"Be[an] ye perfect[?]"That's Bean-tastic!

Okay, so it took me a few hours to finally "wake up" and hear the good news.... I missed most of Sacrament, and dozed off in Sunday School (the teacher's voice was so soft and soothing that I couldn't help myself). But I was fully alert during Elders' Quorum. I want to write a few things down before my week gets busy and I forget the particular promptings I felt this day.

In Elders' Quorum we continued learning from the teachings of President Snow. Chapter Six talked about becoming perfect in the Lord and the teacher pointed out a few interesting things.

1. It is a commandment to be perfect.
2. Perfection is obtainable.
3. Parts of our character have already been perfected.

First, it is a commandment to be perfect. Countless scriptures attest to this as the Lord ushers in the first step towards perfection with his continual gentle reminder for all of us to repent and become better. In the New Testament, specifically in the book of Matthew, Christ says that we should be perfect like the Father. After his resurrection and ascension to His Father, Christ returns to the American continent and utters a similar challenge to the Mesoamerican people, a people Mormon theology refers to as Nephites and Lamanites. He says that they too should be perfect like their Father in Heaven, but also like Himself, who at this time had finally finished the work of the great atonement and had now received a fullness, or completeness of our Father's glory. This account is recorded in the Book of Mormon. You will also find similar encouragement from our Savior in various sections throughout the Doctrine and Covenants.

Second, perfection is attainable. This idea is a bit overlooked and certainly glossed over as our society and culture embraces human flaws and differences. We embrace the notion that we are no better than the animals and so are justified in acting like one. As with such thinking, society believes it is okay to appease our natural instincts and desires in this life. Why else would we have them, they reason, if not to indulge them? This of course is one extreme in society. The other extreme, the more predominantly Christian side, would argue that we cannot be perfect without Christ and His grace, no matter what good actions we procure from living the Gospel, and therefore it is simply enough to believe in Christ. But if we are indeed commanded to be perfect, and since Nephi tells us that the Lord does not give us a commandment without first providing a way for that commandment to be accomplished, then it would seem that we are meant to work on that perfection now in this life, and not just wait until the next.

Third, parts of our character have already been perfected and can/will be perfected in this life (if that is what we choose to do). You must consider this in terms of finding perfection or completeness in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is in fact like a puzzle, and that puzzle is broken down into a bunch of puzzle pieces. Well, these puzzle pieces represent the commandments that make up the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Once you are able to master complete obedience to a given commandment, then that puzzle piece is already set as part of the puzzle and your perfection in that one commandment is complete. However, there are multiple puzzle pieces, or commandments, that also must be achieved in order for the puzzle to be complete.

So then what does my puzzle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ look like? Is it complete, or are there holes, spaces that are missing their appropriate puzzle piece? It is hard to say, since living the Gospel of Jesus Chris is like climbing a steep mountain day in and day out. If you get tired and slip, then you have to re-climb the parts of the mountain that you have already climbed. I suppose it is okay to slip from time to time, as long as you continue to climb and eventually climb passed those places where you slipped. (Note: If you are unable to get passed the slippage, then seek help from a Higher Power)You have to hold on, and as Nephi says, "endure to the end. Perfection is just as simple as climbing a tall, steep mountain, but also just as difficult. 

The Parable of the Bean

From the Master's hand

Scattered through the land

Seeds of everything.

It's something so grand

When each takes a stand

And brings their offering.

 

To a garden unmatched

A scheme only hatched

In time long suffering.

Dug deep and attached

A root bruised and patched

By a tough weedling.

 

This root will be

A simple bean

After much suffering.

And you will see

What I mean

After the buffering .

 

Don't be cheap,

Dig the bean deep

With the bacterial.

And you will reap

Beans to the heap

In fertile material.

 

And similar to life

We go trough strife

No matter how planted.

If we approach with rife

Our every single trife

Our better not be granted.

 

Dig deep and embrace

What you feel to disgrace

'Tis there to help you grow.

Stand firm in your place

Shine the light from your face

Truth you will come to  know.

 

Only applied pressure

Will make a Bean grow.

Log Dos

     I was late again, even with the change in time. I found my nice, comfy seat at the foyer, plumped down onto it's cushion, and listened.The woman speaker spoke of patriarchal blessings. And as she went through her talk, my mind wondered what had become of my patriarchal blessing. I had not read it for quite some time. I think it had at least been a year, if not longer.
     She said that it would help you during your darker times in your life. This touched my senses. I had questions, and it was a certainly a darker time in my life, post divorce and all, when again I questioned myself and my abilities. I had the thought that I was a child in a man's body, or better yet, I comtemplated that the age of my spirit was being surpassed by my physical age of 34. Which made sense to me as I recalled when I was younger always feeling older than I really was. See, it was my spirit body that was really older. Now, I'm in reverse and appear older than my spirit body.
     My reflecion sometimes frightens me. I am not the father that I hoped to be, yet my partriachal blessing tells me that I will have children. I have not written and made my living from writing like I wanted to, and yet my patriarchal blessing says that I will receive the basics of life from following after the profession that is in my  heart. I was supposed to be part of higher callings in the church and a helper in bringing people back to the church, but that really hasn't manifested itself, at least not like I had expected. I was supposed to be blessed to heal people with the powers of the priesthood, but I was never once asked by Pea to give her a blessing of healing or comfort. What happened? What did I do wrong? Had I become unworthy and had all my predicated blessings disavowed? I thought about the temple, and why it hasn't been a big effort on my part to get back there, to have a temple recommend and worship inside the temple walls again.
     Who I was and who I am today has certainly become festered. I don't have my old child love of the gospel and I fight constantly with my desires to be set in my own ways. I mean today I was supposed to clean the apartment and sort of organize things, but instead I just sat on my ass and watched two movies on TV. 
     I am reminded of that scripture in 2nd Nephi: Oh wretched man I am! So easily beset by temptation. But I want to do better. I want to get back to the child within me, when I was excited about living the gospel. 
     Okay, that's enough regret. This is supposed to be a postive accounting of what happened today. During Elder's Quorum we discussed a talk from Elder Ballard about being anxiously engaged in a good cause. In the discussion between quorum members, I mentioned that it was necessary to distinguish work we did as either quantitative or qualitative, and of course aspire towards giving work/sevice that is more qualitative and less quantitative.
     Though this is easier said than done. What good did I do today? I went to church and participated in the lessons. I went to my storage to look for my partriarchal blessing, but I couldn't find it. I thought to vist Tina and chat with her. It had been awhile, and it was rumored that they would be moving soon. Yet, I didn't visit her. I had my reasons, but I wish it didn't have to be so.

Oh that regret's coming back. I should of done better.

I should of done better,
I should of been better,
Said what I meant to say
And listen to the speaker,
And not merely hear it.

I should of listened to the Spirit,
Not fear it,
More than man.
I should of believed that I can,
And not doubt that I could.

But if I could, I would
Take a second chance
To good advance
And actually go and do
What I know to be true.

I am a child of God
I am a writer
I am creative
I am a friend
And I am worthy.

Only need I believe
And I will do better
And be better;
I will say what is meant to be said
And speak to those who will listen.