Some Thoughts on Mothers

Here are some thoughts I wrote down during sacrament meeting today, partially inspired by one of the talks:

Heavenly Father may have warned, when He asked "Whom shall I send?" that it would not be easy, that it would require pain and sacrifice, but that it would save souls and bring true and everlasting joy to God's children.  Christ said "Here am I; send me."  But He was not alone.  What mother has not volunteered to do the same?  Though none can replace or replicate what the Savior did, few parallel His actions as closely as mothers do.  Being a mother is not easy.  Mothers sacrifice themselves physically--pregnancy and childbirth take a toll on the body.  Mothers put their lives on the line to bring God's children into mortality.  They sacrifice their time; they sacrifice pursuing their own interests and developing their own talents.  They are instrumental in teaching the gospel to their children in both word and deed.  A mother testifies of Christ simply by being a mother.  She performs, as Christ did, much of her service without notice or thanks.  In times of turmoil, she protects her children as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.

The word "Christlike" can mean many things: loving, forgiving, selfless--but perhaps one of the words most nearly synonymous with it is "motherly."

"The Weight of Glory"

"The Weight of Glory" was originally a sermon, but C.S. Lewis later published it.  I first heard of it a couple years ago when two people independently mentioned it to me within a week of each other.  I thought that was a good sign I ought to read it.  Since then I've looked for it in libraries and online a few times.  Each time I've been unable to find it, or it fades into the background of my never-ending to-do list.  But today I finally found a PDF copy online.  Here it is:

"The Weight of Glory"

It's an excellent essay on what "glory" really means to Christians.  His views are quite close to LDS views.  He talks about some of the different definitions of glory and what they mean for us now and in the afterlife.  The last section in particular is fraught with great material.  I just posted a quote on facebook from that section.  The whole thing is only nine pages, but read carefully.  It's good stuff.  Enjoy!

What is a Successful Mission?

Occasionally people tell stories like the following in talks, Sunday school classes, mission prep classes, or conversations:

"Some people think that their missions are not successful because they didn't baptize very many people. John didn't think he was a successful missionary because he only baptized one person.

"Years later, John was approached by Jack, who had joined the church because he met John when John was a missionary.  Jack went on a mission, baptized people, had four thousand kids and grandkids, and now seven bajillion people are members of the Church.

"So John's mission really was a success."

I thought numbers didn't matter?

I'll get my disclaimer out of the way.  I have no problem with stories like this.  They show how important missionary work is even when it doesn't have immediately apparent results.  Stories like this give people like me, who had relatively little success numbers-wise, hope that our efforts will have grander results over time.  But I think people should be careful about how they frame the meaning of this story.

A missionary is not defined by his or her success as determined by statistics.  The final section of chapter one of Preach My Gospel lists what success truly is.  Success is personal commitment, service, and love.  Those are things that each missionary is in control of.  When the story is presented the way I presented it above, it comes out like, "Numbers on your mission don't define success.  They become bigger numbers later on, and that's success."

I'm not mad when I hear this--I didn't even think of this until today.  But now that I'm aware, and I've made you aware, please be careful in how you speak about a missionary's success.  You can ask about baptisms.  I like to get an idea of how many baptisms people get around the world.  It's interesting.  You can tell stories like this and hear stories like this and be uplifted.  However, to the extent that you control it, please try not to equate numbers, whether current or future numbers, with success.

Man's Search for Meaning

In Man's Search for Meaning Viktor E. Frankl first narrates his experiences in the concentration camps of World War II.  He was a trained psychiatrist, and so frequently analyzed himself and those around him.  The second half of the book is more technical, and in it he describes the theories he has formulated and conclusions he has come to as a result of his experiences.

Though it's a relatively short book, I have been reading it for several months now.  I went through the first half fairly quickly because it is narrative.  The second half is a little slower because it's more academic in nature.  But in the second half I have found a lot of great messages.  I just posted one quote on facebook, but that's not the one I want to write about now.  This is what I just read:

I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system.  I have termed this constitutive characteristic "the self-transcendence of human existence."  It denotes the fact that being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself--be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter.  The more one forgets himself--by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love--the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself.  What is called self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more he would miss it.  In other words, self-actualization is possible only as a side-effect of self-transcendence. (p. 110-111)

Does that sound familiar?  I'm reminded of two quotes that say similar things.  Conveniently, I found both in this Deseret News article telling President Hinckley's story.

"I wrote home to my father and said, 'I'm not doing any good here. I am just wasting my time and your money. I don't see any point in staying here."' 

The answer came: "Dear Gordon. I have your letter. ... I have only one suggestion. Forget yourself and go to work. With love, Your Father." 

President Hinckley said of that moment, "I pondered his response and then the next morning in our scripture class we read that great statement of the Lord: 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.'

The scripture referenced is Mark 8:35.  It is very interesting to me to see science confirm the gospel in this regard.  Nor was Frankl seeking to prove the gospel true; he was Jewish.  This is only one of several instances I have found in the book of science confirming gospel principles.  I highly suggest reading the book, but even more important than that, I suggest trying to live it.  We find ourselves in serving and loving others.  A life focused on self is an empty one, full of regret.  Live a full life by giving it to others.

Elder Bednar Devotional: Social Media

Elder Bednar gave a devotional on campus earlier today.  He spoke on using social media to hasten the work of salvation.  It changed my perspective a little bit on social media.  Because we're so often told of its negative consequences and so often warned of the pitfalls of technology, I generally try to limit my use of social media (it's not too difficult when the only social media I use is Facebook).  However, I never really consider the good I could do through social media.  Elder Bednar talked about all of the different ways we can share the gospel through social media.

He also gave some guidelines for using social media:

1. Be authentic: do not exaggerate, embellish, or pretend.
2. Edify and uplift: do not debate, belittle, or be overbearing or contentious.
3. Respect intellectual property: don't use anyone else's stuff.  Elder Bednar announced at this point that members are allowed to use church materials (photos, videos, etc., I believe) without requesting permission.
4. Be wise and vigilant: the internet never forgets.  Be careful what you put on the internet because it will be there forever.

Here's the link to his address.  I highly recommend watching it.  It's very inspiring.  He also talks about several things the Church has done so far to use social media.  It's worth watching.

Elder Bednar: Share Goodness

Different Trials

These are some thoughts I had around the 24th of July, when there is always a lot of talking about pioneers.

Some say that our trials pale in comparison to those of past generations.  They reference the difficult lives and trials of pioneers and others who lived in less technologically advanced times.  Indeed, everyday life was difficult for them.  When we need food, we go to the grocery store.  They grew their food.  When we want a house, we pick one and get a mortgage.  They built one.  Every summer we drive an air-conditioned car across smooth roads for a few days to get to a beautiful valley.  They walked across the plains through summer heat and winter blizzard to a dry valley they had to call home.  They had it pretty rough.  We have it pretty easy.  Right?

I disagree.

Their physical trials certainly exceeded ours.  We worry very little about our day-to-day needs.  Our food, homes, and our safety are provided for us with little effort on our part.  Does that mean our lives are easier?  Not at all.  Our trials are simply different than theirs.  Theirs were largely physical--comparatively, not exclusively--ours are largely social.  But your victories when you overcome temptation and trial are just as great as theirs were when they overcame their own.

President Uchtdorf, in his "All is Well" talk that I wrote about recently*, said that, just as we are unlikely to want the pioneers' trials, they would be unlikely to want our trials.  Each of us has a set of trials we face, and I think that we would all hesitate to switch our set of trials with anyone else's.  Our lives are personalized to our needs.  The Lord helps us shore up our weaknesses through the difficulties we experience.  So never feel inferior to past generations!  Feel inspired to fare equally well against your own trials.

*Y'all really ought to read that talk.

"All is Well"

I just finished reading an address given by President Uchtdorf in Ogden earlier this month.  He speaks about the pioneers, and what we can learn from their example.  The talk is very applicable--it's much more than one of those "listen to me tell you about everything the pioneers did" talks.  He makes clear and relevant connections to our lives.  I'll share a few parts that I liked.

When I think of the lyrics of that hymn ["Come, Come, Ye Saints"] and the context in which it was sung, it brings tears to my eyes. I am very much aware that all was not well with these Saints. All they had to do was to look around and see how it really was. They were plagued by sickness, heat, fatigue, cold, fear, hunger, pain, doubt, and even death.

But in spite of having every reason to shout, “All is notwell,” they cultivated an attitude that we cannot help admiring today. They looked beyond their troubles to eternal blessings. They were grateful in their circumstances. I am in awe of those wonderful souls who, despite every evidence to the contrary, sang with all the conviction of their souls: “All is well.”

I have my own reasons for loving the song "Come, Come, Ye Saints," especially the second verse, but I love how President Uchtdorf talks about it.  I have really tried to be a happy and an optimistic person over the last few years.  Sometimes--as recently as last night--someone will ask me "How was your day?" to which I generally respond that it was good.  However, it is when they ask what made it good that I am unsure of how to respond.  A lot of the time it was just a normal day.  Nothing too good or too bad happened.  Other times, I've had what could be objectively described as a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day for any number of reasons.  But even when that happens, I still manage to be positive about it.  I'm not trying to toot my own horn here; I still get frustrated, disappointed, or saddened by things.  I am very grateful, though, that I have cultivated the kind of attitude that allows me to be happy regardless of circumstance.  President Uchtdorf explained it splendidly in his talk.

We can learn something from the pioneers. They woke up each morning with clearly defined purposes and goals that everyone understood—to serve God and fellowmen and to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley. Every day those purposes and goals were clear to them; they knew what they needed to do and that each day’s progress mattered.

I often get preoccupied with things that need to get done.  I wake up with a list: shower, shave, eat, catch up on news, read e-mails, pack a lunch, and try and get to class on time.  I spend the next several hours in school mode--going to class and doing homework.  Before I know it, it's night-time and I haven't consecrated any of my time to the Lord that day.  It is so important to wake up with priorities and goals, and to focus on those.  I need to be better at that.  I know that if I do things in the proper order, the Lord will be a lot happier to help me out with the other things.

When we complain about a Church meeting that has gone four minutes over its allotted time, perhaps we can hear the voices of those blessed pioneers: “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right.”

This one hit home.  I was recently complaining to someone about meetings ending late, meetings seeming to drag on when nothing is being accomplished, people talking too long at the podium, and institute lessons going over.  So this paragraph was a much-needed slap in the face.  One thing I struggle with is complaining.  I just do too much of it.  I need to adopt the philosophy Elder Wirthlin learned from his mother: "Come what may, and love it," (Oct. 2008) or, at the very least, "Come what may, and quit whining so much about it."  Interesting that this portion of President Uchtdorf's talk is titled "Optimism."  And I thought I was doing so well at that.

I'll end with one more quote from the talk.  I hope that it will be enough to inspire you to read it yourself (the link is at the bottom of this post).  If you read with a "what can I do better" attitude, you absolutely will come away with something (or some things, in my case) to work on.

The pioneers were not supermen and superwomen. They were just like you and me. How often did they wonder if they could go on? They must have asked themselves over and again, “Can I do what I have been asked to do?”

But they pressed on. In faith, one step at a time, they pressed on. They trusted in God and His divine and merciful plan. And they left a legacy that will inspire and strengthen generations to come.

"All is Well" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Elder Ballard's CES Devotional

May's CES Devotional by Elder Russell M. Ballard was great!  Though he discussed heavy topics like technology, pornography, and (gay) marriage, he kept the mood light and made a few jokes along the way.  He talked about some really important things though.  I highly suggested watching, or reading, at the very least, this talk.  I suppose the CES devotionals are directed at the young single adult age group, but I think this one was very relevant to teenagers, and I think you will get a lot from it.  So here it is!  It's Sunday, so watching this is a great way to spend some time today!

CES Devotional May 2014

Love,
Nick

One of the Reasons I Like Country Music

It's unfortunate that Jake is on his mission, so he isn't going to read this (at least not for a while).

In the last year and a half I've become a big fan of country music.  Just like any other genre, there are songs that I like, and plenty that I don't like.  But one of the reasons I like country music is because it seems like country artists express religion far more than artists in other genres (gospel music excepted).  I have a few examples of songs that I've become aware of recently:



This is "Love Without End, Amen" by George Strait.  I'm likely to be a fan of any song about father-son relationships, but this one is really good.  I like the shifts in perspective in each of the three verses, especially the last one.  Next is another George Strait song.



The other day I had a very spiritual conversation with a good friend.  We got in the car to head home, and this song was the first that came on.  I really like the humble reflection in the words of the chorus.  Hopefully we don't need to wait for the milestones in our lives to open our eyes.



This one is a previously unreleased song by Johnny Cash entitled "I Came to Believe."  Listen to the lyrics.  I'd really like to learn some more about Johnny Cash and how he changed his life.  I'm hoping to watch the film Walk the Line sometime.
Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of the Killers, sings a cover of this song that I really like.  It's in a short video about the new Johnny Cash CD.  The song starts at 1:03, but I suggest listening from the beginning.  He talks about some of his own feelings about the song.



Hope you appreciate my thoughts--feel free to comment with your own.  Do you know any songs where artists express their spiritual sides more?