Escaping a Living Hell
Does the number 31 mean anything to anyone? So many things come to mind. It is on my mind regularly.
It is also the last verse of pondering last week. This week's pondering goes into D&C 76:32-36. Rather than focus on the sons of perdition, I wanted to focus on how to avoid becoming one.
"...denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame..."
How can I/we avoid it? This has been a thought that has hit me over and over again this week. In one of my meetings we talked about a recent "Face to Face" with President Russell M. Nelson, the current prophet of the Lord on the earth. In this meeting, he invited the youth and really all of us to do 5 things. They seemed relatively simple things to do, but two almost three weeks later, we asked a group of youth. "What have you learned from accepting and following this invitation?" No one that we spoke to had done anything, the most simplest being adding to daily prayer.
This was truly disheartening. Is this one of the first steps of denying the Holy Spirit? After having been in the presence of he who most closely represents the "Only Begotten Son" on the earth and not doing what he invited us to do. Would they have done it if Christ himself had asked? Suddenly the rich young man from the New Testament comes to mind.
I continued having these thoughts as I have prepared for a lesson this week. Again, I have been blessed as I have sought. I love how the Lord opens the windows of heaven for me. I have been studying "The Lord's Covenant People". There has never been a time in all of the eternities that our Father in Heaven has not given us laws, commandments, and as a result promises/covenant blessings as we accept and live them. When we choose to ignore them, be selective in which ones we will accept or live, or willfully go against them, we are "Damned". That is an interesting word. It means we stop. We stop progressing. Often in the scriptures we are told that Satan desires to "...chain us down..." or in other words prevent us from progressing.
I came upon a conversation of wisdom from one who is much wiser than I. The conversation was spot on with my points of study and preparation this week. The two were discussing the idea of progressing and all the many ways in which we are allowed to grow, develop, magnify, and progress in this world. Then this young man said "The way I see it, when we stop progressing, we find ourselves in Hell." Isn't that so true? Satan does not want us to be come more. He wants to stop us. Knowing that we cannot progress anymore, for what ever reason, becomes a living Hell.
Just thinking about that concept brings several names and faces to mind. They have stopped progressing because of choices they have made or circumstances they have been subject to participate in due to the frailties of mortality. Each of these individuals have been given opportunities to grow, develop, magnify, and progress in this world, but because of these circumstances, have been halted. I can only imagine the "Hell" they must be in.
However, this is not reason to lose hope. Because of the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can be liberated from these seemingly strong chains of living "Hell". For some, it will be in this life, for other it may be in the life to come, but in order to be granted this freedom, we must do all that we can do to accept, live, and follow the laws, commandments, and covenants we make with God.
So here is my next thought, thinking about being a covenant people. The Lord gave the children of Israel(us included) the Law of Moses. When Christ came to the earth, he fulfilled this law through His Atonement, but as a result we were and are expected to live a different level of the same law. Think about it.
If you were to take the 10 Commandments. In this given law we are told what to and what not to do, or how to live or not live our lives.
If we are told that we should have NO other gods before God the Father, what does that mean? If we are NOT supposed to do this, what SHOULD we do?
Try thinking about each of the commandments that way. If we are NOT supposed to do something, what does that mean we SHOULD do?
NOT bow down to images? What SHOULD we do?
NOT take the Lord's name in vain? What SHOULD we do?
REMEMBER the Sabbath day? What should we NOT do?
HONOR our father and our mother? What should we NOT do?
NOT kill? What SHOULD we do?
NOT commit adultery? What SHOULD we do?
NOT steal? What SHOULD we do?
NOT lie? What SHOULD we do?
NOT covet? What SHOULD we do?
Think about those things. I know that I need to start looking at the things I SHOULD do more than the NOT do. I have much room for improvement. How about you?
Now take those same thoughts and apply them to the covenants we make today, at Baptism, (men) holders of the Priesthood, in the Temple, or each week before the Sacrament table. How do they apply to Ministering?
Lots to do, lots to change, lots to glory in. I hope you can start doing them with me, as they apply to you, one change at a time.
OK our week.
It has been a crazy week. The Queen has been home every single day! WOOT! WOOT! This has allowed me to make some adjustments to the way I do things. It seems to be working. I have enjoyed being able to catch her on breaks and lunches or know that she is just a few steps away.
It has been an adjustment for her as well. I hope it has been worth the sacrifice.
When we were not working, we were cooking, cleaning, painting, or ministering.
The Professor is super, super, busy. The end of the school year is drawing nye. A new semester has started and her professors seem to think they need to pile on the assignments. She is doing her best t juggle.
It sounds like the highlight of Tall Man and Ehl-Bo's week was a Mermaid Court Event. It sounds like it was super fun. They both got wet. We are still waiting to hear about second call backs.
Puddin and Lady Hawkins hit the half way mark for Summer Semester. In an attempt to celebrate they ran away for the weekend. They seem to be struggling running back for the second half and week to come. It has truly been an adventure for all of us. We look forward to hearing about it and the new job that starts on Monday.
Love you all.
It is also the last verse of pondering last week. This week's pondering goes into D&C 76:32-36. Rather than focus on the sons of perdition, I wanted to focus on how to avoid becoming one.
"...denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame..."
How can I/we avoid it? This has been a thought that has hit me over and over again this week. In one of my meetings we talked about a recent "Face to Face" with President Russell M. Nelson, the current prophet of the Lord on the earth. In this meeting, he invited the youth and really all of us to do 5 things. They seemed relatively simple things to do, but two almost three weeks later, we asked a group of youth. "What have you learned from accepting and following this invitation?" No one that we spoke to had done anything, the most simplest being adding to daily prayer.
This was truly disheartening. Is this one of the first steps of denying the Holy Spirit? After having been in the presence of he who most closely represents the "Only Begotten Son" on the earth and not doing what he invited us to do. Would they have done it if Christ himself had asked? Suddenly the rich young man from the New Testament comes to mind.
I continued having these thoughts as I have prepared for a lesson this week. Again, I have been blessed as I have sought. I love how the Lord opens the windows of heaven for me. I have been studying "The Lord's Covenant People". There has never been a time in all of the eternities that our Father in Heaven has not given us laws, commandments, and as a result promises/covenant blessings as we accept and live them. When we choose to ignore them, be selective in which ones we will accept or live, or willfully go against them, we are "Damned". That is an interesting word. It means we stop. We stop progressing. Often in the scriptures we are told that Satan desires to "...chain us down..." or in other words prevent us from progressing.
I came upon a conversation of wisdom from one who is much wiser than I. The conversation was spot on with my points of study and preparation this week. The two were discussing the idea of progressing and all the many ways in which we are allowed to grow, develop, magnify, and progress in this world. Then this young man said "The way I see it, when we stop progressing, we find ourselves in Hell." Isn't that so true? Satan does not want us to be come more. He wants to stop us. Knowing that we cannot progress anymore, for what ever reason, becomes a living Hell.
Just thinking about that concept brings several names and faces to mind. They have stopped progressing because of choices they have made or circumstances they have been subject to participate in due to the frailties of mortality. Each of these individuals have been given opportunities to grow, develop, magnify, and progress in this world, but because of these circumstances, have been halted. I can only imagine the "Hell" they must be in.
However, this is not reason to lose hope. Because of the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can be liberated from these seemingly strong chains of living "Hell". For some, it will be in this life, for other it may be in the life to come, but in order to be granted this freedom, we must do all that we can do to accept, live, and follow the laws, commandments, and covenants we make with God.
So here is my next thought, thinking about being a covenant people. The Lord gave the children of Israel(us included) the Law of Moses. When Christ came to the earth, he fulfilled this law through His Atonement, but as a result we were and are expected to live a different level of the same law. Think about it.
If you were to take the 10 Commandments. In this given law we are told what to and what not to do, or how to live or not live our lives.
If we are told that we should have NO other gods before God the Father, what does that mean? If we are NOT supposed to do this, what SHOULD we do?
Try thinking about each of the commandments that way. If we are NOT supposed to do something, what does that mean we SHOULD do?
NOT bow down to images? What SHOULD we do?
NOT take the Lord's name in vain? What SHOULD we do?
REMEMBER the Sabbath day? What should we NOT do?
HONOR our father and our mother? What should we NOT do?
NOT kill? What SHOULD we do?
NOT commit adultery? What SHOULD we do?
NOT steal? What SHOULD we do?
NOT lie? What SHOULD we do?
NOT covet? What SHOULD we do?
Think about those things. I know that I need to start looking at the things I SHOULD do more than the NOT do. I have much room for improvement. How about you?
Now take those same thoughts and apply them to the covenants we make today, at Baptism, (men) holders of the Priesthood, in the Temple, or each week before the Sacrament table. How do they apply to Ministering?
Lots to do, lots to change, lots to glory in. I hope you can start doing them with me, as they apply to you, one change at a time.
OK our week.
It has been a crazy week. The Queen has been home every single day! WOOT! WOOT! This has allowed me to make some adjustments to the way I do things. It seems to be working. I have enjoyed being able to catch her on breaks and lunches or know that she is just a few steps away.
It has been an adjustment for her as well. I hope it has been worth the sacrifice.
When we were not working, we were cooking, cleaning, painting, or ministering.
The Professor is super, super, busy. The end of the school year is drawing nye. A new semester has started and her professors seem to think they need to pile on the assignments. She is doing her best t juggle.
It sounds like the highlight of Tall Man and Ehl-Bo's week was a Mermaid Court Event. It sounds like it was super fun. They both got wet. We are still waiting to hear about second call backs.
Puddin and Lady Hawkins hit the half way mark for Summer Semester. In an attempt to celebrate they ran away for the weekend. They seem to be struggling running back for the second half and week to come. It has truly been an adventure for all of us. We look forward to hearing about it and the new job that starts on Monday.
Love you all.
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