A Day in the Life of a Poolshark

This past week as we were walking around the rainy streets of Montana, I found myself singing songs to keep my spirits up. Randomly, a favorite song of mine from five or six years ago popped into my head and I began to sing:

"Never could see past the skin
They make you believe
Beauty's from within
Don't know why
'cause it's just natural."

As soon  as I finished the refrain, I stopped in my tracks. I couldn't believe the words that had just come out of my mouth! My mind was immediately drawn to a scripture mastery verse that I had memorized more than eight years ago. 

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

For the first time ever, I had considered the message of one of my all-time favorite songs and was appalled at how vain it was. I thought about the state of society and about how so much rests upon our physical appearance. How comforting it is to know that the Lord looks past all that, that he see's us and loves us for our hearts and our goodness. "Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." DC 18:10.

Let us all practice this Godly attribute and love and judge people the way God does. I'm working hard to develop this charity to see and love people as God does!

Developing Motivation

For the past few months, I keep forgetting that a new year has come and instead include 2010 on many of the dates that I write down. A new year has indeed come though and with the passing of one year into the next, we are given the wonderful opportunity to take a step back and evaluate our lives. The tradition of setting resolutions to better our lives is a great chance for us to make the first step towards positive change. None of our lives are perfect; we are all subject to the trials of regular life. Many of the heartaches we face are unfortunately brought onto our shoulders by of our own mistakes. There are solutions to all of life's problems though, and there is always room for change. We are now quite a ways into 2011 and hopefully we won't wait for the next new year to make additional changes in our life. So what can we do to motivate and inspire ourselves to make these changes?

For all those who struggle feeling happy because of the weight of life's problems, for those who want to make positive changes in their life, know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the path to joy in this life. This has been my experience. At times, I knew that I wanted to follow God's commandments more fully, but I did not have the desire to follow through. I had trouble shaking the natural man. Many of us know what to do, and yet we struggle to actually do it.

Here are some things to know that will help us on our path to improvement.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. - 1 Nephi 3:7

God will never ask us to do anything that we are unable to do.

For with God nothing shall be impossible. - Luke 1:37
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. - Philippians 4:13

Anything is possible with God's assisstance. Start with simple, specific and achievable goals. Pray for heavenly aid. As you progress, pay attention to the joy that comes into your life. Turn those results into further motivation towards imporvement in other areas. As we do this, we will blossom taking full advantage of the many talents God has given each of us. We will become better disciples of Jesus Christ and we acheive goals to be more Christlike. We will gain a testimony of God's love for each of us as we see him help us on our road to perfection.

Don't be complacent, "Awake thou that sleepest." We all have need to improve ourselves and to do it now, for "the night cometh, wherein no man can work." - 3 Nephi 27:33

What is the purpose of life? (Part 1: Finding Happiness)

Why are we here? What do you want out of life? What do you need out of life? Ask a thousand people, you may get a thousand different answers. My limited life experience thus far has helped me answer those questions though. Those answers have given my life direction. I hope that what I share can help all those who are wondering what they want how to life, and maybe even how to go about finding it.

One answer most people give when asked what they want or need out of life is happiness. All of us want to be happy! The pursuit of happiness seems like an honorable and respectable life pursuit to me. It's even scripturally supported as a purpose of life, a reason we are here. 

"Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:25

God is a perfect parent.  What parent doesn't want their kids to be happy? We weren't put on this earth to just to suffer, experience trails and heartache. We are here to expierience joy and happiness! How do we go about finding joy though? What do we do to find the joy that God wants us to feel? 

It only takes a couple television programs to know where most of the world turns to find this joy. Commercials advertise fun and happiness packaged in 24-packs of 16oz. cans. Apparently, Bud Light is the "sure sign of a good time." My experience has shown though that there is a distinction between pleasure and happiness that the world fails to make. In my life, I've sought for peace, joy and love. Do these things bring about those feelings? The joy brought on by one night of "fun" for me was never lasting. If I wanted to experience that same feeling again, I would have to do the same thing over. This Talmage quote was life-altering: 

“The present is an age of pleasure-seeking, and men are losing their sanity in the mad rush for sensations that do but excite and disappoint. In this day of counterfeits, adulterations, and base imitations, the devil is busier than he has ever been in the course of human history, in the manufacture of pleasures, both old and new; and these he offers for sale in most attractive fashion, falsely labeled, Happiness.
“. . . Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true worth in pleasure, and much besides. Happiness is genuine gold, pleasure but gilded brass, which corrodes in the hand, and is soon converted into poisonous verdigris. Happiness is as the genuine diamond, which, rough or polished, shines with its own inimitable luster; pleasure is as the paste imitation that glows only when artificially embellished. Happiness is as the ruby, red as the heart’s blood, hard and enduring; pleasure, as stained glass, soft, brittle, and of but transitory beauty.
“Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutritious and sweet; it builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical, mental and spiritual; pleasure is but a deceiving stimulant which, like spiritous drink, makes one think he is strong when in reality enfeebled; makes him fancy he is well when in fact stricken with deadly malady.
“Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme, it brings degradation and destruction
“True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish.  (James E. Talmage, Improvement Era, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 172-73.  Quoted in: Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 230.)

This scripture from the Book of Mormon helps us see that we cannot find happiness in doing that which is wicked.

"But behold, your day of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head." Helaman 13:38 

All wickedness has ever brought me is momentary pleasure. True and lasting happiness however comes through obedience to God's commandments. When we obey, then we are blessed with the fruits of the spirit: peace, joy, love... God promises this, and he cannot lie.

"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

Righteousness will bring about happiness. God tells us to test him and see!

"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." Malachi 3:10 

It's my challenge to everyone to test God to see if your personal righteousness will not bring about the true and lasting happiness that is offered. I have felt it myself. "God is faithful" (1 Cor 10:13). He will not lie to us. This promise is sure. Try it for yourself and see!