Swallowed up in the Joy of Christ

  Sometimes I get to the end of a church meeting or a scripture study session and don't feel like I learned anything profound. Even if I felt the Spirit, when I ask myself (or am asked) what I learned, I either can't remember (more likely) or realize that it was something I already knew (for example, "Trust in the Lord" or "Try to be like Jesus"). That often makes me wonder if I really got anything out of the experience. But today in my scripture study, something clicked for me. I read where Alma talks to a people who are struggling because they've forgotten what they used to feel and know about the gospel of Christ. As I thought about how hard it is to always remember God and what I can do better to "sufficiently retain in remembrance" the Lord and what he has done for me, I realized that much of the purpose of praying, studying the scriptures, actively participating in church meetings, and so forth is exactly this--to remember. While I may no...

March 21, 2023   "The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare" (Jacob 1:10). In the time of Nephi, one of the main threats to the people's welfare were the attacking Lamanites. These days, while physical assaults by our enemies are comparatively rare, many people are being attacked by forces such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, discouragement, perfectionism, comparison, self-criticism, heavy demands, unrealized hopes, physical challenges, life setbacks, the chains of sin, spiritual famines, and attacks on faith. While these forces and the damage they cause could make us sad or weigh us down, we can also choose to find joy in the opportunity they give us to labor for the welfare of others by running to their defense.

I read this verse (Mosiah 23:14) today: "And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments." As I thought about how to apply this, I realized that while I don't typically sign up for Sunday School with anti-Christs, I often allow the world and its opinions influence what I do. We might not think of Google or ChatGPT as people (yet), but everything we find there to some extent originates from men or women around the world, not all of whom are men and women of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments. After pondering this verse, I decided I want to examine my life and see if there is any place I am letting someone or something be my teacher that  probably shouldn't be.