Hot Hot Heat

Because we are mortal, we have passed through the veil of forgetfulness and don't remember what we went through before we were born into this world. But God hasn't just sent us out without help. God has sent down the Holy Ghost to confirm truth to us.
There are lots of people who say "show me a sign" or I'll believe it when I see it. In an answer to a question, Elder Boyd K Packer told this story. If someone were to walk into this room holding a white hot branding iron and told you it was a hot iron, would you believe them more than if they blindfolded you and seared your skin with that same iron? And that is how our testimony of the Savior and truth should be. It should be a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead. John 3:27 "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven."

What does that mean for us? Lets not be a "doubting Thomas", but be blessed because we believe and have not seen. I know that we can receive spiritual witnesses if we will seek. As God has said repeatedly in holy writ "Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 1:3) Another announcement of "Ask and ye shall receive". So if we want to have a spiritual experience we need to prepare ourselves. Is it likely that God will bless us with a spiritual experience if we have not been preparing ourselves? Not likely. So read the scriptures, say your prayers, and live a Christlike life and you'll be happier and have a better opportunity to have a "spirtually searing" experience.

Man or Mouse!

Learning to surf

Growing up in Southern California is pretty fun. You have tons of things to do. Any sport can be played on any day because the weather is so nice. There are plenty of places to hang out, especially the beach. Now when I was just a wee lad (12) I was taught how to surf by a family friend. He would take me out and spent hours in the "whitewash" pushing me on waves and helping me learn. Matt Wright did that until I became good enough to go out and brave the "real" waves.
So then I had to learn how to catch waves by myself. I always had Matt with me helping me and showing me which waves to try and catch and which ones were not gonna be so good. Matt also taught my dad how to surf. So we would all go out and spend mornings before school (when I was supposed to be in Seminary) out surfing.
And as I had this experience with Matt and my dad, I became better. I learned which days I should go out. I learned how to choose the waves that would be the most enjoyable. I learned how to turn down the waves that would "closeout" and wouldn't be much fun. I learned how to recognize when the best time would be to paddle out, to avoid the waves (as much as possible) and where to set up and wait for the "sets" to roll in. (Click here to see why wave selection is important.) And now that I have had this experience I can go out alone and make decisions for myself. And when I go out with Matt and my dad, there is a phrase that gets said more than once, "Man or Mouse?!" We use that phrase to motivate or taunt or coax each other into paddle out into the surf or take off on a wave. The question is "Are you man enough?" Are you going to make the right decision?

Riding the waves of life

And so we too have been taught by a great teacher. We spent eons with Christ and our Heavenly Father before this mortal existence. They taught us the basics so that we could journey out into "real" life. And when we got to "real" life, we were not left alone. We were born to parents who love us and want to help us succeed in this life. And we spend some time with them to continue to learn. Our parents teach us how to select the best things in life. How to understand which "waves" or choices are going to be "closeouts". But soon enough, our time with them is over and we now can brave the vast ocean of life alone. We've been taught which things in life are going to be the best. Which choices are going to bring the most happiness. Now, after all this training its up to the individual. Its up to me, to you, to your kids. Its their choice. Man or Mouse!?

What happens when we die?

In Fear and Faith

This a prob the biggest and most debated topic of any religion. And I hope to be able to help you see this clearly. When our spirits are separated from our bodies (physical death) where do our spirits go? Because we are made up of body and spirit right? So our bodies are laid to rest in the ground. Our spirits return to the "Spirit World" where we are to wait until our resurrection and judgment.

The Spirit World is made up of two sections, "Paradise" and "Prison". Paradise is a place where those who have been and done the things that they were supposed to while in this moral existance. Here they rest from, as the scriptures say, "from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow". Those in the other part of the Spirit World have a chance to repent. In prison is where those who have once rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or have not had the opportunity to hear it get that chance. Peter talks about this in his epistle. He says "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."(1 Peter 4:5-6) 

The one who unlocked the door to let us in

These places are only a pit stop for us though. We wait here until we are Resurrected and Judged. Until all that God has for us is accomplished.

We have a loving Heavenly Father, and His plan is perfect. He knows our hearts and our intents. John 3:16, He wants us to live with Him forever in His kingdom. And we all have that opportunity if we will but yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and do what is required of us.

Here is a quote from a song from the band In Fear and Faith, "In this life there's only wrong and right,
So don't forget you have a choice!"

Untitled

 

I think that as we remember and realize what God has done for us in our lives, we become more humble. And because we're more humble, we are better prepared to receive the blessings that He wishes to give us.When we recognize how God has worked in our lives, it will allow us to see the way He is willing to bless us. Then we can ask for the things that He is willing to give us. And thus our will can and will mesh with His, and we will become "one" with God (John 17) 

I think that is a real challenge for us in this life, to develop those God-like qualities and discover in ourselves the things that God has blessed us with. I think if we will take the time to do as Elder Eyring says and recognize God's hand in our lives we will be able to see where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do. And we will develop the qualities that He would have us. God has a very deliberate and specific hand in our lives. He will lead us to truth as we seek. And that is what I invite everyone who reads this to test. See if He is not here. He is here.

My favorite person from The Book of Mormon

Love this picture of Jesus

I think my favorite person from The Book of Mormon would have to be Jesus Christ. I mean he did come and visit the people in the Americas. So that is an obvious no brainer... But for the sake of going in depth into the Book of Mormon, I'll talk about someone else.



So after that being said I would have to say that my favorite person (like so many other people) is Captain Moroni. Captain Moroni was a boss. He was appointed the leader of the Nephite army when he was just 25. Think about that. Being responsible for the lives of an entire army when you are 25 years old. When I turn 25, I'm gonna be in school worried about what classes I need to pass to get a degree to start work.



Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty



So with this trust that was put on Captain Moroni also came great power. I mean think about it, he was the Commander of an entire army of men, who would lay down their lives with him. I think the greatest part about Moroni is that he was given this power and yet it didn't get to him. You know the saying "Power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely corrupts", well that was not the case for Moroni.

Joseph Smith's Vision

When Moroni was out with his army, they had been fighting the Lamenites for a long while and he needed supplies from the cities. But they were not getting the help they desperately needed. And in an epistle to Pahoran he says this "Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country"(Alma 60:36). He is, in my opinion, the 2nd best example of what a man should be like. Even Moroni, while he was putting the plates together and reflecting on what Moroni was like said "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto ^aMoroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the ^bdevil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."(Alma 48:17). What bigger or better complement could a person give another than that? Especially coming from Mormon, the Prophet in charge of collecting and putting the plates together.

The Book of Mormon is full of great men. It is rich with the history, stories, and accounts of those who inhabited the Americas 600 BC to about 400 AD. This record was translated by the gift and power of God through the Prophet Joseph Smith. If you have read this and want to learn more and talk to me directly, click my facebook link and shoot me a message!

God is great! Come and investigate the claims that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints makes.

Grace, Faith, Works

There are many misconceptions about Mormons. One that I run into on a regular basis is that "Mormons believe that you work for your salvation". This is what I want to try and focus on for right now....
So, because those of the LDS faith choose to show their faith by their actions, they are looked down upon by the rest of the Christian world as denying the power that Christ has. Well lets discuss this more. We believe that the Bible is the word of God. We believe all the promises therein. And just like the rest of the Christian world we believe that, "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"(Ephesians 2:8) We do not deny that it is solely by grace that we are saved. Grace is defined as an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation. Because Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), it is only in and through Him that we can receive eternal life and exaltation.

The Reason

And now, because of this, I want to live my life in a way that is pleasing in the sight of God. I want to go out and serve. I want to help others, both believers and non-believers. Why? Why would I want to do that? Because I love God. I love my Savior. This love that I have for them, how do i show it? I show it in how I live my life. Not like the hypocrites who profess to know Jesus, and as the scripture says They ^aprofess that they ^bknow God; but in ^cworks they ^ddeny him, being abominable, and ^edisobedient, and unto every good work ^freprobate(Titus 1:15) But I will show my faith by the way I live my life. And this is not just me and my opinion, this is how your everyday "Mormons" live (or at least try). A perfect example of this is shared by James in the 2nd chapter he says "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that ^afaith without ^bworks is dead?

Was not Abraham our father ^ajustified by works, when he had ^boffered Isaac his son upon the altar?

 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by ^aworks was faith made ^bperfect?" 

I know that it is because Christ is so forgiving that I can receive eternal life and exaltation. That I will show my love for Him by the way I treat others. And I will fail, I will fall short, but because he is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), I can and will be forgiven through my sincere repentance. And I could continue to blab on, but I will stop here. I know the Savior lives and loves. And because of that I am doing the things I'm doing.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow

Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.

"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.


But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
Myra Brooks Welch

Come to the Savior submissive as a child

Yesterday I heard a missionary quote this poem and it made me think how we are all like this old violin. That we are all imperfect. That we have all been through so much in our lives that have scarred us. The mistakes that we've made have marred us, putting us out of tune, and have caused us to look and sound terrible. But when we realize that we've made these mistakes, its not the end. We can turn ourselves over to the Savior. We can become better. We can be made into who and what the Savior wants and knows we can be. But this is only possible if we are willing to submit to His will and do the things that He has asked and required of us.  Just like the scriptures say, " For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)
Sure, we can add another title to the Savior, how about the Great Musician? But like a musician who is without an instrument, so to, the Savior can not work on us without our submission. So lets develop that motivation to put our desires in line with God's will for us. Then we will be the most valuable to the Savior, and the best instruments in His hands.

Gollum.... and the Godhead

Alright, well its another day, so I guess I'll post another blog. So last night I was talking with Elder Akina and I had some thoughts come to me. We were talking about the TG Godhead, and how others understand the Godhead.
Because in the scriptures Jesus says that He and Heavenly Father are "one", people take that very literally and say, OK they are the same. Well the concept of the "Trinity" is not one found in the New Testament, but rather it is a man formed view of God. Harper’s Bible Dictionary records that “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].” (Paul F. Achtemeier, ed. (1985), 1099)
Anyways, I was thinking about all the different situations that are recorded in the New Testament when Jesus is speaking to  Heavenly Father and how weird it would be to think that He was actually talking to Himself... I mean, when He was hanging on the cross he asked Heavenly Father for the forgiveness of those who were crucifying Him. And then later when he is still there, He cries out "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"(Matthew 27:46)
It just doesn't make sense to me (Heavenly Father and Jesus being the same person). And then I thought about Gollum in the Lord of the Rings talking to himself.. I know that drawing that parallel is boarder line blasphemous, but that is how I see it. God our Heavenly Father is one with Jesus Christ in every sense of the word, other than the same physical body. As Elder Jeffery R Holland stated in his October 2007 General Conference talk, "We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings."
Some of the evidences I gave earlier show this point, also during Christ's prayer for His Apostles after the last supper. As recorded in St John chapter 17 (http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/17?lang=eng) "18 As thou hast ^asent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

 19And for their sakes I ^asanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

 20Neither ^apray I for these alone, but for them also which shall ^bbelieve on me through their word;

 21That they all may be ^aone; as thou, ^bFather, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ^cone in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ^aone, even as we are ^bone:"

If you'll read the whole chapter, it will give you a clearer understanding of the whole verses I just shared. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are two distinct individuals who have their own separate bodies. Another testament to this point is Joseph Smith's first vision in the Sacred Grove where he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ.  I know the scriptures are true and that they are further proof that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom established once again onto the earth preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah!

Once again, if what I said doesn't make complete sense to you and you think I'm wrong, read this and it will explain it much better than I can http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/the-only-true-god-and-jesus-christ-whom-he-hath-sent?lang=eng&query=holland+whom+thou+hast+sent

DO NOT take away from or ADD to.....

OK, so there are people who have legitimate concerns about the Book of Mormon because it "adds" to the bible, and according to Revelations, that is a BIG no no... Well first off, we "Mormons" believe the Bible to be the word of God. So yes we agree with that statement in the Bible... So now let me explain this... (this is all basically being taken from a talk given by Elder Holland an Apostle)

If you will just imagine with me that we are watching all the chaos that is happening when Christ returns to Jerusalem. There is a HUGE gathering for the Passover (a major religious holiday for the Jews). The Pharisees and the Sadducees have just stirred the Jews into a blood thirsty frenzy, and caused a very strict to the rules Jewish people, to completely forget/ignore the proper channels which they were supposed to go through to have a trial, and illegally condemned Christ to death.

So, Christ is crucified and His followers are sent into hiding. Then, the rest of the bible happens. First, we have the acts of the apostles. They go and preach repentance and baptism. We have the account of Saul, who is visited by Christ Himself, and sent to preach. After the acts, we have all of Paul's epistles to people. Along with epistles written by Timothy, James, John, Peter, Jude, and the revelation given to John.

Today, we are lucky enough to have these books from these great men. These epistles were all written at different times and different places. And eventually these epistles all came together, gathered by I don't know who, and put into a volume, and labeled the Bible!

So the scripture in Revelations that says not to take away from or add too is clearly talking about the book of Revelations itself. It was not a declaration for the rest of time saying that the windows of Heaven are shut and no more revelation will be given. On the contrary, the Bible itself says that whenever a man speaks under the influence of the Holy Ghost, it is scripture.

The windows of Heaven are open. God speaks! not spake. And His mouthpiece is the Prophet Thomas S Monson today! If you do not think that there is a need for a Prophet, look at Amos 3:7 and see what that says.

I know that God lives and loves us. That He loves us so much that He sent His only son to suffer, bleed, and die for all of us.

PS: Here is a link to Elder Holland's talk... it'll make more sense than I can http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/my-words-never-cease?lang=eng&query=add+bible#4

Christ and the Restoration

"He is not here: for he is risen" (Matt 28:6)

Jesus Christ was resurrected that first Easter morning and has shown Himself to both His disciples in Jerusalem and in the Americas. He later returned to America, this time with His Father to Palmyra New York and they showed themselves to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

         I had an interesting conversation with a woman on her doorstep the other day. She told me that she did not believe that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, and that there is no need for a Prophet today. That a Prophet will not give you salvation. And I agree with the last sentence. That a Prophet can not give me salvation. Because salvation only comes in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, Jesus has taught us that we must do certain things to inherit the Kingdom of God. That we must be baptized (John 3:5) Also, He taught that the saving ordinance of baptism must be performed by one who holds the authority (priesthood) to do so. And because the priesthood was taken from the earth shortly after the Saviors death and resurrection, there was a need to restore those keys and priesthood. Thus, God would need to call another Prophet to restore what once was lost for us to receive the ordinance of baptism.

The Priesthood is on the earth today. It has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and will not be taken again. The sky is blue and the church is true.

SLAMMA JAMMA

So last night I had the chance to play some basketball. And whenever I play basketball I ALWAYS make an attempt to dunk. Usually after I've warmed up and played a game or two. (So i don't pull anything... Man I feel like an old man) And its not like I can do it every time. Its really weird, sometimes I can, and most of the time I can't. Anyways, I was thinking about that last night and I had this comparison come to me, so I thought I'd share it. Dunking a basketball (for me), compared to feeling the Holy Ghost.

I realized last night that when I prepare myself physically beforehand, my chances of dunking greatly increase. One week I decided that I really wanted to be able to dunk, so I spent that week not gorging myself and ate "healthy" (that term is used VERY lightly and is relative to a missionary diet). But the same can be said for feeling the Holy Ghost. When we prepare ourselves spiritually, we increase our chances of having a very spiritual experience. An example would be doing something like "fasting" (not eating or drinking for 24 hours prior) to get yourself ready for church or something else. And fasting is not supposed to be just going hungry for 24 hours, when we fast we should have a purpose (like a special blessing for someone). So whenever I get myself ready physically, I have a much better chance of dunking. Likewise whenever I spiritually prepare myself for an experience, I greatly increase my chances of feeling the Holy Ghost.

Also, when I am more consistant in playing basketball I have better results. If I get the opportunity to play more than once a week, my vertical just gets better... I don't know how to explain that, but it just does. Likewise when we are more consistant in trying to feel the Holy Ghost, our ability to feel it increases. I guess that can really be compared to anything really... The more you practice at something, the better you become at it.

Not actually me... but kinda

And last point, when I actually dunk, I feel on top of the world. Yes I am white, and yes my BMI (body mass index) has me listed as obese, but when I overcome that and dunk, it makes me feel awesome. And whenever I feel the Holy Ghost touch me and prompt me, I feel great. There is no better feeling than that. The peace that it brings and wonderful feelings it gives are second to none. And that is why I love fast and testimony meeting (1st sunday of the month in church), because I have usually prepared myself by fasting and because of that I have prepared myself to have a spiritual experience.

I really hope this made sense to you. Sometimes I have things pop in my head and i feel like I should share it, but if you liked this, I'll try to keep it coming!

Daytons Legs

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves" - Sir James M. Barrie



What an incredible kid. Someone who was taught from the time he was a child to love his neighbors. Whats most impressive is that he applied the knowledge that he had. That kind of loving service and is hard to match. By doing this, by serving his brother, Spencer allowed himself to be the miracle for someone else.

I hope that someday I can look back on my life and see that I have been able to do something miraculous for someone else. I hope that I will be able to apply the lessons that my parents have taught me in my life. So that I can become a better person for it. And then ask myself this question, (taken from Alma 5:14) "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances?" Can we see that we've changed our hearts and have been spiritually born of God? And have we been able to receive His image in our countenances?

As we serve our brothers and sisters, we serve God. (Matt. 25:40) "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have ^adone it unto one of the ^bleast of these my ^cbrethren, ye have done it unto me." I know that as we serve those around us, God is pleased and smiles down on us. So lets receive God's countenance in our image by being His hands here on the earth.

Revealed Truth and Science Pt 4: Time, Light, Health, and Conclusions!

Time
         Time, according to science, goes in one direction. Although not understood, it is now known to be a relative thing. That is, we measure time by our clocks, but objects moving relative to us will have clocks that measure time more slowly. The faster they are moving, the more slow time becomes relative to us. This concept was first suggested scientifically by Einstein in the early 1900s. The same concept can be found in Abraham 3. (Abr 3:3-10) This was first published in the spring of 1842 in Nauvoo in the Times and Seasons.The Prophet Joseph Smith had little formal education, yet the concepts of relativistic time in this chapter of the Book of Abraham were first discovered scientifically about 65 years later!
          What the revelations teach us about time is that it is measured differently throughout the universe, the one day with God is as one thousand years with man (II Peter 3:8; Abr 3:4). Moreover we are taught that time is only measured unto men (Alma 40:8, Rev. 10:6). From these we can learn that since all things are present before God (Doctrine and Covenants 38:2, 130:7), and God is not constrained by time as are we.

Light
          Science can provide extensive information about light, what it is, how it works, etc. Yet, when it comes time to describe it in detail, science will tell you that it is sometimes found as a particle of light (a photon) and other times we found as a wave. It takes elegant mathematics and impressive theories to correlate these two concepts.
           Revealed truth gives even more added dimensions, suggesting that light "quickeneth our understandings" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:11), is knowledge, truth, spirit and intelligence (Doctrine and Covenants 84:45). So we know from this that light comes in many forms, has great power, can permeate the souls of men, and is a carrier of knowledge and power. In addition, judging from the appearance of the Angel Moroni to the Prophet Joseph (Joseph Smith- History- v. 43), light can also be a transporter of angels- or at least is associated with such transport. Science still has a long way to go in this arena.

Health
          Here we must go to Doctrine and Covenants section 89, where we find that if we eat right, and don't use coffee, tea, alcohol or tobacco, we will have "health in our navel and marrow to our bones..... and shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint." (Doctrine and Covenants 89: 18-20 (Given in 1833))
          Health in your navel. Science has learned relatively recently (within the last 50 years) that alcohol and other drugs can cross the placental membrane deeply affecting fetuses. What does health in you navel mean? I believe it means that we will have healthy babies by restricting our intake of the harmful substances defined in this revelation.
          Marrow to our bones. In the last two decades scientists have come to understand that the entire immune system of the body is dependent upon the health of the bone marrow, where all of the factors needed for the immune system have their start. Bone marrow health is negatively affected by alcohol and tobacco.
          Run and not be weary and walk and not faint. Only in the last few years have scientist found out that a key enzyme in a cascade mechanism needed to provide energy for muscles is made inoperative when caffeine is present. So in the presence of caffeine, the body fails to break down the sugar storage molecules (glycogen) necessary to give us what is often termed, "second wind". Hence if we use caffeine, we run and are weary and walk and faint.

Conclusions!
             These are just a few examples to illustrate differences and agreements between science and revealed truth. There are many more that could be discussed in addition. Perhaps the take-home message is that science and revealed truth go hand in hand. The only time there is controversy is when science exceeds its scope or supposed Gospel scholars exceed theirs. From my standpoint, I like to wait and watch. Science keeps coming around with more and more factual material which continues to validate the revealed truths of the Gospel.
              It is my testimony that Gospel truths are eternal, and the more that science prove the facts and unveils the governing laws, the closer these concepts come to harmonize with the Gospel truths.

Revealed Truth and Science Pt 1: The Origin of Man

I was thumbing through some old stuff that I've collected and I came across this. It was written by Walter Hill, a very smart man. He wrote "Genetic Engineering: A Primer". Hill, a retired biochemistry professor from the University of Montana blew my mind with this slice of information, so I hope you enjoy! (ps: sorry for typos, I'm copying from paper onto the computer)

Before we can really discuss this area, we need to make a few definitions. These are mine, and may be a bit loose, but they should work for us.

Definitions:

            What is Science?

                       Science is a search for an understanding of the things around us, and understanding of how they work and an effort to define the fundamental laws that make things as they are. It is NOT a search for truth.

              What is Religion?

                        Religion can be broadly defined as man defining his relationship to God, with God revealing the patterns and rules by which God would have man live.

               What is the Gospel?

                         The fullness of the Gospel centers around the fundamental principle that Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, through His infinite power and mercy, provided us a way to meet the demands of justice, through his vicarious sacrifice of Himself, a God, in our behalf.

               What is Truth?

                          Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.

                                         ( http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93?lang=eng#)

                What is Revealed Truth?

                            That truth which is found in the revelations to the prophets.

               Science and religion are really two different paths, asking different questions, and having different expectations. Can the differences of view be reconciled?

I will briefly discuss a few examples:

1. The Origin of Man

              Science would have us understand that man has evolved from a state of disorganization to the present state in a series of progressive steps, any one of which may take an enormous period of time. However, evidence for spontaneous evolution of systems with increasing complexity, or transitions between the progressive states is lacking. But there is abundant evidence for adaptive changes and non-random mutation occurring in a vast array of species and animals. As with most scientific knowledge, this area is in constant change as more evidence appears and understanding increases. The entire theory of how things evolved is still evolving itself. It is based on the premise that man should explain the universe around him (what science does- see definition above) without calling on unseen or unknown (to science) powers. With the vast amount of paleontologival evidence showing great numbers of extinct animals, including hominids, scientists are trying to make a cohesive story of how all of this, and how we, came about. Nonetheless, it is still very much a theory, with many sub-theories or hypotheses yet to be sustained by appreciable evidence.

                Revealed truth teaches us that Man is the offspring of God, initially placed on this earth at an earlier time, with an eternal destiny to become like his Father. The revelations we have do not teach us how all of this came about, do not tell us of the organizational details of the creation, do not state the duration of time taken, and do not specify all of the players involved. While we are given a schematic outline, much is not said, allowing abundant speculation by many. It is often such speculation that runs amuck with scientific theories that are really just scientist speculating on how it all came to be. Conflict only arises when science begins to proclaim its theory as being fact, and religion begins to speculate on the unrevealed details of the creation.

Part 2 next time! (The Universe)

Let me know how I can spice up my blog. Help would be much appreciated!

What I've learned so far...

Today, I don't really have anything special I wanted to focus on. I just want to write down some things that I have come to learn thus far on my mission. Today is my 1 year mark since I entered the MTC oh so long ago. The crazy thing is that it has just flown by. From my first days in Helena tracting in May when it decides to dump snow all over Elder Conway and I, to going to lessons with Elder Murillo in Greybull where I don't say anything because its all in Spanish. And all the experiences in between have caused me to adapt, grow, and change into the missionary I am now.
And I guess that is something in and of itself. The fact that I have been sculpted into the missionary I am now from the experiences I have gone through. I think that is a good fact of life, that the trials, tribulations, challenges and struggles we have in our lives really shape us. And talking about this reminds me of an experience I had while serving in Helena. We went out to Townsend to be a part of this "Gospel Sing" where different christian congregations get together and sing praises to God. Anyways, the only song I remember from that day was this one titled "The Potter Knows the Clay".

But the Potter knows the clay
How much pressure it can take
How many times around the wheel
‘Til there’s submission to His will
he’s planned a beautiful design
but it’ll take some fire and time
its gonna be okay
‘cause the Potter knows the clay

God has a great plan for us. He knows us individually and knows our wants and needs. He knows when we are hurting. He knows when we need help. And He is always there to listen to us. And I hope that I can "put off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3: 19) And if I can do that, be submissive and willing to submit to God's will for me, then I will become the beautiful masterpiece of a loving God.

Dawgs

So today we had a kinda disappointing, but strengthening experience. We were at this lady's house and she told us that she has "hit a wall" with the plan of salvation. And the part that she has a problem with is the 3 kingdoms of glory (1Cor.15). So I told her that there are different levels of obedience to God's commandments and that we are placed according to our obedience.

She wasn't really listening i dont think, I think that she was just looking for an excuse to drop us because it war pretty plainly explained... Anyways, she has 2 dogs. And she told us about them and how one of her dogs is well trained. That she can have him repeat a behavior all day and he gets it. That he'll remember and obey. Then she has another dog. And this dog is younger and has a hard time with learning the "rules". So she would help it practice doing things right, but it would just keep on going back to its old habits.

Anyways, she loves both of her dogs equally. She treats them on the same level and expects both of them to obey the rules the same. But when one dog doesn't do what he is supposed to, or behaves against her will, he is corrected and doesn't enjoy the same priviliges and freedoms that the obedient dog does.

This is the same thing with us and our Heavenly Father. There are some people who choose to obey. Who choose to make decisions that make Heavenly Father happy. There are those who willfully submit themselves to Heavenly Father's commands. And it is those who are blessed for their obedience. And are trusted with more than those who are not obedient. And those who are not obedient, who willfully disobey God and He can't and won't reward them for their disobedience.

So my hope is that we can all do our best to obey God and His commandments. And that we can receive all the blessings that He has in store for us, through our obedience to His commands. God loves all of us equally. He wants all of us to return to Him. So lets be obedient and be able to greet His outstreached arms!