How does he know?

I really don't like to write too much about the devil. I don't particularly like thinking about him. But he does exist, and it is important, as Elder Faust has pointed out, to know the enemy. And so I guess I'll write a little of what I was thinking this evening as I was reading. I'm in Helaman now, and so nearer the time when the Savior comes to the Promised Land, and it seems the waves of goodness and badness among the Nephites are slightly more frequent than usual. Maybe it just seems that way and isn't really, but that's kind of what it seemed to me. And so, it just made me wonder if the devil wasn't going to work extra hard because he knew the Savior was about to come to them. Now, that's possible. He does know a lot of things. But we also know that he doesn't know the mind of the Lord, and I would guess he doesn't have a very good picture of how the history of the world will be, though I don't know. I mean, it's questionable if he thought tempting Eve was really going to foil the Lord's plan. However, one thing we do know is that he knows us, the Spirit children of our Heavenly Father. He knows who was valiant in the pre-mortal existance, and who wasn't quite as valiant. So, when he sees some of the more valiant people walking the earth, you can bet that he's going to get to work a little harder than usual with some of the less-valiant who could follow him a little better, to bring down the more valiant. And since I think it's pretty safe to suppose that at all significant moments in the world's history such as His first and second coming, The Lord will be sending down some of His most valiant as well as some of his least valiant, you can see how Satan can have the inkling to work a bit harder. This would be a good reason why the scriptures warn us that even the very elect will be deceived in the last days. I suppose this is all to say, that it might not matter exactly how Satan reasons. To an extent, it's probably good to know, but if we learn nothing else, it's to be aware that he is trying, and he's trying pretty hard, particularly as the Second Coming approaches, just as it was going when the First Coming was arriving, so we need to be extra-cautious and avoid the roller coaster of our own pride lest we be on the wrong side when He comes.

Searching and Seeking

I don't know that I have too much profound to say on the subject, but it was kind of interesting to look at the verses in these two categories this morning. They seem to be the same in many ways, but they are slightly different. How are they different? I think you seek something ephemeral, like the kingdom of God, Zion, Peace, etc. But you search the scriptures, your soul, for understanding in process of your seeking those good things. I suppose if there is anything slightly new I learned it is that in the act of searching to be like Him, we are becoming like Him. This is because one of the qualities represented in these verses is His all-searching eye knows us in and out and is how we are judged. As we strengthen our searching skills, we will better be able to discern good and evil and become like Him.

Stripling Fathers

I've heard someone say before that so much attention is drawn to the mothers of the stripling warriors because their fathers were no longer alive; however, this is not true. There are a few mentions of their fathers, in fact. And in one of those mentionings, at least, we can learn something from them. Or at least I did, and maybe just a lesson for me. At times I am stronger at this than others, but I generally try not only to think about if something is right or wrong for me, but what I am condoning or propagating by my participation in.

I have met people who have the belief that something that is not good for you, might not necessarily be bad for everyone, depending on your weaknesses--using such examples as movies and music. And I have had a very hard time with this. Under the definition of "good," as being something that brings you unto Christ (Moroni 7), if something doesn't bring me unto Christ, how could it bring someone else? Well, as far as music and movies are concerned, I'm not sure yet to have an answer for that. I still believe that a large number of people excuse much more than they ought and they propagate by condoning much of the ill that we find in these media (see Standing for Something by Gordon B Hinckley, first chapter I believe).

However, I was surprised to see an interesting example in the Book of Mormon where the fathers of the stripling warriors condoned their going to war by helping them with a great number of provisions. And yet, they could not go to war themselves lest they break the covenant they had made when they buried their weapons of war deep in the earth. I suppose, since their weapons were buried, that the provisions they brought were food, which any good parent would want to do for their sons regardless of their life choices. But when you add this to the fact that their mothers encouraged them by teaching them to have faith, and that if they had faith God would deliver them, that they were very supportive of their sons who went to defend the Nephites, their gracious hosts and protectors. So, here is at least one situation where one's weakness is another's strength and it is good to condone the other's choice. But of course, they weren't encouraging blood-thirstiness, only defense, which does add a little different light on the subject. Any thoughts?

a Blessing

On Saturday I discovered that my life had been saved. I caught a cold a little over a week previously and had gone to the store that Saturday looking for something to help it and was about ready to pick up a decongestant like Suphedrine or something that I would have taken normally and I saw this new thing called "Cold Eze" that supposedly shortened the length of colds. I think the reason was that it contained zinc and their marketing was just that they made it taste a little better and more like a cough drop than normall zinc tablets. Nonetheless, I tried it and it didn't exactly shorten my cold since I'm still occasionally sniffling. But I didn't take any decongestants because of it, as it was also supposed to help with symptoms. But as Saturday rolled around again and I wasn't over my cold, I thought maybe I should take something again, but since I had to go to work at the temple, I looked to see if I had anything on hand. And I actually did have a trial sample of an orangey Alka-Seltzer; but I knew I'd had it for awhile so I was looking all over for a date of expiration or something and ended up reading the warning--which is a good habit, but not one that I'm in with medications I have taken before. And it turned out that the warning was not to take it if you were taking a certain kind of prescription medication, and I wasn't sure if I was, but I knew I was taking something in that family of drugs, so I called the pharmacist and he said for what I was taking not to take any decongestants. A little story from my roommate from someone else she'd known indicated there was a possibility that if I had taken a decongestant while on this medication, the consequences could have been pretty severe. I guess that's just a witness that angels are really watching over me.

The Lamb(s)

Interesting juxtapositions in the few verses listed in the Triple TG on Lamb. First, and most obvious, the comparison between Christ being taken as a lamb to the slaughter, as quoted from Isaiah in Mosiah--one of my favorite chapters in all the scriptures, compared to Joseph Smith being taken as a lamb to the slaughter, from the account of his martyrdom at the end of the Doctrine Covenants, adding definite credence to John Taylor's statement a little further on in the D&C that Joseph Smith deserves such a comparison when he said, "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world."

Secondly, another interesting juxtaposition lies in the fact that verses that describe the wolf and the lamb playing together are seated next to the verse that compares Joseph Smith's enemies to wolves prowling awaiting the lamb's blood. Additionally, this verse has added meaning juxtaposed to the above mentioned verses considering what the blood of the lamb signifies even more. With that in mind, I found it interesting that the word "like" was used rather than "as." So you can see what I'm referring to, the verse says, "thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb." Perhaps I'm taking it a little too far, but as an English major who was particularly interested in editing, the difference between like and as are rather apparent. "Like" shows a comparison between two nouns; "as" shows comparison between two clauses. In other words, this sentence would still be accurate to say, "as wolves..." because it separates two clauses. However, the chosen word was "like." Now, some might disagree, but I don't think the Lord minced with words. What's more I think the scriptures are more beautiful than just the truths they contain because of the eloquence in which they are expressed. So, now what does the difference between like and as signify in this context? This morning as I was reading, it seemed to be grammatically separating the blood of the lamb from the wolves. With this part of the clause remaining outside of the comparison, it is therefore part of the reality. Therefore, Joseph Smith is all the more compared to the Savior. Or perhaps you could say that in a way they were waiting for the blood of the Savior, either not realizing its significance, (what it signfied) or waiting for it in ways they did not realize. If you think about the other verses, where it is noted that the wolves and the lambs will play together, isn't it therefore apparent that the blood of the lamb atoned also for the wolves? making them whole again, as the lamb?

Just Reading, a little about Cpt Moroni

This morning again, no time. However, I did read last night. I can't think that I learned anything very profound. I did do a little bit of study on a subject in the topical guide, but I don't even remember what now--I think it was in the R's. I spent more time just reading where I left off last in my chapter by chapter reading, in Alma, about the title of liberty with Capt. Moroni, and so my thoughts were kind of about how interesting it is that the two main characters, the very righteous Moroni, who if everyone were like, the powers of hell would have no power, pitted against one of those powers of hell in old what's his names connivings for the throne--interesting I don't remember his name. And indeed, the righteousness of Moroni and his followers did lead to success and a thwarting of the power of evil--to a certain extent. And then men continue to exercise their free agency. But it was also just interesting to think that so often the Lord does show us both sides of the coin in the scriptures. The idea of opposition isn't just touched on in 2 Nephi where it's explained. It's all over the place.



Some other thoughts were kind of about "how long are we supposed to read every day?" and with my morning rush and everything that goes on after work, it's something that kind of comes up pretty often, but I think I came to the conclusion last night, as many apostles have tried sharing with us, that how much time doesn't really matter. But at the same time, we don't want to read just for like a minute just to check it off our list, but rather, I think a good amount of time would be however long it takes to make you feel inspired or refreshed or as if the Lord were conscious of you, even if you don't learn anything terribly profound. Those are my two cents. What are yours?

The Plan of Salvation

I was terribly hurried this morning, so I didn't have time to study the scriptures. (Sometimes I have an awful time getting up in the morning.) However, I was quite fortunate last night to have the sister missionaries over for dinner. I was supposed to go on splits with them, but as I've had a cold and was feeling a little dizzy, I decided that wasn't so wise, and I even ordered pizza for dinner so I wasn't contaminating them with something I cooked. But I was still hungry for something spiritual, so I felt pretty blessed that they decided to give me a little longer spiritual thought and taught one of the discussions. When I was a missionary, it was the 4th, but they say now it's the 2nd. And I must say that I can very much see the wisdom in teaching the principle earlier. The outline of life really explains so many things and provides a good base for every other principle of the gospel. It was nice to see the visuals, too--the little laminated cut-outs that they laid out on the table. When I was a missionary, we used those too, but they weren't laminated--they were pretty cheap, and I didn't really think much more of them than that they helped the listener pay attention since they required an additional sense to listening. But last night, it was nice to have the visual, not just to keep my attention, but to see how everything fit together. I suppose the most interesting thing I noticed was at the end, when they moved the Heavenly Father and Jesus characters (which I unfortunately never had in my cut-outs) from the Pre-Mortal existence where we lived with Them, to the Celestial Kingdom, where we hope to live with Them, making it all the more clear that these are the same place in some senses, and what it signifies for us to make it to the Celestial Kingdom--wherein we also will be living in other Pre-Mortal existence, though obviously no longer our own.

Decisions

It was interesting to read about Decisions from the Topical Guide this morning, particularly since Sunday School this week was on personal revelation. So, I guess I was thinking they would be related. I was surprised to see however, that all of the entries for Decisions were related to Church courts, decisions made by the different levels of the priesthood in such situations. In spite of the obvious disparity between the two subjects, there were some interesting external applications. For example, the fact that decisions could be appealed to a higher level of authority was an indication that even within the office of a calling, such as bishop, where the person did have the stewardship and authority to receive the revelation regarding a particular decision, mistakes could be made and the Lord recognized that, making the provisions for the appeal. So, as this applies to us, as we have stewardship over our own decisions regarding our personal lives, we can still sometimes make mistakes, and so we don't need to beat ourselves up about it. In some cases, we could ask for assistance from those in authority over us, for example.

On Reason

This morning, I read about Reason.

There aren't many verses listed in the Topical Guide of the Triple for Reason and Reasoning, but I think the few there are provide an interesting approach to how we view "reason." For example, it becomes very apparent that God does not reason the way that we do, without even including the verse from the OT, "Your thoughts are not my thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." And yet, He is very willing to work with our reasoning to help us understand His. "Come now and let us Reason together," he says.