Removing The Wedges From Our Souls

We all have a desire in us to do good.

We do the right things for the right reason... and sometimes we even do the right thing for the wrong reason like “I need to provide for my family (right thing)

... so instead of getting a job... I am going to steal (wrong reason).”

or even “Hey I want all of God's children to be saved (right thing)... but I'm going to force them all to do what's right... they will have no freedom to choose for themselves and 'I' will receive all the glory (wrong reason)”... and then there are those who do the wrong thing for the right reason. They have a Christlike desire to do good; however, their actions do not coincide with His teachings. For example, We may have a friend who is making choices that aren't really bringing them closer to God we will say. Their choice of friends... well... they're not great either. We have the “desire to do good” and help our friend, so we decide to hang out with THEIR group of friends and try to influence them for good. We may have a “desire to do good” but our “erroneous actions” don't line up with our “desire to do good.” From that one “small and simple” choice... “great things” will be brought to pass. Our “good influence” will be drowned out by their bad influences. 

The path we were once on will no longer be clear but “clouded by the mists of darkness.” The world will blind us and we will lose our way. 

It starts out like a wedge... slowly squeezing it's way into our souls. 

That blindness leads to breaking the commandments whether big or small... and opens the gates to Hell. We lose the Spirit of the Lord... because “the Spirit cannot dwell in unclean temples.” Righteous people may try to help give us direction and help us correct our wrong choices... but because we lack the Spirit and have hardened our hearts... we take offense. We do exactly as Jacob (Book of Mormon Prophet) warns us against and we let the “pride of our hearts destroy our souls.” We think to ourselves... “I am right... but If I am right then they (righteous people) have to be wrong.” We begin to attack everything about that person and what they represent. We forget our multiple witnesses that we received from our Supreme Creator, our Father in Heaven. This will eventually lead the to ultimate destruction of our souls... spiritual death.

We need the Atonement, the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We alone are indebted unto God... we sin and fall short of the glory of God... and Jesus Christ has made it possible, through His sacrifice, that our shortcoming will be made up for... we can be cleansed... and return to live with God.

Open Thy Mouth

Whether it's getting to know the random kid in your history class...

telling the bus driver to "have a great day!"....

or testifying to a congregation...

we are striving towards a purpose.  We are helping others come unto Christ.

God will help us, but we MUST do our part.  That is, we can't expect someone to talk for us.  We can't expect that the "random kid" will come talk to us.  We can't just expect that all bus drivers have great days.  And we definitely can't expect that someone else will share their spiritual witness of God... because maybe the listener needs to hear it from YOU.

The Lord has commanded us to open our mouths.  For those who don't he has said, "But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man..."

It is our mission to become like Him... and it is their mission too.
Don't miss an opportunity... Open Thy Mouth!

11 weeks... 2 days... 7 hours... and 50 minutes... but whose counting?

PEOPLE WATCHING

Have you ever had the time to just experience the world around you? On a college campus with everyone running around with their busy schedules it can be hard. But in a few short hours I was able to graduate with a major in “Campus Wildlife.”

My thesis... People Watching...

You see while sitting on the grass minding my own business I noticed something... and I'm not just talking about the random boy and girl that were flirting with each other. What I noticed was:

• A kid with roller blades... and snow skiis... though we had no snow... hmm...
• A guy reading his scriptures... and at a closer glance he was praying
• I even noticed a girl passed out on the lawn... probably a Freshman... I mean it was only day 3 of college.
• And with all these students hard at work... I then heard something... the BYU Carillon Bell Tower playing “Come, Come Ye Saints.” 
  
  
  
  
  
  At first I thought this was kind of ironic because I had just seen a girl passed out on the grass... and the lyrics came into my mind, “And should we die before our journey's through. All is well! All is well!”

But with all the craziness going on in these students lives as well as my own I then thought, “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?... Why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight?” Ya life is hard sometimes... and we want to give up and still expect the same reward in the end... but do you know what? “All is well! All is well!” Life is good! God is good!