I can envision my sweet, little four year old sister screaming in innocent frustration, "NO. NO! I WILL NEVER BE HAPPY AGAIN! I AM SO MAD AT YOU!" She stamps her foot and frowns in such a way that makes her look like a fish. Her messy pigtails bounce as she runs out of the kitchen and after a couple seconds of loud, quick stomping down the hall, we hear her slam the door to her room.
What happened to spur such a tantrum?
She was told she couldn't have more cake. :) (In her defense, she was exhausted and didn't have a nap that day.)
The funny thing about all of my younger siblings, even my sixteen year-old brother, is that they almost immediately forget when they become extremely mad. I remember a couple of times when my younger brother and I would get into a giant argument and we would both storm off red in the face. Usually when I was still fuming, he would come in to my room and start telling me about his day as if nothing had ever happened. To be completely honest, it would drive me insane. Not wanting to break the sudden peace that had come between us, I would do my best to pretend that I was completely over whatever we were arguing about and listen and ask questions about things he mentioned about his day. Other times I was even more immature and would make him leave my room.
In Mosiah 10 it says, "Believing that... they were wronged... they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi."
As Brother Griffith pointed out in class, did they really have reason to hate the Nephites so much? Did they have reason to be so extreme in their teachings?
Um. NO. Any one of the Lamanites could look at this and go, "Geez man. It's been 400 years and this land is actually pretty great. It's very fruitful. I'm content. None of that actually affected my daily life. I can still have a family and learn. I don't know what the deal is."
But how often do people hold grudges for stupid things? All of this shows two distinct things to me.
One: it is so, SO hard to go against false traditions. For 400 years, the hatred of the Lamanites grew and everything was blown out of proportion. What I teach my children is extremely important.
Two: Forgiveness is necessary. Because the Lamanites were so engulfed in how they had been wronged they weren't happy. From what I read it seems like revenge became their purpose in life. If someone is so stuck in the zone of getting revenge, it would almost be necessary to get slaves to fulfill everyday needs. :)
"By their fruits, ye shall know them." Nephi didn't complain and teach his children to destroy the Lamanites. It was the other way around. The Nephites didn't demand contention with the Lamanites. It was the other way around.
In my everyday life, this showed me that I needed to realize that my arguments with my brother just don't matter. What I think is important in that rush of anger is not really what is important. What is important is my relationship with him. I need to forgive and let go because, frankly, I don't want to live in a temper tantrum.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Learning
Jacob 7:4
And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.
This scripture is talking about Sherem. Sherem was an anti-Christ. But he was not stupid.
I feel like the prophets have told us to basic/overlying things about education. One: get as much as possible. It will rise with us in the second coming, and is extremely important. Two: don't get a big head about it.
The prophets have mentioned about how often men learn so much that they forget Who created them because, hey. They have the answers to the questions. They're smart. They've dedicated their life to being right. They already know the answers. They don't need a God. Believing in a God is pathetic. Listen to them! Don't pay attention to the religious elderly. They just aren't smart. (*creepy voice of the snake from "The Jungle Book") Trust in... me...
...Really?
I feel that one of the worst temptations in the world today is to depend on the knowledge of men. Yes, we have come a long, long, way. Science is AMAZING. Math is one of my favorite things in the world. What we can learn is overwhelming, but exciting. I've read through a couple of philosophers' writings. They are simply incredible. But we know nothing. Think about it--there is SO much out there. But we know nothing.
Isn't it interesting that the power of the devil is flattery? The adversary is a master of rhetoric. He is not stupid. He knows how to convince men that they know more than they actually do.
This is why the devil uses Sherem, a master of words to turn the people away from their God. It also makes you wonder how the adversary convinced Sherem that he was better than the prophets and even his God.
Humility is one of the hardest attributes for me. It is so hard to be humble and understand that, really, I am no more than the dust of the earth. It's hard to do well in something and then remember to kneel down and thank my Heavenly Father for that ability. I get distracted in what I accomplished and find myself praising the knowledge of men instead of remembering to praise God. It's not that I think I'm better than God, but I feel like I forget that I need to turn to Him for all things, including thanking Him for my accomplishments. I know I would nowhere without Him. (2 Nephi 32:9)
And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.
This scripture is talking about Sherem. Sherem was an anti-Christ. But he was not stupid.
I feel like the prophets have told us to basic/overlying things about education. One: get as much as possible. It will rise with us in the second coming, and is extremely important. Two: don't get a big head about it.
The prophets have mentioned about how often men learn so much that they forget Who created them because, hey. They have the answers to the questions. They're smart. They've dedicated their life to being right. They already know the answers. They don't need a God. Believing in a God is pathetic. Listen to them! Don't pay attention to the religious elderly. They just aren't smart. (*creepy voice of the snake from "The Jungle Book") Trust in... me...
...Really?
I feel that one of the worst temptations in the world today is to depend on the knowledge of men. Yes, we have come a long, long, way. Science is AMAZING. Math is one of my favorite things in the world. What we can learn is overwhelming, but exciting. I've read through a couple of philosophers' writings. They are simply incredible. But we know nothing. Think about it--there is SO much out there. But we know nothing.
Isn't it interesting that the power of the devil is flattery? The adversary is a master of rhetoric. He is not stupid. He knows how to convince men that they know more than they actually do.
This is why the devil uses Sherem, a master of words to turn the people away from their God. It also makes you wonder how the adversary convinced Sherem that he was better than the prophets and even his God.
Humility is one of the hardest attributes for me. It is so hard to be humble and understand that, really, I am no more than the dust of the earth. It's hard to do well in something and then remember to kneel down and thank my Heavenly Father for that ability. I get distracted in what I accomplished and find myself praising the knowledge of men instead of remembering to praise God. It's not that I think I'm better than God, but I feel like I forget that I need to turn to Him for all things, including thanking Him for my accomplishments. I know I would nowhere without Him. (2 Nephi 32:9)
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