Be Ye Warriors of God

I have to say it: I love airsofting!  If there is anything that has taught me more about being a warrior it's that (and the martial arts).  I know this article is a little cheesy sounding but hear me out.

Why would do we love it, you may ask?  Its the experience, the adrenaline rush and that sense of victory.  Its different than other sports: your not trying to score points, your trying to dominate the battlefield.  It is always open to sudden twists, though usually the game will often go in favor of the stronger players you can never expect what may happen next (I like MMA for the same reason).  It also pushes you to the limit, you will exert yourself to do things you never thought you could have.  That will to survive and fight back is what fuels us the most and keeps us playing.

There are many stories my friends and I have from our airsoft adventures, but there is one in particular I would like to share:
Many airsofters and paintballers are familiar with the game Protect the President (a.k.a. VIP, same game).  You have two teams: Secret Service and the Terrorist faction.  The Secret Service need to escort the President (a fellow team member) from point A to point B, and the President is only allowed a small pistol with a few rounds (sometimes people like to play with no weapon).  The other team is supposed to stop the President from ever reaching point B, by any means necessary within the rules set by the players.  The only way either team wins is by (A) The President arrives at point B, escorted or not, or (B) the terrorists effectively take-out the President.  Nothing else will suffice.

One occasion I was assigned to the Secret Service faction and tasked with escorting the President.  Most of us were experienced players, and we decided to mix things up a little.  We had the President and another player swap hats, and I think coats.  It confused the enemy briefly but they quickly got the bead on us.
We tried again once more (I honestly cannot recall who won the first two matches).  But the third match we decided we were really going to shake it up.  After you play with people for a while you get used to picking out who is who, because of their height, weight, movement, and more particularly their clothes.  That is why we decided to have everyone change coats, hats, and goggles with several different teammates (random order), and then split into two groups: one with the true president, and the other with a decoy.
The plan worked, so much so that we had the other team so confused that they could not figure out who was who until the dust was settled.  On top of that we won!

Now, what exactly do we learn from this?  Team work is definitely a part of it; courage?  I think the will to win and the ability to make it happen is the best principle explained here.

When I was a missionary this was a lesson we were taught by both my Mission Presidents: we have to be on our toes and ready and willing to be creative and teach according to our investigators needs.  Yet we were only able to accomplish this by following the Spirit and planning effectively.  Combining our individual and team effort we are able to succeed in whatever the Lord commands us to do, but we need to be willing to take the lead and put our best foot forward.  This is what we did airsofting (without the following the Spirit part).  We analyzed our situation, looked at our past experiences, pointed out what worked, what didn't work, what we had not tried, and we were ready for the worst.


I may also say, isn't it interesting that the Lord in the scriptures often uses war as a metaphor for our lives?  Constantly the Lord does it again and again, and sometimes even teaches us during or through an actual war, but is up to us to decide how we react (Alma 62:41).

 D&C 101
55 And the lord of the vineyard said unto one of his ^aservants: Go and gather together the residue of my servants, and take ^ball the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my young men, and they that are of middle age also among all my servants, who are the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry; (Italics added)
(For the whole parable click here, D&C 101:43-64).

May we all better follow the Spirit and prepare ourselves daily to fight life's daily battles.

Final Words at Parting (Good Bye!)

"There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the 'present.' "
-Master Oogway

Friday Night Thoughts, XI Edition

"One of the challenges of the faithful is to realize that sometimes those who are not obedient and worthy seem to receive as many or more temporal blessings of life as do those who sacrifice and serve... The Saints are to be faithful to the end without too many sidelong glances at their neighbors...
"Undoubtedly the unfaithful will also have the sun shine upon them, perhaps at times even more abundantly than on the righteous.  But the faith and devotion of the faithful is recorded in the Lamb's book of life, and the day will come when they will be included among God's jewels.  In that day it will matter very much who was righteous and who was wicked, who served God and who did not.  In the meantime, all must remember that God does not settle his end-of-year accounts in September."
(Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 296-297).

Marvel Not

1 John 3

10 In this the children of God are ^amanifest, and the ^bchildren of the devil: whosoever doeth not ^crighteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the ^amessage that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12 Not as ^aCain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
(Italics added.)

Life is hard, very hard.  Followers of Christ then and now will never have it easy, that is a fact attested by history.  We shouldn't be shocked and offended when we see how hostile some folks are to us, its part of the program.  But to help us cope with these difficult times, the Lord gave these words of comfort to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

D&C 121

7 My son, ^apeace be unto thy soul; thine ^badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a ^csmall moment;

8 And then, if thou ^aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy ^bfoes.

Is there any better way to describe our lives and the potential they have?  We will be able to continue on and see happy days.  Life is full of ups and downs to teach us what is most important in life and that there really is light at the end of the tunnel.  Whatever life's challenges we will always prevail if we keep this (above) counsel in mind. 

Friday Night Thoughts, X Edition

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."

-George Washington Carver

Chipmunk And Cookies

Chipmunks are some of the funniest little critters on the face of the earth.  They scurry around grabbing everything and are extremely skittish; yet for how nervous they may appear, chipmunks are very curious.

One particular campout when I was thirteen, we went up to a campground near a small lake.  Chipmunks infested the whole area, and we saw dozens and dozens day by day.  Chipmunks scavenge for anything and everything apparently.

My friend Tiff (real name Chris, but we call him Tiff) was one day walking around with some mini chips ahoy cookies and started throwing them in the direction of the pesky rodents.  They took to it quite well, hesitant at first but over a short period of time they were more and more accustomed to the delicious cookies.  I observed this and started to formulate an idea. 

We had our fishing gear there as well, so I grabbed my net and a cookie and set out to where the chipmunks were scrounging around our camp.  Setting a cookie on a large rock near where a few of the chipmunks were, I set and waited.  One came half way up and backed off, but after seeing the cookie and not anticipating danger the little guy went for it.  And I swooped down with the net.

A catch!  I actually caught it (but I don't think he was too happy) and held it for a while.  Then I released it back with no harm done.

Now tell me, what do you learn from this story?  It may definitely be similar to one given by Elder Ballard last year (M. Russell Ballard, O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, G.C. Oct. 2010.) about fishing.

Think of the cookies as little enticements to sin, the rewards (or supposed rewards) for wrong doing: acceptance, respect, money etc.  And as they ate more and more they became more comfortable, and would linger longer rather than run from potential danger.

Then finally one was caught in a net because of his mistake to go for the cookie he thought would bring him happiness.  We often do the same thing in life, we take the bait that Satan leaves us, knowingly or unknowingly and think we can get away with it and continue to be "rewarded."  But eventually we will find ourselves in that net of affliction which we brought upon ourselves by our actions.

Let's try harder not to be led astray and take that strange cookie on the ground, but stay on the correct path. 

I'm the one in the center holding the critter, and Tiff is the guy in the yellow shirt.

Life is like a Winters Night

A Long Winter's Night

Consider this my dear young friends,
A show of how this journey ends.
Winter is the object here,
So let me be so very clear.
You're traveling through wind and snow,
A misery you'll ever know,
When oft you find a house to sleep,
And rest your sore and weary feet.
The fire's warm, the cocoa sweet,
No better company you'll ever meet.
But when its dawn, the sun drawn nigh,
You will have to say, good bye,
And enter in that wind-swept trail,
Praying that you'll never fail.
"Tis is life," they'll say to you,
"There's nothing more you'll ever do.
Toil and strike with all your might,
But you will never win the fight.
You will continue to travel abroad,
But no place will ever be your lodge."
You may hear many say this to you;
Take comfort and watch for the clear morning blue.
No matter the toil, no matter the strife,
Winter will end and so will this life.
Someday my lad, I promise you will,
You'll see the sun rise, just over the hill,
At this sight you'll know you fought a good fight,

And seen an end to that long winter's night.

Friday Night Thoughts, IX Edition

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."

-Bill Cosby

Let Not Your Faith Be Lacking

1 Corinthians 2
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the ^apower of God.

Shouldn't we as children of God be willing to put trust and faith in the Lord?  He has all power to do all things, though they will not go the way we want them to we will be blessed and God will help us to survive this life if we trust Him.  But we do not blindly obey for nothing: whenever the Lord commands for obedience to some law, blessings always accompany them (D&C 130:20-21, D&C 132:5).  The following story outlines this principle:

'President Heber J. Grant tells of a different type of reward that comes from trusting in the Lord. When he was a young man, he heard his bishop in a fast meeting, which was then held on Thursdays (in the early days, we held our fast meetings on Thursdays), make a strong appeal for donations. At that time President Grant had $50 in his pocket which he intended to deposit in the bank. But he was so impressed by his bishop’s appeal that he tendered the whole $50 to the bishop. The bishop took $5 and handed him back $45, stating that $5 was his full share. Then President Grant replied, “Bishop Wooley, by what right do you rob me of putting the Lord in my debt? Didn’t you preach here today that the Lord rewards fourfold? My mother is a widow and she needs two hundred dollars.”

' “My boy,” queried the bishop, “do you believe that if I take this other forty-five dollars you will get your two hundred dollars quicker?”

' “Certainly,” replied President Grant.

'Now here was an expression of trust in the Lord which the bishop could not withstand. He took the remaining $45.

'President Grant testified that on his way back to work, “an idea popped” into his head, acting upon which he made $218.50. Speaking on this incident years later, he said, “Someone will say that it would have happened anyway.

' “I do not think it would have happened. I do not think I would have got the idea.

' “I am a firm believer that the Lord opens up the windows of heaven when we do our duty financially and pours out blessings upon us of a spiritual nature, which are of far greater value than temporal things. But I believe He also gives us blessings of a temporal nature.” (Improvement Era 42:457.)'

 (President Marion G. Romney, Trust in the Lord, G.C. Nov. 1977.)

Friday Night Thoughts, VIII Edition

"Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it."
-Winston Churchill

Save Us All

 Remember those times when you pranked your sister and were later found out?  Or when you had your hand in the cookie jar?  Think back at how when you were little how guilty you felt the first time it happened and wondered if you'd ever be forgiven, and that thought of eternal gloom of being stuck in the corner hit you.  You felt pretty bad I'll bet, because we all have.  We do something wrong and yet life still goes on, it doesn't end in that moment of grief.  Former apostle Elder Clark said once:

"I believe that our Heavenly Father wants to save every one of his children.  I do not think he intends to shut any of us off because of some slight transgression, some slight failure to observe some rule or regulation.  There are the great elements that we must observe, but he is not going to be captious [quick to fin fault] about the lesser things."

"I believe that his juridical concept of his dealings with his children could be expressed in this way: I believe that in his justice and mercy he will give us the maximum reward for our acts, give us all that he can give, and in reverse, I believe that he will impose upon us the minimum penalty which it is possible for him to impose." -(J. Reuben Clark Jr., G.C. Oct. 1953)

Friday Night Thoughts, VII Edition

" 'There are large parts of [the world] where religion is a thing of the past and there is no counter-voice to the culture of buy it, spend it, wear it, flaunt it, because you’re worth it.  The message is that morality is passé, conscience is for wimps, and the single overriding command is ‘Thou shalt not be found out' ' (Jonathan Sacks, “Reversing the Decay of London Undone,” Wall Street Journal, Aug. 20, 2011, online.wsj.com; emphasis added.)
"My brothers and sisters, this—unfortunately—describes much of the world around us.  Do we wring our hands in despair and wonder how we’ll ever survive in such a world?  No.  Indeed, we have in our lives the gospel ofJesus Christ, and we know that morality is not passé, that our conscience is there to guide us, and that we are responsible for our actions.
"Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant.  They have not changed; they will not change.  The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions.  They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel.  If we but listen, we hear the echo of God’s voice, speaking to us here and now..."
(Thomas S. Monson, Stand in Holy Places; GC Oct. 2, 2011)

A Special Thought in Honor of Thanksgiving

"It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit." [C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (New York: Macmillan, 1980), p. 19; emphasis in original]

Life Will Go On...

"...Judgement is not an end in itself.  Calamities are only permitted by a merciful Father, in order to bring about redemption.  Behind the fearful storms of judgment, which often strike the just and the unjust alike, overwhelming the wicked and the righteous, there arises bright clear the dawn of the day of salvation. ...What he permitted to occur seems clearly to have been for the purpose of calling attention, by the finger of his power, to the wickedness and sins of men-not alone to the sings of the people of the stricken city, for there are many elsewhere who are just as evil minded, but to the transgressions of all mankind, that all may take warning and repent.  Men who stand in the way of God's wise purposes, whether they be good or evil, must suffer in the turmoil.  Thus it is that often the righteous suffer for the unrighteous; and it is not satisfactory to the thinking mind to say that therefore God is unjust.  The perfect Christ suffered, the just for the unjust. ..." -(Joseph F. Smith, The Improvement Era, June 1906, p. 650; italics added.)

Likewise are we to be able to simply waltz through life, especially in these last days.  We need to be able to rise up and recognize that life won't be easy.  We will all doubt and become discouraged somewhere along the line, but that doesn't mean we have to stay that way.  Life is about joy and learning to be happy amongst the trials in life (see 2 Nephi 2:25).

There for life, "...is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?" (Jeffrey R. Holland, Missionary Work and the Atonement, March 2001 Ensign.)

Friday Night Thoughts, VI Edition

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God...
"He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to his people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 255-56).

Shall we be spared?

Many prophecies have given about the end of time, or more commonly know among members of the LDS church, the Second Coming.  Those of destruction and hardship, famine and war, and many more.  But as we move closer to the advent of the Savior's coming there will be many trials ahead, and many people will experience pain and suffering.  But is that not reserved for the wicked?  Isn't that the reason for all the calamity that will befall us?  Joseph Smith once said on this subject:

"I explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgements, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and 'the righteous shall hardly escape;' still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the kingdom of God.  So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, 'Judge not, lest ye be judged.' " (Joseph Smith, DHC, Vol. 4 p. 11, Sept. 29, 1839)

Friday Night Thoughts, V Edition

"If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome."

-Michael Jordan

Thoughts on Future Life

Paradisaical Glory

What lies beyond the western shore, that eyes have never seen,
That men have sought for endless years, to exist but in a dream.
Its said that once a wise old shepherd, held the key of life,
And he would teach but humble men, born of mortal strife.
He spoke of white and sandy shores, and crystal pools of gold,
That glistened in the noon day sun, just like tales of old.
Then the plains of lavish green, which twirl to and fro,
Sit beneath the mountain seat, of which is ruled by snow.
And up above the peaks on high, extends the Grand old Northern Sky,
Is named Azure, the wanderer, who oft has passed you by.

And of the Ruler, which stands in might, gives the land of living light,
But when he sleeps, his knights stand high, soothing all who come on nigh.
And then the question all would ask, How do we find it, whats our task?
Then the Shepherd old and wise, always gave the same reply,

Come, come follow my, and then in Paradise thou wilt be.

Friday Night Thoughts, IV Edition

"When we go out of this life, leave this body, we will desire to do many things that we cannot do at all without the body.  We will be seriously hanicapped, and we will long for the body; we will pray for early reunion with our bodies.  We will know then what advantage it is to have a body" (Melvin J. Ballard, Crusader for Righteousness [1966], 213).

7 Points On Life

I've thought an awful lot about our purpose here and how God is involved in the whole of it.  I'd like to present here seven points I have written about the meaning of this life in general (with scriptural references).

1.  He tests us.  This life is a test to begin with to shape us as disciples. (Zech. 13:9; D&C 58:2)
2. We are here to learn specific lessons.  There are many things we encounter in this life, and all of these experiences are needed to be learned here to help us gain our exaltation, and prepare us for eternal life. (D&C 122:7; James E. Faust, Where Do I Make My Stand?, G.C. Oct. 2004; second to last paragraph.)
   
3. Some people are placed as leaders.  This is to help other spirit brothers and sister along their path in life, because such leaders will touch others in a special way. (Jer. 1:5; Abr. 3:22-23)
4. God gives us the best.  He provides us with the most successful route back to our Heavenly home, if we heed his counsel.  If not we will find ourselves on a different track. (Isa. 5:25; D&C 19:16)
   
5. Agency.  We all have it and are given equal opportunity to exercise it.  The Lord expects us to choose between Him and the world, and will not make the decision for us. (Abr. 3:25; Moses 3:16-17)
6. He will not allow us to be overly tempted.  The Lord does not let Satan tempt us anymore than we have strength to resist.  If we do not resist though greater temptations may be heaped upon us. (1 Cor. 10:13; D&C 95:1)
   
7. The Lord gives us as many chances to change, repent and come unto him, as we need.  He will never and does not ever give up on us.  When a man apostazies, he left God not the other way around. (Isa. 59:1-2; 2 Ne. 19:12)

 Endure to the End.

Friday Night Thoughts, III Edition

"Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank.  Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace."
-Mike Ditka

Liken All Things

Jude 1

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

(Bold added).

Those six words teach us a valuable lesson.  The scriptures are here to show us an example of what not to do, and give us the commandments of what we need to do.  Why then do the prophets throughout all time continued to beg us to listen, as well as read the scriptures?  Countless times, and probably more often than they should have to.  So let us take a lesson from the Book of Mormon:

1 Nephi 19

23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

So the next time you read think, "what if I did this?"  And after putting yourself in their shoes imagine the consequences whether good or bad.  It may bring a different perspective to our understanding of the lesson contained those pages.

Friday Night Thoughts, II Edition

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on"
-Robert Frost

Friday Night Thoughts, I Edition

"Some music is spiritually very destructive. You young people know what kind that is.  The tempo, the sounds, and the lifestyle of those who perform it repel the Spirit.  It is far more dangerous than you may suppose, for it can smother your spiritual senses" (President Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Oct. 1994).

Fencing in the Dark

Often we go through life fighting in the dark: we flail our arms at whatever is coming, but yet we don't know what, so we flail.  But isn't that life?  Isn't life supposed to be a mystery everyday, a fight constantly ever battling the ills of life?
     Yes life is a battle and a mystery, but you don't have to fight unawares.  We may not know what to expect everyday, but we can always prepare so that when the trials come we may clearly see the opposition in our way.  And we will no longer flail but strike accurately conquering whatever may be in our path.  This light is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, provided us by the scriptures and the prophets.

    “…I should like to consider a kind of light that has infinitely greater power and effect. I speak of spiritual light. It comes from God and his gospel. In the scriptures, we find reference to a relationship between the physical light of the sun and spiritual light. We read in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 88, of ‘the light of truth;

‘Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. …

‘And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

‘Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

‘The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed.” (D&C 88:6–7,11–13.) (Elder Ted E. Brewerton, Light.  Engsign Nov. 1991.)

Obedience is the key to Everything!

"Please note that knowledge is gained by obedience. It comes by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. In the ultimate and full sense it comes only by revelation from the Holy Ghost. There are some things a sinful man does not and cannot know." (The Seven deadlyHeresies.  Bruce R. McConkie.  Italicies added.)

Obedience brings knowledge and blessings.  Whenever we strive to obey the Lords commands he blesses us in many ways.  One particular way is when we humble ourselves the Lord will increase our strengths and remove our weaknesses:

Ether 12
27 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.

    Sometimes that may be a removal of a barrier that's existed.  One such for me was basketball.  Basketball was always on the bottom of my like list (next to running); it was difficult, I always failed and I hated playing that game.

    On a P-day (preparation day, a day where we somewhat take a break from missionary work) a few months ago, we were playing a game of Lightning Revenge.  As I continued to shoot, I started to recognize what I wasn't doing right and that I needed to improve my trajectory.
    That's when basketball clicked for me!  I couldn't believe it, a sport I always despised suddenly became one of my favorite pastimes!  I wasn't perfect but I had a barrier removed and a desire to improve at this particular sport. 
   I believe that had I not been exactly obedient to everything the Lord commanded me to do I wouldn't have been able to over come that obstacle.  So if you strive to do your best and be obedient, then the Lord will help you through!