Matthew Watkins
What is this thing you call “success?”
This post first appeared on Power in the Book of Mormon. Once they were “the very vilest of sinners,” but a visit from an angel and a long time of anguished…
Hello, my name is Corianton
This post first appeared on Power in the Book of Mormon. This past week in Come, Follow Me, we read Alma’s words to his son Corianton. Also this past week, my…
The Three Degrees of Scripture Study
Most members who have developed a regular scripture reading habit tend to read “a chapter per day” or something like that. That terrestrial level of scripture reading has its place. Reading a certain number of chapters or pages each day is a great way to hit date-based goals to “finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year.” But it’s not really STUDY. God expects us to dig down deep and immerse ourselves in the Scriptures. If we only end up spend all our study time digging deep into one single verse, that’s a study time well spent.
I could really use a sign right about now
There’s a gloom in my house right now. A family friend in our ward passed away this past week after a short but vigorous battle with cancer. He leaves behind an amazing family with kids ages Primary through missionary. Our heart breaks for his wonderful family and will miss the cheery smile and spirit he always brought into the room. He was the kind of guy that always made you feel like you were important when you talked to him. As another ward member said when they heard of his death, “Heaven just leveled up.”
Let’s be anxious. Let’s be devastated. Then let’s do something about it!
A lesson from Moroni 6 ties into Elder Holland’s advice to missionaries and ministering members alike: “We are just too casual about all of this. This is eternal life. This is the salvation of the children of God. Eternity hangs in the balance. … It is the most important path [a person] will ever walk… Teach with power and authority, and then be devastated if” they don’t live up to their potential.
The Lord’s soldiers are getting younger
As Satan has been inspiring the youth of the world to keep putting adulthood and responsibilities off farther and farther into the future, the Lord has been doing the exact opposite: giving more and more responsibilities to younger and younger ages of the rising generation.
When enemies become brothers
This post first appeared on Power in the Book of Mormon. I get the feeling Nephi was a pretty patient, generous guy. Throughout all of 1 Nephi, he recounts many…
Despise the shame of the world
I always interpreted despising the “shame” of the world to mean despising the shameful practices and attitudes of the world. But now that I read it, another meaning comes out that I hadn’t considered before: despising the shame the world heaps on us.
Don’t try to follow all the Lord’s counsel at once
There are many things in our day to day, secular lives that we “ought” to do. Like putting the junk mail in the recycling bin instead of the trash can. Or opting for the salad over the meat lover’s pizza. But we often don’t do what we know we should. Why? Because we’re lazy?
Maybe. But I think it’s mostly because we see these “suggestions” as optional– like “extra credit” in life. They are something to strive for when time permits, but not something so important we should bend over backward trying to make it work. Trying out all the little “suggestions” in life all at once is impossible, and we know it. So we accept the fact that we simply can’t lose 50 pounds and reduce our carbon footprint and double-pay our mortgage and get that promotion and spend more time with family and learn a new language and write that novel all at the same time. Not everything is worth the effort right now. We have to focus on what’s most important (provide for our families, etc) and then decide which “suggestions” we want to focus on with our remaining attention. In other words, when it comes to secular matters, we are realistic and we prioritize.
But wait. We are faced with the same deluge of suggestions about the spiritual matters of our lives, too.
