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.

A Price to Pay

June 6, 1944 - Normandy, France

Look to the image on the right.  Could you stand in the shoes of those men and face what they faced?  These and many other men were someones son, brother, father, husband or friend.  Each had volunteered their lives for the freedom of others.  To them we owe much.  The greatest argument in the world would possibly be, "is war right?"  Yes and no.  It is an oxymoron but it is true.  War is only right when it is done in the defense of your home, family and country.  Defensive is not an offensive.  Let me show you God's rules of war and maybe you can see where it is right.

It hurts God to see his children fight.

I want to start in the Bible.  There is always some kind of war going on in the Bible.  But how often did Israel invade another country?  There are a few instances such as the Book of Joshua, and the Books of Kings (1 Sam - 2 Kings).  Most of the time Israel was defending it's borders whether from Egypt or Babylon.  The ten commandments did say, "Thou shalt not kill" but it does not say, "Thou shalt suffer yourselves to bear ever affliction even to the darkest prison."  God forbids war as a means of gain.  That is stealing.  But in order for God's laws or (if you don't believe in God) for your rights and privileges to be preserved there must be a means of defending them.  Sad to say you must fight for them.  War is evil, there is no denial of it.  I am sure that it hurts God to see his children fight.  But I know that until men learn to set aside their selfish interests and hate there will be no ended to war.  To give you an example of what will happen if you were to lose your freedoms, look at the Holocaust during World War II.  Evil men will do the most despicable things to show supremacy over another.  Everyone cannot disagree that such behavior would be right if they were to happen to yourself.  Neither is it right for that to happen to another.  God has commanded all his people to defend themselves to bloodshed if needs be.  BUT, they are not to be aggressors!  If someone makes a life threatening action against yourself your are justified in self defense.

Matt 24:40

The Lord has also commanded us to be peaceful and avoid war.  But the latter is impossible.  There will always be someone to try and destroy another.  We never know who it is, or where they will come from.  Therefore war is necessary to protect ourselves from a person who wants us as subjects.  Those who love war do so because it brings them money or power, or they just enjoy watching people suffer, they have the greatest mark on their heads.  You might as well say they have the mark of Cain.  Their death is almost guaranteed to be by the hands of others.

"Speak softly, and carry a big stick" - Theodore Roosevelt

Leaders of nations who command innocent men and women to fight their wars for them are responsible for the sufferings of others.  It is not the soldiers fault.  President George Washington had said, "Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession."  May I add that freedom was never prized so much until it was lost.  If you are not willing to fight for your freedoms, I understand.  I'm not all up for it either.  But at least show some support for those who have had to experience it.

I would love the day when swords will be beat into plow shears and the art of war is forgotten.  But so long as there are ruthless men out there seeking the destruction of others there will always be a need for defense.  May God continue to strengthen and assist the men and women in uniform who are fighting for the freedom of others.

Meet a veteran who served his country.