The Widow's Mites

                                                                                                                                                                   
          In Mark 12: 41-44 The scriptures give an account of the Savior watching people give money to the treasury of the church. He watches as wealthy men come forward and give large amounts of money and then a poor widow comes and casts in 2 mites. When the Savior sees this he calls to his disciples and tells them in verse 43 "...Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury." This seemingly small act of charity to us was a great act of service in the Lords eyes. Her willingness to give shows that she loves the Lord with all her heart, soul, and mind, because she put him before her earthly desires.
          In verse 44 the Savior further expounds, saying: "For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." So not only did the poor widow give, but she gave all that she had. The most acceptable gifts that we can give to the Lord are the gifts that we have to make sacrifices to give. In the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 25:23 it says "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children,  and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know it is by his grace that we are saved, after all that we do." When we choose the right and follow the commandments that the Lord has given us, we do so because we recognize that it is through his grace that we are saved, but we won't be saved if we don't do all that we can first.
          Giving of our money isn't the only way that we can show our willingness to sacrifice and be obedient. We can also sacrifice our time and gifts to serve others, go the extra mile to help someone, or try extra hard to magnify our church duties that we have been given. As a primary teacher, meaning I teach Sunday school to little kids, I try to do my best as I prepare and teach my lessons. I don't have to do this. I have a manual that I could just skim through and read off to them for a lesson, but that wouldn't do anyone any good. As I do my best I know that it strengthens my testimony of God and it makes me more willing to serve and give more of myself. I know that giving of myself more than what is necessary is what the Lord wants, because I see the blessings in my life when I do so.
                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                 

Learning Eternal Truths

This week I read through Luke chapters 16-18 and I would like to point out some of the parables found in these chapters and explain what I think the major principle is that the Lord wants us to learn from each parable.

• Luke 16:1-12 The Parable of the Unjust Steward - Although ultimately the steward did wrong, because he made poor use of his steward, we can learn a lesson from what he did to prepare for the future when he knew that he would loose his stewardship. As he prepared for his temporary future by trying to make friends who would take care of him, we should prepare for the eternal future by following the counsel of the scriptures and making friends who would take care of us spiritually and help us regardless of our imperfections. 
• Luke 16:19-31 The Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus - I think that the principle to be learned from this parable is fairly obvious and what the principle is, is that we should be charitable towards our fellow man and give of our substance unselfishly.
• Luke 17:11-19 The Ten Lepers - the principle that can be learned from this parable can be learned by the actions of the one leper that returned to give thanks to Jesus Christ for healing him. When we receive blessings from the Lord, we need to remember to give thanks and credit to Him. When we do remember to do this, our faith will make us whole just as the leper who returned was made whole by his faith.
• Luke 18:1-8 The Parable of the Unjust Judge - The principle that we can learn from this parable is that, if a big important judge who feared nobody would be willing to help a woman who repeatedly asked for help, the Lord would most certainly be willing to help. We must pray and not grow tired of it. We receive the righteous desires of our heart when we pray continually and with faith.
• Luke 18:9-14 The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican -  The principle that I think that this parable is meant to teach is that we need to be humble and not let the pride that we so often feel when we things are going our way interfere with our spiritual growth. The publican was exalted that day while the pharisee wasn't, because the publican came before the Lord meekly and humbly asking for forgiveness while the pharisee came to boast of his self-righteousness.      

I think that these parables teach some of the most simple, yet some of the most important principles that we can abide by in this life. As we go through this life and deal with the many struggles and obstacles that come in our way, we will have a much better chance of overcoming those things and obtaining eternal life if we apply the principles learned from these scriptures into our lives.
                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                             
                                                             

Being a Disciple of Jesus Christ

This life is the time for us to prepare to meet God. As we are preparing ourselves to return to Heavenly Father's presence, we should be striving to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. To some this may seem like an impossible or unnecessary task, but those whole feel this way don't understand clearly what becoming a true disciple of Christ means. Here are some things that I think describe what it means to become a disciple of Christ and examples of why I think so:

• We should diligently seek to hear and understand the words of Christ. A perfect example of this is the story as the end of Luke 10 about the girl named Mary who sat at the Savior's feet listening to what he said instead of working with her sister Martha to prepare a meal for them. Now, we shouldn't be shirking our responsibilities to learn from the words of Christ, but if we put Christ first, we will find time to do all our responsibilities as well. 
• We need to be unselfish with what we are blessed with and be willing to help our neighbor who is in need. This is a principle that I think goes hand in hand with loving our neighbor. A good example of this is the parable of the friend at midnight told at the beginning of Luke 11 where a person asks his neighbor late at night if he could have some food to feed a friend, because he had nothing currently to give.
• We must also treasure the things of Heaven more than our worldly possessions. This is something that many of us struggle with especially now when we have so many blessings and technological advances. It has become necessary for people to have the new best thing for them to be happy. Luke 12: 34 it says "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." This is very true. We should treasure our testimony more than our television.

I try to do all these things, but I think that doing the first principle I talked about can make doing the others a lot easier. Every morning after I wake up I like to start my day off by reading the scriptures, because it enables me to remember who I am and what I stand for as I go throughout the day. Lately I have been forgetting to read every morning, but I am trying to make a conscious effort to be better. Although I am not perfect, I am trying my best and that is what counts. Ultimately, Being a disciple of Christ means that we need to devote our lives to him and align our will with his.

                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                   

The Savior Healed a Young Man

          In Matthew 17, verses 14 to 21, It talks about an occasion where a man comes to the Savior and asks him to heal his son who is having mental issues. This man had previously asked the Savior's disciples, but none of them were able to heal his son from his mental illness that was besetting him. When the Savior heard this he responds in verse 17 "...O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me." After the Savior spoke these words to his disciples, he healed the boy of his infirmaries.
          After the Savior healed the boy, his disciples asked Him why they were unable to heal the boy, but he was. The Savior tells them that they weren't able to heal the boy themselves, because of their unbelief. He told them that in order for them to have been able to heal the boy of his illness, they would have needed three things. They would have needed faith that they could do it, they needed to fast to be in tune with the spirit, and they needed to pray to receive guidance. Hear are some other scriptures that let us know what it is that we need to do to be able to do miracles:

• 3 Nephi 18: 20- If we pray and ask in faith for a righteous desire, It will be given to us.
• Doctrine and Covenants 50:29- If we repent and are pure in heart, we can do many things in the name of the Lord.
• Doctrine and Covenants 42: 48- If we have enough faith we can be healed by the Lords power if it is the Lord's will. 

 

Walking On The Sea

In Matthew 14, after the savior feeds the five thousand with five loaves of bread and 2 fishes, the savior directs his disciples to go ahead of him and get on the ship while he sent off the people that they had just fed. After the Savior sent off the people, he went up to a mountain to pray.
When the Savior came down from the mountain he found the ship caught in a storm in the middle of the sea and performed the miracle of walking on the water to go out to them. When the Savior's disciples saw him walking towards them they thought he was a spirit and were frightened, but in verse 27 it says "But straightaway Jesus spake unto them, saying, be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."
When Peter heard this he called out to the Savior saying in verse 28 "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." After the Savior told peter to come out to him, he stepped out onto the water, but he soon became afraid when the strong wind started to blow. This fear was a way of doubting the Lords power, which caused him to start to sink. When peter saw that he was starting to sink he called out to the savior to help him and in verse 31 it says "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst though doubt?"
I love this story, because we can learn many things from the interaction between Peter and the Savior. I love what Peter says in verse 28, because it shows the testimony that Peter has that Jesus is the son of God and that all things are possible through him. Like so many of us though, Peter began to have doubts, but when he called out to the Savior to save him, "immediately Jesus stretched for his hand, and caught him." It goes to show that the Savior really does want to help us, and he will immediately stretch out to save us if we ask for his help.
In Doctrine & Covenants 88:67 it says "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things." Peter was filled with this light and he was able to comprehend that Jesus Christ was the Savior, and it gave him strong enough testimony to be able to walk on stormy seas. We need to strive to obtain the light that Peter had so that when we are caught in the stormy seas of life, we can walk over the waves and embrace the Savior. 

The Lord Often Taught With Parables

Teaching by Parable is a method that many teachers throughout history have utilized. A parable is a way to teach a truth or principle by telling a story in a relatable context. During parts of the Savior's earthly ministry, he taught many principles and divine truths through the use of parables. The following are some parables that the Savior taught that can be found in chapter 13 of the book of Matthew:

• Matthew 13:24-30 The Parable of the Tares- This parable tells about a wheat crop that is corrupted by tares which, in a literal sense, are a weed called "Bearded Darnel" (Lolium temulentum). This parable can be used to describe the future of the Lord's church in the Latter-days. At the last days, or the time of the harvest, the members who are seen as wheat will be separated by those who are seen as the tares and be gathered in the farmer's barn.
• Matthew 13:31-33 Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven - These two short parables speak of something that starts out as very small and grows into something magnificent. This Parable can be likened unto the gospel, how it is relatively new compared to some churches and how it started out small and has become a church with more than 150 million members. 
• Matthew 13:44-46 The Parables of the Treasure and The Pearl of Great Price - These Parables are both stories about a treasure that is found by someone and how that person gives up all he has to obtain it. These parables can be applied to those who give up a lot of worldly wealth and recognition in order to serve the church and/ or maintain their membership in it. A sacrifice that we have seen given by many of the Savior's own disciples.
• Matthew 13:47- 50 The parable of the Gospel Net - This Parable talks about fisherman gathering fish into a net and casting out the bad ones once the net is brought ashore. The fisherman mentioned in the parable are the missionaries who spread the gospel(the net) throughout the world and when the fish are brought in and sorted out, it symbolizes the people who have strong testimonies to get them through the tests of life and also those who don't have a strong enough testimony and end up being tossed back into the sea(the world). I think that this parable also speaks to why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 50,000 missionaries out at a time all over the world. The gospel net must be cast throughout the world. 

I love the parables of the Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price. When I think about my life and what I know about the Gospel, I think that I would be willing to give up anything to be a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In my life I guess you could say that I have sacrificed some things like my time and energy for the gospel, but I don't see it like that, because I loved the time that I spent doing things for the gospel and I wouldn't have rather done something else.
I also appreciate the parable of the Gospel Net. Like I said earlier, in this parable I think that the net represents the gospel and how it is taught by missionaries (who are the fisherman) to God's children all over the earth. I think that gathering the fish into the net and bringing the net to shore represents the missionaries baptizing investigators into the gospel. The process of gathering the good fish into vessels and casting away the bad fish can be compared to people losing there faith and not staying part of the gospel, because there testimony wasn't strong enough.
Sometimes the parables that the Savior taught can be hard to understand, but that is part of the beauty of them. When we desire to learn more about them and develop our testimony, it becomes easier for us to discern their meaning and apply them to our lives. We should seek to understand these teachings, because in them, we can learn the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

The Beatitudes

In Matthew 5:1-12 the Savior is speaking in his sermon on the amount about the kind of attitudes that we need to have to become more like the Savior. In verses 3-11 each verse begins with "Blessed are..." The word "blessed," refers to a state of mind that is above happiness that can't be seriously changed by outward circumstances. The Latin counter part "beatus" is the base for the word "beatitude" which is synonymous with the meanings: to be fortunate, to be happy, or to be blessed. This is why many refer to these verses in Matthew chapter 5 as the "Beatitudes. The following are the Beatitudes:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit- Poor in spirit does not mean that we need to not be lacking in spiritual things. Quite the contrary. Someone who is poor in spirit is someone who recognizes that all they have is, because of heavenly father and they always remember to pray and give thanks to Him.
2. Blessed are they that mourn- In this context, the Savior is referring to how we should feel when we commit a sin in the sight of the lord. When we truly mourn, or feel godly sorrow, we can truly repent of the sin.
3. Blessed are the meek- A person who is meek is someone who is not easily provoked and who has enough self-discipline to prevent themselves from losing their temper. 
4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness- A person who hungers and thirsts after righteousness is someone who is whole heatedly committed to learning the gospel and increasing their testimony. A good way to put it in context would be to imagine not being able to eat or drink for a few days and then you are invited to a smorgasbord where you can eat all you want and you ravenously devour all the food in sight. That's the attitude we should have towards learning the gospel.
5. Blessed are the pure in heart- A person who is pure in heart is someone who doesn't commit sin and has there spiritual eyes turned toward God. This is something that we all must strive to be.
6. Blessed are the merciful- Forgiving one another there trespass is something that is essential for all of us if we want to return to Heavenly Father's presence. 
7. Blessed are the peacemakers- As children of God we should always be trying to seek peace between ourselves and others. Loving one another goes hand-in-hand with this principle. 
8. Blessed are they which are persecuted- In this context the Savior isn't telling us that we should go out and seek for persecution. He is telling us that if we are being persecuted for His or righteousness's sake, then it is a good sign that we are doing what Heavenly Father wants us to do. We will be further blessed if we are able to withstand the persecution and stand for righteousness even if it means standing alone.

I try to apply all of these principles in my life and I have definitely noticed that when I am doing my best to apply the "Beatitudes" to my life I am much happier. Being meek is something that I am constantly trying to do. When I am patient with others and try to understand them even when they are annoying me, I always feel happier, because I don't get angry.
When I was half-way through high school I really started to hunger and thirst after the gospel. I started reading my scriptures daily and I was more active in church. Even then, I could tell the difference between when I was not doing much to further my testimony and after I started really yearning to learn, and the difference was as big as the grand canyon. I was a hundred times happier and many of lives normal burdens began to seem trivial and simple.
I am also constantly aware that I have been very blessed throughout my life and I always try to remember to thank Heavenly Father when I pray. Acknowledging this blessings has allowed me to sit back sometimes and realize some of the blessings that I have that I may not have payed much attention to before. Realizing these blessings in turn, increases my happiness and thankfulness. So for me, I can already bear witness of the importance of the "Beatitudes." These principles are very true, and we should all be following these principles.