You are Not Your Own

Realize this: You are not your own.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price...

- 1 Corinthians 16:9,10

Most difficulties in life arise from us wanting to think that we own ourselves. You belong to God and others who have claim on you. Acquit your priorities in the following order: God, family, friends, strangers. They all have claim to you, your talents and assets. Live your life to serve these people and you will be truly happy.

I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another —

I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another — I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.

- Mosiah 2:20-25

You are merely a steward of your possessions. Your very existence depends upon him who made you into being and keeps you alive. The only gift that truly belongs to you is free will. It has been given freely and can be freely given back. It's up to you.

Constructive Thinking

Submitted by thayne on Tue, 09/18/2012 - 18:30
Do you consider yourself an optimist, pessimist or somewhere in-between?
This article is about shaping constructive thought patterns in order to create a better you!

Disclaimer:

I hate to start any article with a disclaimer, but I feel that this one thing must be brought out into the open: I am not a professional psychiatrist. I just have some advice based on my own experience and help from a caring mentor. However, I feel that what follows is sound advice for being happy.

Think Constructively:

I have developed a practice over the years that I like to call "constructive thinking". This method constitutes controlling what thoughts you choose to allow to play out in your mind and which thoughts to suppress. It is my belief that suppressing non-constructive thoughts and replacing them with constructive ones can cure almost any problem and shape our character.

Suppress Negative Thoughts:

Have you ever caught yourself thinking things like "I'm no good at anything.", "Other people are so much better/smarter/kinder/funnier/etc. than me.", "no matter what I do I always mess up". These thoughts are all deconstructive and tend to lead us to even more deconstructive thoughts and unhappiness. A deconstructive thought will not do anything good for you in the least. Beating yourself up like this is wrong and you don't deserve it. You may at times think you deserve it, but it is not true.

Whenever a negative thought enters your mind, kill it. Period. If you let negative thoughts play out, they most certainly will take over. Don't let it happen, ever if you can help it. But you may ask, "What if those thoughts are true? Aren't I just deceiving myself and blinding myself to the truth?" The answer is yes and no. First of all, everything depends on point-of-view. What seems true to you may not actually be true from someone else's perspective. Another way to think of it is as a form of self deception. Deceive yourself so that you don't focus on the negative, but on the positive, and your positive thought patterns will eventually change you into a happier person. The practice you need to adopt is one of replacing all negative/deconstructive thoughts with positive/constructive ones. Some examples follow.

I am so stupid. --> I am not stupid, I am smart, I just need to focus and keep trying.
I am fat. --> The shape of my body doesn't matter, what matters is that I keep healthy.
So-and-so probably thinks I am annoying --> So-and-so can think whatever they want. I'm a good person.
I'm such a jerk --> I'm not a jerk, I just made a mistake, it's normal to make mistakes. I'll do better in the future.

Replace Concerns with Solutions:

In some cases, we're not necessarily thinking negatively, we're just worrying about legitimate concerns. The "Constructive Thinking" approach is to include a plan to eliminate those concerns so that the worries do not inundate you. These plans are constructive because when we have a plan to overcome the concerns we can fall back to that idea and avoid negative thought cycles. For example, supposing I have an assignment overdue at work that is causing me stress. I can think constructively about the situation to harness energy in the right direction rather than waste time worrying. Here are some examples:

I am way overdue on this assignment --> My plan is x (get help, talk to the boss, etc.), therefore things will work out.
I am dishonest --> I'll make things right by doing x. I'll be more careful in the future.
How am I going to pay the rent? --> I'll make/borrow/get the money by doing x. Things will work out if I keep trying.
My kids are horrible --> I'll try x this time. And never quit trying until something works. They're good kids, It'll be alright.
Using these techniques, denying negative thoughts to play out, and replacing worries with solutions, we can lead happier and more productive lives. These techniques take time and legitimate effort to take root but will definitely work. Just follow this pattern:

Recognize a negative or deconstructive thought
Kill it by doing one of the following:
Replace it with a positive thought
Replace it with a plan that resolves the concern
If the deconstructive thought returns, repeat this thought process. You may need to repeat several times. There are of course many other practices that can be applied along with this process. To name a few: Never compare yourself to others (this is deconstructive); Accept sincere compliments instead of denying them; Try to focus on serving others instead of serving yourself.

This method was taught to me by a wise mentor and has helped me get out of depression. It worked for me and it will work for you if you never give up. Good luck!

Where it listeth

Recently, I watched the church's newest release of gospel videos. This one is entitled "Jesus teaches Nicodemus about being born again".

The script is word for word The first half of St. John Chapter 3 in the New Testament. One particular verse struck me and I have been thinking about it's meaning: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

First of all, let's clarify some terms: "born of the spirit"; To me this refers to the "baptism of fire" or "baptism of the Holy Ghost". This is done after the baptism of water.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth"; Could this be interpreted as "the wind goes wherever it wants"?
And "thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth". Now, technically, you can tell which direction a wind is blowing, so in a general sense, you can tell what direction it is coming from and where it is going. You hear it, you feel it, you see the trees move and so you know in a general sense which way the wind is blowing, but other than your particular point of reference and sensation, you don't know anything about where it's going or where it has been. Eccl 11:5: "As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."

The next part is what intrigues me the most: "so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
If my interpretations aren't too far off, this means: Everyone baptized of the spirit is available to be worked upon by the Spirit of God. Just as we can't predict what God will do in this moment or the next, so are those who are worked upon by the spirit. In similitude to another scripture, we become beings that "act" and are not "acted upon".

Why is this important? So that we can become the instruments of God, so that real work can be accomplished by us. He becomes the master of our destiny to the extent we yield to Him. Inasmuch as we are committed to be amenable to Him only, our will is unaffected by the will of other men. In this we are truly free of other influences. It is important to remember a few things in this. He provides the direction, but doesn't dictate our every move. Perhaps we only get glimpses and flashes of ideas, but we don't see larger pieces of the picture sometimes until afterwards.

The spirit bloweth where it listeth ... so is everyone that is born of the spirit. =? God performs His work in majesty and those who are born of the spirit are part of the flow.

Gadianton Robbers

The pattern of the Gadianton robbers is among us. It is undeniable that there are secret combinations at work at all levels of society; starting with street gangs, going all the way up to the halls of congress.

What are these secret combinations founded on? Agency conversion. What do I mean by the phrase "agency conversion"? Oppression, tyranny and murder. It is a true principle that one can gain by stealing portions or all of another person's agency. Some examples, addiction, sweat shops, overwork, slavery and ultimately murder. All of these things circumscribe the conversion of other's agency into money and power.

In the old stories hinted to in the Book of Mormon, each member of such a society takes an oath, upon pain of death to protect the others in the society. -They give up a part of their agency for worldly pleasures and filthy lucre. After which they become members who will live or die by the whims of the society.

These partakers of the oath permeate society and then glut themselves on the labor of others. Committing crimes that are hidden, evading the courts and being acquitted of capital offenses, all for the sake of power and money. They bribe and threaten each other, all the while smiling because of their secrets.

There is a common persuasion that a thing is only wrong if you get caught, as if a thing is only bad based on the consequences, regardless of the principle. e.g. if you find a way to cheat the system, there's nothing wrong with that, since you are smarter than the system, you must "deserve" it.

Most criminals believe that they deserve the spoils they receive from their acts because they're "smarter" than the others. If I'm smart enough to write a virus that is clever enough to ruin your financial well-being, and bolster mine, you deserved it, and I deserve anything I can get. Regardless of the law - "Thou shalt not steal".

A lie is based on the message you portray, not the actual words that are spoken. However, in a court of law, this is the game, to get what you want, using words that are "technically true" and not get caught. Technicalities and loopholes are what lawyers specialize in these days.

Righteousness is based upon intents of the heart, and is not subject to special interpretation or "technicalities".

What's wrong with this picture? Isn't this how the civilization of the Nephites toppled? Isn't this how ancient Rome crumbled? It was from corruption within, extortion, tyranny and oppression.

So what can we do? Captain Moroni fought the extortionists hand to hand. Gidgiddoni told the people to protect themselves and prepare for battle. Deny the enemy their spoils, and when they try to force you or coerce you, expose them. The only time that Gadiantons were defeated, was when their power and spoils were denied them.

Above all, we have to recognize evil for what it is. We must deal honestly with our fellow man, exact punishment where it is due, and yet be forgiving where forgiveness is due. We must be above petty money, and vote for the greater good. We must only allow power in small amounts, and make sure that those unto whom it is given are trustworthy.

Tradeoffs

We must make decisions every day as to how we spend our time. As human beings, we can only concentrate on one thing at a time, and therefore, we could theoretically place a record of our life (thoughts, words and deeds) upon a ticker-tape.

The amount of time devoted to things on this ticker-tape would be an accurate measure of our personal priorities.

It would be interesting if we could collect two parallel ticker-tapes; One with just our thoughts, one with our deeds (words could be included with deeds as a type of deed).

I believe that most of the time, our thoughts and deeds would line up. e.g. we do what we are thinking. But there would be sparser times where we don't do the thing that we are thinking. I believe that these times are our defining moments. A few examples: I'm scared to death of giving a speech in front of people, but I do it anyway. Or, I don't want to get up and work, but I do it anyway. These types of situations are constructive. However, there are deconstructive situations. Perhaps I feel that drinking is not good for me, but I do it anyway so that I can fit in. Or perhaps I know that I should get up and do a certain chore, but don't. These moments are perhaps the ones that make our lives change direction.

So, there are tradeoffs. Doing and thinking things is inevitable, but we have to understand the consequences of those things.

Things of value: courage, knowledge, patience, faith, etc.
Things of no value: money, prestige, etc.

There is an old saying: "Time is money.", what they're really saying is: "you can trade life for money." Time only equates to money if you choose it to be. Some choose to trade a part of their life for money. And in fact we must do so to a certain extent since; "By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread all the days of thy life." Some have even figured out how to trade others lives for money. Consider, slavery, sweat shops, retail, advertising, etc. Or even worse, murder, war and conquest. "Surely my brother's flocks fall unto me... the master of this great secret".

We have the choice whether to trade life for perishable things or eternal things.
What we need to do is trade life for more life... which isn't a trade at all, it is an investment. learning, loving, etc. build upon things that won't perish away.

Since this life is spent on a single track, it is a good test to see what we trade it for. One can't walk two paths at once: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." - Mammon being the appetites and desires of the world.

The atonement, entropy and you

The earth, in its orbit around the sun is in a gradual decline. In fact, as the earth's orbit slows, the year is lengthened by one second every eighteen months. In the far distant future it will eventually collapse into the sun.

Similarly, uranium eventually degrades into lead, pure iron oxidizes into rust, lush forests eventually turn into desert wastelands, and clean, honest, civilized people eventually turn into corrupt sinners.

The way of nature is tendency from order toward chaos. This is the law of entropy: (wiktionary) "The tendency of a system that is left to itself to descend into chaos."

O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their chearts upon the vain things of the world!

MIT defines a dynamical system thus: "A system that changes over time according to a set of fixed rules that determine how one state of the system moves to another state."

There is a set of fixed rules...

And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.

[There was] a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul.
Now, how could a man ... sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a punishment?
Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse of conscience unto man.
      •  •  •
All men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed...
... justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

We live in a dynamical system, where the tendency of everything, including man is to descend into chaos and corruption.

Not only are we bound to corrupt ourselves, our actions are also bound to corrupt others also. To make matters worse, each and every action may be subject to an amplifying effect, sometimes called "The butterfly effect" or "Chaos Theory"

Butterfly Effect: (princeton) "The phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g. a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago".

Chaos Theory: (wikipedia) In mathematics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain dynamical systems (that is, systems whose states evolve with time) that may exhibit dynamics that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. (popularly referred to as the butterfly effect)

Chaos Theory: (wiktionary) "The study of iterative non-linear systems in which arbitrarily small variations in initial conditions become magnified over time"

Vicarious Universe: (My definition) "Every human act, however seemingly isolated, will affect the rest of the world."

Consider these warnings from the Lord: "... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation" "... judgement ... unto the third and fourth generation , so long as they repent not."

So, when the teenager decides to attend that frat party, or a father decides to view elicit content online, or a student decides to hit the snooze one more time, missing a morning class; All the time thinking "I'm not hurting anybody", or "I'm only hurting myself". Think again. You will be hurting others, even generations unborn.

Fortunately, there is a force in opposition to that of entropy.

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, ... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness. Wherefore, all things must needs ... remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. ...
And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
[But] there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.

Destruction is inevitable because of entropy, but man is the only agent capable to act. He may amplify the forces of destruction by choosing destructive actions, or he may choose the opposite.

Similar to well-equipped man-made satellites, man can also make corrections to his course, he can slow or stop the forces of entropy.

In exact opposition to the destructive force of entropy and chaos is the constructive power of the priesthood, (the power by which the worlds were created)and the restoring power of the atonement.

Jesus said: "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

Just as a seed can spring forth and produce new life, the atonement restores man to be a new creature. In addition, one plant may produce many seeds, bringing forth more, and more abundant life. This is in opposition to the forces of destruction.

Referring to the Butterfly Effect in a different light, Jesus flapped his wings  and changed the world. He vicariously paid for all sin and guilt, reversing the effects of destruction for those who will come unto him with "a broken heart and a contrite spirit."

And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

King Benjamin says: "And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you."

Mormon says: "O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth."

Lehi says: "Arise from the dust and be men!"

Only in and through Jesus Christ, the Lord Omnipotent (all-powerful) can we separate ourselves from the ways of the world (entropy, the powers of destruction, and the destroyer) and become redeemed, belong to the Creator and become "saviors on mount Zion".

"Arise from the dust and be men!"

Concerning the improvement of time

Time is all that we have in this life. And it is only experienced in one channel at a time. In other words, nobody can experience two things at a time, nobody can think two thoughts at a time; Each life is lived singularly in parallel to others. Our thread makes up a single thread in the fabric.

The question is, what are you doing with your time? In this single channel, what are the thoughts, words and deeds being produced from your allotment of time?

Time is either spent usefully or wasted. Time spent watching a movie, for example, on auto-pilot, for lack of a better word, is wasted. Time spent learning, seeking understanding, serving, growing, etc. is never wasted.

The prophet Alma says "we must improve our time". What is *improved* time? We can begin to answer this by answering the question "what does the verb improve mean?"

Improve:
1. to bring into a more desirable or excellent condition.
2. to make more useful, profitable, or valuable.
3. to make good use of; turn to account:
4. to increase in value, excellence, etc.; become better.
5. to make better, as by revision, addition, or change.

Time:
1.the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.

Per these definitions the phrase "improved time" can have several facets.
Firstly, the definition of time seems to be related to "events". Those events can be of long or small duration, small to the tiniest degree. Also those events have a succession. i.e. some events inextricably proceed others, and they are in an exact order. (At least in our perception of it - because our perception runs in a single thread.)

Now, "improved time" could mean a succession of events that are made better, more valuable, more productive.

I submit that because the succession of events is necessarily sequential, in the definition of "improved time", they build upon each other. In other words, each event is a step in a higher direction, of which step could not be attained to without the one preceding it.

Contrast this with a succession of non-improvement, or degrading events. In the former, one would have "random" events, one preceding the other, where nothing is build upon. e.g. fleeting from one thought to the next. In the latter, where one event degrades from the quality of the preceding one. e.g. falling into wastefulness.

I think that the sate we are meant to achieve is "continuously improving time" - to coin a phrase. Where one event always builds upon another.

I believe that in the single-threaded consciousness of one's life, there are three kinds of events: Thoughts, Words, and Deeds.

Thoughts consisting of images and impressions upon ones' mind. The nature of such we are continually rejecting or accepting as part of our reality. Thus we build a concept of all things... Our time is spent always thinking, and thus "traded" for our version of an understanding of all things.

Words are solely meant for communication, and in its simplest form are used to communicate our perception of reality to others. In exchanging words, we perform a process of submitting concepts for enlightening, degrading, or otherwise changing the development of or makeup of the concept of all things - as well as our own.

Deeds are always preceded by thoughts, (as are other thoughts and words), and are a manifestation of what thoughts we are entertaining. Of the three, deeds are perhaps the most powerful, it is the force of our thoughts upon the physical world. With thoughts, we affect ourself only, with words, we may affect others, but only if they choose to be affected by it. Deeds always affect ourselves and others, although they may come to no effect (as with words and thoughts).

The point here is that thoughts are the key to "improved time". We need to continually challenge ourselves in order to improve our time and build upon the ever passing moment.

A third part of the host of heaven

If you're like me, you have wondered about how Lucifer's plan was so appealing that it lured a third part of the host of heaven to follow it. I don't think he was such a smooth talker that he was able to convince so many to follow a plan that seems to have no basis for success.
In the church, it is often bandied about that Lucifer's plan was to force us to do good so that we would all be saved. -- Um, how is that possible? Would he just follow us around with little whips and make us choose the right things? Even then, some would rebel... No, in fact, the word "force" is never used in reference to Lucifer's proposed plan. We'll get to that in a minute. First, let's set the stage with some scriptural references.
First, we learn that there was an existence (of man) before the world began:

1. Jer 1:5 - "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee ... and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
 - God knew Job (in the spirit) before he was born upon the earth. - God then gave him a mission to fulfill on the earth.

2. Job 38:4-7 - "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? ... When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
 - In the Grand Beginning, the morning stars sang, (I have a theory about who they are - keep reading), and all the sons of God shouted for joy (perhaps at the prospect of being tabernacled in the flesh.)

3. Romans 8:16 - "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God"
 - Paul teaches that we are the children of God. It is my belief that this is not in reference to simply being his "creations".

4. Genesis 1:26,27 - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:  ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
 - If we are created in the image of God, then God has a form (not without body, parts, or passions). He looks like a man; (or more appropriately, man looks like God.)

There are several more references that could be cited further to show that God (the Father) has a form or body (in addition to a spirit). Father Israel said: "I have seen God face to face", "The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Moses also received tables "written with the finger of God", Stephen saw "Jesus standing on the right hand of God", And Paul says that Jesus looked like God: "[God] ... hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, ... [The Son] being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high". (Hebrews 1:1-3)

All men are literal children of God; We were also his children before the world began.

More information is available to us from the prophets:

5. Moses 3:5 - "... I, the Lord God, created all things ... spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. ... I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; ..."

6. Abraham 3:22-26 - "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
and God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;"
 - Abraham makes it very clear here what  is being alluded to by the other prophets. God stood among the spirits (his sons [and daughters]) and explained the plan to them. Similar to Job, Abraham was chosen before he was born.

I think this sets the stage pretty well. God, who is all-knowing, all-powerful, etc. Having children (yet in the spirit), desires them to be tested and become worthy of all the blessings that he wants to give them.

As part of this test, man is exposed to good and evil "that he may know to refuse the evil and to choose the good."  (Isaiah 7:15)

Now God knows that man will not live a perfect life. He is sure of it and proposes that man be allowed a time of probation and an opportunity for repentance. He proposed that one would act as the "Lamb of God, [to take] away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 
1 Jn. 4:9 - "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."

Now, finally to get to the meat of the subject. In opposition to God's plan was Lucifer's plan. This was brought forward in the council, and there were many who opposed it, and there was a war in heaven:

Revelation 12:7-11: - "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
 - The angels that were in favor of God's plan fought those that opposed Satan's plan and prevailed. Satan was cast out.

Luke 10:18 - "...I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

Doctrine and Covenants 76: 19,20,25-28 -

Real Treasure - 07-11-2010

Jesus taught and showed by example that the things of this world mean nothing to him.
From the lineage of both his mother and his supposed father, Jesus was a first-born of the house of David; an inherent King of Israel. As such his subjects would have rejoiced and threw a great celebration at his birth. Instead, he was born into obscurity, and laid in a feeding trough. Born into poverty and unknown to the world, and yet the heavens could not hold back, and their rejoicing spilled over into our world with a "multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
His kingdom DID celebrate Him, of which celebration we were a part.
In his temptation in the wilderness, he was offered many things to which he did not yield: food (temptation to turn stone into bread), power and wealth (temptation to rule worldly kingdoms), and popularity (temptation to be borne by angels of the pinnacle of the temple). He refused them all, recognizing them as counterfeits.
In his ministry, he often preached of the subtleties of the kingdom of heaven, (His kingdom). "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed...", "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed...", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven...", "the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field...", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls...", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder...". In all of these, he shows that the true kingdom is greater than the counterfeits of this world.
When Jesus came to Capernaum, the people  offered him kingship in exchange for manna. He said "I am the living bread"..."Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life." Confused, the people said, "this is a hard saying, who can hear it?". and "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."  In this test, he taught them that "the flesh profiteth nothing", preferring the rewards of the kingdom of heaven over the worldly prestige, which was openly offered him.
When the rich man asked "...What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?", Jesus answered "...sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, ... follow me.", When the rich man could not, He said: "how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!"... "many that are first shall be last; and the last first."
In the sermon on the mount he said: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."..."Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."..."seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
"The love of money is the root of all evil." Paul says. But note that money in and of itself is not evil, but when lust for it occupies any of our waking thoughts, we have already wasted a part of the time allotted to us.
Also beware pride, popularity and prestige, as they can be as corrupting as money.
Now, instead, of seeking these things, we must focus on the better part, honesty, integrity, wisdom, frugality, humility; and as the Lord sees fit, all of these things will be given unto us because we will be worthy and wise stewards of those things over which he entrusts us: "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted." When we truly desire the things of God over the things of the world, the things of the world will be given to us, (including not only riches, but prominence and influence)... as they will no longer be a stumbling block to us to have them, and in some cases it may be that the Lord would rather give stewardship to those who will use them wisely.
Perhaps the most telling part of Jesus' focus on things far greater, is his interaction with Pilate:
"Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
"Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
"Pilate answered, ... Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world...
"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?
Jesus answered, ... To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

Truth is things as they were, as they are, and as they really will be. And the truth is that when the counterfeits shall vanish away, we will find that the only thing left is the Love of God.
"...Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is the REAL treasure.

About the word temporal - 06-13-2010

Here's another crack at it.
I have to write this stuff down somewhere...

Some new things that I've been thinking about:

Physical things are worthless. Cars, houses, money, etc. seem nice to have, but they aren't of any lasting worth.

Recently a young woman at church expressed her excitement for an upcoming youth conference, saying that she was looking forward to growing "spiritually and temporally". I can fathom the term "spiritual growth", but "temporal growth" does not make sense. At least not to me. I have come to the conclusion that either she understands something that I don't about time (which is the root of the word temporal) or she mistakes the word temporal to mean something else entirely.

This brings me to consider the concept of time and the meaning of the word temporal, as it is used in scripture. Many passages speak of spiritual and temporal blessings. I think it is a mistake to equate the word temporal with the word physical. Although the terms physical and temporal are related, they are not the same thing.

As far as I can tell, we can associate the word "time" only with something that has some sort of existence; usually one that has a beginning and an end. And even at that, it can only be measured relative to something. e.g. revolutions of the earth, or orbital periods, etc. Perhaps the word "temporal", as used in the scriptures, could be replaced with the phrase, "timely", "perishable", or "bound to time". So the phrase "temporal blessings" would be rendered "blessings that are perishable, or bound to time".

Thus temporal things are as it were "fleeting" treasures. Things that have a limited life span, things that will eventually cease to exist in their current state, crumble, rot and degrade. "Temporal" things are therefore not of any real eternal worth since they will always eventually fade. The only things that are eternal are those that are spiritual in nature. Perhaps the word spiritual can be synonymous with the phrase "not bound to time, or "non-perishable". As the Master said: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Brigham Young once said (paraphrased) "The goods of this earth were meant for the comfort of man and not his adoration." So next time we catch ourselves thinking about how to make more money, get our hands on the latest electronic gadget or sports car, perhaps we should consider what kind of treasure we are trading our "time" for.
In the words of Alma: "...behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

That time spent convalescing on getting "corruptible treasure" or as Hugh Nibley puts it "counterfeit treasure" could have been used more productively in cultivating "the real thing".

And what is the "real thing?" Consider: Love, Faith, Hope, Charity, Courage, Joy, Knowledge, Wisdom, Integrity. These are not temporal nor perishable, but spiritual and eternal. These are the true treasure of life. I only pray that I can practice what I preach. :-)

Real Treasure - 07-11-2010

Jesus taught and showed by example that the things of this world mean nothing to him.
From the lineage of both his mother and his supposed father, Jesus was a first-born of the house of David; an inherent King of Israel. As such his subjects would have rejoiced and threw a great celebration at his birth. Instead, he was born into obscurity, and laid in a feeding trough. Born into poverty and unknown to the world, and yet the heavens could not hold back, and their rejoicing spilled over into our world with a "multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
His kingdom DID celebrate Him, of which celebration we were a part.
In his temptation in the wilderness, he was offered many things to which he did not yield: food (temptation to turn stone into bread), power and wealth (temptation to rule worldly kingdoms), and popularity (temptation to be borne by angels of the pinnacle of the temple). He refused them all, recognizing them as counterfeits.
In his ministry, he often preached of the subtleties of the kingdom of heaven, (His kingdom). "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed...", "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed...", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven...", "the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field...", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls...", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea", "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder...". In all of these, he shows that the true kingdom is greater than the counterfeits of this world.
When Jesus came to Capernaum, the people  offered him kingship in exchange for manna. He said "I am the living bread"..."Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life." Confused, the people said, "this is a hard saying, who can hear it?". and "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."  In this test, he taught them that "the flesh profiteth nothing", preferring the rewards of the kingdom of heaven over the worldly prestige, which was openly offered him.
When the rich man asked "...What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?", Jesus answered "...sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, ... follow me.", When the rich man could not, He said: "how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!"... "many that are first shall be last; and the last first."
In the sermon on the mount he said: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."..."Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."..."seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
"The love of money is the root of all evil." Paul says. But note that money in and of itself is not evil, but when lust for it occupies any of our waking thoughts, we have already wasted a part of the time allotted to us.
Also beware pride, popularity and prestige, as they can be as corrupting as money.
Now, instead, of seeking these things, we must focus on the better part, honesty, integrity, wisdom, frugality, humility; and as the Lord sees fit, all of these things will be given unto us because we will be worthy and wise stewards of those things over which he entrusts us: "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted." When we truly desire the things of God over the things of the world, the things of the world will be given to us, (including not only riches, but prominence and influence)... as they will no longer be a stumbling block to us to have them, and in some cases it may be that the Lord would rather give stewardship to those who will use them wisely.
Perhaps the most telling part of Jesus' focus on things far greater, is his interaction with Pilate:
"Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
"Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
"Pilate answered, ... Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world...
"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?
Jesus answered, ... To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

Truth is things as they were, as they are, and as they really will be. And the truth is that when the counterfeits shall vanish away, we will find that the only thing left is the Love of God.
"...Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is the REAL treasure.

01-11-2008

I love Brittny.

Inspired Translation - 2008-01-06

For Christmas, I received a book of essays by Hugh Nibley. So far, it is a really awesome book.

In reading the second essay, several things came together for me concerning the  origins of the Book of Mormon and how and why it came forth in the manner it did.

Dr. Nibley reports that in his studies of scores of ancient records, including the dead sea scrolls, jewish and christian apocryphal writings and others, there is a common account of a "council in heaven". Even Egyptian and Babylonian texts have accounts of the events of the council.

Now, The question (which Nibley answers in the essay) is: Why aren't such texts considered as part of "scriptural cannon"?

Nibley says that the accounts cannot be proven as truly inspired, nor can we in many cases tell the character of the writers of the texts who may have done some "ad-libbing".

Anyway, this essay made me aware of two things:

1. Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon had to be an "inspired" translation for us to be able to include it as scriptural cannon. Otherwise, it would just have been put on the shelf with other apocryphal writings which we can't tell if they are inspired or not, and could be discounted by non-believers as yet another ancient record telling a story.

2. Joseph Smith could not have made it up. The main reason to me is that most of the stuff in the Book of Mormon, and especially the Pearl of Great Price (Abraham and Moses) contains stuff that too closely resembles other ancient documents (i.e. description of the council in heaven) that he never could have dreamed would be dug up a hundred years or more after he was dead! Impossible! The other reason is that all of the doctrine in his revelations and translations mesh perfectly with the gospel found in the Bible, which is another feat someone with a 3rd grade education couldn't do, especially since it has stood the test of time for almost 200 years.

Another cool thing to think about is that other cultures who had these accounts that mesh with Christian doctrines revealed by Joseph Smith didn't just make it up. I think all religions have one common origin, and just slowly degraded over time into Buddhism, Judaism, Hindu, etc.

Corbin - 11-21-2007

We finally had the baby! It's been over a week since he was born. (Nov 12) He is a healthy boy. I am the official diaper patrol and Brittny is the feeder.

We are having lots of fun with him. My favorite part is knowing that we get to raise him. I am looking forward to being there for everything. I am especially looking forward to doing fun things with him.

Notes - 11-11-2007

We had Stake conference  today. We had Elder Hicken of the Seventy come. The most important thing that came across to me is this:
 We talk a lot about the "why" -why we  do what we do. But not the "how".

 But the how is always different depending on the situation. But the "how" will always be correct if our motive is love.

 "I don't care how much you Know, until I know how much you care."

"The measure of the greatness of a man's soul is in his capacity to Love."


I pray. Not because it changes God,  because it changes me.
-C.S. Lewis

More stake Conference today.

One of the main topics was personal revelation. It is important to remember where it comes from and when. It comes from our Heavenly Father, when we are actively doing his work.

Happiness != Money 10-6-2007

Today we listened to general conference. I have been thinking a lot about what happiness is lately and was kind of hoping to get some more insight from the conference.

I particularly remember one talk by one of the 70 who told a story about when he was a little boy and he complained to his dad that he needed new shoes because he could see his toe through the end of the shoe. They were too poor to buy new shoes so his dad shined the shoes and made them look better. Then the boy complained that he could still see his toe through the shoe and so the father put shoe polish on his toe and then it couldn't be seen.

I think that you don't need money to be happy. If you have it, great, but it should only be a means to an end. It should not be life's primary pursuit, otherwise, one will lead an empty life.

Happiness is based on faith, family, relationships, and service. All require personal sacrifice.

Some interesting Kanji - 10-5-2007

Kanji for ship 船(pronounced fune in Japanese) consists of 3 sub-symbols.
1. 舟boat
2. 八eight
3. 口mouth

I believe this may have reference to Noah's Ark, wherein 8 souls (mouths) were saved from the flood.

Kanji for forbidden 禁(kinjiru or kin in Japanese) consists of 2 symbols.
1.木tree
2.示show; display (the kanji is the representation of an altar with a body on top)

The garden of eden had two significant trees. Sacrifice (on an altar) was forbidden in the garden.

This is the extent of my thoughts at this time... there are more than this.

Moving my journal HERE

I started a journal awhile back which I am now moving to this site. I will show entry dates on each one.