Just Give me a Sign!

"I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.  When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air.  One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, 'This is my beloved son. Hear him.'"

Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ.  Cornelius was visited by an angel.  The Brother of Jared, in the Book of Mormon, saw the figure of Christ 2000 years before he was born.

Miraculous events occasionally come as answers to prayers.  The problem with these miracles, is those who haven't run into one, begin expecting one.  We feel like we're good enough and that we deserve some sort of divine revelation or celestial visitation.  However, those who call that revelation and expect an angelic encounter as an answer to prayer don't understand what revelation is.

Revelation is so simple!  It's so simple, many people struggle differing between their own thoughts.  That's because the Holy Ghost, the revealer of heavenly truths, speaks to our mind and our heart in a way that we'll understand, and whose voice do we understand better than our own?  For me, this is exactly how I get answers to many of my prayers.  Often, it's just a feeling.  As the 7th of 8 children, I am picked on more than almost any of my other siblings.  As a child, their ridicule got to me very easily.  I would get angry and vow never to talk to them again.  At one get-together, I got exceptionally irritated and escaped to my bedroom.  While there, I was urged to pray.  So, I knelt at my bed heated over the events leading up to my relocation.  With all the anger contained in my body, I opened my prayer by addressing my God in heaven and explaining my frustration at my siblings.  Because of my humility in kneeling and seeking his help, as I explained my situation, an overwhelming rush of comfort flooded my insides.  The hostile anger stored inside me immediately turned to friendly warmth, and tears flowed from my eyes like a dam bursting.  God had heard my prayer, and the Holy Ghost filled my room.  I learned that night that anger was not a desirable emotion, and that my Heavenly Father loved me, and he loved my siblings, despite their less than Christlike example.

I've experienced the Holy Ghost speak to me as I received inspiration while reading the scriptures.  Almost daily, as a missionary, I would have a thought come to my mind about a scripture I was reading.  I knew that these ideas were not my own.  So, when I would think of something, I'd write it down.  And, many times, I'd start writing about it in my journal.  But, while writing a simple thought down, I found myself writing more and more until I had a full, in-depth explanation of the impression I had.  My study journal is full of little inspirations I received during my study that came as simple thoughts that I heard as my own voice.

The Holy Ghost is also often a voice of warning or chastisement.  Similar to the voice that inspired me, I heard the Holy Ghost use sarcasm to push me to do what's right.  One morning, on my mission, I got out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and thought, "I don't really need to shave today..." even though missionaries are encouraged to shave daily.  Well, immediately after I thought that, a voice of warning came to my mind and said, "I don't really need to bless you today."  I picked up my razor and immediately shaved.  God knows how we will react and will instruct the Holy Ghost to communicate with us in the most effective way.

Visions will come to some.  Angels will visit others.  I have experienced neither, yet I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is his church that teaches his pure doctrine today.  My youth has limited the depth of my experience, but from what I have, I know that through Christ's gospel is the only way to receive lasting and powerful joy.  

The Power of the Humble

Smart people rule the world.  Leaders from every country are often some of the most intelligent.  They've had successful careers as lawyers or business men.  Their money gave them power and their well-planned words wooed those that agree and impress the ones that don't understand.  Nobody will trust a high-school dropout to run their company.  So, why then, do the Mormons stake the integrity of their religious beliefs on a young man that nothing more than a 3rd grade education?  People find it impossible that we can believe a man that says he translated an ancient record.  But really, it's less believable that a man of Joseph Smith's academic prowess could translate it by himself.  Those he dictated to said he couldn't pronounce most of the words he was reading, so he had to spell them.  His family was not known for their socioeconomic status.  They were poor farmers.  They made ends meet, but like many families of that day, lacked everything sufficient for what we might consider a comfortable lifestyle.  Joseph Smith did run for president of the United States, but he did not ever pursue such a career like those of our political and societal leaders today.  His satisfaction came from sharing his experiences and the restored gospel with others.  His life epitomized Christlike service.  He wasn't perfect, but he did everything he could to help.  Even to those who didn't frequent his sermons, he extended a gentle and serving hand.  By his fruits and his words, he was accepted and recognized as a prophet.  Joseph Smith, like Christ, was not born a king.  Similarly, their missions correlated.  Joseph Smith restored the gospel of Jesus Christ to the state it was when Christ himself taught.  We do not worship him, but we respect him.  His selfless service paved the way for many people to find the gospel of Jesus Christ.  A man from humble circumstances started what now, 200 years later, is a global church.  A collection of principles that have changed many lives...including my own.  Joseph Smith's example and work has helped shape me into the man I am today, and I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that Christ's pure gospel is again taught by his prophets today.  And, if you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out.  mormon.org  You won't be disappointed.

Hope Goes a Long Way

Christ was our perfect example.  He didn't have any flaws.  He did nothing wrong.  He was perfectly kind.  He was perfect.  So, it's no wonder in the LDS church we study his attributes so much.  For missionaries, there is an entire chapter in the preparation manual dedicated to the study and development of Christ's attributes.  In this, faith, hope, and charity are often lumped into a single entity, much like the Godhead is often understandably confused to be one entity.  I have shared my thoughts about charity and faith.  Now, my goal is to explain my understanding of hope.

Hope is tricky because it's one of those words that people use in any given conversation, yet don't fully understand what it means.  We say things like, "I hope I get ____", or "I hope I don't get caught", and so on.  While the use of hope isn't necessarily wrong in these and other examples, there's an important entity of the nature of hope I think is lost.  

Dictionary.com defines hope as: "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best."  So, hope is the eagerness we feel for an outcome.  While you can be eager for a present or sincerely expect not to be caught, at church we discuss a different ideal for our hope.

In numerous posts I have mentioned or explained eternal life:  a gift given to us through Jesus Christ's atonement, enabling us to live forever with our families should we follow the path laid out for us.  As Christians, and specifically Latter-Day Saints, this is what we hope for.  We have hope that going to church every week will enlighten us.  We have hope that when we do good things, good things will happen.

I have hope.  I hope that I will get straight A's this semester.  I hope that I will someday meet a woman that can tolerate my companionship for eternity.  I have hope that my family can be there with us when we are sealed in the temple.  I have hope that I will see my beloved grandparents again.  I have hope that those people I met in Japan will remember the things I told them and thank me when we meet again.  I have hope that I will be forgiven and that I will be perfect.

I have hope because of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy

So many activities combat for our attention on Sunday.  In Japan, most of the kids I knew had sport competitions on Sundays.  Around the world, many people find themselves working on Sunday.  Family activities may draw us to various locations.  No matter where we are, the best place to end up on Sunday is in church.

Everybody has different reasons for attending their respective worship services.  No matter the religion, you gather with others to strengthen each other, learn, and to come closer to the deity that you worship.  For Christians, and specifically Latter-Day Saints, we go to church weekly to take the sacrament.  When I talked about ordinances and baptism, I said that we take the sacrament to renew that baptismal promise so we can always be forgiven of the things we do.  On the first Sunday of each  month, Latter-Day Saints all fast and then share how our belief in Christ has supported us recently.  We attend various classes to study the Bible and Book of Mormon and then another set where the men and women learn more about their respective roles in God's great plan for all of us.  We talk with each other to help others through any hard trials they may be facing or seek guidance for any obstacles we're faced with.  Church is a religious think-tank that requires time, but when you properly participate, it loses the sense of sacrifice.  

A few too many times, I have been unable to attend church services.  This summer was the first time I had to work on Sunday.  I drove by multiple LDS churches with full parking lots.  The disturbed feeling I had was unforgettable.  Obviously, the people around me noticed I hadn't attended the previous week, and inquired as to my absence, but lacked judgment.  No matter how early it is or when the last time you attended church was, your next meeting should be next week.  There are friends that are waiting to meet you.  There are stories and opinions you have that need to be shared.  Your God is waiting for you to rest and come closer to him.  

Too many people focus on the negatives.  So, maybe the best question to ask yourself is not, "Why don't you go to church?" but, "Why do you go to church?"