Sunday, June 27, 2010
My parents and I have begun reading the Book of Mormon every day (well, trying to), and we email the family insights which we pick up in our readings. I've decided to post some of my own, personal insights here, in an effort to get back to the Svithe cycle thinger. Some days reading provides a lot more inspiration than other days, so I hope you'll forgive me if some of my posts seem lame or not very well thought out. For more information on the Book of Mormon or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), please visit Mormon.org orscriptures.lds.org (both are hyper-linked, so feel free to click away)
Mosiah Chapter 2:34 "There are not any among you... but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to you heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are..." I find it interesting, I guess, that we are to render to God all that we are. I guess this is something that I haven't thought of before? God gave us life, he made us who we are, and I think if we are to repay him in any way, shape, or form, and to do so successfully, the only way to repay him is to give ourselves back to Him. And he knows who we are. If we are not sure what else we can give, we can ask Him, and I think He will tell us.
Then verse 41 (which I used to have memorized) "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." I kind of think that if we are being truly obedient to all the commandments of God, then we are "render[ing] to him all that... [we] are." I think it is also important for us to remember that our weaknesses are part of us, part of what makes us Us. If we give our weaknesses and everything else over to God and "hold out faithful to the end" then God will provide for us in ALL things. He will take care of those weaknesses. He will bless us spiritually; He will bless us temporally. Everything we stand in need of, we will be provided with. I also like how King Benjamin said "hold out faithful to the end" instead of "endure to the end." I don't know, something about the phrase "endure to the end" just really bothers me. I guess this is because so often it is used in a "you just have to live through this moment" type of way instead of a "don't give up and keep working!" way. To me, "hold out faithful" means we never lose our faith or hope, and, as it says in James 1, faith without works is dead. Holding out faithful means that we continue to work towards that end. We trudge on, if we must, but we do go on. There is a quote from a movie that I like that I often repeat to myself when I get discouraged. It says, "We are intrepid; we carry on!"
Labels: Book of Mormon, Religion, Svithe
