Honoring God

When commandments are no longer rules you have to keep in order to receive blessings, but sacrifices and sacraments you willing give to God to honor Him for all you have received, then is the time you become favored of God.

Fix Your Faith

Don't just believe, believe in something; fix your faith on specifics. As you believe so shall it be.

If you don't believe that, examine for a moment if everything you have received is not the product of what you believed you would, or should, receive.

So, what do you believe? Fix your faith on that and go forward. It will ALWAYS come to pass.

The trick for increased blessings and rewards is to increase your faith by increasing your confidence before God. To the level you increase your righteousness and obedience, you confidence before God will grow, and the more you will come to believe you will receive.

And then what? You will ALWAYS receive...perfectly according to your level of belief.

Righteousness = confidence before God = faith = prayers answered.

So, fix your faith on something. "I know that if I will do this...this will happen." Then go forward in faith and see the blessings come.

The secret: This is the formula you have already followed for every blessing you've received.

The Second Mile

Don't put a "Road Closed" sign on the second mile.

Repentance!

Only he who understands repentance will live in a state of continual joy and rejoicing. He who does not, will not.

We Keep (or Don't Keep) the Commandments Like We Drive

We keep (or don't keep) some of the commandments about like we drive.

If the speed limit is 65, we usually go 68, 72, or 80 mph. We may go 65 if it looks totally necessary but until then we go as we please, saying that 65 is a good guideline, but rarely, or never, actually going that speed.

The Book of Mormon

It seems to me that the two most repeated messages in the Book of Mormon are: Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper AND ask and ye shall receive.

If this is so, isn't it amazing how the 2 work together: If you keep the commandments, then as you ask, you shall receive and prosper.

Now that's a powerful, reassuring, hope-filled message from an all-powerful God who wants to and is bound to bless us when we do what He has asked of us. We sometimes just need to remember to ask of Him for what we need and want.

DOers and Be-ers

We must both do and be good.

I believe there are two types of "good" people. Those who more easily DO good. And those who more innately ARE good.

(Though such a thought accounts for the basis of some generalities and has numerous angles to explore, I will simplify and shorten my thoughts greatly to give a simple overview.)

Because we must both do AND be good, it is important for those who more generally fall under one or the other description understand how and why to become the other. I also believe that most marriages are made up of one of each of these - a Doer and an Be-er.

*Those who do good, should do in order to become good. And those that are good, should do because they are.*

Read that again. That's the simple sum of the matter.

4 Stages of Progression

Nest, Test, Rest, Best

I'm not sure if everyone goes through these stages. But I am sure that anyone who desires to progress does.

Nesting is a preparation period, like a bird in the nest. You are safe and sheltered; life is fairly easy and blissful, even exciting in anticipation.

Then comes the test. This is the wilderness. A time when nothing seems to go right, when things are very difficult, confusing, trying. You may feel completely lost. But it's important to know all of this is only a test to see how well you can handle it when on your own.

After the test, is rest. Things are noticeably better; peaceful. Certainly a time of rest after the difficulty and strain of the test. A welcome friend.

From rest comes the best. This period of time is simply everything enjoyed during your rest but better. This is the time when everything seems to click, when nothing could possibly go wrong. How lovely and blessed this period is.

When we come to understand and see these stages unfold in our lives we begin to attain true perspective. Perspective that will see us through anything - yes, even the coming test periods. See, this is the meaning of it all. To know where you are at any given period so you can see it in it's true light.

NOTE: that there is only 1 out of the 4 periods that is difficult! The other 3 periods are all varying levels of good things, of blessings and peace.

NOTE: there is no set time period to a given stage. This should not cause a loss of faith in the reality of the 4 stages, rather a constant watchfulness, which is true humility.

NOTE: you will often experience the 4 stages within a stage. For example, if you feel that you are in the Test stage and may be for some time, you will very likely find that you have periods of nest, test, rest, and best within the overall Test stage. This can even occur multiple times with the Test stage...or any of the stages. This is also important to understand in perspective because experiencing a small test period within the main Test stage is literally being in the desert of deserts. But going through a test period within the main Best stage is completely different - obviously much less stress and difficulty, yet still a test.

LAST NOTE: understanding these 4 stages is fundamental to having perspective and peace in abundance as you journey and progress in any aspect of your life.