Our Hearts Knit as One

I listened to a GREAT talk from Elder Eyring this morning. As I listened, I found myself just hanging on every word. Isn’t it incredible how the Lord knows exactly what you need? I immediately re-played the talk and tried to glean more from his words.

Principles that lead to greater unity:

• Revelation - What would He have us do?
  • Keep Him in your decisions - in all of our interactions with others, by keeping this idea in the back of our minds, “what would He have me do?”, we can tap into the decision making power of the Lord… it makes potentially difficult conversations run smoothly and peaceably
• Humility - pride is the great enemy of unity
  • Don’t let a discussion of what is true, become a contest of who is right.
  • Stay open - we are all seeking truth and should be open to discover progress that others have made down that path to truth… and if you’re lucky, it is a path you haven’t gone down yet.
• Learn to be a peacemaker - search for ANYTHING on which you agree.  Have the faith that as children of God, there will be truth that you share… and that is ALWAYS greater than any differences
  • Children of God have more in common than they have differences, and even the differences can be seen as an opportunity - The Lord can help you see a difference NOT as a source of irritation, but as a contribution - He can help you see value in what another person brings which you lack.
  • An experience I had two nights ago really highlighted this for me - Tanner Bowen and I could not have more different political beliefs. He believes Donald Trump is one of the best presidents that we have ever had... while I campaigned for and supported Bernie Sanders and fight for socialist policies. We discussed a myriad of topics and we disagreed on about every single one of them. And then we came to a beautiful realization - “we both love our country and we are both trying to solve problems to make people’s lives better”.  Of course the two parties want us to hate each other and think that the “other side” is stupid, or evil, or malicious. And while it can be easy to fall into that thought process, it's NOT true.
  • When we were able to see the common ground, and realize that it is more powerful than our differences, as stark as they may be, the whole spirit of the conversations changed. 
• Speak well of each other
  • Look for what is BEST in each other, not their worst
  • Search for the good intent and trust that people are GOOD, that their intent is NOT malicious
  • no need to speak ill of others behind their back - it only further divides you. Speak kindly and respectfully of all, especially those who think differently than you.
• The atonement brings the same changes in all of us
  • We all should seek to repent and grow closer to God

Here is the link to the talk:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/our-hearts-knit-as-one?lang=eng

See Their Keys

Last night as I was scrolling through all of the educational posts on my Instagram feed… so many people are teaching about how to dismantle my white fragility and helping me learn how to be a better citizen of the country and fight for anti racist policies.

I came across a post from a friend – a well constructed post, at that – that cited racism in the church as the reason she decided to leave the church.  She listed a few examples of prophets, policies, and quotes that, in the context of the post, seemed really powerful, and looked REALLY BAD.  

Luckily, my testimony of the restoration runs deep, and I believe that the Lord has indeed called prophets in our day.  However, I would be lying if I didn’t say it made me think.  While I am trying SO HARD to dismantle these long-held, deep-rooted pieces of racism, is on of my most treasured possessions (my testimony) rooted in a racist organization?!

Then, this morning as I was riding my bike to work, I listened to the next talk on The Eyring Project.  

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/faith-and-keys?lang=eng

Elder Eyring mentioned a few things:

• “Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point out the humanity of those who hold them. He can in that way weaken our testimony and so cut us loose from the line of keys by which the Lord ties us to Him and can take us and our families home to Him and to our Heavenly Father.”
  • This post, and my thoughts after reading it, were focussed on the humanity of those called to their office. They were men living in a different era, and God was working with them as best he could.
• “The warning for us is plain. If we look for human frailty in humans, we will always find it. When we focus on finding the frailties of those who hold priesthood keys, we run risks for ourselves. When we speak or write to others of such frailties, we put them at risk. We live in a world where finding fault in others seems to be the favorite blood sport. It has long been the basis of political campaign strategy. It is the theme of much television programming across the world. It sells newspapers. Whenever we meet anyone, our first, almost unconscious reaction may be to look for imperfections.”
  • We can always find fault in those that God calls.  We need to strive to recognize their effort to align their will with the Lord as they lead.
• “To keep ourselves grounded in the Lord’s Church, we can and must train our eyes to recognize the power of the Lord in the service of those He has called. We must be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. And we need to pray for the Holy Ghost to help us know that men who lead us hold this power. For me, such prayers are most often answered when I am fully engaged in the Lord’s service myself.”
  • What is the remedy – 1.) seek the Holy Ghost and 2.) serve others and do YOUR best to serve as the Lord would have YOU serve.  

I was enlightened by the words of an apostle. I believe that God calls men and women to lead us.  I know that God loves us all regardless of our skin color. I know that Christ is our Savior and, through Him, all of this crap that is so broken and unfair in our current, failing system will be fixed. It sucks we are having such a hard time figuring it out on our own, but I believe if we keep fighting, we can get closer and closer to that ideal. I am willing to struggle and earn that for my fellow brothers and sisters.

WITH THAT – here is a message from our current prophet on the entire situation

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Frussell.m.nelson%2Fposts%2F3015443371856412&width=500

A message to my 20-year-old self

A message to my 20-year-old self

I’m 30 this year. That is three decades on this planet. I have learned a lot in that time, and can only imagine there is SO much more to learn in the next 30. However, I want to focus on what I have learned in the last decade. I want to put into words some lessons from my 20’s. I’ll bullet out some things that I feel my 20-year-old self would find useful.

1. Think of others and how your choices play out - even when you think your decisions have little-to-no effect on others, every action you take causes a ripple. Your choice to move, travel, study, have a child, or even eat a certain way ALL have an effect on others. Stay true to yourself and make the choices you need to make, however, be aware that all actions touch those around you - do your best to ease transitions, never judge people’s reactions, and help others understand your motives.
2. Be confident. When you feel you lack certain skills and wonder if you really can do something - remember, you are a badass! You can LEARN. You can GROW. YouTube it! Read forums! Ask older and wiser men and women! Someone has gone before and has documented it. Stand on their shoulders and create something even better. Nothing is out of your reach; you have the resources to do and accomplish whatever you want.
3. Love people. When you genuinely listen and love others, you gain so much. There will be pain that comes with it, however. Be ready for that, but never give up on love. Fight for the underdog. There are people that need you - seek them out and do what you can to help. Remember that every person is worthy of your love - give it freely.
4. There really isn’t a “path to success”. You don’t have to buy a house, make a lot of money, drive a cool car, achieve perfect fitness, have a large family. These goals are by no means bad, but don’t define yourself as successful or unsuccessful if you have or don’t have these things. Success instead should be measured by how you use your TIME. Spend your time doing things you want to do. Create. Be with family. Experience the wild.
5. Trust. Trust your partner to always fight for your team. Trust your friends to always be there for you. Trust your vehicle to get you in and out of the wild. Trust your family to always love you, regardless of your bad choices. Trust your body to work well and do hard things. Trust the Lord to give you answers. Trust strangers. Trust handshake deals. Trust wild ideas. Trust maps. Trust your gear to keep you safe. Trust your tires in those tight and loose turns. Trust science and research. And most importantly, trust yourself. Life is more fun when you trust - sure, you’ll get burned here and there, but that’s okay. Continue to give the benefit of the doubt.
6. “Live in the grey” - not very many things are truly black and white. Life is really messy and that is actually great (it’s a feature, not a bug). But when you are tempted to disengage with the process (because oftentimes that path seems easier) - DON’T. Live in the grey and struggle with it. Sometimes ideas or positions that seem to oppose each other or even contradict each other, can in fact exist together. Believe that the fluid and undefined questions of life are worth struggling with. It may be more painful, but believe that it is worth it.
7. There are many paths to TRUTH.
8. What is your passion? Find a way to make money pursuing that passion. There is always a way to take what you love doing, and monetize it. It might be rough at first, but if you keep working at it, eventually you will get there and that struggle will be worth it.
9. Surround yourself with positive people. There really isn’t space in your life with people that are constantly negative, that are always complaining, and that bring bad vibes. Love everyone, but seek out people that have a passion for life and that are doing fun things.
10. Be your true self. Don’t feel weird about admitting the kind of music you love. Don’t be ashamed of your religious beliefs. Share your feelings; it is okay to cry. Get vulnerable. You can be a hardcore mountain man AND love musicals AND be an animal-loving vegan AND think video games and doritos are cool AND have a mullet, mustache, or purple hair AND be in touch with your “feminine side”. There isn’t one stereotype that you have to fit - you don’t have to be just one thing. In fact, you’re boring and one-dimensional if you only have one thing that defines you. With all of this - don’t take yourself too seriously. Not many people are actually watching - and if they are, they probably need you to be an example of how to loosen up and be real.

A chance to share testimony

Okay, so this one will be quick.  I have just realized that I don't have very many places to bear testimony of the Savior. Church isn't a thing anymore, we aren't hanging out with groups of people, haven't really seen my family much, and it isn't super normal/natural to just dive into testimony time... yada yada yada... all kinds of excuses, right?

BUT, I think because of that, because I haven't vocalized it in a while, because I haven't really said it out loud, I'm at risk of forgetting it.

So here we are. I want to share with you guys my testimony of Jesus Christ.

I'm not perfect. FAR far from it. My list of shortcomings, no matter how hard I seem to work on them and try to curb them, seems to ALWAYS be longer than my list of strengths. I have doubts. I have fears. I have a hard time following direction. I am lazy. I am impatient. My priorities are frequently out of whack. I'm often clueless when it comes to others and their needs. It's frustrating.

However, I count myself lucky that one of my strengths is my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that through Him, that stupid list of crap I need to work on, CAN SOMEDAY be finally eliminated. That because of what He did, I can repent of all the dumb things I do.

And not only that, all of the unfair pieces of this life... all of the poverty, all of the sickness, all of the imperfections of government, all of the wars, all of the systematic failures of our human institutions... it will all be fair through the Atonement. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed about that... I feel guilty that my "luckiness" has brought me to a point of relative stability and comfort... while others will never see that. And I get sad. BUT, when remember that there IS a plan for it all, I find relief. It isn't the easiest answer because I am a man of the moment - I wan't it and I want it NOW.  I want things to be fair NOW.  BUT, it will be fair in the end... whenever that is. That doesn't mean we don't do everything we can right now to better our fellow human being's situation and alleviate suffering (just like we try our hardest to stop sinning, even though we know we can always repent and use an infinite atonement) - but it does give me peace when I feel like my efforts don't seem to make much of an impact.

I am grateful for the Savior. I have a testimony of the efficacy of the Atonement. It works. It is real. There is room there for everyone. I will continue to drink deeply from the well and rely on this incredible gift. What a blessing!

REMEMBER

Guys - EPIC talk from Elder Eyring from 1989 GC.

  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1989/10/remembrance-and-gratitude?lang=eng

Here are my quick notes:

• Find gratitude; be grateful - it will surprise you what it will do. 
• Orderville Utah was a test (gets my socialist juices FLOWING, I freaking love it) - try to pledge all to the Lord. 
• Comparison was (once again) the thief of joy.
• We must REMEMBER our past experiences... that way we can skip the pride cycle... and just keep hitting those blessings. Gratitude leads to repentance, which leads to more blessings, which can leave to gratitude (if you play it right and can remember)... gotta keep that rolling. 
• Remember your nothingness and call on the Lord daily. 
• GIFT OF REMEMBRANCE  - that is the Holy Ghost. 
• Remembering is the key. Ask - how did God bless me today? Write it down. 
• Always remember Him.