Not yet??? - Principle Three

Day 1 - 1 Nephi 18:11 "And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked"

"Write about why according to this verse, the Lord "suffers," or in other words "allows," us to be in bondage at times.  (See also John 9:1-3 for further insight into why God allows forms of bondage such as physical handicaps.)"

John 9:1-3 "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Since God consecrates our afflictions for our gain, I'm guessing sometimes we haven't learned all of our lessons yet, that there is still something needed to stretch us, to grow us, to strengthen us.  When the people of Alma where in bondage, they went through a faith-promoting process where they were strengthened to the point where they didn't feel their burdens, before their prayer of liberation was answered.  It has been my experience that whenever I pray for the Lord to zap a terribly antagonistic foe with lightening -- it doesn't work.  Not at all, and I know this because sheepishly I admit trying it a few times when younger.  This is the prayer that works, and works beautifully.  'Please give me what I need to be equal or greater than the problem I face'.  And there is beauty in the process of gathering strength and inspiriation to face our frustrating challenges.  It may not be very obvious while we're in the middle of hardship, but with our spiritual hindsight, later we can see a method to the madness.

My Great God - Principle Two

Day 7 - Alma 24:10 "And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son."

"Capture this scripture for yourself.  what does it teach you personally?  Freedom from the bondage of addiction is a gift from God.  here Alma thanks God for three great gifts.  What are they?  Write about them in your own words."

First the three gifts:  The privilege of repenting.  Here I marvel that such a mechanism even exists.  An eraser, a chance to clean the slate.  Second, that many sins can be forgiven, that the process of repentance and forgiveness is powerful enough for many trespasses.  Third, the gift of peace, of confidence before God, because our guilt no longer drags around behind us.  Guilt in the heart is a heavy burden, when guilt is gone, the lightness and euphoria that replaces it is sweet.  Really sweet.

I personally love the phrase "my God, yea my Great God".  The admiration, the love, the evidence of a personal relationship sounds through these words.  I love that Heavenly Father is so majestic, so noble, so large in capacity.  And the Christ right along with him.  Sometimes I can't get over how extraordinary it is that we're related, that I get to associate with them, that they put me here so that I could join them completely someday.  Revelations 3:20-21 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne"  This verse reveals an intimicy, a personable Christ who regards us so much, he wants us to have what ever he has.

True Root - Principle Two

Day 6 - Mosiah 11:23 "And it shall come to pass that except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God"

"When we are under the influence of any addiction, one way to describe our situation is to say that we are in bondage.  Is our addiction [any repeating bad habit] really the primary sin we need to repent of, or is it just a symptom?  According to Abinadi, what is the true root of sin?

My bad habits and "addictions" come from not being rooted in Christ.  Or in other words not consciously bringing the Spirit into my life.  So the true root of sin is not turning to the Lord.  Because when left to my own devices, I gradually sink.  My sins and bad habits are a symptom on the surface, a symptom of the condition and attitude of my heart.  Where my heart truly is, my actions follow.  The only way to get the power to act differently is from conscious contact with the Spirit, with the Savior.  I am 3 days - video game free!

Rays of Hope - Principle Two

Day 5- "And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved except the conditions which I have told you."

"Salvation means to save or preserve something precious.  Christ's atonement is His testimony to us of how precious we are to Him and the Father.  Keep track today of some of the little ways, the positive coincidences, the tiny blessing that demonstrate your preciousness.  At the end of the day, record a few in your journal.  If you do not honestly feel precious before Him, speak to Him in writing, of your honest feelings."

I remember last year, in a hard, destitute phase in our lives that I came across this verse and challenge.  I had quite the attitude..."sure, fine, but there won't be any blessings to write about".  At the time I was sure, despite all my gospel knowledge that I had fallen between cracks.  Either the Heavens intended it, or they just plain forgot about me.  My prayers were bouncing off the ceiling.  But I decided to try this anyways, and at first I had to look hard, then they came.  One small blessing after the other.  I realized after a few days that there were rays of hope everywhere.  I just had to be willing to accept their reality.  This exercise was one of the elements that helped restore my brightness of hope.  A wonderful buoyancy to enjoy amid life's storms.

God's Love - Principle Two

Day 4 - Mosiah 4:6 " I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body"

"I often say that I believe in the goodness of God, but when it comes right down in believing that this goodness is extended to me by my Savior I lose my faith.  I would ask you in the words of King Benjamin 'if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards [you]"?  Has this happened to you?  Describe how this belief (or lack of it) impacts your life and influences your compulsive/addictive behaviors."

This is something I have come to know through this course.  I mean, I "knew" it before, but now I feel the concept of love and possibilities inside my heart of hearts.  Which is an entirely different experience than just hearing the words echo around inside my head.  What that means is when I identify a weakness that needs to be tackled , and it's not going anywhere on its own - then it is time to bend my knees and plead for strength and inspirations on how to combat my challenge.  It means I know that heaven is on my side and help will come.  Our afflictions, weakness and trials serve a really important function, well more than one, but one of them is so we will learn to make Christ our partner.  And it isn't just a phrase "a personal relationship with the Savior".  It is real, it is intimate and it works, time after time, problem after problem.  I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I love the effects, I love the victories.

Personal Hell - Principle Two

Day 3 - 2 Nephi 33:6 " I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell".

"Copy this scripture into your journal, filling in the blanks.  Hell is a state of being "dead' or "damned."  Addictions (any behavior or habit you repeat) put us in hell on earth.  Our spirits feel dead or stopped from growth.  Write about a behavior that you keep repeating that keeps you from growing and being a progressively better you.  Who is it that Nephi assures us has power to get us out of your personal hell?"

Oh, is this ever timely.  So I've gotten wrapped up in an online video game.  And I use it to procrastinate, to be lazy, to ignore my kids, to keep from doing much better things with my time.  I've had it!  I can't stand the way I feel afterward.  Especially after Parley P Pratt said we'll be accountable for how we spent our all of our time.  So this is my first moment not playing anymore.  What is your indulgence that is out of balance?  What could you do without for the rest of your life and be glad to never return to it?  I will soon be on my knees asking for help in abstinence.  This resolve feels really good, but I already know resolve is not enough.  I have to come to the Savior with my weakness in order for them to be transformed into strengths.  I have faith I will find the help I need.  My commitment is online, so here it goes.

Even Me - Principle Two

Day 2 - 2 Nephi 4:19 " And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted."

"Nephi, a prophet of God, humbly admits to God the he is harassed by temptation and sin.  Why do you think God wanted him to record this and then allowed it to be preserved and handed down to us?  Who is it that has strengthened Nephi?  Who has he learned to trust?  What do you think it is that he trusts the Lord can do for him?  Can you trust that the Lord has enough mercy and power to redeem even you? Why?"

I still remember how poignant this self-discovery process was for me.  I believed in Christ, but somehow, sub-consciously, believed I wasn't good enough for His attention, for His notice, for His complete atoning sacrifice.  Somehow I fell short of whatever invisible bar there was to be redeemed, all the way redeemed.  We all carry around the story that we're broken, damaged goods.  We got that message somewhere along the way when we were young and I have carried it around for a long time.  Now I know that I'm flawed because the very nature of being mortal is automatically flawed.  I'm here to overcome it, tackle it, face it, beat it.  But having to do so does not disqualify me, it's supposed to be that way.  It's how I respond to challenges that matters, not that they happen.  It's whether I put in a good fight or not.  And last but not least, it's whether I come to Christ with my problems and my weaknesses and find enough trust to reach out to him and to open my heart to the love, the endless possibilities, the hope and the joy.  And the way the world is today, afflictions are a pretty big test.  One we need to study for every day, because we get "quizzed" every day.  And prayer is our conduit to the master teacher.  With study and prayer - these tests of weaknesses and trials can be tackled, conquered, made into triumphs.  Hundreds of little triumphs over my will.

Afflictions Made Good - Prniciple Two

Day 1 - 2 Nephi 2:2 "Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain"

"One element of the greatness of God is His ability and desire to consecrate our afflictions for our gain.  Look up the meaning of the word consecrate in the dictionary.  Write the definition in your journal.  Write about the afflictions that have come into your life.  Keep in mind that afflictions can be trials, heartaches, or illnesses, anything that causes you pain and distress, including your own mistakes.  How have you seen the consecrating poser of God applied to these afflictions?"

Consecrate =  to solemnly dedicate or devote something to a sacred purpose, to render holy.

How long should my list be?  Since I have all of the above: trials, heartaches, illnesses, pain, distress, PMS, mistakes (lots of mistakes) this could be a really long entry.  Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with afflictions, and the thought off feeling grateful for them, or thinking them good things can be a little much.  ESPECIALLY when we're right in the middle of them.  But I understand this principle in general, in fact received personal revelation about hard times and wrote about it on my blog.  It's kind of long, but this entry really means something to me.  Patty Ann writes some wonderful thoughts about this topic on her blog too.

World Answers - Principle One

Day 7 - Moses 1:10 "And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed."

"After being in the presence of God for many hours, Moses witnesses to us the tremendous contrast in power, glory and strength between God and man, using the same word that is used in Helaman, that man is “nothing.” Why do you suppose we resist relying on God’s power and choose to lean, instead, on self and the answers the world provides?" (pg. 14)

I fall into this trap when I'm not close to the Spirit.  Then all I have is myself and world answers.  I suppose there is the belief that we're supposed to be self-reliant too.  ALWAYS, the ironic thing is, it feels wonderful to be in the habit of daily scriptures and prayer, and other things that bring the Spirit into my life.  Life just goes so much better, I feel more at peace, more content, more capable and more apt to direct my will wisely when I'm drawing on the Spirit regularly.  It never makes sense when I let those habits go because I KNOW how much better I feel.  Yet sometimes I do let spiritual things lapse, and I can even go for a long time, conscious that I'm missing it.  Mortality is a strange, flawed thing.  Mastering my will into better habits, and wiser choices is my mountain to climb.  Every day.  Every day counts too.  Every day is important.  Every day we start with a clean slate, and every day is the beautiful possibility that today we will start something wonderful, something we've been meaning to do for ourselves.  It is the Spirit that grants me more capacity, so it is the Spirit I chase to start my day.

Great Nothingness - Principle One

Day 6 - Helaman 12:7 "O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth."

This is a pretty plain statement. Notice the phrase “the children of men.” That expression is used repeatedly through the scriptures, applied to those who have not yet been born of God and become His sons and daughters (see Mosiah 27:25). Write about this verse. (Look back to the previous verse [6] for some clues as to why we are nothing when we are the “children of men.”)

Mosiah 27:25 "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughter.."

Helaman 12:6 "Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide."

Before this course, I thought these verses referred to non-believers, those who would not accept the gospel.  But how about when I ignore General Conference, or don't regularly say my prayers, read my scriptures, skip church, etc.  Then it is me who sets his council at naught, and am not tapping into those powers of guidance.  This certainly isn't a state of righteousness, so I'm back to choosing the carnal over the spiritual.  Right now I do a dance between carnal and spiritual.  I can't claim I'm completely spiritual or spend all my time being a daughter of God, so to speak.  So the daily battle, even the moment-to-moment battle is choosing the carnal, or choosing the Spirit.  I need to be more conscientious of what I am choosing.

Personal Power - Principle One

Day 5 - Alma 26:12 "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

"We are bombarded with philosophies, programs, planners, commercials, products, and medications that promise personal power. Think back over your life and admit in writing some of these things that have lured you. Did they solve your problem? Did they improve your relationship with the Lord? The principles in this course can introduce you to the true Source of power so that you can say as Ammon did, “I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in HIS strength I can do all things.”

I am so touched this morning by this scripture, by this idea.  This is where personal power comes from.  From recognizing and turning to the source that is responsible for all we have thus far.  Even our skills and abilities, talents and genius were gifts given to enjoy, to use, to create with.  "For in his strength, I can do all things..."  This is where my confidence comes from, knowing whose side I am on, and who is on my side.  After I fruitlessly try to will myself into better shape, to better choices, better habits, etc., it is turning to Christ that makes it happen.  Because the Spirit is the only power that can change my very heart, the source of all my thoughts, wills, actions.  It is the condition of my heart that needs to change first.  The Spirit quickens the inner man, softens and molds the heart and makes me a better person than I can be on my own.

Seeing Ourselves - Principle One

Day 4 - Mosiah 2:21 "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."

"In this scripture we are taught that we can never, even if we try with all our energy, return more to the Lord than we are receiving. How does this scripture translate into your everyday life? Does it bring you despair or relief? Write to Him about your feelings."

I used to feel conflicted when reading this verse, and even more when finding it emphasized in this book.  It seems in direct opposition to the "feel good" messages from Young Women's -- i.e. the YW values 'Divine Nature' and 'Individual Worth'.   This verse and question was the main reason I rejected this book and its thought process the first time around.  Now I understand both principles are true, at the same time.

"Though our eternal potential is great, our current mortal state is especially humble in comparison."  (My own quote from another page, how do I rate?)

So what this scripture really tells me now is Heavenly Father didn't give us life and opportunity because we are advantageous to him, like a return on investment in the stock market or goods at a retail store that can be sold for more.  He is gifting us a path, gifting us a way to move up and onward to a higher plane of existence.  We're a lot of work and bother and worry, frankly speaking.  He does it for love.  Tremendous amounts of love.  He WANTS us to succeed.

But we take it for granted, or we're incognitant of the enormity of the opportunity, so we need to be reminded once in a while of where we stand in the grand scheme of things.  And recognizing our current state for what it is, helps us understand where we need to go from here.

Relying Wholly - Principle One

Day 3 - 2 Nephi 31:19  "And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save."

"Copy the above scripture into your journal, filling in the blanks.  Have you ever been told or have you thought that a lack of self-esteem was the reason you were having problems? What does this scripture say to you in regard to this modern “god” of self? Who has power enough to save you? Who should you esteem? How much? Is it yourself?"

These can be really hard questions.  I've seen sisters really struggle with the concepts presented in Day 3 and Day 4.  But the answers to these questions, if pursued, are keys to understanding great concepts about ourselves, our opportunities.  Seven years ago, when I first came across these questions, and the concepts written in the first chapter, I rejected them.  Really rejected them!   And quit this course after the first week.  And I DIDN'T like the book.  To be fair, there was no one to help me through these concepts and maybe I was too scared to look past my own ego to see how extraordinary the "nothingness" of man is.  Not to be cryptic, but it is related to how extraordinary the love of God is for each of us as individuals.  There is a direct correlation.  But right now, we need to focus on our reality, who we are in this moment, our stature and status in the universe, right now.  Contemplate it without fear.  These thought processes are the start of spiritual un-covering.

Lofty Looks - Principle One

Day 2 - 2 Nephi 12:11  "And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

"Because we usually try to overcome our weaknesses alone, we fail time after time. How can this help in the process of humbling us? Write about a problem you have sought to solve yourself and how peaceful or permanent your efforts have been. What do you suppose it means that “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”—the day when our “lofty looks” shall be humbled and all truth shall be known?"  (pg. 13)

It is by my weaknesses that I recognize who I am relative to the Savior (and Heavenly Father).  Mortality really is vain and frail.  One great struggling of mine was negative thought patterns.  Yep, negative thought patterns that I had a hard time admitting were there, or admitting how extensive they were.  My story about myself was I was "upbeat", "cheerful", etc.  It was my sister Andrea who opened my eyes to how much negativity ran through me because of our family upbringing.  She told me I was a "heavy" like the rest of the family.  I immediately panicked back "No, I'm not"  My mind was ready to see it though, because in that instant I saw a true glimpse of myself, and had to own it..."Yes, actually yes I am."  Trust me, it broke my heart.

Even though I wasn't as negative as other family members, I had made my family norm the benchmark.  As long as I was doing "so much better" than my family's benchmark, I imagined that was enough.  Well, actually I didn't give it much thought.  Oh boy, was I blind, or in denial, or something!?  The real benchmark is Christ.  This is where I cry while I'm writing this.  Compared to Christ, I was way, way down the path.  Facing that was painful.  Looking inside my head and becoming conscious of the downbeat thought parade marching on - was humbling.  And making up my mind to not be negative worked as well as my dieting typically does.  FAIL.

So when the scripture says the Lord alone is exalted, I think that is because in that day we'll all see ourselves objectively, with enlightened, corrected perspective.  Wouldn't that naturally happen when standing next to the Savior and seeing the tremendous difference?  Humility probably only begins to describe that moment of comparison.

Bless you!

Carnal vs. Spiritual - Principle One

Day 1 - 2 Nephi 9:39 " O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal."

"We often think of the word carnal as applying only to those people who appear to be very wicked. Look up the word carnal in the dictionary. Think of its definition as it applies to our efforts to solve our problems. Write about an area in your own life in which you are guilty of being “carnally minded” in regard to seeking solutions." (pg. 13)

Carnal = Relating to the passions and appetites of the body, worldly, temporal.
Spiritual = Concerned with or affecting the soul, relating to God, sacred.

I noticed that Satan doesn't have to engage us in some big, obvious evil.  All he has to do is make us ineffective, neutralize us and he's won almost as much as when we really fall into sin.  This has been on my mind lately, how much I spin my wheels and get involved in habits and activities of no lasting consequence, of no enduring substance or purpose.  Like wasting time on the internet (Facebook anyone?)  One of my girlfriends just inactivated her Facebook account.  It was too much distraction.  Something I need to think about doing.

The other 'carnal' habit I'd like to snap my fingers and make disappear is avoidance.  Not just procrastination, but outright avoidance of housework.  Avoidance of anything that RESEMBLES housework.  And it makes me miserable.  Because I like a clean house.  So it comes and goes in binges.  I find I turn to little pleasures like eating, internet, shopping, etc just to keep from jumping in and tackling something around the house.  The ironic thing is, whenever something does get taken care of and cleaned up, it feels so good.

However, I've recently discovered I can do almost anything for 15 minutes, knowing I'll only torture myself for 15 minutes.  So now I have a list of 15-minute tasks.  I even set a timer and cheer when it goes off, and move onto something else and come back again later in the day, or the next day for another 15 minutes.  And when I've done several 15 min things in a row, I reward myself with some small activity I enjoy - with no guilt.  And cruddy jobs eventually get done.

I've also noticed that when I take time out for my spiritual self in the morning, before most events of the day, with reading, pondering and prayer - I have more strength and willpower than at other times.  Prayer and desire do work well together.  Today it is my prayer that I can climb my mountains, the mountains in my own life, mountains of my own making...because my sister-in-law and brother-in-law are coming.