Given what you know about community, is it possible to form a virtual community? Do you feel that you know your classmates in this online class the same as if you were in a classroom with them? Below is my response to the question:
“We know the rules of community; we know the healing effect of community in terms of individual lives. If we could somehow find a way across the bridge of our knowledge, would not these same rules have a healing effect upon our world? We human beings have often been referred to as social animals. But we are not yet community creatures. We are impelled to relate with each other for our survival. But we do not yet relate with the inclusivity, realism, self-awareness, vulnerability, commitment, openness, freedom, equality, and love of genuine community. It is clearly no longer enough to be simply social animals, babbling together at cocktail parties and brawling with each other in business and over boundaries. It is our task--our essential, central, crucial task--to transform ourselves from mere social creatures into community creatures. It is the only way that human evolution will be able to proceed.”
M. Scott Peck
The Different Drum: Community-Making and Peace
Is it possible to form a virtual community? To be so “connected” with a group of people that actual emotion exists even though there is no FtF relationship? What causes this to happen? Are we more attached to our virtual relationships than we are our physical relationships? Why is this so?
I was intrigued by Rheingold’s experience of WELL. He went to IRL parties virtually knowing everyone, but yet not knowing a single person in the room. A whole room of people who knew more about each other than perhaps any other person, yet there was not physical connection, until that moment. Rheingold felt, by his definition, that he had enough contact with these people as to form a virtual community.
Give what I know about community, I would argue that it is possible to form a virtual community. I have been in chat rooms where people who are thousands of miles away from each other know so much about each other it’s a little scary.
Do I believe this is the healthiest way to form a community? Not really. I often wonder why we are more inclined to be a part of a virtual community, and yet we don’t even know our neighbors. What does Nancy in Maine have that Joe next door, or Jane across the street don’t have? Thurlow, et al suggests that people find it exciting and rewarding to chat with people we otherwise may not have met. All of this is, of course, in proportion to the time we are willing to commit to getting in to the community. Just like it is in real life.
In a sense, I am part of a virtual community on Facebook. I chat with people in my life now, people I haven’t chatted with since high school, and I “meet” new friends through old ones. I can also connect with people who have similar interests (like photography) and who share or oppose my opinions. When my computer is on, I am logged in. It’s like a virtual presence.
As I write this I am having a conversation with someone I know in Chile, an old high school friend, someone who is in my IRL community, and someone else I met through another friend. We’re having a real party! :D It’s just that none of them know that there are other “guests.”
Tonight I was having a conversation with an acquaintance about my online classes. She was asking how they were going, how I liked them. I shared with her that the convenience was wonderful, and that I knew things about classmates I otherwise wouldn’t have known (because of our intros).
My challenge, however, is that there is no FtF time. I like being able to experience body language, voice inflection, and instant feedback on a topic of conversation. In a sense, I miss the Social Cues Thurlow, et al talk about. So, while I know about my classmates, I don’t actually “know” them. On the other hand, I am not sure they “know” me either. My writing is another world from who I am in person. It is always pre-meditated in a way and seems to convey what is going on in my head much better than the words that come out of my mouth.
Perhaps my challenge then is to find the balance Bill McKibben was talking about in 5:00 A.M. He wrote, “The question is not “Did the Indians have it right?” The question is not “Did the Amish have it right?” The question is “Can we, blessed with technology but also with nature, get it right?”
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
An Awesome Day!
Today was great! It started off with being grateful for listening to the spirit the night before, and knowing I would learn something from the day.
The night before the spirit told me to turn the ringer "on" on my phone because SubFinder might call. I did it anyway and kind of threw it aside thinking I hadn't been called in a long while. At 6:30 a.m. my phone rang and it was SubFinder. They were calling me to work at an elementary. I almost turned it down, but something said to accept it anyway. It was for a 1st grade class. I thought to myself that I should, and would have a good time with it.
Apart from all of that I had a weird thought about Autism. I don't know where it came from, but it was strange. I started to think back on a conversation I had with my grandma a few months ago about children she was working with. She shared with me about some of their idiosyncracies. All of this passed through my head not knowing why.
When I got to the school there was no lesson plan, and I started to question but decided I would still have a good time. There was a note for the sub from yesterday and the teacher pointed out a particular student and I knew he was the reason I was thinking what I was thinking this morning. When he was through the door I knew who he was. I waved at him and he gave me a big smile back.
Thirty minutes in to the day the assistant principal came and said she needed me to switch up and help. There was a sub who had a particular rapor with the student, so they were working to do some prevention. I got to move around and work the three different classes. It started out with kindergarten, moved to 2nd, and then to, well, I am not quite sure. Maybe 4th or 5th...
I have always questioned if I would be a good parent; if I had the patience to be around them; if I had the will not to kill them ;) Lately, my harshness has become softer and I have felt a change in me. Today it was as if Heavenly Father was continuing to show me I could wallk on water. I had such a fun time with the kids and I was so happy.
When I was driving home, it was so clear, "You will be okay. You will be a a good mom and you will survive." What I marvelous lesson I learned today, and all because I chose to listen to the spirit.
The night before the spirit told me to turn the ringer "on" on my phone because SubFinder might call. I did it anyway and kind of threw it aside thinking I hadn't been called in a long while. At 6:30 a.m. my phone rang and it was SubFinder. They were calling me to work at an elementary. I almost turned it down, but something said to accept it anyway. It was for a 1st grade class. I thought to myself that I should, and would have a good time with it.
Apart from all of that I had a weird thought about Autism. I don't know where it came from, but it was strange. I started to think back on a conversation I had with my grandma a few months ago about children she was working with. She shared with me about some of their idiosyncracies. All of this passed through my head not knowing why.
When I got to the school there was no lesson plan, and I started to question but decided I would still have a good time. There was a note for the sub from yesterday and the teacher pointed out a particular student and I knew he was the reason I was thinking what I was thinking this morning. When he was through the door I knew who he was. I waved at him and he gave me a big smile back.
Thirty minutes in to the day the assistant principal came and said she needed me to switch up and help. There was a sub who had a particular rapor with the student, so they were working to do some prevention. I got to move around and work the three different classes. It started out with kindergarten, moved to 2nd, and then to, well, I am not quite sure. Maybe 4th or 5th...
I have always questioned if I would be a good parent; if I had the patience to be around them; if I had the will not to kill them ;) Lately, my harshness has become softer and I have felt a change in me. Today it was as if Heavenly Father was continuing to show me I could wallk on water. I had such a fun time with the kids and I was so happy.
When I was driving home, it was so clear, "You will be okay. You will be a a good mom and you will survive." What I marvelous lesson I learned today, and all because I chose to listen to the spirit.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
PostSecret.com
Through another person's blog I found this Web site called PostSecret.com. People make postcards and write their secret on it and send it to this person back east. A book or two have been published with these "secrets" being the topic of discussion.I have been pondering this morning about CMC and FtF communication as we have been discussing it in my class. One of my classmates brought up that she had gotten in to an argument with her son via text message the other day. I thought how interesting that was that he would confront his mother through a form of technology rather than facing up to what was bothering him face-to-face.
Have we really digressed so far in our communication that we have failed to learn how to deal with things in person? This is one of the reasons I refuse to get into an argument via text message, through e-mail, or via IM. There is no inflection of voice, no body language, no eye-to-eye contact.How is it that we have let technology take over our lives to the point that we have sacrificed important knowledge about communication? Niel Postman in his article Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change argues that technology gives and technology takes away. We will always sacrifice something in the wake of change.
"Perhaps the best way I can express this idea is to say that the question, "What will a new technology do?" is no more important than the question, "What will a new technology undo?" Indeed, the latter question is more important, precisely because it is asked so infrequently... In fact, if it were up to me, I would forbid anyone from talking about the new information technologies unless the person can demonstrate that he or she knows something about the social and psychic effects of the alphabet, the mechanical clock, the printing press, and telegraphy. In other words, knows something about the costs of great technologies."
Some gain, some lose, a few remain the same. What has technology done for you? What has it undone for you? Is it a benefit, or a hinderance in your life?
Friday, January 09, 2009
Love deep, hurt deep
I was ruminating on some recent happenings in my life today as I walked the streets of Salt Lake City. My heart is sad, and it hurts. I was thinking about why and voiced this thought out loud to a friend. In response, she said something that I have been chewing on all day.
She said, " Your heart was open to him, you made a decision to care about him. And not just kind care but deeply care. Now that its over and you may be hurt, the impressions he left on your heart are deep. Its not something just just get over. Because you love deeply, you hurt deeply."
While all of the other stuff is true, the last sentence is what struck me. Did I love him? I believe so. Do I still? Yes. In every sense of the word that I have been able to study in the last five weeks of my life, I believe I do. Now, that being said... Because I chose to open my heart to something so wonderful, I also chose to open my heart to the same opposition.
I believe it falls in with how I feel about sharing the gospel. It truly is a love in my life. It makes me happy and I enjoy seeing how it changes other people's lives. As I open my heart to that and come to love the people, I also open my heart to the pains of them walking away from what they know to be true.
In life we wish for all sorts of things, we wish over lots of things. Most of the time we don't wish for the easy things, we wish for the big things. Things that are out of reach. We wish that our words didn't have to be half-spoken. We wish that we could have that stupid sentence back again. We wish that we could just love deep, and that is how it would be for the rest of forever. We wish for a lot of things.
But for now, we walk the path of uncertainty knowing that if we open our heart to love, we also open it up to everything else out there. The question is, are we strong enough to overcome that which has been put on our plate? Will we humble ourselves enough to open our eyes, look up, and ask for the strength we don't have ourselves? Will we stay to learn the lesson, or will we walk away? Words were never meant to be half-spoken.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Emma Smith
This morning I was watching a preview to the Emma Smith movie and she said something that struck me and I got chills as I thought about it. On the day the Relief Society was organized she said, "We are going to do something extraordinary... We expect extraordinary occasions and pressing calls."
Maybe she knew how amazing this organization would be one day, maybe she didn't. How amazing it is to be a part of the largest women's organization in the world! The Prophet Joseph said, " I now turn the key in your behalf in the name of the Lord, and this Society shall rejoice, and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time henceforth; this is the beginning of better days to the poor and needy, who shall be made to rejoice and pour forth blessings on your heads."
How amazing it is to know that Emma, who always had a strong desire to serve others and build God's kingdom, was the first leader of such an organization. Emma's heart was so tender. She was always about the Lord's work. Emma, who lost so much, loved until the very end. She who was not afraid to swim in deep waters.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Robes from Rags
For the past few months I have sought to put into words my appreciation for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Going through some notes looking for a Family Home Evening lesson I taught not too long ago, I found the statement “Robes from Rags.” Then the statement came so clear, “Each of us deserves to be wrapped in robes.” Through the Atonement we can literally be changed to robes of glory from rags of sin, heartache, and self-doubt.
Alma, in teaching the people throughout the land, said, “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? … I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?” (Alma 5:16-19).
I think about the early Christians and everything they went through for their testimony of Jesus Christ. They were burned at the stake, they had their flesh torn from them, were buried alive, and were put into dens with half-starved lions or tigers to name a few things. They suffered some of the deepest and greatest pains, and yet in their dying breath still called out to Jesus. Vaughn J. Featherstone said, “It was as though they could already see Him.”
When I read those words I asked myself if my relationship with Christ was such that I could see Him in my life? Would I know Him if he were walking by my side on the road to Emmaus? How then do I come to know my Savior?
There is a covenant God has made with the house of Israel saying, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33). How is it then that the law will be written in our hearts? “We must live worthy to have the Holy Ghost with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of our lives,” said Elder Featherstone further explains.
The Holy Ghost is perhaps the most important gift we can receive in this life. It is the source of joy, peace, knowledge, strength, love, and every good thing we have in our lives. With the Atonement, it is the power by which we are changed and the weak are made strong. It is the power by which Christ makes himself manifest to all those who seek Him. Every good thing in our lives depends on getting and keeping the Holy Ghost with us in our lives.
We must pray for the courage that we can maintain the Spirit in our lives to be led continually in the paths of the Lord. If you have the Spirit with you, you will not fall to temptation. The Spirit carries with it the gift of discernment. That gift will help us know what is right and what is wrong. The gift, however, will be taken away from us if we do not maintain the Spirit.
Secondly, to know Him we must testify of the Living Christ. How often do we testify of the things we hold most precious and dear in this life? We ought to be testifying everyday. Opportunities will always come and as we testify we will build greater faith. We can never be afraid to share the gospel. It is the good news. We must develop the faith to find those who are seeking light in their lives. We talk with everyone and go about doing good.
“To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful” (D&C 4:13-14).
“And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh… and all this will I do… for ye have desired that ye might being the souls of men unto me… yea, your joy shall be full… and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one” (3 Ne. 28:9-10, italics added).
This is how we will put the His law in our inward parts, and it will be written in our hearts. This is how we can cast off the rags in our lives. Of course, as we learn to put off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ, we must become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things” (Mosiah 3:19).
Elder David A. Bednar said, “The purpose of our mortal journey is not merely to see the sights on earth or to expend our allotment of time on self-centered pursuits, rather, we are to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), to become sanctified by yielding out hearts unto God (Hel. 3:35), and to obtain the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).”
Everything in this life tells us to satisfy the natural man, to live life your own way, to do your own thing, and to be “yourself.” So much in this world fights against the path that will bring true happiness. There are things that will kill us by degrees, and justification until we are bound by Satan’s flaxen cords. But filth is filth no matter how you look at it. Henry Drummond helps us to understand the attitude of many:
I lived for myself, I thought for myself,
For myself, and none beside —
Jut as if Jesus had never lived,
As if He had never died.
[The Greatest Thing in the World, 40]
But no one can ignore Jesus Christ. He taught, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He said, “Follow me.” Furthermore, “What manner of men (and women) ought ye to be? … even as I am” (3 Ne. 27:27). He may be treated lightly, but he cannot be ignored.
Napoleon Bonaparte, in speaking of the Savior, said: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I, myself, have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force! Jesus alone founded His empire upon love; and to this very day millions would die for Him. I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you all these were men, and I am a man. No other is like Him. Jesus Christ was more than a man. I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me, but to do this, it was necessary that I should be visibly present with the electric influence of my looks, of my words, of my voice. Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man toward the Unseen that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, He makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy. He asks for the human heart. He will have it unconditionally, and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man’s creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength, nor put a limit to its range. This is what strikes me the most. I have often thought of it. This it is which proves to me quite convincingly the divinity of Jesus Christ.” [Thoughts Inspired by the Christmas Tide, 24-25].
The Atonement is a voluntary and love-inspired sacrifice on part of the Savior. It is universal in its application so far as we will accept this means of deliverance that is placed within our reach.
Gospel wisdom constantly urges us to put off the natural man. It is only when we do that true happiness can be found. Many may look at the path and think the way is too hard, but it is the only sensible way. Life is hard, but the gospel is not. “There is an opposition in all things,” for everyone, everywhere. Not just for certain individuals. Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge teaches, “We can either follow the Lord and be endowed with His power and have peace, light, strength, knowledge, confidence, love, and joy, or we can go some other way, any other way, whatever other way, and go it alone — without His support, without His power, without guidance, in darkness, turmoil, doubt, grief, and despair. And I ask, which way is easier?”
Is it easier to fight the daily battles with, or without, power from on high? I have fought the battles both ways, and I know that the Lord’s way is the only way to go. It is only by allowing the Atonement of Christ to work in your life that you will have this power.
Too many times we may look at a past sin or transgression in our life and say it’s too hard and give up. But I can testify to you that it is harder to keep than it is to give up, and that any pain you have to endure to get rid of it is worth so much more when all is said and done. Changes are meant to make us better, to take us closer to our Heavenly Father. Get on the path and never, never, never give up. Keep on going no matter what the cost is. The path is marked. Don’t get off the path thinking another way will be easier. You will make it. Christ taught, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;… and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt 11:29).
What lies before us will be hard, but it will be wonderful. We will be tested, and we will win. Along the way we will each have our own personal Gethsemane-type experiences, but that is ok. It is what life is all about. With the things that drive us to Gethsemane, there will be glorious mountain peaks of joy that will compensate for every moment of suffering. “The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 13:3).
Pains that we suffer are such a small part of life as a while. It doesn’t last unless we allow it to. Joy found through the Atonement will be everlasting and can be such a large part of our lives. It will last as long as we seek for it and allow it to.
“Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake
[Come, Come Ye Saints]
Just as the early Christian saints gave everything, including their lives, to know Jesus Christ, we too must give everything we have. The Atonement can, and should, be having an affect on our lives daily. It fills the gap of who we are and who we ought to be. It is because of the Atonement of Christ that we can be justified and worthy to stand before the Lord.
Through the Atonement of Christ we will be wrapped in robes of glory and we will become His people. Each of us deserves to be wrapped in robes. “Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. Look unto me in every thought” (D&C 6:35-36). The gospel provides us with “arms of safety”. Through the Atonement we can feel God’s love for us and feel His arms wrapped securely around us. And each week we can partake of the sweet bread and the refreshing water as we prayerfully seek spiritual healing, hoping and pleading to hear the words: “Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice” (D&C 110:5).
As we prayerfully seek this healing we are commanded to repent and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits while partaking of the sacrament. In partaking of the sacrament we covenant with God that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments. When we keep our end of the bargain, the Lord renews yet again the cleansing effect of our baptism. We are made clean again and we can always have His Spirit to be with us.
So, with Alma I ask, “if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” I know that by allowing the cleansing effects of the Atonement into our lives daily, we will be able to answer yes, and with confidence stand and testify of the Living Christ. I know that this is the only way home, and I know that it is only be enduring to the end that we will receive one day a fullness of the gospel and be welcomed back into the arms of our Heavenly Father hearing the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into my rest.”
Alma, in teaching the people throughout the land, said, “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? … I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?” (Alma 5:16-19).
I think about the early Christians and everything they went through for their testimony of Jesus Christ. They were burned at the stake, they had their flesh torn from them, were buried alive, and were put into dens with half-starved lions or tigers to name a few things. They suffered some of the deepest and greatest pains, and yet in their dying breath still called out to Jesus. Vaughn J. Featherstone said, “It was as though they could already see Him.”
When I read those words I asked myself if my relationship with Christ was such that I could see Him in my life? Would I know Him if he were walking by my side on the road to Emmaus? How then do I come to know my Savior?
There is a covenant God has made with the house of Israel saying, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33). How is it then that the law will be written in our hearts? “We must live worthy to have the Holy Ghost with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of our lives,” said Elder Featherstone further explains.
The Holy Ghost is perhaps the most important gift we can receive in this life. It is the source of joy, peace, knowledge, strength, love, and every good thing we have in our lives. With the Atonement, it is the power by which we are changed and the weak are made strong. It is the power by which Christ makes himself manifest to all those who seek Him. Every good thing in our lives depends on getting and keeping the Holy Ghost with us in our lives.
We must pray for the courage that we can maintain the Spirit in our lives to be led continually in the paths of the Lord. If you have the Spirit with you, you will not fall to temptation. The Spirit carries with it the gift of discernment. That gift will help us know what is right and what is wrong. The gift, however, will be taken away from us if we do not maintain the Spirit.
Secondly, to know Him we must testify of the Living Christ. How often do we testify of the things we hold most precious and dear in this life? We ought to be testifying everyday. Opportunities will always come and as we testify we will build greater faith. We can never be afraid to share the gospel. It is the good news. We must develop the faith to find those who are seeking light in their lives. We talk with everyone and go about doing good.
“To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful” (D&C 4:13-14).
“And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh… and all this will I do… for ye have desired that ye might being the souls of men unto me… yea, your joy shall be full… and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one” (3 Ne. 28:9-10, italics added).
This is how we will put the His law in our inward parts, and it will be written in our hearts. This is how we can cast off the rags in our lives. Of course, as we learn to put off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ, we must become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things” (Mosiah 3:19).
Elder David A. Bednar said, “The purpose of our mortal journey is not merely to see the sights on earth or to expend our allotment of time on self-centered pursuits, rather, we are to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), to become sanctified by yielding out hearts unto God (Hel. 3:35), and to obtain the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).”
Everything in this life tells us to satisfy the natural man, to live life your own way, to do your own thing, and to be “yourself.” So much in this world fights against the path that will bring true happiness. There are things that will kill us by degrees, and justification until we are bound by Satan’s flaxen cords. But filth is filth no matter how you look at it. Henry Drummond helps us to understand the attitude of many:
I lived for myself, I thought for myself,
For myself, and none beside —
Jut as if Jesus had never lived,
As if He had never died.
[The Greatest Thing in the World, 40]
But no one can ignore Jesus Christ. He taught, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He said, “Follow me.” Furthermore, “What manner of men (and women) ought ye to be? … even as I am” (3 Ne. 27:27). He may be treated lightly, but he cannot be ignored.
Napoleon Bonaparte, in speaking of the Savior, said: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I, myself, have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force! Jesus alone founded His empire upon love; and to this very day millions would die for Him. I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you all these were men, and I am a man. No other is like Him. Jesus Christ was more than a man. I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me, but to do this, it was necessary that I should be visibly present with the electric influence of my looks, of my words, of my voice. Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man toward the Unseen that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, He makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy. He asks for the human heart. He will have it unconditionally, and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man’s creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength, nor put a limit to its range. This is what strikes me the most. I have often thought of it. This it is which proves to me quite convincingly the divinity of Jesus Christ.” [Thoughts Inspired by the Christmas Tide, 24-25].
The Atonement is a voluntary and love-inspired sacrifice on part of the Savior. It is universal in its application so far as we will accept this means of deliverance that is placed within our reach.
Gospel wisdom constantly urges us to put off the natural man. It is only when we do that true happiness can be found. Many may look at the path and think the way is too hard, but it is the only sensible way. Life is hard, but the gospel is not. “There is an opposition in all things,” for everyone, everywhere. Not just for certain individuals. Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge teaches, “We can either follow the Lord and be endowed with His power and have peace, light, strength, knowledge, confidence, love, and joy, or we can go some other way, any other way, whatever other way, and go it alone — without His support, without His power, without guidance, in darkness, turmoil, doubt, grief, and despair. And I ask, which way is easier?”
Is it easier to fight the daily battles with, or without, power from on high? I have fought the battles both ways, and I know that the Lord’s way is the only way to go. It is only by allowing the Atonement of Christ to work in your life that you will have this power.
Too many times we may look at a past sin or transgression in our life and say it’s too hard and give up. But I can testify to you that it is harder to keep than it is to give up, and that any pain you have to endure to get rid of it is worth so much more when all is said and done. Changes are meant to make us better, to take us closer to our Heavenly Father. Get on the path and never, never, never give up. Keep on going no matter what the cost is. The path is marked. Don’t get off the path thinking another way will be easier. You will make it. Christ taught, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;… and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt 11:29).
What lies before us will be hard, but it will be wonderful. We will be tested, and we will win. Along the way we will each have our own personal Gethsemane-type experiences, but that is ok. It is what life is all about. With the things that drive us to Gethsemane, there will be glorious mountain peaks of joy that will compensate for every moment of suffering. “The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 13:3).
Pains that we suffer are such a small part of life as a while. It doesn’t last unless we allow it to. Joy found through the Atonement will be everlasting and can be such a large part of our lives. It will last as long as we seek for it and allow it to.
“Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake
[Come, Come Ye Saints]
Just as the early Christian saints gave everything, including their lives, to know Jesus Christ, we too must give everything we have. The Atonement can, and should, be having an affect on our lives daily. It fills the gap of who we are and who we ought to be. It is because of the Atonement of Christ that we can be justified and worthy to stand before the Lord.
Through the Atonement of Christ we will be wrapped in robes of glory and we will become His people. Each of us deserves to be wrapped in robes. “Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. Look unto me in every thought” (D&C 6:35-36). The gospel provides us with “arms of safety”. Through the Atonement we can feel God’s love for us and feel His arms wrapped securely around us. And each week we can partake of the sweet bread and the refreshing water as we prayerfully seek spiritual healing, hoping and pleading to hear the words: “Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice” (D&C 110:5).
As we prayerfully seek this healing we are commanded to repent and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits while partaking of the sacrament. In partaking of the sacrament we covenant with God that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments. When we keep our end of the bargain, the Lord renews yet again the cleansing effect of our baptism. We are made clean again and we can always have His Spirit to be with us.
So, with Alma I ask, “if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” I know that by allowing the cleansing effects of the Atonement into our lives daily, we will be able to answer yes, and with confidence stand and testify of the Living Christ. I know that this is the only way home, and I know that it is only be enduring to the end that we will receive one day a fullness of the gospel and be welcomed back into the arms of our Heavenly Father hearing the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into my rest.”
Friday, January 02, 2009
Section: FBOX 44 Row: E
We're going to Boston! A few people have asked about my FaceBook status and those numbers mean we will be behind home plate, up five rows at the Red Sox v. Yankees game in August! Jami and I are stoked. She runs around giddy like a little school girl and it makes me laugh.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Control
Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?
Having experienced some things growing up, I have striven to have control over that which I can. School, sports, church, etc. As a result I formed a very red personality, with blue undertones. Now, this can be good and it can also be bad... I naturally fall into leadership patterns and I formed somewhat of a male personality that has gotten me into some trouble here and there.
I am very headstrong in many aspects of my life, but there come times when I allow passivity to take over. When I know what I want, I fight for it. I do everything I need to do to get there. Now, on the other hand there are times when I am not so sure what I want, or there is something I crave to have in my life, and thus the passivity to gain said thing. I have trained myself in the art of conversation to get what I want while the other person thinks they are making the decision (maybe I shouldn't be writing that...), or I create a presentation in such a way that others see what I want and desire the same thing. Having said that, I am not sure if it's a blessing or a challenge to overcome.
A friend posted some wonderful insights that brought some clarity to my head. Too often we allow emotion to overtake us when in fact we should be looking for the confirmation of the Holy Ghost. She wrote, "When Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in answer to his prayer, that confirmation changed the will of his life. Every thing he did from then on out was dependent on that first version, that is commitment, that is conversion, that is true stability, that is what the holy ghost can do to us when we go to the lord with real intent. GIVES CLARITY IN A WAY LOVE CANNOT... But on the other hand when we try to live our lives without confirmation by the Holy Ghost, the shifting values creep in, weariness, inconsistencies blurs our vision, and we are enveloped in insecurities that stop our progression. WE can never truly commit to that significant other, to that job, to that choice. There is no safety net when there is no confirmation. Confirmation increases trust and secures of hearts to know we can carry out our choices. When you just know!"
It is the confirmation that allows us to have a certain degree of control as we give our will over to Heavenly Father and allow him to shape us as the clay on the potters wheel. Only when we give our will up for that of what Heavenly Father wants for us can we truly be happy and understand all the blessings He has in store for us. So, does control really matter? What do we do with the other 90% of our time, talents, and all the Lord has blessed us with? We are the ones blessed with agency over our lives and only we can give our will and heart to the Lord to allow him to make of us the grand creation he knows we can be.
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Having experienced some things growing up, I have striven to have control over that which I can. School, sports, church, etc. As a result I formed a very red personality, with blue undertones. Now, this can be good and it can also be bad... I naturally fall into leadership patterns and I formed somewhat of a male personality that has gotten me into some trouble here and there.
I am very headstrong in many aspects of my life, but there come times when I allow passivity to take over. When I know what I want, I fight for it. I do everything I need to do to get there. Now, on the other hand there are times when I am not so sure what I want, or there is something I crave to have in my life, and thus the passivity to gain said thing. I have trained myself in the art of conversation to get what I want while the other person thinks they are making the decision (maybe I shouldn't be writing that...), or I create a presentation in such a way that others see what I want and desire the same thing. Having said that, I am not sure if it's a blessing or a challenge to overcome.
A friend posted some wonderful insights that brought some clarity to my head. Too often we allow emotion to overtake us when in fact we should be looking for the confirmation of the Holy Ghost. She wrote, "When Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in answer to his prayer, that confirmation changed the will of his life. Every thing he did from then on out was dependent on that first version, that is commitment, that is conversion, that is true stability, that is what the holy ghost can do to us when we go to the lord with real intent. GIVES CLARITY IN A WAY LOVE CANNOT... But on the other hand when we try to live our lives without confirmation by the Holy Ghost, the shifting values creep in, weariness, inconsistencies blurs our vision, and we are enveloped in insecurities that stop our progression. WE can never truly commit to that significant other, to that job, to that choice. There is no safety net when there is no confirmation. Confirmation increases trust and secures of hearts to know we can carry out our choices. When you just know!"
It is the confirmation that allows us to have a certain degree of control as we give our will over to Heavenly Father and allow him to shape us as the clay on the potters wheel. Only when we give our will up for that of what Heavenly Father wants for us can we truly be happy and understand all the blessings He has in store for us. So, does control really matter? What do we do with the other 90% of our time, talents, and all the Lord has blessed us with? We are the ones blessed with agency over our lives and only we can give our will and heart to the Lord to allow him to make of us the grand creation he knows we can be.
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