I've heard through word of mouth that at a recent stake conference Elder Christofferson opened up to the congregation for questions. One person asked "How much more wicked does it have to get before the Lord will come again?" Elder Christoffeerson's reply: "Oh, the world is wicked enough... the Lord is waiting for us to be righteous enough..."
So, the Lord is waiting on us. Well, I don't think he's just waiting, I'm sure he is working. And we shouldn't wait either, we should work, and we have a lot of work to do.
How do we build Zion and come to it? Elder Christofferson gives counsel on this matter:
Come to Zion, October 2008 General Conference
"Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen."
I'm going to study this talk more, I also recommend the book "Triumph of Zion" by John Pontius.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Firm Foundation
Ethan gave a talk in sacrament meeting on June 15th. I helped him a little. His topic was "Building a Foundation of Faith on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Here is part of his talk ~
"In Peru, Much of the city of Cusco is literally built on ancient Inca ruins. The workmanship of the carved stones, all fit together without mortar, is amazing. The walls are strong because they were made from precisely cut stones, many with interior interlocking arms, somewhat like giant ancient Legos. It is ironic that we call them “ruins” because, even though they were constructed many centuries ago, most of them remain perfectly intact today.
"Peru is a land of many earthquakes. There was terrible destruction in a 2007 earthquake there. Through the centuries disasters like this have occurred repeatedly in Peru. Buildings built recently in our time often have crumbled under these quakes, but the Inca-built foundations and structures remain secure. Somehow these ancient stones, fit together perfectly, withstand whatever natural disasters occur. They remain a firm foundation."
I've continued to think of this during the past few months, since Snuffer's excommunication last September and continuing through this past month with the Kate Kelly and John Dehlin stuff. So, I read a few of Snuffers books and liked them fine, I've followed his blog a little bit and take it with a gran of salt, and Corey and I often discuss the latest comments of other readers during our date night conversations. So, as I said in my last post, who is right? Who do we follow? Is Snuffer a sure foundation for me? He says that he's just trying to lead people to Christ and that he only teaches from scriptures. Well, what do the scriptures say? WHO were the scriptures even written by?!? PROPHETS.
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." - Ephesians 2:20
So some think that Snuffer is a prophet because he says he has seen and spoken with the Lord. I don't doubt him, but I also don't know. If he has though, what then? What about the brethren? Have they too? Well, personally I already know they are guided by the Lord, because many of my prayers have been answered by them, and my life has been so blessed by their teachings. Are they both prophets? Can they both be led by the Lord and yet be at odds with each other? Who do we follow? Should we be more loyal to Snuffer than the Brethren? Perhaps some feel that they should, but I wouldn't. Following the brethren and remaining in the church give me anchor. I need and want the strength that comes from trusting the Lord's prophets. The prophets have been commissioned the following by Christ:
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." - Matthew 28:19-20
Those who want to follow Christ and his prophets, are to do WHATSOEVER thing the Lord commands us. Not all things that are true for you or all things that make you authentic to yourself, not all things politically correct, not all things that are culturally acceptable, not all things that are true according to law or scripture alone, BUT ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.
And whether through is voice or the voice of his servants, it is the same (all of them together are the FOUNDATION spoken of in Ephesians). If I was told to cease publication of a book by the Lord's servants, I would have done it. If I was told to stop an organization I had started, I would have done it, even if it meant I would then be "inauthentic" to myself (quote from Kelly half way down in this article). Authenticity is not the first law of heaven. Obedience is. I'm sure Satan is being "authentic" to himself, but that's not going to get him out of his miserable situation. When Abraham went to sacrifice Issac, I'm sure that required him to be inauthentic to himself. I'm sure it went against laws and teachings that he had learned about previously. IT WAS A TEST. We are all tested. We are to be obedient, that's what the test is about, if we are willing to lay everything we want and think and are on the altar and go forward with trust in God.
We're supposed to be totally inauthentic to ourselves! Forget me and what I want and what I am, God wants me to become what He wants and like He is. That's going to require a lot of "living inauthentically" along the way. We are to kill our natural men and become new creatures in Christ. Love this quote by CS Lewis:
Christ says, "Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good...Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours."
We are to obey everything that is commanded by the Lord. So, how do we know if a commandment, rule, tradition, expectation, teaching, etc... how do we know if it's commanded by the Lord? There are three ways, and these three ways should never be at odds with each other. These three things are the Iron Rod and the sure foundation we should build our lives upon: HOLY GHOST - LIVING PROPHETS - SCRIPTURES. More on the iron rod later. For prep read John Pontius "Following the Light of Christ" and listen to this talk by President Harold B. Lee
"In Peru, Much of the city of Cusco is literally built on ancient Inca ruins. The workmanship of the carved stones, all fit together without mortar, is amazing. The walls are strong because they were made from precisely cut stones, many with interior interlocking arms, somewhat like giant ancient Legos. It is ironic that we call them “ruins” because, even though they were constructed many centuries ago, most of them remain perfectly intact today.
I've continued to think of this during the past few months, since Snuffer's excommunication last September and continuing through this past month with the Kate Kelly and John Dehlin stuff. So, I read a few of Snuffers books and liked them fine, I've followed his blog a little bit and take it with a gran of salt, and Corey and I often discuss the latest comments of other readers during our date night conversations. So, as I said in my last post, who is right? Who do we follow? Is Snuffer a sure foundation for me? He says that he's just trying to lead people to Christ and that he only teaches from scriptures. Well, what do the scriptures say? WHO were the scriptures even written by?!? PROPHETS.
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." - Ephesians 2:20
So some think that Snuffer is a prophet because he says he has seen and spoken with the Lord. I don't doubt him, but I also don't know. If he has though, what then? What about the brethren? Have they too? Well, personally I already know they are guided by the Lord, because many of my prayers have been answered by them, and my life has been so blessed by their teachings. Are they both prophets? Can they both be led by the Lord and yet be at odds with each other? Who do we follow? Should we be more loyal to Snuffer than the Brethren? Perhaps some feel that they should, but I wouldn't. Following the brethren and remaining in the church give me anchor. I need and want the strength that comes from trusting the Lord's prophets. The prophets have been commissioned the following by Christ:
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." - Matthew 28:19-20
Those who want to follow Christ and his prophets, are to do WHATSOEVER thing the Lord commands us. Not all things that are true for you or all things that make you authentic to yourself, not all things politically correct, not all things that are culturally acceptable, not all things that are true according to law or scripture alone, BUT ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.
And whether through is voice or the voice of his servants, it is the same (all of them together are the FOUNDATION spoken of in Ephesians). If I was told to cease publication of a book by the Lord's servants, I would have done it. If I was told to stop an organization I had started, I would have done it, even if it meant I would then be "inauthentic" to myself (quote from Kelly half way down in this article). Authenticity is not the first law of heaven. Obedience is. I'm sure Satan is being "authentic" to himself, but that's not going to get him out of his miserable situation. When Abraham went to sacrifice Issac, I'm sure that required him to be inauthentic to himself. I'm sure it went against laws and teachings that he had learned about previously. IT WAS A TEST. We are all tested. We are to be obedient, that's what the test is about, if we are willing to lay everything we want and think and are on the altar and go forward with trust in God.
We're supposed to be totally inauthentic to ourselves! Forget me and what I want and what I am, God wants me to become what He wants and like He is. That's going to require a lot of "living inauthentically" along the way. We are to kill our natural men and become new creatures in Christ. Love this quote by CS Lewis:
Christ says, "Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good...Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours."
We are to obey everything that is commanded by the Lord. So, how do we know if a commandment, rule, tradition, expectation, teaching, etc... how do we know if it's commanded by the Lord? There are three ways, and these three ways should never be at odds with each other. These three things are the Iron Rod and the sure foundation we should build our lives upon: HOLY GHOST - LIVING PROPHETS - SCRIPTURES. More on the iron rod later. For prep read John Pontius "Following the Light of Christ" and listen to this talk by President Harold B. Lee
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah
I've started to write several posts the past two weeks to offer my thoughts about the things that have been in the news and on the internet and "bloggernacle" lately about the LDS Church~ thoughts that go along with others who have written about the subjects women and the priesthood, excommunication & apostasy, and things like that. (I recommend those two posts above) Who is right - Ordain Women or the Church? Who do we follow - The Brethren or Denver Snuffer? Who is being led by the Lord? Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah! I want to be led by thee.
So, the answers always come through prayer and study. I found this quote in the Joseph F. Smith manual (Chapter 13) this week and I think it pretty much sums it up for me:
Strength to persevere through the midsts of darkness will come to us as we hear and hearken to the Lord's servants the prophets. Quote above by Elder Neil L. Anderson (I am loving these conference posters!)
From the days of Hiram Page (Doc. and Cov, Sec. D&C 28), at different periods there have been manifestations from delusive spirits to members of the Church. Sometimes these have come to men and women who because of transgression became easy prey to the Arch-Deceiver. At other times people who pride themselves on their strict observance of the rules and ordinances and ceremonies of the Church are led astray by false spirits, who exercise an influence so imitative of that which proceeds from a Divine source that even these persons, who think they are “the very elect,” find it difficult to discern the essential difference [Matthew 24:24]. Satan himself has transformed himself to be apparently “an angel of light” [2 Corinthians 11:14; 2 Nephi 9:9].
When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. Also they should understand that directions for the guidance of the Church will come, by revelation, through the head. All faithful members are entitled to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their families, and for those over whom they are appointed and ordained to preside. But anything at discord with that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received as authoritative or reliable.6
and here's another quote by him from the beginning of that same chapter:
Among the Latter-day Saints, the preaching of false doctrines disguised as truths of the gospel, may be expected from people of two classes, and practically from these only; they are:
First—The hopelessly ignorant, whose lack of intelligence is due to their indolence and sloth, who make but feeble effort, if indeed any at all, to better themselves by reading and study; those who are afflicted with a dread disease that may develop into an incurable malady—laziness.
Second—The proud and self-vaunting ones, who read by the lamp of their own conceit; who interpret by rules of their own contriving; who have become a law unto themselves, and so pose as the sole judges of their own doings. More dangerously ignorant than the first.
Beware of the lazy and the proud.4
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Wealth & Losing Your Life
We had a wonderful Stake Conference on April 27th. Our Stake Presidency was reorganized, so we had two visiting authorities, Elder Stephen Allen and Elder Robert Gay.
First Elder Allen spoke to us about the Law of the Fast ~ how it is the Lord's law for helping care for the poor and needy. Fasting is a consecration of our means and our heart. Our offering should be a generous free will offering. Then he gave "a word of warning to this affluent stake:"
Then he quoted part of and recommended the book by Elder Richard G. Scott called "Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy" (...and these notes might be Elder Allen quoting from the book, but this is what I wrote that he shared):
First Elder Allen spoke to us about the Law of the Fast ~ how it is the Lord's law for helping care for the poor and needy. Fasting is a consecration of our means and our heart. Our offering should be a generous free will offering. Then he gave "a word of warning to this affluent stake:"
Then he quoted part of and recommended the book by Elder Richard G. Scott called "Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy" (...and these notes might be Elder Allen quoting from the book, but this is what I wrote that he shared):
- We need to ask to be guided by the Spirit and to do God's will.
- Much of life's disappointments from from looking beyond the mark
- Wealth and things cannot produce happiness.
- Sometimes wealth gets in the way of our pursuit of greater and nobler goals.
- Our things are just tools - am I wisely using the tools that I already have!?
- 2 Nephi 12:7-8
- Be faithful, be generous, seek our the poor and help them privately.
- Use these tools for the Lord's purposes.
- You talk about growing up in prosperity... I grew up in wealth...
He shared how as a child, he had anything and everything he wanted. Tickets to see the Beatles? He could get it, and get the best seats. He shared a few things about his life as a kid and then again as a successful business man who even had his own jet. Then he said also knew what it was like to be poor - his dad thought it would be good for them to pay for college themselves, so he did, and he was broke. One time they went up fishing at Deer Creek reservoir for dinner, cause it was less expensive to pay for the gas to go fish that it would cost to go to the store to buy food. He worked his way through school, and the kids kept coming, they had 5 kids when he was in school and every Sunday after paying their tithing, there was no money left for food, so they'd eat the canned food in the pantry, and they had 5 kids to feed! I could sympathize...
- I never tell anyone this... and I don't know why I'm sharing this today, I'm going to be kicking myself later... because it's not important, our money doesn't define us...
He was called to be a mission president in Africa, and as they went in to talk to Elder Ballard, Elder Gay said he hesitated... they had a ton of things going on... there was his business plus a foundation with all these orphans that needed their attention... but Elder Gay's wife was excited and willing, and Elder Ballard said to her "Sister Gay, you are going to make a GREAT mission president's wife...." then turning to Elder Gay he said "...You just don't get it! There will never be a convenient time to go. But the Lord is calling you to save your life..." So, exercising faith, they accepted the calling and left for Africa.
Some time later, PBS was doing a special about the Church's missionaries and Elder Holland called up his friend Bobby (aka Elder Gay, they knew each other when they were younger and Elder Holland always called him Bobby...) "Bobby! I told them to call you and I want you to just say it how it is, tell them the absolute truth, hold nothing back..." So, as he's serving in Africa, he does an hour long interview with some lady over the phone, then at the end of the interview she gets to the question she's been building up to the whole time and asks... "Have you had any regrets about going on a mission?" and he found himself saying without hesitation "Yes." and she said "Great! We're going to come down and do a 5 hour interview with you." and as he hung up he thought "Oh great! I can see the headlines now! 'Mormon mission president regrets serving mission!'" And after they came down and they did more of their interview, they followed up on the question. He said "I have regretted coming. But it only lasted for one day, and I haven't regretted it since." And then he told them about that one day...
He then told us about a day in his mission. You never known what flying is like until you've flown on air Nigeria. They give bribes to the mechanics to not fix the plane so that smaller planes can have the business. As mission president, he was visiting the missionaries in a part of his mission, he had to fly out into the middle of nowhere, then they got on a road for 2 hours, a road which was the worst road in the world... You hear of potholes? Well this road didn't have potholes, it had caves. And they would sometimes slowdown to go down and up the caves, and then sometimes they would just gun it and go flying from cave to cave. And the only people driving on it are Mormon missionaries and UN Peace keepers. (funny)
As he was driving on this road in the middle of nowhere, his personal cell phone rings. And he's thinking "How in the world am getting any reception down here?!?" It's a business partner who took over his job when he left to serve. He was calling him from his old office in London. "Hey Bob! I'm in your office... this is a really nice office by the way! I just wanted to let you know we closed another round of funding" and told him it was the biggest round their company had ever had. Elder Gay asks "How big is it?" and he also knows that this round was closed on the end tails of all the work he had been doing for the past 5 years. "How big is it?" he asks, and when the guy tells him, Elder Gay was able to calculate in nano seconds what his bonus percentage would have been had he stayed and had he not sold his shares and had he not served a mission. And it was HUGE. It was so huge, it was so much money it would have made Michael Jordan's contract blush. He new in nano seconds that he'd just lost a ton of money, and here he was on the middle of a god forsaken road in the middle of nowhere. And he was feeling very sorry for himself. And he didn't talk to anyone for the next 2 hours. And he thought "Couldn't the Lord have just waited for 3 years? Surely he could have used all that money, I could have used it to help people..."
So he's feeling sorry for himself, and the missionaries in the car with him (the APs) aren't talking to him cause they can tell he's upset, and then they had a bad hit one of the "caves" in the road and their car rolls three times, the roof and sides are banged in, the windows are all shattered, and it stops on it's side - he's got the missionaries lying on top of him. They are all quiet for a minute and he thinks everyone is dead, but then they come to and everyone is okay, they kick their way out of the car and get out and the people from the local village all come running and wailing cause they think they're dead. They try to get them to be quiet and calm down, they are not dead, but then he discovers he's all covered in blood. And he's got a HUGE gash in his forearm. And he's thinking "Great, now I'm going to die. Now I'm going to die or lose my arm cause I hurt and we are no where near civilization or a hospital!!!!" They get the villagers to be quiet and they wait for some car to pass to pick them up. As luck would have it, just 15 minutes later a truck comes and they stand arm to arm across the road and don't let them pass without picking them up. They are taken to the closest village and there is a small medical clinic there. It's got one dinky table, a single light bulb hanging from a little electric cord from the ceiling, and he doesn't think he's gonna get any help there. And he's right. The little doctor looks at his arm and says it's so bad he can't help him. Elder Gay's thinking "Yup, I'm gonna die. This is the worst day of my life." And then the doctor says "I can clean out the dirt and the infection..." Sure, that would be good. So the doctor notices his missionary badge and asks him if he's from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. "Yes, I am." "I would like to tell you a story about members of your church, perhaps you would be interested?" "Sure, whatever, Fine..." (Elder Gay still not in a good mood...) and the doctor says "If you would have been here a year ago, I would not be able to help you at all. But a year ago, members of your church came and gave us all this..." as he points to the medicine and supplies he has on the shelves, and right at that moment, clear as day, Elder Gay heard these words
- "Your live has been saved today because someone, who you will never know, went out into the bush of Sierra Leone... and gave service.
- Everything we have is Gods.
- There is never a convenient time to serve. But the Lord is calling you to save your life.
- Save your life, and lose it. Lose your life to save it.
- Never get to comfortable with what you have and where you sit, cause the Lord needs you.
Lastly he shared that when he was 18 years old, he was living in New York and his dad had him pick up Elder Howard W. Hunter from the airport, who was then an apostle, not that Elder Gay knew much about that. So he picked him up in a limo, and Elder Hunter got in the front cab in shotgun and grilled him, gave Elder Gay his first PPI "Tell me about your friends? Are you going on a mission? Do you read your scriptures?" And they had a nice visit and he counseled him to "Do it the Lord's Way". After they got to where they were going, he told him that if he was ever in Salt Lake, to come by and see him at his office. So after his mission when he was a young college kid at the U of U, he went down to the church office building a couple of times, just in his t-shirt and jeans, and said "Hi, I"m here to see Elder Hunter." Do you have an appointment? "Uh, no..." They call up to his office, and both times Elder Hunter was there, and invited him up. He got an update on what was going on in young Elder Gay's life, his family, school, church, kids... his advice to him then was "Do it the Lord's way." So Elder Gay made a commitment to himself to not study on Sundays. And when he got to Harvard, that was a huge trial of faith, cause all the exams there are given on Mondays. But he was committed to do it the Lord's way. They started their family, even though they were broke and busy with school. "Do it the Lord's way..."
- Do it the Lord's way, cause the blessings will be unlimited.
- Do it the Lord's way, because you will never be forsaken and your life will be saved in the bush.
- Don't settle for less.
- This is Christ's church, this is His gospel.
- There's nothing that the world has to offer than can even compare.
- By not saving our lives, but by giving our lives.
So that's that! Isn't that GREAT!?!?! Corey and I were both moved and inspired and touched by it all, (Corey was crying, which always makes me cry) ~ I kept looking over at Corey and my heart was filled with happiness for this wonderful life we have together. It seemed like so much Elder Gay shared is our same story ~ of going forward in faith, trying to do it the Lord's way, having kids while he's struggling through school, being broke and not knowing where the money might come from... crazy adventures in foreign lands... It all hit home, ...except for the insane wealth part. But we're getting ready for God to smite us with that curse when he goes down to Brazil for his businesses big launch this year. Over these past 7 years Corey has told me often that "someday... this business will make you a very happy woman...". We'll see...
Perchik: Money is the world's curse!
Tevye: May the Lord smite me with it. And may I never recover!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Troughs and Peaks
(I need to go through and re-read this again and edit it, I might be repeating myself as I've had many interruptions throughout the day as I've tried to write this, but it's time to curl my hair for date night, so I gotta go, I'll check this later... and put a few more pictures in...)
I've been rereading The Screwtape Letters after having listened to it on cd during our trip to California last week. It is in my stack of favorite books. I love Lewis’ thought process through the whole thing. It's like reading Neal A. Maxwell, in that each sentence is just packed with simple profoundness. It takes work to digest it.
So, since it does take work, I didn't glean any new insights during the CA drive, I think cause of all the simple interruptions that came with driving with the whole family in the car. But, since it was still in the cd player, I listened to it this week after I drove home from taking Joseph to band, which is a good 30 minute drive. This was on Wednesday. Tuesday, the day before, I had hit the bottom after 3 days of wave crashing mood. Tuesday there was a storm rolling in that was blowing around all the dust in the whole valley. Everything looked yucky and dirty and dark. Then little splatters of rain blew this way and that, and the dirt stuck to the water, making it all look even worse. It was just a dirty storm, but finally the heavy rain came and washed it off and cleared it out. Wednesday morning, I went for a walk and the sky was clear, the mountains looked beautiful with a light layer of snow, the sun was coming up bright, and I was reminded again that sometimes I need to just be patient and hunker down and wait for my bad mood to pass, just like the storm passed. When I have storms in life, it doesn't mean I'm bad or not doing things right (if I am trying to do obey God and do things right) ~ it's just another test of endurance and patience. I was grateful to have it pass and to feel like I could handle my life again.
So, that brings me to the Screwtape Letters. After a clear morning and a return of calmness, I was in the car doing the usual chauffering of kids and listened to letter #8 which was personal revelation to me...
For those who don’t know, Screwtape is a demon writing to an apprentice demon named Wormwood. Thus, all that is said is said from the perspective of the demon. When you hear about the Enemy, it means God. Now quoting letter 8 (underlining and bold is mine, parentheses are in original, my insights will be after the letter)
My dear Wormwood,
So you 'have great hopes that the patient’s religious phase is dying away', have you? I always thought the Training College had gone to pieces since they put old Slubgob at the head of it, and now I am sure. Has no one ever told you about the law of Undulation?
Humans are amphibians—half spirit and half animal. (The Enemy’s determination to produce such a revolting hybrid was one of the things that determined Our Father to withdraw his support from Him.) As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation—the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life—his interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down. As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional and bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of numbness and poverty. The dryness and dullness through which your patient is now going are not, as you fondly suppose, your workmanship; they are merely a natural phenomenon which will do us no good unless you make a good use of it.
To decide what the best use of it is, you must ask what use the Enemy wants to make of it, and then do the opposite. Now it may surprise you to learn that in His efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, He relies on the troughs even more than on the peaks; some of His special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else. The reason is this. To us a human is primarily food; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our own area of selfhood at its expense. But the obedience which the Enemy demands of men is quite a different thing. One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself—creatures, whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His. We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled; He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into himself: the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.
And that is where the troughs come in. You must have often wondered why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the Irresistible and the Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely to over-ride a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For His ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with Him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve. He is prepared to do a little overriding at the beginning. He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them, with emotional sweetness, and easy conquest over temptation. But He never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best. We can drag our patients along by continual tempting, because we design them only for the table, and the more their will is interfered with the better. He cannot “tempt” to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.
But of course the troughs afford opportunities to our side also. Next week I will give you some hints on how to exploit them, Your affectionate uncle SCREWTAPE
OK! So isn't that amazing!
Here we go:
Re-Epiphany #1 (since I've learned this before, but now again it's being hammered in) - "He relies on the troughs even more than on the peaks". As I heard this, right here I was really paying attention, since I had just spent a few days in the troughs and was ready to hear and learn what God and the demons had been trying to do with me!... It's not that God had left me and was ignoring me, he's teaching me yet again how to walk. Some of God's special favorties, prophets like Abraham, Joseph of Egypt, Job, became all the more admirable and noble because of their trials. "...that is where the troughs come in." That is why the troughs exist. God needs them to teach us.
#2 - just like Wormwood must have been wondering, I have wondered and cried about why?!?! ~ why am I so weak, why is it so hard for me to do the simplest things - to keep the house clean!?! To make and take the kids to their activities, to get anything done ~ Why don't I feel more of God's tangible/physical support ~ "why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment"?! Yes! I want God's joy in my heart always, but it's not always with me, rather there is a constant fight for joy. Why isn't it easier? I want to lean on him and his light, but he wants me to learn to walk. It feels so hard and impossible sometimes. But I want to learn and I need too, but it's hard study. I need to be filled with light. God won't just over-ride our will, that is useless to his eternal plan ~ "He cannot ravish. He can only woo." "He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them" - before we moved to Costa Rica, I had some of these small but great revelations and I know it was God guiding us, but I was weak and struggled through much of that experience. Still, remembering those distinct impressions and knowing they came from Him helped me muddle through. And now they still, as they did then, fill me "with emotional sweetness... But... He never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws" ... "He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best."
So the beginning of this week I was in a real emotional trough, just feeling so over my head with life, and this letter helped me learn that the prayers I begged did not fall on empty ears, and the heavens might have been silent, but those begging prayers aren't annoying to Him, he's not shaking his head at my weakness. Those prayers please him best. Wow.
He wants us to learn to walk, "and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. " God is pleased with all my pathetic inablities? Yes, if I remain determined. "Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys. "
I love that last sentence, cause everyone can relate and understand the troughs, we all know them. We also all know the peaks. When the peaks come, we realize the troughs were nothing, like when you read through old entries of a personal journal about all the useless cares that worried you back then and feel like they were such simple problems! When we get into the troughs again, though, we tend to forget all the insights about troughs that we gained during our peaks. There are times I am just so flustered and out of ideas and I know God could bless me to feel happy, just make me happy please!!! but he doesn't and I don't feel cheerful and things just don’t going well... but I still strive to obey and I still serve and still desire to do His will. The Christian who serves when it's hard is the Christian who can’t be defeated. Why? Because it’s not entirely dependent on emotions. It’s a commitment of the mind and will.
So, I've been abandoning my children and responsibilities for the past hour, and need to hurry and come up with dinner for these children, but I'm thankful to be able to get all these thoughts down that I've had this week. If you are in the peak, be thankful. If in the trough, (Which is where I too often find myself) remember that this too will pass and that God loves our stumbles as we learn to walk like Him.
So, since it does take work, I didn't glean any new insights during the CA drive, I think cause of all the simple interruptions that came with driving with the whole family in the car. But, since it was still in the cd player, I listened to it this week after I drove home from taking Joseph to band, which is a good 30 minute drive. This was on Wednesday. Tuesday, the day before, I had hit the bottom after 3 days of wave crashing mood. Tuesday there was a storm rolling in that was blowing around all the dust in the whole valley. Everything looked yucky and dirty and dark. Then little splatters of rain blew this way and that, and the dirt stuck to the water, making it all look even worse. It was just a dirty storm, but finally the heavy rain came and washed it off and cleared it out. Wednesday morning, I went for a walk and the sky was clear, the mountains looked beautiful with a light layer of snow, the sun was coming up bright, and I was reminded again that sometimes I need to just be patient and hunker down and wait for my bad mood to pass, just like the storm passed. When I have storms in life, it doesn't mean I'm bad or not doing things right (if I am trying to do obey God and do things right) ~ it's just another test of endurance and patience. I was grateful to have it pass and to feel like I could handle my life again.
So, that brings me to the Screwtape Letters. After a clear morning and a return of calmness, I was in the car doing the usual chauffering of kids and listened to letter #8 which was personal revelation to me...
For those who don’t know, Screwtape is a demon writing to an apprentice demon named Wormwood. Thus, all that is said is said from the perspective of the demon. When you hear about the Enemy, it means God. Now quoting letter 8 (underlining and bold is mine, parentheses are in original, my insights will be after the letter)
My dear Wormwood,
So you 'have great hopes that the patient’s religious phase is dying away', have you? I always thought the Training College had gone to pieces since they put old Slubgob at the head of it, and now I am sure. Has no one ever told you about the law of Undulation?
Humans are amphibians—half spirit and half animal. (The Enemy’s determination to produce such a revolting hybrid was one of the things that determined Our Father to withdraw his support from Him.) As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation—the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life—his interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down. As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional and bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of numbness and poverty. The dryness and dullness through which your patient is now going are not, as you fondly suppose, your workmanship; they are merely a natural phenomenon which will do us no good unless you make a good use of it.
To decide what the best use of it is, you must ask what use the Enemy wants to make of it, and then do the opposite. Now it may surprise you to learn that in His efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, He relies on the troughs even more than on the peaks; some of His special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else. The reason is this. To us a human is primarily food; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our own area of selfhood at its expense. But the obedience which the Enemy demands of men is quite a different thing. One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself—creatures, whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His. We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled; He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into himself: the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.
And that is where the troughs come in. You must have often wondered why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the Irresistible and the Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely to over-ride a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For His ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with Him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve. He is prepared to do a little overriding at the beginning. He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them, with emotional sweetness, and easy conquest over temptation. But He never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best. We can drag our patients along by continual tempting, because we design them only for the table, and the more their will is interfered with the better. He cannot “tempt” to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.
But of course the troughs afford opportunities to our side also. Next week I will give you some hints on how to exploit them, Your affectionate uncle SCREWTAPE
OK! So isn't that amazing!
Here we go:
Re-Epiphany #1 (since I've learned this before, but now again it's being hammered in) - "He relies on the troughs even more than on the peaks". As I heard this, right here I was really paying attention, since I had just spent a few days in the troughs and was ready to hear and learn what God and the demons had been trying to do with me!... It's not that God had left me and was ignoring me, he's teaching me yet again how to walk. Some of God's special favorties, prophets like Abraham, Joseph of Egypt, Job, became all the more admirable and noble because of their trials. "...that is where the troughs come in." That is why the troughs exist. God needs them to teach us.
#2 - just like Wormwood must have been wondering, I have wondered and cried about why?!?! ~ why am I so weak, why is it so hard for me to do the simplest things - to keep the house clean!?! To make and take the kids to their activities, to get anything done ~ Why don't I feel more of God's tangible/physical support ~ "why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment"?! Yes! I want God's joy in my heart always, but it's not always with me, rather there is a constant fight for joy. Why isn't it easier? I want to lean on him and his light, but he wants me to learn to walk. It feels so hard and impossible sometimes. But I want to learn and I need too, but it's hard study. I need to be filled with light. God won't just over-ride our will, that is useless to his eternal plan ~ "He cannot ravish. He can only woo." "He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them" - before we moved to Costa Rica, I had some of these small but great revelations and I know it was God guiding us, but I was weak and struggled through much of that experience. Still, remembering those distinct impressions and knowing they came from Him helped me muddle through. And now they still, as they did then, fill me "with emotional sweetness... But... He never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws" ... "He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best."
So the beginning of this week I was in a real emotional trough, just feeling so over my head with life, and this letter helped me learn that the prayers I begged did not fall on empty ears, and the heavens might have been silent, but those begging prayers aren't annoying to Him, he's not shaking his head at my weakness. Those prayers please him best. Wow.
He wants us to learn to walk, "and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. " God is pleased with all my pathetic inablities? Yes, if I remain determined. "Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys. "
I love that last sentence, cause everyone can relate and understand the troughs, we all know them. We also all know the peaks. When the peaks come, we realize the troughs were nothing, like when you read through old entries of a personal journal about all the useless cares that worried you back then and feel like they were such simple problems! When we get into the troughs again, though, we tend to forget all the insights about troughs that we gained during our peaks. There are times I am just so flustered and out of ideas and I know God could bless me to feel happy, just make me happy please!!! but he doesn't and I don't feel cheerful and things just don’t going well... but I still strive to obey and I still serve and still desire to do His will. The Christian who serves when it's hard is the Christian who can’t be defeated. Why? Because it’s not entirely dependent on emotions. It’s a commitment of the mind and will.
So, I've been abandoning my children and responsibilities for the past hour, and need to hurry and come up with dinner for these children, but I'm thankful to be able to get all these thoughts down that I've had this week. If you are in the peak, be thankful. If in the trough, (Which is where I too often find myself) remember that this too will pass and that God loves our stumbles as we learn to walk like Him.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Saturday, April 5, 2014
General Conference
I loved General Conference today, as always. Particularly Sister Reeves talk, where she said it's okay for your house to be messy and your kids to be in their pajamas all day (7:14)! Hooray!!! If we just make sure that we have daily scripture reading, family prayer, and family home evening, then we are doing great. So messy house, you're welcome to stay! We've got our priorities straight and that is good. I love teaching my children of the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Savior's life. I love testifying to them that OBEDIENCE to God's commandments and to TRUTH will bring them happiness. Striving to obey God and to do His will has brought me joy and has led me to all the good and wonderful things that I treasure in my life, especially them and my wonderful marriage to Corey.
I'm so grateful for our living prophet and apostles and leaders, what wonderful counsel they give. Thank you, Lord, for giving your words to your servants, the prophets. Amos 3:7
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