How to Prevent and Overcome Sin

In my Book of Mormon class, my professor presented an analogy between sin and the war chapters of Alma (specifically chapters 43-50) that has really stuck with me. I used to have a hard time with the war chapters because I only read a chapter a day or less and so the plot didn't make much sense to me. I used to shout out joyous strains when I had finally read through the war chapters. But this past week as I have been reading I have found it exciting to try and think of a way I could compare the war chapters to my life. I was also reading more at a time and so the story line became more easy to understand. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat when the Lamanites and Nephites were in battle. I even found myself imagining what it was really like for the men. Camping in the woods, walking all day, eating meager food simply to survive, and then battling blood-thirsty Lamanites to protect your liberty, your freedom, your religion, your peace, and your family. There are a couple of strategies that the Nephites used to win the battle against the Lamanites which we can also use in our battle against sin.

In chapter 43, the Nephites have the upper hand because of their armor. The Lamanites show up naked except for a loin cloth. They were not very excited to see the Nephites because they were prepared."And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing" (verse 19). Heavenly Father has provided us with figurative armor to protect us from sin. Some examples of these include: the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, prophets and apostles that speak to us twice a year at General Conference, temple, prayer, Priesthood, Seminary, and Institute. Heavenly Father will not force us to wear this armor, we must make the choice to put it on ourselves.

In chapter 49, the Lamanites are unable to overcome the Nephites in battle because their cities are fortified. This time, the Lamanites came with armor, but they were not prepared for the fortifications that the Nephites had built up to protect their city. Again, the Lamanites were discouraged."But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold, the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which was so high that the Lamanites could not cast their stones and their arrows at them that they might take effect, neither could they come upon them save it was by their place of entrance" (verse 4). I would like to point out here that God is not playing keep up with Satan. It is quite the opposite. God is constantly providing more protection and Satan is trying to find a way in. We can build up fortifications by protecting and strengthening our family and our friends. Sharing your testimony, Family Home Evening, studying the scriptures, praying together, and fasting for each other are some ways to build fortifications around you and your family.

In chapter 50, the Nephites fortify the line between their cities and the city of the Lamanites. By doing this the Nephites were able to push the Lamanites back even further. They didn't allow them to even get close. We can do this as we push sin back through making a conscious effort every day to do better, by not allowing even the smallest degree of sin in our lives. We cannot be perfect in this life, but the daily efforts we make to become more humble, more meek, more patient, more long-suffering, more loving, more kind, and more obedient will make Satan's job a lot harder.

Although we are not literally participating in a physical war, we are in a war against Satan and against sin. It is important that we are prepared, that our testimonies are strong when trials come our way.

Alma's Conversion

Alma 36: 17-20
"And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

Now as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!"

I love the story of Alma the younger's conversion. It shows that no matter how far off the path we have gone, we can always return. Alma's father was the prophet and yet he went about seeking to destroy the church. Most of us have never been that far off the path. He remembered words spoken by his father and chose to experiment on them. He chose to believe in Jesus Christ. It was through his faith and his repentant heart that he was able to be forgiven. I love this passage because you can take so much out of it. He says that his mind caught hold of the thought and cried in his heart. I believe that one of the ways we can know if something is true and if it comes from God is if it makes sense in both our mind and our heart. Heavenly Father is not a god of conflict but of peace and happiness. Alma compares his pain to his joy after he has repented. This is a testimony to how happy our lives can be if we choose to follow Jesus Christ and put our faith in Him and how miserable we will be if we choose to follow Satan. Sorry, this week's entry is a little rushed. I hope you enjoy.

Without stubbornness of HEARt

I'd like to take this blog in a different direction now that Fall Semester 2012 is over and Winter Semester 2013 has begun. In my Book of Mormon class, we are required to fulfill a reflection assignment each week. This could be done in the form of a letter, email, or blog post. Each week I will reflect upon a topic or scripture studied each week in hopes that I might encourage my friends to come unto Christ and "be called His people".

This week I want to discuss Alma 32:13-16

13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

14 And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?

15 Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed- yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.

16 Therefore, blessed are thy who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

When we are young, it is most likely not our desire to go to church that gets us there every Sunday. Rather we depend on our parents to wake us up, help us get ready, and drive us to the church building. As we grow into our teen years and begin to have a stronger will power to do what we desire, we may need a little shove from our parents to get out of bed even though we feel that deep down in our heart we really do want to go to church. It wasn't until I got to college that I gained absolute freedom and I realized that it was up to me to get to church at 9 AM every Sunday. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized what agency is really all about. It is true that having a calling (service oriented position) as ward choir director and having roommates and friends that will know if I don't go gives me a sense of responsibility that I personally don't want to disappoint. However, agency is largely involved as granted by our Heavenly Father. Each of has the opportunity every week and every day to choose to believe and to choose to humble ourselves before our Father in Heaven.

I have heard others say that because of some trial or disappointment they decided to read their scriptures or pray having not previously upheld the habit of reading the scriptures and praying daily. I have also seen a pattern in my life of inconsistency and the need to be compelled to be humble. It usually starts out with a talk or a lesson on Sunday after which I renew my dedication to following the commandment to read my scriptures, pray, write in my journal, etc. The first couple of days or even weeks go smoothly as I remain strong. After an exhausting day here or a late night there, I consciously decide to let my head hit the pillow before my scriptures are read. It is essential to realize that I made the choice of my own free will. I decided that sleep was more important to me than what my Heavenly Father had to teach me. I chose to distance myself from God rather than rely on His strength to keep me going and believe that He will lift me up. That one night often becomes a few more nights and maybe a few weeks and eventually if I let myself a few months until I go through a trial or need God's help so desperately in my life that I cannot put it off any longer and I must rededicate myself to the faith. In this way, I am allowing my trials to determine whether or not I remain faithful, whether or not I will humble myself before God. My trials are compelling me to be righteous while my stubbornness of heart is preventing me from obtaining the blessings that God has to offer.

In a far more wordy way, I am trying to say that humility comes by battling pride every day. Humility comes when we choose every day to open our hearts and our hEARtS to the things that God wants to teach us. Humility is believing that His plan is better than ours, that we are stronger when we allow Him to lift us up, and that we cannot be truly happy without Him.

A Greater Perspective

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As I was flipping through the images to choose from for this week's blog post assignment, I immediately paused at the sight of this picture. I instantly felt an emotional connection to the people in this image. I love to go hiking. This past summer I went on a ten day backpacking trip throughout the mountains of New Mexico. My favorite part about climbing mountains is that sensation you get when you're higher up looking down on where you've come from. The best is when you reach the very top of a mountain. The biggest accomplishment my crew made was reaching the top of the Tooth. From the tip of the tooth we could see our entire journey so far (about 9 days). I think what I love most about this experience is that I feel a sense of divinity. I feel like I can see things with a greater perspective similar to the way God would see them.




The first sentence of the description paragraph reads, "Habits are hard to change". For these people it had been a habit of theirs to sit on the window ledges of their rural homes. I'd like to think that the got a similar satisfaction out of this as I do from mountains. It is likely that they sat there to ponder or maybe even to pray. Because "habits are hard to change" they continued to sit on the ledges of their windows when they moved to apartments in the city. The height didn't scare them. While some of the people in this photograph sit alone pondering and viewing their world in a different way, others sit with friends and family likely keeping up a conversation. Just as I bonded with the girls in my crew as we climbed to the tops of mountains together, I believe that the simple act of sitting together on their window ledge served to strengthen friendships.

I feel that the people in this photograph have realized something that many Americans have a difficulty understanding. Our lives are spent moving from one thing to the next. When we do have down time it is often spent on facebook, pinterest, or checking email. Rarely do we sit, breathe, and think. Rarely do we have time to acknowledge the beauty of this Earth and let the spirit whisper peace to our hearts. Rarely do we have time to just sit and talk or even to not talk at all and just enjoy each others' company. I know that I could improve my life by incorporating these moments of peace into my busy schedule one way or the other and I hope that you will too.

Salgado, Sebastiao.  Photograph.  “Migrations: Humanity in Transition”.  Aperture.  New York, 2000.  430-31

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink

When I first looked at this picture, I, like the people passing by on the street, glanced over the beggar on the street. It wasn't until I read the background information that I realized that this was exactly what was happening. The beggar on the street was a common occurrence for the people in Shanghai and didn't merit any acknowledgement. This picture particularly struck me because I feel like this is how I respond to the people on the side of the road holding up a sign that reads, "Anything helps. God Bless". I have never stopped to give them money; although, each time I pass them, I feel a twinge of regret. I wonder if these people choose to continue on their merry way for the same reasons I do: I rarely carry cash; It's too much of a hassle to stop; Part of me wonders if they are actually destitute or if they just want to take advantage of the compassionate people in the world.

A friend of mine recently presented an interesting viewpoint of this situation that has cause me to think more about this. She explained that it didn't really hurt her to give up a few dollars and if the person really was in desperate need, then she would be able to help with little sacrifice to her own well-being. On the other hand, if the stranger was cheating her out of her money, then again, she would lose very little while the other would lose a lot.

What I've learned from this is that we cannot judge others actions to be righteous or unrighteous without erring in some way ourselves. We can; however, choose to act in such a way that our thoughts and desires may be judged righteous by our Heavenly Father. I would rather risk being taken advantage of than risk being held accountable for a soul that I could have helped. After all, in this season of thanksgiving, we are reminded that all that we have comes from our Father and that our debt could not possibly be repaid. Each act of selfless service; however, shows gratitude to our Heavenly Father. When we serve His people we are, in a sense, serving Him. In Matthew 25:40 it reads, "In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Building Refugee Camps that will build up Refugees

In my writing class we are beginning the process of writing a research paper. As our theme this semester has been on refugees, I chose to focus on just how the United States can reach out and help refugees in other countries come to America and get back to living their life and being contributors to society. For several reasons, refugees have been forced to wait agonizing years just to come to America. Others once they've gotten here have been given a short time to learn how to survive in a new country and then are left with no further assistance. I believe that if we can find a way to help refugees escape the traumas they are experiencing and give them a home in a refugee camp where they can learn the skills necessary to survive on their own and adapt to a new environment, then they will be able to get back on their feet sooner and be able to stand taller. Once they are strong, they will be unique individuals in our society that contribute back to the society that once gave to them. I believe that there are times in everyone's life when we need a little assistance from someone else, but once we are given a little we are able to give back a lot more.

Left to Tell Review

     
          "Left to Tell" written by Immaculee Ilibagiza tells a story of genocide and forgiveness. To the millions who suffered similar tragedies, Immaculee's story teaches them how to forgive their persecutors and live a normal, happy life. Her story reaches other hearts, as well, who haven't experienced a genocide but needed help forgiving a family member or friend. In Addition, her story is one of faith, of giving your heart to God, of prayer, of healing, of purpose, of dependence, of humility, and of God's love for his children.
           Immaculee is so unique because she made the choice to not lose her faith. She fought her doubt, fear, hatred, and disgust from the beginning and learned how to combat these feelings with God's love. Immaculee's story teaches us all how to remain faithful through any trial and promises that we are all capable of conquering the mountains in front of us with God's help. The story of the genocide of Rwanda shows how strong Satan's influence can be: strong enough to lead men and women to kill innocent people, including young children and babies without hesitation. Immaculee's story shows us that God is more powerful.
          Immaculee fights every fearful and hateful thought with prayer. Several of her days spent hiding from her killers in the bathroom of Pastor Murinzi's home were filled with prayer. She prayed for these thoughts to leave her; she prayed for the strength to forgive her killers; she prayed for those that were fighting to end the war and save the surviving Tutsis; she prayed for family; she prayed for her enemies. Immaculee tells us that God will help us to forgive our enemies if we ask Him. After she is rescued, Immaculee continues to use this power of prayer for good. Her faith is so strong that she believes that God will and must answer her prayers in his own way.
          It is often hard to understand why a girl like Immaculee would be saved by God while others are allowed to die. This is not because God doesn't love those that died. Immaculee learns that God is allowing her to live in order to fulfill a purpose. She is left to tell her story. Although God does not save Immaculee's family, He does comfort her and helps her to know that they are happy and that they want her to stop crying for their death.
          Immaculee is an inspiration to me. It amazes me how she held onto her faith throughout those months living in the bathroom. It amazes me how she turned such a horrible trial into a blessing for her and for all who hear her story. It amazes me how strong her faith in God became. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read it yet, but my favorite quote is "Mountains are moved with faith, Immaculee, but if faith were easy all of the mountains would be gone". I love this quote because it gives me the courage to keep trying. I hope that I can learn to rely on the Lord as Immaculee does. I am grateful for her example to me and for the opportunity to read her story. I recommend this book to everyone. Each page will touch your heart and change your life for the better.