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!

Ponder On the Beauty

We baptized two wonderful ladies today who found the light of Christ's gospel shining through the lives of their friends.  It was my pleasure and privilege to baptize Rebecca and my companion, Elder Bevan, who finishes his two-year tour of duty on Tuesday, baptized Jeanette.  It was the first time in probably 13 months that I was the one doing the actual baptizing--usually I like to have local members of the Church do it so there can be a bond there, but Rebecca insisted that I do it. 

I have to mention one more thing: I've been very blessed as a missionary to have been involved in the baptisms of more than 25 people to date.  Each service has brought an amazing sensation of love and peace that I simply cannot describe, nor can I ascribe it to anything other than the Holy Spirit.  I must confess, it becomes easy for that Spirit, that influx of joy and peace, to be taken for granted or for one to miss the rarity and specialness of that feeling when it is experienced over and over again in a short period of time.  Now don't mistake--every baptism I've been a part of has been a beautiful, wonderful experience for which I would not trade the world.  I am so grateful for the faith and courage the good people with whom I've worked have shown in choosing to be baptized; they are examples to me!  I mention that only as a backdrop to the overwhelming sense of love, joy, peace, and gratitude to be doing what I do that I felt today as I sat in white next to Rebecca and watched the tears of joy stream down her face.  I admit, tears welled up in my eyes as these feelings swelled in my heart. 

After the baptism I looked heavenward, thanking my Father for the tender mercy that was to me.  I looked at the rain-washed sky and drank in the beauty of the purple-and-yellow tango of the clouds and the sunset; as I did, I once again reflected on the great goodness of our Father in Heaven.  From our birth to the day we die He is there--watching, guiding, weeping with us, and waiting to bless.  If ever life seems to become robotic or unfulfilling, just look at a sunset or count your blessings or stop to thank God for that breath you just took.  I know He is in the details of our lives.  I know He loves me and wants each of us Home.  And when you feel alone, just imagine His loving arms around you when you make it back and His gentle, powerful voice whispering in your ear "Welcome Home".

I just can't wait.

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

Image isn't mine, unfortunately... it's from http://www.karoopixel.co.za/gallery.aspx

A Pearl of Great Price: Part V

Well, I will not bore you with the unimportant details of my day-to-day survival in the desert.  I will, however, say this:  the longer I traveled, the more I realized my utter dependence on the Benevolent Wanderer--or Shiloh, if I am to believe that was indeed him.  He had provided light and nourishment; and more than that, he had taught me that giving is receiving, that to truly find joy and companionship in the harshest of circumstances is to give freely of oneself and think not of the consequences.  What I learned out in the waste was more than any elder could teach me or what a lifetime of study could possibly afford.  Truly he taught me that greater love no man has than he who gives all he has for another, even to the point of giving his own life.  

...Perhaps you feel I am getting ahead of myself.  Let me relate one final tale from my wandering in the desert. 

Long after the experiences of home had become personal legend and the nights of the sandstorm and the jackals had become hazily distant memories, I saw, far in the distance, the glimmering outline of what appeared to be a city!  I stopped dead in my tracks.  Had I come to the end of my journey?  Was I within a day's travel of that blessed abode?  I checked and rechecked the details outlined in my now-tattered and falling-apart records of the ancients.  By all accounts, the sheen of the pearly alabaster walls and domes of gold that adorned the buildings, the sudden reappearance of the rivers and sparse greenery that had been absent for so long--as far as I could tell it all added up to one thing:  my journey was nearing its end!  I fell down on my knees and prayed to God, "Is this all real?  Am I hallucinating?  or have I finally wandered far enough from my home to that sacred and safe haven--the Land of Promise?  Please, Father--give me strength to at least make it that far!"  Deep within my heart, I felt a surge of joy; it was as if time stood still, or as if all the cares of the world were lifted off my shoulders.  I knew it was the place of my desiring.  I just knew it.


 I gathered my belongings, and, almost automatically, started into a quick jog, my eyes unblinkingly fixed on the dazzlingly white and beautiful city that lay beyond me.  My mind was aflutter with thoughts of what was in store for me there--peace, rest from my cares, a fountain of pure and clean water (a bath!), the fruit of the tree, that beautiful pearl of great price--Oh, it was almost more than I could stand!  How I longed to be there!  Yes!  Yes!  It was coming ever nearer!
 
As my mind continued to focus on the blessings surely awaiting me just inside those pearly gates, my euphoria was shattered by a faint whizzzz punctuated by an excruciating pain in my leg.  I was knocked off my feet, falling face-first into the sand, totally bewildered and unable to comprehend fully what was happening.  I clutched my leg, crying out in pain--I looked through watery eyes and discovered a black arrow protruding from my right calf.  I began to hyperventilate--I could not pull the barb out.  I looked at the staunch, seemingly disaffected city that was no longer drawing nearer; indeed, the distance seemed to expand endlessly in front of me.  I cried.  I heard laughing.  My heart sunk as I looked around and saw several dark figures wearing rough leather garb forming a circle around me--bandits.

A Pearl of Great Price: Part IV

For the first two months or so, I traveled entirely alone (save the few times the Benevolent Wanderer had chanced upon me).  I must confess, it was quite lonely, having no one to speak to for days and days on end.  Sometimes I would sing the familiar songs of my childhood to myself, other times I would speak to the bleakness or to some imaginary companion; often I would speak openly with God, asking for His blessings and safety.  Truly I missed the human-to-human interaction that of necessity constituted my daily life at home--haggling some merchant who was charging me too much for cattle feed, laughing with my boyhood friends, conversing with the elders about the pearl and the Promised Land, seeking advice from my parents and kin.  I missed that.  It was a lonely time indeed.

The gap was partially filled by the love and joy I felt when I had met the Wanderer those brief, dire moments.  I knew at least there was someone out here in this waste who cared about me.  His bread, water, and light comforted me and at least took away the strain of survival from my mind so that I could focus on where I was going and try to make it as safely as possible.  I was filled, it was true, but somehow it seemed something was missing...

Late in the afternoon one particularly hot and unpleasant day, I spied a small, dark figure far out on the dunes ahead of me.  I couldn't exactly tell what it was at first; it lay motionless on the sand.  As I drew closer, I realized it was a person!  I ran to his side.  He lay unconscious, his breathing shallow, his face bright red.  As I looked him over, under his desert garb I could see he was emaciated and starving.  Immediately, I slung one of the Wanderer's waterskins from my shoulder and sprinkled a few drops on his forehead and lips.  His eyes moved under their weary lids, and slowly he opened his red and exhausted eyes.  I was shocked--they were such piercing blue, and so familiar-looking...  I gazed at him for a moment, then remembered he was dying.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...



...they can hardly contain their excitement too!



Well everyone, the Christmas season is coming to its climax (which, I realize, means this post will probably go unread by a large majority of the populace, but it is what it is..).  It's Christmas Eve!  In the immortal words of the Grinch, "Tomorrow is Christmas!  It's practically here!!" 

Tonight, many of us will have trouble going to sleep; we will have "visions of sugar plums (or Xboxes or cars or new clothes, etc.) dancing in our heads".  Or perhaps some will spend this evening shut up in their houses, unhappy and unimpressed by the feelings of the season.  Some may find sadness without loved ones; many will reflect on the supernal Gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  How will your Christmas Eve be spent?

More Fit for the Kingdom-- A Short Story

This is an adaptation of a story I wrote during some particularly difficult times in my life.  I wrote myself into the character of the knight, but in all reality, we are each the knight in the story.  We all rely on our King for our support and our spiritual healing so that we can be the men and women He wants us to be.  I hope you enjoy this tale.

More Fit for the Kingdom

By Chris Spendlove

Once upon a time, there was a knight. He was a relatively new knight to the kingdom, but nonetheless willing to fight for his King and Country. His most valuable possessions in the whole world were a suit of armor, a sword, and a shield that the King had given him when he was brand new in the land.

Every day, the knight would polish the armor, checking for cracks and weak spots, sharpen the sword, lest he be caught off guard with a dull sword, and meticulously scrubbed the dirt and grime from his shield so as to keep himself protected in battle. He loved that armor, that sword, and the shield--he took such good care of them that the villagers, as they passed by on the way to the market or fields, would gaze in speechless wonder, and aspire to become gallant knights themselves.



"Once upon a time, there was a knight"



Everyone loved the knight, and not just because of his armor; he was kind to the children, chivalrous to the women, and helpful to the men. The villagers felt that they could always depend on him to follow through with commitments and to lend a hand in any and every endeavor. He was widely considered to be a very good knight indeed.

One day, as the knight was polishing his armor, he heard the cry of the villagers, and, poking his head out of his tent, the knight spied a ferocious dragon lumbering toward the village! The knight had been

warned that the dragon was a master deceiver, and even though one could plainly see he was a fire breathing monster, many had been tricked by his cunning. The knight hastily donned his armor, and, sword and shield in hand, rushed out to meet the dragon.

By the time the knight reached the village square, two peasants had already been devoured, a cart of grain had been upset, and a house was ablaze. "Oh boy," thought the knight. "This is one angry dragon! Armor? Check. Sword? Check. Shield? Check check." The knight rushed up to the dragon, brandishing his sword, yelling, "Alright, dragon! That's quite enough! You cannot be allowed to terrorize this village any longer!"

"But, my good lad," oozed the dragon--his voice was deep and rumbling, but he put on an air of sweet gentility. "I was only hungry. The food has been scarce around my cave, and I had no choice but to eat these villagers. Besides," he added, bending low next to the knight. "These two men were dishonest in their dealings! I have done your town a favor!" This startled the knight. Surely these men, who had been his friends, were good and honest men!

"You lie!" shouted the knight. "I knew these men, and, by golly, they were the most honest and true fellows you'll ever meet! Now, begone or I will use my sword--which is very sharp--and slay you right here!" Upon hearing this, the dragon became angry, but backed away (truth be told, he was a coward at heart). He eyed the knight's armor, looking for any crack or dent, and, finding none, he blew smoke from his nostrils and went away without another word.

The villagers rejoiced at the departure of the dragon. "You are such a brave and gallant knight that the dragon left without a fight! You truly are a great defender of the Kingdom! Three cheers for the brave knight!" That evening, a celebration was held in honor of the knight. "I suppose I AM a great defender, aren't I?" he thought to himself. The King Himself arrived in all His splendor to congratulate the knight. Later in the night, the King pulled the knight aside.

"My son," He said. "You have done well in defending our village against that old dragon. But be warned: the dragon will come back. He always does. He is a master of deception, as I told you before. He will invent new ways of destroying the people. And, if you are not careful in your preparation, the dragon will destroy you as well. He eyed your armor, didn't he?" The knight nodded. "I thought so. He was looking for cracks to get his awful claws into. Take care of that armor, my son. It will protect your life if you keep it in good repair."

The knight pondered over the words of the King. "Destroy me?" he thought as he lay in his bed that evening. "Did the King even see how well I handled the dragon? Clearly the King has never fought a dragon like this one before. Why, I'll bet I could slay that dragon without any armor on at all! Ha!" And with that notion, the knight fell asleep and dreamed of slaying hundreds of dragons.

In the weeks to come, the knight slowly became less diligent about cleaning his shield, sharpening his sword, and repairing his armor. In fact, the knight didn't wear his armor at all for a few days. When asked about his armor, the knight boasted that any dragon foolish enough to face him would be dead before he could say "Bob's your uncle." The villagers didn't quite know how to reply to the change in the knight's mien, so they just smiled and went on their ways. "Hm," he thought. "I wonder what's gotten into them?"

And, sure enough, the day came when that old dragon poked his ugly head into the village again. "Dragon! Dragon! help us, brave knight!" came the call. The knight reached for his armor, only to discover it was dirty, banged up, and starting to rust in some places. Slightly uneasy, the knight quickly strapped it on, grabbed his not-so-sharp sword and dingy shield, and rushed to the village.

The damage was worse this time: two houses had been leveled, their smouldering ruins littered with the bodies of the villagers, a cow had been slain, and much of the market had been pulverized. The dragon smiled slightly when he saw the knight run up, his armor in a state of disrepair.

"Well, well," he snarled. "If it isn't our gallant knight. How have you been? I am a fool to return when there is such a brave knight to oppose me."

"You've got that right!" retorted the knight, adjusting a loose strap under his arm. "I'm going to have to slay you this time, no questions asked."

"Surely you shall. But before you do me in, may I let you in on a secret? I'm not the enemy. It's that old King you should be after."

"Stop this! none of your lies! The King is good and just and cares for the welfare of His people!" cried the knight, brandishing his sword.

"Does he now? Is that why He sits on a golden throne and lets His people die? If He cared so much, wouldn't he come and face me Himself? risk His life for the good of His people? Some King, if you ask me," hissed the dragon. The knight began to ponder what the dragon had just said. He lowered his sword and shield slightly.

"No... you-you're wrong," the knight said half-heartedly. It DID seem like the King just sat on his throne, collect taxes, and make laws. Perhaps the dragon was right... The knight lowered his defenses.



Before he could respond, the dragon was upon him. He viciously ripped at the knight's armor with his claws and broke the weakened sword with his jaws. The knight struggled furiously against the might of the dragon, but to no avail. The dragon was merciless--he wounded the knight deeply with his claws and fangs. "I have not killed you," he laughed. "Not yet, at least. My claws and my fangs have a poison in

"I find it more enjoyable to watch you writhe in agony before you

perish. I will return..."

them that will destroy you slowly. I find it more enjoyable to watch you writhe in agony before you

perish. I will return to watch your last mortal moments." And, having left the knight in such a state, the dragon slipped away to his cave.

The knight slipped in and out of consciousness. Thoughts of despair resonated in his tortured mind: "How could I have been so foolish! I am no brave knight. I am worse than the dragon! And now I will die, a broken, foolish, incapable louse." The pains of the dragon's poison ebbed and flowed throughout his entire being; perhaps worse than the pain of the poison, however, were the pains of defeat, of losing the trust of the people, and, above all, harming the King. The King was a wise and loving monarch, and the knight had doubted Him. If only, if only he could somehow beg the King's forgiveness! But it was all over now. The knight, giving up his will to live, allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness...

To be concluded...

Images from http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/195527/knight-in-shining-armor-31000.jpg (knight); http://www.layoutsparks.com/1/120926/cool-black-dragon-fiery.html (dragon)

God is Our Loving Heavenly Father

I have considered many things lately about my posting, and one of the things I want to do is talk about a different principle of the Gospel that we missionaries teach each Wednesday.  So basically until I notify you otherwise, you can expect a little tidbit of simple doctrine every Wednesday.  :)

Today I wanted to talk just a little about our Heavenly Father (God).  Like His name implies, He is literally our Father, not just some ephemeral mass somewhere in the cosmos.  We look like He does--we were created in His image after all-- and we have the potential to become like Him someday.  He really loves us a LOT--check out what Paul has to say about it:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38 & 39)

Pretty cool, right?  Like he says, the love of God is manifested in the fact that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our mistakes and fill in the holes that we or others leave in our lives (see also John 3:16)!  Amazing.  There are many ways that God shows His love for us which we will discuss in the coming weeks; I want to share one way that I feel His love.  I know God loves me because He always gives me a second (third, fourth, fifth...) chance!  Because He will never give up on me, He allows me to come to Him with my boo-boos and be healed through the power of His Son.  Pretty miraculous that somebody as imperfect and foolhardy as I could merit such love and mercy--but that's the thing about God.  He is a God of miracles. 

If you have felt God's love in your life recently, post a reply here so others can feel of His love too, then share the love by inviting your friends to check out my blog and add me on facebook!  We're trying to get a worldwide web of love started here! 

Much love,
Elder Spendlove

"To Fulfill All Righteousness"

I just created a photo album on facebook with all of the pictures of the people I have helped baptize while on my mission.  **Brief Explanatory Note:  As a missionary, my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by receiving the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end.  Helping people prepare for baptism, the first covenant or two-way-promise we make with Heavenly Father, is central to what I do as a representative of Jesus Christ.  We missionaries invite people to be baptized because it is what Jesus wants all of us to do (we'll talk about this in a minute). **  As I reviewed the photos (quite thankful for the miracle of digital cameras!), what struck me about each photo was the look of peace and happiness on the person's face.  I know that each of the wonderful people I helped prepare for baptism knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that what they were doing was right.  Baptism is such a beautiful, wonderful, life-changing thing;  I am grateful that it is central to what I am called to do.

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).  Period.  Jesus Himself, sinless though He was, perfect in every aspect of obedience though He was, was baptized by John the Baptist "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15, see also 2 Nephi 31:4-7), or to accomplish every single commandment God had given Him.  It is pretty clear from the scriptures that baptism is important.  The Book of Mormon gives us further insight on our need to be baptized: "[Jesus' baptism] showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, [Jesus] having set the example before them.  And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we [are] willing to keep the commandments of the Father...[who] said: Repent ... and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son" (2 Nephi 31:9-11, empahsis added).  It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal.  If we intend to follow Jesus Christ, Nephi says, we must follow the commandments of the Father, i.e. be baptized!  I think I've made my point.

There are so many blessings that come from baptism.  We are promised a newness of life (Romans 6:3-5); we are promised to have the Holy Ghost's companionship (2 Nephi 31:13); eternal life and resurrection (Mosiah 18:9); we are received into Christ's church; the list could go on and on.  All my friends I mentioned above who got baptized are experiencing and enjoying those gifts right now.  I know that anyone who wants to can enjoy those blessings as well.  It takes a little doing, but I can testify that if you will prepare to be baptized by someone who holds the authority to do so (I will explain that further another time), you will enjoy all the blessings mentioned in the scriptures.  You will feel the love of God more abundantly in your life and you will be happier.

MUCH LOVE

Elder Spendlove

"Come and See"

So I've been studying the New Testament recently (since mid-September probably) because I want to gain a greater understanding of what is in there.  I started the book of John today, which is probably my favorite of the four gospels (I don't really know why--I just like it a lot!), and already, 3 chapters in, I've gained some really cool insights.  I wanted to share one thing today that really stuck out to me.  Before I begin though, I want to explain something about studying the scriptures.

We Mormons know that the best way to learn is to "learn by the Spirit"--you may have heard some of your Mormon friends talk about that before.  What that means is that the Holy Ghost (or "Holy Spirit" or "Spirit of God", etc.) teaches us the things Heavenly Father wants us to understand. Jesus said of this, "But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26, emphasis added).  We learn in the book of Galatians, chapter 5 verses 22&23, what feelings accompany us when the Holy Ghost is teaching us: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance..."  So basically, when you study the scriptures and feel those feelings, you can be sure that you are being taught by the Holy Ghost.  I know that Heavenly Father wants us to feel and seek after those feelings so we can know that what we are learning is true, even if it doesn't make sense to our brains all the way at first.  (*Side Note* If you meet with us missionaries, we will invite you to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon, which we know to be the word of God along with the Bible.  When you follow that course and ask in faith, sincerely wanting to act upon the answer you receive, you will feel the feelings of the Holy Ghost telling you it is true.)  SO, that having been said, let me tell you about a few of the things the Holy Ghost taught me this morning.

I really liked John 1:46, "And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see."  Philip was a follower of the Savior from the beginning.  When telling his friend Nathanael about Jesus who came out of Nazareth, which was thought poorly of by the surrounding communities of the day, Nathanael questioned whether anything good could even come from Nazareth!  Philip's reply is the reply we missionaries (and members of the LDS Church) give to all--Come and see!  Come and see the gospel of Jesus Christ in action; come and see what light the teachings of God's prophets, ancient and modern, can bring into your life and the life of your family; come and learn more of Jesus and follow His example by exercising faith and being baptized (for more on Jesus' teachings about baptism, check out John 3:3-8.  This invitation to be born again, to be renewed is a wonderful, loving invitation to "come and see" the blessings of the path Jesus laid before us!).  This is the invitation I personally give to all of you.  I loved the peace the Spirit brought to me as I read that.  I am thankful for the chance I have to follow Him and to share His teachings with everybody I meet.

I hope this has been helpful.  The best thing you can do is to pray about the messages we share.  We may not be eloquent, but we know the message is true--we know by the power of the Holy Ghost.  Come and see.  You can know too.

MUCH LOVE,
Elder Spendlove