The Karate Kid

This last summer I had the joy of watching the Karate Kid series via Netflix as I watched my niece Emmerson. It took some diligence and time to keep at it between Emme breaks to play with her, feed her, and make sure she didn't get into anything dangerous, but I was able to accomplish my goal. I soon realized how awesome the Karate Kid truely is, and I vouch for its general awesomeness.
But besides awesome 1980's music like "Cruel Summer", Ralph Maccio in his prime, mollets, cut-off t-shirts, and pretty thrilling Karate stunts, the Karate Kid offers much more for us; the sage advice and guidance of Mr. Miyagi. Mr. Miyagi guides Daniel through his quest to becoming a great Karate master to overcome his fear of bullies through often odd and tedious actions. We all remember well the old "wax on wax off" method of Karate learning and how although frustrating and seemingly pointless at first, over time the pay off of these techniques were remarkable. I think the same thing applies to the gospel.
In the gospel we are asked to do certain things over and over again. These things a generally simple and easy to do; reading our scriptures, going to church, saying our prayers, taking the Sacrament; these are things that we do repeatedly. At times they may seem mundane, too simple, or overdone, we may want to move on to more exciting or "advanced" things in the gospel, or wish we didn't have to do these things so often. But just like the Karate Kid I know that these things repeated over time, will become the most amazing strength to us and provide us with application after application in the "real" world, just as it did for Daniel. So next time you feel "here we go again" with prayer, or scriptures, or whatever, just remember the old "wax on wax off" technique and remember that true power lies in dedication, discipline, and small accomplishments repeated over time. That is the best and truest way to build faith, strength, testimony, and love of the gospel. That is the best way to learn gospel "karate" to defend oneself against fear or trials in our lives, for true disciples are simply those who are disciplined enough to practice Christ's attribute of diligence to the Faith and gospel of Jesus Christ.
So remember "that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." (Alma 37:6) We like Daniel can master "karate" and have confidence in the face of adversity because of our heed and diligence to the small and simple things of life.

The Door of the Sheep

I happen to love reading and before I came on my mission I made a goal of reading all the Newbery Award Books. It was a lofty goal and unfortunately I didn't finish but I read one that will stick with me forever. It is called "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli. The story follows a young son of a knight who dreams of becoming a warrior like his father. While he father is absent the lad gets sick and although recovers most his strength back with time, his legs become mostly useless, making knighthood out of the question. Instead, he is sent to an Abby far away to learn to read and write and find a way to make a trade. The boy is bitter about his lot and fights against learning anything other than knighthood. A kind monk patiently works with him and teaches him to swim, whiddle, read, write, and even makes him crutches that allow him to get around with some mobility. Over and over again he tells the boy that hard things may put a wall in our path to what we want, but we always have the ability to make a door. He tells the boy to learn all he can so that when he meets a wall in life he will always be able to make a door in it and keep progressing forward. The book is short and I don't want to spoil the end for any intrigued readers but the story itself stuck with me because of the monk's advice to prepare for walls so that when they come we can make a door through them. There are many applications to our lives of this sound advice but I want to focus on one: the Atonement.

In the Bible Dictionary under names of Christ it lists "the door of the sheep". It is in reference to John 10:7,9. That really stuck out to me because it really puts perfectly into words who Christ is to us when we come accross our own walls or trials in life: he is the door. No matter how difficult or impossible life may seem at times we know that although we ourselves may not be able to climb over or break through them we know that if we allow Christ into our lives he will always provide a door for us. There is nothing his power cannot heal or make right and as we realize that the Atonement begins to have real power in our lives. I know that Christ lives and that he is our door if we let him and become his sheep as we prepare every day for our walls in life. So, let us like Nephi go through life and say "I will go and do" for "the Lord shall provide a way for (me) that (I) may accomplish." (1 Nephi 3:7) If we do so we will never meet a wall too high, thick, or strong for us, for Christ truly is the "door of the sheep".

Lake Powell and the Gospel

So my family LOVES going to the lake. I think we all live for the week of the summer spent on a houseboat on Lake Powell. Its the most relaxing week of my life every year. We basically anchor ourselves to the beach and spend a week sleeping in, boating to see the beautiful sights like Rainbow bridge, wake-boarding, skiing, eating, and tubing. There is nothing in the world to rival a trip to Lake Powell. The only catch is the wind storms. Every now and then a giant wind decides to pick up. Its horrifying to be out on the lake and only a little less terrifying to be on the actual houseboat. As the wind picks up the boat sways back and forth, threatening to debeach itself at any moment. For years we heard horror stories of sunk ships and broken boats and bones. After some time our luck ran out and we added our own horror story to the book of Lake Powell wind tragedies.

We can secure our lives as we tie off to the anchors God provides

A lot of time is spent at Lake Powell playing card games or watching movies. I think I was watching a movie at the time and happened to look out the window and notice some wind was picking up. I thought, "good thing our anchors are in super good". We prided ourselves in the depth of the hole and the weight of the rocks on top and even the wetness of the sand for extra support. Our angles to the boat from the lines were even excellent. I was so unworried about it I just continued watching the movie. Suddenly I had this weird feeling of movement. I looked out the window where a few minutes before there had been a picturesque water scene; it was now the beach. I ran to the other window and saw that our lines from the boat to the anchor had somehow come undone and though the anchors were safely in the sand our boat was only attached to two of them and we were now swinging completely back and forth from one side of the beach to the other. Of course I raised the alarm and just as we were about to hit some rocks my dad got the boat fired up and backed us away and out into more open water. The catch was that action tangled the ropes into the propeller. I elected to dive under, untangle them, and bring back to the beach where my brothers would be waiting to retie them up. Meanwhile my dad would wait til I was safely on the beach with the ropes, fire up the boat, and re-beach us as we tied the lines off again. Luckily my uncle was able to get the ropes out with me and soon we were re-beaching ourselves, this time careful to tie the knots well. It was a scary and stressful time but eventually we were all safe and secured and back inside soaking wet, too relieved to do anything but stare at each other.

The gospel provides secure anchors for our lives

In so many ways this is how our lives are. We have anchors in our lives that secure us to the beach so that we can have the vacation of our lives, as in live in joy as only the righteous do (Mosiah 2:41). We can enjoy all that life offers us even when the winds and trials rise up because we will always be safe on the beach. The anchors of our Savior, the Book of Mormon, the gospel, our Heavenly Father will never fail. So what goes wrong? Our lines. The "rock of our salvation" never moves, not even an inch. It is up to us to tie ourselves off to this security with our own lines and ropes in order to enjoy the safety those anchors provide. We can strengthen this link by obedience to the Commandments, faith, repentance, scripture study, and sincere and daily prayer. When we put in the time for example, to truly read and ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon, we tie ourselves securely to the anchor of our faith in the Restored Gospel. The Book of Mormon will always be a perfect anchor (Introduction page) to our testimony of Joseph Smith, Thomas S. Monson, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but it is up to us to tie the line. Whenever we become lax in our reading of it, or lax in our obedience to any principle of the gospel that ties us to the anchors, we become vulnerable and when the winds hit we will de-beach and be left to be carried "to and fro" by the winds and waves of life (James 1:6). We will be left in a terrible pickle much like the one my family experienced. We can avoid this by making sure our lines are securely fastened to the anchors the gospel provides for us. But always remember, should we come undone, the Atonement is always there for us, and no matter how many anchors we untie from, no matter how bad the storm, and no matter how far away from the beach we have gone, Christ will ALWAYS provide a way back for us if we rely on his Atoning power in our lives. It is never too late to re-beach and re-secure ourselves to our anchors, and it is never a bad idea to continue to secure your line every day. Only then can we truly enjoy our "Lake Powell" vacation without fear or discomfort, even on the windy days.

*Over the last few months I have put a lot of thought into what my anchors are in my life. As I think about what has helped me through life's challenges and storms and turbulent water I realized that it is my belief in four things:
1) That I have a loving Heavenly Father who knows me personally and answers my prayers
2) That Jesus is the Christ and my Lord, Savior, and Redeemer
3) That Christ established a church while on this Earth and that that church exists today
4) That the Book of Mormon is the word of God; testifying to me that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet on the Earth today
If any of my "ropes" tied off to these anchors slacken even just a bit, I feel the difference and loss of stability in my life-especially in hard times. Even if three are strong and one isn't I may enjoy a fairly calm and stable life-but when life really hits my boat feels the absence of even one anchor. All four are vital to my success and peace in this life, and in my life to come.

If you would like to share your own anchors please Facebook me and I would love to post them! Thanks!

Angels We Have Heard on High

So I am rounding up with the Nativity story and have been thinking now about the angels. They appear a few times in the Nativity; to bring news to three parties 1-Mary 2-Joseph 3-the shepherds.

1-What can we learn from Gabriel? I think that we can learn that when we are asked of the Lord to open our mouths and teach/talk to people we are to do so. I am sure Gabriel was both excited and nervous for the news he brought; he knew the joy of the news but I am sure he also worried how Mary would react to it. I am sure he knew it was truth and something that would bless her life but it would also be hard to carry out. We, like Gabriel, must open our mouth still and focus on the blessings the gospel brings to people who hear it and not focus on the changes they will have to make and how hard it is. If we truly understand the blessings of the Lord through His restored gospel then sharing the message will be good news and not hard to hear. We will WANT to share it because we see the positive and the blessings rather than the "obligations". President Urchtdorf said "the gospel of Jesus Christ is a pathway not an obligation". Let us remember that as we share it with all who will hear us.

2-What of the angel that brought news to Joseph? He told Joseph after Joseph had decided to have Mary put away-"Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:20-21) I am sure Joseph was confused and upset about what he had thought Mary had done, yet he still tried to do the right thing. When we come to trials or "upsets" in life the Lord can help guide us or clarify problems in our lives so that we can move forward in the way the Lord would have us and in the way that is best for us. Let us strive to live so that our example or even words can be a source of guidance and clarification to those around us confused but seeking the truth of the gospel that will lead them to Christ as the angel did for Joseph.

3-The angels brought unto the shepherds "glad tidings of good joy". Christ IS the glad tidings of good joy. Let us, like these angels, proclaim Christ to "all" (Luke 2:10) so that they too may come unto Christ. When we seek to truly understand who Christ is and utilize the Atonement in our own lives we will realize how wondeful the message of Christ truly is, and we will seek to share this message with all we can. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;" (Mosiah 12:21 or Isaiah 52:7)

Let us be like the angels of old and share the gospel message of blessings with courage, seek to guide others as we live the gospel, and share the glad message of the Atonement and life of Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer.

Joseph

Joseph to me is one of the most amazing characters of the Nativity. I often think about his quiet and firm example to us all. I think first of all we see that he is the kind of man worthy to marry Mary-the mother of the Son of God. That alone says a lot about this man. The second thing I notice about him is his charity. When he discovers Mary pregnant he had the power to have her stoned-he could have had his "revenge". Instead we are told in the Bible "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." (Matthew 1:19) Joseph loved Mary, he loved her enough to not to embarrass of chastise her but do all he could to help her. I think it was his charity that helped him receive his own heavenly messenger confirming that Mary was the mother of Christ and that he, Joseph, was to marry Mary and care for them both. I can only imagine how hard it would be to be the "step" father of the Son of God. I certainly would feel  inadequate to "fill-in" as Christ's earthly father to teach, meet his needs, and be an example to him; but he took the job gladly. Joseph was also an honest man. He went to pay his taxes when asked despite the hardships of traveling with a very pregnant women. He cared for his family and searched diligently for a place for them but when none was available he did all he could for them anyways. Christ worked alongside him in his carpentry and I am sure Christ watched Joseph as Christ grew "in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:52) I love Joseph for his humble yet courageous example as a father and husband and as a servant of the Lord. We too can be as Joseph and seek to love and not find fault, live our callings and obey the Lord, and seek to better be an example of faith and help those around us watch, change, and "glorify our father" (Matthew 5:16).

Noah

When we are prepared we shall not fear and our hard times will be moments of rejoicing, for God always keeps his promises when we do our part.

Last night I was talking with someone and heard the popular saying "when it rains it pours". For some reason in my head I instantly thought, "yeah, just ask Noah". As I thought more about that I realized how well he learned that lesson and prepared for the times of torrential rains. We often talk about how Noah started building the ark when there wasn't a cloud in the sky and was mocked for it. Yet in the end it was a good thing he got a head start on the job, for when the rains came and then poured I can only imagine the peace and confidence he felt as he loaded his family into the safety of his gopher wood ark.

Today I think that we all have similar experiences in a way. We have the "good times" in life and then we have the "floods" of trials in life. What I want to do better is to prepare for those floods. I want to start my ark now rather then later so that when hardship comes my way I too can fill that peace as Noah did and figuratively get into my "ark" of testimony, trust in the Lord, hope, faith, and a solid relationship with God through months of daily meaningful and personal prayer. Only then can we say to ourselves "come what may and love it". May we all follow the adage quoted by President Monson this last conference, "When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past." May we do as President Eyring suggested and draw courage from being prepared. When we do so we will be far more prepared for the rains of life and will be able to grow and even enjoy those moments of hardships in our lives for we, like Noah, will be able to step confidently into our own arks prepared in the Lord's way.

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh

The next member of the Nativity I would like to discuss is the gifts given to Christ by the wise-men. These gifts show to me that the wise-men loved and understood who Christ was.

Gold: Why gold? Well first of all it is worth a LOT. To me this gift of the wise-men was to show Christ they were willing to sacrifice a lot to know Him. They were willing to pay a price to find Christ in their lives and become better. When we come unto Christ we must be willing to sacrifice to allow the Atonement to work within us. An amazing example of this is Lamoni's father in the Book of Mormon. In Alma 22:15-18 Lamoni's father shows Aaron and God what he is willing to give up to know God. First it is his entire Kingdom; a pricy offer. But it is not until verse 18 that his "sacrifice" is accepted and Lamoni's father finds God. What was this sacrifice? ALL his sins. Let us search for ways we can sacrifice our sins to better know God for the more we become like Him the better we will know him. The second thing about the gold is that it was pure. For a long time we held gold as our currencies standard. I can think of no greater standard on this earth than Christ himself. He is the standard. He is the way. He is how we can learn to sacrifice our sins to Him and become as He is.

Frankincense: I learned in the Bible Dictionary that Frankincense was used by Priests during their sacrifices in the Temple. To me this shows that the wise-men truly knew Christ was here to be a sacrifice for our sins-to be the Lamb of God. They knew Christ's mission and what that meant for them-the price of their sins had been paid and it was now possible for them to return to God. To me this shows their deep gratitude and respect for this sacred gift of Christ.

Myrrh:  One of the uses for myrrh was for the embalming of the dead. Again the wise-men knew Christ. They knew he would die and then conquer death so that every single one of us can be Resurrected as He is and obtain immortality.





I know that the wise-men were giving the 2 year old Christ more than just "nice" gifts. They were showing their understanding, reverence, and devotion to Christ and His Atonement, example, and Resurrection for each of us. May we all follow their example and find meaningful gifts to give Christ this season. If we do so, we like the wise-men, may return home "another way" and allow Christ to change our hearts.