Don't go under the Tank.

I read a rather interesting book once.  It was written by a Vietnam War Vet and his experiences.  The writer was in a tank crew, and every new replacement was told to never sleep under the tank.  It rained constantly in Vietnam, it was tempting to go underneath the tank for protection.  For their own health and safety it was told not to go under.  One threat was bullets would ricochet off the thick metal.  But there was one a little more subtle.  One night, a new soldier decided he wanted to get out of the rain and decided to go under the tank, despite the constant warning not to.  As it continued to rain he feel asleep.  The next morning, the Sergent started looking for him and couldn't find him.  With the possibility of an enemy attack and they delayed the search for a couple hours.  After the threat passed, the writer began calling for the soldier only to hear a call for help behind the tank.  They soon discovered the soldier pinned underneath the tank as it was slowly, but surely, sank into the mud.  He was unable to get out.  The Sergent and the driver proceeded to drive the tank off the soldier.  It was incredibly painful for them to get the tank off the soldier.  Part of the tank ended up being dragged across the soldier.  When they got the tank off him, he was still alive.  But his clothes were in shreds, and he was skinned and bloody.

The world would pressure us to "get under the tank".  It will rain ideas to us which are exciting, but unhealthy.  They will seem appealing and exciting, but it results in pain and misery.  You will hear things like: dress immodestly, indulge in drugs and alcohol, look at pornography, each pushing you towards that which is degrading and unstable.  Slowly, but surely, the weight of our choices eventually sinks down on top of us, pinning us down making it hard to progress.  It is very easy to escape the rain by going under the world's wing.  The world will then put us to "sleep" so that you don't realize what it is doing to you.  Have you noticed ads involving drinking or smoking?  They do a great job at making it look fun, safe, and exciting.  It will also make you think you are in complete control.  But it reality it steals your ability to chose wisely leaving you in miserable and in with a dangerous consequence (2 Nephi 26:22).  If the soldier was awake, he would have noticed that his space was getting smaller and smaller.  He would have left his shrinking space.  But he fell asleep and couldn't escape.  Not without the painful experience of having that tank dragged across him.

The Prophet Alma talks about being "harrowed up to the greatest and racked with all (his) sins."  Acts that he had done brought incredible misery to his soul.  What does harrowed mean?  A harrow is a tool used by farmers to break up the ground.  It is dragged behind a tractor.  Imagine having one of those dragged over you. It would hurt.  Sin is like a harrow, it breaks apart our soul.  Sin, or the act of doing wrong, does not bring good, it leaves us in a broken miserable state.  You can say your soul would look like that soldier after having that tank dragged across him. A mess.  But there is hope.  Alma, in his anguish called upon God begging for forgiveness for the things he had done wrong.  His burden was lifted off him and his joy was as great as his pain and he couldn't remember it anymore.  Repentance helped relive the pain he felt as he cast his burden upon the Savior.  So long as we repent and sin no more, the Atonement of Jesus Christ is able to lift our troubled soul out of captivity of the devil.  This makes our joy greater than our pain.  Strive to follow the example of the Savior and allow his Atonement to work inside you.

Wrong doing is painful to get out of.  Unless you stop the behavior before it settles in.  If you are guilty of doing something wrong stop immediately.  If you have been doing it for some time, seek help and get out.  It may be hard and painful, but it is better than being crushed by your guilt and is worth the few scrapes and bruises to stop.

How do you repent? Click here.

Still not enough?  Maybe this will help:

READY!

As a youth I used to participate in simulated combat games. We used toy guns that fired small plastic BB's at each other in a game of domination.  We had rules set out for our safety and protection so that everyone could enjoy themselves.  All of us would buy our own gun and cared for that gun.  All of us carried a certain amount of ammunition in case our guns ran out of shot.  I myself would carry extra magazines for my guns and extra bottles of BB's and gas so that I could reload my guns.  Before and during the game I would constantly check my magazines and ammo to make sure I was ready to play.  Often my friends would see me checking my rifle magazine by spinning a small wheel that would reload my gun.  Sometimes I'd be spinning it for up to thirty seconds just to make sure my gun was loaded.  Because I was always ready I was able to stay on the field much longer than most of my friends.

Everyone of us are experiencing life in different ways.  Not all of us will lead the same life.  However certain principles apply to all of us.  Some of us just try going through "the motions" in our daily activities.  We go around doing what is expected of us because that's what everyone wants to do.  There are also people who just don't care and do what ever they want because it gets them in the "popular" crowd.  Often those people are left alone and miserable.  There is an proper form of attitude.  It does not just involve going through the basics, but instead of just going through them we live them.

There are points in the gospel that are pretty basic: go to church, read scriptures, obey the law, etc.  People who don't care will do everything they are counseled not to do because they are "free" without these restricting laws.  There are those that will follow these principles but only do it to stay out of trouble.  You can benefit the most from it by asking yourself, "How does this apply to me? How can it make me grow stronger and find happiness."  They then take a leap of faith and live the principles instead of just doing them.  Nephi was always ready to work.  He said I will go and do what God has asked of me, because he has a plan for me.  He showed a proper attitude of Faith.  What is that?  The proper attitude of Faith is not: "How bad can I be and still know Thee?" or "How good do I need to be?" But rather, "What do I need to do so that I can know Thee and find Joy?"  He didn't say "do I really have to do this?" or "I'll do it only because I have to."  He said "I will go and do what God has asked me, because I want to."  No one is forcing you to do anything.  But Obedience is a life long pursuit.  There are no short cuts, no breaks, no hall passes, and no vacations.  If you don't want to do it then don't do it.  But you are missing out on a lot of rewards from not keeping God's commandments.  Going through the motions is not directly breaking the commandments, your just refusing the reward that comes.  You are carrying only a little ammo and leaving the game early because you are out.  By exercising faith and being obedient to God's Commandments we are able to sufficiently "arm" ourselves so that the world doesn't bring us down to our knees.

The winners are not the guys who simply sit down and wait or take the "easy route" in life.  Winners do everything in their power and possession to make sure they succeed.  I can assure you it wasn't easy carrying all that stuff while playing combat games with my friends, but It helped me a lot when I got in a tight spot.  It is going to be hard just trying to live around in the world.  But a strong testimony and faith in God really helps.  Especially when the pressures really begin to come in.  You are not going to find exaltation on doing what you are supposed to do, but doing everything you can to obey the Lord because of your love for him.  And that makes all the difference in the world.

Freedom & Liberty

"Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes." - Doctrine and Covenants 88:86

When you hear the word "freedom" you may think about no rules, no one to look over your shoulder, and the ability to do what ever you want.  It's Paradise!  Now liberty, is a vital part of being free. Free may mean no bonds, but is easy to lose that freedom without liberty.  I see Liberty as a state of being free, and the ability to go to ones limits, while still being responsible with the freedoms you have been given.  Have you ever thought of Liberty as responsibility?  Responsibility can be a word that leaves a bad taste in ones mouth.  But what good is being responsible going to do anyone? It means there are rules.  Well this can be hard to admit, but . . . these rules for freedom and liberty are not there to spoil the fun.  In fact, it is there only to make those good feelings better and help them last longer.

Freedom is great to have, I enjoy it myself.  But without Liberty, or the responsibility to take care of that Freedom, it quickly becomes bondage or bad addicting habits.  There are many things in this world which will turn freedom to bondage in a heartbeat.  Addictive substances such as alcohol, drugs, or pornography, turn you into nothing more than a slave to it.  There isn't any freedom there.  You are always hungry for more, and there is no more satisfaction in life.  Your life is controlled by that vice.  You have allowed the enemy of you soul to take you captive, and he leads you here and there in heavy chains.

Do not suppose what may seem to be freedom trick you into a false sense of security.  The Scriptures show us how to be truly free.  In 2nd Nephi we are told that we have the freedom (the ability to do as we please) to choose liberty or captivity.  In other words, our choices bring happiness or misery.  Each choice we make will build or destroy ourselves.  We have the responsibility to do what's right, but we still have the freedom to do what we want.  But as I said before, when we make bad choices our freedoms become fewer and fewer.  We've all made mistakes but we are not going to be confined to "prison" for eternity.  Christ suffered and died for our mistakes and acts as our mediator between us and our punishments.  He has taken the punishment for our mistakes so it is possible to have freedoms we want.  He also works with us to fix our problems and mistakes so that we can qualify for eternal life.  But the clock is ticking.  If we do not fix ourselves now, it may be too late (Alma 12:24).  But as we repent and do everything in our power to do better, we will have a clean record before the judgement seat.  With that comes the ultimate freedom: Eternal Life.  It truly pays to be good.

Following the Instructions

"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away." - 2 Nephi 2:13

Have you ever tried building a model airplane?  It's a fun activity that I tried once, when I was a teenager.  I built a UH-1 Helicopter that I received as a Christmas present one year.  I spent up to a week building it.  One thing I followed close attention to was the Building Manuel.  I did everything I could to make sure every piece was in the right place.  As I neared the completion of my model, I made a mistake.  I was so excited to complete my model that I accidentally put one of the few armaments, that was included, on the wrong way.  I put the nose mounted grenade launcher upside down.  When I realized the problem, the glue was already set and I could not fix the problem that had just happened.


We are going to experience many things in this life.  It's just like we are building a model plane.  Each of our choices effects the outcome of our life.  Our choices will also effect the people around us.  Not all choices are going to hurt someone.  But there are ones that will.  Dirty habits such as drinking, pornography and drugs damage important relationships that are needed in our life.  Families are broken, relationships are dashed, and friends are lost as a result of these poor choices.  God has revealed his word to the Prophets.  They then tell us what needs to be done.  They give us the basic building instructions for our lives. When we choose to disregard them as nonsense or unnecessary ideas for the time, we are ignoring the important building instructions needed for our development.  Their words are recorded in the Scriptures.  Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon hold the basic message revealed to the Prophets.

The Lord has said that there is a set law that was made before the earth was even created.  Through this law all blessings are based from.  If we do not keep the laws set down, by God, then we are no longer "entitled to those laws and the contract is void (D&C 130:20-21).  Just like that.  If we are not willing to follow the directions given, we cannot expect the happiness we are searching for.  Because it wasn't promised to look like a finished model.  Remember, by following God's commandments to us = Happiness.  Disregard to those commandments = misery.

When we obey God's commandments, and listen to the counsel given to us by the prophets, we will find lasting happiness grow in our lives.  We have the choice to choose between good and evil.  Please make the right choice.  God and Satan are competing for your attention.  Satan will lead us down to misery while God leads us to happiness.  Make the choices that will not harm you or others.  If you have ever done anything wrong, fix it.  And do it before the glue sets, and it becomes even harder to repair.  The finishing results that are most benificial come from following the basic instructions.  That is a promise.

Music, an Element of Power

Music is a powerful element in our life.  It is around us everywhere we go.  It influences everything we do.  It can calm us down and it can even fire us up.  It triggers the imagination and takes us places we've been to or never been to before.  Since it is so powerful we must be very careful how we use it.  Music has been a way for some religions to praise God.  God delights in wholesome music, because it is a prayer to him (D&C 25:12).  I can remember how music affects me.  When I was a youth, I enjoyed listening to music that was intense, upbeat, and portrayed conflict.  Not that any of it was bad, but it never could put me in the right mindset when it was need. 

We must maintain a proper balance in the music we listen to.  We should listen to music that will builds us up and portray us as something special.  We must avoid listening to to music that tears down, supports foul and degrading language, promotes harmful actions and immoral activity.  Don't think that just listening to any kind of music is harmless, because that is not true.  Music has a powerful influence over the way you think.  When you listen to your favorite music ask yourself, "Is this going to build me or hurt me?"  Pay attention to the lyrics.  Do they make you feel important? Or does it get you riled up in a very bad way?  Or make you feel like trash?  Choose carefully.  I can promise you that is you choose wholesome music, your mindset will change into something better.  The world you live in will be given color and joy.  You will become better.

Fortification for the Soul (Part 2: Weapons)



(Continuation of Fortification for the Soul (Part 1: Walls and Towers)

 



(Ephesians 6:11-18)



Once all the fortifications were built and ready, weapons were made to defend the city.  Without weapons the defences are just simple buildings.  We need weapons in life, but I'm not talking about literal weapons that kill.  God has given us special weapons to fight against the adversary.  It is stronger than any weapon formed by man.  We can find those weapons through daily scripture study.  Listening to the prophets, maintaining good moral standards and following God's commandments help us find stronger weapons and keep them sharp.  The scripture point to Christ who is the creator of our weapons (John 5:39).



(1 Nephi 15:24,
Heb. 4:12)



We will also be given "armor" as we apply the principles and commandments we are given and follow them. This is a continual process.  We must always strengthen our defences and never waver from it.  As we do so Satan can no longer triumph over us and will be forced to turn away in defeat.  Our spirits our kept safe and we can return to God knowing we have won the fight against Satan.



(Jeremiah 4:14)

 One other thing that Moroni did that help make sure his defences were strong is found in verses 9, 7, & 11-12.  He gathered his armies and drove out the Lamanites in certain places in the land to avoid having bulges in his lines.  Any bulges in Moroni's lines would have exhausted more resources to defend those cities on the other side.  It was not a matter of conquest.  We can have bulges in our lives, it is by allowing certain vices to remain in our lives while expecting to live God's law (Matt. 6:24).  Look at the image on the right.  As you can see that is a major mess.  Someone should have emptied that trash can out a long time ago.  When we allow any kind of vice to stay with us it's like letting our trash can go over the top.  We need to "empty out the garbage" in our lives.  It may mean tossing out those magazines, changing what we listen too or watch, picking more modest clothing or literally throwing out alcohol and tobacco in order to be in harmony with God.  It may not be easy to clean up the trash, but everything will look so much better.  Believe me, a clean house is better than a dirty one.  And it doesn't invite pests either.

Now that we have our defences made, and our bulges removed we are more than ready to fight Satan.  This is a battle we are sure to win.  Why?  Because you have been fortified and prepared to follow God so that Satan no longer has hold on you.

Good vs Evil

A classic element to books and movies is: Good vs Evil.  It's almost unheard of to not have the two opposing forces going at each other all the time.  No matter what there is always those two opposing forces battling it out for supremacy over the other.  Everyone is all familiar with the Star Wars Saga.  I find a perfect example of a Good vs Evil element in these movies/stories.  Two of the key forces is the Jedi and the Sith.  These two opposing parties used to united but the Sith were power hungry, and broke away.  This began an eternal war.  I find this very similar to God and Satan.  Satan used to be with God, but rebelled out of greed and was cast out.  In his wrath he began to tempt men here on earth to lead them away from God.  Satan's tactics are clever and well devised.  Yet there is a way to define which side you are serving.

The Jedi are the "Keepers of the Peace", and are there to protect the weak.  Some Jedi are better than others when it come to certain skills in the force. (For example: swordsmanship, mastering the force, foresight, etc.)  They work together to help keep the peace in the galaxy.  With God, his mission is to help all men to come unto Christ and become perfect.  He works with our weaknesses and turns them into strengths.  We each have special talents and abilities that can help in God's work.  To know that you are following God you need: Faith, Hope, Virtue, Patience, Humility, Diligence, Knowledge, Obedience, and Charity. (Moroni 10:20-21) Charity is the greatest of all of these attributes.  It is the pure love of Christ.  Charity doesn't put itself above others, don't put others down, looks for the good in others, and exercises all the attributes previously listed with love to all men. (Moroni 7:44-47, 1 Cor. 13:4-8, 13.)

The Sith, as you already know, are a break off of the Jedi Order.  They are in a desperate and greedy search for power.  Life has no meaning to them, and often they will fight each other for more power.  With Satan he tries to get us to be self-centered.  Everything that Satan does is the exact opposite of God.  God is trying to help us be happy.  Satan is trying to make us as miserable as he is (2 Nephi 2:27).  His traits are: Pride, Greed, Selfishness, Self-pity, Anger, Laziness, and anything meant for self gratification.  Satan uses the lie, "you're not good enough" but God says, "I can help you become better."  You are choosing happiness, or misery.

What side do you Choose?

Fortification for the Soul (Part 1: Walls and Towers)

Fortification is a system of defence that has been prepared for an attack.  Through out the history of the world, men have made different fortifications to protect their homes and country from an attack from an enemy.  It has gone from simple wood walls, to majestic castles, to high tech radar that spots enemy movements long before the attack is made.  It is necessary for nations to be fortified in order to protect their rights and liberties.  The same thing applies to us.  We need spiritual fortification in order to protect ourselves from Satan and his lies.  If we are not fortified he can break through to our hearts and put us under his control.  I have here step-by-step instructions how you can built an unbeatable defence that Satan cannot punch through.

(Alma 48:11-13, 17)

In the Book of Mormon, in Alma Chapter 50, verses 1-6, it talks about about a man who fortified his people when their security was endangered.  His name was Captain Moroni.  He was the supreme commander of the Nephite Armies.  He came around during a time of great crisis.  The enemies of the Nephite Nation were invading their borders, jeopardizing their dearly treasured freedoms. The Lamanite Nations, their enemies, wanted to destroy all Nephites.  Naturally you'd expect tons of preparation immediately taking place once the attacks began.  However, they did not start building weapons and fortifying their cities once the Lamanite armies began marching into their county.  They were already prepared long before the attacks were made.  Verse one says that they never stop preparing for war and making fortifications.  It doesn't say, "and we began to fortify our towns and training our armies once the Lamanites attacked."  Once the Lamanites attacked there was no time left for preparing their fortifications.  Therefore they needed to be ready NOW, not later.  How do we get ready Now? Let's read on to find out what Moroni did to prepare now, then we will apply it to ourselves so that we are fortified and ready.

First he built "ridges/heaps of earth" around each city (verses 2-3).  He set up walls to slow the enemy down so they could not enter the city as fast.  We can build walls around us in order to protect ourselves.  We set up strong standards or morals to help keep unwanted influences out.  It's a matter of decision, it's like saying, "I am never going to drink alcohol."  When we decide to choose good over bad it adds stones to our walls.  When we are so set on choosing good, we have so high a walls that Satan cannot reach us.  When offered that drink, you will promptly refuse it and avoid the nasty consequence that follows.  The same can be said for Pornography, drugs and other vices.  Make sure your standards are strong stone walls, not simple wood walls that can be burned down.  Those are called, "maybe I won't choose bad". It's not firm.

Once the walls were built Moroni constructed towers.  Why would he want towers? Are not walls good enough?  Towers were built as a early warning system, long before airplanes and satellites were built.  Sending patrols of men were not good enough either.  In the case of a surprise attack, these men could not warn the city in time.  Towers could see the attack before it happens and give a warning just in time to meet the attack.  Since people in towers can see more than someone on the ground, they are able to know what is coming.  Our towers are people who we can trust that can guide us in life from a source of truth.  It can be parents, teachers, friends, or people of inspiration.  You wouldn't let a drunk or a lazy bum to stand guard in your towers now would you?  We should be very careful who we choose to follow.  There are many people who can lead you down "false paths" and into the land of shame and misery.  Christ has said, "By their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt. 7:20) If their actions and philosophy are not in harmony with God's commandments and will not help you become a better person, then it wouldn't be a smart idea to follow them.  God is usaully the best one to have in our towers.  Look to him, and Christ as often as you can.  He will never let you down.

(See "Fortification for the Soul (Part 2: Weapons) to have further instruction for you defence)

Checkmate!

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them that are expedient unto man.  And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." - 2 Nephi 2:27 (see also Gal. 5:1)

I enjoy playing an occasional game of chess.  One thing I really like about it is you're always making choices.  Some are not so good.  Every choice you make decides the outcome of the game.  Careful consideration must be taken with each move.  Because your opponent has the same object as you, there will be opposition in your attempts to win.  Once you make too many poor choices you will be placed in checkmate.  However, if you are careful in your choices, you will win the game.

Imagine your life like a chess board.  You're making decisions every day.  Being able to make choices is a wonderful gift called "Free Agency", the ability to choose for ourselves.  But just because you can decide what you want to do doesn't mean you will always be right.  Just like in a chess game good decisions bring us closer to winning, good decisions in life bring us closer to happiness.  We are all trying to find happiness, just like in chess we are trying to put the opposing king in checkmate.  When we make a choice in life we are held responsible for the choices we make.  We can't blame others or certain events for making us.  We are our own masters, but if we allow someone to make our choices for us, then we are surrendering our freedom to choose.  You might as well let your opponent control your pieces and say nothing about what he does.

The decisions we make shape who we are and who we are decides our futures.  Satan is going to try and steal our freedom to choose by tempting us.  He is positioning is pieces to where he can checkmate your king.  When you refuse to listen to the lies he tries to feed you, you're counter moving him and exposing his king.  When we follow Christ he gives us strength and direction to where Satan has no say in our lives.  When we follow Christ with all our hearts Satan has no more power over us and he is put in Checkmate. (see Helaman 5:12, John 8:12)