Scripture Thought
1 Nephi 8:25
When we read this verse, we often think of those who are ashamed to say the are members of the church, that they believe in Christ, that they are cooler than those goodie two shoes who do believe. Why? How can one come to the realization of who they are, that there is a Heavenly Father that loves them, and yet turn their backs on such glory?
I spend a great deal of time thinking about this.
The first word that comes to mind is Pride. Is it pride that makes them ashamed. I don't know. It is hard to describe. Their pride prohibits them from humbling themselves before God. Then on the other hand it is a lack of pride that prohibits them from standing up for God.
These people worked hard to get where they were. I don't think it is the building that is distracting them. If it were, they would have been trying to make it there instead of the tree. There weakness is in what those in the building think of them. Do the people in the building really care? Are they really thinking poorly of those partaking of the fruit?
I don't think so. Those in the building only think of themselves. They have made it to this building that looked so grand, only to find out it is not what it appeared to be. Now they want to do something to make it better for them. How? They need to have something beneath them. If they can belittle someone, bolster their own egos, and appear to better in their own minds, then maybe they will be happy. They don't care what others are doing, they only care about themselves.
Yet there are many who spend a great deal of time worrying about what others think of them. In their minds, they create this false image of what they think others think, and it is all just that a fabrication. How do they rid themselves of such a burden? They have a choice, either move to the building and start mocking others to create a new fabrication that they are better than others. Or they turn to the Lord, recognize that they are royalty, sons and daughters of the most high and that no one can change that. They must continue holding fast to the rod and moving forward with faith.
Look a head a few verses. 1 Nephi 8:38. We learn that these people who do not choose to follow Christ lose sight of endless happiness. They begin to focus on short term praises of the world that will vanish with the world.
So, is there a way to avoid such down fall? I think there is. It is call service. We must look for the opportunity to serve others, to lift them up, not put them down. In this, we lift up ourselves as well. We cannot let the calling to serve become a burden. We must put our hearts, mind, and strength into it. We must find glory in others.
Like Lehi, we must search for others to join us and then beckon them. We must love them to the rod, cheer for them along the way, hold their hand in necessary. In this we find pride in our testimonies, in our value as sons and daughters, and can fight the continual mocking of Lucifer and his minions.
When we read this verse, we often think of those who are ashamed to say the are members of the church, that they believe in Christ, that they are cooler than those goodie two shoes who do believe. Why? How can one come to the realization of who they are, that there is a Heavenly Father that loves them, and yet turn their backs on such glory?
I spend a great deal of time thinking about this.
The first word that comes to mind is Pride. Is it pride that makes them ashamed. I don't know. It is hard to describe. Their pride prohibits them from humbling themselves before God. Then on the other hand it is a lack of pride that prohibits them from standing up for God.
These people worked hard to get where they were. I don't think it is the building that is distracting them. If it were, they would have been trying to make it there instead of the tree. There weakness is in what those in the building think of them. Do the people in the building really care? Are they really thinking poorly of those partaking of the fruit?
I don't think so. Those in the building only think of themselves. They have made it to this building that looked so grand, only to find out it is not what it appeared to be. Now they want to do something to make it better for them. How? They need to have something beneath them. If they can belittle someone, bolster their own egos, and appear to better in their own minds, then maybe they will be happy. They don't care what others are doing, they only care about themselves.
Yet there are many who spend a great deal of time worrying about what others think of them. In their minds, they create this false image of what they think others think, and it is all just that a fabrication. How do they rid themselves of such a burden? They have a choice, either move to the building and start mocking others to create a new fabrication that they are better than others. Or they turn to the Lord, recognize that they are royalty, sons and daughters of the most high and that no one can change that. They must continue holding fast to the rod and moving forward with faith.
Look a head a few verses. 1 Nephi 8:38. We learn that these people who do not choose to follow Christ lose sight of endless happiness. They begin to focus on short term praises of the world that will vanish with the world.
So, is there a way to avoid such down fall? I think there is. It is call service. We must look for the opportunity to serve others, to lift them up, not put them down. In this, we lift up ourselves as well. We cannot let the calling to serve become a burden. We must put our hearts, mind, and strength into it. We must find glory in others.
Like Lehi, we must search for others to join us and then beckon them. We must love them to the rod, cheer for them along the way, hold their hand in necessary. In this we find pride in our testimonies, in our value as sons and daughters, and can fight the continual mocking of Lucifer and his minions.
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