Why Do Hard Things?

In his General Conference talk this October, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, spoke of a nurse who cared for terminally ill patients. The regrets that these patients expressed in their final days of their mortal lives mainly fell into specific categories, which President Uchtdorf addresses. They are:

1. I wish I had spent more time with the people I love.
2. I wish I had lived up to my potential.
3. I wish I had let myself be happier.

As I pondered these regrets, common among those who knew they were at death's door, I had this thought:

Often, the things that we fail to do are things that are hard to do.

We rarely fail to eat enough sugar, or spend enough time watching TV, or spend enough money. We do not need to make New Years resolutions to do these things - they are easy to do. It is the hard things that we fail to do.

So why do hard things? Why not consign ourselves to a life of watching YouTube and browsing Facebook, while living in our parents' basement and chowing down on to-go food?

Hard things make us stronger. Things that are hard to do are often things that are worth doing. 

I learned a phrase from the people of El Salvador while I was living with them for 2 years as a missionary for my Church. It is this: "Lo que nada cuesta, nada vale." 

"That which costs nothing is worth nothing." 

Why do hard things? Because hard things are often worth doing! 

Why have a family? It is hard! 

Because it brings more joy than living a celibate life, when done in the way that God commands.

Why go to school? Why get a job? Why spend time helping and serving instead of relaxing?

Because it is worthwhile! It gives substance to our lives.

Jesus Christ invites us to "come" and "follow [Him]." Anyone who thinks this is an easy thing soon discovers that it is not. Following Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing that we can do. It is also the most valuable thing that we can do with our lives. It is the very purpose of our lives! God sent us here to test us, and to see if we would choose to follow Him! 

Do not be afraid to do hard things. Do not shrink from them. Remember God's promise to us, written by Paul:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippian 4:13.

So, do not fear. Do not shirk. Do not shrink. 

Just Do.
Act.
Follow Christ. 

We can do hard things.

I am the Dust, Made Beautiful by God

"O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou the potter; and we are the work of thy hand." 
~Isaiah 64:8


What a beautiful verse. I am the dust of the earth. And yet, in the hands of God, I am beautiful and useful. 

Can clay form itself? Can it become a pot or a vessel by simply wishing it to be? 
No. 
The potter makes beauty out of dirt. I am nothing, but in God’s hands, I am precious. I am precious to Him. 
I loved the things that I made in ceramics. Even though I know they were mediocre, they are special to me. We are special to God, because we are His. 
And, unlike me, He is a master potter. He does not make mistakes. None of his vessels or pots are worthless or erroneous or mistaken. None of us are mess-ups or screw ups, because God has made us.
And He knows what He made us, and why. Men are men, and women are women. Let us be men, or let us be women.
Let us be like God, for that was His design.

"For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify

 yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy..."

~Leviticus 11:44

Persecution in Missouri, 1830s

Here are the words of Hyrum Smith, the brother of the prophet Joseph Smith, concerning the persecution and injustices that the early member of this Church suffered:

"And I do know, so does this court, and every rational man who is acquainted with the circumstances, and every man who shall hereafter become acquainted with the particulars thereof, will know that Governor Boggs and Generals Clark, Lucas, Wilson, and Gillium, also Austin A. King, have committed treason upon the citizens of Missouri, and did violate the Constitution of the United States, and also the constitution and laws of the state of Missouri, and did exile and expel, at the point of the bayonet, some twelve or fourteen thousand inhabitants from the state, and did murder a large number of men, women and children in cold blood, and in the most horrid and cruel manner possible; and the whole of it was caused by religious bigotry and persecution, because the “Mormons” dared to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and agreeable to His divine will as revealed in the scriptures of eternal truth, and had turned away from following the vain traditions of their fathers, and would not worship according to the dogmas and commandments of those men who preach for hire and divine for money, and teach for doctrine the precepts of men..."
http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/mormon-redress-petitions-documents-1833-1838-missouri-conflict/part-v-testimonies-given-mun

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Like Moses and Abraham and John the Baptist in the Bible, Joseph was a servant of the Lord. He established the church of Jesus Christ upon the earth once again. What a blessing it is to have prophets, and apostles, and a safe haven in this world of tumult and noise.

God is aware of us, and He does love us. May we be loyal to Him. May we say, in the words of Isaiah, "We are Thine" (Isaiah 63:19).

Where Does Our Worship Reside?

I read an inspiring scripture this morning from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. Isaiah struggled throughout his ministry to convince the House of Israel to stay away from idolatry. As he reasons with them and tries to help them understand the foolishness in worshiping idols of wood or gold and the importance of worshiping the living God, Isaiah asks this penetrating question:

"shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?" (Isaiah 44:19)

Another translation says "shall I fall down before a block of wood."

Many idols in Isaiah's days were carved from wood and, I do not doubt, made to be beautiful and ornate. But putting our trust in a man-made thing and ignoring God is a serious problem.

Our day is different from Isaiah's day, but I think that idolatry may be even MORE of a problem now.

Instead of a block of wood, how might the scripture be altered to apply to us?

"shall I sit down in front of a collection of metal and microprocessors?"

"shall I bow down before a flatscreen LED or Plasma Screen?"

"shall I fall down before a Porshe or a Ferarri?"

"shall I worship a movie star or a pop artist?"


What portion of our day is spent thinking about and serving God?

What portion of our day is spent reading about and gogging over the latest and greatest exciting idol in our world?

"Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." (Isaiah 55:2)

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."(Isaiah 45:22)

Our modern-day idols will not save us. Our wealth will not save us. Only God will save us. 

May we all rededicate ourselves to God, and lose our love for the world and all of her whistles and bells.

The Irony of Happiness

I stumbled upon this in a folder of old journal entries. I find it worthwhile and thought provoking, and hope that it may serve some purpose to you as the reader as well.

The Irony of Happiness

   In life things are generally obtained most effectively through devoted and constant striving for that thing. The most efficient way to obtain a car is to fully dedicate oneself to that goal, ignoring all other things in one's life. I do not say that this is the best way to obtain a car. One would work tirelessly, ignoring friends, family, health, hygiene, and all other things, important or not, that inhibit his attainment of that car. A complete and total devotion to a goal, with total disregard to all other aspects of life, is not something that most people would condone. What about setting aside a career, a car, a house, etc, to focus almost extensively on law school? These sacrifices, most would agree, are understandable and acceptable. Some would even encourage cutting off relationships with significant others in pursuit of this goal. For, in what some would certainly call a selfish pursuit, one must be focused almost solely on themselves and their studies in order to succeed in such a circumstance. Could not the pursuit of a car, or a job, or any other worldly thing also be labeled selfish? Then what about happiness?

   What is meant by happiness, one might ask? I will divide happiness into worldly happiness and true happiness. Worldly happiness is the happiness that one achieves when they have "got everything." Those who seek after this kind of happiness have been persuaded that joy comes from the accumulation of things and stuff. They believe that their wealth is positively correlated with their joy, and that further joy will come from the nifty toys and gadgets that can be bought with this wealth. I find it interesting that people seem to be more interested in the salary of a career than any other aspect of it. It seems that many believe that the amassing of worldly wealth is the ultimate goal of human life, and that it will bring true happiness. I would support the argument that financial security is important to happiness, but I do not for a moment uphold the idea that this life's purpose is to "get rich." One may seek after worldly happiness the same as they would seek after a car or a career, and will obtain it. But the same is not true of true happiness.

True joy is not found in money. The great purpose of our lives is not to gain money. At the end of our lives, when we pass on to the next, how much of that capital will pass on with us? Not a cent. Will our monetary worth further us at all in the next life? Not an inch. Jesus Christ has told us the source of true happiness. True happiness will not come from a selfish, dedicated quest to fulfill our wants and desires. The irony is that, if we selfishly seek our own happiness, we will never find it. Jesus Christ said this: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25). We will find true happiness only as we forget about ourselves and, in a Christlike way, serve and care for others, with concern for their mortal and eternal welfare. The joy gained from such a pursuit infinitely surpasses the worldly happiness that comes from a selfish fulfillment of our own wants and desires. To have Eternal Life is worth more than all of the riches and glory and praise of the world (Doctrine and Covenants 6:7). The joy experienced there will be endless and insurpassable. To gain such happiness is the purpose of this life. Worldly treasures will rot and decay, but Celestial glory will never fade. Jesus Christ has provided the way for our salvation. May we walk the path that He has lovingly trod for us.

2 Years of Sacrifice, A Lifetime of Blessings

This is an excerpt from my journal about three years ago. As a 19 year old, I write about my feelings as I prepared to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in El Salvador for two years.