Gospel and Comic Books Part 5: Enduring to the End

Consider the following... You're in a battle. This is no ordinary battle: There are people throwing fireballs at you, other people flying overhead, and did that guy just shoot lasers out of his eyes? It becomes pretty apparent to you who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, and you know that this is no ordinary battle... This is a battle with some serious consequences attached to it. The outcome could not only determine the fate of those involved, but the fate of the entire world. It's pretty obvious who you would root for... The matching outfits make it pretty obvious (good ol' blue and yellow!). You cheer for the heroes, and do anything you can to help. Suddenly, they just stop. All the good guys just sit down and take a breather. You run up to them and start shouting "what are you doing? You can't just let Magneto win!" Cyclops simply replies "We're too tired. We've been up pretty much all night the past couple weeks fighting these guys, and we're just exhausted. We'll try again later." What!? Come on! Not even Cyclops can be that sissy, can he? But you look around, and sure enough, everyone's about to fall sleep. Even Wolverine! (Well, maybe not Wolverine, but everyone else, for sure). What can you do? You can't just force the X-Men to do anything. All you can do is sit back and watch Magneto and his crew of villains take over the city, then the world. And that doesn't bode well for non-mutants. Soon, they'll be enslaved, or worse.
But of course, that would never happen. The X-Men would never give up in the middle of a fight! (Not even Cyclops... though he'd be the most likely). They're going to see it through to the bitter end, no matter what happens. Nothing would stop them from defending the innocent and upholding justice. That's what they do, that's why they're the X-Men. They're there through thick and thin, and are going to make sure the job gets done.

The battle isn't over till it's over, and that's just as true for us as it is the X-Men. Just because it starts getting really hard, even overwhelming, or we're tired or sick of fighting, that's no reason to just sit there and let the Adversary walk all over you. There are times in every one's life when the odds seem insurmountable, and we're not sure where we can turn for help. There are also times when the temptation is so enticing, that we're not sure we can resist it, or if we even want to. No body is perfect, and no body is immune to this.
We're all here to be tested. Just like the prophet Alma taught, "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32). We are meant to prepare for that time when we stand before the Lord to be judged. Imagine what it would be like to get up there and have to tell your Heavenly Father "Well, I got really tired, and that seemed like it would be really fun, so I decided to just go for it." That probably wouldn't go over very well, would it? Just because it's hard to get up and go to church, or you're really tired and don't feel like reading your scriptures, or your friends keep telling you one little drink won't hurt doesn't mean that you can just give up. Once you know who you are and see the path laid ahead of you, it's Exaltation or bust... and that all depends on you. Endure to the End! Live the life you know you should live. Enduring to the End is just constantly redoing those previous steps: It's always having faith in Jesus Christ and in your Heavenly Father, it's constantly repenting and making yourself better, it's living worthily to take the sacrament and renew the covenants you made at baptism, and it's striving to constantly have the Holy Ghost with you. It seems to me that this step is either the easiest or the hardest, and you're the one that makes it that way.

Gospel and Comic Books Part 1: Faith

I figured I'd right a new blog... It's about time, right?
Well, I wanted to write another series of blogs. I like doing that. It's fun! So, in concocting an idea, I decided I would take principles most people were familiar with, and do my thing with them (that is, compare it to something nerdy). So, in my pondering and thinking, I decided on doing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 Gospel means the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation, or the message or teachings of a religious leader. Christ's gospel was incredibly simple. He taught it to everyone, including His Apostles so they could teach it to others, and it can be found throughout the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon. It's the third lesson in the series of lessons that we as missionaries teach people. It is summed up simply in five steps, namely: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. These are the steps that we must follow to gain eternal life. It's a simple path, and one that we are never alone on.
We're going to start off with step one, Faith. Faith is a hope for things that are not seen that are real. As Adam and Eve fell and were banished from the Garden, they also left the presence of our Heavenly Father. They no long were walking by sight. They had to do everything they were told to by faith. They didn't know it would do anything, really, but they had faith it would. Now, generations later, here we all are, working through our life, and (hopefully) following the commandments. I've never seen God, and odds are you haven't either. We don't have a perfect knowledge of Him, or His Son, but we have faith that They are there and watching, and that each thing we do right, we'll be blessed. We can see the blessings that come from obedience, but we have to have faith that they will come before they do. How can we be sure that God is really there, watching over us, waiting to bless us? Well, for now, we can't know for absolutely sure. We walk by faith rather than by sight. It's a simple thing, and it's the first step. Everything comes back to faith. Without it, we have nothing. And before we can do anything else, before we can progress and learn, before we can grow any closer to our Father in Heaven or to Christ, we need to have faith. That is the starting point.
Where does faith come in in the world of comic books and superheroes? Well, consider this: Wolverine is going to face off with Sabertooth. They've fought several times before, but this time it's meaningful. This isn't just some feud match that's been going on between the two, this is for protection. Sabertooth is no longer just trying to beat up Wolverine our of spite, now he's joined forces with Magneto and is trying to bring down the entire X-Men organization, starting at Xavier's Institute. Wolverine is the only one who can take him on at this point, so he marches towards his foe, ready to take him on, one-on-one. As they meet, Wolverine wastes no time in bringing out the claws. He has no fear because he knows any damage dealt to him, he can quickly recover from, thanks to his regenerating powers. But, how does he know all this?
Imagine Spider-Man, answering to a cry for help. Peter puts on his outfit, and jumps out the window. He doesn't care that he's twenty-some stories up, he can just sling his webs and swing around the city no problem. He's got agility and acrobatic skills that make maneuvering a cinch. But, how can he be so sure the webs will come out?
I could go on and on with examples, but we'll leave it at that. Because Wolverine and Spider-Man have used their powers before, they know what they are, what they themselves are capable of, and how to use their powers. They know what makes them start and stop, and how to control them. They have faith that their powers will work. Every time Wolverine takes on a bad guy, and everytime Spider-Man jumps out of a window, their exercising faith. Maybe it's not the same faith we exercise, but it still is hoping for something that can't be seen, that's real. Ok, maybe Spider-Man can see his webs, and Wolverine can see his claws and watch himself heal, but you know what I'm getting at. They can't be entirely sure their powers will be there everytime they need them, but based on previous experience, they're pretty confident in them. And because of that, when Wolverine comes face to face with Sabertooth, or Spider-Man leaps our of that building, they do so with a knowledge that their powers will carry them through.

LDS FC: Our Manager

You thought I was done, didn't you? Well, the game of football doesn't only happen on the field! There's a lot done on the sidelines, by the supporting cast. The manager is a noble position to hold on the football club. It takes years and years to work your way up to that spot, and then several more years to be someone of note. You really have to perform well under pressure, and whip your team into top shape to be regarded as a manager.
There are many notable coaches and managers out there who have worked their way to a solid grounding, including Carlo Ancelotti, Arsène Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Andre Villa-Boas, Jose Mourinho, and Bob Bradley. These men are incredible in their line of work, and are just as renowned, and sometimes even more renowned, then their players. Much as it pains me to admit such things about Wenger and Ferguson, give credit where credit is due. The manager is the one who calls the shots. He organizes everything, from practices to workouts, strategies and game plans, and makes sure everything runs just as smoothly as possible. They need to know the game inside out and backwards, but more importantly, they need to know their players.
A good manager knows each of his players strengths and weaknesses, where the perform the best, and how they react under any circumstance. They know their players almost perfectly. And because of this knowledge, they can make the perfect lineup against another team. Their understanding of what threats the other team brings, and their own team's potential and capabilities allows them to make the best possible decision. Even when others, including the players themselves, don't understand just what the manager was thinking, he knows what he's doing and (usually) is making the right call. He stays in the background, not on the field scoring the goals, but if it wasn't for the manager, nothing would get done.

Ok, I think it's pretty obvious where I'm going with this... process of elimination would lead you to the conclusion that the manager is none other than our Heavenly Father. He knows us all perfectly! He knows our strengths and weaknesses, and how we'll react under any situation. He knows where we would fit best, what purpose we can accomplish, and who we would work with. He knows exactly what threats Satan has in store for us, and is thus able to make the perfect line up to fight him. He gives instructions to the players, from the background, the sidelines, and encourages where He can, but He can't (and won't) come on to the field and play the game for us. He can't score the goals or block the shots, He can only give us top notch leadership, and help us to train and practice to prepare ourselves. It's still our game, and we're still the players, but we have the best Manager ever to help us to win! No one knows the game, His own players, and the other teams' players better than our Heavenly Father. All we have to do is listening to his advice, cause it's good. He knows what's up. Nothing out there is a surprise to Him. There are no trick plays, no secret weapons, no sudden, last minute switch ups that He doesn't know about, and the He can't combat. The team is only as good as its manager, and is there any better manager than God, Himself? He's undefeated! And undefeatable. So, that cup is as good as ours, as long as we're willing to play as a strong, cohesive unit, and listen to the counsels of our coach!

Unlike our Heavenly Father, however, not all mangers are perfect...

Captain Planet! He's our Hero!

Do you remember the show Captain Planet? Such a cool show! A bunch of kids with crazy rings fighting the bad guys, and when it gets too much for them to handle... Call in the blue guy! That's right, Captain Planet! He's our hero! He steps in, and with his superpowers (which were always rather ambiguous), he would save the day! Good stuff! And all the kids had their rings, and they represented different things: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Heart... I'm still not entirely sure where Heart comes into play, or what exactly it means, but it was always the last one mentioned, so it must be important! And, of course, when they put their rings together (well, not really together, more just pointed them in the air in the same direction), the magic energy things would join in, summon Captain Planet, and he'd enter with his famous line: "With your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!" Cue '90s inspirational music to set the mood for the heroics! And of course, those weren't just any kids, they were Planeteers! What a cool name! Run around, wear a cool ring, summon a blue superhero, and get a cool name for doing it. All they needed were jackets with their name and logo on it! All their villains in some way represent the problems facing the stability and well being of the environment, and it's their job to not only save the world, but educate people how to take care of it. But, it's through all of their efforts that they can get the job done.
We often run into big problems in our life, and need some help. I'm sure we'd all love to have some superhero show up and save us. Unfortunately, that doesn't really happen. No caped crusader will come and beat the bad guy. We can't just sit back and watch as the situation is cleanly resolved. However, we aren't left alone. Our Heavenly Father has given us a protector, if you will. Someone to comfort us, to guide us, and to help us. This is the Holy Ghost. We are able to summon Him at any time to help us out in a bind, but there are certain things that need to be done, certain "powers" that need to be "combined". We need faith, obviously, as that is the beginning of everything. We also need obedience to the Lord's commandments, and to be worthy of this gift. We need to study the scriptures, and understand what the Holy Ghost is, and how it can help us. We need to pray, to tell our Heavenly Father what we need, and to ask for the Holy Ghost to help us out. With these powers combined, we can have the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to swoop in and help beat the bad guy! Pretty simple things to do to get the great gift of the Holy Ghost! It's incredible how much the Lord is willing to do for us, and for how little He asks in return! 

What Are You Gonna Get With Your Tickets?

So, you know what's ridiculously fun? Going to arcades, playing all those cheesey games, and getting tickets. Seriously legit! Ski-ball, basketball, or that little game where the lights go around and around, and the closer you get to the specific spot, the more tickets you get... Granted, that one is clearly rigged... But regardless, it's good fun. All the bright lights and loud noises keep you intrigued and entertained, and every time you barely miss the mark, you want to play again to do better and prove you CAN do it! It doesn't matter how many tokens or quarters it takes, you are going to beat that game and get 1000 tickets! Because you need those tickets! What can you get with 50 tickets? A couple tootsie rolls, a rubber lizard, a single colored toy, and maybe a cheap plastic harmonica. But what can you get with 1000 tickets? You can get that sweet robot toy! Sure, it'll probably break before you even get home, but there is nothing in the world you want more right now than that robot! So you will play game after game after game, spending your entire month's allowance on them, even asking for an advance from your parents to get the 1000 tickets and get that robot. The harder you work, the more tickets you get, the better the prize.
Now, I'd like to do something different: I'm going to show how my example does NOT compare to the Gospel.
So many times on my mission, I've run into people who think we as a church believe we need to work our way into heaven. That everything we do earns us brownie points, and it's our good works that save us. James said, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17). Yes, faith leads to works. An example James gives is a person who would see a brother or sister naked, hungry, and wanting, and simply says, "go in peace! Be warm and full!", but does nothing to help them. What good does that do? They can't just be full because you tell them to be. Following the commandments is a work. Repenting is a work. Any good, faithful Christian will agree that these things are necessary. No unclean thing can enter into the Kindgom of God, and it is only through repentance that we are made clean. The Lord said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15), so we know that He expects us to live good lives. Well, it's not each individual act that will earn our salvation. Frankly, there is no "earning" our salvation. We are indeed saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, and through his Atonement. It would be impossible for us to otherwise be made clean of our sins. We could repent, sure, but without Christ's sacrifice, we would still come short. Christ makes up the difference for us. So, even if we do lots and lots of good things, and are really good people, even if we work hard and get lots and lots of tickets, that doens't guarantee us anything. The purpose of this life is to experience trials, and make the most of them, and make good decisions, and to return to live with our Heavenly Father. We are able to do that through living Christlike lives, entering into necessary covenants, and repenting when necessary. It's not a reward system like you'll see at arcades. We don't just get to, at the end of this life, cash in all of our tickets for Celestial Glory. Simply follow all the Lord's commandments and endure to the end, and you, too, can have eternal life! It's that simple!

Clint "Deuce" Dempsey

So, I'm a big soccer fan (for proof, click here). I've been a fan my whole life, have been a Colorado Rapids fan for their whole life (since 1996), and been a Chelsea fan for several years... Though now I'm leaning more towards Fulham. And that brings me to my point: Clint Dempsey. If that doesn't make sense, I'll explain: Clint Dempsey plays for Fulham. There, all explained. He also plays for the US National Team and is a total stud. He was the first American to score 10 goals in a season in the English Premier League. So, now it's established that he's awesome. But how do you think he got so awesome? Do you think he just woke up one day, and said, "I think I'm gonna play soccer!", walked over to Bob Bradley and told him to put him on as starter on the National team, then walk over to Mark Hughes and say "Hey, put me on as starter on Fulham"? Well, he very well might have, but they probably would've told him to beat it. No, he worked hard, probably since a very young age. He probably had a ball at his feet for hours a day. He went through struggles and trials, let downs and disappointments, and probably just a whole bunch of rough times. He grew up in very rough environments in a financially depraved home, but he worked hard all his youth. He did well in school, and at an early age he joined the Dallas Texans, a youth team, and excelled. Due to limited finances, he was forced to let it go for a while, but thanks to the help of teammates, he was able to rejoin. Later, he joined the Arsenal youth team (hey, no one's perfect), but had to, again, move on because of a severely ill cousin. He did very well on his college team, and in 2004 he was drafted 8th overall in the MLS Draft to the New England Revolution. After 3 years with them, he moved over to England to play with Fulham FC and excel. Now he's one of the best American players (if not the best) in the world.
But, none of that could have happened without hard work and dedication. Everything worth doing is worth doing well, and Dempsey is a great example of that. As we work hard towards our goal, we will see success. This applies to all aspects of our life, including in the Gospel. As we learn more about it, and work hard in staying faithful, we become better at it, and we grow in skill. Everything we do will prepare us for trials we may face. We need to constantly be willing to work hard, even through hard times and difficulties, and never give up. No matter what happens, it's important that we work hard. Let's all be Clint Dempseys of the faith!

Tight Like Unto a Dish

In the opening chapters of Ether, we are introduced to Jared and his brother (aptly referred to as the brother of Jared). The brother of Jared communes with the Lord, and is told to build barges. This brings up many questions: how many? how? how will we breath? how will we see? All valid questions, and all answered by the Lord.
In construction of the ships, the Lord lays out the exact designs, "and they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish." (Ether 2:17). In being tight like unto a dish, the barges were sealed against the water, so there was no worry of them filling and everyone sinking, which would be bad. They know it will be tight because these were the designs given to them by the Lord. Now, the issue of them being tight like unto a dish did present one problem, the problem of air supply. If it's airtight, then no more air can come in, and once the air in the barge is gone, they'll all suffocate. This is pretty simply solved, the Lord instructs the brother of Jared to simply put a hole with a stopper to allow air in, then stopper again when water starts coming in.
I'd like to focus on "tight like unto a dish". This is said many times in the verse in description of the barges. Everything, the top, bottom, side, and door are all tight like unto a dish. What does that mean for us? The benefit for the barges was that it would for sure keep out all the water. That was the main danger being presented to them (that and sea monsters), and what they worried most about. We're just going to set off on this grand voyage in these big wooden barges, in the wide open sea, with absolutely no knowledge of where we'll be or where we're going? We'll drown! But, thanks to the Lord's instructions, that didn't happen. We can seal ourselves. We can make ourselves tight like unto a dish the same way the brother of Jared did with his barges. By following the Lord's instructions and doing as He says, we protect ourselves from the dangers that surround us and want to get in and drown us. As we make our lives tight like unto a dish, we are better able to avoid/resist temptations, and keep ourselves afloat, guided by the Lord, towards that promised land. And all the while, the Lord will provide us with air to breath, and light to see. Are you tight like unto a dish?

Pride Cycle

Today, I finished the Book of Mormon (not the whole Book, just Mormon's book in the Book of Mormon). Here we see the beginning of the end. After Christ has visited, the people all convert to the gospel, and they have all things in common. For years and years they live in happiness and harmony. All is well. But then, after a couple centuries, pride starts to swell in people. They start thinking more about themselves, and putting on costly apparel, and looking good. They start contending, and people start thinking they're better than others. Suddenly, the people are on a quick downward slope. Before you know it, there are wars going on. Mormon is asked to lead the Nephite army against the Lamanites. There is blood and carnage. Mormon feels great sorrow for his people, because he and his son appear to be the only righteous people left. He sees that, after much death and bloodshed, his people are sorrowful, and he gets hopeful because he thinks they might remember their God, and repent. But, they don't. They simply have pity for themselves. This makes Mormon, once again, very sorrowful. As he continues to lead the armies, they grow in strength, and are able to defeat the Lamanites. As they do this, they boast of themselves, saying they did it themselves, and swearing by the heavens and God's thrown that they will kill their enemies. Mormon is not having any of that, so he resigns as their leader. He eventually comes back to lead them again, but they are all killed, every Nephite, except for Mormon, his son Moroni, and 22 others. The Lamanites are now pretty much the only survivors, and want to finish off the Nephites once and for all. Mormon, who has the plates containing the record of the people, gives it to his son Moroni. Mormon is eventually killed, and Moroni finishes the record before sealing them and being killed. It's just amazing to see how, in the span of 400 years, and entire people can go from being righteous and happy to being so wicked. The pride cycle is seen all throughout the Book of Mormon, where the people are righteous, get blessed, grow prideful, become wicked, are punished, repent, are righteous, get blessed, grow prideful... etc. etc. But, never has it been seen where the cycle doesn't... well... cycle. This is where it all ends. There is no upward climb, now. There is no returning to righteousness. There is no remembrance of their God. This is where the cycles stops, because the people have become so wicked, prideful, greedy, and vain. They have completely turned on the ways they have been taught. They have dug themselves into so deep a hole that there is no climbing out.
It's interesting that this happens after Christ comes. He introduces to them the Gospel and sets in order the way they should live. He ordains his disciples, and gives them the charge to teach. Everything is going so well for so long. It really makes you wonder what exactly happened to make this happen. How is it that the people of that time were just so wicked and vile that nothing, not even the words of Mormon exhorting them to repent, could bring them from the brink of destruction? What was different about those people?
The world has moved so far away from God. We see it everywhere. Things like drug use, sexuality, and language are viewed as everyday things, part of our normal lives so it's no big deal if they're displayed on TV or in magazines or wherever. Because of this, we become desensitized to things that should bother us. There are so many things out there that Heavenly Father doesn't like, that we think are just normal things. We too often have the "it's no big deal" mind set about it, and aren't bothered by the things we see. Let us always remember our Lord, and never ever be like the Nephites, where we forget Him and turn on Him. We need Him in all aspects of our life, and if we remember that, and keep his commandments, He will protect us.

Behold I have given unto you my gospel...

13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

Those are three of the most powerful verses I've read in the scriptures. They come from 3 Nephi chapter 27. It is a perfect summary of Christ's purpose, and His. He died for us, that we may be lifted up. It's through His pain and suffering that we are to be saved. We have the chance to repent because of it, and we may choose to do so, and to follow His commandments, to receive our Eternal glory. We will be judged according to our works, as pointed out here, as well as in the Bible (Revelation 11:18; 20:12,13). Through our faithfulness and obedience will we be rewarded. The Lord asks us simple things to do, and if we do them, we have great things to look forward to.

It's not that we work our way into Heaven. We aren't going to be told we're saved because we did good things. Scriptures don't say that. Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross to give us the opportunity to be cleansed of our sins. No unclean thing can enter into the Kingdom of God, and we are all unclean. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is only through Christ's Atonement that we may be saved, because it is only through repentance that we may be cleansed, and repentance calls upon the Atonement. We are saved by grace, and judged according to our works. The Lord has laid out a plan, and expects us to follow it. We may choose to do so, and be rewarded, or not, and suffer the consequences. Every act of obedience brings blessings. Every step down the straight and narrow path brings good results. We cannot and will not be punished if we are living righteously, and we cannot and will not be rewarded if we are not. We have guides to know what to do: we have the Scriptures, and we have a Prophet. Thanks to these blessings, we never have to wonder. We can always find the answer to our questions, and always know which direction to take.

The Lord suffered great and terrible things for us. We are indebted to him more than we'll ever be able to repay. The least we can do is honor Him, respect Him, and follow His commandments. We're asked to do pretty easy things, and it's the least we can do for what He did for us. Plus, even with the great debt that we are in, He still blesses us. So, through simple obedience and righteous living, we get even more blessings, and we show our respect to our Heavenly Father, and His Son.

Testimony

In John chapter 4, we read of an experience Jesus had with a woman of Samaria. He meets her at the well, and asks her for a drink. She then questions why He, a Jew, would ask a Samaritan for a drink, when Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. He then explains of living water, water that He has that if she would partake, she would never thirst again. She misunderstands the metaphor, and wants actual water that will forever quench her thirst. She then comes to the realization that He is no ordinary man, first claiming Him a prophet, then realizing his full divinity as the Messiah. She goes and spreads the word, and many people hear her words and come to see for themselves. Verses 41 and 42 read: "And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." It was after they had seen for themselves, witnessed the Man Himself, that they knew who He was. They had to learn it, to experience it, rather than just rely on the words of others. The woman gave them reason to believe, but it was interactions with Christ that made them truly believe, and know who He was.

This is what we do. We aren't out here to convince anyone, or to make them believe what we say. We give people a reason to believe, and a desire to know, and then it's up to them. They have to go straight to the source: Just as the people of Samaria knew it was the Messiah when they heard His words, people of Montana (or wherever you may be serving) can know the truthfulness of our message by hearing and reading the Word in the Book of Mormon. We can testify until we're blue in the face, but that's not what is going to convert them. My testimony is my own. I can't loan it to someone, and someone else can't take it for their own; they need to develop their testimony just as I have, and as countless others before me have: Through studying the scriptures and praying to know if it's true. It is through the Holy Ghost that people will know truth. "We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). We invite all to come and see. We give them a reason to believe, and the Lord makes them believe. That's why we're here, that's what we do. Our words aren't enough. The Spirit is.

When Life Hands you Lemons...

You make lemonade, right? Well, what if life hands you a grapefruit? If you're anything like me, you don't want a grapefruit, grapefruits are gross. The fun little saying is meant to just mean "make the best of your situation". Sometimes, it's really easy to get so caught up in all our lemons that we just focus more on how hard everything is rather than trying to find the solution. There are tons of sayings we can use: Every cloud has a silver lining, the sun will come out tomorrow, life's tough, get a helmet. But does saying something really help? Can you help someone out just by your words?
Absolutely you can. Think how much comfort we can get from the scriptures. Sure, those are inspired men of God, but why can't you be too? Even if you can't come up with something super profound and meaningful to say, someone else has already, so you can easily share that with them. Knowing your scriptures, especially the ones that have helped you, will allow you the ability to share with others when they're going through a hard time. The Words of God will always help someone, if they open their hearts to it. Anything in the Bible or Book of Mormon could easily lift and encourage someone. So, look over the scriptures that have meant the most to you, memorize them, and be ready to share them with people having a rough time.
Back to my grapefruit analogy: I don't like grapefruits, I don't like grapefruit juice. Making grapefruits into grapefruit juice wouldn't be a solution to my problem, it would just give me a bunch of gross grapefruit juice I don't want to drink. So, basically what I'm trying to allude to is what to do with a really big problem. If there doesn't seem to be an easy solution, what do you do? Sometimes, there is no easy "lemonade" solution. In that situation, still look for the best, and look to the one who made lemons and grapefruits. The Lord is your ultimate source of comfort. He'll send the Comforter, or the Holy Ghost. And always remember how Jesus suffered for our pains, and he knows all the we will go through. If you pray and read your scriptures, the Lord can and will talk to you, and show you how to make even those giant, gross grapefruits into delicious, sweet lemonade. All things are possible through Christ!

Giant Elephant... in the Sky... He's Invisible.

Ever seen the movie "Horton Hears a Who"? It's a good one. Oftentimes, children's books made into movies aren't good, but this one was. I liked it a lot, especially the punk rock Who who just says "YEEEEAAAAAH!" and wants a high five. Good times. It's a fun little movie with a good message: A person's a person, no matter how small. But, if you delve a little deeper, you can take our lots of little messages in it. So, let's do that... First of all, Horton is a giant elephant. Ok, I'm sure you can find little metaphors and stuff for that, but it doesn't go along with what I'm saying, so moving on... He has a flower, and on the flower is a speck, but the speck isn't just a speck, it's an entire life-sustaining world. On it is a civilization known as the Whos (not to be mistaken with the '70s rock band). At first, he only communicates with the mayor of Whoville (the obvious name for their city). Horton, who pretty much holds their safety. If he lets them go, they could all die. Or he protects them, and they survive. Horton, being a good guy... er... elephant, decides to help them. The mayor of Whoville has to convince everyone, now, that there is a giant elephant in the sky that they can't see who's protecting them. This is a rather difficult task. Eventually, Horton makes himself known to the entire population of Whoville.
As the story progresses, Horton runs into opposition from a certain angry kangaroo, and all sorts of crazy stuff happens before the Whos collective shouting of "We're here! We're here! We're here!" makes it all the way from the tiny little speck and everyone can hear it, making them all realize Horton isn't crazy after all!
Alright, you really don't have to dive that deep to notice something here. Someone is literally holding a world in their hands (kind of), and communicates with one person? Hmmm... Obviously, this is much like Heavenly Father, and His communications with his Prophet(s). The Lord chooses some of some of His children to be messengers for Him. They're given the incredibly difficult task of convincing people that He's real and to preach His gospel. Eventually, if the people are willing to hear, and listen, they can know the of His existence. He'll reveal Himself to them. And, when danger comes about, we all need to call on the Lord, and He'll save us.
This isn't the greatest of analogies, but it's fun. God hears our prayers. We may not always hear Him, and it may often seem like we're talking to a giant, invisible elephant in the sky, He does hear us, and He will save us from evil kangaroos.

Remember...

"Remember Lot's wife."
A simple scripture. Short, sweet, and to the point. Christ's words in Luke 17:32 may seem simple at first glance, but if you think about it more, you discover just how profound of a statement it is. We often make simple phrases, such as "Remember the Alamo", "Remember the Maine", or "Remember the Titans" to use as a motivational phrase to strengthen our commitment. Never forget the things that happened here. Remember the Alamo, and the loss it was to us. Don't let it happen again. Remember the Maine, and how it was sunk by our enemies. Don't let it happen again. Remember the Titans, and their dedication and perseverance.
But why remember Lot's wife? Well, who was Lot's wife? Obviously, she was Lot's spouse. Who was Lot? Back in the Old Testament, there were two cities that lived in utter sin and wickedness, Sodom and Gomorrah. They were so perverse that the Lord was ready to just wipe them out. But first, He sent angels to go and see if they could find enough righteous people to make it worth it. There weren't, but there was one man, and his name was Lot. The angels warned Lot of the coming destruction, and he took his family and fled. They were warned not to look back at Sodom and Gomorrah, or they'd be turned into a pillar of salt. As they fled, Lot's wife looked back, and just as was told them, she turned into a pillar of salt.
Now, the sin wasn't in physically turning around to look. Lot's wife crime was deeper than that. She didn't just glance back, she looked back, longingly, wanting to return, missing her life there. She was leaving sin and deprivation to live in righteousness, but she couldn't leave behind her home. She didn't want to. When she looked back, she was saying that she wasn't repentant of what she had been doing, and that she didn't want what she was being given. She was desirous to continue living in sin.
That is Christ's admonition to us in Luke 17:32, that we remember the fate of Lot's wife as a result of her choice to look back. Not just to the city, but to her past. We must make positive steps forward in growing in faith and coming closer to our Heavenly Father. As a result, we often leave behind pasts that are colorful, and filled with mistakes. We must forsake these things, and leave them in the past where they belong. If we start to look back, to miss our past, and to want to return to it is when we start to slip, and become as Lot's wife. Stay strong, and endure to the end. And always Remember Lot's Wife.

Don't Forget to Pray

I have writer's block right now, so I'm going to blog about it. (Take that, writer's block!) Writer's block is annoying. I really want to try to have a new blog up everyday for all my adoring fans (or at least the few people who stumble across my blog). If I don't post a blog, my page views are around 2-10 (if I'm lucky). Whereas, I can expect to see 20s even 30s when I do post a new blog. But, it gets really hard to think of something to write about 6 days a week. I really should do a better job of really committing myself during my morning studies to find something really good to blog about, but even then, sometimes there just doesn't seem to be a full-length blog in it (though, that's probably my fault). So often, I just sit and stare at the computer screen, hoping something pops into my head. Often, it does. Sometimes, it doesn't. There have been several days when I just couldn't think of anything, so I just skipped a new post. It can get frustrating and annoying racking your brain for something original, catchy, and uplifting to write. Often, when I stumble across a halfway decent idea, I force out a few sentences, then go distract myself with something else for a few minutes before returning to the task at hand. It can be a pain, but I suffer through it, and out comes a blog that appears to get pretty well received.
The same problem can apply to all of us in a much more serious setting: prayer. How often do we fold our hands or arms, kneel down, and just kinda blank? It's happened to me on multiple occasions. We just have no idea what to say. What could we possibly say? God knows it all anyways, right? Why ask Him for something He knows we need? Or thank Him for the things He knows we're thankful for? Or we just don't know what it is we need. We get to a point where we're so stuck in a rut, so confused, and have no idea what help we even need, so how can we ask for help? That was has been a big one for me in the past. The point of prayer is not to redundantly state the obvious, or to have it be some masterful, eloquent personal sermon worthy of publication. Prayers are simply your conversation with God. Yes, He knows what you need and what you're thankful for, but that doesn't mean He doesn't want to hear it. Always offer up your thanks. "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." (1 Chronicles 16:34). Always remember that the Lord will help when called upon. Just like President Uchtdorf said, "When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer- no matter how eloquent the oration."“When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration.” We rely on the Lord for everything, and He's more than happy to help out, as long as you ask in faith, and show your willingness to do the things necessary. Prayers are what connect us to our Heavenly Father, and what help us overcome our problems. Never let paryer's block stop you from communicating with your Heavenly Father.

A Special Witness of the Book of Mormon

Elder Holland is one of my favorite speakers. He is so passionate, wise, and just plain amazing. This talk he gives on the Book of Mormon gets me every time. He is so sure of its truth and divinity. I am too. It's when I see men like this, intelligent, well spoken men bear such strong testimony, that it must be true. There are people that you can just listen to as they talk about these things, expound the scripture, and assure you they know it's true, and it must be true. There's just no way men like them could be duped, tricked, or scammed. This is real; I know it is. I've tried it for myself. I've prayed, I've fasted, I've asked my Heavenly Father "with a sincere heart, will real intent, having faith in Christ". Because of this, I know it is true, and I will tell that to anyone. I will not ever waver on this. I will never doubt. I have made my decision, and I'm sticking to it, come whatever forces of evil may try to tear me down, make me flinch, or chip away. I have built my foundation on the Lord, and He is a rock. The Book of Mormon is scripture; it is the word of God; it is true, and I defy any man to listen to watch this video and still think that a man such as this, who has been ordained an Apostle, a special witness of Christ, is deceived.

Yes, But Not This Way

I read an amazing talk by Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, though he gave the talk when he was President of Brigham Young University, the other day. It was called "The Inconvenient Messiah", and it talked about us dealing with our temptations, and choosing to make the right choices, even if they're not what we'd like to do. This religion wasn't created so we could follow it when we chose, and do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. It was created so we would know how to live our lives, and what we should be doing to return to live with our Heavenly Father. Elder Holland gave another talk in the MTC while I was there on obedience that was full of great quotes, one of them being: "This isn't Burger King, you can't have it your way." He was specifically referring to the Mission, but it can be applied to our every day lives. We can't be "cafeteria members", picking and choosing what we like and don't like. We were given an unchanging list of rules. There are no loopholes, there is no sliding. Once you've entered into those covenants, you're in 'em.
In the talk, Elder Holland refers back to the Temptations of Christ, seen in Matthew 4:1-10. In this account, Christ had just been baptized, and had retreated to a secluded place, where He fasted for forty days. At the end of this, Satan came to tempt him. First, he tempted him on a physical basis, telling him to turn the rocks to bread. It wasn't that the evil in the temptation came from eating, it was taking the easy way out. Satan was tempting Christ to abuse his powers to make it easier for himself, more convenient. Christ, of course, resisted. Next, Satan tried to appeal to his Spiritual side, taking him to the pinnacle of the temple, and telling Him to cast Himself off. He would be protected, as the Son of God, and the angles would carry him gently down. He would not only be safe, but the world would see what had happened, and would know for a fact that He was the prophesied Messiah. It would have been an easy way for the people to gain that knowledge, and it wouldn't be faith based. People needed to believe that Jesus was the Christ, and have faith. Again, Christ resisted. Finally, Satan went all out. He showed Christ the kingdoms of the world, and offered them all to Christ... if He just worshiped Satan. Christ was fully aware that, at His Second Coming, all would be His. The world would be His kingdom, and He would rule over all. Even if Satan could give him all these things, it would have cheapened it. Christ will be King of kings and Lord of lords, and all will be his. All these things, eating, the belief of his children, and dominion over all, will come in time to Christ. He will have all these things, but He will have them in the proper order.
Yes, but not this way.
We all have temptations in our life, things we need to overcome. We all have those demons. It's up to us to stay strong, and not take the easy way out. Not look for convenience. As President Kimball told a woman who was convinced that a daily cup of coffee wouldn't keep her out of the Celestial Kingdom: "No, the coffee won't. But disobedience will." We must always rely on the Lord for relief from hard times. Just as it was said of him, "his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up". Nothing is ever too hard. The Lord does not let us go through trials too difficult for us to handle. Keep your head up, you eye single to the glory of God, and go forth with faith, knowing that He will protect you. I'm not sure who said this quote, but it's perfect: "Obedience brings blessings. Perfect obedience brings miracles."
No one is perfect, no one is without temptation. Don't worry so much about how hard things are, focus on how good things will be. Look to the eternity. Look long term. Just as a close friend of mine did, as he was recently struggling with health issues and going through a really rough time, yet every time I talked to him, he had a positive attitude, and was looking forward to something good that was coming up. 

Worry is the anticipation that the outcome will be bad,
Faith is the anticipation that the outcome will be good,
Faith in God is the anticipation that whatever the outcome, it will be for your good!

The Gospel according to a Nerd: Part 3

This nerdy thing is working pretty well. I enjoy writing it, and it seems that people enjoy reading it, so I'll continue. I'd say, of all the nerdy things I'm into, my main focus would be comic books (I have been called a movie nerd, which is a big focus as well... and a literary nerd... we'll get to those later.) Comic books are awesome. I love them. They portray amazing stories with (most of the time) awesome artwork that just add so much depth. I love that they come out in segments, leaving cliffhanger endings, constantly leaving you wanting more. Whether you do just the single issue, where you have to wait a month for the next installment, or go through the finished works and get the compiled graphic novel every two weeks when you get paid again (like I did), there's always that longing and anticipation, wondering what becomes of your hero in the next issue! Often the ending left the characters in a perilous situation, and you're wondering how they could possibly get out, or they're in good circumstances, but that obviously can't last long.
If I were to make a top three list of favorite comic book series, it would be: 1) Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan, 2) Watchmen by Alan Moore, and 3) Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan. They're all so original, and exciting. They keep you hooked throughout, and Watchmen is a classic, even earning a spot on Time's All Time 100 Novels.

Y: The Last Man: The story follows Yorick Brown who has, for some reason, become the last living male. Him and his monkey, Ampersand (the last living male non-human), team up with Agent 355, from a secret government organization meant to protect the President, and Dr. Allison Mann, the world's leading geneticist (even before all the male competition was wiped out) to find out what caused this, and see if they can't fix it. Along the way, they run into lots of problems, including the Daughters of the Amazon, a group of women headed by Victoria Waverly who are happy all the men are gone, because they viewed them as evil, and Tse'elon, a gun toting leader of the Israeli Army who wants Yorick for the salvation of Israel. The trio first proceed to Dr. Mann's lab in Boston, only to find it destroyed, but Dr. Mann is a good scientist, she naturally has backups to everything, they're just in her other lab... in California. All the while, Yorick is worried about his girlfriend, Beth, who is in Australia. He just wants to reunite with her, Dr. Mann wants to bring back mankind, and Agent 355 just wants to make sure Yorick doesn't die.

Watchmen: This is a classic. I'm sure most of you have heard of it (at least from the movie). The Watchmen was an organization of superheroes, comprising of The Nite Owl II, Silk Spectre II, The Comedian, Rorschach, Ozymandius, and Dr. Manhattan, who were just trying to do their job. However, public unrest forced most into retirement. Dr. Manhattan and The Comedian started working for the government, Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II just blend in with society, but Rorschach still dons the costume and fights crime, vigilante style. The story starts with an investigation into the murder of Eddie Blake, soon discovered to be The Comedian. Rorschach starts his own investigation, which leads him down the rabbit hole to a huge plot that involves the death of millions. But is it for the greater good? He enlists the help of Dr. Manhattan, who is carrying on a relationship with Silk Spectre, and Nite Owl, and they eventually get to the bottom of it all... but is the plan really that bad?

Ex Machina: Mitchell Hundred is a civil engineer who's called in to take a look at the Brooklyn Bridge because of a strange green glow coming from it. The green glow ends up, literally, exploding in his face. He's left with strange scars on his face, as well as the ability to communicate with technology. He uses this to create new technology, like a jet pack and strange laser gun thing, and become The Great Machine. However, he soon realizes that he's hurting more than helping, and retires. He sets his sights higher, then, and decides to run for Mayor of New York under the Independent ticket. As part, he reveals his identity. Shortly after, on the morning of September 11, 2001, he's asked to don the Great Machine once more. He saves the second tower, and as such is elected in a landslide. Now, strange things are happening (naturally), including the re-emergence of his former nemesis, and strange hieroglyphics in the subways that are causing people to die.
All of these are fantastic stories that follow the same basic outline: Good vs. Evil. There is a definite line between the villains and the heroes. You root for the heroes, and boo the villains. As the fight continues, and the evil side seems to strengthen, and it seems like all is lost for the good guys, suddenly something amazing happens. Someone shows up at just the right time, or the hero does something crazy that works out, or something fantastic happens, and they come out okay! The world is in this battle of Good vs. Evil. There is Good, Christ and his followers, guided by a prophet and knowing who they are and what they stand for, clad with the whole armor of God. There is Evil, Satan and his followers, temptation, and wickedness. Bad things that people reason into acceptable, and follow their vices, regardless of the repercussions. We see the path, we have the Iron Rod to guide us, and the Spirit, but sometimes it seems easier to step off the path. Sometimes, it seems like we're left abandoned, our friends aren't there to save us. We're alone, trapped in this place, surrounded by the enemy. How can we possibly get out? But there's hope. At the last second, someone swoops in and saves us! Jesus Christ, our Savior, is always going to help us. It may be right away, where the battle was no problem, or it might be at the last second, just when we think all is lost. No matter when it may be, it will come. He wants to help us. He wants us to win. He wants our story to have a happy ending. Good guys win, bad guys lose. And as always, the Lord prevails.

The Gospel, according to a Nerd: Part 2

I'm not the biggest video game fan, but I still enjoy them from time to time. All those first person shooters, too hard. I can't possibly aim a gun while moving, the joystick is far too sensitive. Too much hassle. But, there are some great games that I love. I like the games that have a long, continuing storyline (which I know fits a lot), but that also have more of a purpose than "kill the bad guys" and more room for improvement and growth. One game that comes to mind is "Castle Crashers" a spoof game you can download off X-Box Live, where you (and up to 3 others) take the roles of knights, mages, or a king and try to save the multiple princesses that have been kidnapped. It's all very goofy, from the animation to the villains, but is highly enjoyable.

Another game, that holds a very special place in my heart, is Pokemon (granted, I've only played Red, Blue, and Yellow, but I'm sure the others are enjoyable as well). You're a poorly pixelated character who runs around the country finding small creatures to capture, then strengthen through fighting other creatures, then using them to fight other creatures in a more structured environment so as to win a prize that, in all actuality, doesn't benefit you whatsoever, but it sure is fun to brag about, and eventually you return to your home with a level 100 Blastoise and, just for fun, walk around the tall grass, find a level 5 Rattata, and blast it away with your Hydro Cannon. But what's neat about these games is the progression. As you work hard (and by work hard I mean killing the bad guys, as in "Castle Crasher", or in Pokemon beating the stuffing out of that stupid Metapod that only knows harden! Why would I want a Pokemon that can't attack!?), you gain experience (or XP), and when you get enough, you level up. A classic quote from my friends while playing "Castle Crashers" was "'Grats on the level up, dawg." Yes, my friends and I were the epitome of cool. Gaining levels is cool: it makes you stronger, you can learn new attacks, and (in Pokemon) at some points you evolve! You become something bigger, stronger, and (usually) cooler looking! And you ditch the dumb cocoon thing and actually turn into a Pokemon that's worth a darn in a battle!
Progression is a part of life. We have to learn and to grow in order to better ourselves as people. We didn't just come here to dwindle our time away, not advancing in anyway. We were given the opportunity to come here to work hard and do the right things, to become better people. We gain experience (XP) as we study, learn, work, and follow commandments. As we gain this XP, we can level up, and become better than we were before! We have the potential to become great, and we do this through hard work. Nothing comes for free, nothing comes easy. Everything that's worth having is worth working for. And working hard. We have to show the Lord that we are willing to earn what things He will give us, and we have to show faith that He will provide them. Often times, we're faced with situations where we know what we want the end goal to be, but we can't be sure it's going to happen. Anything is possible with the Lord, so we just need to go for it, having complete trust in the Lord, and knowing that everything will work out for the best. As we work hard, and gain that experience, we learn new skills, we become stronger in the face of adversity and temptations, and we can become something better and stronger (though not necessarily cooler looking) than we were before. We must all progress to make this life what we want.

The Gospel, according to a Nerd: Part 1

I'm kind of a nerd. And I'm totally ok with that. It makes for some pretty fun jokes. I really enjoy making really nerdy comments, or getting really excited over really nerdy things, and having people just kinda look at me. My main nerdy thing is definitely comic books, but there are others. I'm pretty well versed with the internet and all it's little jokes.
For the next couple days, I'd like to use my nerdy skills and try to relate them to the Gospel.

 So, first example: Mario Bros. What do you want to get in Mario? A mushroom. Why? Because the mushroom makes you big, thus more powerful, and it allows you to take two hits before death, rather than just one. But, are you ever just given the mushroom*? Does a Goomba or a Koopa Troopa just walk up to you and hand you a mushroom then say "Hey! Jump on me and flatten me!"? NO! You have to search for those little "?" or "!" boxes, then jump and hit them. Not all of them are going to be mushrooms (most will be just coins), but every so often, you'll get that mushroom, and it will make you bigger, and stronger. And, once you have that mushroom, maybe one of the "!" boxes will have a feather that, for some reason or other, turns you into a flying raccoon (I don't question the ways of Mario), or a frog suit that allows you to swim, or a flower that, again, for some unexplained reason, allows you to shoot fireballs. Either way, you get something cool. But wait there's more! Because in some of those "!" boxes are green mushrooms that give you extra life! All you have to do is search for those boxes and hit them!
Now, this is a surprisingly straight forward analogy. In life, we all have to look for those things that will make us better and stronger, and increase our faith and testimony. They're never going to just come to us, we need to do our part. And, even when we do find one of those things that will help us, it's still not going to just fall in our laps. We need to jump up, directly beneath it, and hit it with our fist while making a "BOING!" sound (ok, that's a bit of a stretch with the metaphor). We need to do something, though. There needs to be an action on our part to get that level up or extra life. Sometimes it's painful (as I'm pretty sure jumping and punching a seemingly metal box would be), but if we endure it well, we will be blessed.
So, be like Mario. Don't let those Goombas and Koopa Troopas get you down, just jump on them! (They're obviously metaphors for trials and temptations). And always be on the look out for those "?" or "!" boxes to help you toughen up, or even give you EXTRA LIFE!

*Obviously, in Super Mario Bros., 2, if you get Yoshi and he eats enough of those tomato looking berry things, he'll just kinda poop out a mushroom. That is a rare occurrence, and should not take away from my metaphor.

The Farmer Forgiven

Once, there was a man who wanted to become successful, but he wanted to earn it. He was poor, and didn't have the means to start anything up. He had been raised on a farm, and knew farming, so he decided his best bet would be to start his own farm. He talked to a bank about getting a loan. They accepted, giving him a rather rigid repayment schedule, and expecting full repayment in the span of just 2 years.
The man started his farm, and lived off of the wealth he made. He would work hard, but would often take breaks to go hit the town with his friends. He was easily supporting himself, and making minimum payments on his loans. After all, it was still 2 years before the debt needed to be repaid. That was plenty of time. He didn't have to worry about it now. He just continued living the comfortable life that he had earned for himself.
However, all too quickly, those 2 years were up. The bank had given him the stipulation that if he hadn't paid back his debt entirely by the end of this time, they would take the farm from him. This would leave him jobless, homeless, and destitute. He didn't know what to do. He didn't have the money to pay the loan, and he couldn't lose his job. He begged and pleaded for an extension, but it was made very clear in the contract, no extensions. The man was given until the end of the month. He had no idea what he was going to do.
The end of the month came, and the loan officers came. The man had to either pay the rest of the debt, or give up his farm. When the man was about to sign over his farm to the bank, another man came in.
"I will pay his debt," the man said. The loan officer looked at him. "It doesn't matter where the money comes form, as long as the debt is paid, right?"
The loan officer nodded in agreement. The man continued, "Then I will pay the rest of the debt for him, and he can keep his farm, but I will be the official owner. Do you agree?" he asked the farm owner. He nodded in agreement."Then that is what we will do." The benefactor signed the necessary paperwork, and the debt was repaid.
After the loan officer left, the farm owner could only stare at his benefactor.
"Thank you so much," he said, fighting back tears. "I don't know how I could possibly repay you."
The benefactor smiled at him. "All I require is your hard work and do what I ask of you."
The farm owner readily agreed, tears now streaming down his face. From that point on, he worked hard, all day, never taking a break when there was work to be done. He lived modestly, and didn't squander his money on unnecessary things. He did everything his benefactor asked of him, and was rewarded for his service.