Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy - The Lord's Commandments

I so much look forward to writing on this blog! I always hope and pray that each post I write finds it's way to whomever is in need of those words at that time. If you find that to be true when reading this post I would love to hear about it in the comments section.

For the last three weeks I have felt the need again to write about the importance of the Sabbath day and keeping it holy - and further more what it means to keep it holy. I have written about this topic in the past which seemed to make me quite unpopular but recent events and stirrings within my heart have prompted me to relay it again.

I always hope and pray that my children will take what I teach them and desire to do even better with it. If every generation tried to do a little better than the generation before - wow, what a world we would live in. And so, that is what I have tried to do with what I was taught as a child - to do even better. Let, me tell you I will be such a proud parent if any of my children ever came to me in the future and said, "Mom, I know you taught me this...but I think I can do even better." or " I can go the extra mile with it."

There have been occasions in my family where siblings and others have criticized me for doing my best to keep the Sabbath day holy. It saddens me because if I learned that anyone in my immediate family was trying their best to live the gospel (a little harder each day) I would praise and admire them. I am only concerned about my little family (whom I am responsible for as a mother and wife). What others choose to do on the Sabbath is their choice and does not concern me. Because there have been a few who have observed how I keep the Sabbath day holy and have felt the need to chastise me, I have felt the need to explain what I believe and extend an invitation to all with the promise that if you pray about what I have written, you will receive a confirmation of it's truth. Also, if you choose to follow what I speak about, you will be blessed. Only good will come from trying a little harder to live a little better.

I believe in brief and simple teachings. So as simple as can be put, the Sabbath day is the one day each week that the Lord has set aside for the purpose of us resting from our weekly activities and worshiping Him. It's a "holy" day which means that all that we do on this sacred day should be centered around Him. Reaching out to neighbors, friends and family and extending our love, studying scriptures and pondering the words, reflecting on what we can do to have a better week, attending all of our Sunday meetings and worshiping the Lord. Instead of looking for ways to justify activities that we aren't sure are appropriate on the Sabbath, we should be looking for more ways we can better respect the Sabbath. Our actions, reflect our respect for the Sabbath and our respect is a reflection of how we feel about the Lord and the love we have for Him. Respecting our Heavenly Father is respecting His holy day.

It's not anyone's responsibility or place to tell you what you shouldn't do on the Sabbath, that is a decision you have to make for yourself. Your love for the Lord and the Spirit will guide you in determining how you and your family can best keep this day holy.

As for me and my house, we choose to avoid TV, limit computer use and any other media outlet or activity that can distract us from feeling the Spirit in our home. We avoid all forms of unnecessary labor and recreational activities. We choose not travel far on the Sabbath unless visiting family or someone who is sick or lonely. But instead of focusing on what "we choose NOT to do" we focus on what "we choose TO do". We look forward to coming up with enjoyable activities that can help us feel the Spirit and grow closer together as a family with the Lord. By doing this we have truly been blessed in our lives. We feel an abundance of joy and happiness in our daily lives and spiritually rejuvenated each week. By keeping the Sabbath day holy, the Lord blesses us with the strength we'll need to take on the next week. We are happier for living this commandment as best we can.

I have several friends who are having many difficult struggles in their lives and bouts of depression and unhappiness. They express frustration in their situations and the Lord. These are friends who have been taught the commandments and have made sacred covenants with the Lord to always keep His commandments. So, when they casually mention certain activities they are participating in which are contrary to the commandments and covenants they have made, in hopes of feeling some quick, temporal happiness I am always in awe that they expect the Lord to keep His promises to them when they are breaking theirs. I am in awe that they don't get it. True happiness comes from making good choices and keeping yourself in places and around people where you can feel the Spirit speak to you and not compromise your values. By keeping the basic commandments you will be in a position for the Spirit to speak to you and teach you what to do to be truly happy.

The Lord gives us commandments for our own good. The universe is governed by certain laws that if broken yield certain consequences. By obeying God's laws we will be happier - it's a natural consequence. Too often people look for "shortcuts" or "convenience" when trying to obey the commandments or live the gospel. When it seems tempting to take that U turn, in a "No U turn" zone, we must be prepared to deal with the consequences whether that be a hefty fine or ticket, or worse...a fatal car accident. The law is there for our own good and if we obey it we will be safe.

More importantly, living the higher law prepares us for eternal glory and progression. God gives us laws to prepare us for what lies ahead fur us in eternity if we desire it and are worthy of it. I desire to progress and move ahead in all areas of my life, so choosing to live a higher law is natural for me. If we can't live by those laws here on earth then our spiritual progression is slowed/delayed and it is much more difficult to progress in the next life. For some, they are comfortable living a lower law or "the easier way" and in the next life it will remain the same for them. Their progression will be limited but they will be fine and comfortable with that. For others, we want to progress as much as we can. We want to further our light and knowledge about the mysteries of God. If that is what we desire now, it will be the same in the next life. We will progress to the highest glory of truth and light that we desire.

Though we have our free agency when choosing how we keep the Sabbath day holy, it is very important to the Lord that we do this which is why He made it a commandment. In fact to express the importance of the commandment we are are reminded in Exodous 31:15 when the Lord says to Moses,

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

Today we do not face a death penalty for breaking the Sabbath, instead we suffer a spiritual death, for by breaking the Sabbath we remove ourselves from the Lord.

Sarah Menet, the author of There is No Death, had a near death experience in which she was given heavenly council and instruction on how to keep herself and her family safe from the evil that lies ahead in the last days. She spoke at a fireside in Utah several years ago, and here is an excerpt of part of that transcript. Here she speaks directly to the saints of the church in Utah in regards to the blessings of having a living prophet.

It is like living in a small city with Moses right there and yet we take it for granted that we have a prophet of God right here in our city, just a few miles away from us. Do we care? We take it for granted because we see him on TV a couple of times a year and that is great. It is wonderful to see the prophet but do you know that 50% of the Church in the last days will totally apostatize and fall away from the Church. That is half. So if we have 10 million members now, at least 5 million will not be greeting the Savior when he comes and of that percentage that is left, few of those will be left to greet the Savior. (Do not raise your hands.) How many of you consider yourself to be Christ-like people, not good members of the Church- but Christ-like people, righteous people. I am not a righteous person. I am a good person, a really good person but I do not think that I am righteous. We have been given so much and we have a prophet right here in our valley!

We have Saints that go shopping every single Sunday. They run to the store or run to Smith's. Do you know that the reason why the malls, the shops, the markets are open is because the LDS people shop on Sunday? I am going to tell you tonight a secret for saving your life in the latter days from these calamities that are coming. We as members of the Church have been told to pay an honest tithing, now that is not when you can afford to or when you have an abundance, that means if somebody gives you $.50, you pay tithing on it.

Literally every penny that you get, not just because you have more but out of every amount of money that is given to you, give 10% to the Lord. That is going to protect you completely and if you have not done it in the past.

Today is a new day. I am one for saying: "Every day is a fresh clean piece of paper." You can start your life over today. It does not matter what you did yesterday, last week, or last month. Today is a new day!

Tomorrow they can be up there looking at your crystals and blotting out what you have done. If you have hurt someone, I do not care if you feel like you were in the right or not, you go to that person. They have to pay for what they have done. Believe me, no one gets out of this life without paying for what they have done. You are responsible only for your salvation, for how you live your life, how you treat your fellow man. I have had people, even recently, do things to me. I think I am in the right. I did not do it but I still will go to that person and say, "If I have done something to you to offend you, I hope you will forgive me, and I am sorry." I will say this even if I just think you are the one. It does not matter. You do not have to be proven right or anything else. You are in control of your own life, what you choose to do with it. You pay your honest tithing. That protects you. What have we been told?

What do you think is going to be the great burning in the last days? You will not burn in the nuclear war if you pay an honest tithing. If you have not paid an honest tithing in the past - that is past. Today is a new day - Sunday is a new week. Commit to yourself that! You give the Lord your tenth and you will pay an honest tithing.

Fill your day with things that are of the Lord. It is a little hard at first but I have a nine-year-old boy who does not play outside on Sunday. I do let him watch the Book of Mormon video tapes because that is the same as a spiritual experience for him but there is no regular TV. There is no picnicking. Some people say why can't we just drive up in the canyon and enjoy the beauty of the canyon on Sunday. That is not breaking the Sabbath. I tell them, "You do what you want, but wouldn't it be far better to spending that time in service of our fellow man than entertaining yourselves by even enjoying God's beauty on the Sabbath." That is what Saturday is for and the evenings in the summer. To keep the Lord's Sabbath day holy is to spend it in service of him. How are we in service of our God? When we are in the service of our fellow being we are only in the service of our God”. So you will be protected from the biological warfare and the plagues by keeping the Sabbath day holy, your whole family. No one should enter into your home or be a part of your home that is not keeping the Sabbath holy. It should be a family situation. When I have guests or anyone else come from out of town, I tell them the same thing. If they do not choose to be there, they can stay at a motel or they can do something else but they will not stay in my home and break the Sabbath. That is how adamant I am about keeping the Sabbath holy.

The other greatest thing, of course, is to be as close to the Savior as we can be, to pray day and night that we are becoming a Christ-like people. The most Christ-like attitude that you can have is to love your fellow man, to love them unconditionally. That is probably the hardest thing that I would ask you to do but to try and have a unconditional love for every being that you come in contact with. After awhile of practicing it you do not even have to try, you do not even have to try, it is second nature, it comes naturally, you become a Christ-like person.

For more on this transcript you can visit this link

To be protected against the adversary and the destruction that will come during these last days that we are living in, it is important that we keep the commandments and keep the Sabbath day holy. I know that keeping this commandment has blessed me and my family immensely. Not only are we happier, we have been able to avoid unnecessary sorrows, suffering and pains and have been able to enjoy our life to the fullest. I know that the Lord loves all of His children and just as any loving parent, He gives us rules to keep us safe and happy. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

Sabbath Day Observance and Drought

Lately, I have been pondering the droughts in which I plan to share more about it an upcoming video message. The headlines continue to speak of farmers having to sell their cattle because they can't feed them. Farmers letting their crops die because they can't water them, and this effecting the Utah economy, and councils meeting about new Utah water conservation regulations for all of Utah.

It was no surprise when the other day I received an email from an acquaintance who shared this compilation of council and prophecy from Latter-day Saint leaders about this very topic in relation to keeping the Sabbath day holy. This is a topic I have written about many times over the past several years, and I feel it's ever so important in 2018.

Here's a link containing two blog posts from 2017, in which I addressed drought and blessings:
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/search?q=drought

Here is link containing several posts in which I have written about keeping the Sabbath day holy:
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/search?q=sabbath+
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-three-types-of-tares.html

Here is a video in which I shared my thoughts last year about the drought in the Southwest connected to blessings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsqoUvELwcg&t=4141s

Here are the summarized points and council I took away from this friend's email. I would love to hear any additional thoughts.

Ucon, ID Stake conference, April 24 2016

(Anonymous Latter-day Saint) - Elder Sexton spoke and said, "I was recently taught by the first presidency a few weeks ago, just prior to General Conference and it's my responsibility to bring that spirit with me, to teach you the message they send to you. I'm not here teaching my own message."

Promised Blessings When Keeping it Holy

The protections promised us when we keep the Sabbath Day Holy and obey the
commandments as laid out in Leviticus 26:1-13 (reading theses verses will help you understand the notes):

• Rain in due season = prosperous (scripture is talking in agricultural terms for the time period; but we can apply this to our day and whatever our needs are now or in the future).
• Eat your bread to the full 
• Shall not want  
• Dwell in our land safely (Stake wide or individually, community of safety)  
• None shall make afraid  - (5 shall chase away 100, 100 shall chase away 10,000)  
• Take confidence
• I will make you fruitful and multiplied
• I will walk among you

Elder Sexton renewed theses blessings upon our stake, but said these promises are perpetual to ALL that keep the Sabbath Day Holy and obey the commandments.

If we choose not to keep it holy:

• I will appoint over you terror... terrorism (He asked if anyone had seen any terrorism happening in the world. He then said it gets worse and to read the rest of Leviticus (verse 14 & on) if you want to know... it's really bad but we don't want to dwell on that here today).

Faith will increase as we see the fulfillment of this promise. Sabbath observance is the great test of the faithful and shows the depth of our conviction.

The Blessings of Not Working on Sunday

A local sister bore her testimony about being in High School and wanting to do well. She said her father did not value education and if she was going to be able to go to college it was going to have to be on scholarships. She made the goal to do well enough to get as many scholarships as possible ensuring her a full ride to college. She also had made a promise to Heavenly Father early on to not do any work on Sunday, including homework. Her father owned a business and felt that hard work was

the only way to make it and the kids were expected to help daily with this business leaving little time to get homework done. In High School it was so hard for her to get all her assignments done, and she stayed up late many times so as to never miss one and never be late with one. One week in

particular her father kept them all very busy working long hours after school and it was this same week a huge report was due. One that was half the grade for the semester, not doing this report would give her a failing grade. Her heart ached as she went to bed very late Saturday night having

only finished the rough draft. She knew this particular teacher was a fair teacher, but that she was a teacher that did not budge on due dates. This sister kept her promise of never doing homework on Sundays, but went to school with a heavy heart Monday morning. When she got to this class she

was waiting for the teacher to ask for the reports to be turned in, but what she heard instead was, 

"Wow, I’m not sure what’s up, but I’m in a terribly good mood today. I think I will give you all one more day to finish up and finalize those reports. They will be due tomorrow."

A Measure for Sifting the Saints?

Stake President said that the brethren taught that there is a great "sifting" going on right now - and that Sabbath Day Observance is the sifting - and that this is the sifting that was prophesied would happen just prior to the 2nd coming of the Lord. Also, they said that Sabbath day observance will offer protection - and those who do not honor it will, "see their faith disintegrate." 

January 29th 2018 Raleigh North Carolina 

(Anonymous Latter-day Saint) - I had a spiritual feast last night. I had some pretty cool dreams and some neat spiritual experiences. Before I went to bed though I was contemplating the Sabbath day and why such a huge push from the Lord on this. I know the brethren have pushed this as a very big thing and strait from the Lord. There are a couple things I have known and that are common sense.

1) The obvious blessing of taking the sacrament

2) The protection that comes from keeping the commandment

We all know that the Lord is using this as a tool to sift the saints. There will be great blessings and divine protection for those who do it. The old saying some people use for paying your tithing is like paying your fire insurance. So you don't get burned. Well with the Sabbath day it is like life insurance and will literally entitle people to divine protection.

As I was contemplating this the spirit also said. They will need to be independent and strong because there will be times when there are no church meetings. There will be great disturbances and chaos through out the world and times of sickness and distress. This will be the ultimate form of self-reliance. Those who don't have the foundation of strong Sabbath day observance will struggle and will fall. This gives them strength and a foundation to keep them focused on the savior as there are times away from church. It kind of surprised me.

Elder Quentin L. Cook - Shipshape and Bristol Fashion

"For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, honoring the Sabbath is a form of righteousness that will bless and strengthen families, connect us with our Creator, and increase happiness. The Sabbath can help separate us from that which is frivolous, inappropriate, or

immoral. It allows us to be in the world but not of the world. .....

The Spirit will help us avoid temptations and dangers, and comfort and lead us through challenges. 'The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.'

Adherence to sacred gospel principles will allow us to be temple worthy, enable us to find happiness in this life, and lead us back to our heavenly home.

My dear brothers and sisters, life is not easy, nor was it meant to be. It is a time of testing and trial. Like the old ships in Bristol Harbor, there will be times when the tide goes out and it seems as if everything in this world keeping us afloat disappears. .......

Amid such trials, I promise you that living and maintaining temple-worthy lives will hold together all that really matters. The sweet blessings of peace, happiness, and joy, along with the blessings of eternal life and celestial glory with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, will be realized."

Elder Randall K. Bennett - Your Next Step

"Two essential weekly signposts that mark our journey back to our Father in Heaven are the perpetual covenant of the ordinance of the sacrament and our Sabbath day observance. President Russell M. Nelson taught us last general conference that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to us. Our devoted weekly

observance of the Sabbath is our sign to the Lord that we love Him.

Each Sabbath day we witness that we are 'willing to take upon [ourselves His name], and always remember him, and keep his commandments.' In return for our repentant heart and our commitment, the Lord renews the promised remission of sin and enables us to “always have his Spirit to be with [us].” The Holy Spirit’s influence improves, strengthens, teaches, and guides us.

If, in remembering Him each Sabbath, we turn our hearts to the Savior through these two important signposts, our efforts are again more than matched by the Lord by His promised blessings. We are promised that, with devoted Sabbath day observance, the fullness of the earth will be ours."

Elder Holland - Upon My Holy Day

"The world you're living in has some serious challenges. Today I want to emphasize a principle of the gospel that can* greatly bless your lives and protect you..........

I do remember what it was like to be your age. And I remember being confused a little about what I should or shouldn't do on Sundays. I want to speak with you about that for a moment, about understanding the Sabbath day and why it is so very important to keep it holy--more important than most of us ever realize.

In so doing, I plead with you not to see Sunday as a day of negative rules and stifling restrictions or a day of tedious duty or a day devoid of any pleasure or joy. Any such view could not be farther from the truth."

Spencer W. Kimball counseled,

"...To observe it [Sabbath], one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel,

meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. [Failure] to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.”

It's Our Covenant

Jesus taught,  “The Sabbath was made for man. Wherefore the children of Israel [which includes all Latter-day Saints] shall keep the Sabbath … throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever.”

The Sabbath is More Than Just Church

John Taylor taught,  " It is customary for men in the world from which we have gathered out, to

talk on Sunday about spiritual things, when they are dressed in their Sunday coats and at meeting, and then on Monday to pack up their religion with their Sunday clothes in their trunks, to have nothing more to do with it until next Sunday. … O, the folly of man in not acknowledging God in all

things, in laying aside God and his religion, and trusting in their own judgment and intelligence.

There is something that goes a little further than we think about sometimes; and that is, while we profess to be followers of the Lord, while we profess to have received the Gospel and to be governed by it, a profession will amount to nothing unless we have washed our robes and made

them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is not enough for us to be connected with the Zion of God, for the Zion of God must consist of men that are pure in heart and pure in life and spotless before God, at least that is what we have got to arrive at. We are not there yet, but we must get there before we shall be prepared to inherit glory and exaltation; therefore a form of godliness will amount to but little with any of us, for he that knoweth the master’s will and doeth it not shall be beaten with many stripes [see Luke 12:47]. It is “not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 7:21.] 

These are doctrines of the Gospel as I understand them. And it is not enough for us to embrace the Gospel and to be gathered here to the land of Zion and be associated with the people of God, attend our meetings and partake of the Sacrament of the Lord’s supper, and endeavor to move along without much blame of any kind attached to us; for notwithstanding all this, if our hearts are not right, if we are not pure in heart before God, if we have not pure hearts and pure consciences, fearing God and keeping His commandments, we shall not, unless we repent, participate in these blessings about which I have spoken, and of which the Prophets bear testimony.

It is our business to be Saints. And to be worthy of that character it is our duty to live by the principles of virtue, truth, integrity, holiness, purity, and honor that we may at all times secure the favor of Almighty God; that His blessings may be with us and dwell in our bosoms; that the

peace of God may abide in our habitations; … and that we, as a people, may be under His divine protection.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy

Keeping the Sabbath day holy is one of the ten commandments given to Moses directly from God as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Ten Commandments are recognized as a moral foundation in Judaism and Christianity since the time of Moses. Growing up, I was always taught by my leaders that to keep the Sabbath day holy was to treat it truly as a holy day. Setting it a part as a different day of the week which would mean not doing the activities you would normally do throughout the week. It's a day of rest and a day to give to the Lord. We should be serving him, thinking about him and spending quality time with our family helping them do the same. This is not easy to do when our minds our occupied with other things. With that said, it seems to becoming more of the norm to treat it like any other day of the week. For me, I never like to be part of the norm.

I have come to realize that I may be one of the very few people in the U.S who does not watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. My mom and my Dad were each having Super Bowl parties this weekend and invited me and my family. I kindly turned them down. My mom told me that half of her ward leaves church to watch it and the bishopbric watches as well. I remember when I was a youth and my leaders challenging us not to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. For me it seemed easy because I never was into football. I admired those leaders, (some who were high school coaches) who made it priority to keep the Sabbath Day holy. I wanted to emulate their example.

My mom was surprised this year when I told her I don't watch the Super Bowl. She said, "Well, I just watch it for the commercials. You're kids are missing out on some funny commercials." I responded that Super Bowl commercials are not for kids anyways. Beer, car commercials and pop star performances are not something I feel will invite the Spirit in my home. It's important for me to have the spirit in my home, especially on Sunday as it is a day for me to recharge spiritually. My mom said, "Well - I prayed this week, served some people and went to church so I think it's okay for me to watch the Super Bowl." I responded, "If I pray, serve and attend church throughout the week would it be okay for me to be dishonest for a day?" I think it is difficult for some to say, "Yes, I do my best to choose the right but I could do better".

I have taught my children that we should not watch sports games on Sundays as they take away from the Spirit and take the holiness from the Sabbath. If I were to make an exception for the Super Bowl what message would that send to my children? They would learn that it is okay to make exceptions in the gospel to make living it more convenient. Sometimes choosing the right isn't always the funnest, most convenient or popular thing to do. By doing so we show our Father in Heaven that we can sacrifice the things of this world for Him. Sacrifice is a God like quality that teaches us to be more like the Savior and our Father in Heaven. This is something we should strive to understand and practice.

Children are smart and they pick up on the errors of their parents. What they are taught now will shape who they become as adults and how they view the gospel - if they live it casually or faithfully. My husband still watches sports on Sundays and the Super Bowl. He has learned to watch it alone in another room and when he does this he misses out on family time. My children make note of this and always point out to him that he shouldn't watch his games. They have chosen to watch scripture cartoons and Jesus videos instead. They never complain. Sundays don't have to be boring. We play games, have hot chocolate tea parties, talk about the gospel and scrapbook family photos. We bond much better with each other and the Lord doing this vs. starring at a TV screen and being entertained. Being overcome by the Spirit never feels boring.

Breaking the Sabbath or not keeping it Holy does not make one evil or bad and it's wrong to judge others as such. To simply put it, choosing to sacrifice in the name of the Lord only makes us that much stronger and closer to Him. In the long run we are happier and blessed because of it.

As these end days we are living in become more chaotic and difficult to endure, let us be strong and not sit on the fence. If we are going to stand for something let's stand for it all the way or not stand for it at all. The Savior was the best example of this and offered up the greatest sacrifice known to man - himself. We are commanded to be more like the Savior. Let us try each day to show our love for him by trying to be like him. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Defending Your Faith

I've been wanting to write this post for a while now - but man oh man has this month been busy! After I decided that this needed to be written I have been hearing about this topic and the scriptures I want to share with you, everywhere. It's funny how that always happens!

About a week ago, I was reading an article on CNN that was about Mormons. I do have to say that the writer of that article had kind intentions and was doing his best to offer a positive perspective on our beliefs and the people. Then curiosity had my interest and I scrolled down to the bottom to see what people had to say. I should have known (as usual) that there would be comments bashing Mormons and comments from Mormons defending their beliefs as is the case with any news article I see in regards to the Mormon Faith or Christianity in general.

As I looked over the comments there was one particular person (an atheist) that really had a beef about Mormonism which I will now refer to by the appropriate name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or LDS. He lashed out with very cruel comments in which others were quick to argue and defend. When he could no longer argue his doctrinal points he turned to just hateful words. He then went on to say that he used to be LDS and about the age of going on a mission he had decided to become an atheist instead. It was clear to see that he was very bitter and angry and that his goal was to get others to feel the way that he was. Hence the saying "Misery loves company."

Right then, my mind was turned to a scripture I had read in the temple a couple of days before. I remember opening up the New Testament right to this chapter and thought to myself, "Hmmm...this must be what the Lord needs me to read right now - so I will." I never realized that a couple days later I would have this experience that would have me reflect back onto this scripture and inspire me to write this blog post. The Lord works though us in mysterious and wonderful ways.

I was reading in Matthew chapter 12. The Pharisees are following Jesus around looking for something to accuse him of. He heals a man's withered hand and they immediately accuse him of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus proves a wonderful point that serving someone and showing love is very lawful to do on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are angry and stumped, so they leave to go council with each other of how they can destroy Jesus. Jesus leaves and goes on to heal more people including casting out a devil.

The Pharisees return. They see the wonderful miracles Jesus is performing and probably realize that the multitudes are in awe. It is then that they accuse him of working his miracles through the power of the devil. Clearly they are sounding more and more ridiculous and when Jesus responds I can only imagine how much more stumped they were at his response. The people must have realized who was in the right here.

The Savior says:
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

All I have to say is "Go Jesus!!"

The very next day, my son put on a Living Scriptures DVD which depicted this exact chapter in Matthew. I thought to myself "What a coincidence." It wasn't until the next day I realized that this was no coincidence. The Lord wanted me to continue to ponder on Jesus' words.

After seeing the crazy conversation going back and forth in regards to the CNN article, Jesus' words became very clear. "for the tree is known by his fruit" not it's fruit - notice the Lord says "his fruit". The hateful basher was displaying his fruit through cruel words and crude language. Those defending the LDS faith were using kind and loving words. If his goal was to lead others away from the LDS faith or Jesus Christ I can't imagine who would be crazy enough to be persuaded by him after seeing both sides of the coin. You just can't argue against "good treasures" and "good fruits". You also can't deny the difference of feeling the Holy Ghost and the feeling of contention or "the adversary".

I then went on to ponder the many times in my life when I have encountered atheists, anti-Christians, "anti-Mormons" and for all that matter you could take it further with anti-Jews and so forth. These people generally express anger, bitterness, hate or just a lack of interest in serving others. I truly wonder how they could persuade anyone to follow their beliefs when the power of love for all mankind, acts of selflessness and words of love are so much more powerful and desirable. It almost seemed as though these people had a bone to pick because of one of two things. 1) They had been offended or hurt by someone in the past who was a "Christian, Latter Day Saint (Mormon) etc. or 2) They had committed some type of sin or desired to live a life and make choices that contradict the teachings of Jesus. To avoid the guilt - they change their beliefs so that their actions are justified. Finding that their choices are not bringing the happiness they had anticipated they strive to bring others down as "Misery loves company".

"By their fruits ye shall know them." Actions speak louder than words. If I saw that there were two movies playing at the theater - one being a movie that had a positive message and would leave me feeling inspired and wanting to be a better person : the other - a movie full of vulgar behavior, crude language and would leave me feeling disturbed, dark or depressed it would be a no-brainer. I would want to see the movie that made me feel good. The same goes for groups of people we associate with and our goals as individuals. Do we want to be around people that lift us up or tear us down? Are we examples to others of "good fruits" or "bad fruits"?

I brought this up with my husband and he said, "That's why I never read the comment sections on news articles". He had a point. It was clear to see that these people (bashers) had an agenda. They were not interested in being persuaded to the other side. There was nothing anyone could say to change their hearts, opinions or minds. Their goal is to spread their anger and destroy people's faith. There is a great danger in conversing with these people. "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." You will walk away feeling angry, hurt or frustrated or even worse - your faith will be destroyed. When people's intentions are not to uplift, express kindness or love in any way - be cautioned.

This reminded me of the account in Luke 22, when Jesus points out that there is often no point in arguing with naysayers. They have their agenda and are not open to feeling the Spirit or having an open mind. When Peter has betrayed Jesus and he is being held by men who mock him, these men ask him if he is the Christ. In verses 67-68 it reads:

67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

He was right.

In the world that we now live in, and with all the political heat that is rising, we must be prepared for these experiences. Faiths and religions of all kinds are being attacked and these attackers are not interested in making friendships or having pleasant and open minded conversations with those they attack. Bearing your testimony of what you know to be true is all you can and should do. Let the Spirit work through you. Never try to "prove a point" or argue doctrine. The Spirit is the teacher and the greatest power and influence in doing good and building love. Avoid contention at all cost but always be bold in what you stand for and believe.

I conclude with the scripture that hits this right on the nail. In the times of Jesus and in our own time, there are many who say "Show me a sign and I'll believe." I always say to that - if God came down and told everyone what they needed to believe, what was true and what was false it would defeat the whole purpose of why we are here. We have to desire the truth, seek after it and build faith. For those who do not wish to believe and would rather be shown a sign - here is the best response to that:

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma sums this up best. In order to grasp this I think it's best to read the entire chapter of Alma chapter 30:

1 Behold, now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were driven out of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land—

2 Now their dead were not numbered because of the greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered—but it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of fasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land.

3 Yea, and the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to keep the law of Moses until it should be fulfilled.

4 And thus the people did have no disturbance in all the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

5 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace.

6 But it came to pass in the latter end of the seventeenth year, there came a man into the land of Zarahemla, and he was Anti-Christ, for he began to preach unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ.

7 Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.

8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve.

9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him.

10 But if he murdered he was punished unto death; and if he robbed he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.

11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds.

12 And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying:

13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.

15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.

16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so.

17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was nocrime.

18 And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof.

19 Now this man went over to the land of Jershon also, to preach these things among the people of Ammon, who were once the people of the Lamanites.

20 But behold they were more wise than many of the Nephites; for they took him, and bound him, and carried him before Ammon, who was a high priest over that people.

21 And it came to pass that he caused that he should be carried out of the land. And he came over into the land of Gideon, and began to preach unto them also; and here he did not have much success, for he was taken and bound and carried before the high priest, and also the chief judge over the land.

22 And it came to pass that the high priest said unto him: Why do ye go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings? Why do ye speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?

23 Now the high priest’s name was Giddonah. And Korihor said unto him: Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.

24 Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage. Ye say that those ancient prophecies are true. Behold, I say that ye do not know that they are true.

25 Ye say that this people is a guilty and a fallen people, because of the transgression of a parent. Behold, I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents.

26 And ye also say that Christ shall come. But behold, I say that ye do not know that there shall be a Christ. And ye say also that he shall be slain for the sins of the world—

27 And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges.

28 Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should offend their priests, who do yoke them according to their desires, and have brought them to believe, by their traditions and their dreams and their whims and their visions and their pretended mysteries, that they should, if they did not do according to their words, offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.

29 Now when the high priest and the chief judge saw the hardness of his heart, yea, when they saw that he would revile even against God, they would not make any reply to his words; but they caused that he should be bound; and they delivered him up into the hands of the officers, and sent him to the land of Zarahemla, that he might be brought before Alma, and the chief judge who was governor over all the land.

30 And it came to pass that when he was brought before Alma and the chief judge, he did go on in the same manner as he did in the land of Gideon; yea, he went on to blaspheme.

31 And he did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people.

32 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people.

33 And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time.

34 And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?

35 Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that casues such joy in their hearts?

36 And Korihor answered him, Yea.

37 And then Alma said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God?

38 And he answered, Nay.

39 Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.

40 And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

41 But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?

42 Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God.

43 And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.

46 And now it came to pass that Alma said unto him: Behold, I am grieved because of the hardness of your heart, yea, that ye will still resist the spirit of the truth, that thy soul may be destroyed.

47 But behold, it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; therefore if thou shalt deny again, behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more.

48 Now Korihor said unto him: I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God; and I say also, that ye do not know that there is a God; and except ye show me a sign, I will not believe.

49 Now Alma said unto him: This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be struck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance.

50 Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.

51 And now when the chief judge saw this, he put forth his hand and wrote unto Korihor, saying: Art thou convinced of the power of God? In whom did ye desire that Alma should show forth his sign? Would ye that he should afflict others, to show unto thee a sign? Behold, he has showed unto you a sign; and now will ye dispute more?

52 And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the power of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always knew that there was a God.

53 But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me.

54 Now when he had said this, he besought that Alma should pray unto God, that the curse might be taken from him.

55 But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people; therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will.

56 And it came to pass that the curse was not taken off of Korihor; but he was cast out, and went about from house to house begging for his food.

57 Now the knowledge of what had happened unto Korihor was immediately published throughout all the land; yea, the proclamation was sent forth by the chief judge to all the people in the land, declaring unto those who had believed in the words of Korihor that they must speedily repent, lest the same judgments would come unto them.

58 And it came to pass that they were all convinced of the wickedness of Korihor; therefore they were all converted again unto the Lord; and this put an end to the iniquity after the manner of Korihor. And Korihor did go about from house to house, begging food for his support.

59 And it came to pass that as he went forth among the people, yea, among a people who had separated themselves from the Nephites and called themselves Zoramites, being led by a man whose name was Zoram—and as he went forth amongst them, behold, he was run upon and trodden down, even until he was dead.

60 And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

Church Boring?

I remember 5 years ago at my old job I was having a conversation in the lunch room with a co-worker. She said to me, "You are so good to go to church every Sunday. The last time I attended was when I was a teenager and my grandma would make me go. It was soooo boring. I'm sorry but I would rather enjoy my Sundays than be bored." I remember thinking about her children and how they would never learn about the gospel, how to pray and that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them. They would never learn all the songs that teach them about the Savior and they would never understand the atonement or make baptismal covenants and receive so many blessings. I felt sad for her cute little family.

Years later, I was sitting in sacrament meeting listening to a stake leader speak. He said, "Sacrament meeting was never meant for your entertainment. You don't come to church to be entertained. You come to feel the spirit and renew covenants, you come to worship the Lord. If you are coming with the right intentions - you will feel the spirit and receive revelation. You will find answers you have been praying for, you will build a stronger relationship with the Lord and you will feel uplifted. If this is what you are seeking, you will receive it and you won't be bored, but filled with the burning of the spirit. If you are coming with other intentions or because you feel you have to, then yes, you will miss out on these blessings and you may feel bored."

How true. I thought to myself about all that the Lord has done for us and all he asks us to do is devote one day a week to him. Because I love the Lord and I am deeply grateful for all he has done for me it is not hard for me to show my love and respect in return. I feel in debt to him and this is how I show him that what he did for me was not in vein.

In fact, I really enjoy Sundays - especially church. It's the one day I get to rest and enjoy my family with no worries or stress. It's the one day I get to listen to the testimonies ad experiences of others and feel uplifted. I sometimes learn more in one hour than a weeks worth of scripture study. I walk away feeling a better person, a better mom and motivated to strive to be even better that week. It's a good feeling. I come home feeling a deeper love for my kids and husband. We feel peace in our home, security and safety. No other activities on this earth could offer what I receive when I attend church on Sunday and when I keep the Sabbath holy.

My kids love going to primary. They love singing songs about Jesus and learning about the simpleness of the gospel. It's so special to watch them learn and grow and they end up teaching me more than I could teach them. Primary gives them the foundation they will need to make the right choices as they enter school. My son already has a strong sense of what is right and wrong and his heroes are surprisingly not Superman, Batman, or Spiderman - instead they are the prophets in the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. He tries to be like Nephi and Ammon and choose the right. Instead of playing cars or ninjas he likes to play "church" and he blesses and passes the sacrament. He has a strong influence already on all his little friends.

My little daughter recognizes Jesus and the prophet when she sees their pictures and she loves to say her own prayers. She is only 22 months. It's special to see.

In order to love keeping the Sabbath day holy and enjoy attending church you need to first have an understanding of why this is important along with a desire to do it. By doing this you will experience blessings beyond belief which will make it easier to increase your desire to continue on this path. I actually feel sad when I miss church or spend a Sunday out of town. Yes, call me strange - but I notice an emptiness as my spirit misses out on an opportunity to grow and be uplifted. It's like my energy bar for the week and if I miss out on it, then my spiritual energy level is lower that week and I notice a big difference. When I am not in church on Sunday it feels awkward and I don't care what it is I am doing, it is no fun. My spirit knows where it is supposed to be.

I testify to you that being in the right places at the right times will always bless us. The Lord doesn't ask us to do this make our lives less exciting, he asks us to do this because he loves us and he knows our lives will become better and more enjoyable by keeping his commandments. It is the most unselfish thing you could do to show your love for the Lord. It is a sacrifice for many people and to sacrifice willingly is a godly attribute. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

A New Perspective on the Law of Moses Might Surprise you!

I've been reading this awesome free PDF titled "Days of Awe" by LDS author Gayle T. Boyd who has Jewish heritage and lived in Jerusalem for several years. This chapter about the Law of Moses completely changed the way I view it. I was so intrigued by Gayle's points that I wanted to share on my blog and decided to just share her exact words. Enjoy!

If we were to play the game “Tell Me the First Thought That Comes Into Your Mind,” and I were to give you the cue “The Law of Moses,” your response would be quick. You would probably say, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” And if I were to ask you what that means, you would say, “It means that if I put out your eye, you get to put out mine.” You would go on to explain that Jesus brought us a new law that would teach us to love one another rather than to take revenge. Interesting. I have spent the last several decades in Sunday School classes, trying to correct this erroneous perception of the Law of Moses.

Firstly, who gave the law? Was it Moses? No, it was the Lord. And who was the Lord? He was Jehovah, god of the Old Testament, who would be known on earth as Yeshu or Y’shua — Jesus. Would Jesus have given a law of retribution and revenge to his Chosen People? We know he gave them a “school-master” law, meant to train them to be a treasure unto him. But a law of vengeance would be a poor teaching tool to prepare them for anything godly. Secondly, was the Golden Rule first taught by Christ during his ministry? Was the Law of Moses devoid of commandments to love one’s neighbor? Consider this verse from Leviticus, one of the five books of the Bible which contain the Mosaic Law:

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18 (emphasis added)

“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:1 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. “And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: “And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” Mark 12:28-34 So let’s begin again. Pretend you know nothing about the Mosaic Law, and let’s build from there — A HOLY PEOPLE When Jesus came, when he finished his atonement for our sins, He fulfilled the types given in the Law of Moses, and He ended blood sacrifice. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19 (emphasis added) The Laws of Reparation or Restitution outlined in the Law help us to understand the process of repentance. When we injure someone, we restore as best we can and ask forgiveness. Jews restored fourfold, often more, to insure that restitution was complete. This is a basis for charity; making restitution leads us on the path to developing Christ-like love. The Law contains policies of justice, generosity, liberty and equality that were practically unknown outside ancient Israelite society. It differed from the systems of other societies in that it wiped out class distinctions, prohibited harsh and unjust punishments, and guaranteed compensation for victims. This legal system has provided a foundation for every just legal system since then in the Judeo-Christian world.

PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW

One of the priorities of the Law of Moses was protection. Most important, was the protection of the society as separate and holy. That is why the death penalty (or banishment or just reparation)2 was mandated for the following crimes and sins: Idolatry, premeditated murder, kidnaping, witchcraft, sexual perversion, adultery, desecration of the Sabbath, disobedience to parents, robbery (looked
upon as a sort of military intrusion, different from simple theft). All of the above crimes and sins, if left undisciplined and unchecked, can ruin a society, family by family. The part about disobedience to parents might have startled you. You are probably running to show your children right now. There were always caveats in the Law to guarantee humaneness. The parents had to accuse the child, and they had to throw the first stone. The Lord knows how much parents love their children. There is no record of this punishment ever being carried out. But the children knew the commandment existed; they knew how important it was to be obedient to God-fearing parents. And the parents were aware of their responsibility to teach their children righteousness. (Read the Book of Samuel to see how the priest, Eli, was disciplined for not reining in his sons.) Protection for the poor, for women and children, for widows, and for servants,3 was also guaranteed and provided for under the Law of Moses. Provisions for the poor were many. Gleaning, as described in the Book of Ruth, was an excellent system. The farm owner left the corners of his field unharvested. Also, when the rest of the field was harvested, anything that was dropped was left for the poor to glean. (This system is being experimented with in modern times.) Women, under the Law, were absolved from the strenuous details of ritual worship. Marriage was considered sacred. Levirate marriage, where the brother of a deceased man took responsibility for his wife and household, guaranteed that widows would be cared for. (Note that this often necessitated a polygamous marriage.) The stewardship of husbands and fathers were outlined, so that everyone in a household would be cared for and protected. The legal system of the Law of Moses included protections for the accused. Confessions were not considered enough to declare a person guilty. Witnesses were required. Witnesses had to take part in punishments, thereby making them take their jobs very seriously. The accused had to have a friend in court. This is one of the requirements that proves the trial of Jesus was illegal — since he had no friend in court, the case should have been thrown out.

(For a good summary of Jewish court law, read The Illegal Trial of Christ, by Steven W. Allen, 2005, Legal Awareness Series, Inc., Mesa, Arizona.)

COMPENSATING THE VICTIM

And now, back to “an eye for an eye.” Remember, that under the Mosaic Law, someone who injures another person or his property is accountable to the victim, not the state.5 This is infinitely more fair than our current penal system, where the victim is often uncompensated. Harrowing up in his mind what suffering a similar injury would be like, the perpetrator was expected to fully extend himself to compensate the victim. Usually, he would pay money, as we do in civil suits, but he might also work off his debt by indenturing himself to the victim, perhaps part time while continuing his normal duties and family life. His servitude could only last six years, however, for in the Sabbath year, he was freed. This encouraged forgiveness on the part of the victim. If the criminal refused to make reparations, or if his offense was against the community, he could be whipped, but lashing was limited. The infamous “cat-o-nine-tails” of the Romans, which laid open the back, was certainly not a Jewish invention. Only deliberate murderers were surely put to death. Many others chose exile to a non-Israelite society, and other capital crimes could be compensated for by making reparation with money or labor.

NO JEWISH POLICEMEN

Offenses were brought before the court, and witnesses were provided. Policemen were not necessary under this system. Nor were prisons or dungeons. When we read of the clandestine trial of Jesus Christ, we see that wicked men had taken the Law into their own hands and bent it to fit their own will. The system, however, was righteous, having been instituted by the Savior himself.Though the laws of blood sacrifice were fulfilled and done away with by Christ, the other laws as given to Moses continued in their efficacy and desirability. The Law of Moses was and is a law of charity. The 613 commandments are called mitzvot, a word with two meanings. It means both “laws” and “good deeds.” The laws are meant to guide men through this life in kindness; they are laws of ethics. So what was the “new law” instituted by the Savior? It was to extend ourselves in charity past our own capacity to love and forgive, and surpassing our own capacity, to cry unto him for that gift of charity that only he can give, thus blessingthe victim, and the repentant sinner.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING RESTITUTION

One important lesson for the Latter-day Saint in the Law of Moses, is the importance of making restitution during the process of repentance. Why is it so difficult to repent of the “sin against the Holy Ghost,” murder, or adultery? It is because making restitution is nearly impossible. The sin against the Holy Ghost is to deny the Christ once we have a sure knowledge of him; the Lord says it is equivalent to crucifying him anew. It is impossible to restore what we have destroyed. In the case of murder, one cannot restore a life. In the case of adultery and fornication, one cannot restore stolen virtue. The Lord taught the Israelites that there is no such thing as a “victimless crime.” Any shortcoming we might manifest influences or harms others. We are encouraged by our leaders to constantly, daily repent. As we do so, we bless the lives of others around us, restoring damaged testimonies, feelings, and sensitivities.

REFERRING BACK TO THE LAW

Section 98 of the Doctrine and Covenants dictates laws governing persecutions and afflictions and the Saints’ response to them. The pattern and instructions given to early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints exactly follows the Law of Moses. In verse 32 it says, "Behold, this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi, and thy fathers, Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, and all mine ancient prophets and apostles." This reference helps us to see Moses as a restorer, and not an originator of the law. He was reclaiming a people whose ancestors had been taught and trained by prophets from the beginning of time. Everything those prophets taught, every law they gave, pointed to Christ and prepared them to be his people.

Are You a Fence Rider?

Years ago in seminary, I had a teacher who gave a powerful lesson one day on righteousness. He said that there was no such thing as riding the fence in the gospel. Good and evil is black and white and there is no gray. At the time, this was a new concept for me but it made sense. He quoted Matthew 6:24 which reads:

“ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.”

He then proceeded to teach us that if you aren’t serving the Lord, you are serving Satan. By not serving the Lord, that pleases Satan as this is a service to him. He gave examples of circumstances when people may not be living the gospel to it’s fullest but because they are still kind to others and believe in God they are on the Lord’s side. In reality they are not on the Lord’s side because they are not attending their meetings, keeping all the commandments, or serving in their callings. They are just riding the fence. They may not be committing adultery or murder but they are not keeping the Sabbath day holy, being honest in all their dealings or truly standing up for what is right. They are lax in their standards and good works. They believe in God and the gospel but they are not living in a way that would reflect what they believe. They are at a place in their life spiritually where they consider themselves in the middle. Doing just enough to get by and justify that they are on good terms with the Lord. They go through the motions of attending church or reading scriptures but then talk bad about others or have poor integrity. Becoming casual in the gospel or doing things that you know are wrong outweigh the good and please Satan in more ways than one. You may despise Satan and all he stands for and would never dream of following him. However you are doing just that when you “ride the fence”.

There is God and there is Satan. There is good and there is evil. There are no other choices. This is why there is no gray. You are only kidding yourself if you believe there is. It just makes sense. Satan would prefer that we think we are following the Lord and hear us justify to ourselves the reasons for our bad choices and actions. It's easier for him to get us to make bad choices when we think this way.

We are held accountable in the next life for what we know here on Earth. If we know that there are certain things we should be doing that would be very pleasing to the Lord and we are not doing them, we will have to answer for that. Often times when we are not serving the Lord we are not doing it deliberately. We are not trying to rebel or purposely sin, or hurt the Lord. Most often we just aren’t thinking about the repercussions our choices have. We aren’t understanding the grand scheme of things or looking at our life with an eternal perspective. We are just living in the moment for the here and now.

I met a man the other day who was a very talented piano player. As I sat and chatted with him in a lobby he began to tell me how depressing and disappointing his life was. He weighed 350 pounds, was diabetic, suffered from arthritis, just had all of his teeth pulled, had foot problems, asthma, severe back pain, was on oxygen and spending his days lying in a hospital bed in his son's living room never leaving the house. He was retired, divorced and living with his son's family. He was not involved in any activities outside of the home. He did not have friends, hobbies, work, or anything that occupied his time. He had nothing to look forward to and said he was very lonely. After talking with him I learned that he had the ability to drive, walk, use the computer, talk on the phone, lose weight and so forth but he chose not to. It was easier for him to sit on a bed all day and not have to do anything. All he did was eat and sleep all day. The depressing and lonely feelings had caused him to become very bitter and negative. The remarkable thing about this was that he was very talented on the piano (as I got to hear him play earlier that day) and he attended his church faithfully each Sunday and played the organ. That's where he drew the line though. On Sunday's he went to church but the rest of the week he sat in bed and loathed in self pitty. He was not paralyzed, did not suffer from anxiety, mental illness, or social disorders. He had just simply made a decision to keep to himself and had become lazy. He figured he was still a good person and as long as he didn't bother anyone he wouldn't have to worry about sins, relationships, conflict or any other troublesome issues. He would just simply "exist" but not truly live.

Sarah Menet passed away in 1979 and shortly later was miraculously revived. During her death she crossed over to the other side without being permitted to pass through the veil into the spirit world. She was taught and shown many things that would later help her change her life for the better and help others.

Interestingly, she was taught something about people who fly below the radar. She says:

"This person doesn't progress, help others, or care. In a way, he or she just takes up space, doing nothing worthwhile. Unfortunately, I learned there are a lot of spirits who come to earth and become this way. They live to "party" and spend countless hours trying only to entertain themselves or satisfy their wants, which they will never fill because these pleasures are empty and have no lasting or eternal value. They do nothing to elevate mankind or contribute to the improvement of the world. Such positive contributions may be large or small because all do not have the same power to make a difference, but the important thing is to try. Even very small acts of kindness can make a big difference. I believe that many souls in the world will thank us for what we assumed was unappreciated or insignificant."

I have many friends, family members and acquaintances who fly below the radar. They do the bare minimum to get by. They talk the talk but fail to walk the walk. They don’t go out of their way to serve others or the Lord. They have the knowledge but they don’t practice all that they know to be true. Yes, they are still good people and kind to others but just being kind won’t be enough on judgment day. We need to serve the Lord. We are here on His business. This life isn’t just for our benefit. He needs us to help Him, to do His work. We are His hands here on Earth.

In the hymn “Who’s on the Lord’s Side?” the chorus sings

“Who’s on the Lord’s Side Who? Now is the time to show. We ask it fearlessly; who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?”

The battle of good and evil has been going on since the beginning of time. This battle is real and we are all in it whether we choose to be or not. We know from the scriptures that eventually the battle will end and good will prevail. We should all want to be on the Lord’s side and help fight the fight.

In any battle, a soldier that let’s down his guard our sits on the sidelines will eventually meet his fate. Don’t let that happen to you. Stand up for what you know is right. Live what you believe. Serve the Lord faithfully in all you do. Don’t sit on the sidelines, fly below the radar or ride the fence. You are not defending or serving the Lord when you do this. This is not a situation you want to find yourself in. When you are not strong you are weak. When you are weak you are vulnerable to the influence of the adversary.

Sarah Menet talks about this battle in her book There is No Death when she says:

"There is an evil kingdom here on earth that is directed by Satan. There are people on earth who serve him, just like there are people who serve God and Jesus. Many people knowingly serve Satan while others serve his purposes without understanding how they are doing so...The adversary's armies, born and unborn, are all over the world working towards his goal."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said:

"We too easily and too often get caught up in seeking the honors of men rather than serving the Lord with all our might, mind, and strength."

We have been taught time and time again in the scriptures about the importance of serving with all our mind, might and strength.

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2 Nephi 25:29

And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.

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Doctrine and Covenants 4:2

Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

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Doctrine and Covenants 98:47

But if the children shall repent, or the children’s children, and turn to the Lord their God, with all their hearts and with all their might, mind, and strength, and restore four-fold for all their trespasses wherewith they have trespassed, or wherewith their fathers have trespassed, or their fathers’ fathers, then thine indignation shall be turned away;

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Doctrine and Covenants 59:5

Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.

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Doctrine and Covenants 33:7

Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

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Moroni 10:32

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; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

My Conclusion

Ok, so why is this message so important and how can we make sure we are on the Lord's side?

In our time music and the media is Satan's biggest weapon. There are so many top 40 songs that contain lyrics that completely defy God and all He stands for. The melodies are catchy and popular and its so easy to want to tap your feet to the beat and get these songs stuck in your head. There are so many movies with great reviews from the critics, and they receive awards, praise and recognition by the world but they are full of questionable content that also defy God and all He stands for.

When we bring these "weapons" into our homes and minds we are unknowingly fighting against the Lord. lWe are serving Satan and supporting his purposes. Filthy language, pornography, premarital sex, vulgar talk , jokes and imagery are all things that even if we don't personally participate in them we are supporting them by watching them and laughing at them.

We need to be more careful and clear in what we really stand for. I will not watch rated R movies and I will walk away from PG-13 movies that are offensive to the Lord. If they are offensive to Him they are offensive to me. We should be more careful that we do not become desensitized by all of this. We should find these things offensive.

If we are standing up for what is right, and fearing God more than man we are serving the Lord and fighting for His cause. Doing this in addition to serving others and putting effort into our callings and all we do to serve Him will keep us where we need to be to embrace judgment day and not fear it. Go above and beyond in all you do and you "shall not fear". The Lord will bless you or your efforts.

Tell me what you do in your daily life to fight the adversary. Comment below.