Spiritual Preparedness

Spiritual preparedness is an interesting concept. Does one sit down and make a list like for the 72-hour Emergency kit we’re all supposed to have. Flashlight – check. Sleeping bag – check. Water – check. First aid supplies – check. It actually might be somewhat similar – Elder Henry B. Eyring says,

“However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation. Procrastination and inconsistency are its mortal enemies. Let me suggest to you four settings in which to practice quick and steady obedience. One is the command to feast upon the word of God. A second is to pray always. A third is the commandment to be a full-tithe payer. And the fourth is to escape from sin and its terrible effects. Each takes faith to start and then to persevere. And all can strengthen your capacity to know and obey the Lord’s commands.” (“Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 38)

Let’s discuss these four suggestions which I find to be very practical and beneficial in building faith and spiritual preparedness.

First: Feast upon the word of God. In other words: "Feast upon the words of Christ." When I read the scriptures or the words of modern prophets, my spirit literally sings when recognizing truth and beauty of the written word. I used to have a list of questions about a mile long and kept them in my head for a day or so. I would pray and ask my Heavenly Father to help me understand what is he trying teaching me. Hoping that I might have the ears to hear and eyes to see. As I have studied the gospel, I mean really feasted on the words of Christ, that list has dwindled to half as long. I am certain, as I continue to study I will find the answers to those questions as well. For God has revealed all to His prophets and everything we need to know to accomplish our task is well within our grasp.

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)

The scriptures were not given to us for casual reading, or a brief history lesson. They were given for us to "feast" on the words of Christ. This implies something much more than just reading. It implies that the scriptures are satisfying a powerful spiritual hunger and quenching a thirst for the things of the Spirit. Those who most enjoy this "feast" are those who receive a promise. 

"And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost." (3 Nephi 12:6)

This occurs most of the time as the individual feasts upon the words of Christ in the scriptures. The spiritual food is internalized and becomes a part of the individual. Spiritually speaking, "you are what you eat." The other word that the scriptures use to describe our approach to scripture study is "to search."

Scriptures are of little value unless they are feasted upon and searched. They are useful if they are "read," but the term "search" implies something totally different. To "search" is to try to understand, to look for personal meaning, to understand historical context, to reference other sources, to find resolution to conflicts, and to internalize principles. The Lord has never commanded the saints to "read" the scriptures; He always commands them to "search" them. Examples like Mosiah 1:7 it says, "to search them diligently that ye may profit"....and in 3 Nephi 23:1 says, "search these things diligently, for great are the words of Isaiah." The result of diligent searching is that one becomes as the sons of Mosiah who had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth (Alma 17:2).

Yes, indeed. I can see how feasting upon the words of Christ has prepared me spiritually.

Second: Pray always. Pray in happiness, pray in unrelenting pain, pray in overwhelming joy, but always pray. When we get on our knees, and we turn to the heavens, we speak straight to Heavenly Father. No family, no friend or foe can stand in our way. It is simply us and Heavenly Father. We, the children of God have a direct line to the supreme God of the universe. Wow, what a wonderful thing to know. When praying often, your Father in Heaven knows that you are serious about doing what you’ve been sent here to do. As a result of prayer we receive inspiration, information, promptings, guidance and warnings. With prayer we are never truly alone. There is always someone to talk to — always.

Keep in mind. Whenever you feel like not praying, it is the evil spirit who teaches a man, not to pray.

And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul. (2 Nephi 32:8-9)

Third: Be a full-tithe payer. In the Old Testament, Malachi 3:10 we find:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

What a beautiful promise. The Lord has blessed us with everything we have. In asking for one tenth back, he promises to “open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” There is nothing else in this world like it. The law of tithing is a law of obedience and understanding. The promises of tithing are immense and should not be lightly dismissed. In obeying the commandments of God we find great joy, peace, protection and abilities. 

I'll be honest. There's been a time in my life that I waited to pay at the end of the year but I have failed to pay the full-tithe. I'll be the first to tell you -- I can literally feel the blessings taken away. So let me warn you, be careful. 

"Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming."(D&C 64:23)

I don't think I need to explain this scripture. It's pretty much self explanatory. 

Fourth: Escape from sin and its terrible effects. Sin is terrible in its exactness in demanding retribution. It may dress itself up in an enticing and pleasing manner, but beneath the surface is a poison so deep it enslaves your spirit. For instance: Alcohol produces addiction which destroys lives, families, and bodies; Drugs enslave quickly and brutally. There is a momentary high quickly followed by an excruciating crash. This addiction also destroys lives, families, and bodies; Premarital sex and adultery provides one with a plethora of sexually transmitted diseases, unwed mothers, abandoned and abused children, and absolute destruction of self-worth whose effects are not felt immediately but are wide-reaching. Pornography. Do I need to explain more? I could go on and on, listing every sin and its effects, but I doubt there is a need. Anything which brings a darkness to your soul is of Satan. Anything that brings an everlasting light to your soul is of Jesus Christ. With the Holy Ghost there are no addictions, destruction's or devastation's, only peace, happiness and a close relationship with God.

Elder Eyring’s listing of these four things is very helpful in aiding us in our goal to master ourselves and reach toward the heavens. Spiritual preparedness is critical if we hope to be of service to our God in the days, weeks, months and years to come. There is hope and salvation in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland says:

“Everything in the gospel teaches us that we can change if we need to, that we can be helped if we truly want it, that we can be made whole, whatever the problems of the past.” (“He Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 66)

Jesus is the Balm

….emphasizing God’s mercy may lead some to believe they are entitled to divine protection against all of life’s natural adversities. There is already enough theological difficulty for those who believe that their activity in the Church should somehow protect them from tragedy and sorrow. Our understanding of the Atonement is hardly a shield against sorrow; rather, it is a rich source of strength to deal productively with the disappointments and heartbreaks that form the deliberate fabric of mortal life. The gospel was given to us to heal our pain, not to prevent it. 

(Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart, pg. 5)

Doctrine and Covenants 129:8 and the Reality of Satan’s Physicality ~ Sidney Rigdon (Part 5)

In section 129 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord provides “three grand keys” by which the Saints may know whether any angelic ministration is from God or from the devil. Verse 8 informs us that should the devil (or one of his hosts) appear attempting to deceive you into thinking he is a divine messenger sent from God, “when you ask him to shake hands he will offer you his hand, and you will not feel anything; you may therefore detect him.” For many this verse gives the impression that because Satan and his hosts lack mortal bodies, they are incapable of having physical contact with humans. In other words, the passage appears to focus on the nature of the bodies of Lucifer and his spirit followers, suggesting that their physical makeup is the reason their hands cannot be felt. However, a series of events that took place early in the Restoration suggest that this interpretation may not be accurate. In an effort to test the common exegesis of D&C 129:8, this paper will recount a handful of early Luciferian encounters, applying the implications of such to our understanding of the nature of Lucifer’s person.

Sidney Rigdon

Lesser known is an event that took place in September of 1831. The Prophet Joseph decided to take his family, then dwelling in Kirtland, and move to Hiram, Ohio, where he could continue the work of translating the Bible. Sidney Rigdon was left to preside over the Saints in Kirtland. On one occasion during Joseph’s absence, Sidney informed a body of Saints that the “keys of the kingdom” had been taken from the Church. (See Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, n.d.)

Those present were confused and dismayed by the announcement. Joseph was immediately sent for and, upon his return, declared that the things Sidney had taught were false. The Prophet added that, because of the things Elder Rigdon had said and done, “the devil [would] handle him as one man handles another.” (Philo Dibble, “Philo Dibble’s Narrative,” in Early Scenes in Church History (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructors Office, 1882), 80.)

In fulfillment of Joseph’s words, “a few weeks after this, Sidney was lying in bed alone, and suddenly ‘an unseen power lifted him from his bed . . . and tossed him from one side of the room to the other.’ His family heard the noises coming from the room and rushed in ‘and found him going from one side of the room to the other.’” (LeMar E. Garrard, A Study of the Problem of a Personal Devil and Its Relationship to Latter-day Saint Beliefs (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, master’s thesis, 1955)

This happened some three times over the course of the night. (See Heber C. Kimball, in Journal of Discourses, 3:229–30; 4:2; Anderson, Lucy’s Book, 563–64.)

Sidney was physically “laid up” for five or six weeks because of the effects of the experience some five or six weeks. Thus, having spoken under the influence of the devil, Sidney was then turned over to the physical buffetings of Lucifer.

By Alonzo L. Gaskill

Read: Prophet Joseph Smith (Part 1)
Read: Heber C. Kimball (Part 2)
Read: Wilford Woodruff (Part 3)

Read: Newel Knight (Part 4)

With Every Choice

“People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain on which God says, ‘If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.’ I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.” 

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity