 and returned on October 9, 2013. Two full years and a lifetime of experiences. And now, nearly another two full years have passed since returning and I cannot imagine attempting to write all that has happened.

The short of it is that I got married and sealed to my sweetheart, Sannah, in the newly built Kansas City Temple, I learned what the heck Spotify, Pinterest, and Instagram were, in addition to any other new developments that entered the public consciousness while I was "disconnected," I went back to finish my undergrad degree in Art from Utah State University, moved back to central Missouri again to start our lives, got jobs in Kansas City and moved out here, first living with my brother and his wife before getting our own place and establishing ourselves on the Kansas side of the city. So yeah, a lot has happened.

I was twenty-one years old when I wrote my last post. I am now twenty-five. I gained insight and experience in many things, and became more aware of my ignorance in others, but all-in-all I consider myself immensely blessed. The mission was and forever will be one of the great experiences of my life. I have lived miracles and felt myself become an instrument in the hands of God, and have learned the workings of the Spirit and the importance of service over talk. That lesson--service over talk--is probably why it has not been a priority for me to return to writing my thoughts here. I guess I was proud of what I had shared and thought I would leave it at that.

But Truth is important. It must be sought after, and cherished above all else when discovered, like the pearl of great price:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it (Matt. 13:45-46).

I have found my pearl of great price, and feel as always a desire to share it with anyone who will listen. I believe it is more needed than ever, because without a doubt, the world is more troubled now then when I left four years ago, and there are those who seek to divide, destroy, control, and corrupt. Good is evil, and evil is good for much of the public and even for our law.

And yet, on the other hand, there continue to be those who desire to find their pearl of great price. So, for that reason, I would like to continue to update this blog when possible, or if I have a thought on something.

In the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is an infinite well of understanding and truth, and my hope is to allow others to find the joy that I have found in it. I don't hope to shove it down your throat, or force you to see things the way I do, but I do only hope that you will, as the name of the blog suggests, consider this...


Thanks for reading, and, until next time, good night from Kansas City!


above: Dominco Fetti's The Pearl of Great Price, at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.