Tree of Life

This months issue of the Ensign (October 2011) is all about the Book of Mormon. I was reading the Article "Lehi's Dream: Holding Fast to the Rod" by Elder David A. Bednar. Now, I know that a couple months ago I wrote another blog about the Tree of Life, but I can't help it, it's just so good! There's so much to be learned from such a small chapter!

In this article we learn about 4 groups of people mentioned in the vision. Elder Bednar describes, "Three of the groups were pressing forward along the strait and narrow path seeking to obtain the tree and its fruit. A fourth group did not seek after the tree, desiring instead the great and spacious building as their ultimate destination."

So this first group didn't even try. They didn't even bother. They went straight to the great and spacious building.

The second group, or the first of those that were pressing forward, walked along the path leading to the tree of life.
(Just a reminder, tree of life = love of God, fruit= blessings of Atonement)
As they were heading toward the tree, a mist of darkness came. (Mist= temptations) Because they were blinded by the mist, they wandered off and were lost.

The second group that was pressing forward remained on the path. The mist of darkness came, but they were "clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree." But after they partook of the fruit, they were influenced by those in the great and spacious building and stayed away.

(Iron Rod= Word of God)

Elder Bednar describes-

"It is significant that the second group pressed forward with faith and commitment. They also had the added blessing of the rod of iron, and they were clinging to it! However, as they were confronted with persecution and adversity, they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. Even with faith, commitment, and the word of God, this group eventually was lost—perhaps because they only periodically read or studied or searched the scriptures. Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only occasional “bursts” of study or irregular dipping rather than consistent, ongoing immersion in the word of God."

The third group of those pressing forward stayed strong. They continually held fast to the rod of iron. When they readched  the tree of life they partook of the fruit and it did fill their souls with joy. And when the voices of those in the great and spacious building were calling after them, they "heeded them not." This group, despite adversity and the challenges they encountered on the path, remained faithful. They continually read, serached, and studied the scriptues. They were diligent in keeping the commandments. They recieved the divine strength that comes from righteous living. And because of that, they partook of the fruit and experienced the blessings of the Atonement.

Now here's something fun I learned in companion study when I shared this article with my companion.

As we know from the Plan of Salvation- after this life we will be judged according to our works and the desires of our hearts. Because everyone's works and desires are different, there are 3 different levels that God has prepared for us in His kingdom.

Outer Darkness- Some people will not be worthy to dwell in any kingdom of glory. Like in the story of the tree of life, there was a group of people at the beginning that didn't even attempt to make it to the tree. They chose instead to go straight to the great and spacious building.

Telestial kingdom- Those who did not receive a tesimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and continued in their sins. They can be related to the first group on the path to the Tree of Life. The mist of darkness came and they wandered off and were lost.

Terrestrial kingdom- Individuals in the terrestrial kingdom will be honorable people “who were blinded by the craftiness of men.” This group will include members of the Church who were “not valiant in the testimony of Jesus.” It will also include those who rejected the opportunity to receive the gospel in mortality but who later received it in the postmortal spirit world. We can relate this to the second group. They were clinging to the rod, but lacked the diligence to "continually hold fast."

Celestial kingdom- Those in this kingdom will dwell forever in the presence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The celestial kingdom is the place prepared for those who have fully accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To inherit this gift, we must receive the ordinances of salvation, keep the commandments, and repent of our sins. We can relate this to the third group who "continually held fast" to the rod. They remained faithful until the end and they recieve their reward.

I love the Book of Mormon so much! There are so many gems to find in its pages! I've read 1 Nephi 8-12 so many times, and as you can see I am still learning from it! The Book of Mormon is a precious gift from our Heavenly Father and I know it can help us with anything we face in our lives.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God

We met a lady at the church. She was waiting to talk to someone. When she saw that we were sister missionaries she got really excited and started talking with us. She told us the story of an experience she had before she was baptized. She was a freshman in college and decided to take up the hobby of painting. She began working on a painting of Christ carrying a sheep. One day while she was studying for a history test and out of nowhere this thought came to her:

"Either Jesus Christ is the Son of God or he isn't. If he isn't the Son of God, nothing that  you do matters. But, if he is the Son of God, then everything you do matters."

She replied, "Well, he is the Son of God."

Then another thought came. "Then everything you do matters."

At the time she didn't really understand how the Holy Ghost worked. But after she was baptized she understood more clearly.

I was so touched by this experience. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is the Redeemer of the world. Because of his atonement, physical and spiritual death does not have to be a obstacle in the way of our eternal progression.

Because of his death and resurrection we too will be resurrected. Our body and soul will be reunited once again.

Because of his suffering, we can be cleansed from sin when we exercise faith in Christ, repent, are baptized by priesthood authority, recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.

If it were not for Jesus Chirst, we would have no hope. Like it says in Alma 34:9- "there must needs be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish."

Life on earth would be pointless if there was no Savior to satisfy the demands of justice. If Jesus Christ wasn't the Son of God, then nothing we do on this earth matters. BUT HE IS THE SON OF GOD!!!!
Which means everything we do matters! He is coming again, we need to be prepared.

Hold to the Rod

I read the Article "Finding Ourselves in Lehi's Dream" by President Boyd K. Packer. In the article Lehi's Dream of he Tree of Life is described and then applied to modern times. The Story of Lehi's Dream can be found in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 8 and an explanation of the dream can be found in 1 Nephi 11. In the dream, Lehi saw many things. He saw a path following a river, there was a mist of darkness, an iron rod that led through the mist of darkness, there was a great and spacious building, and there was a tree with fruit that was desirable above all other fruit. There's a lot of symbolism in this vision and a lot to be learned.

This article was aimed more for members of the church but as with all scripture it can be applied to anyone who is trying to follow the right path back to our Father in Heaven.

An interesting thing about this story is what happens to those individuals after they partake of the fruit. They've made it through the mists of darkness all the way to the tree. They were able to partake of the fruit and feel of the joy it brought, but then they let the influence of those in the great and spacious building affect their choices. They left the tree of life and joined those in the great and spacious building. And then after they entered the building they seemed to have forgotten the love and joy that came from the tree of life and they too joined in with mocking others.

A lot of the time we feel that if we are doing everything right, nothing bad will happen to us. But that's not the case. We are all wandering through a mist of darkness. President Packer explains, "The mist of darkness will cover you at times so much that you will not be able to see your way even a short distance ahead. You will not be able to see clearly. But with the gift of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way ahead through life. Grasp the iron rod, and do not let go." 

Sometimes it's easy to become casual with the small things that strengthen our testimony. In Alma 37 we read about how by following the words of Christ we will be carried beyond the vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.  But we are warned "do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way."

In D&C 20:31-34 we read:

"And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength.

  But there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God;

 Therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation;

  Yea, and even let those who are sanctified take heed also."

The small, simple things such as daily scripture study, daily prayer, and weekly church attendance give such strength to our lives. When we slacken on these things, we are putting our spiritual growth at risk. These things bring the Spirit into our lives and help us overcome temptation and make righteous choices When we do these small simple things on a regular basis the Holy Ghost will help us and guide us in all that we do. 

I hope and pray that we will all stay faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ; that we will all cling to the iron rod and never let go. I pray that we will all be rewarded with the amazing promise of eternal life which is the greatest gift of God. 

Believe

What is the difference between belief and knowledge? And does belief come before knowledge? These are questions I asked myself while reading in Alma 32. In this chapter, Alma is teaching a group of people were in some pretty humble circumstances. He taught them about faith and how to obtain it. He began by explaining the blessings that come from being humble and repenting of sin. There are some who are compelled to be humble and there are some who choose to be humble. They will all recieve blessings according to their obedience, but those who choose to be humble are given even greater blessings because of their desire to follow God.


Alma speaks of those who are always searching for signs. They've convinced themselves that the only way they'll believe is if they see a sign from the heavens. If they just see a sign then they'll know that God is real. But Alma asks "Is this faith?" No! Because when you know of something, belief is no longer an issue, because you know.  In verse 21 he says "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."


Okay, now back to the questions- What is the difference between belief and knowledge? Does belief come before knowlege?


The dictionary definitions are this:
Belief- faith; trust; an expectation
Believe- to have trust; to accept as true
Know- to possess information and understanding
Knowledge- awarness or information from study (2 Nephi 32:3) and experience (Alma 5:45-46)


So pretty much belief is having faith. Mark 5:36 says "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only ^abelieve." Footnote for believe is "exercise faith"


Now, does belief come before knowledge? I think is does. Belief (faith) is a seed. When we plant that seed it and nourish it, it will eventually grow into knowledge. And that's exactly what Alma instructs us to do in chapter 32. Beginning with verse 27 and continuing to the end of the chapter, Alama speaks of a desire to believe and exercising that desire to believe until it grows into faith and then exercising that faith until it grows into knowledge.

I am so grateful for both belief and knowledge. I know that through diligent prayer and scripture study that our knowlege of the gospel will grow. I have experienced that in my own life. The Holy Ghost is here for us to enlighten our minds and bring us to greater understanding. Knowledge is a gift from God that we should always seek to develop. It's a great gift that begins by believing.

The Great Healer

When we're sick we'll usually go to the doctor so they can figure out what's wrong and give us the necessary medications so we feel better. A lot of the time it takes some amount of humility to admit to ones self that we need help from someone with experience. If we let pride rule us, then we stay home and put our health and possibly the health of others at risk. We won't get the proper help unless we go to the doctor and let them help us.

To put this in gospel terms, we are all spiritually sick and we need healing from the Master Physician. Just like a doctor can't help us if we don't go to them, the Savior can't help us unless we go to Him. We all need the relief that comes from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There's so much pain we experience in life, whether it be physical or spiritual. Pain is part of life. It helps us to learn patience, trust in God, and humility. 
Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: "No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility....it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to aquire." 

In Alma 7:11-13 Alama explained "he shall go foth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and...he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people...that his bowels may be filled with mercy....that he may know according to the flesh  how to succor his people according to their infirmities." Jesus Christ knows how to help us.  He knows because he's experienced it.

The Savior is there waiting for us to come to Him. He tells us "will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." (3 Nephi 9: 13-14)

His arms are extended, He's waiting. It's our choice to go to Him. It's our choice to get the help that will bring healing to our souls.

Don't let pride rule you. You don't have to carry the burdens of life.  Shake off the chains that bind you down and turn to The Savior. I know that through Jesus Christ's gospel we can find healing and relief from the burdens we carry and find greater peace.

Master Carver

How slow the forming-
How hard some blows-
But I, the stone, much come to know
In my own person, my own soul,
Thy Will, Thy purpose here below.
O Master, now I plead to Thee,
Cut off my roughness, form my face,
Refine my feelings, make of me
A fit reflection of Thy grace.
Yea, haste the day when I may kneel
Before Thee and great Elohim.
Accept, peaceful in Thy home,
At last like Thee each grain of stone.

                       By: J. Devn Cornish

My Life is But a Weaving

Here's a poem I really like:

"My Life is But a Weaving"

My life is but a weaving
Between the Lord and me
I do not choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Oftimes he weaveth sorrow
And I in foolish pride
Forget he sees the upper
And I the underside.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

- Author Unknown