Purified

Sometimes I don't feel like I can live up to whats expected of me. Not that I lack faith in myself, and not that I don't think I can do all that the Lord has asked of me, sometimes I just don't feel that my meager efforts will be enough to accomplish the huge task that is placed before me. Whether that huge task is graduating college, finding a job to provide for the family, or something as huge as obtaining eternal life, all of us in one way or another have felt the feeling of inadequacy. To be honestly, I don't know if the feeling is really such a bad thing though. Recently, it has actually proven to be of great worth to me. The more I realize how great the work is that I am expected to accomplish, the more I realize that I cannot do it alone. Bruce C. Hafen said some comforting words to those of us who have a hard time measuring up. He said,

 

"If you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger.  If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God, not farther away." (Bruce C. Hafen, "The Atonement: All for All)

And that, for me at least, has been a good thing. Through struggle, I have realized that valuable lesson, that I am being refined, and slowly drawing ever closer to God. During these times of struggle, I have had to rely completely on Christ to make up for those things that I don't do perfectly. You see, Christ knows me. He knows that I really can't do everything by myself, and that I am not perfect. That's ok though, because He is. He doesn't expect me to be perfect, but he does expect me to try perfectly. He wants me to always strive to be the best I can, and when I do, He promises to make up the difference. As long as I am doing all I can, He promises He will do all He can, and no matter what that will make it. Moroni lays it out pretty simply.

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^apray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true ^bfollowers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall ^cbe like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be ^dpurified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48) 

May we all do everything that lie in our power to be true followers of Christ. Pray for it, strive for it, and work at it. Make promises, or covenants with Him that will put you both under agreement to support each other. Trust me, we definitely get the better part of the bargain when we take His name upon us. He knows we wont be perfect, but if we do our best, the promise is we will become pure, as He is pure. Christ is perfect, and although I am not, he will accept me as-is, and make up the difference.

The Lost Psalm

Nephi's Sorrow

As I ate my breakfast this morning, I had the wonderful opportunity of opening up the Book of Mormon in an effort to soak up all the Lord had for me this morning. I am continually astounded as to the things I read in the Book of Mormon but was especially touched by the words of Nephi in what is commonly reffered as his Psalm. The whole Psalm can beread in Nephi chapter 4 verses 16-35, verse 28 really stuck out to me. It reads,

"Awake, my soul! No longer ^adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the ^benemy of my soul."

How often has my soul felt asleep, my heart and mind lonely because I felt I was drooped in sin? How often have I been bogged down because of the Adversary, the great enemy of all our souls? As I read, I could feel Nephi's pain and really related to this rallying cry. I read on, and began to feel empowered when he went on to say,

Be Still My Soul

"Be still, my soul:
the waves and winds
still know His voice
Who ruled them
while He dwelt below."





I love that song. It brings me so much comfort. I find myself singing it sometimes, and love pondering over its words. My message today is simple. Life is rough. It was meant to be. Honestly, I would not know at all what the Savior and His gospel truly mean if I hadn't had gone through some of those really really difficult times... Looking back, I am grateful for every hardship I have had, they've taught me who I am, and where I can turn for peace. They have forced me to re-evaluate my foundation. 

Hel. 5: 12 

    And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. 

Enough said... Really. Life will get hard. No matter how scary it can seem sometimes though, if we turn to our master, and rely on him, He will help us through. I know that if you have built your foundation on Christ, it really doesn't matter what happens to you. You will be able to take courage in knowing that there are great rewards if you endure your trials well. I know He has suffered through it all, and been where I've been, no matter where that is. Because of that, He is able to help me. Take courage in the journey, for just as the song says, the waves and winds still know His voice.

Chose Liberty!

I feel bad for my parents... If any of you know them, you should give them a huge pat on the back, or a congrats for making it through me alive. Seriously, I think the reason I was born to them is because they were the only two individuals on the planet who could handle me. You see, I (like probably every teenage boy) had this thing with rules... I didnt like them very much, and made it my personal goal to break every one I could... I used to think that rules were things to bind you down, that, "with all those rules, there was no way I could be free!" Man, I wished I had paid better attention those nights our family happened to read 2nd Nephi, woulda saved me and my parents a lot of grief!

Sad-face Homeless man...

I know there are tons of people out there who still think like I used to. I meet them everyday... "Naaahhh mannn, Im going to do what I want, when I want to, I dont need no stinkin religion to tell me what to do! God knows me mann, I aint' gonna hurt nobody!" I hear it all the time. Some of those people are homeless. Some are rich, others seem completely normal. All of them however, are completely missing the point...