“Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust”. (2 Nephi 1:23.)The scriptures are filled with vivid characters of enormous discipline, courage and faith. These prophets of old withstood many hardships and performed acts of greatness despite much adversity. While their stories can provide us with daily inspiration and encouragement, at the end of the day it is still easier to believe that after wading through our own flaws and imperfections we can be nothing more than mere pygmies in their shadows. We separate ourselves from these extraordinary people by placing them too far above us. We label them ‘superhuman’. If then, they are superhuman, how can we ever expect to operate on the same level of greatness, and why try? These thoughts are nothing but lies of the adversary, used to dwarf our own talents and abilities. I believe that we are each spiritual giants, slumbering in our own potential. We need only to awake from the dark ignorance of sleep, shake the chains of sin and fear from our human bodies, arise from the choking dust of worldliness to discover who we really are, accept our spiritual responsibilities, dress ourselves in the armor of God and go forth in the righteous tasks of our God.
Awake and Arouse Your Faculties
"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can do no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." (Alma 32:27)
First, we must open our eyes. We must look inward, and find that desire for change, that hunger to be better, to be more, and to be of use for a greater purpose. Most, if not all of us, have a longing in our hearts to have tremendous valor of spirit. Although we often times do not act in accordance to these yearnings, we still have the ability to achieve our every aspiration of the soul. “Even if we can do no more than desire to believe” we may very well be on our way, as the recognition of that desire has created the very spark that needs only fuel to burn brighter.
Arouse your powers of the mind. Know that you have the power to act instead of being acted upon. Know that growth is a natural law of this life, confirmed by nature’s plants and animals. Know that your heart harbors the ability to change. Now, quit fighting these truths and embrace them with your whole being.
Stretch Forth
A common human reaction upon waking is to stretch. By stretching, we prime our muscles for the movements and exercises of the day. So must our spiritual wakefulness begin by stretching forth.
Reaching Upward: Through sincere prayer, we reach upward to communicate with our Father in Heaven. By praying often and with real intent, we let God into our daily lives. We allow him to answer our prayers. By recognizing his influence, our burdens are made lighter, our love for him and others grows, our knowledge and faith increases, and our lives and the lives of others are truly blessed.
Touch Your Toes: Discover for yourself and remember often the principles on which you stand. Become immovable as those principles govern your life.
Leg Stretches: Walk in righteousness. Be good examples to those around us. It is not enough to think of the things we should be doing, we must do what we should be doing.
Get Your Heart Pumping: Love one another. Respect, honor and serve those around you, “that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)
Stay Flexible: We will make a lot of mistakes. It is important to remember that it may take many repetitions to reach our desired strength. We must not give up.
We do not just wake up one day and find ourselves with great faith. It is to be exercised, experimented on, tested and tried. Little by little, we can build it up. Let your desire work, until you can believe with certainty even a portion of the gospel. That tiny particle of faith and small portion of the gospel can create the way to great growth. Though, it is up to you to awake and take the first step. “Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?”(Helaman 13:29)
Shake off the Chains
Two of the most immobilizing foes of our souls are sin and fear. If we can learn to overcome and control these things, great spiritual freedom will be ours. Without these restraints, our spirits have the aptitude to grow with great speed and to giant statures.
A Cry of Repentance
A common cry of all prophets throughout the ages has been repentance. This salvation from our wrong doings is made possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He suffered ultimately for all our sins. As we suffer for ourselves through the process of repentance, and come to realize our painful part in Christ’s sacrifice, it can become possible to foresee our own patterns of weakness. We learn to take preventative measures, such as prayer, avoidance of temptations, and activeness verses idleness. As we sincerely repent, we commit those sins no longer, and step a little closer towards perfection. Of course, I cannot say it any better than the words of King Benjamin, “And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them. And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.” (Mosiah 4:10-12)
Finding Courage
In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey defined maturity as the balance between courage and consideration. Without one or the other, the tables tip to extreme personalities. Although there are some otherwise very courageous people, when it comes to the gospel most of us tend to be overly considerate of others. We are fearful of hurting their feelings, fearful of standing out in the world, fearful of making enemies of friends and fearful of change. By giving into these fears, we gradually forfeit our spiritual inheritances. We must overcome our fears to create that balance if we desire to reach spiritual maturity. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Courage defined is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. On second thought, courage and bravery would not be possible if we were not a little afraid. The real definition may be that we are able to look upon the end result of the situation that requires us to have courage, and in seeing what must be done; we put aside our fears by trusting in our Creator, for he will prepare a way. It may very well be, then, that courage is little more than a great leap of faith. And if this is so, by exercising and expanding our faith, we will also become more courageous. Ammon, who singlehandedly cut off the arms of the villains of the king, and bravely brought a whole kingdom of Lamanites into a great conversion and covenant, said of his accomplishments, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.” (Alma 26:12)
Therapists have found that one of the most successful treatment practices for patients with phobias or crippling fears is a process called progressive exposure. Apparently, the only way we are able to face our fears is if we actually face our fears. If you are afraid to talk to nonmembers about the gospel, talk to people about the gospel. But start small, bear your testimony, practice topics with family or other members of the church. When you are ready, there will be opportunities to share with nonmembers. If you have a desire to become active again in the church, but are afraid, become active again in the church. Start with waking up, outlined in the previous section.
Expand your faith by progressive exposure to the doctrines of the gospel, strive to live those doctrines, and place your trust in our Heavenly Father. If you will do these things, you will have absolutely nothing to fear. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Psalms 27:14)
Seeds That Grow a Giant Soul
“Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.” (Alma 32:28)
I am reminded by this scripture of a story with giants, Jack and the Beanstalk. I am reminded of how a meek Jack was convinced to sell his cow for some extraordinary beans, and how his mother threw them out in unbelief. Remember how the beanstalk grew overnight, and how Jack climbed up it and escaped this world to one in the heavens with great giants. Of course, in this story, Jack got into a little scuffle with the giants, which could have been serious. In the end, though, he came through with riches beyond his imagination. Now I would like to draw a parallel between Alma 32:28 and this child’s story. With his pure faith, Jack sacrificed his worldly possession, a milk cow, for these good seeds. He knew is his heart that they were good, and wanted to share them with his mother. Jack’s mother was sorely disappointed that the sale of her one fine thing had not resulted in earthly riches. In her unbelief, she cast out the good seeds. Luckily for Jack, a seed had been planted, not only in the garden but also in his heart. His faith was rewarded by the sprouting forth of a great bean stalk. This was an open door to another, higher existence and with eager, child-like curiosity, Jack studied the beanstalk and began climbing. The beanstalk opened up for Jack a great many mysteries, and although his experience was not without difficulty and hardship, the riches he gained were not of this world. But in the end, he was able to share them with his mother. As Jack did, we must put aside our worldly appetites in order to obtain a higher existence while on this earth, for in fact, we are here only to accomplish that assignment. Alma 32:28 is an excellent guide for which we can judge all things in our earthly experience.
If You Could Only See Yourself
In order for us to search and understand our souls, we must first find that we have one. It is a concrete fact that we are here because we do indeed have one. Doctors of medicine and science agree that there is more to man than his intellect and physical countenance. But for many various reasons, sin, low-self esteem, addictions, the ways of the world and the negative wiles of the devil, we can sometimes lose sight of this eternal aspect of ourselves. This is a very grave and troubling matter, for as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” In order to progress, we MUST see ourselves and others how God sees us.
“First, see yourself as a precious child of a loving Father in Heaven. Our children with confidence sing, “I am a child of God, and he has sent me here.” Little children feel and know what perhaps you have forgotten. You are the beloved son or daughter of Heavenly Father, created “in his own image,” and of immense value—so much so that Jesus Christ gave His life for you.
God the Father is merciful and has infinite love for you despite your faults. Only the voice of Satan will cause you to feel of no value. In contrast, the Holy Ghost will cause you to feel “godly sorrow” unto repentance in a manner that fills you with hope of positive change.
When you feel worthless, “remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” Refrain from repeatedly thinking or saying negative words about you—there is a clear difference between humility and humiliation. Identify and use your unique talents rather than dwelling on your weaknesses.
Second, place your burdens on Jesus Christ. When you feel overwhelmed by expectations and challenges, do not fight the battle alone. Follow the example of small children, and drop to your knees in prayer.
Jesus Christ has commanded us, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” Doubt, fear, and worry indicate we have taken all of life’s burdens and anxieties on ourselves. When plagued by thoughts that you are inadequate, confidently say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Then as you “cheerfully do all things that lie in [your] power,” you can rest assured that the Lord will do the remainder and things will work out all right.
The Savior promised, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” As you “cast [your] burden upon the Lord,” you will feel the peace of the Spirit.
Third, forgive yourself of sins and imperfections. Heavenly Father is not expecting you to become completely perfect in this life. He knew His children would make mistakes as they learned from experience in mortality. But “God so loved the world” that His plan of happiness provided a merciful Savior.
Jesus said, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” Start with yourself, and forgive others as well. If God will not remember our repented-of sins, then why should we? Avoid wasting time and energy reliving the past.
To forgive yourself and others, you must trust the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The prophet Zenock prayed, “Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son.” Our Father in Heaven is saddened when we limit the power of His Son’s atoning sacrifice. As you exercise faith in Jesus Christ, you can have your guilt “swept away.” If guilt remains after sincere repentance, believe your priesthood leaders when they declare you to be worthy.
Fourth, sustain hope of eternal life. If you imagine that your prior sins, character flaws, and poor decisions prevent you from receiving all of God’s blessings, consider the experience of Alma the Elder. Referring to his younger years as an immoral priest for the wicked King Noah, Alma admitted, “I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance.” Yet Alma’s repentance was so complete and Christ’s Atonement so infinite that Alma became a prophet and was promised eternal life. As you do your best to be obedient and repentant, you too can receive a place in the celestial kingdom through the Atonement and grace of Jesus Christ.
Fifth, find joy each day. One source of joy is service, for when you are busy helping others, you will have less capacity to agonize over your own shortcomings. The Savior wisely taught, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”
You will experience greater joy in life as you eradicate adult-onset pessimism and substitute childlike optimism. Optimism is a virtue that allows us to see God’s loving hand in the details of our life. A favorite hymn counsels, “Count your many blessings; see what God hath done.”
I testify of Heavenly Father, who in great and wonderful love reaches out to each of His children. I bear witness of Jesus Christ, who is “mighty to save” us from our inadequacies, imperfections, and sins. I bear testimony of the Holy Ghost, who will accompany the imperfect yet penitent soul. To you faithful and worthy Saints who struggle with latter-day snares of the devil, “may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son.” In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.” Anthony D. Perkins, “‘The Great and Wonderful Love’,” Liahona, Nov 2006, 76–78.
Seek Light, Truth and Knowledge
“And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways.” (D & C 6:11)
I love to read. A couple years ago, I asked my husband for a personal reading light for my birthday. Why be confined to only day reading? When my birthday rolled around, I received the light I desired. I was very happy to have this tool. It meant that even when it was dark, I would still be able to find my way through personal studies. “And if thou wilt inquire” of our Father Heaven, you can have the spiritual equivalent of this light. With the Spirit as our guide, we can discern truth in our studies. Even in dark times, or in confusing material, we can make sense and overcome these struggles to “know mysteries which are great and marvelous”. “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.” (Moroni 7:16-17)
When pursuing our education on this earth, we must remember the purpose for this. We are responsible for our own livelihoods and the financial securities of our family or potential family. In choosing a career, we must ponder our own marketable skills. As we all come to this earth with particular talents and abilities, we must realize that we are given these strengths for a reason, so that we might, “exercise thy gift”.
“Thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways.” While we may have many personal desires to gain an education and expand our knowledge, we must not put the worldly value of careers before the eternal value of marriage. And we cannot forget that we are here to help others. “The ultimate goal of an education is to make us better parents and servants in the kingdom. In the long run it is the growth, knowledge, and wisdom we achieve that enlarges our souls and prepares us for eternity, not the marks on college transcripts. The things of the Spirit are the things that are eternal, and our family relationships, sealed by the power of the priesthood, are the ultimate fruits of the Spirit. Education is a gift from God; it is a cornerstone of our religion when we use it to benefit others.” (Learning and Latter-day Saints By Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles And Kristen M. Oaks.)
Ye Shall Obtain Riches
“And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.” (1 Nephi 8:26-27)
There are so many vices of this world, that it is often times difficult to resist just giving in, or giving up. As in Lehi’s dream, the finely clothed people, in the great and spacious buildings, looking out from their rooms which were probably filled with countless knick-knacks, as seen on TV gadgets, big screen TV’s, designer furniture, video game consoles, electronic toys, high-speed internet, and maxed out credit cards, were exceedingly effective in shaming the people on the path of righteousness. So much so, that they caused even those who had already partaken of the fruit to lose their way and join them in the building.
“But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good -- to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.” Jacob 2:18-19 helps to put things into perspective for us. We must do first things first, and “seek ye for the kingdom of God.” Only after we have obtained a hope in Christ, will we be able to have those earthly riches, if that is what we desire. If we look at 1 Nephi 8:26, we know that the “great and spacious building…stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.” In this depiction, we know the building had no foundation. “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” Helaman 5:12 tells us the importance of a good foundation. If you will heed these words, all the mocking of the world and the mighty winds of the devil “shall have no power over you.”
In The World, Not of It
“Arise from the dust” and find that you are the unique spirit Heavenly Father lovingly sent to earth to accomplish your tasks. Build a strong foundation on the Savior, use the Spirit as your guide as you navigate through your learning, and “seek ye the kingdom of God”.
“Not till we are lost, in other words not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden.)
Unto Whom Much is Given Much is Required
Times are tough. We often find ourselves lamenting our place in life, and the world around us. We tell ourselves, “if only I had been born hundreds of years earlier, when times were of a more simple nature, how well I would have done then”. This is a natural thought of man, the path of least resistance. Even Helaman’s son Nephi gave in to these feelings. He climbed up his garden tower and poured his heart out to God in prayer (Helaman 7:7), “Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord— Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.” The truth is that the Nephi of that time also had his fair share of trials and hardships. No one and no time is exempt from their personal challenges. Had Nephi, son of Helaman, become caught up in the past and the hopelessness of his present situation, there could have been a much different story of his life. Nephi, though, accepts his course, duty, and his responsibility in verse 9, “But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.”
We are in this world, often times filled with sorrow and wickedness, and we cannot change that. We can accept, however, that we can change and better ourselves despite the weight of the world. In doing so, we often times have the ability to change those around us. Nephi goes on praying upon the garden tower and is overheard by villagers. He begins preaching to the people of their wickedness. Because of his faith and his inspirations, he is accepted by some as a prophet. Despite the wickedness around him, Nephi is greatly favored by Heavenly Father and is told in Helaman 10 verses 4-5, “Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.”
What We Are Given
“Before we came to this earth to receive our bodies, we developed personalities, talents and abilities in heaven. While we don’t remember this period of our spiritual lives, our Father in Heaven does. He has chosen the time and place for each of us to be born so we can learn the lessons we personally need and do the most good with our individual talents and personalities.” (“Chapter 2: Our Heavenly Family,” Gospel Principles, 11.) Most of us come to this life, to our families, to our country, to our degrees of personal circumstances very blessed. For every good thing in our life has come from the very place we have. Our God, much like our earthly fathers, wants us to have all the best things. He smiles when we are happy, he hurts when we hurt. Like our own parents, he is limited with what he can do for us during our earthly obstacle course. It is up to each one of us to run it.
We must show gratitude to our Heavenly Father. “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” (D&C 59:21.) We are all here for one purpose, and that is to return to our God after we have completed our own various tasks and learned what we need to become gods and goddesses in the eternities.
What Is Required
“Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand.” (D&C 107:99-100.)
Each of us has many varying responsibilities. Personally, we all must pray daily, study the scriptures, draw close to the Savior, and serve others. Each should partake of the sacrament worthily and labor to strengthen the influence of the Holy Ghost in their life. All have the duty to share the gospel with others and to serve formally and informally as missionaries. All have a duty to identify their deceased ancestors and to help bring to them the blessings of the temple. All should diligently strive to be temporally prepared and to care for the poor and the needy. All should seek to strengthen the less active members of the Church and to magnify their callings in their wards and stakes by giving faithful and devoted service.
We should also remember our duties in our jobs, as spouses, family members, both to our immediate and extended families, and as citizens of our society, cities, states and countries. Each of us wears many hats and we should identify those roles and set goals to fulfill our responsibilities wisely and with balance in all areas. “The key, it seems to me, is to know and understand your own capabilities and limitations and then to pace yourself, allocating and prioritizing your time, your attention, and your resources to wisely help others, including your family, in their quest for eternal life.” (M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Liahona, Nov 2006, 17–20.)
Anxiously Engaged
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of discerning our responsibilities to our God. While we do know many of the duties that are required of us, we do not have a written guide for all things. It is up to each one of us to seek out and do as we see fit. “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;” (D&C 58:26-27.) This scripture clears up any uncertainties we may have about our requirements while here on earth. Strive to be eagerly engaged for good and do these things of your own free will.
Dress To Impress
“THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5.)
We all know at least someone who would be categorized in the scriptures above. We are indeed in the last days. It is impertinent that we stand apart from this kind of person, but we must stand strong. We must literally ‘dress to impress.’ Dictionary.com states that the word impress means to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings; influence in opinion, to fix deeply or firmly on the mind or memory, as ideas or facts, and to urge, as something to be remembered or done. We must believe soundly in our righteous courses, live our beliefs and urge others to live likewise. This can be done as described in Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Be Gentle Giants
When we are dressed in God’s protective armor, we become confidant and powerful and can be very intimidating. Do not forget who you represent. We must be gentle giants. ‘“Meekness is vital to becoming more Christlike. Without it one cannot develop other important virtues. Mormon indicated, “None is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart” (Moro. 7:44). Acquiring meekness is a process. We are asked to “take up [the] cross daily” (Luke 9:23). Our lifting should not be an occasional exercise. More meekness does not translate to weakness, but “it is the presentation of self in a posture of kindness and gentleness. It reflects certitude, strength, serenity; it reflects a healthy self-esteem and a genuine self-control” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Meekly Drenched in Destiny,” in Brigham Young University 1982–83 Fireside and Devotional Speeches [1983], 2). More meekness will allow us to be tutored by the Spirit.”’ (H. David Burton, “More Holiness Give Me,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 98–100.)
Filling Giant Shoes
When we look objectively at the armor of God it can appear too large to fit us, or that the sheer weight of it might crush us. The very reality of it, though, is that one size fits all. We know this by trying it on. We understand that with that weight we are given unparalleled protection, and we soon recognize that our burdens become lighter with repeated wear.
Embark in the Service of God
“For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” (Alma 34:32.)
Now that we are awake, have shaken off the dust and chains from which we were bound, and have dressed ourselves in the armour of righteousness, it is time to “come forth out of obscurity”. Perhaps the first step is to take a step. Know that we are in a testing phase. “Testing” is a verb, an action word. We are to be engaged in a state of motion throughout this life and all efforts are to be to this end. Ralph Waldo Emerson said in his essay Nature, “A man is fed, not that he may be fed, but that he may work.”
Live Deliberately and With Purpose
“But it is to the mind an education in the doctrine of Use, namely, that a thing is good only so far as it serves; that a conspiring of parts and efforts to the production of an end, is essential to any being.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature.)
See yourself at the judgment seat, and as the book of your life is brought forward, what do you hope to see written? We must begin with the end in mind. Anything in our life that does not fit under the goal of our eternal salvation, we must strike out. Set and work towards goals in all areas of life that will improve our spiritual knowledge and experience, and seek to keep a balance in all these things. Live each day to the fullest, as it has been proven that the way we spend our days is a great indication of how we will spend our lives.
Service is key. If we love God, we will keep his commandments and serve him. “Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.” (D&C 4)
Simplicity is essential. The gospel of Jesus Christ is straightforward and easy to follow. Adding to the truth only dilutes it, especially when we make exceptions and complicate matters to accommodate our lifestyles. Define your life by your values, standards, and principles. Work constantly to improve and accomplish those tasks. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden.)
Men Are That They Might Have Joy, Not Fun
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25.)
The scriptures are very specific in their usage of words. This ‘joy’ that they speak of is so much more than just ‘having fun’. Joy is a complex emotion of great delight or happiness and is caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. Fun, on the other hand, is something that provides amusement. When I searched the online scriptures for the term ‘fun’, it stated bluntly that, “There were no occurrences of the word FUN found in the Text of the Scriptures.” This may not be a surprise to some. If we have not come to love the scriptures, the task of reading them can feel like drudgery. I do think it is important to remember that “there were no occurrences of fun found in the scriptures.” Heavenly Father wants us each to be happy, but true happiness only comes from keeping the commandments, striving for excellence, serving others and by putting our efforts towards eternal goals.
We must keep ourselves constantly in check to see that our pastimes do not become distractions from the most important things in life. Our hobbies and amusements are distractions when they keep us from progressing in more important areas. Henry David Thoreau wisely said, “As if you could kill time without injuring the eternity”.
By Small and Simple Things
“Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.” (2 Nephi 1:23.) This scripture is a call to arms, a call to man your stations in this life, whatever they may be. As we slowly awake to our self worth and come to realize the giant potential we can achieve, we can gain a pure hope as we accept the eternal perspective. This spiritual force courses through our lives whether or not we embrace it. As we do accept this knowledge, we know that we need to be actively engaged in our lives, instead of being helpless bystanders shackled with sin and fear. As we arise from the dust, we confirm to ourselves the principle of growth, which tells us that small things must pass through specific stages in order to reach their full potential. All aspects of growth work this way. Where ever you are in your life, know that you can make changes. You can be more. You can work harder. Do not let yourself be overcome by the size of the challenges that stand in your way, let your personal growth overtake your challenges. “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:60.)
I bear testimony of the great love of our Heavenly Father. He knows each one of us, he places his hope in us to do his will and has faith that we can accomplish everything that comes our way. I know that the least we can do is return that faith. If we will do everything in our power and give the rest to him, our efforts will not go unnoticed. I bear testimony of the possibility of tremendous spiritual growth. If I look back to where I was a year ago, I no longer recognize the person I was then. I lament the time I have wasted in inactivity, but it has truly opened my eyes to the precious things of this life. I love the scriptures. They are full of personal inspiration and such simple yet profound truths. It is my hope that we will seek the truths of this life, that we will develop faith to the same degree of greatness as our heroes of old. I know that each one of us has that capability and that the only person that can stop you, is you. I testify of these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
“Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can? Let every one mind his own business, and endeavor to be what he was made.” Henry David Thoreau, Walden
