Agency

Announcement!

In poking around the new lds.org I found a documentary on the compiling of the LDS version of the scriptures including the Topical Guide! It is pretty cool and you should defiantly check it out! But just a warning, it is about an hour long.

That Promised Day: The Coming Forth of the LDS Scriptures

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Topics without scriptures: Age; Age of Accountability.

In 7th grade we studied the Middle Ages in our language arts class and as part of that study we read a delightful little booked called "The Midwife's Apprentice." The story is about a poor orphen in the middle ages and how she becomes the apprentice to a midwife. Along the way there are stories of her living in a medevil village and what it was like. At one point in the story, the village people find strange hoof prints in the dirt that they concluded must belong to the Devil and follow the tracks to places where they catch several members of the village who were mean to the orphen girl in the act of commiting various sins. Later on the reader finds out that it was the girl who was making the tracks for the purpose of getting back at those people who were unkind to her.

Though this little encounter is cute to read, what stuck out in my mind all these years was how the village priest pardoned all the people caught claiming "That the Devil made them do it, and who can resist the Devil?"

The Devil made me do it? To me that sounds like a little kids saying "Jimmy next door made me angry, so I broke the lamp!" I am not saying that the Devil isn't a terrible and dangerous enemy in our lives, but God expects us to resist temptation. 2 Nephi 2:27 says this quite clearly:

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

Elder Hales gives further definition to this concept in his great talk this last conference on Agency. In it he states:

"We teach that agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and “to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon.” Agency is to act with accountability and responsibility for our actions."

Agency is what makes progression possible. Our ability to choose is the greatest gift God has given us. In Moses 7:32 God is explaining all he had done for his children including giving us our agency or our ability to choose:

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

Choice is what makes us able to become like God some day, and the ability to choose good over evil is a divine potential in each of us waiting to be cultivated. Joshua in Joshua 24:15 boldly used his agency to choose God and as we know he along with the house of Israel reaped great rewards for their choice:

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you thisday whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The greatest use of agency we know is that of our Savior in the garden as described in Matthew 26:39:

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.wilt.

We can follow Christ's example in obedience. We can have a bit of Heaven in our own hearts as a result of good choices because even though there may be pain and sorrow we can still have peace in knowing that we chose as God would have chosen.

I would like to conclude this broad topic by saying that agency is integral in the scriptures and in our lives. Read through the scriptures listed, follow the footnotes and you'll understand so many new and wonderful things about who we are and what God really has planned for us. I would like to finish this topic with a scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 101:78 that I believe does a great job summing up agency:

78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.

Against

Topics without scriptures: Agabus.

I once knew a kid in high school who was agnostic claiming that he was having fun sitting on the fence watching the atheists and the religious people duke it out. We all kind of rolled our eyes at him, because in the end he poked fun at the religious people just as much but wanted some sort of title to make himself different and special. There was also recently a TV show where one of the characters who was agnostic had some health problems and started lashing out at the other character's faith with the conclusion that though he did not believe in a "god" he actually had made himself a god in his own sight and could not handle it when his god got sick.

In both these cases the individual believed that they could just sit on the fence and not care, but in the end their actions showed that they believed in one side more than the other. Or as Christ describes them in the words of Luke 11:23:

23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

The image that I was taught as a little kid is that you are on an escalator moving down due to the fallen world we live in and our natural tendencies. As long as you are walking up, you're making progress towards God or at least are staying neutral. Once you stop walking though, stop "caring" or working towards something better, you start going down. The message of this analogy is that you can't sit on the fence. You might not be ready or inclined yet to believe in God or accept his gospel, but if you decided that you're not going to be involved you're just going to be dragged down.

The truth is that we are all involved, if not by our own choice then by the fact that God and Satan are already fighting over our souls. Our heart is a battle ground with daily victories and loses, waiting to be conquered every second by either the imprisonment of the Devil or the liberty of Christ. It is our choice who we'll let win.

Afraid

When I was 12 years old I attended a week long church camp. It was lots of fun and I made friends, but I also gained spiritual insight and strength from the classes and activites they had planned for us. The theme of the camp was "A Season for Courage" based off of President Hinckley's message, specifically the following quote:

"Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike."

As inspirational as this quote is, there was also a scripture associated with this theme. This scripture was Joshua 1:9 which reads:

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

This time period was the beginning of what I will call "the development of my adult testimony" and I wanted something I could claim as my own motto for my life. I chose this scripture at that time mostly because it sounded good. I mean, having Christ always be with you? That sounded like a good thing. But I also chose it because of the image it gave me.

The image in my mind was of a stronger, more noble me. One where I wasn't afraid of anyone or anything. After being bullied to the point of homeschool only a few years earlier, I wanted to face the rest of my life being able to stand up for myself.

Later on, once I began challenges worst than name calling, did I understand more fully what this scripture actually meant and became thankful that I had committed it to memory.

Yes the part about becoming brave is good, but I learned later on that that strength comes from the second half of the scripture, the part about Christ always being with you. It is about never walking alone and it is about holding onto hope when you feel nothing but despair. It is about believing that Christ won't let the worst tragedy occur - the letting go into despair - because he is with you.

These scriptures are about NOT being afraid. God gives us scriptures about calamities and horrors not to scare us but to warn us so we can prepare ourselves - and most importantly to try and get into our skulls that when these horrible things come our way we don't have to be afraid of them breaking us as long as we have him.

Before I left high school I had all my favorite teachers sign my yearbook. My physics teacher had always been a friend and mentor as well as a teacher to me. Imagine my surprise and delight when at the end of her statement she signed "don't forget Joshua 1:9." I had never talked to her about my special relationship with that scripture and thought it was appropriate as I closed one part of my life to start another.

I feel now much like I did then. Like I've accomplished something by graduating, getting married and moving to another state, but I also feel the same rocking in my daily life as I try and figure out my direction and goals. I'm comforted by this scripture and the other ones for this topic. As I read them, I can feel peace come into my heart just as it is described in John 14:27:

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Affliction

There is a quote from Brigham Young that basically says that his greatest fear was that the people of the Church would become rich and send themselves right down to hell. He, of course, is talking about the pride that comes along with riches as a rule, but sometimes I have to really wonder if being in such a comfortable position in life is what will really shake my testimony.

I've been on camping trips where it has been cold and wet. I've also been in pain for long amounts of time. I've had friends betray me and I've had my life plans abruptly altered - but I've never lived in poverty. I've never had my house burned down, my father shot, gone weeks living only on bread or any of the other things that characterize living in poverty. I wonder how I would endure it or if I would simply give up.

The gist of these scriptures is that God comforts those who are in affliction. That those who turn to him are strengthened. A good scripture saying this is Alma 26:27:

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Maybe being poor makes people turn to God more because you are more familiar with the source of all blessings. For someone like me you could say that blessings come from Target because that is the place where worldly possessions we need and want come from. My husband goes to work but I don't really think of where our money comes from or is going outside of our budget. For someone poor who can't actually live in a budget because their needs outweigh their means they get to see how much life can just be luck and they feel more keenly the results of that luck.

They are closer to the nature of this world and I believe can see something that I can't see because my life is so controlled by the whims of men. A man can decide what clothes are in fashion and the prices, but a man cannot decide if it will rain and poor into my little hut.

If my life was closer to God like it is for people who don't have as much what sort of person would I be? I know I must sound pretentious by making poverty sound like a gateway to enlightenment, but if I learn so much and grow closer to my Savior from seemingly mild afflictions I'm asked to bare then how much more of a saint would I be if I had less?

Afflicted

This topic, much like the last topic, has to do with unfortunate or unpleasant things happening to you. Specifically with being poor and all the things that go along with that. A good example that these two concepts are related is Job 34:28:

28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

Every so often there is a sermon given about giving to the poor and charity in general. The final conclusions always seem to be three fold: give of your means to the church's charity foundation (100% of the collection goes directly to taking care of the poor in the congregation), give of your means to charities that you know are trustworthy, and listen to the Spirit as far as reaching out individually.

Many of us, including myself, have difficulties with the idea of giving handouts of money. For me personally, it is because I don't trust the person and because I'm not in a financial position to give money to every beggar I see. This brings on guilt that I can't be more loving to the individual, though I do try and help out where I can. I keep granola bars in the car and hand those out and I volunteer when I can, but I can't seem to purge from my heart the fear that they will take my handout and use it to buy alcohol or drugs. The last thing I want to do is be an unknown enabler, but at the same time I'm not to judge especially when I don't even know the person.

For those in my situation, I would say listen to the Spirit. There should be a better way to help the poor and address the needs of those who are currently on the streets begging, but for now there is really only our well meant actions and God's command not to neglect those in need.

Afflict

I am familiar with the word "afflict" and have seen it in scriptures like Matthew 24:9:

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.

To me being afflicted was when something not pleasant would happen - like being stuck in traffic, having a relative get cancer, or someone being mean to you. In reference to this verse, it made sense that bad things would come your way while being a Christian from people who were against Christianity. It felt like the natural order of things even though when it actually would happen I have been guilty of asking "why me?"

What is interesting is the first several verse in the Old Testament that say something more like Numbers 29:7:

7 ¶ And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:

What in the world was this talking about? Does "afflict" mean more than just a forecast of unfortunate things to come?

According to dictionary.com the definition for "afflict" is:

1. to distress with mental or bodily pain; trouble greatly orgrievously

2. Obsolete

a. to overthrow; defeat.

b. to humble.

This definition speaks of humbling yourself - that you are to become teachable. It brings a new light to my previous thought that afflict just means for bad things to happen. Instead, I think this word really means for bad things to happen with a reason. The reason is to humble us so we could then be brought to Christ.

When we are afflicted in our life it isn't just something to be endured, it is something to turn our hearts to our Savior.

Affection

Topics without scriptures: Advocate.

Affection is one of those words that I thought I understood the definition of, but while reading through these verses I decided that I needed to take another look at it. I pulled out two out of the nine definitions found on dictionary.com:

1. fond attachment, devotion, or love.

8. bent or disposition of mind.

With these two definitions I was able to pull out of these scriptures that we're not so much suppose to have strong uncontrollable feelings as much as natural pulls within ourselves. It is a way to assess how we're doing and what areas we need to work on. I personally hate it when people say to me "you should feel this way", but God does it all the time. In the case of scriptures that have to do with "affection" changing how we feel is what it is all about.

For example, in Romans 12: 10 it reads:

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Or in other words we should be inclined to think of and care about each other. If we aren't inclined towards service or think too much of ourselves, that is a red flag for something we need to work on.

These scriptures also talk about not having "natural affection" which in Romans 1:26-27 is defined at having homosexual relationship. I don't really want to go into this as much as sharing another insight into being without natural affection.

All growing up I thought about my dream guy. He would be smart, good looking, philosophical, and a host of other great qualities. However, I did not put on that list "kind." I did not think it was that important to list, kind of like a given or something we could work towards. Two serious relationships later I found myself emotionally drained and heartbroken. Where did I go wrong? While flipping through my scriptures I found this one on natural affection and realized that it applied to me. I had met some great guys who met almost all my requirements, but they were lacking the affection that should have naturally been there. This is something important to think about for anyone entering a relationship and something to keep in mind if that relationship becomes abusive.

When I wake up in the morning I am inclined or "bent" to stay in bed and sleep all day. But I am also "bent" towards frying an egg for my husband because I know he likes them. In some areas I'm doing better than others and figuring out where my affections are directed is a good places to start in seeing how aligned I am to God's will.

Adversity

As I was reading these scriptures, I felt like I was reading a "Greatest Hits" list as far as scriptures go. Some of the great ones such as Romans 8:35, Alma 7:11, and D&C 122:7 are all ones that have spoken strongly to me in the past when I've been going through difficult times. All of these are good, but I want to pull out some specific ones in hope of answering some big questions.

Why are there bad things in the first place?

I'm sure most people have asked this. If there was a God that we claimed loved us so much, why would he let us suffer? You never really see a loving mother leave their child outside in the snow, so why does God let some people freeze to death when he could send down a pillar of fire to warm them or even better just change the weather? I think it is because there needs to be extremes in this life of good and bad, wicked and righteous, ease and horror, in order to get out of this life what God (and we) want. The scripture that goes with this is 2 Nephi 2:11:

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Why does God let bad things happen?

What is important to remember is that in most cases God is not causing whatever is happening. The choices of others or ourselves is usually the cause of the bad things that happen is our lives. One of the most precious gifts God has given us is the ability to make choices, and so sacred is that ability that God lets our choices ride out - for the consequence of good or evil we all have to finish our own mortal experience so we can then be judged on those choices. An example is in The Book of Mormon when wicked unbelievers decided it would be fun to throw all the believing women and children into a bonfire and make the captured prophet watch. One scripture that goes with this is Alma 14:11:

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

God also allows bad things to happen because he expects us to take the experience and use it to grow. The saying is that gold and silver must be put into the fire in order to reach their true potential as pure and precious metals and I believe that the same process applies to us. The scripture that goes with this is D&C 122:7:

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

Why does God lift burdens?

He lifts the burden for the same reason he allows the burden to be places upon us - to become better people. If there is something to learn through enduring to the end there is also something to learn about experiencing a heart full of gratitude. The scripture that goes with this is Mosiah 24:14:

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

How we can survive these adversities?

The answer is Christ. Grace is defined at "the enabling power of God." By grace we are saved is absolutely true - because through Christ's atonement we are given power to be stronger than whatever we face, to not let it break us. Christ takes away the burden and effects of sin, but the atonement was also for broken hearts and spirits. One scripture that explains this concept is Alma 7:11-12:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

No matter what we face, Christ can't be taken from us. As long as we're reaching out to him, his power and grace are extended towards us. The scripture that goes with this is Romans 8:38-39:

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I guess the bottom line is that I don't know why bad things happen anymore than the next person. We can guess and reason it out, especially after the fact, but the truth of the matter is that we're not going to know why things happen until after it is all over. What is important isn't the "why did this happen", what is important is "what sort of person am I becoming?"

Adversary

Topics without scriptures: Advent.

According to dictinoary.com, an adversary is:

a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent;enemy; foe.

In the case of the conflict between good and evil, Satan is the ultimate adversary. The story of where he came from begins before the creation of the world. We were all there as spirit children of God, but forever stuck as being nothing more. Then God presented a plan where we could come to Earth, get bodies and participate in life thereby learning good and evil and progressing towards our eternal potential. However, Satan rejected God's plan and suggested a new on instead, where we would come to Earth and we would get bodies, but that we would not have the ability to choose and would all be forced to be good people. This way everyone would be saved because no one would ever be given the opportunity to sin. The catch was that all the glory and honor had to go to him instead of to God. Christ then stepped up and offered that he would provide the ultimate sacrifice in the atonement so none would be lost as well if they chose to follow God, having all the glory and honor go to the Father. God chose Christ and Satan and 1/3 of the hosts of heaven were cast out because they couldn't accept this plan and went as far as rebelling against God.

When we talk about The Adversary, we are talking about a being that is so against God's plan that he will destroy us if he could. Or as Peter said in 1 Peter 5:8 he is:

8... as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Or as Nephi put it in 2 Nephi 2:18:

18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind...

Satan is miserable. He will never get a body, never have a family, never have a spouse or children, never know peace, never know love. He has no special feelings towards anyone, he is no one's ally. If you are on this Earth it is because you did not chose to join his cause, and that is all he cares about. He knows that he can no win the war and that God will permanently cast him out in the end, but this does not keep him from trying to destroy as many of us as he can before the end. We are not people, we are numbers. When God is fighting for us, he wants to live with us each individually for eternity and sees a future with our faces in it. All that Satan sees is a figurative spiritual coffin, closed and ready for burial. Just like every other coffin without a face or individuality. Just the way he always wanted us.

How do we stay safe? The answer is in 1 Nephi 15:24:

24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

Advantage

Sometimes I wonder what advantage I have in being part of this religion. There is the obvious logical reasons you can list off: authority of the priesthood, baptism, my family being sealed together forever. But something that has really bothered me is when people talk about their first interaction with Mormons as "You were just so happy all the time and I wanted that."

As I've mentioned in other posts, I have a problem with depression. I'm not a happy positive person all the time and I'm sure my roommates from college can tell you how deeply I felt it whenever "drama" occurred. In other words, I've never really felt like I've lived up to this ideal of a constantly happy person.

Keeping all this in mind, this topic has shed some light on why I should feel more upbeat about my situation.

In Romans 3:1 it reads:

1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

Or in other words, just because you are a part of something doesn't mean that you instantly get all the good stuff associated with it. I'm Mormon and for all I know and understand I really should be happy or at least on the positive end of neutral all the time. I also know from the scriptures that it is expected and normal to have seasons where I'm on the edge of falling apart, but as far as day to day experiences there should be a slight spring in my step and smile on my face.

1 Corinthians 15:32 has a great reason for why I should be happy:

32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

I have something to look forward to! Every day I get to pray to the God of the universe - I'm going to be with my family forever - I know where I'm going and I know that the choices I make matter. There is no "live for today, forget about tomorrow" philosophy in my life because honestly I don't need it. I have purpose.

2 Corinthians 2:11 is more sobering:

11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

In the realm of modern spiritual thought, little is really said about Satan and his reality. I've heard it said over the pulpit repeatedly to never underestimate him. Before he fell he was with us, he knew us and now that we're on this Earth without any memory of before he has an advantage. But so do we, we know of him and we know where our power to overcome him is - in our Savior Jesus Christ.

Lastly, Jude 1:16 gives warning against those who let this idea of having an advantage go to their heads:

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

In the last World Wide General Conference of the Church, one of the Apostles Elder Uchtdorf quoted a past leader in saying that we should be grateful for all the kindness and praise we receive but that we should never inhale it. Maybe thinking less of myself is a problem and maybe even a sin, but thinking too highly and throwing my life onto imaginary idols of advantage will lead me to become a person like the one Jude described.

Maybe when I'm 70 and cute and old I'll be one of those people who is always happy. Until then, I'll count my blessings and the good realities that are in my life.

Adulterer, Adultery

Several years ago I was happily dating a boy who was of another Christian denomination. We were happy and in love and things were going just dandy - until one day he pulled out of no where that he wanted to dump me because I wasn't the "right" kind of Christian for him. I'm guilty also of pulling that card when deciding who to date, but his reasoning for his conclusion was really harsh. One of his main points was pulled from Matthew 5:28 where it reads:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

He explained to me that by dating me he was committing adultery because he felt strong feelings of attraction for me. This communication resulted in two results: making an innocent girl unjustly feel like a harlot; and making said innocent girl actually look into what this scripture actually meant.

I knew that every adolescent who had hormones was not condemned. I also knew that the Prophet of our church encouraged dating, so having feelings of attraction for another is ok. But if all that was true, what did Christ really mean when he said this?

I got my answer in Doctrine and Covenants 63:16:

16 And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear.

Christ wasn't talking about a natural feeling of attraction for someone else, he was talking about pre-medidating thoughts about sexual activity. In other words, Christ was condemning pornography. He was condemning putting your mind places where the Spirit can't reside, in cutting yourself off from God by making yourself inwardly in-pure.

I once heard a story of a missionary who was being harassed by some less than savory guys about how this missionary abstained from sexual activity. When they concluded that he must not have a problem with it because he didn't have the ability to have those feelings, he responded, "I have them just the same as anyone. I'm just stronger than the feelings and can control them."

In Alma 39:5, a loving father/prophet is counseling his son after this son had sexually sinned. He emphasized the seriousness of this act by saying:

5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?

There are two parts of our Earthly existence that God has claimed the right of controlling, those are when his children come to Earth and when they leave. He has given us the privilege of having the ability to joint create life with him, and he will not have that privilege mocked. This is why Chastity is so constantly drilled into us. In terms of adultery, when you commit it you are not only breaking a convenient with God and mocking the gift of marriage he has given us, you also break a covenant with another person and mock them. It is probably one of the most selfish sins we could possibly commit in this life.

Adorn, Adorning

When my husband and I were engaged, we were reading through different books of scripture together. We would randomly pick a book and then read through it and one of those books was Timothy. Well, we actually didn't get that far, because I felt uncomfortable by how sexist his sermons were. Apparently this, along with most of the other books in the New Testament, was a letter written to a specific people speaking about a specific problem during a specific time period and though it has some general truth it is not to be taken as complete doctrine. I like to think that God had a greater purpose and plan for his daughters and it was the world and society that wasn't ready for it yet. It makes me think of what amazing truths God is waiting to give us now only we aren't ready for it yet either.

Why I bring this up is because all three scriptures have to do with how the saints should be living, specifically how the women should dress modestly. Maybe I'm not quite onboard with the whole idea of women being these meek and obedient servants to their husbands, but I do agree with modesty in appearance and personality. Modesty shows control and restraint in a person, no one likes a loud and annoying person yammering in their face. It also shows respect for your body. That doesn't mean not to dress attractively, but it does mean not to show off.

One summer in college I had a huge crush on a boy I was friends with. However, this other girl swooped in and became his girlfriend. This girl was really pretty, kind of boring, and wore low tank tops and really short skirts. I was complaining to another guy friend of mine how I didn't stand a chance against someone who looked so great and he said, "short skirts may be hot, but they are not attractive." Coming from a college guy I felt like he was telling me some truth that most guys would never admit - that though they went after the girls who showed more skin and were really flashy, it wasn't actually what they wanted in the long run.

It was/is hard to try and dress the part of "the girl you would bring home to your parents" as opposed to the exciting "good enough for dancing at the clubs" - you have to work harder to find clothes in stores and you have to deal with constantly comparing yourself to these amazing looking women and the way guys fall over them without even knowing their name. They have power. But it isn't the kind of power that will last.

There is a power in modesty that builds your character, helping you to develop into a nice person. It takes the focus off of what you can see and looks more into what you do to make the world better. There is strength in this that I didn't fully realize I had during those tough teenage years, but looking back I can see now that I was making an impact. I fully believe that it began with how I chose to present myself to others.

Adoption

The scriptures speak about two types of adoption - those being adopted into the house of Israel and being adopted by Christ through his atonement. We are all children of God the Father, but when Christ paid for our sins he takes on the responsibility for us and our actions just like a real parents is responsible for their children.

This topic has really shown to mean how important it is to have a prophet. While reading these scriptures, I saw about thirteen different ways you could interpret them to mean a wide range of doctrines. I get frustrated when I don't know what the scriptures are talking about, and I think if I was reading them without the foundation I have I probably would have pulled out all my hair.

Admonish

It seems that every lesson held on Sunday follows a patter of instruction, then admonishment, then testimony. The instruction section is the lesson and story in the scriptures, the admonishment section is drawing the principle out of the lesson and asking for a commitment from the class and the teacher to internalize this principle. The end with testimony is for strengthening those so they can accomplish the change just proposed to them.

In the scriptures it talks about the saints of God admonishing each other when it comes to sin. I've heard stories of people going up to others and telling them as lovingly as they can that they need to shape up. I know it is done with the best of intensions, but it seems that seven out of ten people respond negatively.

The interesting thing about this list of scriptures is that even though sin is mentioned the focus is really on different ways to lift each other. In Colossians 3:16 it talks about singing with and to each other. In Mosiah 26:39 it talks about giving thanks to God. Maybe if things are really bad we could say something to each other about being good Saints, but we are not to become judgmental in the process. We're all sinners and we can only lift up our neighbor when the challenge to change is admonished to our own hearts as much as theirs.