This is the first time that I attended the temple at night on a personal basis (although I have been multiple times with friends or church groups). Usually, I attend in the morning before the day gets too crazy, but I usually end up being too tired to focus well; besides, I still have the rest of the day ahead of me, so what I do gain, I usually lose a good chunk because I am simply distracted. However, tonight was different, as I had nothing significant after the session in the temple, so I could easily reflect on what I pondered there, and I will retain a good bit of what I gained as I will go to sleep with it fresh in my mind.
As a result of attending in the evening, I had a lot to think about that I am usually too tired to dwell on in the morning. Tonight was one of the most significant trips I have ever had to this holy place. The temple is a powerful bridge to Heaven; revelation and insights from my Father in Heaven easily come in a way unlike any other environment. I was able to think of many of the big things in my life.
In the temple, we learn of the Creation of the Earth, develop our relationship with God and make covenants with Him. Considering that we rely on faith and spiritual feelings to draw close to Him and not sight or any physical sensation, I am always eager to feel His presence; His presence is not on demand in the same way that, say, your best friend is. Granted, we can feel Him through prayer and other spiritual channels, but with everything that goes on in our lives, sometimes the Spirit is blurred along the way.
I really got to enjoy contemplating what it means to be God's son. What is my place? What has God done for me? What is the point of all this? I am enthralled by the Plan of Salvation that Heavenly Father has prepared for us and the enormous future ahead of us! "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has
prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his
Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:9-10). I struggle to comprehend this on a regular basis, but in the temple I always get a glimpse of those things which God has prepared for me. Especially so tonight.
In the temple, you may end up in what is called the "Celestial Room". It is a room of utmost peace, tranquility, and contemplation. It is the closest to Heaven I have ever been. It is mostly white, and beautiful chandeliers hang from the ceiling. There are also two very large mirrors reflecting each other in there, representing eternity. It is a most stunning sight. In this room, I sat and just smiled. I read from a copy of the Bible they had in there, and God shared with me many things He wanted me to know personally. But, there was another odd sensation, one I hadn't ever felt: I greatly anticipated sitting in that very room of divine holiness with my bride-to-be.
I do not normally like to dwell on the romantic portion of my life; first, there isn't much, and second, I feel it is a silly thing to do if I am not in a relationship to daydream about what it'll be like. But tonight was a little different. A few moments ago, I thought of my own future, but now I thought on my future with my wife. I haven't dated much; I've been on one date since I've been home from my mission, and it was with a very fine young woman, but from that date I determined, to my disappointment, I'm not quite ready for a serious relationship yet, much less marriage, so why bother? I guess that's why I was caught off-guard; I was thinking about something I felt I shouldn't deal with yet. It was a beautiful feeling, nonetheless. My two greatest desires in the world, bar none, is to be a husband and a father; many daydreams have gone on before. I cannot wait for the time that I, with my wife, can start my own family. Families are eternal in the Lord's plan, and nothing compares in significance.
Additionally, in the temple, as you make promises with God, you can also help those that have passed on to make these same promises if they were not able to in their lifetime. It is a wonderful thought; if one is not baptized because he lived in Asia in a time where Christianity was not permitted, for instance, is he damned? No; God is merciful. In a later post, I will describe in more detail exactly how we help them. At any rate, after the session, I had the feeling that somebody was waiting for me to help them. It was past 8 p.m. at that point, but I knew I should work more at the temple. I did for another 45 minutes or so, and while I did not identify who it was that wanted me specifically, I suppose all of them benefited nonetheless. It was sobering and wonderful. God really does love each of His children, definitely including the ones that no longer live on this Earth. He has a way prepared, no matter the circumstances.
The temple is the House of the Lord. While the most sacred experiences I cannot share, I will begin to regularly write at least some of what I feel each time I attend. The temple is the link God has given us between Heaven and Earth. It is a powerful place of instruction, a sanctuary of peace, a place to build and enlarge family relationships; those we love most. What a blessing God has given to us. I apologize if this post seemed scatter-brained, but I really gained so much from tonight's visit, I was not sure exactly how to sort it. But I hope you saw a glimpse of the joy and enlightenment I felt tonight.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
The Impersonal Art of Labeling
At my new job, I work for a man that sells toys through Amazon.com. My job consists of gathering orders together, labeling each toy, and boxing it up to be shipped where needed.
There are about 3-4 working at a time, and we strive to send off around 1000 toys per day. In that time, I may label up to 100 of the same product (in fact, with a pin that we sell, in the 4 hours I worked this morning, I labeled around 70). To label is pretty straightforward; I look at the object, identify it, and slap on a mass-produced label. Simple.
There are around 7 billion people on the Earth now I believe. That is far more than any pin that has ever been produced. There may be areas where there are as few as 100 people for miles, and there are other places such as New York City that has millions in those same miles. Over 100 billion have gone on before us as well!
Because people sometimes appear similar, we classify those around us and put them into groups: jock, nerd, rich man, hobo, and klutz, just to name a few. Not only are the connotations negative, but they are easily applied: as I spent not even 5 seconds to label a toy, when we label others, it is usually in a very short amount of time and almost entirely without interacting with the victim.
While we may label others in a manner wholly as impersonal as many do with their products, that is not the way things should be. Think of the person you are closest to. Now, describe them in 1 word. You must describe their entire personality, history, appearance, function, and so forth. 1 word not enough? Fine, 1 sentence. If 1 sentence is not enough, I extend the challenge to 1 page! Still cannot do it? Of course not; it is impossible. The relationship you have is built off of the depth of the souls interacting with each other; with each moment your relationship grows, your knowledge of the other enlarges.
God knows each of us perfectly. While we are human and may dismiss others into quick-fix categories, God will not. No two of His children have been, are now, or ever will be identical. We are all born to unique parents in unique locations with unique environments and unique experiences. But most importantly, we each have individual souls. Long ago, Paul taught, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16), and as any good parent knows, no two children are alike. That is why what works with one will not always work with another.
Behind each face is a very long story of how they became who they are now. There is so much to each person! Enjoy that in yourself; you are a unique child of God with a bright future! You are not part of the sea of humanity, but you are one-of-a-kind. In addition to feeling good about yourself and celebrating your own personality, take time to ponder on whom you don't know very well and dismiss due to their "label". Is there a nerd that you refuse to associate with? What about a jock that couldn't know 2+2? Or that jerk that has a heart of rock and could never understand you? Remember that he is a person too, and he has emotions and thoughts just as you.
So, while I may go back to marking and packaging hundreds of products that I could not tell #1 from #2 on a daily basis, I am going to praise my God that He sees me infinitely more than a mere label.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
There are about 3-4 working at a time, and we strive to send off around 1000 toys per day. In that time, I may label up to 100 of the same product (in fact, with a pin that we sell, in the 4 hours I worked this morning, I labeled around 70). To label is pretty straightforward; I look at the object, identify it, and slap on a mass-produced label. Simple.
There are around 7 billion people on the Earth now I believe. That is far more than any pin that has ever been produced. There may be areas where there are as few as 100 people for miles, and there are other places such as New York City that has millions in those same miles. Over 100 billion have gone on before us as well!
Because people sometimes appear similar, we classify those around us and put them into groups: jock, nerd, rich man, hobo, and klutz, just to name a few. Not only are the connotations negative, but they are easily applied: as I spent not even 5 seconds to label a toy, when we label others, it is usually in a very short amount of time and almost entirely without interacting with the victim.
While we may label others in a manner wholly as impersonal as many do with their products, that is not the way things should be. Think of the person you are closest to. Now, describe them in 1 word. You must describe their entire personality, history, appearance, function, and so forth. 1 word not enough? Fine, 1 sentence. If 1 sentence is not enough, I extend the challenge to 1 page! Still cannot do it? Of course not; it is impossible. The relationship you have is built off of the depth of the souls interacting with each other; with each moment your relationship grows, your knowledge of the other enlarges.
God knows each of us perfectly. While we are human and may dismiss others into quick-fix categories, God will not. No two of His children have been, are now, or ever will be identical. We are all born to unique parents in unique locations with unique environments and unique experiences. But most importantly, we each have individual souls. Long ago, Paul taught, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16), and as any good parent knows, no two children are alike. That is why what works with one will not always work with another.
Behind each face is a very long story of how they became who they are now. There is so much to each person! Enjoy that in yourself; you are a unique child of God with a bright future! You are not part of the sea of humanity, but you are one-of-a-kind. In addition to feeling good about yourself and celebrating your own personality, take time to ponder on whom you don't know very well and dismiss due to their "label". Is there a nerd that you refuse to associate with? What about a jock that couldn't know 2+2? Or that jerk that has a heart of rock and could never understand you? Remember that he is a person too, and he has emotions and thoughts just as you.
So, while I may go back to marking and packaging hundreds of products that I could not tell #1 from #2 on a daily basis, I am going to praise my God that He sees me infinitely more than a mere label.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
Sunday, October 28, 2012
A Plain Understanding of the Gospel
This post will be fairly short: I just wanted to record some thoughts I had tonight.
Every Sunday my church has what you could call a devotional where we gather and discuss a verse of scripture or a spiritual thought that was prepared beforehand. Tonight, it was found in 2 Nephi 33:6, with a focus on plainness:
I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
Truth be told, I felt a twinge of annoyance at the subject. Right now, I am at a confusing stage in my life, and it could be described as anything but "plain" or simple. I am not really sure where I am going or what God wants me to do; I am just pressing forward until I do know.
I am confident God will eventually show me what steps I need to take. He has in the past. But even with that knowledge, it is not really fun to walk in darkness, scrambling for the light.
I suppose my prayer is similar to the hymn, "Lead, Kindly Light":
"Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me."
It is not in line with the principle of faith that we should see the whole picture. Rather, we are to rely on God as He reveals His plan one degree at a time.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
Every Sunday my church has what you could call a devotional where we gather and discuss a verse of scripture or a spiritual thought that was prepared beforehand. Tonight, it was found in 2 Nephi 33:6, with a focus on plainness:
I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
Truth be told, I felt a twinge of annoyance at the subject. Right now, I am at a confusing stage in my life, and it could be described as anything but "plain" or simple. I am not really sure where I am going or what God wants me to do; I am just pressing forward until I do know.
I am confident God will eventually show me what steps I need to take. He has in the past. But even with that knowledge, it is not really fun to walk in darkness, scrambling for the light.
I suppose my prayer is similar to the hymn, "Lead, Kindly Light":
"Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me."
It is not in line with the principle of faith that we should see the whole picture. Rather, we are to rely on God as He reveals His plan one degree at a time.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
Saturday, October 27, 2012
"Six days shalt thou labour..."
This past week, my life just got a whole lot better; I finally found a job!
Up until just a few days ago, I did not have a whole lot going for me. I don't go to school until January, I was unemployed, and my social life is, eh, in need of improvement. Needless to say, I was not having fun. I was actually having quite a difficult time; I had gone from serving my God and my fellow man all-day everyday on my mission to literally nothing once I came home. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Well, while I am still looking forward to school and dealing with my lackluster social status, I managed to fill a gaping hole in my life and schedule with employment! A wonderful member of the church I attend set me up with it, and I am in love! While the work itself is rather menial, I enjoy my days again. I feel productive and useful, even if only in a small way. I feel good about myself!
Work is an interesting principle. Work probably has the biggest disparity between the gospel view and the worldly view. In the eyes of the world, work is a necessary evil, something you avoid as much as possible while still scraping through life. To the world, the ultimate lifestyle is that of the billionaire with no end to his money or time. However, Heavenly Father has an entirely different take on the matter, and for those that have seen both sides of the issue, we can agree that God has it right.
In the beginning, God created the world. Along with everything else, He placed Adam and Eve in a garden, the Garden of Eden, to care for the Earth. But due to transgression, it was not best for Adam and Eve to remain there. God sent them out, with many seemingly harsh curses, but upon closer examination we see that they were not intended to be curses at all but blessings instead. God said, "for thy sake" (Gen. 3:17, emphasis added) the ground would be cursed, Eve would labor in pregnancy, with sweat they shall earn their bread, and many other tasks of hardship.
How did Adam and Eve respond? Later, after learning more of their role in the world and God's Plan of Salvation for them, Adam responded, "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God", and Eve "heard all these things and was glad" (Moses 5:10-11, emphasis added)! Joy was not something to enjoy on the beach-chairs of Heaven's Beach, but to be had here by drawing closer to God through concert effort!
Leisure is appropriate as a way to unwind from the stresses of life, but life is built not from waning into idleness and slothfulness, but it is built by our own hands! When I look back on my life, the times I enjoy are not the times I vegged out in front of the TV or lying in bed all day, but the times I enjoy most are when I do things, especially accomplishing very difficult tasks. When I returned from my mission, I was very happy (amongst other emotions) not because I hated my mission but because I did something more difficult than I had ever done in my life.
We are sent here to do and become something, not just enjoy whatever is thrown our way. Not only is it our duty, but it is the key to happiness. I don't wonder at all when Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, "By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires" ("Reflections on a Consecrated Life"). I can tell you that that is completely true; I was miserable when I did nothing, but now that I am working, I am so much happier.
This life was designed to be something we continuously worked at. “Life offers you two precious gifts—one is time, the other freedom of choice, the freedom to buy with your time what you will" (Elder Richard L. Evans), and I can promise you, with what God has given to us, our life can reach amazing heights.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
Up until just a few days ago, I did not have a whole lot going for me. I don't go to school until January, I was unemployed, and my social life is, eh, in need of improvement. Needless to say, I was not having fun. I was actually having quite a difficult time; I had gone from serving my God and my fellow man all-day everyday on my mission to literally nothing once I came home. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Well, while I am still looking forward to school and dealing with my lackluster social status, I managed to fill a gaping hole in my life and schedule with employment! A wonderful member of the church I attend set me up with it, and I am in love! While the work itself is rather menial, I enjoy my days again. I feel productive and useful, even if only in a small way. I feel good about myself!
Work is an interesting principle. Work probably has the biggest disparity between the gospel view and the worldly view. In the eyes of the world, work is a necessary evil, something you avoid as much as possible while still scraping through life. To the world, the ultimate lifestyle is that of the billionaire with no end to his money or time. However, Heavenly Father has an entirely different take on the matter, and for those that have seen both sides of the issue, we can agree that God has it right.
In the beginning, God created the world. Along with everything else, He placed Adam and Eve in a garden, the Garden of Eden, to care for the Earth. But due to transgression, it was not best for Adam and Eve to remain there. God sent them out, with many seemingly harsh curses, but upon closer examination we see that they were not intended to be curses at all but blessings instead. God said, "for thy sake" (Gen. 3:17, emphasis added) the ground would be cursed, Eve would labor in pregnancy, with sweat they shall earn their bread, and many other tasks of hardship.
How did Adam and Eve respond? Later, after learning more of their role in the world and God's Plan of Salvation for them, Adam responded, "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God", and Eve "heard all these things and was glad" (Moses 5:10-11, emphasis added)! Joy was not something to enjoy on the beach-chairs of Heaven's Beach, but to be had here by drawing closer to God through concert effort!
Leisure is appropriate as a way to unwind from the stresses of life, but life is built not from waning into idleness and slothfulness, but it is built by our own hands! When I look back on my life, the times I enjoy are not the times I vegged out in front of the TV or lying in bed all day, but the times I enjoy most are when I do things, especially accomplishing very difficult tasks. When I returned from my mission, I was very happy (amongst other emotions) not because I hated my mission but because I did something more difficult than I had ever done in my life.
We are sent here to do and become something, not just enjoy whatever is thrown our way. Not only is it our duty, but it is the key to happiness. I don't wonder at all when Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, "By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires" ("Reflections on a Consecrated Life"). I can tell you that that is completely true; I was miserable when I did nothing, but now that I am working, I am so much happier.
This life was designed to be something we continuously worked at. “Life offers you two precious gifts—one is time, the other freedom of choice, the freedom to buy with your time what you will" (Elder Richard L. Evans), and I can promise you, with what God has given to us, our life can reach amazing heights.
God bless y'all!
Patrick
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| Credit to Gregory Frank Harris |
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