By Which Ye Are Bound.

For the first time in my life, I went fishing.  I found that it was something I immensely enjoyed, and wish such an activity had been engaged in far sooner than my twenty-seventh year of life.  It will be something I will return to regularly going onward.  The night before our exciting adventure, my dear husband assembled our necessities.  I am intensely intrigued in new opportunities to learn, and for this event, I wanted to be included in every portion.  From preparation, to catching, to cleaning, I desired to be an active participant.   As he piled each item that would be required, I sat anxiously on the chair aside him, watching and waiting for his instruction.  At last, he seemed finalized and his eyes met my own.  Being at my side for over eight years, he instantly recognized what I was hoping for.  That sweet man sat down and explained each step.  I observed as he assembled the poles, he taught me techniques for casting, and together we watched videos on the best methods for cleaning a fish.  At the finalization of my tutorial, my confidence was secure.  I envisioned catching a multitude of fish, the biggest on the lake, gutting them all effortlessly, and arriving home for a fantastic fried fish dinner.  Surely, my ability would be perfected from attending my twenty minute lesson.  Do I even need to acknowledge the amplitude of creativity that exists inside the walls of my brain?  There is no absence of imaginative abilities within it.  However as I lay in bed that night, my reverie was broken, and my thoughts were turned to a moment during my instruction which distinctly demonstrated the capturing power of a snare. 

As my husband was concluding the fishing line on my pole, he added a small hook.  With every inch of my inexperience, I sent him a distressing look and   declared, Darling, you’ve purchased the wrong size of hook!  I am planning on catching the largest fish that exist within the lake, certainly this tiny hook cannot support such an achievement.  He smiled silently, a common reaction to my overenthusiastic concerns.  As he described the composition of the hook, I was astounded to learn that such a tiny device could sustain the weight of even a large fish.  As he described the functionality, I was consumed by the parallelism that existed between it and the methods Satan utilizes in capturing us.  The depth of symbolism was remarkable, the similarities were outstanding.  As I pondered on it in the silent moments of my darkened room, I found clarity regarding the procedures of Satan that I had not initially grasped.

We must understand Satan’s main objective: to bind us.  He seeks to hold us captive in chains that oppress and restrict.  Satan is a master of control.  This element of who he is can be traced backward to far-reaching moments within premortal existence.  We were there with him when he vehemently opposed our Heavenly Father’s perfected plan.  He ferociously fought against it until he was condemned to eternal separation from our heavenly home.  As we recall his objectives during this battle, we become aware of the depth of his yearning for power.  He sought to have control of our actions, our endeavors, our behaviors.  He desired to direct the way we thought, the words we released, the choices we selected.  This continued forward extending down to our very formation by sustaining authority over our attributes, preferences, and habits.  His proposal was that we be brought to earth to be manipulated as pawns, hauled through previously routed pathways home.  Individuality, entirely forbidden.  Free agency, thoroughly eliminated.  We would be his puppets, all returning to our Father, but the achievement would not be ours, for it would be smeared with his name.  Even his efforts to produce a strategy of worthy testing, became suffocated by dictatorial dominance.  Can you imagine the way this need has intensified by his inability to constrain the agency our Father supplied us with as we entered his self-proclaimed “kingdom”?  His desires have been fiercely enhanced as he desperately attempts to secure our destiny to his side.  That is why he utilizes chains.  His need to imprison us requires rigid binding that will confine us so firmly, we may never find escape. 

Satan does not deploy these chains vacuously.  His craftiness and guile should never be misinterpreted.  He recognizes the need of enticements and lures, and has become skilled in employing them.  This is the exact reason my mind was able to find comparability between his techniques and the tactics of a fishing hook.  Three specific areas of resemblance were embedded in my mind as I reflected that night.

The bait.

If we assume that Satan will come pummeling towards us, roaring like a lion with all of his dominion and power, we are wrong.  He is much more astute than this.   Satan does not advance as an enemy we should fear, but as a friend we long to be around.  He utilizes charm, appeal, and desirability for his companionship.  I believe that he approaches quietly, sometimes even discreetly.  He realizes that the first step is having his presence accepted in our atmosphere.  Sometimes this is allowed quickly, other times it requires effort to produce desensitization that open portals which permit him closer.  He is patient.  He will wait.  Next comes the decoy.  His attractions towards sin most commonly present themselves as thrilling opportunities. They are eye-catching and come disguised.   They are originally perceived as exciting and fun.  These enticements appeal to the deficiencies of our natural man instincts.  They can be difficult to discern because of his remarkable ability to disfigure them in a way that pulls at our interests and fascinations.  Satan is not a novice at seizing souls, he is a master.  He knows that he cannot throw out a bare hook hoping we will come to pursue it, especially not in these last days.  He comprehends the need for magnetic bait, which targets our weaknesses, and seduces our curiosities, and he exploits it.  

Perhaps we are deceived by his talent of producing multitudes of followers attached to the temptation attracting us.  It seems that we tend to become weakened in the presence of others engaging in acts that contradict what we know to be right.  This is fabricated by Satan because he knows our need to belong.  We want to be accepted, we want to fit.  He knows that if the possibility of rejection exists, we may more easily comply to the corrupted customs that surround us.  We cannot be afraid to stand alone.  The Lord’s people have always been contrary to the worldly definition of acceptance.  If popularity is what you seek, it will not be found with Him.  It is not easy, but we must have the courage that is required, which will always be supplied by the Lord, if we but ask.  And we must never forget that the great and spacious building was filled to the brim with people.  The presence of others participating in acts that are sinful does not adapt the interpretation of what we know to be virtuous. 

The hook.

Once we have taken his bait, we are hooked rapidly.  Prior to grasping us, he ensures we are perfectly positioned so that when we partake, we will descend to his command.  Although it is all he hungers for, Satan has no rush in capturing us.  His entire existence and purpose of life is to ensnare his Father’s children.  It’s all he thinks about, all he labors towards, it is everything that consumes who he is and what he does.  His goal is to own your soul.  He is willing to persevere and endure even extended periods of time, if that is what is required to obtain you.  That is why we have to be continually observant and energetic in fortifying ourselves against temptations.  He is waiting for us to falter.  He will never give up.  Neither should we. 

Once hooked, Satan’s amiable camouflage begins to deteriorate.  Within those moments, as our once clouded perspective becomes unobstructed, we begin to see who he is and what he offers.  The reality is bitter to withstand.  We learn quickly how incompletely he cares for us, for nothing exists.  All promises are broken.  All exhilaration is depleted.  We are left with nothing but the deepest sense of misery that can crowd a soul.  Just as a fish, who has been snagged, squirms with every ounce of strength to be set free, we, too, may violently flail to escape his chains.  But Satan was prepared for our actions towards objection.

The barb.

The barbs upon the fishing hook were the most intriguing portion of my examination.  Tiny pieces of metal, situated perfectly, to clutch on tightly to the prey, penetrating it deeper into the hook each time it sought for freedom.  Satan mimics this strategy.  Each time we seek for release, he clutches more tightly, his chains secure and we find ourselves crippled under their weight.  We become exhaustively entangled.  At this point he is thrilled with his capture, but he is not a beginner.  He knows that he must persistently fortify his shackles, or we may escape under a moment of decreased focus.  He utilizes two recurrent approaches in ensuring we remain under his dominance.  The first, producing spiritual obstructions under which our testimony of truth decays.  The second, distorting our perception of the ability of liberation by creating feelings of unworthiness to be released. 

The Spirit does not linger when we engage in acts that violate the commandments of our Father.  As He departs we may originally perceive His loss.  The hollowness inside may shriek for attention, for our souls need His presence to be whole.  Because He is the one that teaches us of truth, that reminds us of innate pieces of our creation, and allows us to discern our Father and Savior’s existence, His companionship is imperative.  When we suffer the loss of Him, we should promptly rectify our errors, and reassemble our surroundings that He may be restored.  When we permit ourselves to be divided from Him for any length of time, we begin losing spiritual sensation.  The more extensive this separation becomes, the more we lose connection to what we once knew and how we once felt.  Indeed, our recollection of righteous living perishes.  Instead of struggling for freedom, we find a familiar residence within the chains that bind us. 

The fiercest weapon that Satan uses is in diminishing our perspective of personal worthiness.  It is one of his repetitive strategies.  He heightens it when it comes to moments of obtaining deliverance from his control.  How could you ever go back after the choices you have made?  Who would save a wretch such as you?  God has turned His back, you are not deserving of His grace.  Perhaps, such a phrase has been tossed through your heart before.  The moment such a lie enters our thoughts we should instantaneously recognize Satan’s deception, and bend to our knees.  Truth will be found there.  We are never too lost, never too fallen, never too tarnished, never unworthy for the grace of our Savior.  His Atonement is an infinite one by design.  He suffered in every aspect that he could cleanse every sin.  There are not limitations to His mercy.  He is the one that will come hastening through our darkened surroundings, dashing to our sides, with strength and power to shatter the chains that hold us captive.  He has been searching for His lost sheep, leaving behind the flock, that He may rescue you and bring you home.  Because you are that treasured.  Satan, who once appeared mighty, debilitates under His presence. 

Because sin is so enveloping, time is needed to rehabilitate.  Throughout our  involvement with Satan we may have acquired deformed perceptions, destructive habits, and poisonous dependencies.  The forgiveness and restorative process is not uncomplicated, in fact, it can be quite strenuous.  Satan will continually be aching for reclaim on your soul with attractions towards former practices.  He so enjoyed having authority over you; he wants it back.  There will be moments, days, or extended lengths of time were we feel submerged by weight.  But there is nothing that we cannot conquer with Him at our sides.  We need never fear in His arms.  His power triumphs over Satan in every aspect.  He will provide you the strength that you lack, and continually labor to build your current weaknesses.  Nothing is impossible with Him.

An unfortunate thing about being bound in Satan’s chains: at times they leave permanent imprints.  These impressions exist as temporal consequences from our sins.  Going through the forgiveness process does not release us from all the ramifications of our decisions.  Spiritually we can follow a way to full redemption, but temporally we may have to withstand lasting aftereffects from our choices.  Our responsibility is to endure and experience them faithfully and patiently.  We may have hurt others who have forevermore turned from us.  We may have produced physical alterations that cannot be restored.  We may have lost possessions that will take time to regain.  We may feel lonesome because our friends, or perhaps even family relations, continue to exist in the boundaries of Satan’s chains.  These repercussions are difficult to a heart.  But lift your eyes.  You’re never alone, you’re not without, you’re not in a pile without a shape.  Your Master is fastened to you.  Life is brilliant alongside Him.  You will find that as you follow after Him, all will be given, nothing will be absent. 

Satan seeks to bind us, that he may tear us down to his agonizing fate, to suffer just as he does.  Truly, his misery aches for our company.  But we must heed to the counsel that Lehi supplied to us all in these last days:

…Awake, awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe. 

Seek after Christ.  He will demolish the chains by which you are bound, and will deliver you from Satan’s dominion.  You are worth saving to Him.  You always have been, you forever will be.  Courage is required, exertion is ahead, but salvation will be your reward.  Shake off your chains.   

  

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The Keeper of the Gate.

I’ve been given the most remarkable experience.  I’ve sought to convey the immensity of emotion that lies trapped within my heart regarding it a multitude of times, but it only escapes flawed.  It seems that words, although they are the fixation of my life, cannot describe the overwhelming affections that surround these circumstances.  So although I attempt at expressing my tender happening, you will have to remember that the significance of the event to my heart is extended beyond anything that can be released by my tongue. 

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity of reuniting with my biological grandparents.  I existed through life without these individuals by my side, but because my love for them imprinted my core, they were entwined into every piece of my living.  Being within their presence is a day that I have craved for as long as my memory can recall.  The chance to be with them was presented many months ago, but the complexities of my heart originally produced fear, not elation.  Pausing this reconnection was the most tragic thing I have caused myself.  However, the whisperings of insecurities steered me away, panicking myself that I would be nothing but a terrible disappointment to them.  Satan was my puppeteer.  Instead of cutting the strings, I allowed to be dragged around as a pawn to the arrival of distressing destinations.  I have a sensitive, dear husband.  He is gentle and his words never exit his mouth in haste, nor do they become cluttered with rushed perspectives.  Through my years with such a tender man, I have learned to quickly follow guidance that he extends.  During a painful portion of my experience, he quietly, but firmly, recommended I move onward.  Meet them, was his request.  I followed.

My grandparents live quite a distance from me.  As I came into their city, all anxieties were set free.  There was a moment I believed I was experiencing heart failure, brought on by an absence of oxygen.  It was as though my lungs concluded their labors, and left me alone to locate my next breath.  As I approached their home, the most endearing man wait for my presence.  As I pulled into view, he excitedly waved his arms into the air.  My first glance upon him instantly softened the weight that was standing on top of my heart.  I opened my car door, and within an instant they were at my side.  In their joy they had raced to be near me, something I could never have envisioned occurring.  Me?  They were exultant to see me?  I still struggle with such comprehension.  Their affectionate arms wrapped around me so rapidly, so tightly.  It was an embrace I never wanted to part from.  It was a place I had never been positioned prior.  The only way to explain it is…love.  Torrential tears doused my cheeks.  My heart…it seemed to come alive.  It beat wildly, as though without them, it could only supply a weakened rhythm, but with them it could create a pounding that could be heard from the exterior.  Missing portions of my soul flew into their proper place.  And then in an instant I felt it…home.    

This experience is so precious to me because of the temporal completion it created in my life.  But beyond that, it provided an illuminated recognition of what it will be like to return to my heavenly home.  The home my spirit hungers for.   This event, although perfected in an earthly sphere, was a mortal moment, which means that it only holds a fragment of correspondence to what our heavenly experience will entail.  Encountering the depth of this experience, and the fantastic emotions of delight which it carried, makes me ache for my divine reconnection.  It has heightened my desires towards righteousness, for when I am allowed to return to Him, I want my reunion to be matchless.  

Can you imagine the way our Father waits for us?  I have never had to endure one of my babies being absent from my side for longer than mere hours, yet even in this short period of separation, coming back to them creates inexpressible happiness.  We are mortal, flawed parents, yet we feel these deep affections.  He is a celestial, perfected Father.  His yearnings for his homebound children are beyond our understanding, and He awaits with arms, which are held open, permeating with His ultimate love.  Those arms, they anticipate us.  Individually.  We are never yearned for in a collective manner, because we are cherished in an individualized way.  We are not seen as a face amongst a sea of His children, but are adored separately.  He knows every component of us.  He is aware of every element that composes who we are.  He desires you to be home with Him again.  He watches you everyday, yearning to have you in His presence.  His greatest happiness comes from the homecoming of each one of His children.  All He seeks is to have His beloved child back at His side.  We cannot forget how distinctive His love for us is.  Nor can we leave behind the understanding that our return home is something that He deeply anticipates.  We are uniquely important to Him.

My best loved parable is that of The Prodigal Son.  The parable is dear to me because it echoes much of my personal experience in coming to Him.  I especially appreciate the MormonMessage created around this scripture.  The visualization impacted my heart.  We understand that the father in this story represents our Heavenly Father.  As I viewed the video, being mindful of this symbolism, I was touched to my core as I watched the father react to seeing his child on the pathway home.  He detects him from a far way off, and immediately runs to him.  He never stops racing to be at his child’s side. When he is close, his arms fall open, and he meets his child with an embrace that spills with compassion and joy.  His son is home.  His child is within His reach again. His desires have become an actuality.  It’s overwhelming to watch. 

The representation of our anticipated reunion within this parable is flawless.  He is unfailingly and anxiously looking for us to embark on the passage that will lead us to Him.  When He sees us taking our first step towards advancement, He does not delay in hastening to our side.  He remains with us as we continue forward, until the time we are able to depart from this mortal probation, to enter our heavenly home, to be encompassed in His love.  This is not to claim that He deserts us if we exist on paths that lead away from Him, for He never departs.  But much like the prodigal son, it is us that pulls ourselves from His presence in these moments.  Our ambitions and determinations maneuver towards worldly targets, and we commence in walking in a direction in which He views the back of us as we withdraw.  Our eyes leave His.  We begin to feel disconnected, because His tangible hands are regularly discerned as our souls are striving towards our homeward objective.  He does not leave us, it is us who abandon Him.  He forever waits on us, seeking for us to pivot, and desiring for the destination of our course to be modified, centering on Him, focusing on home.  

Our reunion can be glorious, providing the most unequaled experience which will entirely engulf our hearts.  However, we must never lose sight of the gate that exists before entering His presence.  A polluted spirit cannot enter the gateway, because they are unprepared to be with Him.  Some may proclaim that such a belief is fictitious, and that because our Father loves us, the pathway leading to him is broad and welcomes all.  This erroneous view was created from the father of all lies.  He is aware of the gate.  He knows that if we are distracted, when we arrive, we will become subject to his dominion, not given the gift of entrance.  He enjoys in poisoning our perspectives because it delays, or diminishes, our promised rewards.  He understands that entry into those gates will not be given unto him, and he is on a quest to capture as many of Heavenly Father’s children as possible, that they may suffer an identical fate.  Don’t be convinced in his altering of truth.  For the pathway was never created by him, but was carved by our Father.  Knowing that He is unchanging, we can have faith that like Him, this pathway is fixed, an irreversible course home.  It cannot, nor will it ever be, adapted or modified to align with worldly transformations.  It is a constant path, one that leads to a gate that we must be certified to cross.  And the most significant part of this gate is in the one who stands waiting outside.

…Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name. (2 Nephi 9:41)

Jesus Christ, He is the Keeper of the Gate.

There is an incredible amount of depth within this single verse.  In studying it I have gained an intensified awareness of my Savior’s love for me, as well as His extensive devotion to the Father.  Christ protects His Father and His sacred presence.  He stands on the exterior of that gate as a judge, ensuring that no impure spirit be permitted.  He is the ultimate assessor because He cannot be deceived.  He knows all things.  His knowledge of our deeds, words, and intents are not a developing recognition, but instead a precisely finalized understanding.  His omniscience allows Him to provide supreme justice.  He is conscious of the gravity that only the spotless be admitted.   He safeguards His Father, His Father’s kingdom, and His Father’s perfected children.  Nothing that will add blemish to the celestial will be allowed.  This He ensures by His hand.  Knowing that we will meet our Savior face to face, accounting to Him our actions, engagements, and entertainments, should not produce fear, but should add spiritual power to our lives.  Keeping this in the forefront of our minds, the accentuation of all we do, can change a temporal perspective, to an eternal one.  We will have the strength to better our choices, improve our actions, and discern the filthiness of worldly ideologies.  We must allow this to energize our resolve towards righteousness, and extend our spiritual foundations, instead of enabling it to crumble these sacred structures by way of fright.  Fear is never produced from the Lord, this is prescribed by Satan. 

Understanding that we are all imperfect, that we have all sinned, and that we have all blotched our cleanliness, I find such symbolism in the fact that Our Savior stands waiting.  His Atonement, through the process of repentance, is what washes us clean from our sins.  In our final steps of returning home, as we seek to enter our Father’s gates, Christ positions Himself to meet us first, that He may stand at our side as we come into our Father’s presence.  The One who has been positioned alongside us, never faltering, throughout our entire existence.  He again, stands with us as we arrive home.  His sacrifice is what has authorized our entry. Without Him we would be incapable.  His attendance with us provides physical fortification, as well as symbolism that we have been cleansed from our imperfections by and through Him.  What a unparalleled method of entry.   As we speak of the divine justice that is provided through Him, we must also recognize the divine mercy He releases.  Just as the Lord has a perfect knowledge of our state of cleanliness, He, too, has a flawless remembrance of our acts of righteousness.  The quiet, unnoticed moments we virtuously stood.  He extends His grace unto us.  He is a just Lord.  He is a merciful Lord.

My most favored portion of this verse: …He employeth no servant there.  Our welcoming is not insignificant or lightly handled by our Savior.  He does not give angels charge over this most glorious of moments.  He gives this duty to no one, for He wants to fulfill it Himself.  He wants to be there when you arrive at the gates.  He wants to receive you.  He wants to be the first to open His arms to greet you.  He wants to stand with you as you come unto the Father.  He wants to be the one.  Why?  Because you are that important, you are that special, you are that unique, you are that vital to Him.  He was a perfect being, never having sinned, but loved us so completely that He suffered unimaginably, so that when we reached those gates, justice permitting, we could enter by His grace.  He knows how deeply our Father loves us.  His knowledge of this love is perfect.  That is why He gave all that we may have a way to come unto Him.  He wants to commence our sublime reunion home.  He desires to abide with us as we cross through those gates, where our Father will come rushing to our side, arms thrown around us, joy spilling from His face.  For His precious child,  they have returned home.  

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I Am the Daughter of a King.

I will never forget it.  It was the darkest of nights. My busted heart crowded with sorrow in such a way I thought it would rupture.  The circumstances of life were dire.  I was petrified.  I was perplexed.  I was alone.  When the grief seemed as if it would suffocate me, my knees fell to the ground.  There I knelt, weeping.  I remember being confused how I even arrived to my knees.  It was a pose I had not assumed in such a long stretch of time.  It was as though my distressing heart had fiercely implored my brain to force my knees to bend.  It knew that upon them, it would find alleviation.  I had felt the pleadings of my suffering heart many times up to this experience.  It begged for release, and worked vigorously to diminish my unyielding stubbornness.  I had memorized the way it labored to bring me to Him, but I continuously fled.  I was terrified, and convinced, that He, too, held only broken love for me.  How could I manage such a fate?  In my mind I determined to escape another rejection, desperately seeking to evade an additional desertion.  How would one exist after the forsaking of their Creator?  My perspective was irreversibly damaged.  My heart seemed to recognize the impending finalization of the moment, and in a last attempt, pushed me to my knees, hoping that the truth which was buried deep inside it, would be realized upon them.  Almost immediately, as though I had never missed a moment, my eyes turned upward, my mouth opened, and every word that escaped was designed for Him. 

He was there.  And not in an approaching way, but in a sustained, never having departed way.  It happened rapidly.  Moments of my existence seemed to blaze before me.  As each memory passed through my recollection, I had the ability to distinctly discern His presence every minute of my life.  It was never from afar, but so near, that in some instances I could perceive that His hand was the only thing that kept my tortured frame from fracturing.  It was His hand that kept the beat continuing within my ravaged heart.  It was His hand that held me up when my inadequacies sought to destroy.  It was His hand that shielded me from physical and spiritual distinction.  It was His hands, through every second of my life, which held mine.  He stayed by my side, although I was unworthy.  He chased after me when I ran.  He remained with me as I hid.  He persisted, though my actions hallowed Him, and broke His heart.  He abided through every starless, hopeless night.  He heard every sob, every cry for help, and answered it.  Even though my eyes were blinded to His replies, my ears blocked to His whispers, He never ceased in responding.   It was the most overwhelming occurrence of my life. 

My heart unbolted.  Everything inside came tumbling outward.  Every expression that I had withheld due to preconceived fabrications, came flooding through.  Every despair was released, each adversity addressed.  The environment surrounding me was originally one of chaos.  I was lost in the trouble and disarray that confined me.  The main source of all the confusion became clear, I simply had no understanding of who I was.  I didn’t seem to be suited in my earthly surroundings.  I felt out of place.  I remember sobbing, asking: Who am I?  Where did I come from?  To whom do I belong?  Thinking only of the temporal, I was unprepared for His reply.  I remember how  suddenly my mind seemed to break free.  A quiet, unflustered calm bound my heart.  As intelligibly as any voice I had ever perceived, it came: Be untroubled, for I am your Father. 

It was the moment I learned who I was.  From where I came.  To whom I belong.  I was His.  I am His.  He is my Father.  I am His daughter.  Before coming to earth, He delighted in my presence, and I cherished every moment by His side.  When I left, my soul was exultant at the chance to prove my worthiness, but I missed Him even before I departed.  Realizing my identity, in Him, by Him, through Him, has changed every portion of my being.  He stands as the emphasis and nucleus of all I do.  All I strive for, all I labor towards, all I hope for, rests in Him.  The indefinable love I held for Him premortally, marked my heart; I carry it everywhere I go.  This love is magnified as I work to know Him more deeply.  As I continue to learn of my identification as His daughter, and all that it encompasses,  I am strengthened.  I am brought closer to Him.  The nearer I come, the more I crave to be by His side.  It alters the decisions I make, the aspirations I have, the actions I deliver. 

We are sent here to earthly parents.  We are blessed to have them.  But our definition as His daughter, or His son, will never diminish or revise because of these bonds.  Above all else, we are His.  We should never forget this in our identification, and should make it an imperative part of the way we view our own children, for they don’t belong to us.  They never have, they never will.  Although we can be eternally joined, when we return home we will still be His children first.  These souls are our spiritual siblings, loaned to us by a gentle, kind, loving Father, who seeks to have us learn how to pattern our love after His.  Being parents allows us glimpses of His love.  But here, in this mortal sphere, we will never even come close to acquiring the depth of His affections.  We must seek to teach our children who they are.  From whence they came.  To whom they belong.  There is no greater gift we can offer them, then to teach them of their origins, their potentials, their divinities.  They are His.  They are adored by Him.  They are missed by Him.  They are loved by Him. 

A few years ago I came across a saying that seemed to spell out every expression that existed in my heart.   It read:

I am the daughter of a King, who is not moved by the world, for my God is with me, and goes before me.  I do not fear because I AM HIS. 

It is plastered onto the walls of both of my baby girls bedrooms.  I read it almost ten times a day, sometimes more.  Every. Single. Time. Tears form.  How grateful I am for my knowledge of the truth.  I wish I had known it every second of my existence.  But my pathway to this understanding was extended.  For them, I want it to be a lifelong comprehension.  Something that is embedded into who and what they are.  When they see themselves I ache for them to recall how wonderfully and fearfully made they are, and to where they are bound.  I want them to remember their Father, and to make Him apart of every inch of their lives.  Because He is right there with them, just as He has always been with me. 

On this day, the one in which we celebrate our Patriarchs, my heart is overwhelmed with love for Him, my Father.  He is the focal point of my heart, the destination of my endeavors.  I can hardly wait to be home with Him again.  Until then, I will never forget:  I am the Daughter of a King.   

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Continue In Patience.

Our objective in this life: Perfection.  Being a mortal, in a flawed realm, this ambition at times, or in moments, or perhaps even during extended stretches of life, may seem implausible.  We may dubiously exclaim, How could I, one with so many flaws, ever reach such a destination?  Indeed, we are all well versed in our imperfections.  Our heightened awareness of the areas in which are weak, may almost obscure our view of the places in which we stand strong.  With a contorted perspective, achieving such a goal truly seems like an unattainable feat.  However, we have been given distinct clarification that this is, and should be, our aim.  It is our precise purpose for existing as we currently do.  And more than that, if we are ineffective in reaching this target, we realize the consequence that it brings upon us: separation from our Father’s presence, because no unclean thing can dwell alongside Him.  This implication dispatches terror to the deepest part of our soul, as it pines to return and forever reside within reach of His embrace. 

As the Savior began His ministry, news of His teachings and miracles disseminated rapidly.  Great multitudes of people began following after Him.  When He saw the assembly, He led them to the top of a mountain, and once established, began delivering the Sermon on the Mount.  I dearly love and pore over the pages of the New Testament that describe this profound experience.  I cherish the words He delivers during these moments.  Midway in His instructing, He provides an explicit description of our individual responsibility.  It is that we must become perfect, and not by a worldly definition, but by aligning our perfection with that of our Heavenly Father.  Knowing that our Father stands entirely and celestially flawless, means that we, too, must become faultless in thought, word, deed, essentially in every aspect of our existence.  I vividly recall the first time I really read that verse.  Meaning that the words did more than follow along with the movement of my eyes, but instead penetrated into my mind, and became stationed there.  I became fixated upon it, and not in a positive way.  That single verse created a fear inside of me that brought to life every inadequacy that had ever been housed within.  I became hypercritical of every action, and found it almost impossible to deal with my continuous unsuccessful attempts at instantaneous perfection.  My yearnings towards my objective were sincere and good, however, my need for immediate perfectionism, was not.  Satan was elated.   It was so tangible to me, it seemed as though I could sense his diabolical joy as he coupled with my self-deprecation.  I prayed for release.  As He always does, He rescued me.  His liberation came through an originally neglected, italicized letter b that stood clearly before the word perfect within the very verse my heart was agonizing over.  Indeed, it came by way of a footnote. 

The words that Christ has spoken, and continues to speak, are absolute.  We believe the scriptures, as far as they are translated correctly, to be the very word of God.  There are no errors, for He does not make mistakes, or experience oversights.  What He declares, is truth.  However, our undeveloped spirits, and mortal minds, may not immediately understand the full definition of what is being communicated.  Or perhaps with our narrow perspective, we are unable to promptly decipher it.  This is the exact reason why it is imperative that we not only read the scriptures, but that we search and study them.  We must ponder on the words to gain an accurate comprehension.  When I read the word perfect, and learned that I was to be as my Heavenly Father, I decided in that moment that it was an objective that had to be met within an instant, or I was unworthy of its eternal reward.  However, when you view the footnote on the word perfect it provides clarification of all that reaching such a destination involves by utilizing three descriptions: complete, finished, fully developed.  When this enlightenment was given to me, my entire approach towards reaching my target was modified. 

The goal of full development within this blemished sphere is unrealistic.  As mortals we will not become finished, we will not experience completion, until after we have passed through the veil, entering into a perfect surrounding.  Once we have left this life, it will be required that we continue to endeavor towards our goal.  We will resume our strivings to attain all qualities, characteristics, and behaviors of our exemplary Father and Savior.  Does this knowledge conflict with the commandment our Savior gave to become like our Father? Perhaps we find ourselves wondering which side we should doubt, the knowledge of continual efforts hereafter, or the clear instruction of the Almighty?  It is neither, for together these understandings fortify the other.  The Lord meant just what He said.  Our efforts and energies should persistently be placed towards bettering and enhancing ourselves towards a state of perfection.  We should set high standards, worthy goals, and practice personal evaluation upon our progression.  However, we must not expect, nor demand, expeditious conclusions.  As our Savior sat upon the mountain speaking these words, He was not requesting such an occurrence.  He understood the mortal, and the heavenly, path we would need to experience and travel to reach this concluding goal.  Although He understands the timeline, He continues to expect that we incessantly labor towards refinement, and inch closer to aligning ourselves with this objective every day. 

Knowing that opportunities will be offered into the eternities may create a fallacious attitude that our exertions in this state of probation are inconsequential.  Perhaps we may find that we become deceived by Satan’s whisperings of earthly merriment, prolonging our advancement.  This is a deception.  An enormous one, that carries a tremendous consequence.  Our labors upon this sphere are what lay the foundation for how we will be allowed and how we will desire to continue forward hereafter.  There is a mistaken theory that once we leave this life, our hearts and minds will be instantly turned towards righteousness.  That regardless of how we feel here, once we return home, all comprehension will be given to us, and we will ache to achieve our celestial objective.  This is not truth, far from it.  We have been continuously taught that the desires of our heart here, that the progression of our spiritual expansion here, that the strength of our relationships here, that the enhancement of our talents here, and that the acquisition of divine knowledge here, will be exactly the same there.   Just as who we were in the premortal life accompanied us to earth, it again will coexist with us back home.  There is no separation for who or what we are here, to who and what we are there.  It will be identical.  That is why the Lord talks so frequently about gaining control of the desires of our hearts here.  We will not yearn for something different when we are there.  Our efforts towards our objective here, are required in order to proceed on a  pathway leading to perfection there.

Satan can seem to have the upper hand when it comes to this area.  Our awareness of our weaknesses can create distressing feelings within us.  These emotions can be dealt with externally or internally, most commonly being presented through destructive behaviors.  He knows of this.  He has a strong understanding of our current imperfections, and through his vicious magnification of these areas, seeks to have us believe that they are deficiencies, ones that will only continue to canker.  He will ruthlessly murmur that we are unfit for the kingdom of God.  That we don’t belong in Heavenly Father’s presence because we are too inferior.  And the one exaggeration that has always maimed my heart, that we are unsuitable for His love.  The reason why these lies are so piercing is because there is a piece of truth that exists within them.  It is true that we are not yet prepared to enter His sight in our current conditions.  It is true that we are not yet ready to return to His arms.  But the most important word in both of those sentences is yet.  We are works in progress.  We cannot go home right now, but we are not unworthy of His presence in our current lives.  Worthiness does not denote perfection.  We do not have to be perfect to qualify for His love, attentions, and affections.  It is true that He cannot abide with us if we choose Satan as our master.  But if we are working towards the things of righteousness and are following after Him, He will surround us on every side, and will never depart. 

We must recognize Satan’s pitiful efforts in making our places of progression, amplified inadequacies.  We do have weaknesses, and it is okay.  These are simply regions of our souls that are still learning to evolve.  Just as we allow a baby to crawl before it walks, we too, must allow our spirits to learn in a step by step fashion, and not criticize our exertions, even if we stumble.  Our requirement is that we constantly labor to strengthen these areas of frailty.  There will be specific flaws that seem almost impossible to build.  We may become frustrated, embarrassed, or feel defeat as our continual efforts end in failure.  During these moments, remember, we are yoked with the Lord.  Keep that bond powerful.  He will provide us strength beyond our abilities to conquer all.  We will truly look back on our advancement and see divine pieces of resilience, fortitude, or courage that were delivered to our souls straight from His own.  Indeed, we will see Him entwined in our labors, for He never asks us to travel towards this objective alone.  Our Father has told us that He cannot allow sin, and that there is not a degree of allowance regarding it, but He also recognizes that we are His imperfect children.  He aches for us to be back with Him as intensely as our hearts yearn for home.  He is aware of our weaknesses, is familiar with our struggles, and always deals with them compassionately.  Richard G. Scott’s words regarding this always calms my heart:

The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion.  Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy. 

Although our goals are driven towards perfection, we are not yet perfect, because we are not yet completed.  We are still in the process of developing, not yet developed.  Our desires towards righteousness are good, very good, but we must not overlook the multitude of opportunities that He is releasing to aid in our progression.  We should not demand more than the Lord requires.  We must be cautious in creating unrealistic expectations, and avoid deprecating our endeavors, even if they conclude in an unsuccessful attempt. Instead we must allow our spirits to evolve after a manner of order.  Satan will be steady in his aims of breaking us down, brewing shame, irritation, or anger in our hearts bred from feelings of insufficiency.  When we recognize these deceptions for what they are and instead turn to the voice and hand of the Lord, we can be directed to a path that leads to endless development, with the conclusion existing in perfection.  We will stumble.  We will have moments where even in our best efforts we topple over.  At times we will take a wrong turn, make a wrong choice, we will sin.  But as we cling to the Savior’s Atonement, the one He offers us so full of love, and repent with the most humble of hearts, He will personally reach down, with His hands, and stand us back up.  We are not asked to be perfectionists, but only faithful and earnest students.  We must recognize our need for our Savior in achieving this goal.  The word perfect means free from flaw.  Because we are mortal, because we have sinned, because we are imperfect beings, we could never fit this description.  But with Christ, we can.  His immense suffering swallowed up the sins that defiled us.  We may not stand perfect, but we can become perfected to receive exaltation.  We need Him.   As we toil towards our objective, the one that leads us home, we can take comfort in His words:

Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected. (D&C 67:13)

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