The Temple, Marriage and Family - Things you'll never be ready for.

You are not perfect, I am not perfect, marriages are never flawless and families are the most complicated organizations known to man. You are not ready and you never will be. No amount of schooling, money or maturity will prepare you for the challenges of a family. None of us will be ready in this life. Luckily we don't have to be, because the Lord has provided a way to fulfill his commandments and bring us ever lasting joy.

As far as I'm concerned there is no more important building on this earth outside our homes than the Temple. A loving home has indispensable value but an eternal family built on the principles of God isn't possible without the ordinances performed in the Temple. LDS Temples are literally the Lord's house on this earth today. In these temples we are able to perform baptisms and other saving ordinances for our loved ones who passed on without having a chance to accept the gospel. Couples and families are married and sealed for time and all eternity. The House of the Lord provides families ever lasting joy. I don't care how nice heaven is as Apostles have stated in the past any place is hell without my family.

The Lord commanded Haggai and his people to build a temple in the Old Testament.

 Haggai 1: 4-6" Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

  Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye beat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes."

The Lord shows us in these verses why it is so important to build a temple. Without doing the Lords work, temples being a major part of that, our work values us nothing. No matter how much money we have or how much material we own we will have no value if we are not doing the Lord's work. The Lord literally gives us commandments because he knows that living in that manner will absolutely bring us the most happiness possible and obedience to the Lords commandments allows Him to bless us beyond measure.

Proposing to my wife was definitely the scariest thing I have ever done. I felt deeply that it was the right thing to do and so I decided to take a huge leap of faith. Neither of us are perfect but we knew that we would not get married unless we could get married in the temple. It would have been easy to get married civilly and avoid the responsibility that comes with entering the temple. Celisse and I knew that there really was no other option. We would get married in the temple or we wouldn't get married at all. If your marriage is not ordained of God, if it cannot last forever what is the point? Becoming deeply connected to someone only to lose them with the eternities? While facing such a tragedy is courageous it is not necessary, our marriages do not have to cease at death.

Being married has no doubt been my greatest challenge. Nothing compares with the effort it takes to find balance and meaning between two people. When the initial passion wears off all that remains is the invested effort and work that the couple chooses to contribute. Temple marriage provides eternal meaning to this struggle because you know your marriage and family has a greater purpose just than providing earthly companionship for two people. The Lord is always there to support your effort. I see his helping hand in my life every day as I try overcome my weaknesses.

This world is complicated I could go into my personal opinion on a variety of issues surrounding marriage and "love" but those issues are not worth my effort. I know that the Lord God loves all his children with all his heart. He has given us temples in order to unite our families and bring us ever lasting joy. Raising a family is scary and it is difficult beyond imagination but those who choose do not take part in this eternal responsibility are missing out on unimaginable blessings and happiness. You cannot know the joy that comes unless you experience it. The overwhelming feeling of the spirit and of joy when I enter the temple or when I see my children smile is beyond compare. Nothing else matters.

Hubakkuk

Habakkuk is a little known old testament Prophet. He only has three short chapters in the Bible but they are valuable pieces of work. In chapter one we learn that the Lord has caused that the Chaldeans, a wicked people, will rise up and over run. Habakkuk is very troubled that the Lord would do this and he pleads unto him for answers as to why this will be.

"Understanding and Obtaining the Knowledge and Glory of the Lord."

LDS Article of faith #9 "We believe that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God"

In Habukkah we learn that God plans to pour out a great knowledge of the Lord in the latter days. 

Habukkah 2:14 "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Thus we see that even in Old Testament times the Lord was planning to pour out his word unto the world so that it would reach all corners of the globe. Even with his word spread across the globe and available to all there will still be those who will not believe. Twice in chapter 2 he mentions the prideful taht will drink to themselves and he rebukes those that will worship false idols.

We know that coming to an understanding of the Lord is available to all of us but not always easy. There will be challenges. Many of us will be too prideful to see through our ways but the word will come unto every nation, kindred and tongue.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:32-34 "Yea, verily I say unto you, that in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things-

Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof-

Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven."

It's not just the standard word of God that we already know. It's not just that every corner of the earth and every people will know what we know. We will be learning more than we could ever imagine. Amazing wonderous things will be revealed about God, the earth and everything else we can (and can't) possibly imagine. This is already begun, we know that the word of God is spreading and that our own knowledge is expanding but I am confident that much more is on the way. God is greater than we can ever understand in this life but the small glimpses he is beginning to give us will humble our hearts and build our testimonies like we never could have imagined.

Saviors up on Mount Zion

Obadiah 1:17 "But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions."

We know that the Lord will gather his people. Often we think of this as a very literal gathering and in part it will be but the Lord talked of all of his people. Every man, women, and child from every corner of the globe that has ever lived is a child of God. The simple fact is that almost all of them will have died long before the second coming of Christ. Many of them have never even heard the gospel or not really given a chance to accept it. What of these people, are they doomed because of their circumstances?

God did not say the faithful and extraordinarily lucky, he just said the faithful and those that come unto him and believe on his word. In the LDS church we believe that God has given us a solution to this problem. The temples where we perform work for the living and for those who have passed on. We believe it is up to them to accept it but we believe we have been commanded to give them the opportunity. God commanded that we all be baptized so we do baptisms for the dead by proxy. This way those who have passed on but wish to follow the Lord will be able to do so.

To some this may seem peculiar, but the house of the Lord is a house of order. To gather the living we use missionaries, to gather the dead we use temples. Temples serve a wonderful purpose, couples and families can attend the temple and be sealed for eternity not just for life. Once we have completed our own work we can return to the temple to seal our ancestors both to themselves and to us. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you can help reunite families and couples. This may sound strange but God loves his children and he will always have a way to provide for them. I know the spirit I feel in the temple, I know how strong that spirit is when I am performing work for those have passed. It is a wonderful truth and that is what makes it so special.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O bgrave, where is thy victory?The sting of adeath is sin; and the bstrength of sin is the law.But athanks be to God, which giveth us the bvictory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Daniel, King Darius, and the Lord (and yes of course the Lions) Daniel 6

Daniel was preferred by Darius above all others because "an excellent spirit was with him". As we know Darius was tricked by those presidents and priests who Daniel was preferred over to make a decree that would sentence Daniel to the lion's den. Despite his best efforts Darius was legally bound to carry out this decree. He showed faith in the Lord when he told Daniel that his God would deliver him. King Darius continued to fast and pray for Daniel all night as he remained captive in the Lion's den.

Daniel was of course spared through the night and Darius was able to take him out of the Lion's den. Those who schemed up the decree in the first place were sentenced and killed in the Lions den as were their families, which on a side note seems like a bit much but as was the times.
Darius later made a decree in which he referred to Daniel's God as the living God, as a God who delivereth, rescueth and worketh the wonders of the earth.

Having faith in the Lord does not go unnoticed. The Lord has demonstrated that he will provide for the faithful. It's not always in this manner but he always provides for those who are faithful and loyal.

Daniel Chapter 6

What will happen to the Lost Tribes?

We are often told that the Lost Tribes of Israel will be gathered. What does that mean? What else is in store for those that have been scattered to the far reaches of the Earth?

"O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity;" - Jeremiah 46:27

We know that they will be gathered and we also know that they will be saved from their captivity. In this day in age very few know who they are and are completely captive to their ignorance. God will save them from this and he will do much more.

 "17 ¶Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath abroken his bones.

 18 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

 19 And I will abring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.

 20 In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will apardon them whom I reserve." -Jeremiah 50:17-20

As we can see these lost sheep have been through a lot. They have been beaten and broken but the Lord has not forgotten them. He will seek justice for their persecutors and he will pardon and reward those who have suffered.

Christ will plead their case just as he pleads for the souls of all men whom he died on the cross for. Salvation will be sought for the lost tribes. Those who have held them captive will be forced to let them go and the Lord will gather them just as he has promised.

Hope For Those in Sin Jeremiah 29-30

Basically everyone knows about repentance. Repentance is a common promise throughout the new and old testament. Christ ultimate sacrifice was dying for our sins, paying for our mistakes and paving the way for us to return to the Lord. We all know there is a way out but in the depths of guilt it is easy to forget.

It is hard to forgive ourselves, and it is difficult to ask the Lord for forgiveness when we are so ashamed of our actions. The first thing to remember is that the Lord already knows our mistakes and loves us in spight of them. In Jeremiah 29 the Lord promises that he will carry us from captivity (of sin) and back to where we were before we were driven away by the Lord because of our wickedness. When we sin we cannot be in his presence (spiritually and physically) and as a result we feel deep sorry and confusion.

All we have to do is change our ways and search for him. He will find us and he will save us.

We live in an imperfect world. Our world must be managed by the rulers of man in order to keep order and peace. As we all know men can only rule men so well, especially when men cannot seem to rule themselves. Because of our own imperfections mortal rulers are necessary to rule mortal affairs.

Our true King is Jesus Christ who will stand for truth for eternity. When we fall into sin, or we are tempted to go down the road of the world we must remember that Jesus Christ is the one we will ultimately have to face. He has shown us the path and only he can deliver us from death. We may think our mistakes are too big, we may feel the temptations of the world are too great but they are temporary. Christ will rule in benevolence forever and has already saved us from our sins if we will just follow him.

Stop It! Isaiah 58

As you may know The Old Testament blog that I write each week is part of an assignment in a college course which I am currently taking. The blog posts are written by me but structured around a specific prompt. This week is a little bit different. The LDS Church just released a ten minute video against bullying and it is probably the most powerful message on the subject that I have ever heard. I will still be completing my assignment as usual but I felt it was important that I tie this weeks blog into this very important topic.

If you haven't been bullied as you watch the video think about how you would feel if you were in the girl's shoes. For those who feel trapped by bullying try to see how foolish the bully's really are. See past the fear and understand that there are people who love you and that the Lord will always love you.

"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning," Isaiah 58:8 Is a promise to those who follow the Lord. It is easy to feel alone when you are the subject of bullying and it is difficult to see the other side. The Lord promises that when you call he will answer. The Lord is always there for those who need him.

What about those who are not bullied themselves but have the courage to stand up for those who are, those who choose not to participate, those who stand on the right side regardless of the social consequences? In verse ten they are promised this.

 "And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and they darkness be as the noonday:"

Again we see that the Lord will be with you too.

The Lord speaks to the bully's as well

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Corinthians 2:14

The Spirit of God is not with those who find cheap entertainment at the expense of another. These are God's children. Only he truly knows them, he knows their potential and you (the bully) know nothing.  Not only are you destroying your own value as a person and a child of God but you are attempting to do the same to someone else.

I was fairly blessed during high school. I had a great group of friends and tried my best to stay on the right path. We protected each other and I feel like I had a pretty good experience. There were a few ugly incidences though, like the time I returned from my freshmen gym class to find that someone had jammed my backpack into a school toilet.

It was much worse before high school. I was made fun of, I had stuff stolen, and constantly given ugly looks just to see how I would react. I was too skinny, my grades were too good and I was an easy target. As I've grown up I have been able to overcome a lot of that and have found that maturity allows people to appreciate those who don't play football.(i.e. fit in with the popular crowd) Looking back, I pity those people. Those that bullied me turned out to not really be that cool in the adult world. I wish them well. They are children of God too and to be honest who hasn't been a bully to somebody. I think it is important to not only stop bullying for the sake of the bullied but also for the sake of the bully.