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).