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 4: The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Gosh I love comic books... In case you can't tell. And I rather enjoy being back in the swing of this whole blog writing thing... Neat. Just gotta keep myself motivated, I can keep pumping these bad boys out. Ideas are also important, I guess. Well, if you haven't guessed, I'm still on my kick on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday was baptism, and baptism is incomplete if it isn't followed up with the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is a very important, and very amazing thing. Thanks to the Holy Ghost, we are able to have a member of the Godhead with us at all times. We are able to be led and guided in right choices, and we can be warned of dangerous situations. As long as we are living righteously, we can always count on the Holy Ghost to be with us and to help us out. It's like our conscience, whispering in our ears what we should and shouldn't do. If we will listen, we can always be sure to make the right choice, and we can be aided in our day to day lives. What a wonderful gift we are given, and all we have to do is be obedient to the commandments! The Holy Ghost is a great help to everyone, no matter who you are, and will protect us from any dangers we may face, spiritual or temporal.

And now... comic book application. Spider-Man is pretty awesome. He's got cool powers, a witty persona, and a firm grounding in what he's doing and why he's doing it. He's got some pretty sweet powers, and he's always on the job. I've written about him before, but today I'm going to focus on a certain power of his that makes him unique: his spidey senses. We've all heard the quote before: "My spidey senses are tingling!" This is possibly Spider-Man's most useful power, because it allows him to have the upper hand over his villains, because he's able to detect threats before they even happen. Thanks to his senses, his villains are at a severe disadvantage. It makes dodging that much easier when you know what's coming at you, no matter what. So, what would you say if I said that you could have spidey senses? Well, that's a lot like what the Holy Ghost is like. Before we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, it can testify to us truth. That's how we can gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or anything else. But once we're baptized, and confirmed a member, the Holy Ghost becomes our constant companion. With it, we're always able to feel our Heavenly Father's love, and know what it is He wants. And, of course, the Holy Ghost can warn us of danger. Whenever we're in a situation, and we get a bad feeling, that's the Holy Ghost telling us to get out. So, just like Spider-Man, we can have spidey senses, too! Thanks to promptings from the Holy Ghost!

Gospel and Comic Books Part 3: Baptism

Feels like it's been forever since I've done one of these... Probably cause it has been. But, I'm back, and ready to go! So, continuing right along with my theme... we move along the Gospel, following up Faith and Repentance, and we find ourselves at... Baptism! Baptism is an essential part of following our Savior. As He said in John 3:3 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." But how can a man be "born again"? Jesus answers that question a couple verses later: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Baptism is a rebirth. We are washed of our past life, and given a new one. The symbolism in baptism is beautiful. The water is a sign of us being washed clean. The fact that we are submerged shows that we are being buried, then raised again, just like our Savior. Our old ways are dying, and we are rising to a new, better life. It's not just a sign of faith and devotion, it's a necessary ordinance for us. If it wasn't, why would Christ be baptized? He was perfect after all. But, "he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments." So, we see that baptism is necessary for our salvation, as Jesus clearly taught and demonstrated. How can we be like Christ? Do the things He did.

Bruce Wayne was a pretty typical kid (except for the billionaire parent thing). But, after his parents died, he was put into a situation that no one wants to be in. So, he left. He left everything behind, and struck out on his own. In this time, he determined that there was too much evil in the world, and he wanted to do something about it. He found himself in a training facilities, run by the famous (yet mysterious) Ra's Al Ghul. After reaching a high level of skill, Bruce decides to return to his home in Gotham, and don a costume, and become Batman. (This is, of course, the origin story presented in the movie Batman Begins. As there are so few consistencies in his origin, I went with this one, since it's probably the best known). Now, what does this have to do with anything, especially baptism? It's quite simple, really: Bruce Wayne's training was a rebirth process for him. He became the Batman... he discovered who he was, what he wanted to accomplish, and how he could do that. He left behind the old Bruce Wayne, and became Batman. It's a similar process, kinda, to our rebirth. We must put off our old persona, who we were, our old vices and bad habits, and become someone better. Just as Bruce Wayne became Batman, we must be reborn, and become something better!

Gospel and Comic Books Part 2: Repentance

So, we move right along to post number 2 in this series! Yay!

You know what's so cool about Wolverine? He's got adamantium covered bones and he can regenerate! How can you beat that? You can't kill him... Even if you dried his feet in cement and threw him in the harbor, once he got to oxygen, he'd be alive. Even if you launched into space, cause once he got back into the atmosphere, he'd be alive. It doesn't matter what you might think of, cause he's got adamantium covered bones, and can regenerate. What a great power to have, right? This is a conversation that comes up quite frequently in my district, and is always resolved the exact same way: He's got adamantium covered bones, and can regenerate. There ya go, end of conversation. Yeah, we're cool like that. Now, wouldn't it be nice if we all had that? What if you knew, no matter what happened to you, you could be healed? Any pain you might experience, any trial you may endure, it won't matter, because in short time, it will be gone. Gunshot to the head? No problem! Getting shanked? Nothin'! Blunt object to the back of the head? Who cares? What comfort this could give us. We'd never have to worry about what may happen, never have to look over our shoulder. We could go through any walk of life with no fears.
But what of emotional problems? If you know Wolverine like I do (we're personal friends... He took us out to lunch last week. I'm working on him, but he's so stubborn, I just can't get him to sincerely read the Book or Mormon!), then you know that he's haunted by his past... most of that comes from not remembering it all, but he's got other demons. He's constantly plagued by incidents that he's been a part of. He just can't let go of those things.
Well, have I got news for you! I've got Wolverine-like powers... and so do you! Through the wonderful gift of the Atonement, we're able to be washed clean of our sins, through repentance! And, because the Lord was resurrected, we, too, will be resurrected, and receive our perfected bodies, free from all pain! Sure, the physical healing will take a little longer than it does for Wolverine, but it will come! And the emotional healing can be instant. Christ suffered in the Garden of the Gethsemane, feeling the physical and emotional pains all of use would suffer. ALL the pains, that ALL of us would suffer. Can you even imagine? Then, He suffered unimaginable pain at the hands of the Roman soldiers, before being crucified. Through this, He knows how to comfort us. He knows what we're going through at any point, and understand perfectly the pains we feel. He suffered them as well. What great comfort that gives. Because of this, and because of the great gift of Repentance, we are able to "regenrate" from our emotional pains, and one day of all physical strifes! So, you're more like Wolverine than you think! (You still don't have the claws, though... sorry). You, too, can regenerate! Just repent!

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.

Before Abraham was... I... AM... Batman

So, who loves Batman? Answer: Everyone. He's awesome: he uses his brains, brawn, and billions to make him a "super"hero, though he posses no actual superpowers. That doesn't stop him from whooping up on the bad guys and doing things that the average person couldn't, or at least wouldn't, do (either from lack of funds, lack of equipment, or too much sanity). With the help of his butler, Alfred, his gadget provider, Lucius Fox, and a police commissioner, Commissioner Gordon, who's good at turning a blind eye, Batman is able to weed out the villains and ne'er-do-wells of Gotham (of which there are many). He's able to incorporate his own style of criminal justice, and able to infiltrate places and apprehend suspects in ways that the normal police force are unable to do. This is because he's, obvioulsy, not part of the Gotham Police Department... and this for a very good reason.

The whole purpose for Bruce Wayne donning the Batman get-up is because of the lack of reliability the residents of Gotham had for the GPD. When the cops are as bad as the crooks, who can you trust? Who can save the people? Who can protect the innocent? Cue the Caped Crusader. By entering the contest as a vigilante, he's able to uphold the law without being subject to the finer rules. Sure, a cop needs a warrant, and probable cause, and this and that... Batman doesn't need any of that! He just needs some sweet gadgets, and a location, and within minutes, he'll have the bad guy.

But, this raises quite an objection amongst many people (besides the villains, of course). Many people are uncomfortable with the vigilante type. They feel it unsafe and reckless for one man to take the law upon himself. What gives him the right? And how can we be sure he won't become corrupted as well? These are legitimate concerns, and obvioulsy it's hard to quell these with a simple "well, he's Batman!" While those of us who know him a little more personally (this group consisting of Alfred, Lucius, and the readers), we know that Bruce Wayne is nothing if not trustworthy. We know he'll never do anything wrong, and only has the best of intentions. However, those who only see him in newspaper articles and as a black blur on the nightly news have no reason to assume him to be infallible.

Many people think he's just a lunatic! Some guy running around with a mask, beating up people? What a nut job. Others fear the possibility of an abuse of his abilities. It's likely that some people even think that he's no less a villain than the Joker or Riddler. But, there are a few who stand by him, praising him for his efforts, and standing up for him as a true hero. These include even such notable public figures as Harvey Dent, the District Attorney (who's opinions obviously change, but that comes later). So, just what is Batman? Hero? Villain? or Maniac?

Batman is far from the first person to be the subject of such public debate. Even when the evidence is obvious, some people will always find a way to slander someone when they don't like what they're doing. Want the ultimate example? Look no further than the New Testament. Jesus Christ, the only perfect human, came to this earth to teach the gospel, establish His church, and die for our sins. While here, He healed the sick, gave the blind sight, made the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. He did many great and wonderful things... and yet, wast He welcomed with open arms and made the king that He truly was? Of course not! He was ridiculed, questioned, and mocked. He was rejected by even the most devout followers of His Father, and was the subject of many an attempt on His life.

He was public enemy number one amongst the Jews, and when they finally couldn't take anymore, they brought Him under false pretenses, trumping up non-existent charges, and bringing in complete liars as witnesses, breaking all their own laws, just to get rid of Him. He did nothing to them, especially nothing they tried Him for. Their charges were that of blasphemy, heresy, treason, and sedition, of which He was guilty of none. And besides just the Pharisees and Sadducees, the regular man on the street often didn't even realize who He truly was. Many people thought He was just a crazy person, claiming to be the Son of God. Even amongst the signs, miracles, and wonders, many people still didn't believe His claim. They often would say "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?" (John 6:42).

Even His own kinsmen didn't believe Him to be who He was. Still today, people doubt Him: they say He was a prophet, and no more. Or, some even less, no more than a good man. I bare you solemn testimony that Jesus was the Christ. That He lives! He is our Savior and Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. No man can come to the Father, except through Him. It is through Him that we have life, and we will have life eternal. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Only Begotten, and to whom we owe our allegiance and deepest gratitude. So, what was Jesus? Hero? Villain? or Maniac?

Your call.

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...