Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Another piece to the puzzle...

I haven't writtn a blog in a while and thats because nothing has really inspired me. I probably should learn to write things as they come. Here is one thing about the Gospel, short and sweet.

I've been intrigued with a teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Most, if not all, Christian congregations believe that God created everything from nothing, nothing existed except for God. Then in some way He created everything that now is out of nothing. What is interesting about that, however, if He did that, He created the very conditions that required the sacrifice and horrible suffering of His only Son. If He is all power why whould He do such a thing? Most, if not all, Christian sects will, at this point, say...

"It's a mystery."

The Prophet taught, because he was taught from on high, that element is eternal, the elements that make us up are eternal, also law is eternal and that there cannot be any creation* to it. This accepted, then Christ was really responding voluntarily to pre-existing conditions that needed to be met. I stress that because God grants us all agency, our own ability to choose. Even Christ had agency to do what He did. He decided to enact His Father's plan, the plan for our salvation. There is then a deeper understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that He "offered Himself a ransom for many". It becomes more powerful and there is a deeper sense of Christ's love for us and for His Father. What strain must have been on the Savior, the necessity for perfection and exact** obedience. But He was not forced, He said in effect, "Here am I send me."

I love the Lord.

I've been astounded recently with the truth that radiates from that piece of revelation given to Joseph Smith. It's amazing.





*There is only organization of existing materials to create, which is a form of creation and creativity. Law stands on its own and has existed forever.
**I also like to think of exacting obedience. Because that level of obedience had to be extremely difficult, to say the least. Some of what He did, however, probably didn't seem hard to Him, but all of it seems hard to me and would exact a lot of effot from me.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Playa's gonna play. Lover's gonna love.

Ok...more things that everyone should know. I didn't use to like BYU, at all really. I never wanted to end up in Utah, then I went on a mission. I came home and decided I needed a life. I also decided I needed a good place to go, with a real program. It's cheap and prestigious and, of course, full of hunnies. I was still skeptical, but I learned the program I got into was nationally admired so I thought well, what the heck. I came, at first afraid, afraid that I had made a bad choice and even more afraid that I was now stuck with it regardless. Now, I don't even want to go home! (Even though last week I was getting home sick.) It's just a contageous place.

I do feel like my welcome has kinda run out. Well, not my welcome, maybe just the intrigue of being the new guy. Everyone was just like, "who is the new kid?" It was probably one of the coolest feelings ever. I feel like that's gone now, after a series of bad decisions in a row. I say things like they are more intense than they really are. They seem bad at the time then reality hits. I'm not talking about it because I don't want to break the rules of my last blog. Girls are at the root of every guy problem. My problem is that I shuffle my feet. Ya snooze ya lose I guess, but I don't like that boundary.

Point is, is now I'm not the new kid anymore and impressions have already been made before people even got to know me. Lame...but what do I do? When I first got here I met some people that, yeah, I wanted to get to know better, but girl struggles came in and the oppurtunities were lost. Dumb distractions. Lesson learned I guess. That new kid feeling is just something you don't get back. When the first impression is made it's hard to change it, unless you are actually drastically different than the persona that a person has created for you in their own mind. It kinda sucks. Maybe that's just why people ward hop here and move all the time.

My bishop was saying that people don't really even start seeing the real you until after about three months. Isn't that the dang truth...but I guess then he was talking about dating...and seeing a person frequently enough. That could even be extended longer when you aren't around a person enough.

Am I talking about something controversial?...I feel like that could be the case. Well...I saved this as a draft because I didn't want to be all somber. Meh, but that's life. Besides I actually want to document whats going on in my liz-ife.

Yeah...that's right...sometimes I think in ebonics. Don't hate.