Be Ye Therefore--WHAT?!

I know, I know, it's been a while.  I apologize for my delinquency.  Something else you should know is that I will now be posting no more than once a week as part of a change in the assignment I've been given to share the gospel online.  Translation: fewer posts, but far more powerful because it's all my thoughts crammed into one!  Enjoy.

This morning I was studying scriptures about the nature of our Father in Heaven and came across one that is in both the Bible (Matthew 5:48) and the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 12:48):

Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Holy Cow!  Talk about a tall order!  I don't know about you, but I've never done anything perfectly, let alone my own personal flaws.  But as I thought about that mandate, I also thought about how much trust Jesus has in us to invite us to be like Him and Heavenly Father.  He believes in us.  It might seem like the bar is too high, like trying to do all the things required of us and be the "perfect person" might be impossible and would cause us to feel immense pressure to always, always toe the line and never mess up.  But people who feel that way forget something else Jesus said:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)

So you see, through Jesus Christ we can have peace in this world.  Yeah, there's a lot that tries to drag us down, and yeah, there's a lot of bad that happens, even to good people.  We aren't going to be perfect in this life, nor do we make ourselves perfect.  But it is up to us to try, try again, to always choose Jesus Christ.  The world says people will never be perfect, so why even try?  But Jesus says, "I would that ye should be perfect."  We have His confidence--what more do we need?

Fear not, for He has overcome the world.  Have a great week!

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

PS Share this with someone who's having a bad week.  That's the best way to feel Christ's love--by sharing it!

Don't be a GIRLIE Man!

"I am Hans"

"Und I am Franz"

"Und ve just vant to PUMP YOU UP!"

Many of us are familiar with the insanely buff pop icons Hans and (und) Franz from Saturday Night Live, with their outrageously bemuscled bods and their intolerance for any and all "girlie men".  As a young teenager (and even today, I'll admit), I wanted nothing more than to get as ripped as these two fictitious Austrian weightlifters.  But I wasn't willing to pay the price.  Instead of going to the gym, I'd play video games; instead of eating healthily and working on building lean muscle, I was into burgers and shakes.  Now I'm not saying all this to have you laugh at me or to hang up my dirty laundry for all to see--I merely mean to illustrate the point that you can't get something for nothing. 

God knows it's the same way--we are here to learn to become like Him, to develop His attributes ("godliness"), and be happy--and it doesn't come easily.  We have to work at it!  The Savior said, "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48).  Have you tried being perfect?  It's really difficult!  Even impossible!  But that's what He's commanded us to do.  So how do we get there?  How do we eschew weakness, strip the flabbiness from our spirits, and not be "girlie men"?  Here's what a prophet said:

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God  with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ... (Moroni 10:32)

Obviously that's a lot easier said than done, but it is possible through the grace of Jesus Christ.  We have the scriptures and the prophets as our guidelines (like a weight-training book); when we are baptized, we have the Holy Ghost's companionship (He's our personal trainer); and we have our Elder Brother Jesus Christ as a model (the Perfect Paragon).  So don't give up!  Christ is going to PUMP YOU UP!  Let Him change your weaknesses into strengths!  And above all, in the immortal words of Hans und Franz: DON'T be a [spiritual] GIRLIE MAN!

Much love,

Elder Spendlove

PS for more about not getting bogged down by weakness, check out Elder Menasco's blog!

Image from: http://www.almightydad.com/fitness-nutrition/four-exercises-that-will-make-you-a-better-parent