No Coincidences

Tag: liberty

  • Discipline, Sharks, and Freedom

    Discipline, Sharks, and Freedom

    I watched a video recently. You can watch it here:

    In the video, some surfers are complaining about a barrier in the ocean. They’d travelled for a once in a lifetime surf trip and a barrier was keeping them from being able to surf the big waves.

    As they were complaining, an older surfer walked up and let them use his binoculars. Through the binoculars, just beyond the barrier, the young surfers could see a feeding frenzy. Sharks were just beyond the barrier.

    What seemed like the worst thing in the world quickly turned into a great protection and a great blessing.

    How often do we look at life as though through a murky glass? If we only had binoculars, or could see and understand the bigger picture, the way God sees things, how differently this world would look.

    1 Corinthians 13:11-13

    11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

    12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

    13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

    I think back on my teenage years. I wasn’t the most rebellious teenager. I was far from the most obedient. I pushed boundaries. I experimented with what I thought would bring me joy.

    As I’m now in my 30s, I realize just how stubborn and rebellious I am. This life is an opportunity for my spirit to prove whether or not I will choose God. I try my best. I realize that I am still just a child. Thinking I know best while God watches and lets me stumble around, making all the mistakes I need to so I eventually develop the humility, faith, and trust He knows I need.

    As I consider teenagers today, my heart fears for them. I remember when I thought I needed to drink, try drugs, do all the worldly things or else I would miss out. Or just to feel like I belonged.

    I think back on how lucky I was to try these things and escape with my free-will intact. Many are not so lucky.

    We look at so many destructive habits and activities from the perspective that they are fun and exciting. They are the big wave. But beneath the big wave are dangers we don’t perceive. Beer commercials always show the party. There is always a picture of abject excitement, freedom, liberation, and joy. What is never shown is what is lurking underneath: addiction, sadness, loneliness, emptiness, fear, doubt, dependance, despair, danger, suffering.

    The products of a worldly life are these things. I’ve seen it. We all have. And yet we think we want to be a part of these things, a part of this world.

    Thrilling and tantalizing waves.

    A feeding frenzy underneath. 

    Some quotes from that video –

    “The Lord’s commands do not constitute some grueling underwater barriers that we must learn to grudgingly endure in this life so that we might be exalted in the next.”

    “The Lord’s commandments are given out of love and caring. They are intended for our joy in this life just as much as they are intended for our joy and exaltation in the next.”

    There is this worldly perspective that restrictions and the commandments of God take away our freedom. Let me be free! Let me party! Let me eat, drink, and be merry!

    “Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.”

    -Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse: Dune

    We think real freedom is drinking what we want to drink, not realizing we become a slave to that drink.

    Real freedom is eating what we want to eat, not realizing we become a slave to our appetites.

    Real freedom is going to the party, not realizing we are a slave to the fear of missing out.

    We are commanded to avoid things because those things take away our freedom, they do not liberate us.

    Real freedom is not being dependent on any substance, food, drug, or activity. Real freedom is discipline.

    Why does God give us commandments? Not to restrict us but to protect us. Not to hold us back but to let us fly to our highest potential.

  • The Glory of the Sun

    The Glory of the Sun

    I recently finished a book that was so packed with wisdom I couldn’t come close to taking it all in.  Every page provided a new insight.  Every thought was provoking.  It is amazing to walk through the minds of men and women so in touch with the spirit or some form of knowledge I don’t yet have.  It’s my favorite part of reading.  From reading his words and thoughts I could feel his closeness to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and therefore come closer to them myself.

    The name of the book was The glory of the sun which refers to 1 Corinthians 15:41:

    “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.”

    Doctrine and Covenants 76:70 reads:

    “These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.”

    Sterling W. Sill, author of this book, was a general authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He was asked to share a series of gospel messages each week for a year over the radio.  The series was called “Sunday Evening from Temple Square.”  Those 52 addresses were put into this book.  It’s amazing to see that so many unique and powerful messages can come from one individual. 

    Sterling W. Sill

    Every message was so good, I could randomly turn to a page and share an important thought.  There was one in particular I found pertinent to our current moment in history.

    Elder Sill shared his messages at the height of the cold war so there is an emphasis of freedom and liberty throughout. 

    In one of his addresses titled “Five grains of Corn” Elder Sill reviewed the custom of Thanksgiving.  Elder Sill pointed out that Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday.  It is a day we give thanks to our ancestors who bravely came here and suffered through much hunger, affliction, and death.  He reminded me that during Thanksgiving we give “deep gratitude.. for the rich productivity of American soil.”

    I believe it is important for us to remember the blessed nation we are fortunate to live in.  The United States of America is a chosen land.  One thought Elder Sill presented was the idea that we live more lavishly and comfortably today than any king in history.  He pointed out that if we had to live as King Solomon, even in all the glory of his palace and kingdom, it would be a great hardship to us.

    What a thought!  The average person in America lives with more comfort than any historical king!  How blessed we are and how often we take for granted this great nation we live in.  It truly is a promised land. 

    What has always separated America from any other nation is our freedom – the freedom that gives us the ability to worship our God however we please. If you look at the short history of the United States it becomes quickly apparent what separates us.  It is the freedom we enjoy, particularly religious freedom.  It saddens me that as a nation we are turning from the God who has so blessed us.  It is part of the agency God has given us, the freedom this nation is founded on, that currently allows so many to turn from God.

    This paragraph from the book rings so familiar to our current landscape that I will quote it in whole.  Elder Sill says:

    “In the United States we have just gone through a great political election to decide who would represent us in the governing councils of our country for the next four years.  We have been sharply divided on issues and people.  We have settled the matter by an appeal to the ballot box.  No blood was shed, no life was in danger, no one had any thought of trying to liquidate his opponent.  No one even pounded with his shoe or threatened to throw it at anyone.  Now all Americans will settle down and give full support to the government that they, under God, have created.  Now we will all unite in building a greater America and help to carry out our divine mission to promote freedom, justice, and happiness in the world.”

    Election day is tomorrow.  It is my sincere prayer that we as a nation can unite and support whoever wins this election.  It is my prayer that there is no bloodshed, danger, threats, or pounding of feat.

    The final and important point Elder Sill gives in this message is about our faith in God that I have already mentioned.  Specifically, the devotion to His Son, Jesus Christ. 

    The Mayflower Compact, written by those coming to settle a new America reads, “We whose names are underwritten have undertaken for the glory of God to establish in Virginia the first colony for the advancement of the Christian faith.”

    The New England Federation Compact Agreement reads similarly, “We all have come into these parts of America with one and the same end, namely to advance the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

    I hope we can remember our Thanksgiving for this promised land.  I hope we can remember the freedoms and liberties we enjoy, and how great it is to be a part of the democratic process.  Finally, I hope we can remember who it is our ancestors came to America to serve, who’s kingdom they wished to establish. 

    “America was established as a kind of laboratory or experiment station to show what would happen to any people who cared and dared to follow Jesus Christ.” – Elder Sill.

    How blessed our ancestors were and how blessed we’ve been as we’ve looked to Jesus Christ.  I hope that can continue.

  • Freedom

    Freedom

    Let’s take a quick trip through history.  Bear with me on the history recap, I swear it will be brief.

    The Revolutionary War started in 1775. 

    Some rag-tag colonists decided to stand up to and fight for independence from the greatest power in the world.  I’ll say that again, a group of mostly untrained men decided to take on the greatest military force on earth at that time.  Louder for those in the back, a group of settlers stood up to THE world superpower.

    Can you believe how truly insane that was?  Just that they revolted was crazy.  Surely that got smashed into submission…right? WRONG!

    They won! Independence.  How?  Tons of stories from that time point to divine intervention.  We can save those for another day.

    Interesting Revolutionary War Facts You've Never Heard • FamilySearch

    244 years ago, July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence was signed.

    1777 The Articles of Confederation were written.  This would be the first constitution of the United States.

    1787 The Constitution we have today was written.

    1791 the Bill of Rights was written for the United States. 

    Amendment I of that Bill of Rights:

    “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

    Joseph Smith – Praise to the Man | The American Citadel

    1805 The Prophet Joseph Smith was born.

    1820 God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith.

    1827 Joseph Smith received the golden plates.

    1830 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christ’s restored church was re-established on the earth.

    Fourteen short years after the Bill of Rights was established and set forth the freedom of religion in this choice nation a prophet was born.  29 years after the established freedom of religion Heavenly Father appeared to His prophet.  Four short decades after the Bill of Rights was ratified Christ’s Church was restored. 

    Think about that for a moment.  Human history spanning thousands of years.  Yet, somehow, within 15 years of a free nation set forth the guidelines for free religion, a boy was born who 15 years later would claim visitation from God the Father.  He would establish a church from meager means.  Within 200 years that church would have millions of members across the globe.

    Talk about all the coincidences. 

    It was less than 40 years after freedom of religion was established in the United States of America that the Church of Jesus Christ was organized.

    What spectacular timing.

    I know there aren’t coincidences in God’s plan.  I know he reared up and prepared inspired, God-loving, intelligent men to establish this great nation.  Men who desired freedom above all else.  I know that soon after they did their part in establishing this free country it was finally time in God’s plan to establish His Church.  There had to be a place for the Church to be restored first.  There was nowhere else in the world the Church of Jesus Christ could have been established.

    God works in miraculous and spectacular ways for His purposes.

    I know the exact timing of Joseph Smith’s birth and the exact timing of the freedom of the United States were no coincidence.  They were planned out long ago.

    On this Fourth of July I’m grateful to our founding fathers.

    I’m grateful to Joseph Smith.

    More than anything I’m grateful to God for His perfect plan.

    I’m grateful for a country where I can worship whom, how, and where I please.  I’m grateful that I can pray in private or public.  I’m grateful to be born in a country free.  I’m grateful that I’ve never been truly persecuted for my religious beliefs.  We live in a special country.  We live in a country founded on true principles: freedom, liberty, and equality.  I know it took some time for those principles to be truly established and I know we’re still working on some of those principles.  But the principles are there.  There are still parts of the world, many parts of the world, where freedom, liberty, and equality are not even considered.

    The most important principle of all that this nation was founded on:  faith and belief in God.

    I know right now America is in a predicament.  We have turned from God.  God gave us this great nation and helped its establishment.  Now we spit on Him and marvel at our own great strength and power.  We’re American!  THE Global Superpower.  Doesn’t that sound familiar.  We know what happens to global superpowers that rely on their own strength.

    If we don’t humble ourselves and confess to whom we owe all, God in Heaven, He will take back His land.  We are only as strong and powerful as our faith in God allows.  Like England during the Revolutionary War we will fall if our pride is not removed.  We must return to God.  He founded this country and it will continue to degrade until we return to the source of all strength.  It’s time to repent.

    I love this country.  I hope we can return to our principles and be better.  I hope we can love God and keep Him here with us.

    GOD Bless the USA