I think the most important thing I can say in this blog post is to remember the Savior's words when asked what the greatest commandment is.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question,tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
So I want to focus on the three commandments. "wait, three? but there are only two..."
Well, I want to expound a bit. It says:
1. love the Lord thy God
2. Love thy neighbour
3. as thyself.
Love yourself! Don't forget that! God loves you so love yourself. There's only one you in this world. I get mad at others for hating themselves. Don't do that! Why? It's so destructive and gets nothing accomplished. Be kind to yourself. Take some time to do "you" stuff.
Improvement is important, and you can do so most effectively with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and believing in Him and in yourself. Say positive things. "I can do this. I am awesome." Please help others remember who they are too, and give them the confidence they need to endure through times of hardship and times of improving. Most people when improving need support. You improve yourself if you help others improve.
Faith in Jesus Christ will help us to endure the hardest of challenges. Build your faith. :)
This controversial battle between improving your weaknesses and changing who you are is worth talking about. Please comment. I would love to hear from anyone and everyone.
Did we make the choices that He knew would make us truly happy?
God is just. He might ask you to share your testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He might ask you how much you know of the Gospel. What is your Gospel understanding? I believe many questions our Loving Heavenly Father will ask us, will be about how we (God's children) treated others (more of God's children). Mosiah 2:17
Did we help people who struggled?
Did we lift one another's burdens?
Did we strive to help people feel loved?
Did we LEARN how to love?
Did we TEACH how to love?
Did we LIVE as examples of His Son, Jesus Christ?
Did we mourn with those that mourned?
Did we comfort those that stood in need of comfort?
I do not believe God needs to ask us questions because he doesn't know the answers. He might ask questions so that we answer. When we answer certain questions, our souls are stirred up in remembrance of what we have been taught, whether we were taught yesterday, or long before. Jesus Christ asked many questions. I think this is a good teaching skill that we all should seek to develop.
A good example is in Matthew chapter 5
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
I believe that much of our judgement in the end will have to do with how we kept the two great commandments.
in Matthew 22, we read:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
I put together some of these questions and some of these thoughts so that you might be stirred up in remembrance of the Lord, Jesus Christ. I invite you to make right choices. Be the man or woman God knows you can be. God loves you. He roots for you. He cheers you on. He wants you to be happy. I know that happiness comes from making right choices. Living as God would want you to.
"Be the change you wish to make in the world." -A Quote by someone unremembered by Elder Hart at this time, but I really like it.
In short
Be good. Stay good. Rely on Jesus Christ. Perhaps God won't smite you at the judgement day. :) ...and remember... God loves you. He is your Father... and He loves you.
Therefore I, with the beginning of a new year (a month late) have decided to rededicate myself to this blog and share the small and simple things, which is what I originally wanted to write about when I started this blog.
So, I apologize. This is my personal reboot.
So, a couple of days ago, I was polishing my shoes (something us missionaries have to do on a routine basis to keep up a professional appearance.) and something occurred to me:
This was the first time I had polished my shoes in at least 3 months(to my shame) because I previously been in a bike area. Consequently, my shoes looked a little... worn.
One of the laces was broken, torn by overuse, the other was almost destroyed, scuffs were everywhere, and the shoes looked like they had been through a battlefield (not entirely untrue). Now that I'm in a car area, I had no excuse for unpolished shoes, and quite frankly, the damage was a lot more noticeable than I originally thought.
So I went to work! Lo and behold...
They looked brand new~(almost)! I was a lot more proud of my freshly polished shoes than I thought I was going to be. This caused me to stop for a moment:
Sometimes, I go about life without thinking care in the world, 'scuffing', so to speak, my spirit and I don't really think much of it.
My spirit gets worn down, bit by bit, and one day, when I take the time to finally step back and evaluate the damage, it's a lot worse than I originally thought. (It's better to just 'polish' regularly)
But the beauty of repentance, is that I can 'polish' the sins away, by asking for forgiveness and trying my best to stay away from the sins that I've committed. (Still better to polish regularly, it keeps everything nice and shiny)
The shoes are still worn, but like in life, I have learned, I have grown, and those marks are apparent as I go through this existence with the wisdom that I have gained.
Moral of the story? POLISH YOUR SHOES REGULARLY!
Shoes get dirty quick and if you procrastinate polishing them, it takes a lot longer when you actually sit down to polish them! It took me a grand total of almost a half an hour to polish both of them, something that could've just taken 2-3 minutes!
It's amazing the things you can learn from your shoes...!
So we hopped on the Metro and got on our merry way.
When we got off, we were at a loss at where to go (we were all unfamiliar with this particular part of D.C.), but luckily, I had grabbed a map. I whipped it out and started to look for the street we needed to go to,
"Excuse me, are you all lost?", a woman asked us. Four men in suits with a map and slightly confused faces apparently stand out 'round these parts(this was a tender mercy for sure).
At first she tried to guide us with the map, then she decided the map was too troublesome and she pulled out her 'I' device(I, personally, dislike all apple devices). With the Power of Technology, she told us exactly where we needed to go, how we needed to get there (she googled the address) and quickly left us before we could ask for a name.
Left to our own devices(a paper map), we began navigating to the road we thought was our destination.
We were almost there. We were almost late. We were relieved to see that street, then~
~TRAGEDY STRUCK!~
We realized that we had gone to the wrong part of the street! Pulling out our map, we frantically tried to find the next part of the street. Seeing now where we needed to go, we set out again, this time at a more forced pace.
In the end, we got there about a half an hour late with no real consequences. Everything that needed to get done, got done and the night was a success!
Looking back though, I can see the parallel in my own life.
We were told exactly where we needed to go by that woman who helped us, but we were unfamiliar with the area, so we followed what we thought was the right route to the wrong place...
Likewise, I've had guidance from my Heavenly Father, Parents, Leaders, etc... and continued forward, thinking I'm going the right way but cut off from their direct presence(the internet in this case), I lost my way for a time, but with the guidance of the scriptures, prayer, personal revelation (or a map)... I always have returned back to the right way(also known as happiness).
I can testify that our Heavenly Father loves us and wants nothing more than for us to be happy.
This is a question which plagued me at many points of my life.
Who am I?
What's the point?
Why should I?
It's a question I think all of us make war with.
As for myself, I found comfort looking up at the starry (sometimes) night sky. Back in my hometown, there's some light pollution, so it's not exactly prime stargazing material, but that's the quality that actually helped me understand the answer.
It was early December, I was waiting for a close friend of mine at the Bell Tower (an important landmark in the city of Muncie). I took a seat at the base of it and looked up at the sky wondering what exactly was in store for me...
When you look up at the sky, especially in a city, it's quiet. It's dark. Just a couple really bright stars here and there, maybe Venus or Jupiter, but besides that-
Nothing. Just empty night. It's black, unfriendly, and cold (especially in the winter).
What I found was that, as I waited (patiently), my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw what was once hidden, the stars which were concealed by the glaring lights of the city.
It was a huge step for me.
You may be thinking, "How in the world does this relate to his original question!?"
In this world, we have lot's of things telling us what to believe.
Magazines telling us what to wear, how to act, how to treat each other, etc...
T.V. showing us what 'reality' is like.
Games showing us who's who in a galaxy that's waaaaaaaaaaay too far away. (not speaking against them! I love those games)
For me, that was the empty night sky so full of questions and not enough answers- the light obscured the beauty and majesty of the universe created just for us by a loving Father.
I could see the stars, not all of them nor their full beauty, but I could see them.
My mind made the connection for me as I sat back and enjoyed the view in the brisk December cold.
You see, I was listening a song performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, My Shepard Will Supply My Needs, it's a beautiful song.
I realized that I would always have questions.
I know I am my Heavenly Fathers' Son. He wants me to learn and grow and sometimes, that means I'll make mistakes. Sometimes, that means I won't have all answers, I might not even know the question I want to ask but I am His son. That was enough for me.
The next realization that I had; I had to wait for a moment, let my eyes see what was really there, not just freak out if I couldn't immediately discern anything. I had to 'tune' out the light to see those stars.
Likewise, we have to stop for a moment. We have to pay attention to those divine messages we get. The world can get pretty distracting and obscure the bigger picture but if we want to see those stars, we have to sit still for a moment.
I sat there for a few seconds, shocked at the way my mind put two and two together.
My friend came a few minutes later. I shared the insights with her and we took a moment to enjoy the quiet peace as we listened to music...
~~~~~
That experience helped me appreciate the wonderful plan that our Heavenly Father has for us and the tools he has given us to learn more about it...
So the summary of what I learned was this;
Sometimes we need to stop our lives, put them on hold for a second, so we can learn about the bigger picture from God, the source of all Truth.
After all, in the scriptures many times in words of comfort, he says,
(Yes, I am still in the process of discovering of who I am but with this was a major step in that process. Like my parents always said, "Remember whose you are")
My name is Matthew Hart. Whether or not you know me, you and I have some things in common.
Of the many things we may have, I will just list a few.
We both are Children of God
We both make mistakes that make us sad and separate us from our Heavenly Father and true happiness.
We both have a Savior. He loves you and will wrap you up in His arms of mercy as soon as you repent.
We both need to repent.
What is Repentance? To me, it is an opportunity to Come to Jesus Christ and and take the heavy burdens off my shoulders. Matthew 11:28-30 is a scripture I love about how Jesus Christ helps us lift our burdens.
Repentance makes me feel all better. After tasting something disgusting, Spit it out! Use Mouthwash! Make your mouth Clean. Sure mouthwash might sting a bit while shwishing and gargling, but your mouth says "thank you for giving it a fresh, clean feeling just as your soul does when you repent.
Repentance might be needed even if you haven't done anything bad. Just like a car needs maintenance, or teeth need to be brushed, clothes need to be washed, and carpets need to be vacuumed, our souls NEED repentance consistently.
In Washington DC, and the area surrounding it, there are many trees. During this time of the year the leaves change color. I often find myself in awe with how beautiful the trees are and how marvelous God's creations are. Then I think about what it must be like for the trees. If trees had feelings, maybe during autumn (or fall), they might be frustrated, upset, or depressed. They worked all spring and summer developing their leaves only to have them fall off again. One by one those leaves fall until the trees don't have any more leaves. They might feel embarrassed, cold, naked, hungry, lonely or unloved.
All that work to make those leaves... was it all for nothing? could it be that trees make leaves only to lose them? No way José! When a tree loses its leaves, it has room to grow new ones. Spring comes and trees bud and blossom and they make new leaves. I think trees have been around long enough to have positive attitudes about the need to change, adapt and grow. We should see repentance as that opportunity awaiting us to improve. Although we may have to give up something good first, as we repent, we can trust God will return to us something better.
Repentance is not really changing who you are, but finding out who your Heavenly Father intends you to be, and acting on that.
Repentance is becoming who you divinely invited to be.
It's kind of like what Mufasa says to Simba in the Lion King.
"You are more than what you have become."
Simba is awakened to his potential and his responsibilities and repents of his slothfulness, and commits to do his Father's will. 2 Nephi 9:45
Repentance is coming unto Jesus Christ and renewing our commitment to follow Him.
Okay so ALL of 2 Nephi 31 is fantastic, and I invite you to read it, because I LOVE IT!
The principles of Repentance and enduring to the end are weaved together. You need one for the other to work. Jacob says that after we repent we should Cleave unto God. Jacob 6: 5, 8-9, 11-12
I will now say a line quoted often by Christians worldwide.
"Jesus Christ died for us."
There it is in its beautiful simplicity.
Is this true? If it is true, what does that mean? Am I saved? Is there something I need to do to accept His Atoning sacrifice? --- These are some questions of the soul concerning Salvation.
We have our ability to make choices and we have the ability to choose to rely upon Christ's Atonement.
Lehi, a prophet from the Book of Mormon around 580 BC says this about choices: 2 Nephi 2: 27-28,30
How do we choose Jesus Christ's sacrifice on our behalf? First, we must believe or have a desire to believe until that desire grows into Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Alma 32: 21, 27
Then! Alma continues on to say, Repent and keep the commandments. Alma 7:14-17
I will say more concerning Baptism in a later blog post. For now, I will say repentance prepares us for Baptism, and Baptism is our first covenant we make with God, and it is the way to receive a remission of our sins.
Trust in the Lord enough to have faith in Him enough to repent. He knows much more than we do.
I wish I had spent more time with my family before I left on my mission. I wish I had gotten to know them better and built up a better relationship with them.
Yes, we have a good relationship right now, but I think back to what it could be if I spent more time getting to know them when I was younger...
When I look back at my child and teen years, I take a look back memory lane. I see flashes of the little things my Dad did for me. He tried to reach out to me but something else was always more... Important. (you know; video games, books, homework, etc.)
Did I take a moment and ask my parents about their hopes and dreams?(shocking, right?) What about their life BEFORE I came into the picture? (Yes, there is a before) How much time did I really spend with them?
It's a two way street, both parent and child need to want it...
But how do we increase our relationship???
We do it the same ways that we build friendships with other people! At least that's what I've found. I talk with them, I ask them how they are doing!
I think it's kind of like that with God.
Do we really know our Heavenly Father? Do we want to know Him? He's already there, just waiting for us to go to Him and let Him know that we are ready to start talking! This Mormon Message really puts it in perspective!
I know that we can go to our Heavenly Father in prayer and talk with Him, just as we do with our parents here on Earth.
What activities have you seen that help build a better relationship with your parents?
Note: Elder Matt Hart will be taking over posts on Fridays starting next week! Be sure to give him a warm welcome!
"Go forth among... thy brethren and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."
Patience has been something that I've struggled with my entire life. I want to keep pushing forward, I want to keep improving myself as fast as I can.
Most of the time, that's not in Gods plan. FALSE!
God realizes that if I improve as fast as I want too, I would be very, very, very, tired...
King Benjamin(a prophet-king from The Book of Mormon) talked to his people about this. I'll 'liken' this scripture to how I read it when I need a reminder to slow down,
"...See that [improvement is] done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [you] should run faster than [you have] strength."
Even when we exercise, we're tearing muscles to make them stronger. When we go through trials, we're trying our Faith, to make our spirits stronger.
Something that has always helped through these times of trouble is the fact that I can always go in prayer to my Heavenly Father. I can talk with Him. I can ask for help. I can tell Him what I'm feeling.
Like any loving Father, he knows what's going on, but he still wants to hear it from us!
I also found that serving/helping others is a GREAT way to help me feel better. It just gives you that warm tingly feeling!
Over time, I have learned that patience with our Father in Heaven and trying to understand why He would allow us to go through trials is a way to thrive while going through our tribulations.
This Mormon Message is a great uplifter and it's helped me out a lot!
