As the first Sunday of November, today we had a message from our Relief Society Presidency, presented by Sister Janice Cunningham.
Our scriptural reference today was from 1 Nephi 10:19,
"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."
What happens when we first have an idea and begin to implement it? We are faced with the question, "Where is this going?" In order to carry out our idea, our desire, we must think about it, consider all the possibilities, take that knowledge and narrow our choices down to the most pertinent and usable combination.
In discovering our own Reality, we must undergo much the same procedure and constantly try to understand what 'this' is all about.
Sometimes, in our study to discover our "Reality", we find that our first perception or impression may not end up being the true situation or evaluation which presents itself after some further thought and inspection.
Sister Cunningham told of a study involving eyeglasses that reversed the image a person was seeing. What was on the right was now on the left, and vice-versa. At first, the person was confused and frustrated in trying to manipulate through days with the reverse glasses on. The reality of their brain kept trying to override the conflicting message their eyes were delivering. Performance with these glasses could be, at times, comical or potentially disastrous, but if the person kept the glasses on for an entire week, the brain would adjust to the 'new normal' and the person would once again be able to function perfectly even though they were seeing things in reverse order.
Reality is different for each one of us. How many times have we discussed a childhood memory with siblings only to discover that they either did not remember the event or they remembered it in a totally different manner? This does not mean that one person is more right and another wrong, it simply proves that we do not all see things in exactly the same way all the time.
The Lord recognizes that we all have differences in our own reality. These differences were established in our spirits before we came to mortality. How boring our lives would be if we all thought exactly alike! One of the great challenges we face in our lives involves how we work and blend our ideas with others to come to a more common reality.
We do have the assurance that God's mercy is free and unrestrained for all. It is also absolute. We do not have that latitude. We, as mortals, are to be merciful to all in order that we may learn and participate in the mercy of God. This is reality. Redemption, too, is a gift from God and is given freely to all. The Love of God is another gift that is given freely to all. As we progress in our knowledge we recognize more and more the things that we receive from our Heavenly Father as blessings, miracles and tender mercies. As we mature and grow in the gospel, our reality adjusts to recognize these important principles.
Sister Cunningham told of a statue on a pedestal in her favorite aunt's home that she was told would eventually come to her when the aunt left this existence. Janice was not impressed. The figurine was not to her taste as a 20-something young woman. Years passed, the aunt passed away and sure enough, the statue came to reside in Janice's home and she found herself looking kindly and perhaps wistfully upon this object. The difference is that by this time, the statue represented something her aunt treasured that was now precious also to Janice because its value had changed and now provided her with loving memories of a beloved aunt. Her reality had changed.
This example shows us that we can (and do) change with time and experience and our reality changes as well. Sometimes it's a short time, other times it can be a very long time, but perceptions adjust to different conditions
The next portion of the lesson was for us to consider the action or reaction of our own reality as we listened to various New Testament stories in the life of our Savior.
The first story was from Mark, Chapter 10 regarding a young man seeking to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life and even though this is what he desired, he was unable to comply with one more requirement to obtain his goal. What is the reality in this story? What did the young man want more, eternal life or worldly possessions? We know Jesus loved him and would bless him with treasures in heaven, but the young man's reality was not on the same level. Could we give up everything if we were called upon by the Lord?
Also in Mark, Chapter 5, there is the story about a woman who had been ill for twelve years, had "suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." She heard of Jesus and determined that if only she could touch his clothes, she would be healed. As he was passing by in a large crowd of people, she could only get close enough to touch the hem of his robe, but she felt in her body that she was healed. Jesus immediately knew that "virtue had gone out of him" and he turned around to see who had touched him. He asked his disciples who had touched his clothes, but they had no idea. As he continued to look around, the woman came forward, falling at his feet and told him the truth. He proclaimed, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace . . ." What is the reality in this story? Can we see ourselves in the place of the woman? Is our faith sufficient that we know we can become whole by simply touching the clothes of the Savior? What is the reality of the disciples? What might their understanding have been and how might it have changed when the Savior spoke to the woman?
The third story is from Luke 4:16-24. After Jesus had been baptized and had spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying, he returned to the town of Nazareth. Attending synagogue on the sabbath day, he stood to read a section from the book of Esaias where it says that the "Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. . ." He closed the book and gave it back and sat down. The account says that all eyes were fastened on him and he said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Those in attendance were people among whom he had grown up and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" What was their reality? Did they recognize him as the Son of God, the fulfillment of the scripture he had just read?
Christ compared himself to God and referred to himself as the Good Shepherd. He preached that there was one fold and one shepherd. His apostles and disciples believed enough to follow Him as He traveled throughout the land. They were lost and frightened without their leader when He was crucified. Yet, their reality changed after the crucifixion when He appeared again to them. In a separate comment following the lesson, Sister Judith gave us an insight into the reason the Jews rejected Christ as the Messiah. Their promise was that the Messiah would come to set them free. Their reality was the bondage and enslavement they experienced from the Romans and they envisioned a mighty, powerful King who would come to free them from this life of servitude. This reality was shattered for them when they witnessed Jesus being taken captive, scourged, beaten and subdued, then crucified instead of taking charge and rescuing them as a people from their bondage. Their reality did not accept the change provided by the Savior's teachings.
As we think, study, learn and grow, our reality can change with the obtaining of new knowledge and experience.
Referencing a talk by Elder Marvin J. Aston in 1983, Sister Cunningham asked us to determine what our reality would be if we honestly examined the reasons we are not following all the teachings of Jesus Christ. How might we go about changing our reality by taking on the responsibility to repent - to change and move forward without delay?
We discussed the difference in the words "straight" and "strait". "Straight" meaning a course of action without curves or turns, but moving forward in an unwavering manner and "strait" meaning a narrow passage. The path to eternal life is straight and the gate therein is strait, while "wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction . . ."
Elder Ashton explains that we need to follow the admonition of the Savior to "Have peace one with another". This peace comes from within to flow outwardly to all that we touch. We must resist the temptation to pass judgement on others - a temptation shown in a story he had heard many years prior.
The story tells of an old French woman walking along the river. As she noticed something shiny in her path, she stopped to pick it up and put it away in her shawl. A policeman, watching her, came up and demanded to see what she had taken. She showed him and explained that it was a sharp, broken piece of glass she had removed from the path so that some barefoot boy might not step on it and cut his foot. What was the assumed reality of the policeman? How might his reality have changed upon hearing the old woman's words?
"Yes," Elder Ashton says, "erroneous judgments of the actions of our fellowmen may be responsible for our delay in straightway heeding the call of our Savior." If we have self-discipline and self-restraint, we can put aside the hurts and delays that may be caused by people around us and head in the right direction.
We have been told that man is born to die, but we do not know when we will be called. We need to always do our best to ensure we will be prepared and ready. We need to live our reality by making our choices based upon our best judgement.
May we each live our reality with the knowledge that we are all different, but we have the ability to change with time, increased knowledge and experience on our journey to obtain the blessings promised by our Heavenly Father.
Your reality seeking bloggess,
Karen
We do have the assurance that God's mercy is free and unrestrained for all. It is also absolute. We do not have that latitude. We, as mortals, are to be merciful to all in order that we may learn and participate in the mercy of God. This is reality. Redemption, too, is a gift from God and is given freely to all. The Love of God is another gift that is given freely to all. As we progress in our knowledge we recognize more and more the things that we receive from our Heavenly Father as blessings, miracles and tender mercies. As we mature and grow in the gospel, our reality adjusts to recognize these important principles.
Sister Cunningham told of a statue on a pedestal in her favorite aunt's home that she was told would eventually come to her when the aunt left this existence. Janice was not impressed. The figurine was not to her taste as a 20-something young woman. Years passed, the aunt passed away and sure enough, the statue came to reside in Janice's home and she found herself looking kindly and perhaps wistfully upon this object. The difference is that by this time, the statue represented something her aunt treasured that was now precious also to Janice because its value had changed and now provided her with loving memories of a beloved aunt. Her reality had changed.
This example shows us that we can (and do) change with time and experience and our reality changes as well. Sometimes it's a short time, other times it can be a very long time, but perceptions adjust to different conditions
The next portion of the lesson was for us to consider the action or reaction of our own reality as we listened to various New Testament stories in the life of our Savior.
The first story was from Mark, Chapter 10 regarding a young man seeking to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life and even though this is what he desired, he was unable to comply with one more requirement to obtain his goal. What is the reality in this story? What did the young man want more, eternal life or worldly possessions? We know Jesus loved him and would bless him with treasures in heaven, but the young man's reality was not on the same level. Could we give up everything if we were called upon by the Lord?
Also in Mark, Chapter 5, there is the story about a woman who had been ill for twelve years, had "suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." She heard of Jesus and determined that if only she could touch his clothes, she would be healed. As he was passing by in a large crowd of people, she could only get close enough to touch the hem of his robe, but she felt in her body that she was healed. Jesus immediately knew that "virtue had gone out of him" and he turned around to see who had touched him. He asked his disciples who had touched his clothes, but they had no idea. As he continued to look around, the woman came forward, falling at his feet and told him the truth. He proclaimed, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace . . ." What is the reality in this story? Can we see ourselves in the place of the woman? Is our faith sufficient that we know we can become whole by simply touching the clothes of the Savior? What is the reality of the disciples? What might their understanding have been and how might it have changed when the Savior spoke to the woman?
The third story is from Luke 4:16-24. After Jesus had been baptized and had spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying, he returned to the town of Nazareth. Attending synagogue on the sabbath day, he stood to read a section from the book of Esaias where it says that the "Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. . ." He closed the book and gave it back and sat down. The account says that all eyes were fastened on him and he said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Those in attendance were people among whom he had grown up and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" What was their reality? Did they recognize him as the Son of God, the fulfillment of the scripture he had just read?
Christ compared himself to God and referred to himself as the Good Shepherd. He preached that there was one fold and one shepherd. His apostles and disciples believed enough to follow Him as He traveled throughout the land. They were lost and frightened without their leader when He was crucified. Yet, their reality changed after the crucifixion when He appeared again to them. In a separate comment following the lesson, Sister Judith gave us an insight into the reason the Jews rejected Christ as the Messiah. Their promise was that the Messiah would come to set them free. Their reality was the bondage and enslavement they experienced from the Romans and they envisioned a mighty, powerful King who would come to free them from this life of servitude. This reality was shattered for them when they witnessed Jesus being taken captive, scourged, beaten and subdued, then crucified instead of taking charge and rescuing them as a people from their bondage. Their reality did not accept the change provided by the Savior's teachings.
As we think, study, learn and grow, our reality can change with the obtaining of new knowledge and experience.
Referencing a talk by Elder Marvin J. Aston in 1983, Sister Cunningham asked us to determine what our reality would be if we honestly examined the reasons we are not following all the teachings of Jesus Christ. How might we go about changing our reality by taking on the responsibility to repent - to change and move forward without delay?
We discussed the difference in the words "straight" and "strait". "Straight" meaning a course of action without curves or turns, but moving forward in an unwavering manner and "strait" meaning a narrow passage. The path to eternal life is straight and the gate therein is strait, while "wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction . . ."
Elder Ashton explains that we need to follow the admonition of the Savior to "Have peace one with another". This peace comes from within to flow outwardly to all that we touch. We must resist the temptation to pass judgement on others - a temptation shown in a story he had heard many years prior.
The story tells of an old French woman walking along the river. As she noticed something shiny in her path, she stopped to pick it up and put it away in her shawl. A policeman, watching her, came up and demanded to see what she had taken. She showed him and explained that it was a sharp, broken piece of glass she had removed from the path so that some barefoot boy might not step on it and cut his foot. What was the assumed reality of the policeman? How might his reality have changed upon hearing the old woman's words?
"Yes," Elder Ashton says, "erroneous judgments of the actions of our fellowmen may be responsible for our delay in straightway heeding the call of our Savior." If we have self-discipline and self-restraint, we can put aside the hurts and delays that may be caused by people around us and head in the right direction.
We have been told that man is born to die, but we do not know when we will be called. We need to always do our best to ensure we will be prepared and ready. We need to live our reality by making our choices based upon our best judgement.
May we each live our reality with the knowledge that we are all different, but we have the ability to change with time, increased knowledge and experience on our journey to obtain the blessings promised by our Heavenly Father.
Your reality seeking bloggess,
Karen
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