1-3-12 “He did deliver me from bondage” p.161, Step
12
I
have to tell you, I have been very anxious to get to this part. I am anticipating some good stuff! I really love her writing style and depth of
her thoughts.
I
was curious about this phrase she mentioned yesterday that is again here in
step 12 of “to practice these principles in all our affairs”. I was hoping that these scriptures would have
enlightened something about this but they didn’t. I have been noticing inconsistencies between
theory to practice either in my life or those around me. I really want to be able to align all my
thoughts, words, and deeds to be able to live what I believe. It like James Allen says in “As a Man
Thinketh” (somewhere around page 57) that we will get what we want when
everything that we want is in alignment.
Sorry it’s not an exact quote (a friend is borrowing that book right
now.) I think the power to share with
others and convince them of lies that
they may be trapped in, the crux is that we first apply and do in our own lives. Convincing others becomes so much easier once
we have convinced ourselves. This is
what the Savoir was talking about when He said, “First cast the mote out of thy
own eye, then thou shalt see clearly to remove the beam out of thy brothers
eye.”
p.162 “At the very least, we’ve
come to realize that there is no other name, way or means (power) that can take
us all the way to a state of healing and peace equal to the challenges in these
last days.”
I
think as the difficulty and trials of these ‘times that try men’s souls’ goes
on that this will become increasingly true.
I long to see others turn away from distraction and sin and turn toward
the Savoir to drink from the only living waters that can truly heal them. I see such pain in people’s lives, but it’s a
result of choice. I hope we can all come
to recognize our choices and the results we are getting because of those choices.
“It’s my hope and prayer that you…
have turned to the Book of Mormon and allowed it to bring you close to Heavenly
Father.”
That
reminds me of one of my goals this year, is to turn to the scriptures for
problems solving. Elder Scott gave a
great talk on this last conference. If
fact, the first two talks confirmed the same principle in using the
scriptures. I know this is definitely
going to improve my ability to spiritually see and hear.
I
like how she expresses her feelings and thoughts in approaching how to write
this last chapter. I like emotional
openness.
p.163 “It was only when I stopped
trying to fix myself and admitted my need for the Savoir that I began to
experience such love and kindness, such empowerment and redemption from Him,
that changes—heart deep changes—began to happen.”
I
really love this truth and I can witness the same in my own life. This is the seed of changing the world. Did you notice that she felt compelled to
share after she had changed herself? I
think this is the natural pattern of discipleship, missionary work, and living
our personal missions. The pattern I see
is to I Change yourself through Christ to gain personal victory, II Build
Family Unity and gain the power of the team, learning mission and vision
individually and collectively, and lastly III is to reach out and share, to
invite, even toward the end of building synergistic communities; in other words
Zion.
“But gradually, my efforts failed
and I realized I couldn’t live in this half-measure effort to repent.”
I
remember this feeling: like I had tried everything else to fix myself and knew
without question that I had no other options.
I don’t know why I didn’t try the sure one first and I had to put myself
through all that suffering by kicking against the pricks. The sad part is that I kept myself closed off
to joy. The good part is that now that
I’m here I know it without equivocation: that He is the ONLY way. I too would feel it a privilege to declare
this before the world.
“Only then was I prepared to
receive His gift: a remission of my sinful nature, a complete
change of disposition and desire to do harm to myself or others.”
I
really love this. To me this is the
state of BE that we are in: our character of who we are to date. I do think that a desire to harm others or ourselves
by feeling sorry for ourselves or punishing ourselves so that others will feel
sorry for us is a state of BE that we pass on to our children without even
knowing it. This disposition to do good
is what they learn and absorb into their psyche and become. I think this is one of the most important
‘traditions of our fathers’ that can be handed down for good or evil.
Wow,
I love this quote by Benson:
p.166
”When we awake and are born of God, a new day will break and Zion will be
redeemed.
May we be convinced that Jesus is
the Christ, choose to follow Him, be changed for Him, captained by Him,
consumed in Him, and born again.”
This
is how we will establish Zion so that
we will be ready to receive Christ when He comes again. This is my vision and my joy.
Wow,
is she saying that missionary work is our path to joy? As well as our key to retaining a remission
of sins? Did I hear that right? In the back of my mind sometimes I have been
afraid of sounding like I’m being self-righteous, but she is saying is it our privilege
and our obligation. Hum.
Last
paragraph on p.166:
Is
she saying that being born again is more important than baptism? This is kind of what I was trying to say the
other day about baptism that it will all be worked out eventually. The important part is what is happening on
the inside, not necessarily when the ordinance is preformed on the
outside.
I
really do feel like I missed out not being able to attend a group with this 12
Step process, but I can only hope that this has been a needed part of my path
and necessary for me to learn to apply these principles to me. I think it’s gone deeper for personal
reasons, and not for reasons of showing others or telling others… Maybe someday I will yet me able to attend a
group.
