When we think of the Bible or other holy writings, we cannot help but think of the Lord's special servants the prophets. These are men chosen by God to speak on His behalf, to guide the affairs of the Lord's people. That calling is what makes these men special.

But, we forget that they are also just people, too. Isaiah raised his children in much the same way any parent does. He dealt with the same problems that most people do: indigestion, back pain, a sprained ankle, and worse. In all of these things he had no special advantages or privileges that you are I cannot possess. God's assistance and blessings are extended to all. No special calling is required. When Adam, Seth, Noah, or any other mighty character considered their challenges they used the same kind of techniques we can: two knees on the floor and a heart pouring out to the Lord.

I love Isaiah's description of a vision he had:

1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Host

We should all strive for such closeness to God.

PS: Sorry I have failed to write for a few days. On Monday I read 2 Nephi 12-20, then on Tuesday I read 2 Nephi 21-26 and Mosiah 9. Today, I have read a number of passages.

One of the things we all suffer from to some extent or another is amnesia about heavenly things. From the times of the Old Testament and beyond, the scriptures are chock full of examples of people forgetting God, forgetting what he has done for them, forgetting whence their blessings have come, forgetting their covenants, forgetting what life's really all about. Things get far worse when whole generations are raised in this state of amnesia.

One of the great things about the scriptures is that they help us remember. In the Book of Mormon, this explicit reminding is clearly called out many times. One king, Limhi, draws people out of their forgetfulness and helps them remember:

19 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

I love the last phrase, "and many more things did he do for them." As if all of these other miracles aren't enough! What are the 'many more things' God has done for us?

I have a friend who has recently found himself in a surprising health difficulty. Sometimes life changes so very suddenly. We did not see the abrupt curve coming, and we soon find ourselves somewhere we never thought we would be. We may feel temporarily lost. Given the new circumstances, how do we find our balance again? How do we regain the peace we may have once enjoyed?

As I spoke with my friend and his wife, both kind, God-fearing, and truly Christian people who do not belong to the church I attend, I gave them this counsel:

"All of the faith you have patiently and quietly built over many years is like a large account you have been deposting into. Now, it is time for a withdrawal."

He smiled and said that this was a good way of looking at things. I told them both that I love them. I hope and pray that they will weather things well. The Lord understands our difficulties. He said the following:

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;

2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.

3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.

The walk of faith is not for people who crave the quick fix, the easy solution, the guaranteed fast turnaround. No. It is a patient, enduring, hopeful walk.

It's typical for nearly all children to not be terribly diplomatic about day-to-day "little things." If a brother is standing in the way of seeing part of a DVD they are watching another will shout, "Move!" Or, if one is accidently bumped by another he may say, "Hey watch it!" or "Out my way!" No one can accuse them of wasting too many words!

In our youth our first impulses are often not the best ones. We sometimes react rudely, impatiently, and with immediate frustration. As we grow, we realize that there is a better way, and a desire grows within us to improve.

Are we improving? Or, are we still yielding to these first impulses that we failed to master when younger? Our vocabulary may have improved, but are simply using more sophisticated words and techniques to convey the same unkind gestures?

Jesus was perfect. This is a fact. He was more than just a good moral instructor, although he was perfectly that. He was and remains the glorious Son of God- the veritable Redeemer of the world. His first impulse is to save, to redeem, to lift, to strengthen, to clarify, to help, to rescue, to teach, to befriend, to offer gifts.

He says in John 14:27:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Let us master our drives and impulses to be more like those of Jesus Christ. Let us offer peace whenever possible. Let our first reactions be kind, gentle, and generous.

My mother in law once said a phrase that returns to me when I see other parents in heartache because their children have chosen a difficult path or when my own children make decisions I find unwise. She said, "We need to take a step back from the decisions our children make." Notice how she implies that there is still a closeness, still a proximity that allows for guidance, mentoring, and love. But, there is also a recognition that there are limits to what a parent can or should do.

I always tell my sons, "I'll take no credit for your successes in life. And, I'll take none of the blame for your disappointments."

Following is a link to some words of encouragement to parents whose children have gone astray making terrible decisions that will bring anguish, pain, guilt, and confusion to their life:

Hope for Parents of Wayward Children

The hope is through Jesus Christ and His saving power. Full and complete access to His Grace and promises is gained through the ordinances of His priesthood and obedience to His commandments. We cannot force others down this road, but we can choose to travel their ourselves. And, in so doing we can help bring salvation to those who are lost: "Either in this life or the life to come, they will return."

I taught the youths in early morning seminary class today. Seminary is religious instruction through our Church Education System (CES). The early morning seminary is for youths taught by volunteer teachers authorized by the Church. The class goes from 6am until just before 7am. These kids are, by and large, very committed and dedicated. As I looked in their hopeful eyes, I recalled this quote, and I shared it with them:

President Ezra Taft Benson spoke to a gathering of youth in Southern California after he became President of the Church:

“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. … God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. … Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. … Each day we personally make many decisions that show where our support will go. The final outcome is certain—the forces of righteousness will finally win. What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this fight—and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our last-days, foreordained mission?”

My kids have sincerely asked this question even though they know very well it's a threadbare cliche: Are we there yet? Little do they know that I'm probably as eager as they are to get where we're going. But, I have the experience and hard-earned patience to just sigh and stare at the road while I drive on through the night. Are we equally eager about our journey in life?

I'd like to say that I am completely immune to any evil enticement. I'm not there yet. But, I am less attracted to some things I know are bad than I used to be, and I find some things completely unappealing that used to be at least alluring. It's a lifetime work or journey. It requires patience, diligence, obedience, and an earnest yearning for gifts from God.

Nephi, in his alarmingly personal declarations in 2 Nephi 5 asks:

Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

Is he there yet? Nope. Does he want to be? Yep. We're never 'enough' anything without God. Nephi recognized that his progress in the journey of life is a direct result of God's gift- in this case a heart that abhors even the appearance of anything in keeping with God's Reality.

I'm not there yet either. But, I do want to be someday. Through the perfect Grace of Jesus we can get there if we strive to humbly obey.

I was reading 2 Nephi 1 and 2 this morning. I am quite certain that I have read no chapter of scripture more times than I have 2 Nephi 2, and I write and speak about it frequently.

But, my attention today is on chapter 1- Lehi is delivering his dying words to his sons, and he starts with the boys that caused him the most trouble. Now, the whole family needs to be looked upon with a certain amount of mercy. They suffered a lot. They left the comforts of their home, business, and reputation in Jerusalem and took to a road that was, in many vital ways, far less certain. They spent eight years stumbling about, hungry and tired in the wilderness. They then cross the ocean and start all over on a new continent. That's a lot of toil, fatigue, and anxiety.

But, I think one of things I have seen in many happy people is what I call urgent gratitude. They are not waiting for some privileged event before they will be grateful. They are grateful now for something.

Here's how he describes it:

3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.

4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.

5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands;

Notice how he says, "Notwithstanding our afflictions". This is the key- the turn of phrase and the turn of our hearts to God in gratitude.

Leviticus is one of the books of the Bible that people may find difficult to read initially. But, it is full of practical verses of straight-forward wisdom, and it is very poetic. I was reading chapter Leviticus 26 today. For most of the chapter the Lord describes the calamities that are sure to beset the covenant people if they walk contrary to the covenant they made with God. Then, at the end, he reassures.

42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

He further adds:

44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.

45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

46 These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

Notice how he emphasizes that he will remember, that he will not forget his children. He is our Father. He cannot forget.

I often hear people say something to this effect when speaking about perceived differences between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament:

"The Old Testament is about an 'eye for an eye', but Jesus taught to turn the other cheek."

To simplify thousands of pages of inspired scripture that reveals the character of God to such a simple conclusion is, of course, ridiculous. Sadly, most of the people who fall prey to this false reasoning have not spent much time reading the actual writings. In fact, often the very elements of the Law of Moses to which people refer as evidence of a vengeful God actually show, upon closer inspection, a higher purpose: to lead people to a higher law. Additionally, they contain many merciful elements such as Jubilee and the forgiving of debts. Every 7 years, people were supposed to forgive all of their debtors and release them from their debts. It's hard to imagine such kindness in today's world of credit and usury.

The Psalmist definitely understood how merciful God is. In Psalm 136, there are 26 verses that conclude with praise for God's mercy:

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I invite us all to seriously study the Old Testament along with all authorized scripture and strive to understand the true nature of God, to understand the character of our Father.

(I've been studying but fell behind on the blogging)

A common thing I hear when speaking with people who have troubles is something to this effect, "No one can understand what I'm going through."

Personal experiences are always difficult to convey, even when we want badly to be understood. However, they will always remain beyond the complete grasp of everyone...except one.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Few commandments bring greater comfort than this: to take upon us the Savior's yoke- to learn of Him. He's compassionate and kind. Christ came not to condemn but to save us.