Even as a Child

We had an awesome spiritual feast today--the 181st Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Every six months the leadership of the Church gives addresses about subjects of faith, hope, Jesus Christ, and how to be better disciples. Pretty awesome, huh?  (If you have any other questions about General Conference, facebook me or visit this site)  One of my favorite talks today was from a woman who spoke about children and their examples to us of humility, patience, unconditional love, and devotion to Jesus.

Once, when Jesus was asked who was the greatest in God's kingdom, Jesus brought a little child in front of His followers and said,

Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

It makes me wonder how I'm doing in becoming humble like a little kid.  Note also that Jesus wants us to become childlike, not childish--there is a definite difference. 

A father and child very near to my heart!

Remember when your parents told you to do something or not to do something and it didn't make sense to you?  Remember when you did it and you saved yourself a whole mess of trouble? or maybe you disobeyed--caused you grief, didn't it?  God doesn't expect us to know all the reasons He gives us, but He does expect us to trust Him, just like a little child totally and completely trusts their parents.  I know there are things in my life that I don't understand (and there will be plenty more!); but that's alright.  We are children of our Heavenly Father and Father certainly knows best.  It's alright if we don't get it all the way the first time or if there are things that bug us or get in our way.  That's all part of the test of life.  I know that if we will believe in what God says to us through the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, and prophets, we will be alright.   

Consider what a Book of Mormon prophet had to say on the matter:

For the natural man is an enemy to God, ... and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit... and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child,  submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

I know that it is through the Atonement (the sacrifice and sufferings) of Jesus that we can become the childlike people He knows we can be.  If we practice being like children in our attitude toward God and His commandments, we will be happy, blessed, and be on the way to realizing our true potential as sons and daughters--children--of our Heavenly Father.

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

Climb Ev'ry Mountain!

We have a bunch of people with whom we are working who are getting ready to be baptized.  That's basically the most exciting thing in the whole world for a missionary--our job is to help people feel ready for baptism, and to make that agreement with God.  But seldom is there a person who gets baptized who doesn't overcome some pretty big obstacles.  For example, two of the people we're teaching are making the very big decision to get married so they can live one of God's greatest laws, the law of chastity.  That's HUGE!  By doing that they're basically telling God that no matter what comes in their way, they know that building their foundation as a family on Jesus Christ is the best way to ensure their happiness and success.  It's so cool.

Other people have different struggles: they have to overcome addictions of various kinds, or tell skeptical family members or friends just how much this decision means to them.  Some deal with doubts, others with feelings of inadequacy or guilt from past transgressions.  There are so many things that try to thwart somebody's baptism, it isn't even funny.  I've talked a lot about building our foundations on Christ so we can't be blown off course or knocked off--that's not really what I want to focus on today.  The fact of the matter is following God's path is never easy.  We face mountains that stand in the way or gulches we can't see that we can fall into and lose our way.  But baptism, following the example of Jesus Christ and being "born again" is worth so much that we should not fear the obstacles.  Jesus said this:

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.

We don't have to fear or think we aren't good enough.  We don't have to worry about what the outside world thinks.  I love what the Book of Mormon prophet Alma said about baptism:

Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism. 

And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth... he shall have eternal life...

Come and fear not.  That's the invitation.  Eternal life is the promise.  What on Earth could ever matter more?

Climb Ev'ry Mountain!

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove