Strangers In Time

Strangers In Time

We are not human beings having a
spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a
human experience.
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

"Whereas the bird is at home in the air, we are clearly not at home in time--because we belong to eternity. Time, as much as any one thing, whispers to us that we are strangers here." Elder Neal A Maxwell

What does that mean to be strangers in time? We are eternal beings, sons and daughters of an everlasting God. There is no beginning and no end to our existence;
though, through our own choices
we may limit our progression.

God in His wisdom has seen fit to teach us through this mortal experience based in the confinement of time. To be limited by time is a foreign concept to our spirits. Why do you think we wear watches or constantly check our phones for the time? Why do you think we have to set alarms and meticulously write things on the calendar? Why do you think we "lose track of time" or use phrases like "time flies"? It's all a result of the fact that our spirits know instinctively that this limitation of time is not natural to us, and we are trying to compensate.

Now, I am not going to go into any sort of speculation about dimensions of time or the infinite-god paradox. We have all, myself included, indulged at some point in our lives in some speculation and theorizing about so called "deep doctrine." For purposes of this blog I wish to stick to the fundamentals of the gospel. Elder Bednar said it best when he said that "much of the so-called 'deep doctrine' is not really doctrine at all." (See also Jacob 4:13-14)

The Here and The Now
So instead of dwelling on things which we can do nothing about, lets rather focus on the here and now. How do we deal with the fact that time is constantly a limiting factor in our lives? There is so much required of us! And all of us, no matter who you are, only get 24 hours a day. No amount of money or fame can get you 26 hours, or even 24.5 hours in a day.

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes it feels like there's just simply not enough time in the day to get everything done! ... Maybe I'm just way out in left field here and all the rest of you find it incredibly easy to get everything done. I must've missed that life lesson of "How to get absolutely everything done and have plenty of extra time for leisure."

This reminds me of a poem. It's a really good one I promise. And I don't really get into poetry much, so you know this has gotta be interesting. (I know, I know. It's titled for Mormon women. Just work with me here. This is more than applicable for all of us.)

The Perfect Mormon Woman

by Vickie Gunther.

(gently edited by Dr Matt).

Look at me, look at me, look at me now.

You can do what I do, if you knew how!

I study the scriptures one hour each day;

I bake and upholster and scrub, and I pray.

I keep all commandments you see, quite completely;

I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.

Design all their clothes and sew all they wear,

I drive them to practice and cut all their hair.

I memorize names of the General Authorities;

Order each goal to be done by priorities.

I play the piano, bless all with my talents.

My toilets all sparkle! My check books are balanced.

One day a week every child gets a date;

Attend all my meetings — on time, never late!

I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,

But that is not all! Oh no, that is not all:

I track my bad habits till each is abolished;

Iron every t-shirt. My toenails are polished!

Our family home evenings are ever delightful;

The lessons I plan are both fun and insightful.

I do genealogy faithfully too.

It's easy to do all the things that I do!

Up early each morning, refreshed and awake;

I know all the names of the youth in my stake.

I read to my children! I help all my neighbors.

I bless the community too, with my labors.

I exercise daily, cook menus gourmet;

My visiting teaching is done the first day!

I also go do it for someone who misses,

The least I can do for my caring ward sisters.

I chart resolutions and check off each goal;

I search for "lost lambs" on my Primary roll.

I store home-grown produce in summer and fall.

But that is not all! Oh no, that is not all:

I write in my journal and sing in the choir;

Each day, I write "thank you's" to those I admire.

My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen.

My kids get straight A's, and their bedrooms are clean!

I have a home business to help make some money;

I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.

I go to the temple at least once a week;

I rotate car tires, fix each plumbing leak!

I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;

I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.

I make sure to rotate our two-years supply;

My shopping for Christmas is done by July!

These things are not hard; it’s good if you do them.

You can if you try. Set your goals and pursue them.

It's easy to do all the things that I do.

If you plan and work smart, you can do them all too!

"It's easy!" she said . . . and then she dropped dead.

NEWS FLASH: It's not easy.

Everlasting Salvation
I looked for some commandment and blessing that would provide me with more time in the day, or at least a promise that I could get everything done that I need to. Here's what I found.

"Whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle with his might,

and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul

everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God."

(D&C 6:3)

I can hear your thoughts already. Most of them sound like this "...What?" So let's break it down and see if we can't glean a little more understanding from this promise and if I can help you understand what this has to do with "time" for me.

First lets pull out the essentials. Here's our if-then statement:
IF: You thrust in your sickle with your might, and reap while the day lasts.
THEN: You may treasure up for your soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.

Pretty straight forward and pretty awesome. Anything that ends with the promise of everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God is a promise I want to pay attention to

Thrust in your sickle with your might

Reaping grain

A sickle is a curved blade used for cutting grass and grain. The act of reaping is to cut and collect a crop from a field. Taken at its most literal definition this scripture could mean that only farmers get everlasting salvation. Obviously God has opened up His heavenly gates to more that just farmers and so we are to take this verse more symbolically.

"Thrust in your sickle with your might." To me that sounds like we're being told to "dive in." To throw ourselves into our work. But what does this have to do with having time to get things done? The key is in the second half of the commandment.

Reap while the day lasts

Does that stand out to anyone else? "Reap while the day lasts" It doesn't say "reap till the field's done" it just specifies that we reap while the day lasts. That sounds like God knows full well that there's more on our plate than we have time to do. He's not requiring us to get it all done, but He does require us to be diligent, prioritize, work hard, and endure to the end.

I wish my clock and God's clock were
synced a little better though.

I hope that brings some amount of comfort to you. I know it does to me. Some days I feel like I'm falling ever further behind in my ever-expanding list of To-Do's. But to know that God understands my struggle and that to please Him I don't have to "do it all" I just have to do my very best.

God does expect me to prioritize though. In an insightful talk given by Elder Oaks titled Good, Better, Best he makes a distinction of choosing in our lives to put the "best," most important, things first. Then fitting in the "good" and the "better." We can't do it all. So we need to make sure we're putting the Lord first. If we do that then we will find Him putting us first as well. "He that is righteous is favored of God."
(1 Nephi 17:35)

Elder Eyring offered this counsel linked with the amazing promise of expanded time. "There is another way to look at your problem of crowded time. You can see it as an opportunity to test your faith. The Lord loves you and watches over you. He is all-powerful, and He promised you this: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

That is a true promise. When we put God’s purposes first, He will give us miracles. If we pray to know what He would have us do next, He will multiply the effects of what we do in such a way that time seems to be expanded. He may do it in different ways for each individual, but I know from long experience that He is faithful to His word." (Elder Eyring, emphasis added)

*For your personal insight.* Could the fifth of our classic ten commandments be read in such a way that the resulting blessing gives us added time in our day? "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." (Exodus 20:12, emphasis added)

Endure to the End
Unfortunately the phrase "endure to the end" implies little or no movement. Just maintaining existence at a fixed point rather than continual progression. This is a problem. Enduring to the end is not about remaining stationary! I have two quotes from Elder Maxwell (can you tell I'm favoring his quotes today? I was recently given The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book and I'm loving it).

"True enduring represents not merely the passage of time, but the passage of the soul--and not merely from A to B, but sometimes all the way from A to Z. To endure in faith and do God's will therefore involves much more than putting up with difficult circumstances."

"The mere passage of time does not mean the automatic passing of milestones in personal development."

I love these quotes so much I don't even know where to start! If we aren't trying to grow and progress then guess what?? We're not growing and progressing! Just cause we're getting older doesn't mean that we're getting more Christ-like.

Growing Older vs Personal Development
Too often in our culture we use age as a determination of someone's wisdom and mental, emotional, and spiritual maturity, but that's completely misleading! I've known some 8 year old kids that I'd be quicker to take advice from than some "mature" adults! Well guess what people; just cause we're getting older doesn't mean we're getting any wiser.

This habit of ours to see age as corresponding to maturity also leads to putting people into categories because of their age. Some few generations ago a 14 year old boy could be completely relied on to get up at 5:00am of his own accord, milk the cows, do some other odd jobs, fix himself breakfast and pack a lunch, and walk to school. But now the expectations we have for our "teenagers" have reached an all-time low. We let them skip school whenever they want to, they play video games or hangout with their friends all day with little or no chores or responsibilities around the house, we give them a car and a cell phone, both of which we don't expect them to pay anything for, etc and then we expect them to just magically "grow out" of this stage they're in??

I know that during those stages of life called "youth" there are many things going on. Hormone changes, physical growth, social pressures and changing social dynamics, etc. But people respond to how you treat them. If we continue treat our children like children and then expect them to suddenly become responsible citizens and spiritual leaders when they hit 21 then we're in for a nasty surprise. Because unless that child takes personal responsibility for their development then they'll be going nowhere fast.

I am greatly blessed to be raised by parents who continue to try and help me grow and develop myself. It's not easy, and sometimes they have to chasten, but I owe much of whom I am to their continued guidance.

I speak much of the "youth" but this is just as applicable, if not more so, to the "middle aged" among us. You have reached a point in your life where you probably feel like you've done pretty well. You endured high-school, perhaps some college, you might have children of your own (and compared to them you probably feel pretty mature and refined), you have a career, etc. This message is for you. "Reap while the day lasts." The day is still here for you. In fact you are at a point in your life where your influence on others is most crucial and influential and when personal growth is even more rewarding.

We Are Strangers In Time
God has warned us that in the last days our days will be shortened. I take that to mean two things, the second coming will happen and will effectively "shorten" the last days by ending them. But also that the time given in each day will slip through our fingers more easily. How many times have I thought "where did the day go?" or "wow that year flew by!" Our days are being shortened. If we don't take full advantage of the time we're given it will be gone before we know it.

Time flies on wings of lightning;
We cannot call it back.
It comes, then passes forward
Along its onward track.
And if we are not mindful,
The chance will fade away,
For life is quick in passing.
'Tis as a single day.
(Improve The Shining Moments, Hymn 226)

Everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God

The promise is that if we do our best each and every day, thrust in your sickle with your might and reap while the day lasts, we can be granted everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God. So don't despair if it feels like you're falling behind or don't have the energy or time to get everything done. Just reevaluate, get the most important things done first, do your best and God will help with the rest. In the end, you'll have the ultimate reward.

Keep Pushing On

Andrew

Wait For It... Wait For It... Yep, It's Patience

I Love Patience

Wait nope. I'll be honest, patience ranks pretty close to dead last on my list of favorite heavenly virtues. Not that the Lord hasn't tried to teach me patience, and given me plenty of opportunities to practice it. I'm just a little thick-headed. And I'll be the first to admit that.

Fortunately for me, and for all of us, God hasn't given up on teaching us patience. In a world where everything has become "instant" or "fast" like internet, or food (except for the internet on my phone of course, which frequently resembles 1G rather than 4G), patience is a godly attribute that society is trying ever harder to be rid of.

Why Patience?
My last post was about peace and I wrote it because I was in desperate need of just that, peace. In pondering that post I realized something, a connection that I hadn't made before. My lack of patience for certain things was resulting in a lack of peace, which then, in turn, made me more impatient! It was a downward spiral of frustration! I was able to find inner peace for a time, but my impatience slowly drained that peace from me until I was nearly back where I started.

Now, not to cause any misunderstanding, I would have people know that my impatience which I refer to relates to a very specific part of my life. Overall, I'm really a rather patient and understanding individual. Anyone who knows me can verify that fact (I hope). There are just a few areas in which I really do struggle in exercising patience.


But isn't that how it is for all of us? Some things just don't get to us at all and we can handle them as cool as a cucumber while mayhem may be erupting around us. Other things, however, really get to us and while dealing with such things we can barely maintain a half calm demeanor. Think about some things that really try your patience. Now think about some things that really don't bug you at all, but really try others' patience. We're all different and we all respond differently to things. For purposes of this post keep in mind those things that try your patience. Those are the times when you may need patience the most.


I didn't remember having patience as a listed blessing in the D&C, but searched through my list of Commandments and Blessings to try and find if patience was indeed listed as a blessing for any commandment. To my pleasant surprise, I found it.

"And seek the face of the Lord always, 

that in patience ye may possess your souls,

and ye shall have eternal life."

(D&C 101:38) (C&B #298)

Mull that verse over in your mind for a bit while I look at the word patience itself and how it's used in our modern vernacular.

Be Patient With Me
"Be patient with me." I think we've all used that phrase before, or we've at least thought it in some situation or another. Being impatient with each other is a frequent occurrence. But look how we use the word patience! It's so cool! We use the word "with"!!

... I don't think you realize how cool that is.

Mothers have always impressed me
with the amount of patience they
are capable of.

We don't say "be patient to me" or "be patient at me" or "be patient in me" but we say "be patient with me." I think that's beautiful. In exercising patience with someone we are, in essence, including them. We are bringing them, in a manner of speaking, into our hearts and saying "I feel for you, I can wait with you, you are important to me, we can do this together." Being patient with someone makes them feel loved and cared for, it can inspire them to do their best because they feel supported.

On the other hand, impatience brings isolation. It places focus and blame, making the individual a target. "You're late, why didn't you listen to me, what took you so long, ugh- just let me do it, etc." These phrases can be destructive, depending on the tone and intent, and can cause people to feel unsupported and isolated.

There Is a Line
With some trepidation, I recognize that there is a line to make mention of here. I hope I address it appropriately. Indeed there are those individuals who constantly take advantage of the patience and long-suffering of others around them. They use others patience as excuse for laziness, or inadequate effort. They plead for second, third, fourth chances, but then squander their time and effort in idle pursuits any make little to no effort on actual change. Christ Himself, having perfect godly patience, forcefully threw the money-changers out of the temple.

There are times, not many so I say this very carefully, but there are times when it would not be wise to continue doling out second and third chances. Abuse. Rape. These are some extreme examples, but these are certainly times when, though forgiveness may still be granted, individuals are no longer worthy of our patience and it would be unwise for us to let them continue in their present course. We are to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt 10:16). Be careful and prayerful when deciding to withdraw patience from someone, don't do so lightly. But if the situation requires it, be willing to move forward according to the Spirit and not look back.

For the majority of people, however, the problem is not them being being taken advantage of because of their patience, but rather the considerably more frequent problem of a lack of patience.

In Patience ye may Possess Your Souls

"And seek the face of the Lord always, 

that in patience ye may possess your souls,

and ye shall have eternal life."

(D&C 101:38)

There is a dual blessing with this commandment. If we "seek the face of the Lord always" we may 1) "in patience possess [our] souls" and 2) "[we] shall have eternal life." 

(For purposes of this post I'll focus mainly on the blessing of patience, but understand that there is certainly no blessing greater than the blessing of eternal life. I don't mean to downplay that blessing at all. This is merely a single post focusing on the development of patience. I readily look forward to the day I'm prompted to write on the incredible blessing of eternal life.)

I find the wording really interesting in relation to patience. "In patience ye may possess your souls." What does possess your soul mean?  Well what is the first thing that happens when we become impatient? We lose control. We no longer maintain possession of our soul. The soul has been defined as the body + the spirit. I would open up that definition to include our actions, desires, passions, and essentially who we are. When we act out of impatience we give up a bit of the grasp we have on ourselves. Taken to an extreme, a lack of patience can result in anger and a loss of self control.

I think we all know people who have seemingly unlimited patience. They are always in control of themselves. This is one blessing of patience. That "in patience ye may have possess your souls."

President Uchtdorf gave a phenomenal talk on patience in the April 2010 Conference titled "Continue in Patience." I would very very highly encourage anyone seeking a greater capacity of patience to study that inspired talk.

By seeking the face of the Lord always we qualify for greater patience and all the accompanying blessings. "The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness." President Uchtdorf


Seeking the Face of the Lord
I don't know exactly what that phrase means, nor all the connotations of seeking the face of the Lord at all times. I have a couple of thoughts though.

In every situation at all times in your life, act as if Christ is watching you. As if every act is performed before the face of God. Which, interestingly enough, it is. But do we actually keep that in mind during our day to day lives? If we had the mindset of "What would Jesus do?" or "What if Jesus was watching?" at all times how much more Christlike would we act?

This thought of doing things as Christ would is based out of Alma 5:19 "I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?" It's interesting that the word "countenances" is pluralized. We wear many different "faces" for many different situations, but Christ should shine through all of them.

To take another analogy, seeking the face of God can be broken down into its individual parts.
-The eyes of God: To see situations and people as God sees them. To avoid seeing things which are vulgar or filthy.
-The ears of God: To listen to and care about others. To avoid listening to things which would drag ourselves down, including gossip and inappropriate music.
-The lips of God: To always speak kind words to each other. To "[reprove] betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved." To never let vulgar or cutting language pass our lips. To keep kissing within appropriate bounds and times before marriage, and reserved for your spouse after marriage.
-The Mind of God: Think the best of people, give them the benefit of the doubt. Gain a good education. Never let impure thoughts have place in our minds.

(I've only touched on a few of the many analogies that can be drawn here, feel free to look into this more yourself. Some you might toy around with is mouth, nose, neck. Those might be healthy eating, good hygiene, and maintaining a straight course, respectively.)

The head and face are the "control panel" for the body. To seek the face of the Lord always is no easy task. Perhaps the best method is to isolate one feature of the face, write down as many possible actions with could be associated with that feature (augmenting on one of the above lists if you desire) and then making a plan to to bring forth in your "countenances" (yes, all of them) the face of the Lord.

"And seek the face of the Lord always, 

that in patience ye may possess your souls,

and ye shall have eternal life."

(D&C 101:38)

Oh Yeah, and Pray Too
I've heard many a joke about how if you pray for patience then you'll get blasted with trials. Which, I guess, can certainly be true. But should that scare us off? Do we really have such little faith in God? Are we seriously avoiding praying for a godly attribute because of the fear that God's just looking for an excuse to rain down trials on our heads? What kind of god are you praying to then, cause that doesn't sound like the god I pray to at all. The god I pray to is my Heavenly Father who loves me more perfectly than I can comprehend and had promised to not allow me to encounter a trial that I cannot work through with his help.

Pray for patience. Trust God that He has your best interest in mind. Remember "ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you." (D&C 6:5)

Thank You For Your Patience
Although there are many more things I would like to say about patience I've given plenty of food for thought here. I have to save a few thoughts for a sacrament meeting talk somewhere down the line. ;)

May we all find a way to seek the face of the Lord today and be granted the wonderful blessing of patience.

Keep Pushing On

Andrew

The Quest for Inner Peace, and the Simple Key to Finding It

Story of my life. ;)

Lack of Peace

You know, I sure am glad that I've never been stressed before.

Stress. Unrest. Tension. Discord. It all looks so darn uncomfortable and inconvenient. What a hassle! I am so grateful that I've never had to deal with that! My life has just been a bed of roses. Completely peaceful and calm from the day I was born till now. :)

Rough break...

... Oh wait, I do remember once when life wasn't totally peaceful... Once or twice... a month... or week... Ok sorry, I remember now. This is mortal life! No one gets to go through life on a bed of roses. No one gets a free pass labeled "Go Straight Through Mortality Without Any Problems." In fact it probably feels like we're always getting dealt the card "Go Straight to Trial, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200". Life is rough, it's true, and we often get thrown for a unexpected loop or two along the way.

We've all felt stressed or experienced unrest in our lives. Some of us more than others. Right now in my life there is a certain amount of stress and uncertainty. It frustrates me that I can't find peace very easily right now. I know I'm not alone though. There are billions of people out in the world right now who are searching for peace and can't find it.

What peace are we talking about?

As usual, we need to redefine peace because there are many definitions of peace and we need to get on the same page before we can go much further. Understand that I speak of true, lasting, inner peace. Not just temporary satisfaction or moments of adrenaline. The peace I speak of is not just an absence of war or conflict. Those may be prerequisites to social peace, but for purposes of this article I will be referring specifically to an inner peace, independent of exterior circumstances. There is little or nothing we can do about the choices others make. Good or bad they will make their own decisions as much as we may try to help and influence them. But regardless of what is going on around us we can maintain inner peace.

If you have enough money you can buy a bird that
makes magical bubbles... Now THAT will bring
you peace and happiness.

Finding Peace

There are thousands of books and theories about gaining that inner peace. The world promotes everything from meditation and seclusion to money and fame as keys behind inner peace and satisfaction. Some people turn to drugs, sex, power, the "worldly" list for how you can find satisfaction out of life goes on and on. Let us then keep in mind what Christ prophesied about this: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

So then we much find peace Christ's way. For He is the way, the truth, and the light. Luckily enough the key which He gives us is beautifully simple.

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit,

and you shall have peace in me."

(D&C 19:23)

Three parts to this finding peace in Christ:

1) Learn of Him

2) Learn His words

3) Walk in the meekness of the Spirit

Those don't honestly seem too hard! Lets dig a little deeper and find some specific things we can do to gain this peace.

Learn of Him

This principle is echoed a few times by Christ, the most powerful of these is found in John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." How do we come to know Christ? We talk to God, tell Him of ourselves and establish that relationship of trust with Him. We learn of Him, reading the things written of Him in the scriptures and things told to us by prophets and apostles called to be "special witnesses" of Jesus Christ, which leads us straight into the second step toward gaining peace.

Learn His Words

In all reality we have precious few of the words actually spoken by Christ Himself during His pre-mortal, mortal, and post-mortal ongoing ministry. These are invaluable and must be studied by any person seeking peace in this life and eternal life in the hereafter.

I wish we had more of Christs ministry to get an even deeper understanding of Him and His sacred mission, but the words we have are relatively very few, especially when compared to the orators of today who have tour after tour, online videos, books and books written by them, filled with their sage wisdom, etc. Now I'm not trying to devalue the sometimes motivating and inspirational speakers of today, nor the vast amount of "self-help" literature available, but I'm trying to shift focus from the modern intellectualism back to Christ as the source of all truth.

Prophet Thomas S. Monson

Remember His words "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (D&C 1:38) We have to words of modern prophets and apostles to guide us and direct us along the straight and narrow path. Their words are the words of Christ and we should be studying them as well to truly fulfill the mandate to "listen to my words" as Christ has instructed us.

Walk in the Meekness of the Spirit

I suspect that this has been old news so far for most people reading this article. Learning of Christ and hearing His words are perhaps old hat. This third step might be the clincher though. "walk in the meekness of my Spirit." I would interpret that phrase in this way:

Walk- an action, meaning to do or to follow.

Meekness- humility.

So then I might say that phrase this way "Humbly follow the teachings of Christ as directed by the Spirit."

Wow. That might be a bit larger of a step than it looked at first glance. Isn't this the goal though? To follow Christ, humbly, with the direction and guidance of the Spirit? That's certainly my goal. Unfortunately, I, like many of you, fall considerably short of this mark. Sometimes I'm little closer to "pridefully do what I want until the Lord sees fit in His mercy to pile trials on me till I'm humble enough to seek Him and again follow His divine direction." That's sadly a little closer to the mark sometimes.

My uncle said a funny line recently during a discussion at our family reunion. He said something like "I can't stay on the straight and narrow path very long, but I do try and cross it as often as possible." I got a good chuckle out of that, but it's true for many of us. It feels like the second we're back on the path then something happens and we keep slipping back and forth. All I have to say to that is: welcome to mortality!

We must do the very best we can, Christ expects that of us, but He also perfectly understands our mortal and imperfect state. That is why he performed the Atonement. So we could repent and return back to Him. So then "walking in the meekness of the Spirit" becomes us doing our very best, rather than an unrealistic expectation for us to be perfect all the time. Though that is the goal.

The Wonderful Blessing of Peace

God has promised us, and I'm going to take Him at His word, that if we do these three things then we will be granted peace. Few virtues are more rare than true inner peace in this modern deteriorating world in which we live. 

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit,

and you shall have peace in me."

(D&C 19:23)

If you are feeling stressed, unease, tension, discord, or any of the other effects of a lack of peace I would invite you to reevaluate how you're fulfilling these three simple steps that God has promised will bring us peace. If you try to improve, God will help you. And you will find the peace you seek.

Keep Pushing On.

Andrew