One Change Isn't Enough

I'm pretty good at the don'ts in the Word of Wisdom. Coffee, smoking, tea, drinking, illegal drugs, abuse of legal drugs -- I don't do any of that. But the Word of Wisdom has other things to follow. Early to bed, early to rise, eat meat sparingly, grains are good for you, eat your veggies, and when God says that you shall run and not be weary, I'm fairly sure that means he wants me to move around from time to time. These are things that I've not been too good at following.

And then I went on a mission. Suddenly, I have thirty minutes of required exercise every morning, I don't have time to snack on sugary things all day, and I'm blessed with companions that know how to eat a whole lot healthier than I do. My body started to feel a whole lot better and I even started to lose weight, which has never happened to me before.

I love these. I don't eat them anymore.

But then I plateaued. I wasn't getting better, and in some aspects, my health seemed to get worse. Another round of changes denied me regular use of sugary cereals and blessed me with high-fiber breakfasts: cracked wheat, homemade granola, ten-grain cereal. As I started cutting out a lot of sugar, my body felt happier. When I don't eat those things I'm supposed to, or have too much of the not-so-good for me, I know pretty quickly.

It was during one of these not-so-fun times that I had a heart-to-heart with my Heavenly Father.

"Heavenly Father!" I said. "I am doing so much better than I used to. I am exercising, I don't eat Marshmallow Mateys anymore, and I have never eaten so much cracked wheat in my entire life! Why do I still feel sick and tired?"

"Because there is more you can do."

"But I'm healthy now! Isn't this what healthy is?"

"Sister Johnson. When have you ever told your investigators that two or three changes is enough?"

Somewhat chastised, I said, "Never."

"I am happy for the changes that you have made, and I have given you blessings of health and strength. But there is always more you can do."

"Okay. Fine."

Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 says, "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-- And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

The better I obey a commandment, the better my blessings will be. My entire life, I will strive to find new ways to keep the commandments more exactly. I won't be perfect at them, especially the Word of Wisdom because Easter comes once a year and Cadbury Creme Eggs now come in packs of five. But I'm working on it. And that's the point.

We Believe in Biblical Things

We Believe...

That God spoke to a young boy and called him to be a prophet.

That Christ's true church can only be restored through divine power and with His authority.

That we don't know everything, but that God gives prophets revelations to help us understand His gospel.

        

In living the Gospel of Jesus Christ through all aspects of our lives.

     

That the Ten Commandments are not obsolete.

    
In the Law of Chastity.

    

In health codes and taking care of our bodies.

    

That the dead can be raised and the sick healed through priesthood power and authority.

That spiritual gifts are given to every man to help others grow in the Gospel.

That the Twelve Tribes of Israel will be gathered and that the Abrahamic Covenant still applies today

       

That Christ suffered for all our pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, infirmities, and transgressions, was crucified, and rose again the third day to conquer death. 

That he will come again to the Earth in great power and glory, and we are eagerly preparing for that day.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in Biblical things. Through God, all things are possible, no matter how improbable they seem. I know that my Savior lives and that He loves me. I know that Jesus Christ's church has once again been restored to the earth, and we have the fullness of the Gospel and its blessings in His church. These things I testify as true in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Plugged In

One of the hardest things I did in coming on my mission was to wind up my Batman earbuds, turn off my Zune (an mp3 player), and put away secular music for 18 months. I had never been a fan of the depressing Mormon music played on the radio in Salt Lake City on Sundays, or of copious amounts of choirs singing hymns. I could only handle MoTab for so long.

I am now 11 months into this music fast. I could say that I've survived on the most meager of music meals, but I haven't. I discovered that there are some Mormons that can write good music, sing, and leave me feeling spiritually uplifted. It's more like a music feast now, but with smaller portion sizes.

Okay, before I ruin the metaphor, I would like you to think about the regular people you see every day, such as this man to the left. I can picture myself at the University of Utah in the Student Union with hundreds of students, in red, walking by in their own little worlds. Plugged into their smartphones, iPods, and ignore-the-world devices. These devices aren't evil, according to Elder Bednar. We can use them for good when we use them in moderation. These things are fun, but they can saturate and isolate.

Let's start with Saturate. Depending on what the media is that the person consumes, this could help or harm them. For instance, I found that I listened to not Good music on my Zune constantly. And when your music doesn't fall under Good, Better, or Best, it will bring you down. But when all I've listened to is uplifting music, I have a brighter, more peaceful spirit. This really matters because we're supposed to be living so that the Spirit can be with us. So pick good music to saturate yourself with.

Another danger I put myself in was isolation. In filling my world with noise, I put myself into a different kind of silence. One where I missed out on socialization, interaction with my fellow man, and opportunities to serve others. We came to this world to develop relationships with others, and we can't do that when we ignore them. I now realize why I had so few friends once I became addicted to my Zune; I didn't bother to make them.

Oftentimes, when we feel drained or heavy because of the world, we need to make adjustments to little things. For me, my music choices had to change. I have a lot of artists to pick from, and I don't have to sacrifice my taste in music. The words songwriters use can make all the difference. And now that I've had a chance to sift through some Mormon music artists, I can honestly tell you that Mindy Gledhill and Lindsey Stirling are the bomb and that MoTab is the greatest thing ever since sliced cheese.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."

I'm not an academic sort of person. How do I study the scriptures?

Why don't we start a study session and work on this together? First we're going to need some materials. A Book of Mormon to start with.

Ah! Thank you!

Now we need a study journal.

This will do.

Let's get a clock as well.

I don't think Mom will mind if I borrow this.

And finally, a Spiritual Enlightenment Enhancement Device. It works best with the pointy end down.

Ooh! Let's pick the red one.

Okay. So. Let's set the clock for thirty minutes. If you don't have as much time, you can set it for 15 minutes. If you have loads of time, an hour could work. It's whatever fits with your schedule. And you do have to schedule it in. Pick a time in the day that will give you the best opportunity to learn. Why do we set a time limit rather than a chapter limit? you may ask. The Book of Mormon isn't a chapter book or a history textbook in the normal sense. We want to be led by the Spirit in what we study.

Speaking of, we need to start with a prayer too. Gotta invite the Holy Ghost.

We open our Book of Mormon, get out our journal, and have our colored pencil at the ready. Now we have two options: Study by the chapter, or study by the topic.

Study by Chapter
So you're OCD like me and would rather read in order, eh? That's cool. I like getting the full picture and being surprised by what I end up learning. I'm on 2 Nephi 32.

I may have gotten ahead of myself. SO MANY COLORS!!!!

As you read, underline or shade any words, phrases, or verses that you like or that stand out to you. There is no wrong way to highlight your scriptures. I use different colors to mean different things. You can start with just red and work your way up. Like, verse 3 is awesome. And verses 8 and 9 have some parts that make me want to pray more.

Study by Topic
Maybe you're feeling like Heavenly Father wants you to study a certain topic, like Humility. The Index has bunches of scriptures on that!

See?

Ether 12:27 looks good. Or how about Mosiah 3:19? I wonder what Alma 5:27 says? And if we look up pride, we can learn more about the opposite of humility and what not to do.

Now let's get a pen and put that blank paper to work. I guess you could use your pencil too. Maybe you can write down how Satan doesn't want you to pray, but Heavenly Father wants you to pray always. Or if you're studying about humility, write about how God has given us weaknesses to keep us humble, but that doesn't mean we're doomed to be weak.

Keep writing. Keep reading. Sometimes you'll read more than you write. Sometimes you'll write down more than you thought you read, and then some more. That's why we need to have the Spirit with us.

Our time is up, and you can get back to work. Now go about your day feeling far more refreshed and spiritually strong!

What is a Rameumptom? And Where Can I Get One?

I think we got ours from Shopko. Or Apostates-R-Us, I can't remember.

Alma the Younger went on a mission to a group of Nephites that had rejected the Church of Jesus Christ and dissented from the Nephites. They had followed the teachings of an anti-Christ called Korihor, and now worshiped an incorrect form of Deity due to their misunderstanding of the nature of God.

These people, the Zoramites, worshiped God once a week in their synagogues by standing on a pedestal in the center, raising their hands towards heaven, and 'praying' as loudly as they could,

"Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever. Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ. But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen." Alma 31:15-18

They then went home and didn't think about God the rest of the week. They called this Holy Stand a Rameumptom.

An Illustration of How Not to Pray

The example of the Zoramites teaches us things not to do. First, don't pray with vain repetitions. I think vain has two meanings here. When we're vain, we think only of ourselves, and so our prayers are only about us. Vain can also be pointless or futile.  You know how when you say a word several times over, it stops making sense and loses it's meaning? Sometimes we do the same thing, praying exactly same prayer over and over again because we're stuck in a routine.

Second, our religion needs to be a part of our lives, not a once-every-seven-days thing. I bet if the Zoramites, with their incorrect notions of God and Christ, had remembered God in their day-to-day lives, they wouldn't have been quite so wicked. How blessed are we to have a fullness of the truth. Imagine how much closer to God you could be just by reading your scriptures every day and praying sincerely each morning and night.

See, if you lean on something, your
legs don't fall asleep.

Speaking of family prayer.... My family did have a Rameumptom. My Dad's cushioned rocking chair came with an ottoman. Mom would lean on it during our family prayer so her legs wouldn't go numb. Sometimes one of us kids would steal it instead if she didn't get it fast enough. We used the Rameumptom daily, tried our best not to use vain repetitions, and I'm pretty sure if we tried to stand on it and raise our arms towards heaven, we'd fall off and crack our heads open. So I'm not sure why we called it that.

The point is: Pray Sincerely. It's good for you.

What is a Liahona, and How Do I Use It?

The Liahona is a round ball of curious workmanship made of fine brass. It has two spindles that give direction to the reader. It can take one safely across a treacherous wilderness, towards sources of food, and across a raging ocean. Like a compass it gives direction, but with two major exceptions. First, it points to food and shelter, not just to the north. Second, it runs on faith and diligence or obedience. It can often be found outside of tent doors. And by often, I mean just once in recorded history.

Recalculating...

Lehi found the Liahona outside his tent on the ground one morning just before he and his family began on their trek through the wilderness to the promised land. For the next eight years, the Lehites followed a tool of divine inspiration to keep them alive. God didn't give them a map; He gave them a compass that led them day by day. When Lehi and his family lived righteously, it guided them through the more fertile parts of the wilderness. When they didn't and murmured and complained, such as when Nephi's bow broke or Laman and Lemuel's mutinied on board the boat, it stopped giving directions.

Also notable about the Liahona was the writing that would appear on it. The writing changed from time to time, chastened Lehi when he wasn't obedient, and gave them understanding concerning the word of the Lord. Nephi called this one of the small and simple ways the Lord works to bring about great things.

The Johnson Family has Scripture Study

"Kids! Scriptures!" Madre yells. I try to get one more minute out of my show, but she calls again. "We're waiting on you, Sister Johnson!"

8:56 p.m. on a school night, and somewhat close to bedtime. The murderer on CSI finally breaks down and starts giving his monologue on why he shot his mother. The final nail in his coffin and the twist is...

With a groan, I turn off the TV and drag myself upstairs to the living room where my family, plus a spare brother, sits in a circle with their scriptures open on their laps. Four teenage boys and mi Madre have crammed themselves into the biggest couch. No doubt my brothers fought over who would sit next to Madre. I sit down in my usual spot, the left side of the smaller couch next to my little sister Melissa. I left my triple combination on the armrest the night before, so I open it up to Alma 49.

Papa Johnson, cross-legged on the floor by the stereo speaker, flips through the pages for the chapter. "30 verses."

I quickly do the math in my head. "Four each, except two people get five."

"Looks like you're the Power Couch."

"Power Couch!" Melissa and I cheer. Then we high-five each other as hard as we can. My hand tingles for a few seconds afterwards as Papa Johnson starts reading about another war fought by Captain Moroni.