Missionaries Are Not Alone

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

Though they are away from their families, missionaries are not alone, for God has promised to be with them.

Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded. (D&C 49:27)

The Lord said He would “send for many fishers” and “many hunters” to seek out the inhabitants of the earth and teach the gospel (Jeremiah 16:16). Paul admitted that in order to have preaching, missionaries must first be sent (see Romans 10:15). Sometimes “being sent” means separation, not just from one’s family and friends but also from one’s home and culture. Serving as a missionary can be difficult, but missionaries should not feel alone. In the latter days, Christ promised blessings to missionaries, saying, “The power of heaven [shall] come down among them; and I also will be in their midst” (3 Nephi 21:25). The same idea appears in Zenos’ allegory of the olive trees: “The Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. . . . And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them” (Jacob 5:71–72). In moments of discouragement, missionaries should remember that the Savior has promised to be with them.

God's Mysteries

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

Through the Holy Ghost, God will reveal His mysteries to those who diligently seek them.

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round. (1 Nephi 10:19)

Alma taught that “it is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless, they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him” (Alma 12:9). Apparently Mormon was in this same situation, for he “was about to write these things” (we know from the context that he was speaking of spiritually sensitive information), “but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people” (3 Nephi 26:11). The Lord promised, “Unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom” (D&C 63:23; see also Alma 12:10). There are many things God will teach us if we search diligently. Nevertheless, we must remember that it is in the Lord’s time, and that sometimes we simply have to say, as Alma did, “these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear” (Alma 37:11).

True Conversion

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

True conversion is marked by the loss of a desire to sin.

And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. (Mosiah 5:2)

When the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi were converted to the gospel, the king said: “God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more . . . behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them” (Alma 24:12, 16). This burial of weapons became a physical testimony of the people’s abandonment of sin. When more Lamanites converted to the truth later, “they did also bury their weapons of war, according as their brethren had” (Alma 25:14). More than seventy years later, Samuel the Lamanite mentioned that upon their conversion, the Lamanites would still bury their swords (see Helaman 15:9). Mormon wrote that “as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away” (Alma 23:6). The righteous Lamanites were a great example of being firm in the faith and enduring to the end.

The Lord's Commitment to Us

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

The Lord never leaves us, but we often leave Him through our own disobedience.

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you. (Malachi 3:7)

Sometimes it may feel as though a distance has been formed between us and the Lord. But this separation is never caused by Him—it is our doing. As the Lord explained through the prophet Isaiah: “Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? . . . Yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves” (2 Nephi 7:1; see also Isaiah 50:1). The psalmist prayed that God would “turn us” (Psalms 85:4), not the other way around. We must be sure to stay close to the Lord and avoid self-inflicted separation. Elder Neil L. Andersen taught: “We push our spiritual roots deep, feasting daily on the words of Christ in the scriptures. We trust in the words of living prophets, placed before us to show us the way. We pray and pray and listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Ghost that leads us along and speaks peace to our soul. Whatever challenges arise, we never, never leave Him” (Neil L. Andersen, “Never Leave Him,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 41–42).

Attending Church Meetings

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

Attending our church meetings allows us to strengthen each other, as well as to increase our resolve to live the gospel.

And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. (Moroni 6:5–6)

Church attendance is an important part of our worship. Speaking of the first few generations after Christ’s appearance in the Americas, Mormon explained that the people “did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord” (4 Nephi 1:12). “Meeting together oft” is an important part of following the Savior’s commandments. In our church meetings, we learn more about God and our relationship with Him—an essential element in obtaining exaltation (see D&C 18:25). We also strengthen each other in our resolve to live the gospel, which invites the Lord to help us. We read in 3 Nephi 24:16: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard.” And according to President Anthon H. Lund, “Unless the saints attend their meetings, it will be hard for them to keep alive in the gospel” (Anthon H. Lund, in Conference Report, Oct. 1907, 9).

Giving and Taking Life

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

God’s commandments pertaining to the giving and taking of life are of tremendous importance.

God that made the world and all things therein, . . . he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. (Acts 17:25)

God is the one who has given life to all, and it is He who appoints when men should die. Perhaps one of the most obvious examples of this power is the Flood, when God eliminated nearly everyone, but preserved the lives of Noah’s family (see 1 Peter 3:20). Also interesting are the first two commandments that the Lord reiterated immediately after the Flood: “For man shall not shed the blood of man. For a commandment I give, that every man’s brother shall preserve the life of man, for in mine own image have I made man. And a commandment I give unto you, Be ye fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly on the earth, and multiply therein” (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 9:12–14). This dual commandment is echoed in countless instances. Truly the commandments that pertain to the giving of life and the taking of it are among the most important of all. Why? Alma taught that “this life [is] a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God” (Alma 12:24). This life has eternal significance, and certain acts we perform have everlasting consequences. It should come as no surprise that two of the weightiest commandments deal with the creation and destruction of life (see Alma 39:4–5). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained: “Clearly among [God’s] greatest concerns regarding mortality are how one gets into this world and how one gets out of it” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Personal Purity,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 76).

Blessings of the Temple

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

By attending the temple, we receive great blessings of peace and assistance from the Lord.

Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house. (D&C 110:9)

The temple is a holy place where God’s people can go to worship and find spiritual renewal. When the temple of Solomon was built, the Lord promised: “Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (2 Chronicles 7:15–16). Of the temple, the Lord declared, “I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house” (D&C 110:7). In the temple, we can obtain spiritual blessings and fortification. Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “When we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances, then come what may, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent” (Richard G. Scott, “Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need,” Ensign, May 2009, 45).

The Test of Mortality

This is one of the first insights in Messages from the Scriptures. It was originally posted at my publisher's blog (and of course, it can be found in the book itself).

The test of mortality is to see if we will use our will to keep God’s commandments.

And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. (Abraham 3:25)

Sacrifice was a very important part of the Mosaic law (see Exodus 29, for example). Yet, even with so many directions and decrees concerning the law of sacrifice, God said, “If ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will” (Leviticus 19:5). God does not force us to obey His commandments; rather, He asks us to obey out of our love for Him, and He promises us blessings for obedience (see D&C 130:20–21). When the Lord told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:16–17), He didn’t stop them from partaking. Obviously, He could have set cherubim to guard that tree just as He later did with the tree of life (see Genesis 3:24). God is not interested in forced obedience. He has placed us in this life of trials and adversity, as He told the Israelites, to humble us and see if we will keep his commandments (see Deuteronomy 8:2). As President Ezra Taft Benson explained, “The great test of life is obedience to God” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” Ensign, May 1988, 4).

The CTR Pumpkin

Here is a picture of a pumpkin I carved two years ago. I am still quite proud of it, if I say so myself.

The Lord's Children

Here is another sample. Again, this is one that was taken out of the book before publication, so it isn't actually a part of the book. But it's a good example of what to expect.

Our children are not our own—they are the Lord’s.

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. (Psalms 82:6)

Molech was one of the false gods worshipped by Israel’s neighbors, often by making a child “pass through the fire,” a rite which the Lord specifically warned against (Deuteronomy 18:10). Worship of Molech among the children of Israel was present at least in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 11:7) until the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 23:10). Jeremiah reminded the Israelites that worship of Molech by the perverse ceremony of passing through fire was forbidden (Jeremiah 7:31). His fellow-prophet, Ezekiel, also condemned it. But Ezekiel’s passage adds something that makes it more meaningful. In all other passages condemning Molech worship, God warned the people not to involve their children in the rite. But through His prophet Ezekiel, He said, “thou hast slain my children and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire” (Ezekiel 16:21, emphasis added). The Lord reminded the Israelites that the children really weren’t theirs—they were His. Elder H. Bryan Richards explained, “We are stewards of those sons [and daughters] held in reserve for this day. The Lord has entrusted them to us, and we will be held accountable for them” (H. Bryan Richards, “As For Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord,” Ensign [Nov. 1998], 43).

Eternity - Poem

Eternity

There they are—
The pages filled in earthly books
About great men of old,
Those who fought in battles large,
Or gave grand speeches bold—
Slowly turning,
Simply turning:
Life’s great stories told.

But I wonder—
What’s off in a far eternity,
The future without end,
When all is said and done and been,
No other acts to lend?
Who can say it?
Who can know it?
Nothing more to mend.

Isn’t there more?
The pages flash before my eyes
Of some infinity—
Children of a heavenly Being
In plain felicity:
“Thank you so much;
I owe you so much;
Thanks for helping me.”

So it’s true then—
The simple things we do each day,
Amid the tears and strife,
To help and build, assist all else,
The music of the fife.
So important,
Simply meaning
The purpose of our life.

Selfishness vs. Selflessness

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. - Romans 8:16-17

I was thinking recently about deification. We're somewhat unique in the Christian world for taking Paul's statement about being heirs and joint-heirs quite literally. That is, exaltation actually means that we enjoy the life that God enjoys, with the same privileges and powers. But in the past, other religions have believed that mortals could become gods. Take, for example, the Pharaohs. The Egyptians actually recognized the Pharaoh as a god.

What I find so interesting is that in these other cultures, the only way a person could be deified (falsely so, of course, so they weren't really gods at all) was by the ultimate act of selfishness -- recognizing complete and utter superiority in oneself, glorifying oneself in the extreme, and requiring others to serve one unconditionally. How ironic that the real path to deification is exactly the opposite. We must follow in the steps of Christ by utterly humbling ourselves, glorifying only God, and serving others unconditionally. In reality, we must become as selfless as possible.

Eternity (Poem)

There they are—
The pages filled in earthly books
About great men of old,
Those who fought in battles large,
Or gave grand speeches bold—
Slowly turning,
Simply turning:
Life’s great stories told.

But I wonder—
What’s off in a far eternity,
The future without end,
When all is said and done and been,
No other acts to lend?
Who can say it?
Who can know it?
Nothing more to mend.

Isn’t there more?
The pages flash before my eyes
Of some infinity—
Children of a heavenly Being
In plain felicity:
“Thank you so much;
I owe you so much;
Thanks for helping me.”

So it’s true then—
The simple things we do each day,
Amid the tears and strife,
To help and build, assist all else,
The music of the fife.
So important,
Simply meaning
The purpose of our life.

100 Tweets -- Bearing Witness of the Savior

So a few days ago, I realized that I was about to post my 100th Tweet. So I thought... what should I tweet about? Of course, it seemed that it should be something important, and I so I chose one of my favorites:

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. - Job 19:25

Several individuals retweeted it. While I regularly have my tweets retweeted, I think this was the one that has gotten the most retweets. And for good reason too!

@Maserati_SMI responded with D&C 76:22-23: "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!  For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father."

Thanks for joining me with sharing the scriptures via Twitter! If you aren't already, be sure to follow me @mftscriptures.

Peter and Revelation

Here's another thought from Sunday School this past week, something that the teacher brought up again.

When Peter had the revelation in which he discovered that God is no respecter of persons, he describes receiving his revelation while in a "trance" (Acts 10:10). Later, in Acts 12, he is led out of prison by an angel, but he thinks that he's in a dream.

What this means is that Peter, although head of the church (and very capable), was still relatively new to revelation. He was still learning. And so when we are sometimes a little confused trying to understand personal revelation, it's okay to recognize that it can be difficult or unclear. What's important is that we do as Peter did and follow revelation when it is received.

What is God a Respecter of?

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. - Acts 10:34

In Sunday School a few days ago, the teacher wrote part of this verse on the board. Peter was right (of course) that God is not a respecter of persons. But sometimes it doesn't really seem that way, does it? And then I thought, "He may not be a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of actions." God will make sure that  consequences of our actions are received, whether they be good or bad. Fortunately, He sent His Son so that we can be forgiven and avoid the worst of the consequences, but that's another topic altogether. And of course, we can't judge why God delivers consequences when He does, but sometimes it seems like He isn't even a respecter of actions. But it's just because we don't always understand His timing.

Anyways, these were just a few random thoughts from Sunday School.

Success with Salem Days

Well, Salem Days is over and I feel like it was a success. Thanks to all of you who stopped by! If you missed your chance to buy a copy at the fair, you can still purchase it at Deseret Book or at Amazon.com.

Discount at Salem Days

Well, the Salem Days fair will soon begin. It starts tonight and continues tomorrow. For all of you Salemites who are around, don't forget to stop by and say hi. And if you "Like" the Facebook fan page, you'll get a discount if you buy Messages from the Scriptures at the fair. (Don't forget to write down the code word you'll see after liking the page so I know to give you the discount.)

Update: Salem Days is over, so the discount is also over.

A Prophet's Greatest Duty

Here is another example of what you will find in the book Messages from the Scriptures. This was another insight that was removed from the book before publication, so it should be considered a sample and not an excerpt.

A prophet’s greatest duty is to testify of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:42–43)

The scriptures state that “John [the Baptist] did no miracle” (John 10:41). And yet, Jesus explained that John was “more than a prophet. . . . Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:9, 11). So what did John do that classified him as greater than all of the other prophets, even those that did mighty miracles? He testified of Jesus as the Savior of all mankind, preparing the way for Him: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me . . . . And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:29–30, 34). In fact, all “holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, . . . truly testified of him in all things” (D&C 20:26). No other act is more important for a prophet to do than to testify of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It follows, then, that the most important act for us to do is to “repent and come unto him” (1 Nephi 10:18).

Goodreads Contest

Howdy! This is just a reminder to enter to win Messages from the Scriptures from Goodreads by clicking the link at the top of the page. The contest ends Friday morning!

Gratitude

This is just a quick thought.

Last week, my wife accepted the assignment to make dinner for a family whose wife/mother was in the hospital. I went along for the ride to take the dinner. I stayed in the car with the baby while my wife delivered the dinner. A father and his son were outside, and they graciously accepted the meal. They were both large, intimidating men, but their faces showed almost extreme appreciation and gratitude.

Far too often we feel like we are deserving of a favor or service when we are expecting it. Deserving and expecting and not the same thing, and this family's reaction reminded me of that. I know that I am not nearly as grateful as I should be... for anything, really.

If you want further reading on this subject, I discuss the grateful leper in my book Messages from the Scriptures. The story of the ten lepers has a different application of the same principle. (It has many lessons, of course, but this is one of them.)

Salem Days Booth

Hi everyone! This is just a reminder that I'm going to have a booth at Salem Days this year. Here are the dates at times:

Friday, Aug. 12
6pm-9pm

Saturday, Aug. 13
11am-3pm

Contrary to past years, the fair this year will be held at Knoll Park (by the pond) instead of at the downtown ball parks. If you're in town, stop by and say hi!

The Nephites' Greatest Desire

And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them. - 3 Nephi 19:9

My mission president based a talk on this scripture during a zone conference once. It was something that has always stuck with me.

It goes back to Christ's first visit to the Nephites. That covers 3 Nephi 11-18. As soon as he was gone, the people began to spread the word that the Savior had appeared, ministered, and would return the next day (see 3 Nephi 19:2). So of course an even bigger multitude appeared the next day. While they were waiting, the twelve Nephite apostles began to preach, "nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken" (vs. 8). And then they began to pray.

Here's where it gets interesting. The day before, the most incredible thing imaginable happened -- the Savior visited the people. And here they are, expecting and wanting Him to return and minister again. And yet, as they pray, what is it that they desire the most? It isn't that Jesus returns, though they undoubtedly desired that quite a bit. Instead, they desired the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Perhaps they knew that while they couldn't always have the Lord with them, they could always have the Holy Ghost to guide them. The gift of the Holy Ghost is truly one of the most precious gifts God could give us. And while we might not have the opportunity to congregate in the land Bountiful and see the Savior with our own eyes, every one of us has the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That is truly a privilege. Of course, that makes living worthily of it even more important.

Longing for the Prophet Joseph

Life has been busy to say the least, but I want to keep different things on the blog every once in a while. So for today, here is another poem, and there may continue to be a few poems here and there.


Longing for the Prophet Joseph

To listen to the Prophet Joseph’s voice—
If so an option, my very soul would cry out;
My knees would tremble at the very thought of the choice,
And all the time, my heart would shout.

For how many men in all the earth’s time
Have had such an impact on the whole human race
As he, the prophet of this dispensation sublime,
Who saw God and Christ, face to face?

His was the calling, as Moses of old,
To bring Israel the word of Jehovah the Great;
A man much like Peter with revelation untold—
Man of the Savior—bound by fate.

His works were grand and his teachings not few;
Through him God brought forth the very Gospel restored.
His name has traveled to every nation, imbued
With truth which has been oft implored.

Joseph no longer walks across the land;
His voice is no longer upon the earth to be heard,
But the work of God that he wrought will forever stand:
The Kingdom of God here on the earth.

Salem Days

I just wanted to announce that (for better or worse), I'll have a booth at Salem Days in two weeks. That's Salem, UT. That's where I grew up, so I thought it might be fun. If any of you are in town, stop by!

Poetry -- Cares

So I decided to post a poem or two here every once in a while. It isn't particularly related to the scriptures, but it is religiously based. This is one that I wrote partly in high school and partly on my mission.

Cares

When all the world no longer cares
And far from home I be,
When I am out and caught unawares,
Who will look after me?

The Lord my God is always there,
A true and constant Friend.
So come what may, I’ll never fret;
He’ll see me through the end.

Recommending to God

Behold, thou knowest the wickedness of this people; thou knowest that they are without principle, and past feeling. . . Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God lest he should smite me. But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he will spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish except they repent and return unto him. - Moroni 9:20-22

I happened to read this verse as part of my daily scripture study the other night, and it reminded me of a thought I had a while ago. This is an epistle from Mormon to his son Moroni, and he uses the word recommend rather curiously. This is a bit of speculation on my behalf, but I find it pretty interesting that Mormon seems to be judging the worthiness of people -- both the Nephites in general and his son Moroni in particular.

Of course, being a prophet Mormon was the presiding priesthood leader of his day. I draw a parallel with our presiding local priesthood leaders -- bishops, who also judge the worthiness of the people of their jurisdiction and issue them recommends to enter the temple. Notice the parallel I'm noticing?

With this in mind, Mormon's words should bring us new understanding of what it really means to hold a temple recommend. It isn't a "ticket" to enter the temple. It's our priesthood leader literally recommending us to God as worthy candidates of the blessings of the Lord. I suppose that's one reason why it's important to be worthy of temple recommends even if we can't actually attend the temple for a particular reason, such as if physical distress prevents us from leaving the house or if we live too far away from the temple to actually attend (which thankfully doesn't apply to nearly as many people in the world anymore). I hope we all remember the sacredness not just of the temple but of our temple recommends.

During My Commute

I have about a 30 minute commute to work, which makes about an hour that I spend in the car every day I go into the office -- if traffic is good, anyways. As many of you probably know, there is a bit of construction going on with I-15 in Utah County, so the speed limit is 10 mph lower than it normally is. Of course, that doesn't seem to stop very many people from going their previous speed. But with speeding tickets so high, it seems most slow down. Although, in some cases, if a vehicle drives past and is already going that speed... well, it would seem that the cop would get them first, so they go that fast too.

I was imagining what would happen if a highway patrolman pulled over the second car -- the one following the original speeding trespasser. They would probably be outraged that the cop didn't pull over the first driver, right? Well, I know that I would. Maybe I've gotten the wrong mentality, being on the wrong for so long. But ultimately, the speed limit is the same for everyone, and just because someone else goes fast doesn't give others permission.

But then I thought... perhaps the cop would be doing the second driver a favor. I know I got a stern look from a cop once and I've been a bit slower and safer ever since. Maybe a speeding ticket would be a pain in the wallet, but if it makes the driver slow down, then it's all the better. And perhaps the first driver is beyond saving. Maybe they'll keep driving way too fast until they end up killing someone. And then no amount of slow driving will compensate.

I think the Lord sometimes works in the same way. We may ask, as did Job, "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?" It seems that the Lord sometimes chastises us when others are running amok completely unchecked. It might not seem unfair... after all, wasn't the other driver speeding first? But a little chastisement can help us stay on the path we should. Indeed, we should be grateful that the Lord chastises us, for perhaps He is saving us from recklessly driving too fast until we crash or hit someone.

"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." - Hebrews 12:6

Free Book Giveaway

I just thought I'd alert you all to the fact that Walnut Springs Press is giving away free copies of my book, Messages from the Scriptures. It's super easy; all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post: http://walnutspringspress.blogspot.com/2011/07/free-book-friday-giveaway-messages-from.html.

I've been featured...

Okay, so here is my blog post that is totally about me and my vanity. My publisher, Walnut Springs Press, has recently profiled me on their blog. There's like an interview-type thing and a bunch of pictures of me. You should check it out: http://walnutspringspress.blogspot.com/2011/07/get-to-know-you-monday-jeff-baker.html

Be Ye Therefore... Graphic on Gospelnomics.net

So good ole' James V. has tweeted me a few times. I talk like I actually know him, but I don't. I just think it's funny to talk like that. But he really has tweeted me, and he's a fan of Messages for the Scriptures on Facebook. And I think it's about time that I give a little shout out for a graphic he shared with me.

It's on Gospelnomics.net. I've read a few of the blog posts there, and they're really good. I highly recommend.

The graphic that he shared with me is based on Matthew 5 and 3 Nephi 12. This is it:

 

It's really cool. It makes visualizing Christ's Sermon on the Mount (or at the Temple, in the case of 3 Nephi 12) so much easier. You should take a minute to look at it, but you should really do it at the original blog post.

Peter's Denial

So on Sunday, we discussed the Crucifixion and the events directly leading up to it. One of the things we talked about was Peter's denial of knowing Christ. There were a few varying opinions as to whether that was bad or not. One brother brought up Pres. Kimball's talk about it called "Peter, My Brother" (or something like that... I may have got the word order wrong). I read that talk several years ago and thought it was fantastic.

In any case, regardless of how people felt about it, I thought it was important to make the distinction between denying Christ and denying that he knew Christ. That's pretty different, and nowhere do we read that Peter denied Christ. He did, however, deny that he knew Him. And then one sister made a comment that we do the same thing. We may not deny Christ, but sometimes we deny knowing Him by how we act. I thought it was profound.

Are there times in my life when I would be ashamed if someone approached me and asked if I was Christ's friend? Would I feel regret over my current actions or conversation? I wish that I could answer in the negative, but I know there are times in which I would realize what I was doing was not what a disciple of Christ would really do and that I was denying knowing Him by what I doing. I hope we all can do a little better.

Sample from the Book: Personal Purity

Occasionally I've been posting samples from the book Messages from the Scriptures. These samples aren't actually in the book, but they are paragraphs that were originally written for it. (Several were taken out before publishing to reduce the page count and therefore printing costs.) Even though they aren't actually from the book, they are good examples of the kinds of things you will see when you read it.

Personal purity will help us avoid the influences of the devil and return to live with God.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

 
As I child, I was intrigued by the story of the devils and the swine: “So the devils besought [Jesus after he had cast them out of two individuals], saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters” (Matthew 8:31–32). The story is a bit bizarre. Of course, there may be several lessons that can be obtained from this short and unusual passage, but perhaps one of them relates to the Law of Moses, where it is stated, “the swine, . . . he is unclean to you” (Leviticus 11:8). The story might be symbolic that the impure are susceptible to the devil’s influence. It is essential to maintain personal purity. Isaiah said, “be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isaiah 52:11). We must avoid sin at all costs. Indeed, those “having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, . . . [can enter] into the rest of the Lord their God” (Alma 13:12). And of course, our “garments [can be] washed white [only] through the blood of the Lamb” (vs. 11).