Purity: a Healthy Spirit

One of the stories of the Savior is when he comes across a leper who called on him saying, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."  Without hesitation the Savior said, "Be thou Clean."  Instantly the man was healed of his leprosy.  Someone who was a leper was often shunned from society.  The body was literally unclean, which explained the cause of leprosy.  The neglected body was taken over by the disease.  We all know the benefits of a healthy body.  The activities you can participate in are endless.  However, when the body is neglected by poor eating, lack of exercise, or exposure to harmful substances like drugs will destroy it.   Purity is caring for the spirit.

What is Purity? Obviously cleanliness, but it is in a perfect form.  Purity in spirit is being clean from sin.  But why is purity so important?  Every culture in the world has some method of purifying their people.  Even Atheists, but that is a civic thing.  Purification is a process in which the body/spirit is cleansed in order to prepare the person for a special event such as marriage or entering manhood to name a few.  In Ancient Israel, the Levites had to be purified because they handled the Priesthood (God's power) and were given charge of handling sacred objects, such as the Ark of the Covenant.  Prophets were subject to purification too.  The process was not some crazy ritual where there were tom-toms and chants all through out.  It was more of a process of the heart, a change of character.

The same thing applies today, and the process remains the same.  Before we can handle anything sacred was must be pure before God.  This does not mean become a germ-a-phobic just so that you can be clean on the outside.  A clean body is good, but a filthy spirit will keep us from God.  The Prophet Isaiah said to abstain from the unclean things of the world and to be clean in order to bear the vessels of the Lord.  The vessels of the Lord could be the Priesthood, positions of leadership or even raising children.  If we are not pure in heart why should we be allowed to touch those things that are important to God?  Someone who is impure will abuse the privileges and powers God gives them.

One of the great responsibilities of having a pure heart before God is to help others reach that point.  One way is to be an example to others.  Even though you seem to remain anonymous, there are people who are watching you.  If you follow the commandments given to us by God, others will see in your actions that you are special.  This will inspire them to change, because obedience to God brings happiness and everyone wants to be happy.  One of the changes that may come on you is you will want to see others succeed as well.

One thing that is guaranteed to happen when you purify yourself before God is you will abhor sin.  Everything the world has that is degrading and unhealthy to your soul will be rejected.  Just like a healthy body is more able to fight sicknesses and infections when it is healthy, your spirit will reject evil by telling you this is not good so long as it is pure.  The Holy Ghost can help play a role in that too.

The most important part of becoming pure is the Atonement.  No one can take away the effects of sin alone.  Just like a regular person cannot fix a broken bone with out medical help, we cannot cleanse ourselves from sin without the Savior.  Jesus Christ suffered in Gethsemane and took upon himself the punishments for sin.  Because of that we are purified so long as we repent of our sins and resolve never to do it again. Being unrepentant is like finding a black widow and having it bite you after getting treatment for it the first time.

In my studies I have discovered to know that purity before God brings a very special gift from Him.  In Doctrine and Covenants 50:28 it says that those who are pure can have possession over all things.  This does not mean you are entitled to riches and pomp.  But you are able to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God to which brings the greatest wealth, even greater than all the gold on this earth.  This is something that can only be obtained by the Holy Ghost which only available when one is obedient to God and lives worthy of the accompaniment of the Spirit.  Through Prayer, Diligent Scripture Study, Repentance and Obedience to the Commandments of God makes it possible for everything that God has promised is ours.  But only if we remain pure can this happen.

Slow Down and Enjoy the Scenery

I heard someone tell me a story of a wonderful trip they were able to enjoy.  This person had the opportunity to visit Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.  She told us that she saw many wonderful and beautiful things around her.  The trek was long and hard, but she was blessed to reach the top and enjoy the magnificent view around her.  On her way down she came across two hikers who also made it to the top.  She began telling them all the great things she saw thinking they would share also.  The hikers only said, "What? We didn't see anything like that.  All we saw were rocks and dirt." Why didn't they see what she saw?  They were in a hurry to reach the top.

Some of the most important things only appear as we carefully look for them.  Hurrying through life may get you to your intended destination.  But it will overwhelm your life with everyday things to the point where you miss the things that matter most.  This can easily can be avoided if we just slow down and see the beauty around us.

I enjoy stepping back a bit to see the work I've done.  It's makes me happy inside when I slow down, take a breath and see the hand of God around me.  We are not asked to try and accomplish as much as we can as fast as we can.  When we are in a made rush to get from A to B we miss a lot of good things.  King Benjamin, in the Book of Mormon taught, "it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength."  We should not overburden ourselves with a laundry list of tasks.  But we don't need to idle our time away waiting for something to happen.  Both activities are counter productive.  We should fill our time with productive activities but still leave room for adjustments and balance.  If you are constantly on the go you might miss an opportunity to grow, help someone in need, or avoid a nasty mistake that might be waiting to trip you.  When we are in a big hurry we will often miss important things and will become frustrated.  As you "slow time down" you are able to gain valuble treasures that will help you grow.

So as you are going through your busy lives take a moment and look around.  Listen to the spirit and let it teach you.  Find some one who is having a hard day and lift them higher.  Take a moment and read from the scriptures.  Look for those hidden treasures God has left for you,  In fact, find some time with your family and with those you love.  There is really treasure there.  Bonding with your family is a priceless commodity and cannot be replaced.  As you allow those precious moments to take part in your life, you will find little pieces of gold in your path which will bring true happiness.

Watch this video and see how these individuals found gold.

Wealthy

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)

Hey let's talk money!  We all love money.  We all want money.  Money gets us everything we want in this world.  With out money we are lost in this world.  But I have some bad news for you.  To be rich you have to work for it.  Sorry, but life is not handed to you on a silver platter with your name in gold.

There are many different kinds of rich.  There are multiple ways to define wealth, some you might have never heard of.  But I want to focus on wealth in knowledge, primarily the wealth you can find in the Scriptures.  Have you ever thought there are hidden treasures in the Scriptures?  If you would have asked me that when I was a early teen, I would have laughed in your face.  But now I've discovered "gold mines", right inside the very pages of the Scriptures.  Now before you start laughing, I want to show you what I have done to reap from these "mines".

I always begin my study with prayer.  There are going to be things I am not going to understand while I am reading.  I can have a dictionary, a computer with Internet, or my parents with me to tell me the answers.  But it will not mean so much to me if someone else told me how it worked.  Often times it may take years to understand one part.  As I am studying, other things that I have learned in all my years will sometimes come back to memory, some that I have not looked at in a long time.  (2 Nephi 28:30.)



A Gold mine from God



Having a study journal helps in our study.  Just like you need a place to store your money in, you should very well have a place to store your thoughts.  Your brain is not enough.  Writing down what you learn, and what your thoughts are, will not only help you learn something, but will help you remember everything.  Thinking about what you are studying helps to.  When you think over it, your able to piece together how it works and what it is used for.  It also increases understanding.  The most important thing is time.  You have to be patient with yourself and what you want.  No one is given knowledge.  It is obtained through hard work.  It's going to be a challenge, but it is most rewarding. Thomas Fuller said, "All things are difficult before they are easy."  You don't know everything yet, but that can all change.  You can be opened to ALL the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  Just have faith in God and he will grant you your wish according to your desires, as he sees fit.

As you continue to study you'll understand more and be able to tackle bigger questions.  But it all begins with a desire and putting in the effort.  God is not going to give us an understanding right there.  We need to meet him half way and do our part.  I promise that as you diligently study, the doctrine of the kingdom will fall on you like rain.