The Path of Perfection

As I walk my path of life, if I am humbly seeking the help of my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, I can always count on tender mercies being showered upon me.  They often come in the most unexpected ways.  I try to read each Ensign cover to cover.  The other day I almost skipped an article in the April Ensign because it didn't apply to me; it was entitled "Faith and Infertility."  But it was about healing, and no matter what our afflictions and trials are in life, we are all in need of healing...whether physical or spiritual or temporal or mental...the following quotes apply to everyone:

"It's important to continue to trust the Lord, even when what is happening isn't what we want.  Sometimes having faith means trusting in and listening to the Lord even when we are not cured.  What we want won't always match what He has planned for us."

"When someone has an ailment or an illness and they are healed as a result of a blessing, their faith is being strengthened.  But for those who aren't healed, but continue faithful, their faith is being perfected.  The first is a faith-promoting experience.  The second is a faith-perfecting.  We're not being punished, we're being refined."

"When our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said 'Go...and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.'" (Alma 26:27)

"What we might plan for our life would pale in comparison to what God plans for us...better than anything we could ever design."

"Do everything in your power, but ultimately turn it over to Him.  If you're humble enough to follow the plan He has for you, you'll be happy."

Brother Allred said in his book, "Be true to yourself.  Honor your righteous desires to do what is right.  Let humility show in all your relationships, and the Holy Ghost will speak to your spirit and heal you.  The Holy Ghost will guide you to all truth, including ways to find peace and healing power in spite of adversity." (referenced to Moroni 10:5)

We can, as one of my favorite and most comforting scriptures assures "cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of the Lord and for His arm to be revealed."

Brother Allred also said, "The Holy Ghost will direct you into paths and avenues leading to your desired blessing.  Be in tune and follow those sudden strokes of ideas and feelings.  Miracles happen when you learn to follow the promptings from the Lord."

He also said as we are taught and led, to share the faith and strength of your testimonies.  In Mosiah chapter 24 a very righteous people were brought under the yoke of bondage from their enemies.  Their persecution was so great that they began to cry mightily unto their God day and night.  Then they were threatened to be put to death should they be heard to pray.  But nothing could stop them from praying in their hearts.  And the Lord heard them and said,

"Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witness for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." 

(Mosiah 24:13-17)

The Lord may not take the pain out of us, but He can always take us out of the pain where we will be at peace with an insurmountable level of understanding.  We must taste the bitter in order to know the sweet.

The path is perfect.

Synergy

I've been thinking A LOT about this word.

It means the interaction of two or more agents or elements or forces so that their total combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects; the cooperative action of two or more; action of two agents that increase each others effectiveness.

Now think of that in terms of spiritual synergy.

Brother Allred said, "When you meet others who love the Lord as you do, you feel a spiritual synergy in which the relationship's power is greater than the sum of the two separate parts because the Holy Spirit is present and lends it's blessing."

President Lorenzo Snow said,  "...We have got to be inspired by the same spirit and the same kind of knowledge, in order that we may love one another and be of one heart and one mind."

When Jesus Christ was accused of casting out devils in the name of the devil He said, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  ..if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you...He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."  Matthew 12:25-30

Jesus Christ is the total sum of synergism.  Without Him we are nothing.  He gives us every power that we have to act, to be, to do, to go.  The Savior said to take his yoke upon you (Matthew 11:29)...His yoke is synergy!  We can do way more when we take His yoke upon us than we can trying to go it alone.

It would be nice if all relationships had spiritual synergy, but they don't.  Just like Jesus said, that kingdoms, cities and houses would be divided in mortality.  So it is.  We sometimes have to learn to live without synergy in our relationships...it is probably more rare than common to have it.  Much depends on where we are in loving the Lord.

When we love the Lord with all our heart we have a true spirit--the spirit of the Holy Ghost which is love, joy, and peace.  We can be guided through that spirit to find ways to have peace and healing powers in spite of adversity.

Heavenly Father works with us in a fallen world.  We can reach out and receive His grace--an enabling power and strength--that will empower our life, that will sanctify our relationships, and heal our mind, heart and body.

Brother Allred said to balance God's grace with your efforts in working through problems.  His enabling power comes to us all along the way.

Bruce R. McConkie said, "Only persons who are in tune with the Infinite can exercise the spiritual forces and powers that come from Him...they must be willing to lay their all on the altar of the Almighty."

Synergy.
We can't make it without Him.

Nothing at all is Possible without Faith

We cannot even please God without faith. 

Faith is so pervasive...so spreading through and through...so all-encompassing.  No wonder it is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  No wonder it is the underlying principle of all truth and power.  No wonder Jesus Christ is the epitome of faith.

Faith is a motivating force.

An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Elder David A. Bednar, has a mantra he often refers to in his talks; "to act and not be acted upon."  This is faith.  This is what Brother Allred teaches in his book about unlocking that power of faith--using what we have been given, that it can become stronger and better, and by doing so make us stronger and better, in character, in actions, in living our religion.

Faith needs hope.  Faith needs charity.  Faith needs patience.  Faith needs diligence.  Faith needs courage and fortitude.  Faith needs knowledge and experience.  Faith needs integrity.  Faith needs virtue.

Faith is light.  Faith is truth.  Faith is knowledge.  Faith is power.  Faith is obedience.  Faith is repentance.  Faith is forgiveness. 

Faith heals....

...which is what this blog is all about.  Faith gives you the ability to believe in yourself, to believe in God, to believe in others.

 There is no end to learning or understanding faith.

When we obtain any blessing from God it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.  We must obey that law by which faith operates if we are to receive our desired blessing...like faith to be healed.

As the scripture (D&C 123:17) says, cheerfully do all that lies in your power (or in other words your faith) and then wait patiently for the Lord to send the promises and the blessings.  They will come!  He is aware of you and I.  He is helping us along the way.  He is making something splendid of us!

Joseph Smith said that all the injustices experienced in this life will be made up in the resurrection provided we continue faithfully.  As you seek to keep the commandments you will find important healing treasures (God will lead you to what you need to help you, or He will strengthen you to bear it) that will bless your life and the lives of others.  Walking in obedience reaps the blessings of "health in the navel and marrow to the bones...finding wisdom & great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures (things you would never see otherwise)."  D&C 89:18-20

To have faith is to understand that all things will work out for the highest good of all concerned.

Faith is accepting what is happening in our life.

Insecurity...the Real Bad Guy

I love what Brother Allred had to say on this.  I have struggled with this all my life.  It kind of goes along with all those fears we have to battle and contend with as we go through life.  We all have one kind or another.

Insecurity is the source of distress and all counterproductive behavior.  It's symptoms are painful memories, negative emotions, habit patterns, and bad communication. 

This is one of my favorite things he said in the whole book.  It reverbeates truth through every fiber of my being:

"The greatest mindset we can master is being a son or daughter of God.  The greatest thought system involves Jesus Christ."

"Know the truth and the truth will make you free."  John 8:32

As we learn the truth about Christ's healing powers we are no longer subject to insecurity!  There can be peace in spite of difficulties--there is growth potential in adversity.

There are so many amazing and wonderful scriptures about the Master Healer Jesus Christ.  He can heal us of any infirmity.  We need only believe, and even when our faith is lacking He can help us increase our faith. 

"Lord, increase my faith." Luke 17:5

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  Mark 9:24

"Be not afraid, only believe."  Mark 5:36

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  Mark 9:23

"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  Matt 14:31