Testimony vs. Conversion

LDS Conference Center

We just finished another conference weekend and I am stoked about some of the messages.  I know, I always get excited but this time I REALLY MEAN IT!!!

There’s this really cool Apostle named David A. Bednar and whenever he speaks I sit up and take notice.  We shouldn't have favorites but his messages always seem to strike a chord in my heart (sort of like when Neal A. Maxwell was with us…only different). 

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Elder David A. Bednar

Elder Bednar’s message was about the difference between having a testimony and being converted.  There are many people in the church and in the world who have a testimony about basic (and deeper) doctrines but who are not converted for one reason or another.  They know principles and doctrines are true because the Holy Ghost has witnessed to them but their lives are not in conformity with the truths they know. 

Peter was part of the focus of this talk

It seems such a silly thing because we lose so much when we know one thing and do another but isn't that how our lives go!!  I suppose the reason we are here for this experience is to see how much we are willing to obey before we are taken back to Father. 

I have pondered this circumstance in my own life and find that there really are things that I know are true but I just haven’t gotten around to living them yet.  But I have also noticed that each passing year adds a little more to my ‘obedience cup’ and I am much different than I was in my younger days.  I take hope in that process because it is the way God looks at each of us – He isn't expecting perfection today but He is expecting BETTER each day.

I commend to you the entire message linked above so you can see how Elder Bednar’s message might affect you.  I hope you will see the truth and let the Spirit help you become what you really want to be.

I suspect that as I study more of the talks I will comment again, so get ready.  See you next time.

Just testing

Some may remember that I received an I-Pad for Father's Day from Brian and Paula.  I want to see how hard it is to blog from the I-pad vs. a laptop.  So far, it is lots slower and lots harder.  I give up and will post when I have my laptop with me next time.

I know, I'm a loser but this really stinks.  Bye for now.
Slight edit so I can see better -- maybe helped some of you also.  MW

One

It’s been a little while since I posted.  I guess getting back to school has been busier that I thought.  We are now into week four and I am really having a good time with this year’s crop of students.  Don’t know that they are any different than previous years but something seems to have clicked with this group.

Or maybe I’m putting more effort into my preparation and teaching.  We are studying the New Testament and my summer was spent looking up doctrines and principles that I could teach from this wonderful book.  It is so much fun to study the life of Christ and see how He taught those He loved. 

One thing has become abundantly clear!!  Whenever Jesus taught, He always focused on one person and taught to the needs of that soul.  He didn’t get hung up on all the outside things – just the needs of that single person.  No one was outside His circle of caring.  I guess there is a lesson for me in there.  Hope it takes someday!!

Until next time.  

Spiral Gyra

Saturday we went to watch Josh play baseball.  He has been out for a few years because of a major bone breakage in his left arm (he’s built backward that way) from throwing a dodge ball.

Average, everyday, arm breaking dodgeball.

He really wants to play ball again so Joel and I have been going over to help him throw and get his arm in shape.  There is lots of scar tissue to break up and his muscles need lots of work from lack of use.  He has lots of pain but it is the good kind.

So Saturday he was playing centerfield and was having a pretty good day.  Three hits and several RBI’s plus a couple of good catches in the field.  On one, a low line drive to center, he ran hard and tried to make a shoestring catch but ended up dropping the ball.  It was a great play but just not enough speed to make it easy.

In the process, he landed funny on his hand/wrist and thought he had sprained something.  On his next ‘at-bat’, rather than take a full swing, he tried to bunt on the first pitch.  That didn’t work well so he drilled a single to centerfield and drove in a run.

After the inning was over he came walking over to where we were sitting and told Heather he needed to go to the doctor cause his hand hurt.  There was some swelling, and with his history of injuries (OK, he has never been seriously injured until he broke his arm in three places by throwing a dodge ball) he worried something else might be wrong.  So we gathered up the kids and took them with us while they (Heather and Josh) went to the doctor.

A few hours later we received a call letting us know that Josh had broken the fifth metatarsal in his right hand and the fracture was spiral in nature.

Look at the last finger on the right.  See the darker line that goes from right to left and then left to right?  That's a spiral fracture.  Pretty cool, eh!

That’s funny; his broken arm was called a spiral fracture also!!!  Weird!!!

The doctor gave Josh and Heather cause for some alarm when he suggested the break might require surgery (they are going to a hand specialist to see) and mentioned that there could be some major problems with healing (I think they might have been exaggerating for legal effect).

It seems that baseball has won this latest battle in Josh’s effort to overcome aging and losing contact with some of the things he loves.  Sure hope he doesn’t do anything to mess up his ability to flyfish.

Church History Workshop

Earlier in the month, Teresa and I had a chance to take a trip to the eastern part of the U.S.  We were part of a workshop, sponsored by Seminaries and Institutes that visited historic Church sites in several states.

Mike and Teresa in the Sacred Grove

Unlike other tours, this one was a participating adventure and each couple had a particular site to report on for the group.  This made our days, on the bus and off, full and educational.  There wasn’t much time for sightseeing and sleeping.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse -- Many Saints came to Ohio through this port.

We made some good friends with people we had not met before and we had some very spiritual experiences along the way.  Sadly, the whole experience is too long to put on this blog – but I have written it in my journal!!  Actually, I am only mostly done but the total pages thus far are around 30 so I doubt anyone wants to spend that much time on this blog.  When I die, maybe some of you can read the whole thing.

The Kirtland Temple -- First in this dispensation

Anyway, here a few highlights.  I will only put a little commentary so it doesn’t wear on the reader so much.  Enjoy and know that we were tired but very uplifted when we returned to our home in Utah.

Joseph Smith Jr. Home in Kirtland -- Just purchased by the Church

Bedroom in the John Johnson home where Joseph was abducted, tarred and feathered.  The trundle bed is where their little adopted son slept with Joseph.  Notice the fancy painting on the floor.

Home that sits on the foundation of the Joel Hills Johnson home in Kirtland.  One of our ancestors (Teresa and I are cousins) who was faithful to the end.

Entrance trail to the Sacred Grove

The original home where Joseph was visited by the Angel Moroni

The room where Joseph and his brothers slept-- Moroni came here and didn't wake any of the brothers.

The Joseph Memorial Monument -- 38.5' high and made of one solid piece of granite.

The Angel Moroni Monument on the Hill Cumorah

"Alvin's Tree" -- thought to be planted in memory of Alvin by the family.  That would make the tree nearly 200 yrs old. It took four ladies to reach around the tree.

History

Just a short post today.  Teresa and I just got back from a tour of Church History sites and had a wonderful time.  I am attaching a link to the photos of the trip if you want to take a look.  A longer blog will come out soon with more details.  Thanks for looking.  MW

GRACE

I have been studying different explanations of ‘Grace’ as given by varying religious denominations.  This seems to be one of the defining doctrines causing some religions to take offense with my chosen faith.  If you look here, and here, and here, you will see several different descriptions of what ‘Grace’ means to some other sects.

The truth is that most have common threads with one another.  For instance:

1.    Grace is God’s unmerited favor.  It is a gift we get simply because He wants to help us be better.

2.    Grace is our ability to live righteous lives.  Without the Grace of God, we would not be able to overcome our desire to commit sin.

3.    Whether we have Grace or not will define how our actions on earth are interpreted.  If we do good without the Grace of God within us, it is for naught.

For the most part, I have no quibble with the definitions given by these believers. 

I believe that the Grace of Christ is a gift of astounding worth.  Without it we would not be able to enter the presence of God or be judged clean through repentance.

It is also the means by which we are able to grow in strength and overcome Satan and his host as they attempt to lead us astray.

And the gift of Grace is truly the defining attribute that will differentiate a true Christian from one who is living a life of worldliness.

BUT!!!

There are some parts of Grace that I believe Christianity has eliminated or ignored that make this gift, even more astoundingly, the ultimate blessing from God and Christ.

From the LDS Bible Dictionary:

Grace. A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11). See also John 1:12–17; Eph. 2:8–9; Philip. 4:13; D&C 93:11–14.

The gift of Grace comes because of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  It is a basic tenet of doctrine and should be emphasized in every discussion of Grace.  Without Jesus’ suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross, there would be no Grace to escape the conditions of the Fall.

Because Christ was raised from the dead and overcame the effects of death, every man, woman, and child who ever lives on this earth will have the blessing of resurrection and a restoration of the physical body.  No one is exempt!  No one will be ignored!  If you live on earth in physical form, you will be restored to your physical body sometime after your mortal death. (1 Cor. 15:23; Alma 11:42-44). This is one of the gifts of the Grace of Christ and His Father.

Finally, true Grace must also include effort on the part of the recipient.  There is no such thing as “Spiritual Welfare” – meaning letting someone else do all the work necessary to provide for our eternal life in the Kingdom of God.  It is not enough to just believe or have faith.  There has to be action, or the proper use of agency, as a testimony of our acceptance of Christ,   All must do their part to receive the blessings of God in the next life.  Heavenly Father sent us here to learn and grow and without effort we cannot improve.

 

So, while we differ on some of the fine points, there are many parts of Grace where we can agree with our ‘Christian Friends.’  My hope is that one day there will be a banding together of all those who believe in Jesus and His majestic work for mankind.  We are, after all, children of the same God and He has given us all the same gifts.  Let’s use them to bless one another and not beat on these tabernacles of clay.

The Bus Paradox

Read and interesting blog today here (scroll down to the part about graduation speakers).  Got me thinking about how I look at the world.


Most of my life I have been pretty oblivious to things going on around me.  If the world was bad, I just kept plugging along.  When things were great, I was mostly the same.  Can't say I've been extremely depressed and there aren't many recollections of super exciting times (except when I got married).


But I have noticed that my work has had a big influence on how I feel about life in general.  


When I worked in the communications business I was fairly successful and moved up to higher positions of responsibility.  Yet, no matter how much money I made or how many people worked for me there was something missing.  


There were lots of job changes and sometimes I even tried different careers (my family remembers the "year without a Dad") but nothing really felt satisfying.


Now I'm making lots less money and working harder than I ever did at any other job but I love going to work.  And I feel like there is something beneficial in what I do.  


Setting out to be a businessman was nice.  Ending up being a seminary teacher is even nicer.  I think I can look at my life and say....


...if a bus hit me today and I was called to go Home, I'm OK with that.  I would miss my family and friends but they will be around again.  My time here has been good and ..... I'm OK.


Thanks for listening.  

Fun Times

 Josh and Heather have been off on a wonderful vacation for the past couple of weeks.  The MBA program Josh is finishing has a tour they take students on as part of their business training and if they want, they can take their spouse.  Their trip was to Dubai, Turkey and Spain to visit some of the business and financial institutions in each country.  Here are a couple of the sites they were able to visit.

Dubai -- Worlds tallest building

Cool Mosque

The Lobby of their hotel in Dubai

Wouldn't it be nice to have rules in our malls!!

Again in Turkey

Looking up at the tallest building

Josh and Heather in Turkey

With two little ones (Matt and Emma), there was some worry about what to do --  but between Heather’s folks coming out from Virginia for a week and the kids staying with us the rest of the time, we were able to put them at ease

We really love having Matt and Emma with us (as we do all the other grandchildren).  They are so sweet and good natured most of the time and even when they aren’t, we just love them anyway. And who wouldn't love to have  Emma's cute gravely, little girl voice calling them all the time!! J

Grandma Whitmer likes to keep them busy so we had a couple of swimming days where they could practice their water skills.  Matt is a little more timid but Emma loves to play hard in the water.  (Thought I had some pictures but they are on the other camera.  Maybe later.) Before we were done, both had experienced some things that they really came to like.  Being grandparents is much more fun than being parents – except for the old, creaky body thingey. 

Thanks to Josh and Heather for trusting us enough to have their sweet little tykes for all this time.  Hope we didn’t teach them too many bad habits.

EPIPHANY

We all have those moments when something becomes very clear and we wonder why it never occurred before.  Once in a while, I have those as I read the scriptures.

The other night I was reading the Book of Mormon and pondering some of the things Moroni taught in chapter 7 of his book.  I love these verses because there are so many practical applications that keep me out of trouble.

In the middle of considering faith and some of its ramifications I noticed an idea that had passed by me all the times I had read these verses before.  It was in the middle of a discussion on another topic, sort of hidden amongst the trees and more like an aside put in by Moroni.  As many times as I have read the Book of Mormon, I never noticed this delicious tidbit found in Moroni 7:27-28:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and has sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his right of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?  For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.

I know that some of you will say, “Duh, Mike, how come you don’t know that?”  A part of me DOES know that but I have never seen it or felt is so clearly stated in the scriptures.

This profound little statement gives me a better view of the Atonement and the power it has to save the souls of mankind.

Christ suffered for all our trials, sins, weaknesses, etc. (Alma 7:11-13) , not because He wanted to look cool or have some big blessing, but so that He could claim us as His when the time for choosing arrived.  Without His mercy and love, we would be left to the powers of the adversary and would become subject to his will.  Jesus will ‘advocate’ with the Father, against Lucifer, for the souls of God’s children.  All who will allow Him, will find relief from the torments of the evil one.  Those who deny His redeeming power will find themselves outside the power of His mercy.

If ever there was a miracle (the subject Moroni was considering when this came out), this is the greatest of all.  A God who cares enough about His people to come and prepare a way for their redemption.  What a message we have as Christians and members of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

I know that my Redeemer Lives!!