No Graven Images

This one seemed so easy to me at first. Brooke have you been melting down any metal into shapes of things and bowing down and worshiping them? Nope, I can check that one off my not a problem to do commandment list. Well that is until I read D&C 1:16 where we learn that in a modern world “every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol."

President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood. What difference does it make that the item concerned is not shaped like an idol? Brigham Young said: ‘I would as soon see a man worshiping a little god made of brass or of wood as to see him worshiping his property’ [ Journal of Discourses, 6:196].

“Intangible things make just as ready gods. Degrees and letters and titles can become idols. Many young men decide to attend college when they should be on missions first. The degree, and the wealth and the security which come through it, appear so desirable that the mission takes second place. Some neglect Church service through their college years, feeling to give preference to the secular training and ignoring the spiritual covenants they have made.

“Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first—and then find they ‘cannot afford’ to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth, for we serve whom we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires. Young married couples who postpone parenthood until their degrees are attained might be shocked if their expressed preference were labeled idolatry. Their rationalization gives them degrees at the expense of children. Is it a justifiable exchange? Whom do they love and worship—themselves or God? Other couples, recognizing that life is not intended primarily for comforts, ease, and luxuries, complete their educations while they move forward with full lives, having their children and giving Church and community service.

“Many worship the hunt, the fishing trip, the vacation, the weekend picnics and outings. Others have as their idols the games of sport, baseball, football, the bullfight, or golf. These pursuits more often than not interfere with the worship of the Lord and with giving service to the building up of the kingdom of God. To the participants this emphasis may not seem serious, yet it indicates where their allegiance and loyalty are.

“Still another image men worship is that of power and prestige. Many will trample underfoot the spiritual and often the ethical values in their climb to success. These gods of power, wealth, and influence are most demanding and are quite as real as the golden calves of the children of Israel in the wilderness.” ( Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 40–42.)

What idols might be getting in your way?

The First Commandment

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3) This first commandment was to help us prioritize our life. There is nothing else more important than God, not even our own life if it comes in the way of him.

One Bible scholar put it this way: “This commandment prohibits every species of mental idolatry, and all inordinate attachment to earthly and sensible things [things which appeal to the senses]. . . God is the fountain of happiness, and no intelligent creature can be happy but through him. . . . The very first commandment of the whole series is divinely calculated to prevent man’s misery and promote his happiness, by taking him off from all false dependence, and leading him to God himself, the fountain of all good. ” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:402–3.)

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

The older I get, the more I crave and love the Sabbath day because of how rejuvenated I feel after it. It gives me added strength and motivation to live better in the coming week, and that things will always get better. It actually makes me sad when I see people doing things that don't honor the Sabbath day because I know they lose out. What a blessing I was taught from a young age how to appropriately live the Sabbath. Although I didn't always love it at the time, sometimes Sundays were just boring to me, church wasn't always riveting, we wouldn't watch tv, or play with friends and do homework, etc. They are never boring any longer however! And I think a huge portion of that is I have an understanding of what appropriate activities to do on the Sabbath, because if we merely "lounge about doing nothing on the Sabbath we [also] fail to keep the day holy." (True to the Faith, p 146)

I'm grateful to have a husband that also has a testimony of keeping this day holy, and is similar to me in how I feel the day should be observed. One important way we have found to observe the sabbath is by staying dressed up in our Sunday clothes all day. I hate wearing dresses, so this is a big sacrifice for me, but in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet written by the First Presidency it states "Your dress before, during, and after church meetings should show respect for the Sabbath" Elder L. Tom Perry cautions that "our actions seem to follow the type of clothing we wear." How true, and isn't it interesting with the world's standards going downhill, the dress is going down and much more casual as well, in concerts at the Symphony Hall, at church on Sunday, and other places people are not feeling the need to dress up or differently than they do while running errands or playing at the park.

But this post isn't a list of things you should and should not be doing on the Sabbath. I just wanted to have you guys to realize this next thought about the Sabbath from of course the institute manual.

" Holidays are Holy Days. A break from the rigors of work, makes him more sensitive to things of the spirit if he has a break. The feasts and festivals were given by revelation to lift the spirit as well as rest the body. Like all other parts of the Mosaic law, the feasts and festivals also pointed to Christ.

The most important and most frequent of the Lord’s holy days was the Sabbath

By ceasing from his own work and remembering the Lord’s work, which is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” ( Moses 1:39 ), man would be drawn to God. This was the purpose of all the feasts and festivals as well as the purpose of the Sabbath."

The Sabbath is a gift to us from Heavenly Father. I know I absolutely love it, and am grateful for this important day of the week for me and my family. Yay for commandments!

Ten Commandments

I had so many study thoughts a few weeks ago on the ten commandments. And of course not one of them made it to this blog.

Yet.

Here comes the ten commandments ten thoughts in ten days! (Or something like that.)

Cecil B. DeMille, producer of the movie The Ten Commandments, made this observation:

“We cannot break the Ten Commandments. We can only break ourselves against them—or else, by keeping them, rise through them to the fulness of freedom under God. God means us to be free. With divine daring, He gave us the power of choice.” ( Commencement Address, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, Provo, 31 May 1957.)

Powerful. Do you have a testimony of that? That commandments are there to help us, and if we try not to live them we only find ourselves broken in the end?

And from our ever eloquent Neal A. Maxwell,

"In one degree or another we all struggle with selfishness. Since it is so common, why worry about selfishness anyway? Because selfishness is really self-destruction in slow motion. No wonder the Prophet Joseph Smith urged, "Let every selfish feeling be not only buried, but annihilated" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 178). Hence annihilation — not moderation — is the destination! ... Selfishness is actually the detonator of all the cardinal sins. It is the hammer for the breaking of the Ten Commandments."

Or in other words selfishness is the precursor to breaking one of the ten commandments. That make selfishness something I want to nip in the bud right away!

Oh Israel

They do not get it. Israel has just witnessed some of the most awesome displays of God's power of any people in the history of the world. They are just a few months out of Egypt's captivity, they have their manna given to them daily by God, yet they still don't trust God to deliver them.

They are told in Numbers 13 by God to go and possess the promised land. I would like that if Heavenly Father told me to go to the place he has promised for me. And the people that went to scout it out agreed, the land was beautiful and rich and fantastic, but they also exaggerated what it would take to get there. They said the Canaanites were of great stature, and "giants" and the Israelites were like "grasshoppers" vv. 28, 32–33. Pretty much saying that they are untouchable and the Israelites probably couldn't drive them out of the land. Right. Of course. I mean, what has God done for you recently? Just helped you escape from one of the most powerful people in the whole world at the time, and not just that but then DESTROYED their army without you lifting a finger. Of course those exaggerated or "evil reports" as they are called in the bible get back to Israel and they whineagain about how it would be better to have just stayed in Egypt. And not just that, they then started trying to get another leader "elected" that would take them back to Egypt. Numbers 14:4

When God gives me experiences in life, do I take them and know that eventually through them I will get closer to God and become more like him? (Which means a happier, more fulfilled person as well!) I hope that I do, but sometimes I think we revert back like Israel and try to say well remember when... we were back in our old house? With all our old friends, and our perfect life? Life does that. It helps us remember the good and forget most of the bad, so we don't remember barely making ends meet, or the emotional rollercoaster from a child being sick in the hospital, or the basement flooding often in that "perfect" old house.

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains that God loves us perfectly and “would not require [us] to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for [our] personal benefit or for that of those [we] love.”5

Do we trust that, or do we wonder if God even knows or notices us in our times of heartache and/or heartbreak?

Do we trust God will eventually deliver us, as he has done for us time and time again?

I hope I can stand with quiet strength and firmness through my trials and know that I will be given the strength to endure at the very least, but often I do get through the trial and I am a better stronger person because of them.

Elder Richard G. Scott taught that “the Lord is intent on [our] personal growth and development. … Progress is accelerated when [we] willingly allow Him to lead [us] through every growth experience [we] encounter. … If [we] question [every unpleasant challenge], … [we] make it harder for the Lord to bless [us].”8 But if we center our hearts and minds on the Lord’s will, we will gain more happiness in the journey and more fulfillment in life.

Fascinating, this little post did not even come close to what I was expecting it to, but I'm happy with where it went, and I hope I can learn this lesson from Israel, and not repeat it.

I know I already used this quote, but it's so good!

C.S. Lewis said,

"When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected; I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself. Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated. On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.
~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (1952)

So in keeping with the murmuring and testing thought process. How will we know we're a patient person unless put in a situation that tests our patience? Or how will we know if we are a loving kind and forgiving person, unless put in a situation to test that? God does love us, and he's trying to help us be better, more loving, and more humble people. How do you respond when he tests you in your life? Do you murmur, or respond for help and extra strength if you don't feel equal to your task?

Perfect practice makes perfect.

My husband is the floor mopper in our family. We share most of the chores in our house, but he enjoys getting a dirty floor clean, so I let him always do that task. And bless him, I probably haven't mopped the floor in over a year. However like I said last week was crazy, for both of us. And he kept trying to get to the floor, but just couldn't. Finally on Saturday, I knew the floor needed to be done, but I knew he wouldn't have time to with him getting home from work at 5, and us going on our date as soon as he finished with that. So I decided to step up to the plate and do the floor.

But it wasn't going so fabulous, and I kept saying this is why Eric mops the floor he's just more talented at it than I am. But then I stopped myself and laughed. Seriously? Eric is more talented at mopping a floor? I just hadn't mopped the floor for a long time, and I was out of practice!

Then I thought about transferring that over to other things. How often do we think we're not good at knowing our scriptures, or praying or following the Holy Ghost? Other people are just better at those things. They are just more gifted in those areas. Really? No, they have just practiced them and done them more often.

Our General Relief Society President Julie B. Beck said this in our most recent conference. "Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day."

This is how we become scripture masters. This is how we start yearning to read our scriptures. It's in immersing ourselves in them EVERY SINGLE DAY. And another amazing blessing of that is we will have an increase of the Holy Ghost in our life. That spirit that brings, comfort, knowledge, cleansing, guidance, revelation and joy to our life.

In college I would study my scriptures before I started my homework. That was really helpful because my whole life then was about learning and studying. Now as a mom with two small children it gets a little trickier as to planning it out. But I do plan it out, and I make sure I am there every day. And one thing I'm doing now is I'm studying the Sunday School lesson with the institute manual. And if you have internet, you have access to both of those things. This can give you the focus to know where to begin your study, and how to study effectively by asking questions, understanding backgrounds of the chapters and verses, and keep you on track to really allowing the spirit into your study.

Murmur, murmur, murmur...

This Old Testament study is so much fun!

O.k. so in my reading this week, Israel just crossed the parted Red Sea on dry ground and witnessed that miracle and show of God's strength. (Exodus 14) Not to mention all the plagues and other shows of God's power and strength.

Yet here we are in chapter 15 and they have started murmuring.

Here is the definition of murmuring.

1. To make a low, continuous, indistinct sound or succession of sounds.

2. To complain in low mumbling tones; grumble.

Is it actively communicating and trying to solve or work through a problem? Nope. It's just grumbling, and not even so people can hear or understand what you're saying, just contributing to a negative pessimistic air and attitude. Does that murmuring do anything good for the children of Israel?

Does murmuring ever do anything good for you?

Our whole purpose in being here on earth is to be tested. I think some of us know this but often forget it. Some of you know this truth that we are here to be tested and forget it once that testing begins. I know I do sometimes.

God doesn't want us to suffer, but he does want us to grow and develop, and that doesn't happen without SOME (or a lot) of STRETCHING, and moving, and changing, and doing things differently than we were doing before.

We won't be tested above what we're able to handle. This is shown in Exodus 13: 17. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God had Moses take them the long way around the Philistines because their faith wasn't strong enough to go through those lands yet.

Sometimes we're tested by intense episodes that seem to overwhelm every part of our very being. Other times we're tested by smaller problems that don't go away very quickly, and persistently start eating at us. Or both at the same time. :) The Israelites were tested by an intense trial when the Egyptian army had almost reached them after they had been released, and they started crying to Moses- why did you bring us here just so we would die in the wilderness! And then God showed them his power and that he truly was in charge by opening the way for them and parting the Red Sea and then crushing it on top of the Egyptian army when they tried to follow. He also tested their endurance in the wilderness with water and then food, and each time they murmured but then God still blessed them with pure water and the manna from heaven.

Poor Israel, not really standing up to their tests like the chosen people of God should. They murmured toward Moses and directly to God, saying each time that life had been better in Egypt, and why were we out here anyway? They were free now! But of course they couldn't see that God was trying to get them ready for their own land, and even after awhile they complained about the manna and their clothes. They were bored of them. Do you murmur when you have had the same trial for an extended period of time? When you have been so frugal and working so hard to financially be free, and you still aren't where you think you should be? Or how about a physical trial that won't get taken away? (I know this is one of my hardest trials, being a positive happy influence when my body is at a low point.)

So where do you fall? When you have a trial, are you the first to blame God and murmur and be angry about it or angry at someone else? Or are you strong and turn your heart and mind to God in prayer asking for strength to endure and possibly overcome if it is His will?

I know I have some repenting to do on this one.

Israel's bondage

This quote is about Israel and their bondage to the Egyptians.

“The fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham required that Israel should become numerous. To accomplish this, the little family, numbering only 70 persons ( Genesis 46:26–27 ), needed sufficient time and a peaceful place in which to grow. Egypt was that place. . . .

. . . Palestine was a battleground for warring nations that moved back and forth in their conquests between the Nile and the Euphrates. Israel would have found no peace there. They required stable conditions for their eventual growth and development. . . .

Their bondage certainly was not all on the negative side. It too served a good purpose. The cruelty of the taskmasters, the hatred that existed between the Hebrews and the Egyptians, and the length of their trying servitude fused Jacob’s children into a united people. . . .

The hatred they felt toward the Egyptians prevented intermarriage between the Hebrews and their neighbors. To reap the benefits of the Abrahamic promises, Israel had to remain a pure race, and the Lord used this means to achieve it. . . .

Yes, Egypt had her role in the Lord’s mighty drama, and she played it well.

At the end of 430 years, the Lord now decreed that the time had arrived for Israel to occupy her own land and there become that ‘peculiar people’ who would await the coming of their Messiah.” (Petersen, Moses, pp. 27–30.)

So Israel's bondage and trial helped unite them and grow stronger together as a people, so they could then leave altogether, and would WANT to leave Egypt.

How often do we get in a trial and it unites us as a family, or ward family or community? I sometimes forget this powerful aspect of trials in my life. And we always have a common enemy among us, not Egypt, but Satan.

Just something for you to stew on...

Passover

Our Sunday School scripture study has been on Bondage, Passover and Exodus. What a fabulous time to be studying these events, so close to the time we celebrate them at Easter. There is obviously tons of Christ symbolism throughout these events. I wanted to share one that I found in the LDS Institute Old Testament Manual. (O.k. maybe I should rename my blog the LDS institute manual from Brooke's point of view, but anyway...)

Exodus 11 . What Is the Significance of the Final Plague on Egypt?

In Reading 10-1 , Elder McConkie noted the similarities between the smiting of disobedient and hard-hearted Egypt and the spiritual death of those who refuse to hearken to the Firstborn of God. There is, however, one additional comparison that could be made. In the typology of the Passover, the children of God (Israel) are in bondage to an evil power (Egypt). Similarly, all of God’s children come into a world of sin and may find themselves in bondage to Satan and the powers of sin. (The terminology of slavery is used in such scriptures as 2 Nephi 2:29 ; Alma 34:35 ; D&C 84:49–51 ; Moses 4:4 ; 7:26 .) Thus, the pharaoh could be thought of as a type or symbol of Satan. In light of this truth, it should be noted that what finally released the children of Israel from the bondage of the pharaoh (the symbol of Satan) was the death of the firstborn of Egypt. In like manner the atoning sacrifice of the Firstborn Son of God freed the children of God from death, a bondage to Satan.

Cool, right?!?!

Man I just love symbolism connections like this.

General Conference

I love general conference. What a delightful time. I didn't want to try to add my thoughts to all the amazing talks and testimonies born, but it was great. And happy Easter too. The Atonement and Resurrected Savior are definitely the center of everything.

Charity from Kate's point of view

My friend Kate!

These next few thoughts are from my friend Kate's point of view about a talk she heard John Bytheway in sacrament meeting a few weeks ago. I was definitely inspired by these words, and I hope you are too.

John Bytheway spoke in our Sacrament Meeting today. He is a High Councilman for our stake. He gave a great talk about charity. He said that often we read scriptures that are so comforting, and inspiring, but in his study, he has found that there are seven scriptures that hit him to the core, and "throw [him] against the wall." He shared one of those seven with us today. He read 1 Cor 13:1-3.

It reads: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

Then he went on to explain that tinkling cymbal means 'meaningless noise.' So even though we we may be a great speaker, and give a great talk, if we have not charity, we are nothing. We may attend all of our meetings, and really know the scriptures in the New and Old Testament, the Book of Mormon and the P of GP; We may dress the part, all of which are wonderful things-- but if we do not treat others with Christlike love, then we are nothing.

I like it when he shared an experience that Sheri Dew had when a General Authority came to her ward, and taught Sunday School. He asked the class what characterizes a truly converted member of the church? Many raised their hands with ideas that this GA wrote on the board. After all were shared, he took the eraser, and erased every answer on the board- except "the way we treat others." This is the reflection of our true conversion to Christ.. the way we treat other people. John Bytheway said that sometimes he wishes that he could go somewhere with all his gospel books, and just study them and feast, and get away from all the people. But it is the people we come in contact with and how we treat them in our lives that is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This really hit me! Then he talked about Pres. Monson. He is such an amazing example of serving others, of putting them first; of never placing principle or judgment ahead of just loving others. Isn't this amazing! I absolutely love the Gospel. I love the Savior, and His perfect love for each of us. I am grateful for examples of Christlike love in my life.

John also shared a thought by another GA that Charity has three components. It's a certain quality of love... it's love for God, love from God, and love like God. John said that each day he ponders the words of the hymn "Have I Done Any Good In the World Today?" Have I helped anyone in need? He challenged us to pray for that love, "which passeth all understanding." He also said that the scriptures teach us the importance of a mighty change of heart, which changes our behavior. The more we love Christ and feel love from Him, the more we want to share it with others. I am grateful for these beautiful insights.

Charity is definitely where it's at!