To the Atheist

To an Atheist:

You deny the pattern that has been given us to know what is right and what is wrong.  You say that feelings are just synapses going off in the brain.  Thus, there is no way of knowing anything.  Actually, it is very easy to know what is right and what is wrong.

Because of this denial, there's no common ground.

There is only one way to know whether something is true and good or not.  It is by planting it in your heart.  The heart, because this implies intention without any hypocrisy.  Let's call it a seed.  So, take anything and give it a try.  Is Free Sex a good seed or a bad seed?  Plant the idea in your heart.  Does it produce a feeling of temporary pleasure or a long term feeling of love and joy?  Are humility and meekness good seeds or bad ones?  Experiment by planting them.  Do they cause you to be in control of yourself or to be controlled by others?  Can others pull you strings when you are meek and humble?  If you answer, no, of course not, then the seed is good.  It is swelling.  It is growing.  Bad seeds never grow and take root.

For example, is love real? If you begin to love someone (you have planted the seed) and that person reciprocates and love back (they have planted the seed, too), then is this not real?  The seed is beginning to swell.  It is taking root.  I feels good.  As you both nurture the seed it begins to grow. You now know something.  You know love.

Plant the seed of deception in your heart.  What does it do?  It doesn't feel good.  It brings sorrow by and by.  People no longer trust you.  Friends and family begin to see that you are a liar.  You get mad that people don;t accept you in your deceptive state.  You become a victim, blind. Deception is a bad seed.  It doesn't swell within you.

So, If I were to ask you plant Jesus Christ in you heart, what would you do?  He is either real or not real.  Lots of people say he is real.  Lots of people say he isn't real.  Did this man really pay for the sins of the world?  Did he balance the books in some cosmic way?  Did he set the pattern for all of us to follow?  Or, was he just a man or a figment of our imagination?  How could you know whether or not he is real, once and for all?  I don't give that crap that you already know because it is obvious - because my professor in college said so.  This is the blind leading the blind.

The only way to know is to follow the prescribed pattern set forth.  And this requires you hear the pattern from someone and to believe enough to do the experiment. How hard is that?  But, remember, that the seed must be planted in your heart!  Not in your head.  You must get to a place where you do this with real intent.  You must be sincere.  If not, you're just playing a game and you are a hypocrite.  A hypocrite is a person who says that they did what you asked, but really didn't.  You have just lied.  Liars won't get answers.

So, if Jesus Christ is really your Savior, and you plant this idea in your heart, it will definitely begin to swell.  This promise is unto all.  This is the only way of knowing.  Once you know this, everything will begin to fall in place in your life.  This is the beginning of faith in Christ.  Remember, you have only planted the seed.  Now you have to nurture the seed that it may grow.  As it becomes a tree it will start producing fruit.  As you partake of the fruit you will be filled with the love of God.  You life will be complete in Christ.

And, it is that simple.  So, give it try!

Scott Nelson

The 'Do' Verses

I got a smile from Ronan this morning.  He is angelic.  What a beautiful boy!  Perfect features.  Perfect personality.

Herschel said that faith is the do verses.  I see it now.  Give a grace to receive a grace.  Grace for grace.  That is how you progress.  Some things are just doing something in your mind.  Sometimes it is repentance.  Other times it is just reframing a story.  Or, reprogramming the memory.  Or, re-storying.  This is all doing.  Now, add to this, prayer, telling the Lord what your intentions are and asking for his enabling power (grace).  Do it will real intent, nothing doubting (Mormon 9) and the blessing (power to overcome the weakness) occurs.  You start advancing from grace to grace.  Well, that is my theory.

Scott

My Weaknesses

I have addictions and I am progressing slowly.  I don’t blame it my addictions.  My addictions have more to do with going after life’s pleasures.  But, I always keep these pleasures within the bounds the Lord has set.  That seems to appropriate.  Perhaps my addictions are really what Adam Miller calls, in his Romans paraphrase, “While we were still weak – fearful, unfaithful, and numb to everything but our favorite distractions – Jesus sacrificed His life for our behalf”. Romans 5, third paragraph.  I do go after my favorite distractions (talking about spiritual things, reading spiritual texts, enjoying intimacy, socializing with the guys, playing racquetball, eating chocolate, watching my favorite TV shows and movies, reading Abraham Lincoln books and teaching the gospel.  These are my distractions.  Some are good and some not so good.  I do like some sugar each day.  Addiction!  My hormones turn on every three or four days.  Addiction!  But, I try to put this stuff in perspective – within the bounds the Lord has set.  Good food is a good bounds.  Learning to surrender to comments of others that I perceive to be threatening, permitting myself to feel diminished, not permitting my ego to control me, looking at the trigger with gentle curiosity,- I believe is at the essence of overcoming the mother of all sins and natural man – Shame.

Scott

David Believed in Christ

Did you know that David the king believed in Christ and his grace? Psalms 32:1-2


1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, [or, Blessed are those whose lawlessness is forgiven.]
[Blessed is he] whose sin is covered. [or, Blessed are those whose sins are covered by God’s grace.]
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, [or, Blessed is the one that God doesn’t count as a sinner.]

Ed Week Post, Just One Class, Please read!

A type is a pattern.  Typos is translated in the King James Bible as pattern, form, print, ensample, fashion, figure and manner.

John 9 and John 5

Invalid in John 5 caved in to the pressures of the world.  There is the promise of hope while the invalid in John 9 is the restoration of hope.

1 Cor 2:14

The John 5 invalid can't see anything beyond  the natural world.  North is a symbol of apostasy, south is the symbol of the covenant. 2 Chron. 11

John 5, at a certain feast.  Could be passover, pentecost or tabernacles.
v.1 mandate that every male be numbered at the feasts.  So, them men go to Jerusalem.
v.2 Bethesda (means house of mercy in Hebrew) with five porches.  Grace is always represented by the number five.  Inability (impotent) to save one's self.  Man is saved in a covenant relationship.
v.4 (not included in the original but very helpful)
Angel went down and troubles the waters.  Serpents are symbols of divine beings.  Lucifer was an angel of light before he fell.  This pool is a pagan pool.
v.5 a certain man in his 38th year.
Duet. 2:14 this man mirrors the history of Israel.  You first covenant and than you get the promised land. The invalid man is whoring after another god.  That is why he is at the pool.  He has gone over to the world to solve his problems.  This is what is destroying the Latter day Saints today: whoring after false gods.  All his hope is gone. The invalid man has not learned that the world will never make him whole. This world will never make any of us whole.  Jumping into the pool even if it looks like you have been made whole will not be true.  The pool can't save you.  The world can't save you.
v.6 "he had been now a long time in that case" Sin flowing through our blood.  This is what Lehi says.  We are hubristic, proud the very moment we are born.  What is the first word out of baby's mouth?  "no"and 'mine'.
Sign 1 - Prepare to make and keep sacred covenants.
v.7 I have no man to help me into the pool.  This is an Asclepion cult. The Pool of Bethesda is a healing center of Asclepius. The first man in the pool gets healed.  This is a dog eat dog cult.  The way of the world.
v.8 Jesus says, rise take up thy bed and walk.  Just by the power of the spoken word, the same way Israel's God once created the world.  He simply told the man to arise.
Sign 2 - Exercise faith in the "word" of the Lord.  I can then hope for things not seen, which are true.
v.9-12 The man is made whole.  To be perfect is to be made whole.  The irony is that Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath, heals a man on this day.  The Jews exclaim, how dare a man be healed when he should be worshipping the Lord of the Sabbath.  The Jews are following their fence laws that blind them to the fact that the Lord of the Sabbath is in their midst.
v.13 The man doesn't know who healed him.
v.14 Jesus finds him in the temple and tells him that he has been made whole (changed, in the covenant).  He now must start exercising faith.  He seems to not understand.  He seems to be missing the point.  Jesus warns him to sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto him.  Perhaps we don't understand either.

Principle:  As I forsake the Gods of the world and turn to the Lord in faith....

Sign 4 - The multiplication of the loaves and fishes (John 6:1-5)

v.1-3 Jesus goes over the sea of Galilee and a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles.  This is a reason to follow Jesus but it is the best reason.  He takes them up in a mountain. They need to exercise some faith by following him.  They need to put forth effort, which is the essence of faith.  This also happens at the sermon on the mount.
v.4   Passover was nigh.  This is the appointment they have to meet their God.  We have these appointments also.  The sacrament is one of them.
v.5 Jesus asks Phillip , whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
v.6 This is to test Phillip.
v.7 Phillip answers that they have 200 pennyworth to buy bread.  This is 200 days of wages of one man but this is not sufficient for 5000 people.  They will only get a little bit of food each.
v.9 Andrew says there is a lad with five barley loaves and two small fishes.  The Barley is the food of the poor.  The first harvest happens around passover.  The fishes are probably small sardines.  They dwell  in the sea of the world to be drawn out.  Jesus is basically saying, "that will do."
v.10 Jesus has everyone sit down on the grass for there's much grass in the place.  Relax.  The Lord maketh me lie down in green pastures.
v.11-13  He distributes the food first to the 12 disciples and then to the multitude.  Everyone ate as much as they wanted.  There were no more fish but there were twelve baskets of the five barley loaves.  The Lord takes what he has and creates an abundant life.

Sign 4 - Principle - As I gather in thy right place and at the right time with the right people, the Lord will feed me spiritually and "shall not want".  "He maketh me lie down in green pastures."

John 6:15-21

v.15 Jesus perceives that they will take him by force to make him their king, so he departs out of the mountain alone.
v.16 The disciples go down to the sea (the world)
v.17 The disciple go on a boat toward Capernaum.
v.18 The sea arose, they are 3.5 miles out to see, can see anything.  Experienced fisherman start panicking.  The sea is the world.  We are in a world of sin on our boats.  There is nothing you can do on your own.  There is nothing you can do on your own.  You need you the Lord.
v.19 Jesus comes walking on the sea.
v.20 It is I; be not afraid.  Application: Does the Lord not understand what is going on my my life?  And he says "be not afraid?"

Sign: v.21 - "and they willing received him". Application: How does on receive Jesus Christ?  I guess the answer might mean to stop worrying about everything (the wind and the waves of life, the perilousness of life) and start trusting in God.

Sign: v.21 - What was the miracle?  "and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went".  The miracle in this story was not Jesus walking on the water, but that they arrived on dry land immediately.  Application: Jesus miraculously gets you out of the sinful world and safely to shore.  He gives you what you need spiritually and temporally in your new life in Him.

v. 66-69 - "Will ye also go away?"  Peter responds, "to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Application: Either there's a God out there that cares or there isn't.  We believe that there is a God and that he cares.  Because we believe and have some assurances, we let go and cast our burdens on Him.  We quit worrying so much about the cares of the world.  We choose to come unto Him.  We enter into a world where joy, peace and love abound.  We partake of life more abundantly.

Faith and Repentance

I was listened to Alma 34 again today while walking.  You first believe that Jesus Christ can heal you.  That you can receive mercy.  You then repent.  This seems to mean to change your ways and humble yourself believing that your pride, hard heartedness, judging others and anger are not the right way.  That following the ways of Jesus are the right ways.  This takes meekness and kindness.  You also fear going back to your old ways.  Once you finally are surrendering everything to God, giving your will to God, you ask in prayer for his mercy and loving kindness.  This is the grace that you offer for the grace that He offers.  You continue remembering Christ in all that you do until one day the Lord says it is done.  You receive peace, joy and rest.  You have entered into the rest of the Lord.

By grace we are saved after all we can do. A reinterpretation

Brad Wilcox at Education Week quoted Stephen E. Robinson from his book, Believing Christ regarding 2 Nephi 25:23 reinterpreting the meaning of the word "after" to help it conform to the rest of the scriptures.  I like the interpretation but I wonder if it might be overreaching.  As I have read the scriptures specifically with the intent to understand, "after all we can do" I found multiple verses referring to the word "do" as exercising faith in Jesus Christ, putting all your trust in God, and giving our whole hearts to God.  I concluded that this is all man can do.  Because, we are not saved by works.  We do good works to show our love for Jesus Christ for what he did for us.  We also find that living the laws of God to be liberating.  We are not save by works.

So,  here's the quote,

I understand the preposition "after" in 2 Nephi 25:23 to be a preposition of separation rather than a preposition of time.  It denotes logical separateness rather than temporal sequence. We are saved by grace "apart from all we can do" or "all we can do notwithstanding", or even "regardless or all we can do." Another acceptable paraphrase of the sense of the verse might read, "We are still saved by grace, after all is said and done."

So I looked up the word "after" in the dictionary.  I did find the synonym, "notwithstanding".  I then looked for synonyms of "notwithstanding" and found "after all", "despite", "in spite of", "regardless of",  and a few others.

Brother Robinson may be right. His reasoning does fit.