Simplicity in a Chaotic World.

"It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it."

John Taylor

 Jacob 4:14 They ^bdespised the words of ^cplainness, and ^dkilled the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their ^eblindness, which ^fblindness came by looking beyond the ^gmark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they ^hcannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may ⁱstumble.

I am amazed sometimes at the questions I am asked. For instance the other day I was asked "If Jesus Christ was the Eternal God, how can he be created?" I could probably give you a hundred examples of questions asked that are misleading in their asking, and trying to plant doubt. These questions used to bother me, they used to get me questioning what I believed.

But I found out something. 1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." I have answered a thousand questions for people that are sincerely trying to find faith, and people have cast a shadow of doubt over them. What it always ends up coming back to, is "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?" We feel truth. It stems within our hearts. Men's wisdom changes, but God is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever.

Elder Gérald Caussé of the Seventy in the General Conference of November 2008 He stated, "Little children have a marvelous disposition to learn. They have total trust in their teacher, a pure spirit, and great humility—in other words, the same qualities which open the door to the Holy Spirit. He is the channel through whom we gain knowledge of the things of the Spirit."

"Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11)."

"And he added, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14)."

May we be simple, be humble and accept the beautiful things of God in our lives.

Not to be acted upon

Lately, something has been consuming my mind. Many people in the city that I serve in, are not happy. We come into their life, and we are able to help them have hope. But some do not act upon it, allowing themselves to passively fall into misery, and a mindframe of hopelessness.

I have seen people who are totally reliant upon welfare, and upon others to do everything for them, who give their agency away freely because of a lack of desire to work.

Jesus Christ suffered and died so that we would be able to choose for ourselves what kind of life we can live.

In a talk given by President James E. Faust, entitled "Acting for ourselves and Not being acted upon" President Faust quotes from the Book of Mormon, "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.” and then he says this, "Being acted upon means somebody else is pulling the strings. We live in a time when many want to avoid the responsibility for their acts." and then he shares this story

"When I was a young lawyer, I was appointed by the judges to defend persons who were charged with infractions of the law. One time I was assigned to represent a young man. As we approached the bench, the venerable old federal judge looked down at both of us and asked, “Which one of you is the accused?” From these experiences, I learned that some individuals did not think they were responsible or guilty in any way even though they had violated a law. They felt they were not to be blamed. They had abdicated their consciences. They may have committed the wrongful act, but they felt it was really their parents’ fault because they were not properly taught, or it was society’s fault because they were never given a chance in life. So often they had some reason or excuse for blaming their actions on someone or something else rather than accepting the responsibility for their own actions. They did not act for themselves but were acted upon."

May we all take account of our own actions, may we be less critical of others, or our circumstances, and do as the Prince of Pop suggests, and look at the Man in the Mirror. I know that as we do that, we will, will have greater joy. We will have greater control in our lives, and we will be able to help others who need it.

What are you doing Sunday?

http://mormon.org/worship/

Wherever you are, whatever your plans are, make God a part of it.

33 ^aBut ^bseek ye first the ^ckingdom of God, and his ^drighteousness; and all these ^ethings shall be ^fadded unto you.

Put God first!

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