When faced with life's challenges,
it is Important to Remember
that although Daniel was saved from the lions,
he was not saved from the Lion's Den.


Monday, September 20, 2010

Building a Temple


In the Book of Mormon, we read in 1 Nephi 22:25  And he numbereth his sheep and they know him,  and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.
As I read these verses today, I wondered where it was that we are trying (in our lives) to find pasture?  Is it in the "excitement" of the world?  Is it by having "fun"?  Is is your career? Or is your pasture found as you strive to follow the teachings of the Savior?
What are you looking for? 
When you continue on to the next verse, it says, "And because of the righteousness of  His people, Satan has no power, wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years, for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness and the Holy One of Israel  reigneth"
Think about this seemingly simple scripture for a moment.  When we are righteous, Satan is bound.
I find it interesting that he has no power over the hearts of the people.  As I ponder this, I think that the reason he has any power in the first place is because we give it willingly to him.  We may not realize it, but we do.  We choose his way because of our unwillingness to live the laws and the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We choose his way when we want the path to be easy and the grass to always seem green.  We choose Satan's way when we do not lay the foundation of Christ upon our soul.   "As the foundation of the Salt Lake Temple was being laid, with footings sixteen feet wide, President Brigham Young discovered the workmen were using a soft stone. The work was halted, the soft stone taken out and replaced with giant blocks of granite. He declared: 'We are building this temple to stand through the millennium' (LeGrand Richards, Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 81.)
As big as those stone were, I doubt that it was an easy task to take out a stone and put another in it's place.  Our bodies are supposed to be temples too.  So, are we building both our bodies and spirits to last through the millennium?  Or are we just kind of coasting along with soft stone for the corners?
I think what I am trying to say is that it is up to us to make sure that Jesus Christ is our cornerstone.  If  He is not, than we need to take the steps to put Him there. 
So, what is one thing that you could do this week to bring yourself closer to God?  What is one habit you can change?  One thing you can do?  (or not do for that matter!).  What do you need to do in your life to bring Him back to the cornerstone? 
Notice, that I did not say how many things!  I just asked for one.  I have found that when I change the soft stones out of my life one at a time, they have the tendancy not to move back in.  So this week, I only want you to change one thing and see if it makes a difference.   

4 comments:

  1. This is AWESOME! THANKS FOR THE CHALLENGE! ;D - OK.. I've been trying to get back to reading the scriptures by myself again lately (not just with the family). That will be the corner stone finish putting back in place... I'm strengthening my resolve to study the scriptures daily. Thanks! :D

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  2. He is the cornerstone. He is the foundation. And when we build on Him, we really do take the power away from Satan.

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  3. Ah, and my habit is taking 15 minutes away from relaxation at night to instead pray. :)

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  4. Very good post. And you are right. Growth comes better when we take one thing at a time to improve upon.

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