Creation: Not a Spectator Sport

One of my work colleagues homeschools her children and was discussing science curriculum that presents evolution together with intelligent design.  We agreed that the important issue was to teach our children that all humans are created in the image of God and that the human spirit comes from God and that we are all children of a Heavenly Father who loves us. 

Another work colleague who believes in a 7-day creationism, asked if I believed that God couldn't just speak creation into existence.  Couldn't God just say, "Let there be light" and that it would be so?

I just said that, yes, God commanded it, and it was so.  But there is nothing in scripture that says it took a literal 24-hour period for God to see that he was obeyed. Time doesn't exist for God, so if the elements obeying was instantaneous or took 4 billion years, it's all a twinkle in God's eye either way. A day only has meaning according to the limited perception of  man. 

The other point I made was that latter-day scripture reveals that mankind was blessed to participate with Christ in creation. 

When I was in Highschool, I was in the band and attended every football game.  My highschool won state that year which was very exciting. But I had the thought.  If I'm going to be attending all these games.  I'd rather join the team and observe the game from the inside. So, that's what I did. I had never played football and I wasn't the most athletic, but if you made it through tryouts and two&a-days, you automatically made the team. 

But I think creation was like that.  Even though God can and does do His own work,. How much more can we appreciate God's work as we are blessed to participate in it, then we would by just sitting in the stands and watching things unfold as a spectator. 

2020: The Year of Vision

Isa 52:8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

The year 2020 will mark the 200th anniversary of the First Vision of Joseph Smith.  The First Vision involved the inaugural appearance of God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ to the prophet Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820.  This event marked the beginning of this, the final dispensation, preparing for the Millennial return of Jesus Christ. 

20/20 is how opthomologist measure and designate perfect vision. Will 2020 be a year where God's people receive a more perfected vision?  Could Isaiah have been aware of our day and have used similar imagery promising that His watchmen (prophets and apostles) would be seeing "eye to eye" with the Lord at  His return? Could 2020 also mark the beginning of the 120th Jubilee? (See post on 1/20/11)

400 years since Plymouth Colony

200 years since First Vision

70 years since Law of Return 

https://ldsdoctrine.blogspot.com/2011/01/lords-jubilee-eye-to-eye-in-2020.html?m=1

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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