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"Some of the greatest battles we will face will be fought within the silent chambers of our own souls."
- Ezra Taft Benson
We must PROTECT OURSELVES from outside influences that will creep their way into our minds. Let us look at how this works... We will build a "dream."
THE ARCHITECT is us... what we perceive is created from our own experiences.
Though we may have friends that can influence us for good or for evil... it is ultimately up to us what decisions we will make in life.
"O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe." (2 Nephi 1:13)
Our "chains" of sin can bind us... and drag us down into a deep sleep. This DEEP SLEEP creates a mist of darkness which only gets darker the deeper we are in our sleep. Just like the movie Inception, we lose perception of what is real. Or in the case of sin, we lose sight of the glory of God. When we don't repent we create more LEVELS of sin and make it harder to get out.
How will we escape?!
We need A KICK... also known as a humbling experience.
"Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe." (Alma 32:16)
I don't know about you but I would rather "kick myself" (humble myself) then be "compelled" to be kicked in the face with soccer cleats or track spikes.
So... how about we be humble?
Oh no!... It seems we have something unexpected raging right towards us...
Do you ever find TRAINS come in or back into your life? Is there a grudge you are holding onto? Someone you need to forgive? Something that is wracking your soul with eternal torment? It sounds like there is a definite need for the Atonement of Christ. If a wound has been healed by Christ we should NEVER re-open that which has already been healed by Him. Get rid of the train! It not only will hurt you but those around you as well!
It may even be necessary to DREAM BIG and get ourselves some heavy artillery in order to fully "repent" and get out.
In order for one to "awake" they must be killed. This being symbolic to the Atonement of Christ... a price had to be paid for us "falling" short. This "awaking" may cause pain... and repentance can be difficult if we get to deep in our sins/ dreams. However... Christ will heal our wounds and give us comfort.
INCEPTION... is it possible? Some say no. Is it really possible to "plant" something in someone's mind and change there entire lives?! What do you think?
If we FORCE it upon someone else... it is rejected and it will NOT work.
If we FORCE it upon someone else... it is rejected and it will NOT work.
"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 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)
Good analogy. Excellent movie.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me you have the lesson this Sunday...I'll give you full permission to teach this instead of the Gospel Principles lesson ;) Awesome thoughts Chad. Thanks so much, this was what I needed today.
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