Breeze

   Yesterday was Stake Conference. (For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a church service where all of the congregations in a specific area join together for 2 hours. It's good times.) We went and were spiritually fed.

   On the way back, we got stuck in some slow traffic on the highway. As we drove, we were wondering why in the world the traffic was so bad. Eventually, our slow and steady course brought us into sight of some flashing lights - someone got in a wreck.

   Hope it's not too bad. I thought to myself as I sat in the back seat with my arm out the window, feeling the breeze flow across my skin. Details surfaced as we drew nearer. What was one set of lights turned into two. And then three. And then four. And then five. And then more. I don't remember how many, honestly.

   My dad told me once, "If you see an ambulance, someone is having a worse day than you, so cheer up." How true. How. True. Whoever this man or woman was, he or she was having a worse day than me. 

  The drive continued, and I began doing what most of us do as we get close to a wreck - you start sitting up straighter and watching for any and every bit of information you can. You want the juicy stuff. After all, this could make a great story later, right? Right. Soon, though, what my eyes didn't see was a flipped over, destroyed, flaming wreck of what was once a nice Volkswagen Jetta. What my eyes did see, however, was an airplane crashed on the side of the road. It was a small, single prop plane, nothing huge.

   From my limited knowledge, this is what I think personally happened: the pilot was cruising along on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, enjoying the beautiful Napa Valley skies. Suddenly, something went wrong. The pilot tried to do everything possible to recover, but it soon became apparent that a crash landing would need to be necessary (Would need to be necessary... that's terrible grammar. My AP English teacher would probably throw a copy of The Great Gatsby at my head for that). 

   After a rapid surveillance or perhaps a radio call to the airport, or probably both, the highway was chosen for a spot to land as it's rather similar to a runway and flat compared to the grape-laden hills. As the plane's shadow grew larger on the highway, the cars must have slowed down or moved to the side. However, not all went well and the plane still crashed. I'm sure help was already on the way even before bystanders began phoning in. Ambulances, fire engines, police, and more were responding with great haste.

    Back to the situation at hand: I saw one gurney with a body on it, so someone was hurt. I couldn't see much more, but I knew that that person was hurt. There were other civilians standing around talking to emergency responders, so maybe there were even more hurt than I could see.

   And that brings you up to speed on where I was - sitting in the driver-side rear seat, feeling the breeze across my arm.

   I began to think how precious life is. It's short. We're fragile. We're susceptible to so many different diseases and illnesses. We break. We're just... mortal.

   I'm glad that we won't always been this way. I'm happy that one day, the Resurrection will happen and mortality will be... over. 

   We drove passed the crash. I arched my neck around so that I could watch the airplane and firefighters or as long as I could. Finally, when I couldn't see it anymore, I sat back down normally, but this time much more somberly, with a lot more to think about.

   

   For some reason, the breeze flowing over my arm felt much better and had much more meaning to it.

Stove Toucher!

   Have any of you ever read The Continuous Atonement by Brad R. Wilcox? It's an absolutely brilliant book (Yeah, I like the Atonement if none of you can tell!). In it, Wilcox really helps the reader by seeing how the Atonement of Jesus Christ has a personal, real relevance for all. If you ever get the chance to read it, I would highly recommend it.

   Today, I want to quote him on something that is rather, well, humorous. My companion, Elder Russell, and I now quote this section of the book with laughter because it makes sin sound...

   ...funny!

   Before you think I'm a blasphemous son-of-a-gun, let me explain to you. Wilcox makes a brilliant mockery of sin. He takes many of the common excuses that we have for sin and puts them in the context of touching a burning stove. Please, take a gander: 

 (I put * next to my personal favorites.)

     In the context of touching a hot stove, consider some of the most common excuses for sin:
          Just one touch won't hurt.
          I'm afraid if I take my hand off I won't be able to leave it off.
          I deserve this.
          The only reason I feel pain is because of my Mormon culture.
          But I was born with the desire to touch the stove.
          It's my parents' fault. They're the ones who bought the stove.
          I just need to adjust to the burning rather than try to overcome it.
          I want to be excommunicated so it won't hurt when I touch the stove.
          No one told me touching the hot stove was bad.
        *It may hurt, but at least I'm touching it with someone I love.
          It's not like it's totally wrong. It's a gray area.
          Everyone else is touching it.
          I'll touch it if I want. It's my right. Nobody is going to tell me what to do or not do.
          Stove? What stove? I don't see any stove.
          I just don't care anymore. I'm numb to it.
          I know it's wrong, but I'll move my hand tomorrow.
          You can't go without touching the stove all the time.
          I've blown it now. I might as well touch it more.
        *Those who don't touch are so old-fashioned.
        *At least it's just my hand and not my whole face.
          How will I know it hurts unless I touch it myself?
        *At least the other stove touchers accept me and don't judge.
          There are others who touch it more than I do.
          If God didn't want me to touch the stove, He wouldn't have given me a hand.
   
   Tell me that you didn't chuckle at all. Well, don't tell me that. I hope that you did, chuckle, however. These excuses, though, are true! How pathetic do they sound? Really? Seriously?
   Our excuses will do us no good come Judgement Day. The Prophet Alma taught:

14 For our ^awords will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the^bmountains to fall upon us to ^chide us from his presence. (Alma 12:14)

   Good point. It doesn't matter what excuses we give here. All of our excuses are pathetic, really. When we stand before God to be judged, can you really picture yourself saying, "It's your fault. You gave me the hand!" It's really just not going to cut it. 

   However, that doesn't mean repentance is easy! It is worth it though. Repentance is a difficult, often painful process that brings joy - infinitely more joy than sin ever will.

   And we can talk about repentance through the Atonement another day. I just wanted to share that. 

To Make Us Worth It

I love C.S. Lewis. Mainly because he said amazing things like this:

"Christ died for men precisely because men are not worth dying for; to make them worth it" - C.S. Lewis.

 It's exactly true though. We came to this life, imperfect as we are, to get our bodies. We knew beforehand that it would be a struggle, that we would need a lot of help. We understood that, by our own merits, we would never be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father and our families for eternity.

Enter Jesus Christ: He saves us from the lasting effects of the fall. He made us worth dying for by dying for us.

It was a cool thought. I just wanted to share it with you.

The Atonement and being Scatter-brained

   It's pretty easy for my mind to get scatter-brained and distracted. I'm having one of those moments right now and because of that, I can't remember what I was going to write my blog about. And that's how life is for me.

   Recently, my mind has been on the Atonement of Jesus Christ a lot. And rightfully so - it's only the most important event in the history of everything. I've always wondered exactly how the Atonement works - and that's something that I'll keep wondering. We won't understand that in this lifetime.

   I also like to think about what the Atonement does for us. I feel like this is a subject that missionaries speak on all the time. Yet, I want to add my own touch to it and that is what I'll be attempting to do here.

   Let's get the basics: The Atonement of Christ refers to the suffering of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, His subsequent death on the cross, and His glorious resurrection thereafter. It is through the Atonement of Christ that we are cleansed from our sins and transgressions and we will be given a perfect body that will never die again.

   Somehow, it's also through the Atonement that we are changed. Again, I don't understand how it works - I just know that Christ does change us. He makes us happier, He gives us hope, He is the author of our faith. I wish I knew more about the Atonement so that I could share it with you all. 
   All I know is that the Atonement is real. I can't see it, I can't touch it, I can force someone else to believe in it. However, I can feel it. It's the best thing ever.
   
   I apologize for having such a short, scatter-brained post. Maybe next week I'll have something better.

Trusting Trials

   It's often said that a mission is the best two years of your whole life. A missionary that I love and respect said, "I can't quite agree with that. I would say that it isn't the best two years of your life, but the best two years for your life." I can agree with that.

   My mission has been full of trials, just like life normally is. Does anyone love tribulations? Who loves struggling? Really though?

   Not this guy.

   We know from the scriptures that God will consecrate all trials to be for our good if we turn to Him, specifically in Section 122 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It reads in verse seven:

And if thou shouldst be cast into the ^apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the ^bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to ^chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of ^dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee ^eexperience, and shall be for thy good.

   The key part is that "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." If I may, I like to add this: "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good and the good of others!" Let me explain. Towards the beginning of my mission, my Dad sent me a copy of a talk that he gave in Sacrament meeting on trusting in the Lord. He told of a long event that happened in Yellowstone National Park that I now echo:

    From 1926 - 1995, the main predators of Elk, wolves, were taken out of the Park for the good of the Elk herds that were becoming too thin. Elk, weighing from 500lbs. to 700lbs. (some even getting up to 1,300lbs.!) had little to fear from anything else in the park. Life was easy for them! They didn't have to watch their backs, worry about straying too far from the herd, or drinking too long at the riverside. They had nothing to do but sit about and graze, drink, and be merry - the easy life, if you will. Imagine that being like your biggest problem being gone, whatever it may be. It would be fantastic.

   However, the side effects were much farther reaching than ever thought beforehand. Elk over-browsed the trees that grew along the banks of streams and rivers - willows, cottonwoods, and all other shrubs and life that prevent erosion. Birds lost nesting space. Habitats for fish and other aquatic species declined as waters became broader and shallower and, without shade from stream side vegetation providing shade, warmer. 

   Aspen trees in Yellowstone's northern valleys, where elk winter, were seldom able to reach full height. Elk ate nearly all the new sprouts.

   Coyote numbers climbed. Though they often kill elk calves, they prey mainly on small mammals such as ground squirrels and rodents, reducing food available for foxes, badgers, and birds of prey.

   The list goes on - elk were overpopulated, other animals lost homes and a place in the park, and so on.

   Something had to be done. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced to the ecosystem. Let's look at what has happened since then.

   Elk population has been halved. 

   Aspen groves are coming back nice and strong. 

   Coyote population has also declined.

   Willows, cottonwoods, and the other vegetation have re-stabilized stream banks, helping restore natural water flow. Overhanging branches again shade the water and welcome birds. 

   Beaver colonies have risen dramatically now that stream banks are lush with vegetation, especially willows (a key beaver food.) Beaver dams create ponds and marshes, supporting fish, amphibians, birds, small mammals, and a rich insect population to feed them.

   Wolves don't cover their kill, so they've boosted the food supply for scavengers, notably bald and golden eagles, coyotes, ravens, magpies, and bears.

   Again, the list goes on. Isn't it strange that one decision made roughly 70 years earlier for the good of one group could have such a negative impact on the rest of the parks inhabitants? Reintroducing that one 'trial and tribulation' for Elk helped out so many others. It's rather far reaching.

   So it is with us and our trials. "...all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good and the good of others!" The next verse, eight, in section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants reads as follows:

The ^aSon of Man hath ^bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

   Think for one second. Christ Himself asked while suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane if there was any other possible way, if He could have His cup removed from Him. Nevertheless, He did as our Father asked and suffered. What if, like the Elk, He had not had His greatest trial? What would that mean for the rest of us?

   Life would be pointless. Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would live a short 80 years, if we were lucky, and then die. All for nothing. Sure, we would grow and be happy in this life, but would there be any hope for the life after? Would there be anything after for us?

   No.

   Lucky for us, Christ went through with it. Because of His greatest trial, we are more than blessed - we are promised immortality and eternal life with our families. Our gratitude for Him is only matched by His eternal love for us.

   And, as our perfect example, we should emulate Him. We don't have to love our trials. We may want something easier, and smooth life. Yet, think how many people may depend on us! Our mothers and fathers. Our sisters and brothers. Our wives and husbands. Our sons and daughters. Our coworkers. Our neighbors. Our students. Our clients. Our friends. Our enemies.  

   We can't possibly think of who we bless by our suffering.

   So the next time you want to have it easy, think of this: I'm blessing someone else. Take President Monson's advice and, "do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks." (Three Goals to Guide You)

   Christ is ever watchful and mindful of us. He will always be with you and watch over you. I promise you that.