Adding stones to the mix for strength
Here we are, another week. What has been on your mind this week? I have been thinking about the Cement. Yep, the Gospel that holds it all together. When you think about it, that type of foundation has to be huge. I don't know about you, but sometimes it is pretty hard to just do it all, right? That is why we are asked to build it little by little, precept upon precept. When I think of building the foundation for this mansion, I think of the house my grand father built. It started out small, just for him and his eternal companion. Over the years he expanded it. He add more foundation, he dug out a basement, he added additional rooms, he built up and out. Each time he did so, he had to make sure his foundation was strong enough for what he was building. Each time he had to check to make sure that the foundation he had built was still intact. We have to do the same.
So, what is the Gospel, the cement? When we read 3 Nephi 27:13-22 it gives a large and broad definition of the Gospel, but the gist is that we are here to learn to do the will of God, our Father. Jesus came to do that, He asks us to do that. He knows that our foundations will be weak, crack, and break at times, but through Him, He will help us make it stronger. He has taught us, through example and scripture, precepts and principles that we need to learn to live that will bring our wills closer to our Father's will. Each one of these principles or precepts are what make our foundations stronger.
Any who, the cement is Faith - that they will be stronger and better for us. Obedience - to living the precept, principle, law, or ordinance. Sacrifice - the desires of the natural man who does not want to live those principles or precepts. Repentance - change from the ways of that natural man to the ways of God, our Father. Covenants - that outward ordinance that we are committed to live according to these laws, precepts or principles, like baptism, confirmation, the sacrament, receiving the priesthood or callings through the priesthood, temple ordinances, etc. Finally, Enduring - living them to the best of our ability, every minute, every day, forever.
Living this way is what binds our foundation. The Laws, Precepts, Principles are what is being bound together. Remember Cement by itself is just a binding substance. We need to bind several things together to make it strong, like stone, gravel, or sand. Really they are all inter related. The stones are the big things like the commandments. We could then take each commandment and break it down to be more specific - the gravel. Then each piece of gravel could be broken down to a finer way of living those commandments - sand. When combined, with the cement - faith, obedience, sacrifice, repentance, covenants, and enduring - it becomes a strong foundation.
For example, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - Big Stone. Naming what kind of gods people might worship, the sun, the moon, water, dirt, wind, fire, etc... These could be gravel. But what about sand? Really, anything that we have in our lives that we put more importance on than God the Father, is putting another god before Him. As we evaluate and look at our lives, we learn more and more of those things we might need to change or repent of to make our foundation stronger.
Each one of the commandments can be a foundation, addition, or expansion of our foundation. Can you think of some that are really hard to live in the world right now? Listen to the words of the Prophets that were spoken this weekend. What concerns them or in reality God, the Father? Sabbath Day, Loving our Neighbor as ourselves, Adultery/Chasity/Pornography in all its shapes, sizes, and forms, etc... Do you have faith to live each one? Are you obedient to each? Are there sacrifices you could make? What do you need to repent of or change? Have you committed to or make covenants to live these? How are you doing on the endurance?
Some of you may already have strong foundations in certain areas. I would ask that you look at the weaker ones and start working on the mixture. Take them one at a time, add them to the gospel cement that they may be stronger. Of course we need to remember Water - Living Water, Jesus Christ to activate the binding process, but I am getting ahead of myself. This week was just about the stones, gravel, and sand. I will talk about more in the future posts.
What a wonderful weekend of enlightenment. It has been a good week as well. I spent most of it in the air or sitting in airports. I learned a great deal and was given some great thoughts to ponder in my personal and professional mindset.
I left the girls a home. It sounds like the Queen trained most of the week. We hooked up on Friday and spent the weekend doing conference.
The Professor just worked everyday. She talked about the normal ups and downs of teaching and shared some of her frustrations with legislation that being passed.
Songbird brightened up their week with a visit on Wednesday. It was a new adventure for the Queen as she did not have to go to Young Womens. I hear they chatted all night and picked out a package to be sent. I was able to visit it with her for a very short minute today as she and her Mom came over to view a video that everyone has been asking about.
Tall Man and Ehl-Bo spent the day with us yesterday. It was nice to catch up. They brought along Pendooly sp? Ehl-Bo is busy building up her Etsy store and working the farm. Tall Man got a raise, was granted 40 hour work week, and given a couple of job leads for down the road. It sounds like things have been going well. They still spend lots of time working the theater as they gear up for the next production.
That is about all I have to report this week. We will see what adventures this week brings us.
So, what is the Gospel, the cement? When we read 3 Nephi 27:13-22 it gives a large and broad definition of the Gospel, but the gist is that we are here to learn to do the will of God, our Father. Jesus came to do that, He asks us to do that. He knows that our foundations will be weak, crack, and break at times, but through Him, He will help us make it stronger. He has taught us, through example and scripture, precepts and principles that we need to learn to live that will bring our wills closer to our Father's will. Each one of these principles or precepts are what make our foundations stronger.
Any who, the cement is Faith - that they will be stronger and better for us. Obedience - to living the precept, principle, law, or ordinance. Sacrifice - the desires of the natural man who does not want to live those principles or precepts. Repentance - change from the ways of that natural man to the ways of God, our Father. Covenants - that outward ordinance that we are committed to live according to these laws, precepts or principles, like baptism, confirmation, the sacrament, receiving the priesthood or callings through the priesthood, temple ordinances, etc. Finally, Enduring - living them to the best of our ability, every minute, every day, forever.
Living this way is what binds our foundation. The Laws, Precepts, Principles are what is being bound together. Remember Cement by itself is just a binding substance. We need to bind several things together to make it strong, like stone, gravel, or sand. Really they are all inter related. The stones are the big things like the commandments. We could then take each commandment and break it down to be more specific - the gravel. Then each piece of gravel could be broken down to a finer way of living those commandments - sand. When combined, with the cement - faith, obedience, sacrifice, repentance, covenants, and enduring - it becomes a strong foundation.
For example, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - Big Stone. Naming what kind of gods people might worship, the sun, the moon, water, dirt, wind, fire, etc... These could be gravel. But what about sand? Really, anything that we have in our lives that we put more importance on than God the Father, is putting another god before Him. As we evaluate and look at our lives, we learn more and more of those things we might need to change or repent of to make our foundation stronger.
Each one of the commandments can be a foundation, addition, or expansion of our foundation. Can you think of some that are really hard to live in the world right now? Listen to the words of the Prophets that were spoken this weekend. What concerns them or in reality God, the Father? Sabbath Day, Loving our Neighbor as ourselves, Adultery/Chasity/Pornography in all its shapes, sizes, and forms, etc... Do you have faith to live each one? Are you obedient to each? Are there sacrifices you could make? What do you need to repent of or change? Have you committed to or make covenants to live these? How are you doing on the endurance?
Some of you may already have strong foundations in certain areas. I would ask that you look at the weaker ones and start working on the mixture. Take them one at a time, add them to the gospel cement that they may be stronger. Of course we need to remember Water - Living Water, Jesus Christ to activate the binding process, but I am getting ahead of myself. This week was just about the stones, gravel, and sand. I will talk about more in the future posts.
What a wonderful weekend of enlightenment. It has been a good week as well. I spent most of it in the air or sitting in airports. I learned a great deal and was given some great thoughts to ponder in my personal and professional mindset.
I left the girls a home. It sounds like the Queen trained most of the week. We hooked up on Friday and spent the weekend doing conference.
The Professor just worked everyday. She talked about the normal ups and downs of teaching and shared some of her frustrations with legislation that being passed.
Songbird brightened up their week with a visit on Wednesday. It was a new adventure for the Queen as she did not have to go to Young Womens. I hear they chatted all night and picked out a package to be sent. I was able to visit it with her for a very short minute today as she and her Mom came over to view a video that everyone has been asking about.
Tall Man and Ehl-Bo spent the day with us yesterday. It was nice to catch up. They brought along Pendooly sp? Ehl-Bo is busy building up her Etsy store and working the farm. Tall Man got a raise, was granted 40 hour work week, and given a couple of job leads for down the road. It sounds like things have been going well. They still spend lots of time working the theater as they gear up for the next production.
That is about all I have to report this week. We will see what adventures this week brings us.
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