Flowers

     Well, I was feeling kind of lazy today, so I started browsing through my old posts, and found this one called Purity, which I have renamed simply, Flowers. This was one of my favorites, so I decided to re-post it in case any of you missed it the first time. Enjoy!


     "As I strive to make these posts more personal, I have found myself looking around, trying to find something that I can post for the next day. It has really been an eye-opener, and I have found many insights that can come as we strive to look for the symbolism that's all around us.
        Yesterday, and I wish I had a picture of this, I saw a group of white flowers. They were beautiful, and one of the purest whites I have ever seen. I must've been looking for something around them, but as I did, I noticed hidden beneath all the white flowers, there was a red one. It wasn't very big, nor was it at all noticeable, until I looked underneath the surface.



         As I have recently found myself doing, I began to look for the symbolism in this red flower amidst all the white flowers, and all at once, it hit me. Sometimes in our lives, we have spots of sin, amidst a white canvas of purity. Often, these red flowers are not noticeable, and are hidden away where no one can see. But, there is one who does see all things. God, the Great Gardner, sees all we do, and knows us far better than we will ever know ourselves.
         When we seek to cover these red flowers, we are relinquishing blessings that we don't have to. This is described by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in the First Presidency, as "living beneath our privileges" in a recent General Conference talk entitled, "Waiting on the Road to Damascus".
        It doesn't have to be this way, though. There is One who has already shown all of us the way in which we can have these red flowers made white again. I speak of our Savior, who gave this amazing promise, "Come now...saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).



        It may at first be difficult, but for all that comes as we do, it is truly far better. Alma, described as one of the vilest of sinners, illustrates this while speaking to his son, "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy" (Alma 36:21).
     I promise that if we will see those red flowers of sin in our lives for what they are, and seek forgiveness through repentance, the Lord will change those red flowers into the purest of white flowers, and we can again receive of the fullness of blessings, including peace and that marvelous joy such as was Alma's."

Cheesecake

    Well, as I was wondering what to post, I again found myself thinking about starbursts and how wonderful they are...yeah, I love starbursts. That's just how I am. So, since I already posted on my first favorite food, I think I will post on my second favorite...Cheesecake! In all reality, cheesecake may be at the top of my list. It's an internal battle between starbursts and cheesecake that has yet to find a victor.
     Cheesecake is wonderful. I love the texture, the taste, the varieties...even its name. Sometimes, I eat it really quick, but I have found that I usually end up hurting when I do that. I have learned to take it one bite at a time, slowly, savoring each little morsel, bite by bite, piece by piece. This way, I get the most out of it that I possibly can.



    Now, I hope ya'll know me well enough that you can guess what's coming....yep, a gospel analogy. Twenty points to whoever guessed that. Go you! When I look at the Gospel, it is in many ways similar to cheesecake. For one, I love it. I also love the Gospel. Secondly, cheesecake is round. How does that have anything to do with the Gospel you may ask? Well, when we apply the Gospel in our lives, and truly seek after the things of God, it has a way of "rounding" out our lives in such a way that all other aspects of our lives are blessed. Yeah, that was a bit of a stretch, but just go with it. Thank goodness I was saving the best for last. But before you read how cheesecake ultimately relates to the Gospel, please feel free to  sample these next few pieces of cheesecake with your eyes. Yum!

     The last way cheesecake relates to the Gospel would be in how I personally partake of cheesecake - one bite at a time, slowly, savoring each little morsel, bite by bite, piece by piece. The way I eat cheesecake is exactly the way we should take in the Gospel to get the most out of it, slowly but surely, piece by piece, or as God puts it, "Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little". When we try to take in the Gospel all at one, and do everything perfectly, it becomes overwhelming, just like if you were to try and eat a cheesecake all at one. It would just make you sick!



     Next time you sit down to enjoy some wonderful cheesecake, remember how much you are enjoying it, and how much greater you can enjoy the Gospel, if partaken of correctly, line upon line, precept upon precept. I love this Gospel. It is great. I am grateful that God doesn't give me everything all at one, because I know if He did, it would only make me sick, and I would miss out on so much. I am grateful that as I strive to apply the things I have already learned, God teaches me more, and gives me the chance to understand, ponder, then apply those things before He gives me another bite. And, I am grateful for God's eternal patience as I continue to learn and grow each day, slowly but surely.

Starbursts and Scriptures

    Right now, I am munching on one of my most favorite things in the whole wide world - Starbursts. They are so delicious. I love them so much! If it were the end of the world, and all I had was a bag of Starbursts to ration out over time, I would probably still eat them all up within a couple of days, if not hours. Needless to say, I very much enjoy eating Starbursts. They are sweet, they are easy to take with me wherever I go, and they fill me up with energy and gladness.

   Even though Starbursts are among one of my greatest obsessions in life, the Scriptures are even a step above them. In a way, Starbursts are a lot like the Scriptures. Just like the fact that Starbursts fill me up with energy and help me to get through the day, the Scriptures fill me up with the Spirit, which in turn gives me the strength and energy to get through the day. Both are pretty transportable and indeed, it is a rare moment that I leave the apartment without some of each. And both definitely cause my heart to rejoice in gladness, though admittedly the Scriptures provide a much longer lasting joy in the recesses of my soul than do Starbursts, as delicious as they are.





   I love Starbursts. They are great. I love even more the Scriptures and the knowledge and personal application that I gain each and every time I study the words of life found within the pages of the scriptures, both within the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. They are wonderful, and as I read them, I feel myself grow closer to God. What could be better?

Name Change

     *Just an update....
             I have decided after much consideration to change the name of my blog. I know, I know, the other blog title was super awesome, but sometimes, change has to happen for the greater good. So, the blog will now be entitled, "The Life and Times of a Latter-Day Saint. As for the URL, it will stay the same, for now, so no worries there, although that might eventually change as well. Still, for now, it will still be the hardestyetmostrewardingtwoyears.blogspot.com.
              As for content, this blog is still dedicated to sharing with ya'll the the epiphanies, ponderings, and insights of a contemplative latter-day saint, and will continue to provide understanding and insight into the understanding and beliefs of the gospel. Enjoy!

Attitudes

    I was reading the scriptures this morning and in it, I found something that struck me differently than ever before. I found it while comparing 1 Ne 2:12 and 1 Ne 2:16. These scriptures follow right after their father, Lehi, who also was a prophet, told them that they had to leave Jerusalem because it was going to be destroyed. Laman, lamuel, and Nephi are all sons of Lehi. Notice the contrast in Laman and Lemuel's attitude, and Nephi's attitude.

   12) "And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them."

   16) "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers."

   That is a HUGE difference! It all goes back to their attitudes. Something that always strikes me is that not only Laman and Lemuel, but Nephi also, didn't want to leave, as shown when he says that God softened His heart. Why would he need his heart softened, unless he was having a hard time leaving? So, it wasn't so much in the fact that they didn't want to leave, but it was in their desires, and then subsequent actions that truly showed their attitudes.
     Laman and Lemuel murmured because they knew not the dealings of God, and may I add, neither would they seek to understand them. Compare their attitudes to that of Nephi's, who first desired the things of God, and then sought after them. When he did, the Lord softened his heart, and he was given the strength and comfort to follow the commandments of God.
    In any given situation, we can either choose to be like Laman and Lemuel who murmured and complained when trials they did not understand came their way. Or we can choose to be like Nephi, who, when faced with tribulation, knelt down and prayed to understand, resulting in a softened heart and a desire to more closely follow the commandments of God. I suggest that following the example of Nephi will always bring us much greater results and happiness, and bring us far closer to God, than will following the examples of Laman and Lemuel. Let us all strive to be like Nephi, and rely on the Lord in all our weaknesses and trials. I know that if we do this, He will give us the strength, understanding, and comfort for us to continue on, no matter what we are faced with.