Don't Be a Hypocrite

You've probably heard someone say, "If you're going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk." Or said another way, "practice what you preach." Hypocrisy is when you teach or advocate something publicly and then do not practice it in private.

Jesus is not a fan of hypocrisy (obviously). In fact, he had some pretty harsh words for the pharisees and scribes when he called them out for their hypocrisy:

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" 

He did not mince words. One of my favorite of the Savior's metaphors was directed at these hypocritical teachers of the people in Matthew 23:27-28:

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

He warns his disciples that while they should do many of the things the pharisees and scribes taught (they taught from the scriptures), they should beware to not do the things that they did:

"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."

The prophet Abinadi observed the same thing happening with King Noah's wicked priests. He asked  them "If ye teach the Law of Moses, why do ye not keep it?"

This seems to be an easy trap to fall into when you're in power and care more about using the Word to stay in power than to serve the Lord. A good leader does the exact opposite. The Lord prescribed this model for leaders:

"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." 

This is also important in parenting. Some parents take the approach of telling their kids essentially, "Do as I say and not as I do." Good luck with that. Every child wants to be like his mom or dad. They mimic their parents from a very early age. They try to wear their parents' shoes, and they repeat the phrases their parents use, often to the embarrassment of their parents (my two-year-old is now saying, "what the heck?" ... *face palm*)!

Lastly, it's not possible to experience an inner peace while living a double-life. When there's a disconnect between your words and your actions, turmoil and uneasiness will be your constant companion. Jesus's invitation to change and repent included the pharisees discussed here, and it includes us.

We can always repent and close the gap between our words and deeds. It's never too late to walk the walk because the Savior has already satisfied the demands of justice for us. Turn to him for He is the way to your inner peace in this life and salvation in the life to come.

Powerful Parental Pleadings

2 Nephi 1 is largely about Lehi pleading with his eldest sons to change their hearts. Lehi expresses his fear for them if they continue to harden their hearts against the Lord. In this post, I just want to capture some of the powerful language that Lehi uses in pleading with his sons:

• I would that ye would remember (verse 12)
• I would that ye would hearken unto my words (verse 12)
• awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell (verse 13)
• shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound (verse 13)
• Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent (14)
• I have feared, lest...ye be cut off and destroyed forever (17)
• O my sons, that these things might not come upon you (19)
• that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with a grief and sorrow to the grave (21)
• arise from the dust, my sons, and be men (21)
• be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things (22)
• Awake, my sons (23)
• put on the armor of righteousness (23)
• Shake off the chains by which ye are bound (23)
• come forth out of obscurity (23)
• arise from the dust (23)
• Rebel no more (24)

He concludes by offer his sons and the sons of Ishmael his first blessing "if [they] will hearken unto the voice of Nephi" and promises they "shall not perish." And he warns that if they will not hearken, his first blessing will be taken away from them and rest upon Nephi. 

I think it's impossible to study this chapter without feeling the emotion of Lehi's words, his love and concern for his sons. He likely knows that his words will fall on hardened hearts, yet he refuses to give up on his boys. In a way, this is a microcosm of God and his children on this earth. He knows who will and will not listen, yet he does not give up on us. He pleads for us to repent and return to Him, and his arm is stretched out still.

3 Ne 22 - Isaiah Speaks to Parents

The words of Isaiah have always been difficult to me but as I studied them this morning a few things did stand out to me.

In 3 Nephi 22:4 "Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame;" made me think of the vision of the Tree of Life that Lehi saw. The first THREE out of four groups of people did not make it to the tree and/or did not endure to the end because of shame at being mocked by the great and spacious building, or the cares of the world.

And in 3 Ne 22:7-8 "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." This is a good lesson in the midst of our trials. We sometimes feel alone, which is really to give us opportunities to grow. But the promise is there - "with great mercies will I gather thee" and "with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee." Those promises are real, and they are the reason why we must turn to the Lord in times of crisis and need, even if we feel alone.

In 3 Ne 22:13-14 some incredible promises are given for us. Isaiah is speaking to the "afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted" - which could be any one of us who is trying to be in the world but not of the world. He basically says it won't be easy but it will be worth it as he explains the result: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established..." What greater blessing could we ask for than this?

Then to give us further confidence against the adversary and his forces, we are promised in verses 15-17: "whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake...no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;...This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."Make sure you are on the Lord's side!

How Can I Avoid the Evils that Threaten my Family?

I am going to study the words of Alma to his son Corianton in Alma 39 to see what answers to this question I can find.

Alma gives this counsel to his son, but it applies to everyone in regards to how we need to develop self-mastery or self-control:

"9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things." (Alma 39:9)

When he says cross yourself it's like we say "check yourself" today. Exercise self-mastery, self-discipline, and self-control. Teach your family to do the same, just as Alma is teaching his son. Alma tells Corianton to hang out with his brothers and follow their examples since they're living righteously. I think it's always easier to avoid evils when you put yourself with a good crowd that is striving for the same thing.

Alma tells him to "turn to the Lord" and to "acknowledge [his] faults" in verse 13. And some great advice for us to remember: "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you" (Alma 39:14).

Finding Peace and Joy

What does the Book of Mormon teach us about how we can find peace and joy in our lives? I'm going to study some of the words of the prophet and king, Benjamin in Mosiah 2 and Mosiah 4.

King Benjamin taught his people "to keep the commandments of God, that they might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men" (Mosiah 2:4). This shows the connection between obedience to God's commandments and joy (rejoicing). Remember the greatest commandments, according to Jesus Christ, are to love God and to love our fellow-man. This creates an interesting cycle: we must love God and all men to keep the commandments, and keeping the commandments will fill us "with love towards God and all men." We here a lot about sin and pride cycles, so it's refreshing to see a righteousness and love cycle where the more obedient we are the more we'll love God and others, and the more our love increases, the more obedient we will become. That's a joyful cycle that will lead us to become more like our perfect exemplar, the Savior.

King Benjamin tells his people, "as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls" (Mosiah 4:11). So what caused the "exceedingly great joy" in their souls? Coming to know God, knowing His goodness, tasting of his love, receiving forgiveness (repenting) of our sins. That is an inspired recipe for "exceedingly great joy."

He then gives his people another formula for joy and peace in Mosiah 4:11-13. To summarize:
If

• We remember the greatness and goodness of God and his patience towards us
• We humble ourselves into the "depths of humility"
• Pray daily to God
• Stand steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come

Then

• We shall always rejoice,
• Be filled with the love of God
• Be forgiven of our sins
• Grow in the knowledge of the glory of God and that which is just and true
• We will not injure one another
• We will live peaceably
• We shall treat everyone fairly

In connection with this if/then promise, King Benjamin tells parents to provide for their children, teach them to keep the commandments, not quarrel, and not worship/follow Satan. Parents should "teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another" (Mosiah 4:14-15).

This verse is one of my favorite scriptures and powerful wisdom shared by Benjamin:

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." (Mosiah 2:41)  

Those who obey God's commandments are blessed and happy; in fact, they are "blessed in all things." If they endure to the end faithfully, then they receive a state of never-ending happiness. Who in this world does not desire happiness in this life and in the life to come? The way to achieve it is obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Find out more about God's plan of happiness here: http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/.

Watching With All Perseverance by Elder David A Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This was one of the best talks for parents that I have ever heard! I'd like to highlight some of the key points that Elder Bednar made that I really liked. To read the complete talk (and I highly recommend you do), please go to this link.

He gives this talk in hopes of helping parents develop "a spiritual early warning system that can help [them] to be watchful and discerning concerning their children." The system is composed of three basic components: (1) Read and talk to your kids about the Book of Mormon, (2) Bear testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) Invite children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon. These things will help parents recognize early signals of spiritual growth as well as challenges and help parents to be "better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help" their children.

#1- Reading and Talking about the Book of Mormon
About the power of the Book of Mormon:

"The convincing and converting powers of the Book of Mormon come from both a central focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the inspired plainness and clarity of its teachings." 

He says that because the Book of Mormon (1) focuses on the Savior and (2) teaches very plainly, it "speaks to the spirit and to the heart of the reader like no other volume of scripture." More benefits of reading the Book of Mormon with our kids:

"Regular reading of and talking about the Book of Mormon invite the power to resist temptation and to produce feelings of love within our families. And discussions about the doctrines and principles in the Book of Mormon provide opportunities for parents to observe their children, to listen to them, to learn from them, and to teach them."

Some of these quotes are just too good to paraphrase, this is how he ends this section:

"Youth of all ages, even infants, can and do respond to the distinctive spirit of the Book of Mormon. Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the “familiar spirit” described by Isaiah (Isaiah 29:4; see also 2 Nephi 26:16). And the questions a child asks, the observations a child shares, and the discussions that occur provide crucial spiritual early warning signals. Importantly, such conversations can help parents to discern what their children are learning, thinking, and feeling about the truths contained in this sacred volume of scripture, as well as the difficulties they may be facing."

#2- Bearing Testimony Spontaneously
Elder Bednar explains that "testimony is personal knowledge, based upon the witness of the Holy Ghost, that certain facts of eternal significance are true." What a great definition! As he explains how we should bear testimony to our children, he says that "such occasions need not be programmed, scheduled, or scripted." In fact, it's best when it is spontaneous. He also teaches that a testimony "need not always begin with the phrase 'I bear you my testimony.'" He explains that you should note the reactions of your children as you bear testimony to them- here's why:

"The reactions of children to such impromptu testimony bearing and their eagerness or reluctance to participate are potent sources of spiritual early warning signals. A child’s expression about a lesson learned in family scripture study or a candid statement of concern about a gospel principle or practice can be most illuminating and help parents better understand a child’s specific question or needs. Such discussions—especially when parents are as eager to listen intently as they are to talk—can foster a supportive and secure environment in the home and encourage ongoing communication about difficult topics."

#3- Inviting Children to Act
This is a great illustration of his point:

"Giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime. As parents and gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help our children learn “to fish” and to become spiritually steadfast. This vital objective is best accomplished as we encourage our children to act in accordance with correct principles—as we help them to learn by doing. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17). Such learning requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception."

If you have children, here are some questions to ponder: 

"Are you and I helping our children become agents who act and seek learning by study and by faith, or have we trained our children to wait to be taught and acted upon? Are we as parents primarily giving our children the equivalent of spiritual fish to eat, or are we consistently helping them to act, to learn for themselves, and to stand steadfast and immovable? Are we helping our children become anxiously engaged in asking, seeking, and knocking?"

One of the reasons it is so important that our children learn to act on their own is that "the tuition of diligence and of learning by study and also by faith must be paid to obtain and personally 'own' such a knowledge." Our children need to learn to act for themselves in spiritual ways - not just physically - so that they are "prepared spiritually for the challenges of mortality."


In conclusion, I'd like to share Elder Bednar's testimony of these principles:

"The spiritual discernment and inspiration you will receive from the combination of these three holy habits will enable you to stand as watchmen on the tower for your families"