Job, while he did not understand why God permitted his affliction, would not judge the Lord nor lose his faith in Him. “Let me alone,” he said to his friends, “let come on me what will” ( v. 13 ). God was his salvation, and Job trusted in Him alone. Job saw his afflictions in perspective. As President Spencer W. Kimball said: “If we looked at mortality as the whole of existence, then pain, sorrow, failure, and short life would be calamity. But if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be put in proper perspective.” ( Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 97.)
Job’s friends challenged God’s wisdom, and they saw Job’s suffering as a punishment sent from God. But Job had a greater understanding. He knew that God was there, although his prayers for relief were not answered as he might wish. Should his suffering really have been the result of personal sin, he begged the Lord to cause him to know so that he could repent ( v. 23 ).
But suffering is not always the result of sin. Suffering has a larger purpose, part of which is educative. President Kimball said:
“Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?
“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.
“If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.
“Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and godhood.” ( Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 97.)
“‘It is not the function of religion to answer all questions about God’s moral government of the universe, but to give courage (through faith) to go on in the face of questions he never finds the answer to in his present status. Therefore, take heed of yourselves, and as a wise world thinker once said, “If the time comes when you feel you can no longer hold to your faith, then hold to it anyway. You cannot go into tomorrow’s uncertainty and dangers without faith”‘ ( Church News, source not quoted).” (Keith H. Meservy, “Job: ‘Yet Will I Trust in Him,’” pp. 139–53.)
I read a lot about the economic challenges ahead and how people will riot when they are forced to cut back on their standard of living... but I think as long as we have several varieties on multiple player online games like the World of Warcraft,,, and the electricity to play them with that we simply will be too busy to notice. And all of anger will be worked out slaying some computer graphics.
We will not riot. We will not fight, we will not even notice the walls crumbling around us. Give us our alternative universe and we will do only what we must in this one to spend time in that one.
There is often a scripture referred to in Isaiah where it talks about 7 women will get a hold of 1 man. Sometimes I wonder if it is not because the men are not there physically, but because they are not there emotionally, intellectually or even spiritually.
We are now on our second generation of young men being sucked into computer/video games. Most of these men spend every spare minute in dark rooms fighting and working in a world that doesn't even exist, and unless you are online in their game, you might as well not exist.
Will it drop the birthrate to have a whole generation of video game addicts? Or is sex as important enough to them as the money they need to play their games?
I am serious... how many men do you know under 40 in the community? Do they date enough to woo a wife? and if so how long can their wives handle the daily disappearances into the video game abyss?
Are our boys growing up thinking that this is what men do? Will they catch wives? and keep them?
It might be time to reclaim our men. Turn off the computers and hand them saws and axes and hammers - then after they work long, hard and sweaty- they can pull out their screw drivers and realize that the real life isn't all that bad.
And then is the men lost to video games any worse for us then the men lost to social status games (keeping up with Jones)? or to games of acquisition of wealth and money?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I had a dream last night that several people insisted that I was pregnant with my number 6. I tried to tell them that I wasn't. They wouldn't believe me - even though I am having my period. The kind of period where you rain down blood and terror upon the toliet several times per day.....
Maybe the dream is a reaction to my mom introducing me to my aunt as having 5.some children. Today it is 5.0 and we have at least 2 weeks before we can increase that. Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The previous post is from LDS church News.... This talk fascinates me. I wish I would have been there. I just wrote a treatise on the roles on men and women (I have been trying to better comprehend them and their eternalness for months now) and have most come these these conclusions. I still would like to know more.
Women have a sacred role in the sanctification and purification of men, Elder Glenn L. Pace of the Seventy told students and faculty during the campus devotional in the Marriott Center at BYU on Tuesday, March 9.
Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
Elder Glen L. Pace of the Seventy speaks at a BYU Devotional.
Reflecting on the love he felt from his mother, sister, wife and daughters, Elder Pace spoke of the positive influence women have had on his life.
Speaking specifically about a time when his daughter fell asleep in his arms, Elder Pace noted the comfort it must have brought his daughter to be held by her father. He realized afterward that even greater was the peace and comfort she brought to him.
Looking to the Savior as an example, Elder Pace spoke of the love and respect He bestowed upon women.
"As we read about these associations, our focus is generally on what He teaches them and the love and understanding He gives them," Elder Pace said. "Have you ever considered the possibility that these women provided immense comfort to His burdened soul? It is my belief that He needed them as He journeyed toward living a perfect life in order that He could provide the ultimate sacrifice."
Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
Elder Glen L. Pace of the Seventy sitting by his wife Jolene, smile at members of the audience prior to Elder Pace speaking at a BYU Devotional.
Just as the Savior needed righteous women, so do men today in purifying and sanctification in their lives.
Sharing excerpts from the story of the creation found in the book of Abraham, Elder Pace told of how the earth was created — before Eve — where Adam had been placed in the Garden of Eden. In the garden, Adam was enjoying a utopia in physical surroundings as well as open communication with God. Still, it was not complete without Eve.
Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
BYU students listen to Elder Glen L. Pace of the Seventy speak at a BYU Devotional.
"I believe the Father's statement 'It is not good that the man should be alone' (Genesis 2:18) had a much more profound meaning than the obvious biological implications," he said. "It also went further than providing Adam with company. Adam's ability to obtain the purification necessary to get back into the presence of God was dependent upon his continuous association with Eve."
In order for men and women to obtain the highest degree of celestial glory, there is need to be married, Elder Pace said.
"There is a limit to our spiritual development as long as we are single. There is a spiritual development which can only be obtained when a man and a woman join their incomplete selves into a complete couple," he said. "Just as conception requires the physical union of male and female, perfection requires the union of the very souls of male and female."
Although single men and women can accomplish great things on their own, they are incomplete until united intellectually, emotionally, physically and most important, spiritually, he said.
"The world we live in has gone awry with its focus on the physical part of the male and female relationship. If there is too much focus on the physical, the vital areas of intellectual, emotional and spiritual union are not being placed in an environment where they can flourish and grow."
Elder Pace spoke of the obsession the current society has on "making love," rather than developing a complete relationship that enables "expressing love." Because melding divine natures is a necessary element in bringing about perfection, Elder Pace said, individuals must guard against any deterioration of those natures.
"If the world keeps chipping away at the divine nature of women, it is probable that our relationships in marriage will not bring about the sanctification necessary for exaltation or, at a minimum, the process will be delayed," he said.
Referring to the phrase, "men have the priesthood and women have been given the blessing of procreation," Elder Pace spoke of the importance of each role in a relationship, and the ability couples have to complement one another in their eternal roles.
"It is the marriage ceremony in the temple where husband and wife receive the power to perfect their relationship and, thereby, obtain their exaltation."
As individuals work together to become a whole, as the Lord has commanded, they work together to become a combination of complementary capacities and characteristics.
"Sisters, I testify that when you stand in front of your heavenly parents in those royal courts on high and you look into Her eyes and behold Her countenance, any question you ever had about the role of women in the kingdom will evaporate into the rich celestial air, because at that moment you will see standing directly in front of you, your divine nature and destiny."
My mother said something interesting the other day. She said that the "dramatic event" of the night before really helped put it in perspective for her of what we go through. I said "What dramatic event? I don't remember anything special."
She was talking about something I just chalked up as normal issues around here. Ian had been on the potty with his enema, he had got off and said he was all pooped out. Then he went upstairs to play and a little while later his poopy smell came wafting down the stairs- pretty strongly. So I went to investigate and Ian was not all pooped out when he left the toilet. He ended up pooping out all over his bedroom, hallway and the upstairs bathroom (the areas just scrubbed clean earlier that day).
He was hiding beneath his covers and so I pulled the covers off of him and told him he was in charge of cleaning it all up. I brought him a roll of paper towel (we only use disposable towels when the job is really bad) the spray cleaner and a plastic bag to put the garbage in.
Surprisingly Ian actually did his best to clean it all up- (and after he was asleep I finished the job well it was still easy to clean, rather then waiting for the poop to dry into a stone hard finish).
It was after this that Mom jumped on IM and asked how my day was going. I told her "Stinky" and then had to relate why.
The interesting thing about the whole incident is that it was just another day around here. We are always dealing with poop, pee and some sort of need for a band-aid. That being said, we are working on getting some PCAs to help with our special children. Most of the time their just feels like there is not enough hands on deck to handle the ship and the sea monsters too.
The sea monsters- by the way- are the kind that throw snot balls that stick to the walls and ceilings and reach their long tentacles in delight of tripping the unsuspecting and then use their suckers and cling to you as you are attempting to do a delicate operation- like using a sharp needle to mend the holes in a blanket, pair of pants or favorite toy.
