For a Little Season

https://youtu.be/RGLC4cezR8I

The Soapmaker and Rabbi

A soapmaker asks a Rabbi, we have had religion for 1000s of years and the world is still full of corruption,  evil, and suffering.  What good has religion done the world?  The Rabbi and soapmaker came across a playground with children playing.  The children were dirty.  The Rabbi then coments, we have had soap for 1000s of years, yet these children are dirty. The soapmaker responded, soap works but only if it is used.  Yes the Rabbi said, the same is true of religion, it only works if it is used. 

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Self-esteem vs. Self-worth

The concept of performance-based self-esteem, and Ayn Rand meritocracy has been championed since the 1970's. The problem with performance-based self-esteem is that if value is based on performance; failure threatens people's identity and self-worth. 

Because self-concept and identity is based on performance, health, and image people raised under the concept of self-esteem fight to protect image even if it's a false image. It's much easier to protect image than producing real performance. The consequences of self-esteem is greater Narcissism.  

There was a young man in my neighborhood who played soccer in highschool.  When he blew his knee out (ACL tear), he could no longer play and lost his friends. This young man went into a tailspin of drugs and alcohol.

Self-worth, on the other hand, is based on knowing you're a child of God and virtue. Because God loves us unconditionally and accepts us where we are, self-worth provides greater stability.  If our value is based on God, no failure or setback can take our intrinsic  self-worth away. People with a healthy concept of self-worth are better able to deal honestly with their weaknesses/failures and improve. (Brene Brown Vulnerablility). 

Virtue is a far superior measure than merit because virtue is based on the clear principal of "do no harm".  Merit is vaguely defined.  Also, virtue is superior to merit because a person can always repent and return to virtue. 

[In the Milennium/ideal world, I think our political candidates will be initially vetted and endorsed by the Church based on the "do no harm" virtue of true religion/Holy Temple (1 Cor. 5:11) and not by the media's shaky conception of merit.]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/201406/is-there-cure-narcissism

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Ye Shall Know That It Is By Me That Ye Are Led

1 Nephi 17:13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

God doesn't promise a smooth journey.  In fact, God guarantees that there will be a few major bumps in our path. However, at the same time, He promises to sustain and deliver us from all our adversity.   So that, all along the way and in the end, we know that He was with us and that we couldn't have made it without Him.

Book of Mormon: Type of Christ

Bible scholars have long recognized that the lives of many prophets foreshadow aspects of Christ's life.  These parallels are referred to as types and shadows. I had known that the comming forth of the Book of Mormon is also a type and shadow of the death and resurrection of Christ.

Christ is the Word.

Book of Mormon contains the word of God.

Christ died on Cross.

Book of Mormon reveals history of fallen people. 

Christ was buried in stone sepulachur. 

Book of Mormon was buried in stone box or cyst. 

Christ's body was in the care of Joseph of Aremathea.

The Book of Mormon was in the care of Joseph Smith.

Christ's resurrection was attended by heavenly angels. 

The comming forth of the Book of Mormon was attended by the angel Moroni. 

In addition to this typology, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon typifies the resurrection of Christ in another even more profound way.  Jeff Lindsay, an amateur scholar and blogger, drew the following amazing parallels. 

Mary Magdalene was honored to be the first witness of the resurrection of Christ.  Accordingly, she became the first Christian and the first to bare record to the Peter and the apostles of Christ's glorious resurrection. However, Mary's conversion was not without incident. 

According to Jeff Lindsay, the reaction of Mary Magdalene in the garden typifies and foreshadows the reaction of the Christian Church to the Book of Mormon. Mary Magdalene represents the Church.  When Mary beholds the open tomb,  she believes a crime has been committed. When Mary hears the voice of Christ, she doesn't recognize it in her grief, and believes Christ to be a gardener that has stolen away the body.

In the same way, the comming forth of the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ, is viewed by most Christians as a criminal fraud.  Most Christians believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has stolen away and corrupted the name and identity of Christ as well as lured away many Christians. 

Many Christians do not recognize the voice of the Savior Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, however, it is my hope that like Mary Magdalene, Christ will call His Church by name, and the eyes of all the Christian Church will be opened and finally recognize the resurrected Lord is standing before them and speaking to them through the Book of Mormon.