I Hope They Call Me on a Mission When I Have Lost All of My Hair!

Yesterday, November 1st, was the one-year anniversary of the end of the greatest experience of my life.  I spent Halloween in the mission home in Tokyo, Japan.  I woke up on the 1st a little later than usual.  After working non-stop for 25 months, I think I deserved it.  I ironed my white shirt, read my scriptures...it was the same start to the day, but would end much differently.  All the missionaries returning home had a big breakfast together.  I didn't eat much.  Didn't have much of an appetite.  We enjoyed each other's company so much, but we all knew what lay ahead of us.  With all our things packed into just 3 suitcases, we loaded into the van and headed to the airport shuttle.  On the shuttle, we talked of the wards we served with and the amazing things that happened to us.  Once in the airport, we rushed to rearrange our luggage to meet the weight requirements.  We go through security and immigration...and then it's just the 4 of us going back to Portland.  My ticket's burning in my pocket.  Its weight on my mind is overbearing...the day I dreaded forever had finally come.  We board the big plane and as we prepare for take-off, I find the seat next to me vacant.  A good thing, too because there was nothing that could have stopped the tears from flowing as we depart and Japan slowly creeps out of my view.  I lean forward in the seat as far as I can so I could see it just a little bit longer.  The couple in front of me watch various movies, but I have no interest in simple entertainment.  I can only think of the people I'm leaving behind in Japan.  I can only think of the experiences I had.  I spent the long, 9 hour flight back to America in tears and setting goals for my future.  We land in Portland and go through customs.  

"Do you have any food on you," they ask.

"No, sir!"

That's a lie.  

We walk through the airport, and then we say goodbye to one comrade at a fork in the path.  The three of us continue until we pass the others' terminal.  We say our goodbyes and I walk alone to my terminal to wait 4 hours for my flight back to Vegas.  Now I'm really glad I didn't tell them I had food on me.  I still can't sleep.  I read my scriptures, Preach My Gospel, write in my journal...do anything really.  Then I'm boarded on the plane and headed back to Las Vegas.  Is this real?  I'm not as eager to watch Portland slip from my view, though 2 years earlier, those same sights were the ones that preceded my exodus to Japan.  

"10 minutes to Las Vegas."

This is real!  My "home" comes into view.  I wasn't sure what to call it, because that sure wasn't where my heart was.  Desert was a scenery I hadn't seen for 2 years, and the expanse of Vegas was overwhelming.  I mosey through the airport, and find the escalator that will take me down to where my family is presumably waiting for me.  I pause.  Am I ready for this?  Is there a plane somewhere taking off to Japan that I could stow away on?  My time has come, and I know that.  Still, with hesitation, I step onto the escalator, and for the first time in hours, a familiar face slips into view...

This explains only the events that took place.  Yes, I cried.  A lot.  But I cannot possibly express the pain I felt leaving Japan.  However, I can say that pain was perfectly anti-parallel to the joy I felt while serving.  Being a missionary and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ brought more happiness to my life than any experience as of yet.  As a missionary, I learned many lessons.  Most of them about myself.  I learned to see who I was in the eyes of others, but most importantly the kind of person I am in the eyes of the Lord.  I began to see much more clearly what he expected of me.  I fiercely studied humility and charity and sought tirelessly to acquire those attributes in myself.  I strove for quiet dignity, but respected authority.  Today, I am not the same man that stepped off the plane in Japan on December 21, 2011.  I changed as a missionary, and I wouldn't exchange that experience for anything.  I loved it so much, often I wonder how much longer I'll have to wait to serve as a senior missionary.  

The most important thing I learned as a missionary was things I already knew, but were strengthened.  I know that Jesus Christ is my savior, and that he loves every single person I spoke to, the ones that listened and didn't alike.  Through him, we can be perfect.  God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith.  That kick-started the restoration of Jesus Christ's pure gospel.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is run by Jesus Christ.  He enlists men like me to execute its purposes.  He gives us his power and grants us the authority as we use it properly.  I learned that I want to be with my family forever, and that, pending our obedience, we can be through that same power.  I learned that the Book of Mormon and Bible are God's words and teachings to us.  I learned to love reading the scriptures.  I learned what type of man God wanted me to be.  I learned Japanese, which has led to several opportunities for God to perpetually bless be for my service as a missionary.  

They limited me to 3 suitcases, but the experiences I had could not be contained in the largest suitcase in the world.  They made me list the items I'd be bringing back to America with me, but there was no space for the memories.  Even if there were, that form would have to be as long as my experience suitcase is large.  They asked me to put a price on the things I had with me, but there is no monetary value even close to how I prize the love and friendships I carried with me across the Pacific Ocean.

What IS grace?

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:  for by the law is the knowledge of sin."  Romans 3:20

"For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."  Romans 7:5

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

What do all of these quotes have in common?  Perhaps the overlooked is that they are taken out of context.  However, they also seem to point to grace as the only source of our salvation.  Many who fight against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for our belief in the power of righteous acts (because apparently encouraging our members to be charitable is satanic) use these scriptures as ammunition.  So, is grace what saves us?

YES!

I cannot save myself.  You cannot save yourselves.  I can't save you, nor can you save me or anyone else-spiritually speaking.  I refuse to disagree with the scripture in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  I sin on a regular basis, and don't do nearly enough service to justify my case that I am approaching perfection.  And, because of this, Jesus Christ atoned-suffered-for all our misdeeds.  He felt our pain.  He understood our struggles.  His good intentions slowly transformed into perfect empathy, and pure power.  And, with his power he gives grace to us.  And, through is grace, we are saved.  Without his grace, we are not.  It is only by accepting Jesus Christ as our redeemer and savior that we can be perfect.  I truly "stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.  Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me."  It's amazing, but I'm happy it's there.

There's one more thing the first listed scriptures have in common.  They're all misunderstood and misquoted.  In his epistle to the Romans, Paul tried to help them see the higher law.  He wanted them to see that we are not saved by killing and burning animals, but by grace.  Our works in the law that he was referring to were sacrifices and rituals contained in the Law of Moses.  And now, rather than scorch the flesh of livestock, we are asked to become humble and seek God's grace.  So, are we saved by our works?

NO!!!

As it says in Ephesians, if we were saved by our works, people would be keeping track of their proverbial gold stars and gloating about how elite they are.  This can't be in Christ's church, so the power of the individual was removed, and our path to salvation was provided and standardized between any given person.  Further, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (of Moses)." (Romans 3:28)  God requires faith.  No one can deny me that assertion.  To accept Christ, you inevitably have faith in his grace and in his saving power.  Now, is just saying you believe in Christ enough to justify having faith?

NO!

This is where the need for works comes in.  The savior, Jesus Christ, said in his famous Sermon on the Mount, "Ye are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt 5:14,16).  If we have faith in Jesus Christ, why wouldn't we be seeking everyday to become more like him?  Why wouldn't we be studying his life and striving to do our best to live as he does?  Why wouldn't we seek to harbor that same love and charity that he did during his earthly ministry, and the same long-suffering and patience that he has for us now?

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works:  shew me they faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2:17-18)

THIS is what the "Mormon" church teaches.  We do not believe in our power to save ourselves, because we have none.  We believe in our capacity to change and our divine inheritance to eventually become perfect as God is.  To summarize, and to show how The Book of Mormon complements The Bible, I again cite from 2 Nephi, "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

I believe in Jesus Christ.  I know that I will be saved through his grace.  His love comforts me in my struggles; and he never leaves me to fend for myself.  I have faith in his power to support me and to improve my life.  Because I have faith, I will try everyday to do good things because I know that's what he expects of me.  I will work harder everyday to be better because I want to be as much like Him as I can.  I will fully rely on grace, but will not settle for mediocrity-for that is not my purpose.

Nor is it yours.

Our Quest for Perfection

"Be ye, therefore, perfect."  Matthew 5:48

What a challenge.  No...what a commandment!  In English, we have sayings that include, but are not limited to, "I'm only human," or more potent and contradictory, "Nobody's perfect."  Contentment is the enemy to progression.

The topic of perfection employs the 3 major questions of the soul so many people ask themselves, Christian, Muslim, agnostic, or athiest:  where did we come from, why are we here, and where are we going after we die?  To many, any one of these to all of them are a mystery, and some convince themselves that the answers aren't important.  Some get frustrated in their search for an answer that they give up and claim there was nothing, today has no purpose, and the "end" is just that.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we know where we came from.  Before our respective births, we resided with God and Jesus Christ in a spiritual state-lacking a body-and learned many things pertaining to living on earth.  Skipping our purpose on earth, I remind you that I have commented many times on our destination after our bodies fail.  This end potential gives us a purpose in life.  In order to reach, in simple terms, the best place, in order to live forever with God and our families, we have to be perfect today.  We need to be perfect tomorrow.  We were supposed to be perfect yesterday.  But how can we be perfect when we settle and justify the things we do because of our "human nature."  We are all sons and daughters of God, to be human is not our nature.

There is nothing wrong with seeking perfection.  Too often in school, I see classmates get discouraged and give up.  They say, "Well, all I need is a B," or they find it humorous when they fail a class or test.  Why would you do something without the intent to succeed or at least give it your best.  If mediocrity is your best, then so be it, but that doesn't mean content has to settle in.

Now, this can lead to two very negative attitudes.  We all know a perfectionist.  Anything less than 100% on a test sends them spiraling into depression.  We know that person that has to have the best toys.  At the other end of the spectrum, there are those that harbor the existential belief, "It doesn't really matter in the end."  I believe both of these to be not only wrong, but unhealthy.  The former because you will never find happiness; you will only find insufficiency in yourself.  The latter is inappropriate because you negate your potential to grow.  You deny the power of Christ's atonement through which you can be perfect.

If you're still breathing, there's something you could be working on.  There's something new to learn.  Seek for correction.  Seek for perfection.  Rejoice in the little victories, and learn from the worst defeats.  We are not alone on our journey to perfection.  Christ was perfect, and he can help you become so, also.  And, as is put so beautifully in 2 Nephi 25:23 "...And we know it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."  Christ's atonement will help us.  It will expunge our faults.  It will erase our stains.  But it will not make us a better person.  It gives us the power, but we will not pray and wake up the next morning as a changed person.

After our diligence, after laboring, after all we can do, together with the power of Christ's atonement, we will change, and someday be perfect.

Thank You, Oh God, For a Prophet

In a week, the semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will be underway.  There will be multiple speakers.  They will address different issues and expound on varying topics.  These are the leaders of our church, and as I've discussed before, their word is God's word.  President Thomas S. Monson especially gives us doctrine from God that, if applied, are promised to make us happier, better people no matter your stage in life.  In preparation for this coming conference, I've read his talk:  Love-The Essence of the Gospel.  He encourages us to be charitable.  No one can deny the need for charity today.  Charity brings security and strength to our relationships with others.  As we forget ourselves and work, the Lord will pour blessings on us, and we'll be that much closer to mastering the essence of the Gospel.  

I'm keeping this short, so you can take some time to read through President Monson's words, because his words testify of his divine calling better than I ever could.  I encourage you to read his talk and many of the others.  General Conference is full of great talks, but it will only affect you if you're looking for something.  If not, you may be uplifted, or you may just watch tv for 8-10 hours.  It's really up to you.  

Hold to the Rod

In the 7th chapter of Moroni, he quotes his father's sermon on faith, hope and charity.  Before the popular scriptures that everyone knows, Mormon talks about judging.  To clarify, he tells us not to judge others, but gives us guidance in judging between right and wrong.  In verses 16 and 17, he tells us that anything that invites us to do good is encouragement from God.  Conversely, anything that doesn't invite us to do good and believe in Christ is...not from God.  

At the end of verse 17, it says, " for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."  When I read that this time, I applied myself to this scripture; specifically the last part.  I need to encourage other people to do good.  I need to push them to follow the right paths.  And if I don't, perhaps that means I'm under the influence of the devil.  A little extreme, but that thought got the message across to me.  It gave me the push I need to encourage other people to do good things.

The Book of Mormon is the guidebook for our lives.  Our concerns and obstacles often coincide with different stories in the Book of Mormon.  These stories are real.  The story tellers knew that their experiences would help us.  When I read the Book of Mormon, I read the word of God.  His answers to my prayers are contained in its pages.  The directions to a happier life are between the lines and are waiting for YOU to uncover them.

Forgiveness: A Sign of Strength

"I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." (D&C 64:10)

We often are wronged in one way or another to various extremes.  Because we are imperfect scoundrels, we are not only the wronged, but we also do wrong.  We offend.  We harm.  We break.  When we occupy the guilty party, apologizing is our responsibility.  However, as we are taught in the scripture above, forgiving is the duty of the wronged.  Both are needed, but which is harder or more noble?

Well, I don't think either are more noble than the other, but they both have very different requirements.  Apologizing requires strength of sorts.  Really, it requires more humility than anything.  You have to recognize that what you've done is, indeed, wrong; something that is hardly easy for anyone.  And then you must find the humility to approach the person you've wronged and admit to them that you regret what you've done to them.

The strength, however, belongs to the wronged, I believe.  The wronged party needs to already have strength in their heart to listen to the apology and then on top of that you have to find strength to actually forgive them.  The savior told his apostles that there essentially is no limit to how many times we are expected to forgive.  Forgiving someone really is hard.  We harbor resentment and grudges because sometimes we WANT to be hurt.  We look for reasons to be offended.  The problem is, that's like taking a bite of a poison apple that just grows into a tree inside you.  That pent-up enmity grows and grows and something that may have happened a long time ago can still cause you to stay awake at night when you could realize what happened then has no consequence on who you are now.

Really, we should find a way to move on.  Some things aren't actually offensive enough to merit such a grudge.  But, if we find forgiveness a hard task, consider serving the guilty party.  Help them see that they were wrong.  If they've apologized, offer to help.  In your service, you will find the power and strength to forgive.

I'm not perfect.  I'm not politically correct.  I get in the way a lot.  I'd be in a very bad position with a lot of people if they couldn't forgive.  To those that I've had quarrels or disagreements with, I sincerely apologize, and thank you for your demonstration of superior strength.

Hit the weights; show off your strength.

I LOVE to see the temple!

There are a total of 143 LDS temples in operation around the world.  There are 15 under construction (including one in Japan!).  There are 12 more that have been announced and will be under construction in the near future.  With so many temples, the question arises, "What's so special?  What do you do there?"  The temple is seen as a building of secrecy.  A place just for members.  Without paying your dues, you can't get in.  Here's the truth:  we want EVERYONE to come!  Yes, you need to be an outstanding member of the church, but there isn't anything in the temple we aren't willing to share with everyone.

Multiple times-in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other scripture-we are told that we learn and progress "line upon line; and precept upon precept."  The idea behind the temple's restrictive attendance is based completely on this concept.  We need to believe, and then we will develop faith.  After we have faith, we see our wrongs and repent, then qualifying us for baptism.  As we progress and learn, our faith strengthens and we find ourselves in a state where we are ready to learn what is taught in the temple.  We learn about our potential and make more promises with God.  I've mentioned the sealing ordinance in previous posts which results in the eternal unity of the subjected family.  A promise is a two-party agreement, and God does not hold back.

When I go to the temple, I often learn new things about God's plan for our salvation and his expectations for me.  I spend time pondering about the gospel, and take my questions with me to the temple, and more than once I've received rather specific answers.  Last week I addressed the Holy Ghosts methods, and I've experienced each while in the temple.  I've had a thought come to my head, I've heard something, and I've been led to the answer.

In ancient time, the prophets would commute to the temple, but on several occasions, when they wanted to talk to God, they went up to a mountain.  Moses talked with God on the top of Mt. Sinai.  Christ went with Peter, James, and John to the Mount of Transfiguration.  Nephi received revelation on how to build his boat after a journey up a mountain to pray.  The Brother of Jared saw the yet unborn Savior after praying on a high mountain.  With this correlation in mind, Isaiah becomes a little easier to understand when he says, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths..." (Isaiah 2:3)  The temple is the mountain of the Lord.  First, it's usually built on top of hills or mountains.  The Las Vegas temple is built right at the East edge of the valley with the mountains in its backyard.  The Provo temple is built right next to mountains.  The Tokyo temple is built around mountainous buildings.  The mountain of the Lord is so important to me.  The things I've learned have changed my outlook on the world and myself.  The ordinances performed have benefited myself, and my family.  Should we all follow the commandments given to us, we can live together forever, and I want nothing more than to live forever with my parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, etc.

If you ever get curious, remember we aren't trying to keep you out.  We're trying harder to get you in.