Jesus Frees Us from the Puppeteers

Jesus Frees Us from the Puppeteers

(Image Source: genius.com)

It is interesting that in today’s world puppetry is so prized. We are born children of the Highest, with the opportunity to follow Him and have eternal possibilities and inheritances available to us. Yet sometimes we choose to forego the treasures of the kingdom for the fading glitter of the world.

Jesus opens the door to our Heavenly Father's kingdom for those who list to obey Him. We need to offer more than lip service. We need to do more than merely say we believe in a higher power source. We need to accept Jesus as our Personal Friend, and we need to become friends with Him. He spoke these words:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man 

lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

He also spoke these words:

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever 

I command you” (John 15:14).

And these:

“If ye love me, keep my 

commandments” (John 14:15).

We owe all that we have to our Father and His Son. Everything. “Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3). Yet some people scoff and call His followers sheeple. Should we not feel it a glorious blessing to have a Righteous Shepherd? One who will never lead us astray, but who will share with us in His glory!

And here we live as His human offspring, awaiting the day of our immortality. Whom we choose to follow now will determine who will receive us in that great day. 

King Benjamin words, found in Mosiah chapter 2, are good for us to remember at this Thanksgiving time and always, because our worship must begin with humility and gratitude:

19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, 

who has spent his days in your service, and yet 

has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks 

from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render 

all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has 

power to possess, to that God who has created you, 

and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye 

should rejoice, and has granted that 

ye should live in peace one with another—

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him 

who has created you from the beginning, 

and is preserving you from day to day, 

by lending you breath, that ye may live and move 

and do according to your own will, and 

even supporting you from one moment to another—

I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls 

yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

22 And behold, all that he requires of you 

is to keep his commandments; 

and he has promised you that if ye would 

keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; 

and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; 

therefore, if ye do keep his commandments 

he doth bless you and prosper you.

This is a tricky day that we live in. Modern times are really repeats of the failings of past civilizations, but the evil designer has had many millennia of preparation in presentation. Yet we have been warned about avoiding his darkness and his worldly sophistry; we have been warned about not becoming his pawns:

“And there are also secret combinations, even as 

in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, 

for he is the founder of all these things; yea, 

the founder of murder, and works of darkness; 

yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, 

until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever” 

(2Nephi 26:22).

So here we are, somewhat like Pinocchio. We have a Creator who has offered us an inheritance with Him. He has made us real and given us the opportunity to become like Him, but sometimes we would rather be puppets, never reaching our potential, but controlled by the masses who have also chosen puppetry. Remember Pinocchio’s plight and that it is by far better to be a sheep of the Good Shepherd who will lead us into Life Eternal than to be a donkey. 

I Was Taught Judgment

As I child, I was taught judgment. I was taught my colors: black and white and the full spectrum of the rainbow. I was taught that the ABC’s progressed in a certain order; and that when placed in certain situations, the ABC’s made words; words, whose combinations did not change, always remained the same words. I was taught my numbers and how to manipulate numbers in many ways, so that I could add them, subtract, multiple, divide, and later on integrate and differentiate. I learned that I had to follow certain rules to arrive at the correct answer. My world had order, because I was taught judgment.

I was taught not to run into the street, or I might get hit by a car. First, I should look both ways; and, when I was really young, I should hold an adult’s hand while crossing the street. I was taught not to touch a hot stove, or I’d get burned. Some experiences I had in life confirmed the lessons taught. For instance, when I rode my bicycle down the street with no hands on the handle bars, and a softball hit my front wheel, my bicycle stopped, but I kept going. Good lessons on inertia and cause and effect. I also learned that there were consequences, both because of my action riding the bike and my sister’s action throwing the ball, which caused me to end up with a broken collar bone. But I also learned that broken bones heal.

Because of the guidance of great parents and good teachers, I was guided, scolded, disciplined, loved, encouraged, and taught judgment. Along the way, I was able to put together the teachings and the life lessons in such a way as to apply critical thinking skills and develop better judgment, internalized judgment. I was taught to make inferences and draw conclusions based on sound principles and my own experience and the experience of others who had proven themselves trustworthy. Yes, I even was taught to judge whom I deemed trustworthy, and of whom I should remain skeptical. I was taught to listen to and respect adults IF they were asking me to do correct things or teaching correct principles. If NOT, it was important for me to NOT do what they asked me to do, to seek help, and to tell my parents. I’m glad that my parents taught me judgment. Judgment has protected me time and time again.

I was also taught empathy. I was taught that I am a child of God, and I am important. Along with that, I was taught that every human being every having lived, living on earth, or yet to live on earth is also a child of God, and each is important. I was taught that not everyone has the same privileges that I have and that not everyone has the same beliefs or understanding that I have. I was taught that we all will make mistakes, some small, some great, and that these mistakes are part of our learning process. I was taught to feel sorrow and guilt and a desire to change and do better when I did things wrong. Sometimes I felt shamed; but mostly I was taught love. I was taught that we have a loving Father in Heaven who sent His Son Jesus Christ to be the Savior of us all. I was taught to read God’s words and to internalize them and to pattern my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In God’s words, I was further taught judgment, and the necessity of not calling evil good or good evil. I was taught that I should abhor sin, but forgive the sinner. Often that means that I should forgive myself as I ask for forgiveness from God and feel His Spirit changing me, leading and guiding me. I have learned that the Lord has truly suffered for me and for all of us, so He is eager for us to repent, so that He can forgive us. I was also taught that we are held responsible and accountable according to the light and knowledge that we have received. The scriptures have taught me great judgment. They, along with the words of modern-day prophets, are the yardstick by which I measure what is right and wrong and the map by which I chart my course.

Now I am an adult, and I am amazed that my conclusions about the necessity of making good judgments are not shared by many of my fellow adults. I hope that the lessons on making good judgments have not stopped with my generation because judgment is needed for our success and for the success of our posterity. I believe that in Satan’s lies, which are dispersed throughout society, one of the greatest is that all variances to true Christian patterns are acceptable, or at least that we should accept the inappropriate actions of others as an expression of their individuality and that we have no right to discriminate. Many think that because we were given agency, that we are not bound by laws, cannot make judgments, and must not make anyone feel uncomfortable with any wrong that they do. In essence, the new teaching is to accept the sin as good and as a valuable choice for the sinner, because God gave him, or her, the right to choose. In refusing to acknowledge that some behavior is correct and some behavior is incorrect, some think that they are merely being non-judgmental; when, in essence, they are being very poor judges and not exercising the powers of reason that God gave to them and expects them to use.

It seems that many have misinterpreted the scripture, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” There are multiple other scriptures that can be found, which talk of the necessity of making judgments. I don’t think that it’s appropriate for us to judge anyone in a hateful, condemning, or damning way, because Christ atoned for all of us; and, therefore, He will rightfully be the final judge. But we can, and we must, make judgments about what is appropriate behavior; and, then, be able to distinguish that a person’s value doesn’t decrease because he has or does engage in inappropriate behavior, or because he made a mistake unwittingly or willfully. We are not condemning a person because we acknowledge that something he did is wrong. We are acknowledging that the action is wrong. That judgment just shows that we have understanding of what is right and what is wrong. As far as discipline or punishment, we can leave those judgments to the appropriate channels in the land or in the churches. And, once again, Jesus will be the final judge.

I suppose Jesus’s warning when He says, “For with the same judgment that ye judge, ye shall also be judged,” can even be seen at work with those who have misinterpreted His scripture and counsel. Because in their own self-righteousness about not judging others who have done wrongfully, they are quick to judge those who have strong opinions over what God has declared as right and wrong. I have been the recipient of such kind of backlash many times as I have tried to express my beliefs, because society says that Christianity is unkind, outdated, and shows discrimination. Yes, discipleship is appropriately discriminatory, and it also shows good judgment.

I could show personal example upon example, but I refuse to display poor judgment here and reap the judgment of others, who would be quick to judge me as a person, even though my examples would be scenarios and not overall judgments on a person’s entire character. We can learn from scenarios and even poor examples as we judge and decipher what is wrong and what is right and what actions we will take in order to improve our own lives and become better examples in our sphere of influence. Practicing good judgment means learning from our own mistakes and learning vicariously from the mistakes of others. Good judgment also acknowledges that, while behavior can be chosen, consequences cannot; and while we can exercise good judgment, it is usually not up to us to deal out any consequences; but allow natural laws, the laws of the land, the churches, and, ultimately, God to impose disciplinary action or punishment. But as parents or leaders, or in our own sphere of authority, sometimes it is necessary for us to both make judgments and issue appropriate consequences.

So today I am not going to give examples of right and wrong. If you are a person who has not extinguished the Light of Christ which is inside of you, with which all of us were born, you are entitled to develop the ability to be able to judge what is right and what is wrong. This is a gift from God, whose laws are always just and right, and He has given us everlasting laws covering what is right and what is wrong, which man cannot annul. My witness and my testimony is a judgment that I have arrived at through the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that we were all born with the Light of Christ, and I know that the Holy Ghost can testify to us of all that is true, and I know that whatsoever is good cometh from God. I have arrived at this knowledge, this conclusion, this judgment, not on my own, but aided by the Holy Spirit. Whenever another bears testimony or adds his own witness, you can be assured that a judgment has been made. I am thankful that God has made us just a little lower than the angels in giving all of us the power to reason and to improve upon our reasoning abilities, so that we can all engage in good judgment.

Marriage is Ordained of God

I love my family. I am thankful for a husband who loves me and tells me what a good person I am. A special thanks to my children for teaching me how to be a mom. It's taking me many years, but I'm happy with the privilege that I've been given to be yours. And even though it's taking me years, that's okay because we have the promise of Eternity.

I recently read an article somebody posted on Facebook. 

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher live in North Carolina. They have been married nearly 86 years. Zelma is 101 and Herbert is 104 (at the time of the article). For Valentine’s Day, they were willing to answer some questions about their lives together. Because of their commitment to the Lord and to each other, divorce was never an option or even a thought in their marriage. They were best friends before they married. They have done what was needed for each other and for their family. To those who are losing hope in finding a marriage partner, they said, “He/she is never too far away, so keep the faith—when you meet him, you’ll know.” The best marriage advice is to respect, support, and communicate with each other. Be faithful, honest, and true. Love each other with all of your heart. Zelmyra said that her husband is a hard worker and a good provider. He’s a good man. They looked for ways to serve each other and they celebrated each other’s successes and shared their accomplishments. They grew together. Their most important reward is their legacy of 5 children, 10 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. With their children grown, they enjoy visiting together on the porch. They have always remembered that God put them together on the same team to be winners. Marriage is not a contest. They learned to compromise and work together. 

In the beginning God created man and woman (See Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4-5). Because of agency, Adam and Eve were allowed to enter mortality and become our first parents. God ordained that they be married and that their union be blessed with children, even all the families of the earth. In Genesis 2:24 we read, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The same scripture is repeated in Matthew 19:5. Prophets today have also repeated these fundamental truths held by all former prophets in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Because they have the spirit of revelation and the testimony of Jesus Christ, they were able to foresee the dilemma that would develop in our world over the issue of traditional, God-ordained marriage. 

Adam and Eve were good, faithful people chosen by our Heavenly Father in pre-mortality to be our first parents. Like Adam and Eve, all of their children have been given agency. Agency gives us the ability to make choices within the constructs of law to which we are all subject. Agency does not give us the ability to choose the consequences which follow our choices, nor does it give us the right to alter God ordained law.

There are those who have and will call me unkind because I believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. They have the sophistry of the day to support their logic. I have my testimony in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s Plan of Happiness for His children. Acting superior by pretending to be magnanimous does not prove one believes in equality. True understanding must stem from having in place a deep-rooted belief system that although we are all children of God, He knows and loves us better than we do ourselves, and although He knows that obedience to His laws is what will bring us happiness, He will not personally impose discipleship. While He must certainly expect that His children also not impose obedience on each other, He most assuredly does not condone the repealing of His laws.

If the world was created, there is a Creator. If the universe is governed by law, there is a Law Giver. I believe that God is the Creator, and I believe that He is also the Law Giver. As His child and His creation, I have no power to re-create Him or to redefine His laws.

This life is a period of testing. It is a time for us to learn how to obey and to learn to walk by faith. It behooves us to do all that we can to strengthen our testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel so that we can help others to also walk by faith. It is only through keeping the commandments that we can gain a testimony of the sacred nature of each commandment. Obedience, or faithfulness, is what produces faith. We cannot expect the faithless to understand faith without inviting them to practice the principles that lead to it. But when one truly understand the promise of the gift of Eternal Life and that it is available to all, then putting our lives in harmony with God’s laws seems like a most favorable choice. I personally am in favor of conforming my life to His will so that I can receive the promised blessings, and I also desire that my brothers and sisters be allowed this choice. We cannot pretend that it’s all right to chase fabricated rainbows for non-existent pots of gold.

Because this life is a period of testing, we all have individual trials and challenges with which we must deal. We all have our quirks; we all have our problems; we all have our temptations. While it is true that God created us initially, he did not mean for us to stay in our infant condition, nor did He create us without the ability to choose. Within us are the seeds of godhood. One of the greatest gifts we have is agency or the freedom to choose. Each day we can redefine and recreate ourselves by the choices that we make, by our thoughts and our actions. To say that we are the way we are because God made us that way seems to be more of a copout than saying the devil made me do it. But life’s challenges are difficult, and we need to be loving and kind, and forgiving of ourselves and others. We need to be patient and we need to be accepting. We need to learn to embrace our brothers and sisters without embracing the actions that we know to be wrong. If we all tried to be more loving and accepting and less judgmental and offish, the world would spin ever more nicely on its axis and follow its orbit with greater ease. To some degree, we are all recovering sinners, in need of guidance, love, and forgiveness. It would be a wonderful thing to have our chapel filled with more sinners. The Lord didn’t come to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners (See Luke 5:31-32). Because we have agency, we can choose our own attitude each day even when our challenges seem insurmountable. The Lord is always there to help us, and His hand is stretched out still. 

Testimony of the Savior, the Plan of Salvation, and Marriage that is Ordained of God:

I know that the Savior lives and He loves me, and He loves you. He has sent His peace and His comfort to me through the power of the Holy Ghost many times. I have felt His presence with me when I have needed Him here. I know that He is with all of us when we need Him, because He atoned for each of us and He knows and loves us personally. We can take our worries and our troubles to Him (See Matthew 11:28). He will sustain us despite our sins and weaknesses. He will provide a way for our progress and our deliverance. We can and should also turn to our ecclesiastical leader so that he can offer us help and direction in our times of spiritual need. When the dark of night overtakes you, look to the source of all light, Jesus Christ. He will again carry you through to the light of day.

I know that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. We have the choice and opportunity to follow God’s laws and to follow His prophets. I know that God is not a respecter of persons and that He loves us all. I know that there are actions, behaviors, and choices that the Lord cannot condone, nor can the Lord’s servants. This is not because He and His servants do not love God’s children, but it is because they do love us. They understand His great Plan of Happiness and they understand the far reaching power and effects of the Atonement. 

I know and understand that there are urges, temptations, and attractions with which many people struggle. Indeed, none of us is free from temptation in our lives. I also know that the Lord has promised us that if we are humble and we turn to Him that he will make weak things become strong unto us (See Ether 12:27). Of this I have a testimony. Some of us may struggle with the same problems and temptations our entire lifetime, but with good attitudes and faith in the Lord, the Lord will carry us through, give us hope, and help us on our journey to become like Him. He has said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I understand that many people have struggled with same sex attraction. The problem is very real, and many are confused about the choices and eternal consequences that are available to them. I do not think that I am showing anyone great love or proper respect by making them believe that same sex relationships are acceptable. I, in essence, feel that if I were to do this, I would be denying the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation and Exaltation that are made available through the Atonement. I believe the Savior’s words to be true. We all must take up our crosses, whatever they may be, and follow Him. If we endure to the end, we shall have Eternal Life which is the greatest gift of all (See Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). Why would I want to deny anyone the opportunity for that gift by telling him or her that whatever lifestyle they choose is correct and acceptable when the Lord and His prophets have said that this is not so?

I am thankful that I personally heard and answered a prophet’s call. Make no mistake, the LDS Church did not write Proposition 8. The people of California did that. And the majority voted for and passed both Proposition 22 and Proposition 8. But when a prophet asked us to support Proposition 8 with our time and our money, my husband and I were happy to do so. We did not need to question if it were the right thing to do, because our testimonies were firmly planted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in His restored Church. We did not have to take a new look or assess if we needed to take a different stand, because we know that the Lord said in His own Preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (See Doctrine and Covenants 1:38). We also realized that what the prophet asked us to do was in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ according to all the scriptures, with which we are familiar, and the voices of past prophets. 

Will we be asked to do the same thing again? I do not know. But I know that we will be asked to do things that are seemingly just as difficult or even much more difficult. Although many people of all different faiths made up the majority who voted in favor of Proposition 8 and who also donated money and time to this cause, many were offended with our Church’s involvement, among whom were members of our Church. (Some of these have used this issue to become disaffected from the Church and justify their choices to forsake their beliefs and disobey the commandments. Some now fight actively against Christianity altogether.) We need to make certain that the challenges of today do not have the power to make us feel conflicted too long, that they do not have the power to pull us away from the Savior. We have the choice to be humble and prayerful, to seek the Spirit and to remain faithful. 

What are all of us willing to do to make sure that we stay on the Lord’s side in these last days? What do you need to do personally? If you do not have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ, get one. Pray with all earnestness of heart. Read your scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. Find out who Jesus is—He is your personal Savior and Redeemer; and He is mine. Once you know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that He atoned for you, pray to know that His restored Church is true. Pray to know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration and that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet today. Continue to study the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, and begin to read and understand the Doctrine and Covenants. As you read this book, you will hear the Lord’s voice, because it is His book (See Doctrine and Covenants 18:33-36). Talk to the Bishop, set goals with Him and make promises to your Heavenly Father. Partake of the Sacrament worthily each week. Truly strive to remember the Lord in all that you think, do, and say (and write). Keep the commandments. Stay close to the Spirit and heed His counsel and His warnings. Know that if something is not in harmony with the teachings of the Lord as found in the scriptures or from the words available through modern day prophets, then that thing is incorrect. Use the scriptures, the words of our prophets, and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost as your guide. Do not let lesser sympathies or misunderstandings take charge of who you are or what you can become or of who other people are and what they can become. The Lord is faithful, and great blessings and promises are in store for all of His children who are faithful. 

(Written 1-27-12)