Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Full of patience?
So, it's been a long few weeks. I've started a new job and my days have been pretty full. Today was another one. It was late, I was practicing the violin with my oldest daughter to get ready for a recital. I don't usually get this kind of time. My wife calls for me to take a break. "Did we really sound that bad?".... yes, thus the practice. Needless to say, I was tired, not ready to take a break. I made my way into the family room and grabbed the scriptures to read with the kids. The kids were not willingly participating, I was cranky and not in the best mood. So while I'm reading I snap at one of my kids, then continue to read. The very next words popped out and hit me: "...full of patience". It was a verse I was reading that talked about the Savior. Other attributes mentioned in the verse were: long suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people, full of grace, mercy, truth and equity. My wife smiled at me, I smiled back, "Looks like I need some more patience and long suffering"
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The power of mastering the Spirit over the body.
There is a scripture in Romans 8:6 that states:
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Our bodies have been given to us to help our Spirits become even stronger. We need to learn how to control our natural carnal behaviors and allow our Spirit to lead the way. I believe this is why it is so important to do the small spiritual things such as prayer, pondering, scripture study, etc... to feed our Spirits. I read a great quote by Melvin Ballard, member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostoles:
“The body that has been given to us was for the purpose of allowing the spirit to exalt itself to a nobler condition. The lightning that is seen flashing from cloud to cloud, from mountain top to mountain top, is an electrical force that may tear down buildings, set fire to property, and destroy life. Conduct electricity through the dynamo wire, and motor, and behold its wonderful results working for the service of man, accomplishing something under the control of a physical instrument, it thus becomes a power for good. So with steam, if allowed to evaporate freely it does little good, but restrain it in the boiler, send it through the engine, and under its power you may travel across the continent or sail from shore to shore. And so, too, with this highest, most potent of all spiritual forces, the intelligence that is in man; enshrine it in a spiritual body, that it may have the experiences of spiritual life; and then give it a physical body, that it may enter into and obtain the joy and experiences of physical life, and you have enlarged its powers immeasurably” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1912, 107)."
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Our bodies have been given to us to help our Spirits become even stronger. We need to learn how to control our natural carnal behaviors and allow our Spirit to lead the way. I believe this is why it is so important to do the small spiritual things such as prayer, pondering, scripture study, etc... to feed our Spirits. I read a great quote by Melvin Ballard, member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostoles:
“The body that has been given to us was for the purpose of allowing the spirit to exalt itself to a nobler condition. The lightning that is seen flashing from cloud to cloud, from mountain top to mountain top, is an electrical force that may tear down buildings, set fire to property, and destroy life. Conduct electricity through the dynamo wire, and motor, and behold its wonderful results working for the service of man, accomplishing something under the control of a physical instrument, it thus becomes a power for good. So with steam, if allowed to evaporate freely it does little good, but restrain it in the boiler, send it through the engine, and under its power you may travel across the continent or sail from shore to shore. And so, too, with this highest, most potent of all spiritual forces, the intelligence that is in man; enshrine it in a spiritual body, that it may have the experiences of spiritual life; and then give it a physical body, that it may enter into and obtain the joy and experiences of physical life, and you have enlarged its powers immeasurably” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1912, 107)."
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