Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Bummer eh? Wrong place wrong time.  Granted this opossum wasn't doing anything wrong, he was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Its similar in our lives, we can only expect to amble across the street so many times before eventually we get hit.
 If we make a habit of wandering down a dark alley at 3:00 am, we are more likely to find ourselves in a less-than-lovely situation.  We cannot repeatedly put ourselves in situations that are less than ideal, or cannot hang out with a rougher crowd, or listen to immoral music, and not expect some of it to rub off on us.  We cannot disregard the commandments that God has given and expect to walk on unaffected. 

If we, like a bunch of cattle in the picture below, stick our heads in a wire fence during a lightning storm, we're more likely to get struck.  In Genesis 3:3 it reads "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."  God commanded Adam and Eve to not only abstain from the fruit, but not to touch it either.  Even touching sin, or getting dangerously close puts us in peril of succumbing to temptation.    When we encompass ourselves with sin, we are more likely to fall. 
I have found that the opposite of this is true as well that when we put ourselves in the right places at the right times, better things are likely to occur.  We should put ourselves in a position to be blessed, and bless the lives of others. Instead of spending all our extra income on unnecessary wants, we can look for ways to use it to help somebody else.  If we have nothing to give, we lose the opportunity to be blessed and bless others lives by helping someone in need.
I have the idea of "right place right time" to be especially true with reading your scriptures praying, and going to church.  If we really want to receive answers to our prayers, if we really want to receive inspiration regarding our personal lives, if we really want to come to know your Savior, we need to put ourselves in the right place at the right time to receive it.  I know that if we wander across the street enough times, or stick our head in enough wire fences during a lightning storm, we get hit. I see it all the time, in my life and in those around me.  I know the opposite as well, that when we keep the commandments, when we search the scriptures, and when we attend church, we put ourselves in the right place at the right time.
_Elder Halbert

Charity

1. A poor, wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.

This is the first of a verse of  hymn written by James Montgomery, available here in its entirety.  At the bottom of the Hymnal, the scripture that it is based on says Matthew 25:35-40, a pretty famous scripture which reads  "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25)
“Not only by precept did Jesus teach, but also by example. . . He stretched forth his hand that others might be lifted. . . Unaltered is the divine command to succor the weak and lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Each of us has the charge to be. . . a doer. . . lifter. . . There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out: ‘Is there no balm in Gilead…?’ Each of us must answer” (Thomas S. Monson, “With Hand and Heart,” Ensign, Jan 1995, 2)
Going to church no more makes you a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car.  Christianity is a lifestyle, not a switch.  We can't turn it on when its convenient, and then flip it off when it proves a hindrance.  Christianity is is not a social title that we vacate when the first air of contempt threatens to capsize us, but rather the wind that fills our sails as we navigate the storms in our lives. If we want to be good Christians, we need to learn to love as Christ did, to look on the inside, to have the pure love of Christ, or charity.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35)  In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah it says that ye shall not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition in vain.  I think its fair to say that everybody could use a little more charity in their lives.  "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." (Richard G. Scott).  If you want to be a better Christian, start by acting like one more and more every day.  With consistent effort, we will become better, more charitable, giving, loving, followers of Jesus Christ.
_Elder Halbert

Optimism

Optimism-
-the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
-Dictionary.com
Any Christian who really understands their faith, ought to be an optimist.  The entire Christian message displays a certain feeling of optimism.  I can't hardly think of a story that doesn't.  Joseph of Egypt was sold into slavery and later thrown in prison, framed for a crime he didn't commit. But in the end, God placed him there for a reason and he was able to save his family from starvation.  Job, for example, had a rough life.  God allowed Satan to take away everything that he had; cattle, friends, family, wife.  But in the end, God came through (as He always does) and Job was restored to so much more than he had before.  Zeezrom turned his life around and instead of fighting against God, was able to be a great missionary.  A similar circumstance with Paul changing his life.  Jesus endured more pain and suffering than any other person, yet we know that from that, He gave us all a chance for remission of our sins.  We can walk forward with the promise from scripture that "all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good".  President Gordon B. Hinckley asked that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.  If we have an attitude of gratitude, we will better be able to see the good in our lives.  If we give thanks for what we do have instead of concentrating on what we don't, we automatically begin turn into an attitude of optimism.  We cease to grumble around, complaining about we lack or our present issue and why we deserve better.  We should all learn to laugh a little more.  Instead of yelling at every inanimate object which did nothing of its own fault to be there, realize, that the shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room. 
Quoting again from President Hinckley's talk he says "I suppose you have heard the story of the absent-minded professor who went shopping and lost his umbrella. Discovering his loss, he retraced his steps. At the first three stores on which he called, the clerks denied having found his umbrella. At the fourth store the clerk handed him the missing umbrella. He grumbled, “Thank goodness for an honest man. The other three told me they didn’t have it.”"
Let us look for the good in people rather than scrutinizing on every vice and flaw we find.  There is so much good in people that we tend to look past.  There is good out there, and if we can develop a disposition to see it we will live happier better lives.  I love life, friends, family and Christ :)
_Elder Halbert

He is Risen

This is part of an Easter sermon that Joseph B Wirthlin gave in October of 2006. It is one of my very favorite talks on Easter. Its worth reading the entire thing, to do so, click here "Sunday Will Come

"When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all... I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross. On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth. Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain... On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men... On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled. It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God. I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest. But the doom of that day did not endure. The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence... I testify to you that the Resurrection is not a fable... Thousands in the Old and New Worlds witnessed the risen Savior. They felt the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. They shed tears of unrestrained joy as they embraced Him... That we may always know that no matter how dark our Friday, Sunday will come is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Gordon B Hinckley states "These simple words—“He is not here, but is risen”—have become the most profound in all literature." President Monson calls it the Clarion Call of Christendom.  I echo them with my testimony that the Lord lives, that that Easter Sunday we celebrate really did happen, in Jesus Christ's name, amen.   

Wading Through Winter

I have lived in Arizona of my life.  In Arizona (at least the desert parts) we don't really have a real winter season.  Sure it exists from December 21 to March 21, but really, its just a break from the hot weather.  Back home the winter averages about 52° and often consists of shorts and t-shirts.  Its far different from a winter in Upstate New York. 
I spent the last winter in Rochester and now I know what a real winter is like.  I went 19 years without having to deal with snow and plows and sliding off the road and ice and blizzards, (127" this last year).  But since I have experienced a true winter, I can now really appreciate the spring.  Now, I am so grateful for the spring; for the traction on the road, for the green grass, for the "lack of 5 month old snow banks".  Only after I have suffered through a winter do I know how great the spring is.  A scripture that illustrates this point is in 2 Nephi 2:11 "For it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things."  If there is no happiness, then there is no misery.  If you've never been sad, then you don't know what it is like to have joy.  If you've never been sick, than you can't fully appreciate the blessing of health.  If you don't know the winter, than you can't really know the spring. 
So when people ask "why life has to be so hard?" or "why bad things happen to good people?", the answer is "so that you can know the spring".  I have never enjoyed springtime so much and it was only after working and wading through wearisome winter that I came to know the splendor spry of spring.  Likewise, its often that only after the trial and hardship, or the pain and the suffering, that we really come to know the spring in our lives.  Alma 7:12 reads "And he will take upon him death that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
Christ suffered through the worst of all winters so that he would know how to help us through ours.  He wants to help us, so when we meet rough winters, turn to Christ because he knows how to best endure it.  After all, he is pretty good at enduring. I end with the promise that no matter how cold, dismal, dark and dead the winter is, spring does inevitably come. Because of the winters in our lives, we will come to better know the spring.

Gratitude

I love this video.  Every time I watch it, it makes me think about my life.  I think about how often I am the boy that wants to pull the prank, or if I'm the one that looks for opportunities to serve.  I think about whether or not I'm the one who helps initiate the miracle, or am I the one who stands idle and watches it happen.  Am I a catalyst or a hindrance in blessing the lives of others? Sure its not bad to have fun, but its also important that we don't get so caught up in it that we miss the chance to help others.  Another lesson that I think this video teaches us is that of gratitude.  When the man finds the two silver dollars in his shoes, the very first thing that he does is pray and offer his gratitude for his blessings.  I can only imagine how much better the world would be if we not only learned to give meaningful, sometimes random acts of service, but also to give thanks for what we receive.  The scriptures say in Doctrine and Covenants 59:7 "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things."  I think that is something that everyone can work on, that of thanking the Lord for what we have, because we truly are so blessed.  The scripture says to give thanks for all things, and I take that to mean just that, all things.  Thank him for the big blessings, the small things, and even for the hard timesand trials that we have here.  The man's heartfelt prayer in this video is an awesome example for us.  Lets learn to give service to everybody, whether or not we know them, and learn to better give thanks for all that we have and I know that we'll be blessed because of it.  
_Elder Halbert

Trees

So, Elder Lachaga and I were out walking around one day with an investigator named Frank.  We wandered into a swampy kind of area when Frank pointed out that a bunch of the trees in that area were fallen and he explained why.  He said that the soil that had previously been a stable foundation, had become water-logged, and the roots that had before been adequate were not sunk deep enough to provide the support needed.  The once solid ground no longer provided ample footing for the roots of the trees and when any kind of storm came, it took almost nothing to knock them down.   

As members of the church, we have roots.  We have ancestral roots, genetic roots, and spiritual roots.  The question that comes to me is "How well rooted are we in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?"  Some people try to live their lives relying on the same size root that they had when they were children and inevitably, the tree falls.  Unless we sink our roots deep into the gospel, we too put ourselves in jeopardy of toppling over.   Are we too setting ourselves up for failure by trying to grow tall and be firm in swampy marshy ground?  What is the best way that we can firmly root ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ so that when the storm comes we too will not be numbered among the fallen? The answer is simple. Its the seminary answers; reading your scriptures, attending church, keeping the commandments, repenting daily. 

Unlike the trees at High Acres, when we fall, its not the end.  There is life after mistakes.  Jesus Christ set up the way to stand us up again.  He payed the price for our sins so that he can raise us up again, to get us back on track and moving in the right direction again.  Alma 41:7 says "These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.

Let us root ourselves deep in the gospel of Jesus Christ so that we can be those who the scripture says "stand and do good" instead of those that "fall and do evil".   And when we do fall, as it inevitably happens to each of us, let us look to Christ to stand us up again.  He knows the way, He is the way, through Him alone can we stand up again when fallen, and  through Him alone can we find the strength to stand the trials of this life.

_Elder Halbert