Putting off the Natural Man

I would like to make this blog more interactive. I feel that would motivate me to write more often and create some great discussions. Here goes my first attempt at shifting the focus of the blog to make it more interactive:

I've put a lot of thought over the years into the following scripture from King Benjamin's sermon in the Book of Mormon:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)

There are a lot of things to learn from this verse and from the sermon that it comes from. One of the things that I've wondered about a lot are the attributes of the "natural man" and the "saint."

I would love to hear thoughts regarding these questions from anyone who reads this blog. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

What are some of the attributes that you have noticed of the natural man? The saint? 

One observation I've made (and experienced in myself) is that the natural man is a lazy man. I don't condemn relaxing and having leisure by any means, because there is a difference between leisure and laziness. Many times I have realized that I'm very unproductive with my time because of the thoughts and feelings of the natural man. "It's not that important to get that done today," the natural man tells me. "Look at everything you've done in the past. You're ahead of where other people are at in this aspect of your development. Just coast for a while," the natural man coaxes and persuades. Then I give in to the idea of doing nothing that evening, or that weekend, and the natural man wins.

The saint, on the other hand, is productive. The saint makes time for work, relaxation, leisure, meditation... but not for idleness. There is no place in the life of a saint for wasted time. The natural man in each of us would have us all judging each other and calling into question anything that everyone else does and how we spend our time. However, we are not the judges. God is the judge. He knows whether you are making time for the necessary relaxation time in your life or whether you are wasting time idly on pursuits that do not bring benefit to your life or the lives of those around you.

How have you seen success in putting off the attributes of the natural man and developing the attributes of a saint?

The times when I win the fight against the natural man are the times when I focus on the bigger picture. I know that every person I encounter each day is a child of God. I try to think the best of everyone. When I remember that perspective, it motivates me to take actions that the natural man would have persuaded me to avoid or procrastinate. I feel success in putting off the natural man when I don't put off the things that I need to do to improve my life and the lives of other people.

Creative Ways to Share the Gospel

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing in my life. It defines who I am, and especially who I want to become. Sharing the knowledge that I have of God's plan for us as His children is one of the most important things I can do with my life.

I really like this example of missionaries who used the talents that they have in order to help people learn about the gospel. It makes me wonder... how can I best utilize the gifts and talents I have been given in order to share the gospel?

http://sethadamsmith.com/2011/04/24/russian-missionaries/

Tragedy and Triumph

There have been a lot of events recently throughout the world that have caused me to reflect on the nature of mankind, the choices that people make, and the effects of tragic events in general. From the Boston Marathon attack to the tornado that tore apart Moore, Oklahoma to the sickening murder of a British soldier in the streets of London, many things have given us all cause to mourn.

Although I mourn for the lives that have been lost and torn apart by tragedy, yet I have hope for mankind. I know that both God and Satan are real, and I see every day the influence of both of them in my life and the lives of those around me. Some people lose faith in God when they see the suffering that they have to experience. This doesn't need to happen. When we understand God's plan more completely, we can draw nearer to Him when tragedy strikes instead of pushing Him away.

I know that God's plan for us is dependent on the principle of agency. God will not force us to choose His ways, and so He allows us to make bad choices. However, He prepared a way for us to repent of the bad choices that we make through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ.

As time goes on, we will see a continuing polarization in the society of the world. There are going to be frequent causes to mourn. However, it is essential that we also see the reasons to rejoice. Look for the courage and strength of those who are helping and those who are standing up to the sources of evil and tragedy. Recognize the first responders, honor the victims who show the strength of the human soul, praise the people who sacrifice time, sweat, blood, and money to give to those who have lost so much. Choose to be among those who help. You never know when you might be the one suffering and feeling eternally grateful for someone giving to help you.

God loves you. He always has, He always will. The worth of every human soul is greater than the combined wealth of the entire world. Let us treat each other with that knowledge in mind.

I'm Planning on Writing a Book

One of the biggest questions that mankind asks is why there is so much suffering in the world. As I've gotten to know my family and friends, I have seen that everyone experiences difficulties, pain, and trials. However, I've seen that many of these same people who have experienced so much suffering also have a lot of joy in their lives.

What I would like to do is write a book to pull together the wisdom and experience of as many people as I can to help all of us get a bit more insight into a few different things:

• Why does all of the suffering happen?
• How can a loving God allow the suffering?
• How should we best approach the trials we face in order to grow and progress from them?
• What should we do to find joy in our lives?

These aren't the only things that I would hope to address, but those are among the main questions that have led me to decide that I want to write this book. 

I plan on using lots of sources to bring everything together, but one of the very important sources I'd like to use is interviewing my friends and family members to get your insights. Please let me know if you would like to talk sometime about your experiences and your thoughts on the why and how of suffering and joy in our lives. I need your help!

Dealing with Tragedy in Boston

I absolutely love living here in Boston. The people I have met here and the experiences that I have had are treasured blessings in my life. Yesterday, there was a shadow of grief that was cast over our city alongside the joys and triumphs of the Boston Marathon, one of the greatest annual sporting events. If you are suffering right now, please reach out to me. I would love to provide comfort for you in any way that I can, even if that just means a listening ear for you to talk to.

My biggest hope and prayer in this time of tragedy in Boston is that each of us can soften our hearts and become closer to God through these experiences that we have. As more details are revealed and we discover who is responsible for these acts of violence, may we all find the courage and strength to forgive them.

I do not mean for mercy to rob justice, for that is not how God works. There are consequences that come as a result of committing such acts, and it should be so. However, I also know that filling ourselves with hatred, anger, and bitterness will not help anyone. Those emotions are like poison filling our souls, and they will only serve to create sadness in our lives. God has given us our agency, and we are free to choose. Although we do not choose to be struck by tragic events, we can choose how we respond to them.

The Savior taught us during the Sermon on the Mount how we should treat our enemies, found in Matthew 5:43-45:

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God has also spoken to us about forgiveness through His modern Apostles. James E. Faust, an Apostle who passed away on August 10, 2007, gave a marvelous talk about forgiveness. President Faust described what happened after the incident of the milkman who murdered five of the daughters of the Amish community, injured five others, and then took his own life. We can all learn a powerful lesson from the miraculous power of forgiveness that the Amish people had in their hearts because of their faith in Christ.

President Faust described another story that is particularly poignant, given the events that happened yesterday here in Boston (emphasis added).

Here in Salt Lake City in 1985, Bishop Steven Christensen, through no fault of his own, was cruelly and senselessly killed by a bomb intended to take his life. He was the son of Mac and Joan Christensen, the husband of Terri, and the father of four children. With his parents’ consent, I share what they learned from this experience. After this terrible deed, the news media followed members of the Christensen family around relentlessly. On one occasion this media intrusion offended one of the family members to the point that Steven’s father, Mac, had to restrain him. Mac then thought, “This thing will destroy my family if we don’t forgive. Venom and hatred will never end if we do not get it out of our system.” Healing and peace came as the family cleansed their hearts from anger and were able to forgive the man who took their son’s life.

Forgiveness, not anger or hatred, is the answer that will bring the peace that we are all seeking in this time of suffering. I hope that each person who reads this will turn to the Lord and ask for His help in being able to find forgiveness. Peace and comfort will surely come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace.  

FREE Album from BYU Men's Chorus!

One of the most incredible experiences that I've had in my life is the two years that I spent as a member of BYU Men's Chorus. Though I've graduated and moved across the country, I still follow things that are going on with this choir because I loved it so much. The BYU Men's Chorus just released an album of beloved missionary hymns that is available for free download here. I invite you to feel of the joy of missionary work through the powerful music on this album. Enjoy!

Sunday Will Come

This is an excerpt from one of my favorite talks given by Joseph B. Wirthlin. For the full talk, visit this link: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/sunday-will-come?lang=eng


In all the history of the world there have been many great and wise souls, many of whom claimed special knowledge of God. But when the Savior rose from the tomb, He did something no one had ever done. He did something no one else could do. He broke the bonds of death, not only for Himself but for all who have ever lived—the just and the unjust.

When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant.

On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

(2006 October General Conference, Sunday Will Come, Sat. Afternoon Session - Joseph B. Wirthlin)