Cleave

D&C 89:15: "...study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people."

In the past, I've had discussions with people regarding scriptures and how they help me become a better person.  Sometimes I've expressed interest in reading things from other religions, maybe some Buddhist stuff, to see what kind of things they can teach me about being a better person.  Some people encouraged me, some people laughed, and there were some people who freaked out a little and asked if I was okay and if my testimony was strong and if I was looking to convert to something else.  It was funny because they were so puzzled.  They couldn't understand that I would want to read something for another religion without being interested in actually converting to that religion.

I just wanted to make note of this scripture as I came across it, because we've been told to seek out the good books of the world.  Just because they are from a different religion doesn't mean they won't benefit us.  Not saying to go join another Church because they have something right. I believe most if not all religions have some truth and goodness in them, otherwise they wouldn't have followers.  But we've got the truth all put together here.  As we learn more about the gospel, we learn more about how the puzzle pieces fit together.  And as we learn more of the good things the world has to offer, the easier that puzzle will be to solve.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

I have been reading but not blogging.  I apologize.  I might make several posts in the same day, but that doesn't mean anyone should feel obligated to read them all.  Remember, my first priority is to document my own thoughts about what I study so that I actually learn something and so that I don't forget what I learn.  I don't expect you to read everything, whoever it is that you are.

D&C 88 talks about the varying degrees of kingdoms and such, but when I read verses 44-45, I thought of it in a little different way than I think most people have thought of it.

"And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days..."(44). "The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God"(45).

Okay, so here's what I thought about this passage regarding the cosmos:

The "They" in verse 44 represents us, God's children, and the "light" we give to each other is our service, our friendship and love, the gospel...you know, all that good wholesome stuff that light represents.  So 44 says that we brighten each other at various times throughout our lives.  In 45, it says all of us (we are the earth, sun, moon, stars) are going about our lives (the rolling of the earth is the turning of the earth, and that's what the earth does, it turns.  what we do is live our lives), and as we go about our lives, we give light at different points of time for each other.

Or another way to interpret it along the same lines: the earth doesn't really shine, so imagine you are the earth, and there are all these different factors of the gospel that are continually present, but for some reason, specific parts of the gospel seem to shine brighter at certain points in your life.

Either way, I think there's more to these scriptures than just the shallow interpretation that the sun, moon, and stars shine at different times.  I see a lot of symbolism there regarding the light we give and receive.  I'm sure there's even more, but I don't want to make this any longer.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"The shepherd and his flock have been ever-present symbols of the Lord and the people of His pasture.  The ancient role of a shepherd was much more than an assignment to herd sheep.  The shepherd loved his sheep, he knew them, named them, provided for and protected them.  In return, the sheep responded to their shepherd and recognized his voice.  His call alone could bring them back from their wanderings in unfamiliar paths.  If lambs were lost, he sought them out and brought them back to the fold.  Those who hear the Master's call and then seek to follow His path will find Him and there enjoy contentment and safety at His feet"("Lost No More" Item Description at The Original Greg Olsen Art Gallery).

My home teachers last school year gave me a postcard with this picture because last year, my testimony grew faster and larger than it had ever grown in my life.  I've grown up in the Church, but it was easy for me to just ride along with everyone else and trust what people were teaching me.  Last year, I really began believing it.  I watched as my roommates read the scriptures on their own, not just because they had to, but they looked really into it.  And I heard about how long my one of my roommate's personal prayers always were.  I wanted that.  I wanted to look forward to scripture study and to be lost in prayer.  So I read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and for the first time, I really paid attention to what I was reading.  It was an amazing experience, and I still get something new out of the Book of Mormon each time I open it.  That book was a way that I was brought back into the Lord's presence.  Not that I ever entirely left it--I just hung out on the edges of the herd most of the time.  And now one of the thoughts that most often runs through my head is "What should I read today?"

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Doctrine and Covenants 82 is a great chapter.  I knew it was going to be a great read from the very first verse:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, my servants, that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so I, the Lord, forgive you."

How many times have I read this verse and heard this verse in Church?!  Right, a lot.  But this time for some reason, something completely jumped off of the page and bit me in the nose.  Lately I've been thinking about how we are our own worst critics, how we forgive our family and friends so much more easily than we forgive ourselves.  But lo and behold!  This verse offers comfort!

I've always heard this verse interpreted as we must forgive each other in order to be forgiven.  Today, I interpret it a different way.  I see that even as I readily forgive my family and friends, and even strangers, the Lord readily forgives me.

That doesn't mean he'll forgive me just like that (you didn't see it, but I just snapped my fingers on the word "that").  At the beginning of this verse, the Lord addresses His servants.  That means this applies to people who are striving to live in accordance to the Lord's will, the people who try to obey the word of God.  So yeah, you have to put forth some effort in order to change (by the power of the Atonement in order) to be forgiven, but the Lord is willing to forgive you, even as you are willing to forgive a family member or a friend who has done something wrong, feels bad, and who wants to fix it.  When you know they are sorry for what they have done, isn't it natural to forgive those who you love?  The Lord loves us, and He forgives us our trespasses.  Believe this.  It's an important concept to grasp, or He wouldn't say "verily" twice in this verse.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it pours knowledge into our souls and shows things in their true light. With that enhanced perspective, we can discern more clearly the choices before us and their consequences. We can, therefore, make more intelligent use of our agency. Many of God’s children fall into unanticipated traps and unhappiness because they either lack or ignore gospel light. They are unaware of their options or are confused about the outcomes of their choices. Ignorance effectively limits their agency"(D. Todd Christofferson, "Moral Agency," Ensign, Jun 2009).

I know that most of my problems in life are my fault--I've been ignorant of something the gospel teaches, or I've ignored what I've learned.  Strange how ignorance and ignore use the same root, isn't it?  Just like the saying money is the root of all evil, maybe ignor is the root of all problems.  I've been looking up what ignor or ig might mean in Latin, but that is my assumption that the Latin language holds the answers.  I couldn't find this word, but the word ignorance is based on the word ignore, so I know the history of this word will be interesting if I can figure it out.  I will have to ask my linguistics professor from last year if he knows anything about it.

The point is, though, that I think ignor is the root of our problems, and the simple answer to fighting ignor is to become educated, to study the gospel and be educated in the world.  But that isn't simple.  You can't just expose yourself to the answers.  You have to study them out in your mind and think about how to apply them.   If you don't apply them, you'll forget, and that's just as bad as being ignorant or ignoring what you know.  If you can't read the stop sign, that doesn't mean you'll be safe not obeying it.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Tomorrow is my last day in my Doctrines of the Gospel institute class.  For a while, I was really sad about this, but then I got a picture stuck in my head right before I went to sleep, so here I am blogging at an insane hour.

I usually dread the last of anything.  The last bite of a cookie is a simple example.  The last night I spent at my apartment last school year with all of my roommates.  The last hug from my mom before we both return to our homes in different states.

But then I remembered the phrase we hear so often at church: "The Last Dispensation."  I don't dread the end of this dispensation.  I try my best to be prepared for it, and sometimes I get worried that I won't be my best by the time the end comes, but I don't dread it because I know it's just a beginning of something magnificent.

Most of the time, things don't end.  Not the good things anyway.  And the end doesn't have to be bad.  It's like climbing stairs.  Getting to the last step means getting on with what you really need to be doing.  And if this institute class is a set of stairs, I'm glad I climbed them, and I can't wait to see what's on this floor.  Hopefully it's as enjoyable as Doctrines of the Gospel.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving