Spiritual Lotion

My hands get really dry this time of year. It started to get extremely bad last year, and just as expected, it's just that bad again this year. My hands get so dry that the skin cracks and bleeds, mostly around my knuckles. So I like to take care of it by using what I call "lotion therapy." I don't think about it at first, or I'm just too lazy, but I let my hands get drier and drier until they get to the point of hurting every time they're touched by even something as light as the air moving across them, and then I put on lotion a couple times a day (it's worth noting that applying the lotion to hands with open wounds from the cracked skin hurts even worse than they did just from the cracked skin) until my hands heal enough that they don't hurt anymore, and then I stop using the lotion until I'm in desperate need of it again.

Sounds kind of silly, huh? It would be better, instead of waiting until it hurts and using the lotion, which hurts more, just long enough to make them feel better, to use lotion once a day and prevent my hands from getting that dry in the first place. But this logic that I use with my hands is actually the same logic we as humans often use with our spirits. "Lotion therapies" such as prayer, scripture study, repentance, going to Church, etc., tend to be used as a last resort when our spirits are in need of healing, instead of being put on the forefront like they should. Alma 34:17-27 says

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

It is written throughout the scriptures that we are to pray, not only occasionally when our spirit is worn, but all the time. We need to go to the Lord in prayer continually.

2 Timothy 3:15

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Studying the scriptures makes you wise unto salvation through faith. In other words, by studying the scriptures, we can know what is required of us to return to our Heavenly Father. Just opening them up every once in a while isn't going to cut it. We have to study continually, diligently.

How often should we repent? As often as we sin. How often do we sin? Every day of our lives. We must continually repent, striving to live the commandments and better ourselves, to rise above our mistakes, and allow Jesus' blood to wash our sins away. Repenting every once in a while, or only when our spirit's so badly stained with sin that it hurts, is not the way to go.

I could probably go on and on with examples. Using lotion therapy for our spirits is no more silly than using it on my hands, only when they get so bad I have no choice. Just as I need to take care of my hands by using lotion regularly, we need to take care of our spirits by utilizing the gifts our Father has given us, not just occasionally, or when our spirits are so badly damaged we feel desperate to heal them, but continually nourishing and strengthening them, so that we can withstand the fiery darts of the adversary.

Position determines responsibility

I work in fast food. My position is mostly cashier, where my responsibilities are to greet the customer, take the order, collect the money, and hand out the order. There is a coordinator, who gets the order put together, a sandwich maker, who makes the food, and a grill person, who keeps the food fresh. There's other various positions that have different responsibilities. Each position, if necessary and if they are able, can help the other positions fulfill their responsibilities, but for the most part need to stick with their responsibilities in order to fulfill the ultimate goal, which is making the customer happy. It takes everyone doing their individual jobs, and helping each other out when needed, to achieve this goal.

In the family, there are also different positions, which each have their individual responsibilities. The father is responsible for providing for the physical and financial needs of the family, and being the head, leading the family in the direction they need to go. The mother is responsible for nurturing the kids and teaching them, and taking care of household duties. The kids are responsible for learning and growing, and of course, playing as much as possible. And the grandparents are responsible for spoiling the kids rotten and sending them home to mom and dad. (Of course there are special cases when these responsibilities need to be switched up because of one's inability to fulfill them, but this post is mostly intended for those who are physically and mentally capable of taking their designated role.) It takes everyone doing their individual jobs, and helping each other out when needed, to achieve the ultimate goal, which is a happy and fulfilling life that will last into the eternities.

In both cases, with work and with the family, and with any case that involves responsibility, the individual doesn't choose his/her responsibilities, or preference doesn't always determine what an individual is responsible for, but rather the position that someone is in determines what his/her responsibilities are. Each position, or each member of the family, can and should help each other fulfill their responsibilities, if necessary, and if they are able to, but they also need to fulfill their own individual responsibility in order to meet the ultimate goal. Responsibility is like a puzzle piece. No matter how small or insignificant you may think your responsibility is, the whole puzzle cannot be complete unless each piece is in its place.

This is why, in the LDS Church, we try to stick so closely to family responsibilities. Each piece needs to be in place to complete the puzzle. If all the pieces aren't where they're supposed to be, the family does not run properly, and some responsibilities get put on the back burner in favor of others that don't fill the gap. We have our jobs, and we need to do them, and help each other when needed. This is the way of the Lord. Remember, His house is a house of order, and without order there is chaos. We are put in the positions we're in because we are the ones God had trusted to fulfill those responsibilities. While we may not see the whole puzzle, God does, and if we do what He asks us to do, we will become what He knows we can become.

Spiritual Dominos

When someone sets up dominos, he sets them up in a way that, once one is put into motion, the rest fall in order to the desired end, also known as a "domino effect." These dominos can be set up in a straight line, a curve, in a given shape, or even in different directions at the same time. All the pieces must be in perfect order to receive the desired outcome, i.e. starting at one end and flawlessly going through the entire arrangement to the end. Our lives are one giant domino effect. Every decision we make causes us to go in a specific direction. We all start in the same place...birth. However, we will not all end in the same place. Our decisions will determine where we end up, whether it be in the Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial Kingdom, or in Outer Darkness. I made decisions all throughout my childhood that shaped who I became as an adult. Some of those decisions weren't the best, and caused me to be blind to certain truths I had learned as a child. I chose to quit going to church for a period of time. I chose to hang out with friends who did and encouraged things that were against my personal beliefs and the council of the Church. I chose to not go on a mission even though my parents encouraged it. Then I met my first wife, and chose to straighten up and start going to church again. However, due to multiple reasons, I decided to quit going to church again. I made decisions throughout our marriage that ultimately led to leaving her and ending the marriage. I made the decision to start smoking and drinking and participating in activities contrary to the Church again. I made the decision to live in West Valley near where I lived previously with my ex-wife. All of these decisions led me to meet my current wife and her 3 kids. I decided to move in with her, and after a short time I decided to propose marriage to her. After we were married we both decided (she decided first and I followed) that we needed to start going back to church. We decided to quit smoking and work our way to the temple. These decisions led us to be called as Primary teachers. In receiving this calling, we decided to be more diligent in teaching our kids from the scriptures and in Family Home Evening. All of these decisions have led me where I am today. If any one of these decision had differed, I would be in a completely different situation. God has set out our dominos. They go in all different directions, and we choose which direction we take them. If we took out any one piece of this domino effect, the whole thing would be forced to go in a different direction. God has set the final domino in His Kingdom in Heaven, and He wants us all to end up returning Home to Him. He has given us the scriptures, prayer, parents, and Church leaders to help us find our way to that final domino, I hope and pray that I will make it there, and I know I am the only one who can determine that. I hope and pray that each one of you will make it there as well. There is the straight and narrow path laid out for us through the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and there are many off roads, but through baptism, repentance, and continually striving to keep the commandments, the dominos can always lead back to the straight and narrow, and if we remain faithful, we will reach the final domino, even the highest degree of glory, the Celestial Kingdom, to live with Heavenly Father and His Son for eternity.

The Misuse of Sex

Sex is the most widely and successfully advertised product on the earth. The misuse of sex is manufactured and distributed by selfishness, which was founded by the father of all lies, with intent to lead away captive the world. Do not be lead away by it's empty promises of lustful satisfaction, for just as a product that is sold with the knowledge that it will wear out before it's time without warranty, the pleasures associated with the misuse of sex will only last a short while and will leave you in the end with less than you had to begin with.

Does Necessity Create Desire, Or Does Desire Create Necessity?

I work in manufacturing on a production line. One of the responsibilities I often get is palletizing. After the product is put into boxes, it is sent through a tape machine, from which I take the box and stack it on a pallet. I often have other responsibilities along with it, such as folding boxes. I was palletizing the other day, and the boxes weren't being fed through the tape machine very fast, so I wasn't moving very fast. I didn't find it necessary to move any faster than the boxes were coming. I could've moved faster if I wanted to and have more rest in between, but I didn't have the desire. When the boxes started coming faster, I didn't realize it until I was starting to get behind, and then I found it necessary to pick up the pace to stay caught up. I could've continued to go slow if I wanted to and let the boxes continue to get backed up, but I had a desire to keep up with the boxes so I didn't get behind.

Which came first, necessity or desire? When the boxes started coming faster, I first saw the necessity in speeding up, and then I had the desire to speed up, when if I had the desire to go fast in the first place, it wouldn't have been necessary to speed up, because I would have already been going at the pace needed.

I waited for the necessity before I had the desire. If I had the desire before the necessity came, I would've made things a lot easier on myself and my coworkers who got behind because of my falling behind.

Why do we live the Gospel? Do we find it necessary, or do we have the desire? When I was young, I went to Church because it was necessary. My parents told me I needed to go, so I went. I didn't have a desire to go, I was just following the rules. That attitude has changed drastically in recent years. Now that I'm grown and can make decisions for myself, I don't find it necessary to go to Church. Nobody's pointing a finger at me and telling me I have to follow the rules and go to Church. But I go because I desire to. Once my desire changed, necessity changed. What I desired to do determined what I felt was necessary.

So which comes first for you? Necessity, or desire? When it comes to living the Gospel, make sure you're not just doing it out of necessity, or it doesn't do anyone any good. You have to desire it. No matter what the situation, desire must always come before necessity. Necessity does not and cannot create desire. No matter how necessary or important someone else tells you something is, if it's not important to you, you won't have a desire for it. But, if you desire something, if you feel it is important enough to pursue, that desire is necessary to you.

Desire creates necessity.