Read: 2 Nephi 14-18
Mark: 2 Nephi 15:20-21
"Today's popular entertainment often makes what is evil and wrong look enjoyable and right. Let us remember the Lord's counsel: 'Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.' Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in magazines, the Internet, and the television." -- Elder David E. Sorenson
To ponder:
What helps you see things as they really are?
Got caught up this morning! Yeah!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're here!
DeleteThere's a song I love from the musical Jekyll and Hyde called "Good and Evil." It's a bit of a sketchy song but illustrates perfectly the jist of these scriptures that we were asked to read today, or at least chapter 15! The whole musical is based on a theme of evil and good ad how people often hide under a facade of righteousness when in the cloak of darkness they lurk in evildoing, so basically you can never really take a person's actions at face value. Anyways, the song "Good and Evil" has one line in it that I particularly like. It says, "Heaven and hell is a hell of a battle to lose." How true is THAT? I mean, good and evil play a hard game with each other in trying to get our attention and allegiance, but at the end of the day we have to make a decision where we stand and sometimes it's really hard to see good or evil for what they are because we have so much evil out there parading around as good! And we've all had at least one really difficult decision in our lives where we were really tempted to just fudge it a little and we had to decide whether our integrity was worth it. What I love most about chapter 15 comes in verse 25: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Even when we struggle, or lose our way, God isn't angry but is continually coming to help us! All we have to do is reach out and take hold of the gospel message and trust that God will lift us higher than we can go on our own. So, the question was "What helps you see things as they really are?" God! God and the Holy Spirit help me to know what is truly good and evil. As I read the scriptures and do my best to align my heart with God, the picture becomes clearer. And, as always, adopting a "What would Jesus do?" attitude is a good choice to keep over-zealousness in check.
ReplyDeleteJenny, thank you so much for sharing these thoughts today! I learn so much from you!!!
DeleteIn today's reading as I strive to understand the words and teachings of Isaiah, a couple of scriptures really stand out to me. First, I love 2 Nephi 16:8, where Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord and answers by saying: Here am I; send me. I believe at this time, Isaiah is being called on a mission. Will we be able to answer in this way when we are called to do things by the Lord? I hope so!
ReplyDeleteI also love 2 Nephi 18:20, this scripture seems to outline the steps we are to take to see things as they really are. We are taught: Does this speak of the Lord, is it in the light? and second, is it in harmony with the teachings of the prophet? I know that by asking these questions, we can and will see things as they really are.
I try not to read anyone else's comments before I write my response. At first I looked at the question from a different perspective. I thought you learn to see things as they are from life experience. The majority of my childhood was spent in darkness. My own mother taught me to always be on my guard and to be very submissive. As I've grown older it's taken me many years to shed that teaching. To see I had the strength to stand on my own and see things for myself. Sometimes the hard way.
ReplyDeleteHe says to seek people with light in their eyes. I never saw that light until I found the church again. One of the few positive things my mother did bring to my life. She had me baptized. In doing so I have always been on the church's radar. Proving even more so Heavenly Father never gave up on me. I see things through Christ's eyes now. I realize He is the only one who understands the pain and darkness I have been through. Seeking people with that light in their eyes has brought me peace like no other time in my life. Peace I thought was never mine to know.
What helps me see things as they really are? Praying regularly for an eternal perspective and that I may see things as they are through His eyes... And then I practice. When I have questions or an frustrated and trying to understand something I try to step back and consider how I would respond if a friend were asking or wondering the same things and came to me. I have not formulated the answers but I have been given them and I know them. So if I try to take myself out of the middle of whatever it is I may be able to see the answer more clearly.
ReplyDeleteChapter 14. Some times I think of when Christ comes and how I can finally breathe easy.... I have to remind myself that work and places of assembly will still be active. We will not be resting easy! There will be a lot of work to do. I better get used to it now!
15. Isaiah writes the Lord "what more could I have done?" speaking of the Israelites. He did everything for them and they turned on him. I never want to hear him say those things to our about me. I must not turn away from him. Every choice is a choice for or against him. I must make the right choices and quickly correct myself when I stumble.
16. I take note of the order of things here. Isaiah recognizes his errors then repents until he is cleansed. THEN he is called AND HE GOES. Isaiah prepared himself and then followed through when the task for which he prepared himself (though probably he didn't know the specifics) was presented. We must do the same. Recognize and repent. Accept and follow through!
17. People who do not believe are often people who simply will not. Signs stress shred for and of not given then there is no God. Or if the sign is given it is fluke, coincidence, or the witnesses were mistaken.... Learn all you can, doubt your doubts, share what you discover and do not take responsibility for how the message is received.
18. Heeding abs signing yourself with the ideas and counsel of the world is a choice that will remain barren. Heed and align with the knowledge and counsel of God and have blessings enough to share.