Last night we had an FHE and some Father's Blessings.
Some of the key concepts that were discussed:
The gospel is really very simple and straight forward.
Man's purpose is to have joy.
Life is like a vetting process. We choose God, and when we are ready, God chooses us.
God is not going to give His power to someone who is not ready for it, or who would use it unrighteously. We have to show that we are willing and able to follow him--or to obey the rules of Godhood.
Satan has no power over us, so his only recourse is to deceive us: to have us believe that we are less than we are, and to convince us to follow him rather than our Father.
Christ never sinned, because he was at no time deceived by Satan.
Three blessings this week:
Bethany--Kirby's comment afterward, "That was like being hit by a train, I guess the mission decision is definitely the right decision." This last semester pre-mission will be easier and less stressful for you. You will be able to reach and serve many of God's children on your mission because of your personality and personal preparations.
Michelle--Pray for direction and to prepare for next steps.
Caryn--God appreciates your work with his special needs children. God will assist you with accessing your schooling and you will be able to complete your educational goals, and in time begin your family.
Thoughts about Father's Blessings:
Our Heavenly Father bestows blessings upon us through our Earthly Father, under his hands, because the natural sympathies and relationships between father and child are similar on earth and in heaven, and because via this method we can feel and receive of the love and council of both Fathers simultaneously and in tandom.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Offending God
I read a conversation that Kirby was participating in on facebook the other day. One person was defending marriage between gay couples and others were making points against it. Kirby made the point that gay marriage partners demanding to be married in churches who taught against homosexuality were infringing on the church's rights to uphold their own beliefs.
I was struck, upon reading the conversation, with an impression that has come upon me numerous times lately: that in our society, one of the things that we are doing, that is really dangerous to our morality, is trying not to offend.
I am not saying that we should strive to be offensive, but our culture is so focused on not giving offense to anyone, that it is hardly possible to stand up for what is truth without being considered offensive to someone.
It strikes me that marriage is ordained of God as a sacred ordinance and that homosexuality is strictly forbidden by God as an unnatural sin. In our day, people who are living a homosexual lifestyle, not only want to be allowed the freedom to do so without guilt, but they also want to sanctify this action by giving it the same rites as the sacred ordinance of marriage. This strikes me as blasphemy. Holding up something unholy and attributing to it a holy status.
I am struck by the thought that in being so careful not to offend other men, that we may instead, be offending God. Is it not better then to offend men, than to offend God?
Yesterday, in Sunday School, we talked about Lehi's counsel to his sons at the end of his life. He was explaining to Laman and Lemuel that Nephi had not tried to offend them, but was speaking the truths of God as given to him by the spirit of God. That men take the word to be hard when it goes against their natural tendencies to be approved of no matter what they are doing. I think this story applies here.
As the world struggles more and more to get us to move into the grey areas and compromise what we believe, I believe we must stand true and faithful to the truths that we know. We would not offend men, but it is even more vital that we should not offend God.
I was struck, upon reading the conversation, with an impression that has come upon me numerous times lately: that in our society, one of the things that we are doing, that is really dangerous to our morality, is trying not to offend.
I am not saying that we should strive to be offensive, but our culture is so focused on not giving offense to anyone, that it is hardly possible to stand up for what is truth without being considered offensive to someone.
It strikes me that marriage is ordained of God as a sacred ordinance and that homosexuality is strictly forbidden by God as an unnatural sin. In our day, people who are living a homosexual lifestyle, not only want to be allowed the freedom to do so without guilt, but they also want to sanctify this action by giving it the same rites as the sacred ordinance of marriage. This strikes me as blasphemy. Holding up something unholy and attributing to it a holy status.
I am struck by the thought that in being so careful not to offend other men, that we may instead, be offending God. Is it not better then to offend men, than to offend God?
Yesterday, in Sunday School, we talked about Lehi's counsel to his sons at the end of his life. He was explaining to Laman and Lemuel that Nephi had not tried to offend them, but was speaking the truths of God as given to him by the spirit of God. That men take the word to be hard when it goes against their natural tendencies to be approved of no matter what they are doing. I think this story applies here.
As the world struggles more and more to get us to move into the grey areas and compromise what we believe, I believe we must stand true and faithful to the truths that we know. We would not offend men, but it is even more vital that we should not offend God.
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