The story of Joshua is one of my favorites. Joshua was the one who was able to lead the people into the Promised Land, an opportunity that was denied Moses and his generation as those Hebrews lacked the faith and gratitude to be worthy to enter.
But apart from all of that, Joshua is just a really cool guy. After getting the Hebrews to the place they wanted to be more than ever, he spent the rest of his life reminding them of how they needed to live. I would venture to say that those of us living in the Promised Land today can use a little reminding every day about Who is responsible for getting us here.
In the end of his book, Joshua exhorts his people to "choose ...this day whom [they would] serve" (Joshua 24:15), and closes the verse with "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". And after that powerful statement, goes on to list all of the things the Lord has done for them, including leading them from bondage, showing them signs, showing them the way to go, driving out their enemies, etc.
He then makes a covenant with the people and God that they will forsake all other gods and only serve Heavenly Father. He writes this covenant on a great stone and sets it in a place where all can see it and be reminded of Whom they serve.
What do we have around our homes that remind us of the covenants we made with Heavenly Father?
We could easily make the same list of things the Lords has done for us such as guiding our forefathers to this place, driving out their enemies, and specifically doing everything good that has guided us all to where we are. Let us fill our homes with "great stones" that help us remember to be grateful for what we have, and also remind us of the covenants we have made to always serve Him.
Besides, by doing so, we will just find more and more reasons to make that list a lot longer.
I realize I haven't posted for awhile - school and performances have dominated my life for the past month or so. I have gathered a lot of thoughts and look forward to putting them down here soon. Until then, here is a video I thought went right along with the season. Enjoy!
According the the dictionary, grace is "favor or good will". Its origins come from the latin word "grātia" which means favor, kindness, or esteem. When we receive the Grace of God, He directs His favor and good will toward us.
The restored gospel teaches us even more about grace. Elder Faust taught that "the Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us". The Atonement is the ultimate symbol of Christ's Grace as it saves all of mankind, and exalts those who choose to live righteously.
Others have stressed grace as an action word. In other words, grace is not something that happened, but is happening to us. Elder Bednar called grace a "strengthening and enabling power". He also said that "the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity".
If we actively seek out God's grace in our lives He favors us by strengthening us and showing us good favor. He also opens our eyes to new ways of being good. This active seeking of ways to be righteous goes right in the face of those who would have us be only as obedient as "is necessary". Those who get as close to the line as they can without falling over it. We are taught that we can unlock real power if we proactively seek out opportunities to be righteous and obedient.
The Bible Dictionary defines grace as a "divine means of help or strength given through the bounteous mercy of Jesus Christ".
So how do we take part in this good favor and strengthening from the Lord? Besides obedience, according to the Apostle Paul "we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (emphasis added).
What is most interesting to me about what Paul teaches is that in order to receive the active form of grace that we so crave we must have confidence and faith that it is already there. We are blessed for our rejoicing with more of the same, and we also receive the abundance that comes with it.
Certainly every gift we have is a representation of God's Grace. With more gratitude, obedience, hope, and faith the Lord will show us even further evidences of His love, and maybe allow us to be tools of showing His Grace to others.
Just to share - here is a fun video of Il Divo singing "Amazing Grace" CLICK HERE
In Section 59 of the Doctrine and Covenants the saints are in Jackson County, Missouri. As they strive to build Zion Joseph Smith gives them a vision for what that special place can become, and how it will become that way.
First, Joseph says that for those who are obedient to the gospel "shall receive for their reward good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength". And that's not all - "they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time" (D&C 59:3-4). Isn't that interesting that from obedience we receive more commandments? In other words, when we follow instructions we get more!
Next, Joseph Smith goes on to give what look a lot like the Ten Commandments, but they are modified just a bit. They are as follows:
- "Love the Lord thy God with all they heart, with all they might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him" vs. 5
- "Love thy neighbor as thyself" - and lumped together with that one - "thou shalt not steal, neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it" vs. 6
- "Thank the Lord thy God in all things" vs. 7
- "Offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit" vs. 8
- "Go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day" and "on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord" vs. 9,12
- "Thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times" vs. 11
- "Do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance" vs. 15
After laying out these requirements, Joseph Smith describes the blessings that are attached, the first embodying all of the rest. In verse 16 he says that "the fulness of the earth is yours". What does that mean? We get:
- "beasts of the field"
- "fowls of the air"
- "that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth"
- "the herb"
- "good things which come from the earth"
Joseph Smith goes on to say that all of the things on this earth have been created by the Lord for our benefit, not just to fulfill our basic needs of clothing and food, but "both to please the eye and to gladden the heart". Not only are the essentials met, but as obedient servants of God we also have our lives enriched.
Let us all strive to create Zion-like homes. The promised blessings are just too good to pass up.
In my institute class this week we talked about the Liahona and all of its many metaphors for us today. As a refresher - the Liahona was a small curiously crafted compass-like device that not only led Lehi and his family through the wilderness, but also gave them specific instructions. However, it only worked when they were righteous and listened to their leaders.
We all have our own Liahona in the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If we are righteous it guides us to follow the prophet, and leads us on course to our own prosperity.
Alma gave counsel using the Liahona as a metaphor. First, he said "counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good". He then goes on to teach when that counsel should take place - "when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God..." (Alma 37:37).
Staying close to the Lord through prayer keeps us in tune with the Holy Spirit, which then guides us in the correct path, just like the Liahona. Later in the chapter he continues with "it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land" (Alma 37:44).
Eternal bliss sounds pretty good to me.
Another verse that caught my attention was verse 43: "for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things that are spiritual" (emphasis added). In other words, the instructions they received from ball were temporal instructions, and at times they paid no heed to them (maybe that is why they floated around the wilderness for over 8 years?).
At times either the prophet, or the spirit, or as is always the case - both, will give us instructions that may seem illogical. However, we are taught here that if we follow those instructions we will prosper. If we can get over ourselves and follow the gifts we have been given, especially when we do not understand them, we will excel in every way.
In 2nd Nephi chapter 4, Nephi records the final council of his father Lehi just before he dies. The majority of this last council is to Lehi's oldest son Laman and Laman's family, pleading with them to obey, because if they would keep the Lord's commandments they would "prosper in the land".
Shortly after that Lehi dies, and Nephi - now the prophet - goes on to "write the things of [his] soul" on the plates. This section of chapter 4 (starting in verse 15) is worth many ponderous readings. I compare this to chapter 2 or "Nephi's Psalm" in terms of how Nephi pours out his soul to us, the readers the of Book of Mormon.
Nephi feels humble and weak in the eyes of his Heavenly Father, but also amazed by the blessings the Lord has sent him:
Vs 20 - "My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."
Vs 21 - "He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."
Vs 24 - "And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angles came down and ministered upon me."
I think it is interesting that he stresses prayer during the day - not just the normal morning & night prayers, but the constant ones that happen all day.
He then goes on to rejoice in further blessings and curse himself for his imperfections. He pleads with the Lord for redemption and deliverance. Then he closes this powerful chapter with a key to prosperity:
Vs. 34 - "O Lord, I have trusted in thee and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm."
And then what we get for following that counsel:
Vs. 35 - "Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss;"
Let us all strive to be righteous, and have confidence that the Lord will answer our prayers by giving liberally to us.
(By the way, the poster above can be found in print at the following website - CLICK HERE. Don't worry - I don't get anything for posting that link, I just want to give credit to the artist - Steve Nethercott)
Jesus was once approached by a student who asked Him to divide up the inheritance that had been left to the student between him and his brother. Christ's response to Him is to beware of covetousness - "for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth".
It seems counter-intuitive in a blog about prosperity to quote scripture about not living in your possessions, but that is precisely one of the principles that leads us to true prosperity. One who covets can never feel gratitude. By coveting "stuff" we create a permanent feeling of starvation - never satisfied, always feeling the need to have more - the things the Lord has blessed us with are not enough.
When we turn off the desire to covet and shift it to an "attitude of gratitude" we realize the great abundance we already enjoy, and, we get more. Instead of living a life of constant deficit and unfulfilled need we live in our own prosperity.
The Savior goes on to teach a parable about a rich man whose fields yield "plentifully" - so much that he doesn't have room to contain it all. He decides to tear down his barn and build bigger storage buildings to store his goods - and then have the ability to "take [his] ease, eat, drink, and be merry".
The next verse is striking: "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou has provided?" He goes on to say that this is the state of one who "is not rich toward God".
I am confident that the life of one who is grateful, working to lay up "treasures in heaven" is a life full of happiness, joy, interesting and fulfilling relationships, and prosperity.
Luke 12: 13-24