For your good

 

We will face many a heartbreak during our mortal lives. Even so, we know that God is just and merciful. It may be difficult to reconcile this in our minds when so much that happens in our lives seems unfair and tragic. But if we will trust God, we will one day find that He never allowed us to experience anything that wouldn't eventually be for our good. That isn't to minimize the pain that we feel the moment heartbreak occurs. Rather, it gives us hope that one day our broken hearts will be healed. It also gives us perspective to think that every experience, even the bad ones, can help us draw nearer to God. In order to do so, we must strive to climb out from the burden of bitterness and self-pity, and look and reach upwards.

Ye shall not teach

 

Saints in the early Church needed frequent reminders (as do we all) that there's a difference between the Lord's way of teaching, and the way that often comes naturally. Disciples of Christ have received a divine mandate to preach His Gospel to all the world (see Matthew 28:19-20). However, as important as it is to be willing to boldly declare the word to others, it's just as important to know when to stay silent.

We are not without example from the master teacher Himself. There were numerous occasions when Jesus remained silent, at times even refusing to answer a direct question (for example, Matthew 26:63, St John 19:9, Luke 23:9). The pattern for these cases seems to be that the listener or questioner was not spiritually prepared to receive instruction. In addition to this possibility, we have our own spiritual preparedness to be concerned about. Hatred, pride, or anger can impede our own ability to teach. If at any time we feel that the Holy Spirit is not present to carry the truth into the hearts of of those with whom we are speaking, it is better to exercise restraint and forbear.

The statement that we "shall not teach" if we receive not the Spirit could be seen as both a commandment and a warning. We are commanded not to teach if we receive not the Spirit, and we are warned that if we attempt to do so anyway, we won't teach, because the one we are trying to teach won't learn anything. After all, no one can be forced to understand, much less accept truth. And attempting to force it can actually create a stumbling block, making it more difficult to reach someone in the future.

There may be times when we are speaking to one who is not receptive, and yet we feel prompted to continue teaching. It could be that they will remember the words taught to them at a later time when they are more open to it. There may be others present who need to hear it. Or it may simply be for our own benefit, to strengthen our testimonies and help plant the seeds of truth even deeper into our own hearts. If we suspect that this may be the case, we should examine our hearts and motives, and sense whether the Spirit is indeed present. When in doubt, we can be bold and speak up, provided we do so with humility and love. But when we can tell the Spirit is not present, we should save our teaching for a time when He is.

Given to believe

 

There are many people of faith who claim to know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that various other beliefs are true. Among Latter-day Saints in particular, it is very common to speak in terms of relative certainty when sharing one's testimony (e.g. "I know the Church is true, etc."). What do we mean when we say we know these things? If we have never seen a pillar of light or a burning bush, is it dishonest to claim to "know"? What about those of us who "believe" they are true, but don't feel certain enough to say that we know them? Does that make our testimony weak and unreliable?

First of all, we should not judge one another based on differences in how we express something so personal as our testimonies and religious beliefs. Whether one chooses to say that they "know" or "believe", the important thing is that their testimony is sincere. That is the kind of testimony that angels rejoice over, regardless of the terminology used.

In addition, even if one doesn't have absolute certainty of their religious beliefs, there are still things that they can know with confidence. We can know that they have brought peace and clarity to our lives. We can know they have inspired us to love more and live better. We can know that they bring us hope and happiness. Though we may not have a perfect knowledge of all things, we can have knowledge of these specific things (see Alma 32:28-34).

Finally, God explains that He has given spiritual gifts to all of His children, and He doesn't always give the same gift to everyone. Among those gifts mentioned in D&C 46, we clearly see that the gift of "knowing" that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the gift of "believing" the words of those who know are two distinct gifts. Those of us who have been given the gift of believing may desire to one day have true knowledge, and that is not a bad desire to have. But for some, that desire may not be fulfilled until after this life, when we at last enter the presence of God and see Him face to face. Should that be God's will for us, we can express gratitude for the portion of light and knowledge that He has given us. We can nurture that precious belief, and seek to increase and refine our understanding through study and prayer. We can continue to act in faith, even when we don't have absolute certainty. And we can remember, that to simply "believe" is not a curse. It is a gift.

All in our power

At the time of this writing the world is currently experiencing a pandemic of the novel corona virus. Many schools, businesses, and places of worship and recreation have shut down. It's true that there are many other things in the world that cause significantly more suffering and death. However, perhaps what's most distressing about this present challenge is a feeling of lack of control. This virus doesn't discriminate and isn't caused by any lifestyle choice beyond the simple act of going about our normal day-to-day lives and interacting with those around us. It can feel like an unstoppable force. It can feel as if we can do little more than wait for the storm to pass and hope it does as little damage as possible.

And yet, during this and other challenges, there are still things we can do. There are things we can control. No matter how frightening or insurmountable things may seem, let us focus on the small things we can do to improve our situation and that of others, and let us ask God to show us what those things are. For, if our God is able to multiply five loaves and two fishes into a banquet for over five thousand, He can surely multiply our meager efforts to the blessing of our lives and those of our friends, family, and neighbors.

Study in your Mind

At first glance, the idea that we must study for ourselves to receive wisdom may seem at odds with the principle of trusting in God to grant us the answers we seek. However, throughout the scriptures, we find reminders that we need to also put in the effort of finding what it is we're looking for. We must "prove all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21), we must ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7), we must "meditate... day and night" (Joshua 1:8). God has given us the ability to think, to study, and to reason. He expects us to exercise those abilities and to increase them through careful and deliberate use. That's not to say we need to be scholars in order to receive revelation from God. But we should make use of whatever faculties and resources are available to us, given our own unique situation and circumstance.

Of course, if we rely solely on our own faculties to find the answers we seek, we will either fail, or we will lack the surety of the truthfulness of the answers we receive. Which is why we must pray to God to ask Him if what we have found is correct. These two pieces--study and prayer--are crucial and synergistic. If we neglect either one, we may not find what we seek. However, when we do both, our ability to find answers will be increased in a virtuous cycle: our prayers will be more purposeful and focused, and we will be blessed with confidence and direction in our studies.

This is the fourth in a series of Sour Peppers on personal revelation.

Enough to Spare

Does that sound harsh? This dire warning matches the fate of the rich man in Jesus' parable in Luke 16:19-31. Many have pointed out that our world is "overpopulated." And that may be true for our current rate of consumption. But we have it on the authority of the One who created this earth that it was prepared with more than enough to take care of all of the earth's inhabitants. The problem is not the earth's capacity to produce. Rather, it is our willingness to sacrifice and share.
There isn't a single person among us who can't give something, no matter how meager, to help uplift the poor and the needy of our community and the world at large. It may mean the occasional sacrifice of the things we've come to enjoy and the great abundance with which we have been blessed. But the outcome for doing so is always worth so much more than the cost.

Paving the road

Wouldn't it be nice if the road to hell were so clearly marked? But I digress...

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"? Nah, I don't buy it. The devil and his minions only wish that were true. And they'd sure like us to believe it. Sure, bad things sometimes happen as a result of some misguided but well-intentioned act. But that's why we have a Savior. Thanks to the Atonement, we are not judged by the results of our actions but by the desires of our hearts (D&C 137:9). We will make mistakes. There's no getting around that. As hard as we may try to do the right thing, we will stumble. But if we accept Christ into our lives, love Him, and show that love by striving to keep His commandments (John 14:15), in the end it will be enough. Not because we've earned our way into heaven, but because He's paved the way for us.

Agents Unto Themselves

One philosophy that is growing in popularity these days is the denial of the existence of free will. That we are nothing more than extremely complicated automatons and that our consciousness is just along for the ride. That whenever we make a choice, it is nothing more than the result of the complex, but ultimately predictable interactions between our environment and our bodies. There are very convincing arguments in favor of this philosophy, as well as enticing reasons to subscribe to it. After all, if free will doesn't exist, then we aren't really accountable for our actions, are we?
Those who subscribe to this philosophy however fail to take into account that when God created our bodies, he put in them a spirit. And while that spirit is subject to the frailties of the flesh while experiencing mortality, it also has the capacity to act. That action however must be a conscious choice.
When we are not paying attention, our mind and body slip into "autopilot" mode. And this is not a bad thing. Think of all the things we do every day without hardly needing to think about it: eating, walking, driving, working, etc. But there are moments when we need to switch out of autopilot mode and into "agency" mode. These moments include times when we are interacting with others and when we are resisting temptation. When we fail to make the switch, it can seem very much like we have no control. We lash out in anger, we succumb to bad habits, we indulge in things we know not to be healthy. The switch from autopilot to agency is sometimes difficult, especially when we are stressed or tired. But with practice, the switch can get easier, we will feel more in control over our actions, our lives, and our destinies, and we can do many good things of our own free will.

Treasure the Word

When we study any knowledge that is of worth, it is like making a deposit to the bank. We store in our minds something we can draw upon later when needed. This is especially true of the scriptures, because the Spirit can call to remembrance the words we need for each situation. But only if we have put the words there in the first place.

Reprove With Love

Probably one of the most important and tricky things to learn as a parent is how to discipline our children so they learn right from wrong, while always making sure they know they are loved, regardless of what they do. D&C 121: 43-44 explains how we are to reprove with sharpness when necessary, but then show forth an increase of love.
Even though I've only been a parent for two years now, I've been able to practice this principle and see its effectiveness in raising my daughter. There have been days (and I'm sure there will be many, many more!) when she's been quite the troublemaker. But when disciplining her, I try to remember to also show her that I love her. And she, bless her heart, is so quick to forgive, even after being very upset for being put on timeout for the third time in one day!
I am of course not a perfect parent. But I'm trying to be more like the One who is by following His counsel.

After Much Tribulation

Testimony

Bear you up