God’s happiness is not associated with His children’s behavior. His happiness is that He provides all of his children with the ability to come back into His presence.
Each of us are tried for our own good that we may know our own selves. By knowing who we are, God may provide us with exaltation.
So why do bad things happen to good people? Research has shown that there are 13 reasons in scripture: only 1 of the reasons is because good people behave badly.
2 Nephi 9:48
Agency Defined part 2
The mode of agency used to be presented as free agency. That has been replaced with moral agency.
The Definition of Agency
Within the unique language that is mormon-ese, the term agency carries multiple definitions. Using the article “The Power and Gift of Agency” as a precursor, the pure definition of agency is:
The power to act righteously.
Within the doctrine of agency comes the most common belief that agency is the freedom of choice. I have heard it taught very often during Gospel Doctrine, Priesthood, various Sunday school classes, in Young Men’s and Young Women’s lessons, and from the pulpit.
The Purpose of Communication
These are excerpts taken from our missionary training class on Sunday, June 7, 2009
The primary purpose of communication is to understand. This is the same concept that teaches it’s not who is right but what is right.
Most people communicate by seeking for agreement. This is the concept of who is right and not what is right.
Think about the last conversation you had with someone over something that you didn’t agree on. What position did you come from, trying to get him to agree with you or did you first seek to understand his point of view?
What is the primary purpose for communicating? The answer is also the primary purpose for praying.
The primary purpose for communicating and for praying is to seek understanding. Let’s take prayer for example, many times when we pray we try to convince the Lord to see things our way. That is called praying or communicating for agreement.
We pray for our Father to bless us with certain things (better job, new car, a new friend, wife or husband.) And when He doesn’t respond the way we want, we become angry, frustrated, claim that things are not fair, that the heavens are closed, or that we gave the Lord a chance but He didn’t come through etc.
I was studying this morning and came across an article written by Dallin H. Oaks in 1993. Within the article is found the following paragraph.
“God invites us to reason with Him, but I find it significant that the reasoning to which God invites us is tied to spiritual realities and maturity rather than to scholarly findings or credentials. Three times in modern revelation the Lord has spoken of reasoning with his people.
1. D&C 45:10, 15
2. D&C 50:10-12
3. D&C 61:13;
** See also Isaiah 1:18
We’ve been commanded to be in the world and not of the world. Yet sometimes being in the world means we blend in and take a neutral position between good and evil. There are plenty of people around to teach us how to blend in. They can teach you how to avoid detraction in public, in society, what to wear or what not to wear. What to believe and what not to believe. How to believe, who to believe, and when to believe. It’s the security of evil that renders neutrality an opposition to God.
Question: Who knows the exact time and date of the Lord’s Second Coming?
In the book Jesus The Christ, by James Talmage, pg. 575, we read:
All speculation concerning the time of the Lord’s appearing, whether based on assumption, deduction, or calculation of dates, was forestalled by Christ’s averment: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
This is Mark’s version of the passage. Matthew omits the phrase, neither the Son. The JST leaves the phrase in according to Br. Talmage.
On page 589, the appendix to the chapter, Br. Talmage adds the following explanation:
A Single Eye
What does the Lord mean when he says: “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light…” (D&C 88:67)? The ability to singularly focus distinguishes the difference between those who have the spirit and are happy and those who do not. You wouldn’t think of checking your e-mail during your personal prayers, yet what’s the difference when you allow the mundane things of the world to occupy your mind during church?
10th Article of Faith
“That Zion shall be built upon this the American continent…”
Hugh Nibley: “When I was in high school everybody was being very smart and emancipated and we always cheered the news that some scholar had discovered the original story of Samson or the Flood or the Garden of Eden in some ancient nonbiblical writing or tradition. It never occurred to anybody that these parallels might confirm rather than confound the scripture—for us the explanation was always perfectly obvious: the bible was just a clumsy compilation of old borrowed superstitions.
DWAP – Date With A Purpose
For the Single Person
1. The purpose for dating is to narrow the field to one person that you determine is the best companion for Eternal Life.
a. Make a list of the qualities you want in a spouse. There is nothing off limits. Don’t try to be overly spiritual, too philosophical, or lascivious. Just be you. I wanted a pretty wife her took care of herself (exercise and public appearance) so I married a pretty wife that loved exercise. That was important too me, but so was a love for sports. My wife knew nothing about sports when I met her.
Savings Truths Never Go Unopposed
Joseph F. McConkie
The greater the truth, the greater the heresy standing against it.
The 1st missionaries in Great Britain saw the heavens filled with legions of Lucifer’s angels marching against them and became worried. As they left their home they looked into the skies and on the one side of the heavens were the dark soldiers while on the other side, an even greater army of soldiers filled with light marched against them. Heber C. Kimball asked the prophet if they had done anything wrong to which Joseph answered no, the army of Lucifer will always array itself against truth. The closer we get to God, the greater the adversary.
Faith requires Faith
Joseph F. McConkie
Alma 32:21 faith is not a perfect knowledge; you cannot exercise faith in a principle that is not true.
Abel offered a sacrifice of the firstlings of the flock – true principle – accepted
Cain offered a sacrifice of the fruit of the ground – false principle – not accepted.
If it’s not faith it’s a sin (TPJS p. 58). It’s not an issue of emotion; it’s an issue of law.
Those who don’t know the truth about God can still receive revelation because they were born with knowledge of the truth, the Light of Christ. They usually don’t pray to a gaseous entity but to a loving Father Who is like them.
Notes taken at BYU Education Week.
Robert D. Hales
Life Long Learning
Our quest for knowledge began long before we came to earth, in the pre-mortal existence. Brigham Young said: “Should our lives be extended 1,000 years, we would still continue to learn.”
Learning throughout mortality is part of our eternal plan. Learning is for the sake of learning and improving rather than to be entertained. Heavenly Father is eager to bless us with a desire to become life long learners.
Developing the desire sometimes needs a good coach.
