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.