Families Are Forever . or Not

[smac97]

19 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

Thanks, I appreciate it. However, if I could choose to go back to where I was mentally, I would still choose this. I think I am closer to goodness than before this way. And that is what always mattered ultimately to me then, and still does now.

I understand.  We are all interested in the pursuit of truth.  It stands to reason, then, that we all think our present framework, when compared with a diametrically opposed one, is correct.  Moreover, all frameworks have ramifications that are difficult in one way or another.  

Thanks,

-Smac

[stemelbow]

39 minutes ago, SteveO said:

Ok, I’ll get serious.

You can start by reading Alma’s counsel to compare the word to a seed...

 

Quarantine has truly been a personal blessing in disguise.  I know, I know.  It’s terrible what’s going on out there, and I’d prefer it not to have happened.  But we’ve been given the opportunity to a large amount of time we otherwise don’t, or claim not to have.  And I was watching a YouTube video about how in a year from now, people are either going to be worse off, pretty much the same, or improved (in terms of developing themselves).  I figured what a tragedy it would be if I found myself to be worse or no better off a year from now.  And so I decided to get serious about my religious observances.  I knew something was wrong when I kind of shrugged at the prospect of sacrament at home.  I was kind of “what’s the big deal”?  

Always believed the church to be true.  Had spiritual witnesses before.  Always paid my tithing.  But anyone can get complacent.  Even after years of church membership.  You start thinking the small things aren’t worth taking the time to do or observe.  You start to get the mentality of Naaman, that there has to be this big occasion or event that precedes a renewal of faith.  

You know the scriptures.  I don’t have to copy and paste them.  It really is just doing the simple things.  Waking up early in the morning and consecrating my first waking hours to scripture study and prayer, both personally and together with my wife.  It’s a no brainer, it’s literally the most cost effective positive one can add to their lives.  Why people stop doing it at any point in their lives (including myself) is mystifying.

Then it’s the media we were consuming.  Watching and listening indiscriminately to anything that looked interesting.  Countless hours mindlessly surfing the internet, social media, etc.  I am convinced God tries to speak to us more often than we’ve ever suspected, but it gets drowned out.  Actual Sabbath observance and fasting (I’ve neglected both far too long).  Cleaned up my language, started meditating, which has been a hot trend lately.  Interestingly, every modern prophet has  counseled meditation and quiet to commune with the divine.  We were counseled to do it, long before it was cool IOW.

None of these neglects made me a bad person. But it didn’t make me a good member of the church.  I was unengaged, and just coasting.  This church won’t amount to much in our eyes if we aren’t willing to pay the price to have the Spirit with us.  Being a casual member, the church IS a burden.  It IS overwhelming.  It DOES become a grind.  It DOES become an exercise of just going through the motions.

And because I started to pull my head out of the sand and get serious, lots of other things have happened.  Finally have a desire to serve.  I moved out to Virginia for work right when quarantine hit, so I don’t know anyone in my ward or my bishop (he texted me though asking if we needed help moving, and if we had any hardship from COVID), but I have a strong desire to ask for home teaching names and volunteer for a calling if it’s needed.  Something I’ve never had much interest in doing since the mission.  You can’t “strengthen [your] brethren” without being converted first.

You might roll your eyes at all that.  But those are some of the things that constitute the “oil” we fill our lamps with.  Nobody can do it for you.  Nobody can make you.  If you’ve run out, go get more.  You know how.

You say most people are “lukewarm”.  Yeah they are.  I was.  The fact we fail as often as we do, is not evidence against the practicality of righteous living.  So don’t be lukewarm.  Have the faith to take the first step in making your life one of conversion.

I've read Alma many times over.  I suppose what I"m getting at is Jesus says, there are some of us who simply do not have ears to hear....and there's nothing we can do about it.  The hearers will just get to mock you, and God rejects you.  

If you say, "well there is something you can do.  You can read that which you have read many times before, you can pretend to see the benefit of that which you don't see the benefit of and keep trying until you start to hear".  And if the unhearers read and don't hear again, and again and again, until death, what solution is there?   Nothing?  

It appears hearers think unhearers should only live their life banging their head against the wall, hoping one or two of them stop hitting their heads and hear something--an action they seemingly can't control.  But of course the problem multiplies because half of hearers, God never knew anyway.  If hearers think unhearers should keep pretending until it sinks in, or whatever, and we already know half of hearers aren't really people whom God knows anyway, does that mean unhearers, whom God has already suggested inevitably there are some, but turn into hearers weren't ever really known by God anyway?  What would be the point?

[nuclearfuels]

On 5/1/2020 at 1:34 PM, smac97 said:

Any thoughts as to what she means by that?  What does "family will be forever" mean in the absence of the doctrines taught by the Church?  Assuming that we are "gone, irrevocably gone" the moment we die, what does "family will be forever" mean?

Just my thoughts here-

When my children were born, I felt the Spirit at a level I've not experienced outside of the Temple, possibly even more - probably due to the presence of ancestors present in the hospital room. I believe people feel that regardless of thier faith/religion/belief level. 

When my sister in law passed away unexpectedly, it hit me like a ton of bricks but later made the experiences we shared together even more special. Knowing I'll see her again in a perfect, resurrected body with my family and ancestors next to me is beautiful.  If I didn't know that, I'd still ahve the memories to cherish.

Everyone feels the Light of Christ with and without baptism.