Braving the Storm

So, there's a storm against the faithful out here. Everybody is super upset one way or the other about DSB. It's a storm that's taking a lot of my childhood friends. Logan is homosexual. JD is a member of BYUGSA.

So, what's a faithful person to do in such crazy times?

Number One: Protect the Nestlings. 

In the wise words of President Packer: "we need to protect our nestlings."

In These Things I Know, he says that, "we will not always be safe from the adversary’s influence, even within our own homes. We need to protect our nestlings."

"We live in a very dangerous world that threatens those things that are most spiritual. The family, the fundamental organization in time and eternity, is under attack from forces seen and unseen. The adversary is about. His objective is to cause injury. If he can weaken and destroy the family, he will have succeeded."

In the inspired words of Jordan Mulder, "I think it has become apparent to many of us that dialogue is not the ultimate answer for restoring family values. There are few listening ears, and even fewer willing to actually consider every perspective."

So instead of talking about it, do what you must to defend your family.


Number Two: Stand Firmly and Kindly 

"Alma taught that “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.” (45:16)  We cannot endorse, support, or encourage these lifestyles at all.

"Tolerance is a virtue, but like all virtues, when exaggerated, it transforms itself into a vice. We need to be careful of the “tolerance trap” so that we are not swallowed up in it. The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality does not reduce the serious spiritual consequence that is the result of the violation of God’s law of chastity."

And in the words of Jeffrey R. Holland, "Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them."

Number Three: Love all people 

"For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them."
~Luke 6:32.

Realize that other people are just as confused, just as emotional, and just as anguished about the subject as you are. Choose to love them! Don't get angry! Be calm and kind and loving. 

Overcoming Weaknesses: A step-by-step guide

Nobody likes being that one guy who finally goes to bed at 2:30 AM after licking the ice cream carton clean and wishing he hadn't watched so many cat videos on youtube. We all have things we need to improve. Fortunately, this is a variable Heavenly Father accounted for in the pre-mortal life.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." 

~~Ether 12:27

As some have pointed out, this doesn't necessarily say weaknesses. God does not prepackage your addiction to twinkies and insert it into your spiritual DNA (take that sucker!) but rather arranged through the Fall for mankind to operate from a base of weakness while in this life.

This is such a fascinating scripture that I think it deserves a line-by-line dissection. Let's take a look.

If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness: 

Well, there you have it. We are stupid and shortsighted, with beams stuffed into our eye sockets. We are quite equipped to deal with the day-to-day challenges of being nice to our neighbors, working at our jobs, and reading our scriptures. Often, we don't realize how weak we are until we try do the hard stuff in the gospel, like forgiving our enemies, living a consecrated life, or sharing the gospel, the real meat of what Christ wants us to do. But when a man actually tries to follow the Lord's commandments, it gets a little challenging:

 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

~~3rd Nephi 12:48

I give unto men weakness that they may be humble:

And not only that, we also get double-whammy sucker punched both by Satan and the Natural Man, neither of whom want us to change. They like our flabby weaknesses because it alienates us from the strict and uncompromising perfection of God. So, when we try to change, we often end up exposing just how far our weakness actually extends, and it can be a little bit surprising and very humbling.

And my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me: 

But yet, there is hope. God has made man weak, but he does not intend for us to stay weak. God's grace can help us.

What is God's grace? David A. Bednar quotes the Bible Dictionary to help us find out.

"The main idea of the word [Grace] is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ…  It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts." 

I love that! Grace is the power, available in Christ, which allows us to "receive strength and assistance to do good works that [we] otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power." 

Power. To help us do the things we cannot do on our own. 

For if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them: 

So, how do we lay hold upon this grace? By coming unto Christ. We'll talk a little bit about what that means tomorrow in part II.

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 

Feeling special

My whole life, I've struggled with having confidence in myself. I want to feel special, that is my deepest, most overpowering thirst.

I tried to be smart because it made me feel special. So, I ended up as a know-it-all.

I tried to be a good missionary, because it made me feel special. So, I ended up panicking and getting depressed when I encountered my weaknesses.

I wanted to find an amazing wife, (beautiful, outgoing, accomplished) so that people would think, "wow, he must be special to have attracted a woman like that."

I spent countless hours in the gym trying to pack on muscle, convinced that if I was fitter, people would think me special.

And now lately, I have been spending lots of effort and money on clothing, trying to feel attract...what? Girls? Attention?

And all the things I've ever suppressed in my personality, writing, fandom, singing, I've banished all that because people wouldn't approve.

In short, I want people to notice me and tell me I'm special, and I want them to be sincere!!! 

All my major sources of disquiet in life have come because I simply don't feel special and I seek for affirmation in  the wrong places. I am focused outward, not upward.

How could God possibly make me special, especially if everybody else is just as equally special as I am?

When I feel the Spirit, I feel special.

"For they that are after the flesh do mind things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." 
~~Romans 8:5