Be of Good Cheer

 To His disciples, Jesus explained that they would experience hardship and suffering. They would be persecuted and ridiculed. However, he also told them, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

At Christmastime each year, there is a lot of focus on the commercial. Every retailer is advertising something they would sell and offering their best deals in hopes that the consumer will spend their money on that perfect gift. This is not a good foundation for peace. It just adds to a world that is already full of anxiety. It is easy to see how one could feel nothing of peace during the season.

With politics and life in general, our need for this reassurance is no less than any other generation. Paul later expressed to the Corinthians, “We are troubled on every side.” He goes on to explain, “we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but nor forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). We also can use some of this comfort in our time.

We can be cheerful. We can see the purpose of the Christmas season as being more than just the shiny trinkets and dazzling commercials. Jesus promises this: that we can be of good cheer. We, though, have to seek Him. We will find that hope and peace if we look for Him rather than look for it in the world.

And Then Shall Many be Offended

 In chapter 24 of Matthew, Jesus' disciples ask Him about the signs that will tell of His coming. One of these signs is that “many [will] be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” Unfortunately, so much evidence of this exists in our world today. In fact, the political landscape we see in the United States with an incredible divisiveness is pretty consistent in many other countries throughout the world. It wasn't very long ago that politicians would work together to get the right things done. Today, it hardly matters how good something is, if it wasn't introduced by the right party it cannot be supported.

Offense. It is so easy to allow ourselves the convenience of being offended. We can use that to justify going against principles we might already know to be true. Elder David A. Bednar suggested that “to be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else” (Bednar). Although I am not suggesting the choice to offend does not exist, I do believe we should think hard when we allow another's actions or words to make up the primary reason or catalyst that drives our action or inaction. We should not justify ourselves of things we know are wrong just because someone else said or did something.

Almost immediately after stating that many will be offended, the Savior goes on to explain that those who remain “steadfast and [are] not overcome, the same shall be saved.” We must understand that if we choose NOT to be offended and remain strong in our convictions, we will be blessed for doing so. It is also important to understand that those blessings will pour out on us, our loved ones, and many others with whom we have contact.

Works Cited

Bednar, D. A. (2006). And nothing shall offend them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2006/10/and-nothing-shall-offend-them?lang=eng.

The Reward is the Same

 A good man, he lived a life devoted to serving others; however, he did not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ until he was into his 60s. When he did get baptized, he embraced the gospel with all his might. He lived the principles as near he could and he continued to serve his fellow man as much as he could. 

I lived in a household where I was taught the gospel from a young age and I decided to embrace those teachings and apply them to my life. I was baptized as a child and continued to learn about the gospel from that day. Although I haven't always been successful, I have tried my best to live according to those teachings and hold true to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Richard lived only a few more years after his baptism before he passed away. His departure from this life is difficult to those who love him. It isn't because we are worried about his salvation. We miss him dearly. Richard and I had talked many times about how late in his life he accepted the gospel. He worried that he may have acted too late. He felt he had a lot of catching up to do. 

During our discussions, we would invariably turn to the parable Jesus told of a householder who hired laborers at various times through the day (Matthew 20:1-16). To those he hired first, he agreed to pay the usual wage of a penny, sending them into the vineyard. Later, he hired others agreeing to pay them “whatsoever is right”. The householder continued throughout the day to hire more laborers with the same promise to pay a fare wage.

After the day was done, the householder payed the laborers starting with those who came last. He paid them a penny for their labors. Those who worked from the start of the day assumed they would be paid more than the agreed upon penny because they had worked longer than these. When the householder paid them their penny, they complained that he had “made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.”

The householder's response to their query was simple, “friend, I do thee no wrong … is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?”

It is important to understand that whether we are called to the vineyard early in the day or not until the eleventh hour, our reward will be the same. Richard, who wasn't called to labor until very late in his life, will receive the same reward for his labors as those who received their call early in the first hour. The Father promises that all who labor in His vineyard will be made “equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:95).

I am grateful that the Lord will surely pay “whatsoever is right.”

Having Put Your Hand to the Plow...

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

A Real Path to Comfort

Stresses Affect Us All

Is anyone really living a life complete void of stress? I mean seriously. There is conflict almost constantly streaming from the devices we choose to use as entertainment. Nothing makes the news stream unless it invokes a certain level of stress. There are few feel-good stories on any medium. In fact, to find those we have to actively search them out. No, we cannot control many of the stressors in our lives. We can, however, make choices that help relieve those stresses. 

In Matthew 11:28 - 30, Jesus proclaims that His burden is light and yoke easy. What does this mean? Is there a magic pill that will remove the pressures the world places on our shoulders? There is more than one kind of peace, though. I mean, there is the peace that is the absence of conflict - no contention - no wars. Then there is the kind of peace that is a lot more personal - an inner peace - a sense of calm. It is this kind of peace one can find through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin explained that although the world's conditions may be dismal and we might be confronted by real personal challenges, peace can be a reality for each of us. That harmony within is dependent on our relationship with our Savior and Redeemer. Do we have a willingness to emulate His life, to live according the principles he has taught?

Jesus explained that “these things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33.)

We can attain that inner peace through our Savior Jesus Christ. It is worth the effort to find our way to Him and embrace His teachings.

References

Wirthlin, J. B. (1990, April). Peace within. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1991/04/peace-within?lang=eng.

Urgent Nature of Salvation - Repentance

The situation is dire. There is precious little time to act. Every moment that passes without certain and decisive measures toward that most important goal leaves an abyssal hole in what could be. The anxiety surrounding what could become reality pervades every nerve. Since nothing is yet etched in stone, we can act now to subvert potential catastrophe.

In a season when the common theme is change, few are focused on that most important change of all. The very personal change, a change of heart. The Savior’s call for repentance expressed certain urgency and others throughout the scriptures echo the Savior’s call.

John the Baptist, the forerunner to the Savior's earthly ministry exclaimed the urgency. In his proclamation he reminded us that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was trying to help those who would listen understand the urgency.

While on a mission with Alma to the Zoramites, Amulek taught we should not “procrastinate the day of [our] repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.”

The Bible Dictionary suggests the term from which repentance was translated is Greek describing the process as a change of mind or a fresh view about God, oneself and the world. This is a change from the carnal to an adoption of a higher state, suggesting repentance to be a positive experience from the very beginning of the process. Interestingly, searching the internet for definitions of repentance returns a stark contrast to this, in most cases describing repentance as almost synonymous with guilt. Although the foundation of change for some, these references suggest guilt or sorrow are an integral part of repentance. Does the Savior’s call for repentance require a sense of guilt? Although a motivator for some, is guilt compulsory for everyone to truly repent? Is it an integral part of the process?

It is important to understand the differences that a sense of guilt is compared to that most important aspect of true repentance, turning our heart to God. As we turn our heart to God, we are turning our lives over to God and moving on that journey that will bring us back to our Heavenly Father.