Val's Email Sunday School: Peace, Refuge, Safety

The reading this week in Doctrine and Covenants 45 had a lot of information about Christ, and a lot about the signs of his Second Coming. It was interesting to notice how many times we were told to “hearken” in the beginning of the chapter. We were told to hearken at least five times. This message seems significant. But what does it mean to hearken? The hebrew definition of the word means to listen and hear with attention or earnestness, with the intent to obey. What is it we’re supposed to be hearkening to? What are we being admonished to do? 

The next part of the chapter warns us that Christ will return “in an hour [we] think not.” This part of the chapter gives a good description of what the role of Christ is supposed to be, stating that he’s our advocate with the father, that he will plead our cause. I’ve heard Christ compared to our lawyer before, and it makes a lot of sense to me. We might not be able to make our case well for ourselves, but Christ knows us and the thoughts and intents of our hearts. He knows our motivations even better than we do, and our intentions matter to God. I like the idea of the best lawyer in the world (Jesus), representing us in the best way possible to argue our case before God to secure the best outcome for each of us.

We’re told not to harden our hearts, and advised to “be not troubled.” We’re told that the summer, or Christ’s return, is nigh at hand. This metaphor of the fig leaves is also in the Bible. It says that when we begin to see the signs of the times, or the events preceding the second coming, then we can know that the time is almost here. We’re taught that those signs that precede his coming are like the spring buds on the trees. I always think of these scriptures when I see the buds forming on the trees, and it’s something cool to think about this time of year. We see the buds on the trees, but summer isn’t here yet. If you’re not paying attention summer creeps up on you and one day you wake up and the trees have leaves and it’s 80 degrees. It really is that quick. Especially if you aren’t taking notice. One day the trees are bare, and suddenly the flowers or leaves have blossomed. The swiftness which spring turns to summer I think was chosen for this reason. 

We’re admonished to repent, to tell others to repent, for “in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended . . .” These scriptures remind me of the reference in the bible where the second coming is compared to a woman travailing in childbirth. Everyone knows she’s pregnant. She knows she’s pregnant. And this goes on for months and months. Until suddenly, it’s time. She’s going into labor and the baby is coming and nothing can stop it. It’s got to happen. This metaphor too is interesting because, like in the fig leaves, there's a whole lot of time when it seems like nothing is happening. maybe there's a little bit going on. It seems like a lot of waiting from the outside.  The woman might have some symptoms, she get's bigger and rounger, but there's not a whole lot going on. Behind the scenes things are changing, but until the chaos of the big event, the birth, the world goes on normally. In the metaphor of the worman, it's pretty clear when the birth will be, if you’re paying attention. You might not know the “date or time” but you have a pretty darn good idea of the season and sequence of events. You can tell just by looking at the signs that the birth is imminent.

We’re supposed to tell the world to repent, to become better, to be messengers before Christ “to prepare the way before [him].” I got a strong sense that we shouldn’t procrastinate--our improvement, our own repentance, our willingness to learn and study. We don’t know what the future holds, so we need to prepare while the preparing is good. Sometimes you’ll have more time, or more emotional energy, and we need to prepare now, instead of assuming we have time. I’m not necessarily saying that the coming of Christ is about to happen (although the parable of the ten virgins warns us not to be complacent about that), I’m saying that due to circumstances in our lives there are times we will have more adversity, or hardship, or trials of our faith than others. Because of this, we need to be working on our defenses before we need them. We need to build our armour, our resilience, our faith, and our ability to be guided before the test of our faith. We need to study and prepare for the test before we take it. 

President Nelson said, “Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses--yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will ‘grow into the principle of revelation.’” We really do believe some very interesting things, and I sometimes think most of us are living way below the privileges we may be entitled to (I feel like they’ve said that in conference before too). In this talk from 2018 Conference he said that God really does want to tell us things and reveal things to us.

While many of the signs of the Second Coming, or the signs of the times, are scary, we have to try not to view them through the lens of fear. You’ve probably heard that fear and faith can’t coexist in someone at the same time. This is a psychological phenomenon called cognitive dissonance. We have a hard time holding opposing things in our minds, and we end up choosing one or the other. These scriptures that tell us about the calamities and chaos that will come, but there’s another side to that coin. They aren’t just warnings of danger or dreadful things to come. They're also supposed to be faith promoting signs that God’s promises are about to be fulfilled. I try to think of it was a yin and yang thing. There is opposition and balance in the universe, and as scary or dreadful as things might be, they are also supposed to be equally wonderful at the same time. As the depravity, evil, and corruption in the world become more apparent, so too will the opposing forces of goodness, virtue, and purity increase. 

There’s a lot to read about the Second Coming and the events leading up to it. I won’t go into that here. I do encourage people to study it on their own. How can you watch for the signs, how can you know how unfurled the buds on the trees are, unless you’re paying attention? Unless you know what to look for?

We are admonished to stand in Holy places. What does this mean? Is it a physical location? While it can be, it’s not necessarily a geographical location. Zion is described as the pure in heart. It is intention, or the intents of our hearts. It is our state of mind. While the world is at war and calamities are befalling people and nations, the scriptures tell us that “great things await [us, who seek to follow Christ].” Though war, calamity, chaos, turmoil, natural disasters, and the taking of peace from the earth are hallmarks of the last days, this bleak picture isn’t the whole reality.

Sometimes we forget the other side of the coin. As Satan rages in the hearts of some men, others establish a place called the New Jerusalem, or Zion, which is a “a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety. . .” The wicked won’t come to Zion, but the world will reach a point “that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.” Those who live in Zion, this New Jerusalem, are “the only people that shall not be at war one with another.”

I like this verse in Doctrine and Covenants 45:70 which says, “And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.” I’ve thought a lot about that and wondered what it meant. Why would the wicked not want to come against Zion? I’ve wondered if the warriors or protectors of Zion would just be scary, if they were strong and powerful and the bad guys didn’t know why. Maybe it would be because the people of Zion weren’t afraid to defend themselves against people who would otherwise hurt them, and they didn’t have reservations killing people who would destroy them if given the chance. Either way, if the world really does go to crap, we can gather together to a place of like minded individuals, and there, if nowhere else in the world, we can experience peace, refuge, and safety, guarded by our terrible warriors who strike fear in the hearts of the wicked. 

If the world gets scary, anyone who wants to can have access to peace. We have access to guidance. We have access to power. As we seek truth, we need to try to find the most reliable and trustworthy sources. Are we listening to random people on Facebook or Social Media? Are we watching the news and listening to politicians? Or are we going to the source of truth and learning how to be guided by the Holy Ghost? Are we seeking truth from God? Obviously easier said than done. If the world keeps going crazy and changing, maybe it’s because God really is hastening His work.

Val's Email Sunday School: What is the Gospel of Christ?

As I was reading the lesson this week it seemed to have a really strong theme of missionary work or proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, sharing the gospel, etc. Most of us aren’t actual missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ. Most of us are just people. So what relevance do these scriptures have to us? Why do we care about proclaiming the Gospel? Can we proclaim the Gospel of Christ without being an actual missionary? Does it mean we have to be zealous religious people who annoy the crap out of less or non-religious people because we’re pushing our beliefs in their faces all of the time because we feel like we have a mandate to do so? I don’t think so.

There are many ways that we can proclaim the Gospel of Christ, but first, I’d like us to spend a little bit of time on what it is we’re supposed to be proclaiming to the world. What is the Gospel of Christ? This is a huge topic, and I’m sure whole books are written on it, so forgive me for having less depth than the topic deserves. First, we’ll discuss Fatih. The Gospel of Christ is a philosophy that states that there is help and power available to all men if they center their lives in truth. We believe that there is ultimate truth, and that the most primary and basic truth upon which all else is built is that there is a loving God. This Loving Father sent us to experience life to learn, to grow, and to progress. This ideology gives us comfort in knowing we aren’t alone, that we have access to power and help, and that there is ultimately a purpose for all of the things that we experience, especially suffering, injustice, or oppression. Because there is a loving God, with whom we can currently have a relationship with, who orchestrated these events for us (allowing us autonomy and personal choice), then “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. . .” (Romans 8:28). The Gospel of Christ gives all lives meaning and purpose, regardless of your standing in the worlds eyes (asthetically, racially, socially, economically, etc). Christ’s Gospel endows human life with worth, meaning, and purpose.

Second, we believe in man’s ability to change. We believe that as we learn better, we do better and change our behaviors. This is what we mean when we talk about repentance. Repentance is to do better, when you know better. Because changing one’s nature is hard and sometimes feels impossible, it is comforting to know that Christ’s helps us overcome more than just sin with his atonement. He helps us in all of the ways that we need help, including changing our nature. This is the role of Christ’s Atonement. We believe that we have access to literal power that gives us the ability to become better and change, when we rely on Christ. One of the things I dislike most about our current culture in the US is that many don’t seem to believe that there is any redemption for people. Cancel culture is the movement of an ideology that believes that mistakes are irredeemable. One mistake from years ago can taint who you currently are. I think we, as a people, need to work on having grace and patience with ourselves and others, and give people the freedom to change and become better. Who you were in the past doesn’t define who you currently are, if you don’t want it to. You can change. It’s allowed. It’s desirable, and we are not irredeemable, according to Christ. You don't have to do it alone.

These two things, faith and repentance, are the pillars of Christ’s Gospel. In fact, they are so central to everything, that the missionaries in the Book of Mormon were taught that they “should preach nothing save repentance and faith.” If you remove Christ from Christ’s Gospel, it’s still a really nice self-help type ideology. However, removing Christ kind of destroys the pillar of faith. It’s still nice to believe in change and redemption, but without Christ you don’t have access to power or help, and you’re stuck trying to do everything on your own. Having the pillar of faith and the pillar of repentance together give you more meaning, more purpose, and more peace.

Another part of Christ’s Gospel are the Commandments. Throughout scripture we are encouraged to keep the commandments. In Matthew 22, Christ teaches us that the greatest commandment is to, “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” English writer and philosopher G. K. Chesterton said that, “If men will not be governed by the Ten Commandments, they shall be governed by the ten thousand commandments.” The commandments were given as a guide to help us know how to live moral lives. When we stop trying to be moral and ethical, we try to weasel our way around the meaning and intent of the original commandments.

I had a stark and interesting juxtaposition of this commandment that we love one another this week, when I read an article about a book Target is selling called “A Rhythm of Prayer: A collection of Meditations for Renewal.” The irony of the title is not lost. First, I haven’t read the book, but I have read one of the prayers in it. That specific prayer reminded me of a story in the Book of Mormon about a people who would go to a raised platform in public, called a Rameumptom, and publicly pray at the top, reciting an identical prayer, thanking God that they were not as sinful as the other people, and that they were chosen (among other things). Then they would go home and not speak of God all week until the next week when they completed their ritual prayer on the platform.

This specific prayer in the book today (a type of raised, public platform), begs the Lord to help the author hate a specific group of people. Not the blatant sinners of course, but those sinners who are deemed sinners because they haven’t dedicated themselves enough to the fight she deems most worthy and essential. There is so much wrong with praying to have the strength to hate others. It’s thanking the Lord for being his chosen people without saying it in those exact words. What about loving your neighbor? What about the admonition to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”? What about forgiveness? What about forgiving seventy times seven? What about the Lord’s statement that “ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.” Asking for strength to hate someone is rife with hubris. I’ve written before about how pride is considered the universal vice, the greatest sin. If praying to hate others isn’t the ultimate hubris I’m not sure what is.

In addition to faith, repentance, and love, we can preach the Lord’s Gospel best, perhaps, by example. No one wants to try to be converted to anyone else’s ideology or path unless that person has something they want. No one wants you pushing your diet or your exercise regime or your political views on them. The same goes for religion and life philosophy (arguably the same thing). We can best “preach” Christ’s Gospel through example and personal stories showing how living this way has improved our lives. We can be exemplars by our attitude, our happiness, our hope, our optimism, and our peace. When we see something that others have that we want, whether it be a fit body or mental or emotional health, we are more open to what leads to the desirable outcome. Mental, spiritual, emotional health and resilience are  desirable outcomes of a good relationship with Jesus Christ.

Knowing what the Gospel of Christ entails is step one. What did Christ even teach? Step two is faith. Faith this putting his words and promises to the test in our lives. Faith is experimentation. Repentance is doing better when we know better. It doesn't have to be on our own. We can have help and power given to us. Christ’s Gospel is keeping his commandments. Among those commandments are loving God and loving our neighbors, even if we think they are our enemies or unworthy. All of us, even those who profess to already follow Christ, continually work to understand more of his teachings and implement them in our lives. To be a disciple, or a personal follower of Christ, is a lifelong pursuit.

Val's Email Sunday School: What is The Universal Sin, The Great Vice?

The reading this week was interesting not necessarily because of what it said, but because of where it lead me. Sometimes the scriptures might not seem to have that much relevance to us personally at first glance, but I think that’s what scripture study is about. You use the Holy Ghost to help you understand what to focus on and what threads in the reading to pursue.

Again, there’s a lot that I could write about. For example, most of the individuals were told something about how their calling was exhortation for the church. What does exhortation mean? The dictionary said exhortation “encourages, incites, or earnestly advises” or is an “argument, appeal, or admonition; the argument or appeal made.” The individuals in the scriptures weren’t necessarily called to preach, they were called to encourage, earnestly advise, appeal to others, and present a case for the Church and Christ’s Gospel (or so it appears from my perspective).

We could delve into the Holy Ghost, and how in the reading that it said, “And it shall be given thee in the very moment what thou shalt speak and write. . .” We could also talk about the degree to which God expects his followers to trust him, as indicated in the scripture where they were told to not worry about money, and clothes, and housing, that they would be provided for and that they were “called to prune my vineyard with a mighty pruning, yea, even for the last time. . .”

We could even talk about how Emma Smith was told that her calling in life was to “be for a comfort unto my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., thy husband, in his afflictions, with consoling words, in the spirit of meekness.” That’s interesting because it demonstrates the wide variety of callings that people might have in life. When we get distressed thinking we’re not enough or not doing enough, it might be useful to remember that many aren’t called to do grand things, but small and simple things. Many are called to be a friend, or a comfort, or an example.

There were a lot of nuggets of wisdom I could have chosen to follow, but the one I pursued the most was the warning, repeated at least twice throughout these chapters to “beware of pride.” Isn’t pride just thinking you’re better than other people? What were these people doing that the Lord needed to say beware of pride? Did they think they were more spiritual, better, more righteous than others? Maybe. So I googled beware of pride.

The first thing that came up was a talk by President Benson from 1989 entitled Beware of Pride. He tells us that the Lord warns people to beware of pride 3 times in the Doctrine and Covenants, once saying “Beware of Pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.” This demonstrates the severity of the danger of pride, but we still aren’t necessarily that clear on what it is. Luckily for us, a few paragraphs later he expounds upon this:


Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance. In the scriptures there is no such things as righteous pride--it is always considered a sin. Therefore, no matter how the world uses the term, we must understand how God uses the term. . . Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.”

He said that pride is “competitive” in nature. That it is when we pit our will against God’s. Basically, it seems like he’s saying that when we refuse to let God prevail, as President Nelson admonished us, then we are putting our will above God’s, and refusing to submit to him, refusing to let God, our maker, be our master. “The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. . . The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.” An interesting tangent that seems related is the motto of a Satanic temple that I read about once. Their creed wasn't that you should murder or kill or be immorral. It was something that seems much more benign: “Thyself is thy master.” Ironically that short sentence does seem to encompass the opposite of Christianity (humility and submission to God) with a simple, prideful declaration of self as supreme. 

President Benson also tells us that there are severe consequences of pride to “individuals, groups, cities, and nations.” He quotes Proverbs 16:18 which says, “Pride goeth before destruction.” He even goes so far as to say that pride “namely secret combinations, brought down both the Jaredite and the Nephite civilizations and has been and will yet be the cause of the fall of many nations.” (emphasis added) Pride is when we care more about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us, in the “competition for men’s approval.” He said that “Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down on the rest of us. There is, however, a far more common element among us--and that is the pride from the bottom looking up.” This, he says, is manifest through things like “faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.”

“Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.” Later he tells us that “The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges. They withhold forgiveness and keep another in their debt and to justify their injured feelings.” Pride is a sin of division. It keeps us from becoming who we should be, and who we need to be. President Benson tells us that “Unity is impossible for a proud people, and unless we are one we are not the Lord’s.”

President Benson tells us that “Pride is the universal sin, the great vice.” Those are strong words. We should recognize that pride is something we all struggle with, although it manifests in various ways. “Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It stops progression.” He tells us that the antidote to pride is humility. . .” He goes on to advise us to choose to be humble. We can choose to be humble, or we can be compelled to be humble. I hope we can all work to choose humility instead of pride, submission instead of stubbornness, and Christ’s teachings instead of Satan’s teachings. I based the majority of this lesson on one talk from 1989. I imagine there are many more talks and insights regarding this topic that we could research further. I hope that we can all work to overcome our vices and strive to have better character. If we make ourselves better, we make the world better.

Val's Email Sunday School: Christianity has a PR Problem

I consume a lot of investment, business, and finance books, podcasts, and articles. I try to understand current events and politics as well. Sometimes this gives me an odd lens when I’m making parallels between what I'm reading or learning and religion, spirituality, or Christ’s gospel. This week, I was also reading a fictional book (The Handmaid’s Tale) for a challenge with my sister, and all these things combined made me think of the business book “Start with Why.” In this book, the author explains that for people to rally behind your brand, business, or cause, you have to give them a vision of why. What is your vision, your dream, your ultimate goal for how your brand/product transforms lives or the world? What does that have to do with the reading this week, or the lesson? I’ll get there, but first, a little bit more back story.

When Amy Coney Barrett (ACB) was confirmed to the supreme court, some people on social media and in the media lamented, fearing that her appointment was indicative of the future erosion of women’s rights, and some even went so far as to compare the scenario to the Handmaid’s Tale. I knew of the story, but only vaguely. I knew it was a book series and a TV series. I knew it was dystopian, about a weird future where many women were infertile and others who were able to have children were used as breeders. In reading this story, I’ve learned that the fictional society was transformed (I don’t know why yet) by religious zealots who refuse to educate women, use them for their childbearing capabilities, and basically control all aspects of their lives.

Now, regardless of where the story goes from here is less important that the picture of this world that is being painted for us. Why would anyone in their right mind associate ACB with this story? What relevance does this mother of seven who is a respected, accomplished, educated, and intelligent woman have with this dystopian story? She’s a practicing Catholic, a Christian. Her sin is being religious. As American society insists that religion has no place in public life, declaring that there should be a separation of church and state, many of us are falling for this lie. The separation of church and state that is enshrined in the constitution is not freedom from the offense of others beliefs, but freedom from a state religion with obligatory memberships and state sanctioned punishments for disobedience or heresy. We are promised that our government will never be a state religion, not one that bars religious people from participation in public life. 

We can’t allow people to make the argument that morality has no place in legislature and law. All laws are moral judgements, just ones that most people agree on. Stealing? Bad. Law. Killing? Bad. Law. Etc. Instead of LGBTQ people feeling threatened by Religious Freedom, and women being threatened by transgender rights, people need to sit down and reach compromises that allow the most freedom for the most people, while still protecting the rights of vulnerable groups. We’ve got to get out of the mindset that we’re in a power struggle between groups and stop playing tug of war. Our binary thinking has led us to see others enemies who are not. We need to instead listen to the concerns of different groups and address them.

So again, what does that have to do with the book Start with Why, or the lesson? I’m getting there, I promise. When you don’t seize control of your own narratives and spin the story your own way (every news outlet, every celebrity, everybody normal person has a story), other people will do it for you. And this leads to a Public Relations or PR problem. A good publicist can take a bad story, spin it, and make you look good. People can take a good story and spin it to make a hero look bad. The point is that the person or group you want telling your story is you. Otherwise, you have a PR problem. You don’t want people who don’t know you, understand you, or sympathize with you presenting your perspective to the world. You don’t want people who deliberately misunderstand you, your beliefs, or your behaviors telling others who you are. We need more Christians, more religious people, being bold and unashamed of who they are and what they believe to be willing to tell their own stories.

I personally thought that society and popular culture wanted nothing to do with religion (I still kinda think that). The message we seem to be getting is that we should sit down and shut up and keep our religious parts covered, because honestly, no one wants to see that, mmkay? And if you could keep your morality and your beliefs our of your politics, too, that’d be great. The trouble with this is that politics and law ARE morality and belief legislated into law. Regardless of where you’re getting your morality, and who or what you hold supreme, all people are using their beliefs and sense of morality to inform their stances on issues, current events, and politics.

So again, what does this have to do with Christians having a PR problem? What does it have to do with the Book Start with Why? Instead of listening to the pressures that we feel that tell us to sit down and shut up, that no one wants us to be shoving our religion in their faces all the time trying to convert them, we should seize control of our own narrative and be ourselves. We tell our own stories in our own words, in our own voices and tell people why we do what we do. We start with why. How does Christ improve our lives? How does Christianity improve the world? 

If our society is going to value authenticity above almost anything else and celebrate people for being who they are, we should claim that privilege for ourselves. Instead of letting popular culture dictate who we are and how we are, we should tell our own stories. Hollywood tells us that witches are cool and devil worshipping is entertaining and edgy (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and that those who believe in the bible are fanatic zealots who will impose their will on society as a whole (The Handmaid’s Tale). Maybe it’s time we frame our own narrative about Christianity. We need more people like Simone Biles, not just because of her awesome athletic ability, but because in her autobiography she wasn’t afraid or ashamed to attribute her success to God. Why is that? We need more people telling others why and how they attribute their successes to God.

So, let's start with why. Why Christianity? We have a path to be free of guilt from our past mistakes and choices, if we choose another way. We have access to strength and power to help us make those changes, or help us in hard times. That might sound hokey to someone who has never experienced it, but I know that it’s true. I know that you can have access to hope and comfort in the scariest, darkest times in your life. I know that even when the world seems to be falling apart around you you can have a lifeline of bright hope. You can find good things in crappy times. We really do find reassurance, direction, peace, guidance, and comfort through prayer. I really have found answers to impossible questions, and found myself equal to impossible tasks. I’m as skeptical as anyone about anything, but when something is repeatable by others with the same results, we’re venturing into scientific method territory. Just because we don’t understand how or why things work, that doesn’t mean that they don’t. I have been able to be happy, despite the crappiest circumstances that I’ve found myself in, and I attribute that to my faith (a belief in God, a hope in good outcomes, a faith in a brighter future).

To be religious is not stupidity, it’s not brainwashing. It’s a choice. It’s a choice to continue to pursue a path that has proven to provide emotional and mental support. It’s a choice to pursue a course that provides anchoring, peace, and reassurance in a chaotic and despairing world. It’s a choice to continue to pursue a path that led you to answers and helped your abilities to be equal to the tasks you were/are faced with. We must be our own publicists, tell our own stories. We must start with why. Why do we do what we do? Why do we seek to change our minds, or our natures, our habits, or our characters when it’s hard?

I feel like a lot of religious people have withdrawn from parts of society, reassuring themselves that at least they’re happy. Books and movies rarely have religious characters, and when they do they’re often crazy or cooky. Often religious people are presented as villains (you know, the crazy serial killer). We can’t be content to make our surroundings peaceful, happy, and good and let the rest of the world around us collapse. We can’t forget the mandates given in the scriptures that we are supposed to preach repentance. As we’ve discussed in the past, repentance is changing, or doing better when you know better. Although we don’t seek to impose our beliefs on others, we do hope to encourage others to improve and change for the better when they know a better way. We can’t forget to tell others that there is a path to redemption, that we can change our characters, and even our natures. We can change, we can remake ourselves, we can be "reborn." We can be examples, we can be ourselves, and we can choose not to withdraw or shrink from interacting with others we encounter, online or in person, who are different from us.

Christ tells us that as we learn of him and listen to his words, walking in his path, we will have peace. The ability to be happy and at peace in a tumultuous world or in devastating situations or circumstances is something I think we all want. I think that this is what is meant when the scriptures say, “And thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains, and upon every high place, and among every people that thou shalt be permitted to see. And thou shalt do it with all humility, trusting in me, reviling not against revilers.” Interestingly enough it tells us not to revile against the revilers. The word revile means to “criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.” Don’t go around fighting with people who never intended to understand you. Don’t waste your time or energy increasing or multiplying the amnositiy, enmity, negativity, or contention in the world. Instead, “but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

“And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost. And speak freely to all; yea, preach, exhort, declare the truth, even with a loud voice, with a sound of rejoicing, crying—Hosanna, hosanna, blessed be the name of the Lord God!” Tenets are principles of religion or philosophy, so it appears to be telling us not to delve into the intricacies or speculations of religion, but to stick to the basics. The things we know. Faith, repentance, baptism, and confirmation by the Holy Ghost.

We are told to “Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing . . . Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness? Or canst thou run about longer as a blind guide?” I am struck in the scriptures by how often the gospel is counseling us to be of good cheer, to rejoice, to be glad. How can we read these things without rejoicing and feeling glad? If we believe that men are that they might have joy, and we believe that Christ’s gospel (a word deriving from the Latin and Greek meaning Good News) is supposed to make us joyful or happy, we should study it with the lens of understanding why. Why is it supposed to be good news? Why is it supposed to make us rejoice or feel glad? If we don’t understand these things I’m not sure we understand what we profess to believe, and we’re a blind guide that shouldn't be running around trying to convince others to follow a path we don't understand ourselves.

This week, the reading helped me to understand that we need to live our lives and be ourselves without feeling ashamed or afraid of what others think of us, our choices, or our beliefs. We need to be who we are, and tell our own stories. Who are Christians, and what do we believe? Why do we do what we do? Why do we believe it? If we become our own publicists, and take control of our own narrative instead of letting ourselves be defined by fringe or fictional zealots, I think people would have a more accurate understanding or who we are and what we are.

Val's Email Sunday School: The Paradoxes of Christ's Gospel

Repentance was a theme in the reading for me this week. I used to misconstrue what it means to repent. I thought it meant feeling guilty or doing penance for something you did wrong, some transgression. Now I think of repentance more as a process of change or improvement. The original greek translation of repentance is metoania, which means a change of heart. I was taught somewhere that it means to turn back. Google tells us that “Repentance- ( metánoia in the greek) means- change in one's way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion; I repent, change my mind, change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God).” With that definition, to repent, seems to have a lot in common with President Nelson’s admonition for us to “Let God Prevail.”

In the reading it said, “that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father.” We are also told that “the world is ripening in iniquity; and it must needs be that the children of men are stirred up unto repentance, both the Gentiles and also the house of Israel. 14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” I have those scriptures memorized almost word for word because of scripture mastery in seminary. Sometimes familiarity breeds complacency. What are we really being told throughout these scriptures? 

If we know God and know his gospel, he is exhorting us to testify of what we know. We are to speak out and ask the world to change, to become better. We are to preach repentance, but to what end? What are we trying to become? What are we trying to get others to do? Just be obedient? Be our best selves? In a recent general conference we were taught that we aren’t here to just learn obedience like lap dogs that need to learn not to chew on the heavenly slippers, we’re here to learn to choose what’s right because we want to become something more, something better. We ultimately believe that we are to progress and learn to become like God. Repentance is the process through which we shed thoughts or behaviors that prevent us from being like him.

As followers of Christ, we profess to follow his teachings, or his gospel. “18 Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men. 19 And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing. 20 Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.21 Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness.” To follow Christ means a few things. It means to pray with faith in Christ, to strive for revelation or understanding. It means to have faith, hope, and charity. It means to speak the truth. In a world of hate, despair, and darkness, faith, hope, love, and objective truth really do shine like beacons. In a world of turmoil and chaos, peace really is valuable.

What else do we do? “42 For all men must repent and be baptized, and not only men, but women, and children who have arrived at the years of accountability. 43 And now, after that you have received this, you must keep my commandments in all things; 44 And by your hands I will work a marvelous work among the children of men, unto the convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father.” We are supposed to strive to be better. To be baptized. To keep the commandments. If we do this, it says that through us, God will work a marvelous work among the people on earth to convince them of the wrongness of their living, so that they can change, and become like him too.

The gospel of Christ is simple. I feel like we often try to complicate things. We have a basic framework, that when followed appears to lead to lead to more personal growth and satisfaction, better relationships, more peace, and a better society. I can’t figure out why society today shuns traditional religion like Christianity when they desperately want the outcomes or natural consequences of certain behaviors like moral living.

That, however, leads us down another rabbit hole. What it means to be moral, and what moral living is, is in dispute. There are a lot of competing ideologies that profess to have the answers that will lead to the world becoming more equal, or as they’ve been saying lately, more equitable. Equality is about beginning at the same place, but having the same opportunities as others. The world isn’t equal, but many have tried to make it more so. Equitable means that we all end up in the same place, or that we end up having similar/identical outcomes. Lately people and politicians have been talking a lot about how we can make things more equitable, and have more equitable outcomes. This has bothered me a lot, but only now have I been able to figure out why.

I was taught a lot growing up about a war of ideas that took place before we ever came to this earth, and in that time before we lived here, when we lived a spiritual existence, two distinct and competing ideologies formed. Two representatives presented these ideas to us. One plan was that we would come to earth and be tested, but ultimately we would all be rewarded the same, regardless of our actions or behaviors. We would all return to heaven, rewarded regardless of performance. The other plan was that we would come to earth and be tested, and ultimately our rewards would depend on our actions and behaviors. We would be rewarded according to performance and intent. People who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will recognize the story of these two plans. The plan of equity was Satan’s plan. The plan of equality, opportunity, and personal growth was Jesus’ plan.

Believing that we should be rewarded or punished according to behavior and merit is literally a foundational part of my religion. I strongly believe in personal responsibility.  I also believe that we strive to an equitable society where there are no poor among us. Ironically, many of the current political and social ideologies also believe in this ultimate utopia too. These secular philosphies strike me as very religious in nature. I know religion. I grew up in religion. I know the language and rituals of religion. And a lot of what is being said today about the original sin of our nation (slavery) and equity (state relegated/socialism/communism) is religious rhetoric.  

Another irony of all of this is that our Christian beliefs really are paradoxical. The scriptures are full of gospel paradoxes that teach truth. One example is, “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” If we take Christ’s yoke upon us, an additional burden, we will find rest. Or how about the scripture “. . . whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

I believe that wanting a more equitable world is a good thing. It is something that is instilled in our souls. It is an ideal of a more utopian, Christ-like, or heavenly world. However, when man seeks to enforce or implement these utopias upon us through coercive means or power, it is destined to fail because of corruption. We can’t create heaven on earth until we create heaven in ourselves. Satan always seeks to present counterfeits as genuine and desirable. Satan works through deception and confusion. We will never reach heaven, utopia, or the kingdom of God on earth through godless or coercive means. The scriptures show us the tactics of satan, if we read them. They give us examples of people who have been dignified and valiant despite hardship. And they teach us what to look for to know where we are in the timeline of God’s plan. Even though it wasn't in the reading, I kept coming back to these scriptures in my mind this week:  

“6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”


Today in church they talked about going to God, the source of truth, with all of our questions, whatever those questions might be. It’s hard to know which voices or sources to trust in a world full of noise and contradictions. However, we’ve been taught how to discern truth. We have the ability to create peace on earth. We have the ability to spread faith, hope, and charity. We can be happy regardless of external circumstances. We can find goodness and beauty in the world around us. I think this is what repentance is. Repentance is the better way. Repentance is the gospel of Christ, happiness is the gospel of Christ, peace is the Gospel of Christ, redemption is the gospel of Christ, and charity is the gospel of Christ. Repentance, happiness, peace, and charity begin individually in our hearts with us.

Val's Email Sunday School: Who is Your God?

One thing that has stood out to me in the scriptures throughout 2020 and 2021 is how often they mention the people being “stirred up to anger.” The reading this week mentioned this phenomenon multiple times as well saying, “Satan stirreth them up, that he may lead their souls to destruction. 23 And thus he has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy the work of God. . .”

Okay, so this simple scripture can say a lot. We learn that Satan is the source of people being stirred up, and he does this in an attempt to thwart the work of God. What is the work of God? There are a few ways to answer this. Moses 1:39 tells us that God’s work and his glory is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Immortality is self explanatory, but eternal life is defined as “the quality of life that our Eternal Father lives” and as “exaltation, [or] to live in God’s presence and to continue as families. . .” If Satan is always diametrically opposed to God, then his work is to make sure that we don’t have the quality of life that our Heavenly Father lives, and that we do not live in God’s presence, and to undermine families.

What does it mean to live with the same quality of life God has? When we talk about the fruits of the spirit, and all things that are good, we are talking about calmness, peace, happiness, contentment, etc. I like the following graphic because it helps us understand what is of God, and what is not. Sometimes it’s easier to understand what something is by contrasting it with what it is not. Scriptures in James and Psalms tell us that all good things come from God. So God encompasses all that is good and edifying, and Satan encompasses all that is bad. We're told in other scripture that "men are that they might have joy." Are we joyful? These are some of the simplest, easiest ways for us to understand what is “good” and what is “bad”, what is “of God” and what is “of Satan.”

Snagged this Pin from Pinterest (Don't know who to attribute it to)

Other goals/works of God include the Gathering of Israel and building the kingdom of God on the earth. I’ve written a lot about what these two phrases can mean, but basically bringing people to the knowledge of their inheritance and making the world better and more equal for everyone are some brief explanations.

People against God “Deceive and lie in wait to catch, that ye may destroy; behold, this is no harm. And thus he flattereth them, and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him. . . they who do not fear me, neither keep my commandments but build up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and all those that do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the devil—yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and cause to tremble and shake to the center.”

I used to think that when the scriptures talked about churches being built up for gain, literally meant churches, like religions. I thought it was maybe permissive mega churches that were twisting scriptures or something and trying to get money out of their congregations. Now I have a different perspective. Churches are groups of public worship or organized believers. One of the biggest misconceptions I had was thinking that the churches referenced in scripture had anything to do with God. There are many, many churches, and only some of them have anything to do with God. 

There are churches of anti-racism with their concepts of Original Sin, penance, and guilt. There are churches dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and equity. There are churches that revolve around gender and sexuality. All of these churches have their high priests who dispense dogma. Many have their heresies, scriptures, and punishments for heresy. These churches are monetarily profitable for some. Who have we chosen to be our God? What religion to we follow? We all have a religion, even if someone specifically doesn’t believe in God. Religions aren’t about God, they’re about frameworks to view the world and interpret events, past and present. Churches or religions are belief systems. Some religions are centered on God or Christ, and some are not. Who is our God? Who, or what, is prevailing in our lives?

This is how I encourage us to evaluate our belief systems, our habits, and our priorities. Are the places we spend our time helping us to feel more peace, happiness, or contentment? Believe it or not, some of these aforementioned religions find it heretical for their acolytes to be happy or grateful. Does our religion encourage discontent? Does it encourage guilt instead of gratitude? As we observe the fruits or effects of some of these religions, it becomes more clear whether or not they are good or bad. Does our belief system make us happier? Does it encourage unity or hate? Does it help men to love one another?

The scriptures this week said that God/Christ seeks to “establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them.” Are our hearts being stirred up to contention? Or are we at peace? If we are more unhappy, more discontented, and more contentious, then we are straying from the path of Christ.

Christ tells us “Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. 68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.” The doctrine of Christ is repentance. The doctrine of Christ is about improvement, betterment, peace, happiness, contentment, and love. It is about self reliance, emotional resilience, stability, happiness in hardship, progression, redemption, and love. Are our beliefs improving our lives and the lives of others? If not, we might need to reevaluate our “church” and our “god.” Where do you spend your time? Who is your God?

Val's Email Sunday School: What Does it Mean to be Christian

One thing I often think about is the current trend of many to want the government to care for the poor, eliminate poverty, and have a more equitable society. Others on the opposite side of the spectrum also want to care for the poor, eliminate poverty, and have a more equitable society, but don’t want the government to be the entity that does it. Why do these groups of people think that they are so polar opposite when the stated goals are identical? Why are groups of people with similar goals at odds with one another? I can’t help but think about this as I read Christ’s teachings, which always admonish us to love one another, to care for the poor, to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and to care for the sick and afflicted.  

While people may disagree on how to reach these goals, ultimately the goals are identical. Many of the individuals that some decry as just wanting “free stuff” are expressing desires to live in the very type of society that Christ articulates as ideal. The irony of this isn’t lost. If to be Christian means to follow Christ’s teachings, then to be a true Christian would be to devote your life to alleviating human suffering (by caring for the poor, sick, needy, down trodden, etc). Are any of us living up to the promises we made? If not, what should we do better? If you want to follow the teachings of Christ and dedicate yourself to the betterment of mankind, then “what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” To be baptized is an outward and deliberate display by an individual that they intend to follow Christ. In the words of the reading today, those who were baptized “took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.” Those who were baptized call themselves Christians. They take Christ’s name upon them, and they commit to serving him. They commit to loving one another, to caring for one another, and to even loving their enemies. 

Now, one does not even necessarily have to believe in the divinity of Christ to commit to following the principles he taught. If being baptized means ascribing to the values and principles that Christ taught, then choosing to become Christian should mean something very specific in terms of how one lives and not even necessarily someone’s religious beliefs. Perhaps there’s a spectrum of Christianity as well. Regardless, ascribing the word “Christian” to someone should mean something very specific about the type of person someone is and the type of life that person lives. 

Christians meet together often to “be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer. . .” They meet to learn God’s words, to try to make sure they are living the best way possible, to pray together. It says that “the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.” When we think of the word soul, lots of times people think about hellfire, or damnation, or the standing of their “self” in relation to heaven or hell. I’d like to change this perspective a little and think more in terms of the happy or miserable state of the self. When we think of “soul food” or something like being out in nature being good for our “soul” we are talking more about an internal happiness, peace, or satisfaction in our deepest being.

We’ve talked in the past about how the dictionary definition of a “church” is defined as a people of specific beliefs meeting together to teach and to learn. It isn’t what the words have been twisted to mean today. Now when many think of religion or churches, it brings to mind hypocrites and dogmatic beliefs preached by leaders to control their followers who aren’t allowed to, or don’t know to, question what they’re taught. Instead, the reading tells us that the people who believe in the teachings of Christ meet together often to learn and teach each other, and to check on how everyone’s doing. Makes sense. How can you care for the emotional, temporal, or soul needs of others without checking in on them?

Lots of times I feel very frustrated with people because they seem to dismiss religion and religious people as stupid, blind sheep or fanatics. They don’t appear to want God, religion, prayer, or Christ in their lives at all. However, if I consider their stated desires, it does appear that our goals are actually the same. We really do want the same things. We just disagree about the paths to get there. If this is the case, and many people yearn for the teachings and outcomes of following Christ, then it seems like maybe we need to set better examples of living the things he taught. If we can, in our families and communities, show the world how to care for the poor, the sick, the afflicted, the needy, the naked, etc, then maybe that’s it means to be a light to the world. I hope that all of us can live the things we profess to believe, and that we can try to bring about the changes we want to see in the world. “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”