Think On These Things: Helaman 5

I'm not sure I ever thought I'd post on this blog again.

Time flies; things change. It's now been over two years since I was released as a missionary. While I've kept learning and growing and trying to help others where I can, I haven't really felt the need to publish these escapades in blog form.

Until now.

See, I've been thinking a lot about the Book of Mormon recently. After reading it through a few times after my mission, more recently I've started just studying certain chapters or stories individually, giving me more time to focus on them and think about them. Doing so has reminded me of experiences I had with the book during my mission, and it's prompted new, similar experiences now. And suddenly it felt like I needed to write about them again.

I can't claim that these insights and thoughts are going to be original or novel or even something you've never thought of before. Like my journal writing, I find that I'm writing these more for myself than for anyone out there. But, if you read it and find something new or something you like, then I'll be glad to have helped out a little.

So, let's begin, shall we?

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Today's topic: Helaman 5. Most people probably know this chapter because of a widely-quoted scripture contained therein, namely verse 12:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Previously, I'd appreciated this scripture on its own merits, seeking for ways I could build my own foundation in order to withstand whatever fiery darts might come my way. However, since then I've come to see how it relates more personally to the men described in this chapter, and how the entire chapter of Helaman 5 itself can be seen as a demonstration of this powerful verse.

Let's step back a bit for some context: this verse was spoken by Helaman (son of Helaman, son of Alma, son of Alma, son of hey why don't you just look at this chart instead and come back when you have the people straight) to his sons, Nephi and Lehi. Helaman gave them this counsel right before they left to start declaring God's word for the rest of their lives. They were so disheartened by what they saw going on around them that they dedicated their lives to preaching God's commandments, and the chapter notes that they remembered this specific counsel (and the other counsel Helaman gave them) as they started.

So, how did they do as lifelong missionaries?

Pretty well, it turns out.

Verses 14-16 lay out their gameplan: they start out in the Nephite city of Bountiful, then make a broad sweep of the major Nephite cities before heading into Lamanite territory. Both demographics (Nephites and Lamanites) represented a significant challenge: the Lamanites at this time were at their usual standard of spiritual ignorance and anti-Nephite sentiments. The Nephites weren't necessarily hostile to Nephi and Lehi (their own people), but teaching them entailed a different challenge: rather than being ignorant to the church, many of these people were previous believers that had since abandoned the church and its teachings and were knowingly breaking commandments. An earlier account of a similar group of Nephites (Alma 47:36) notes that in turning from their knowledge, they actually become more hardened and anti-church than the Lamanites ever were.

So, Nephi and Lehi had their work cut out for them.

And yet, they were not dismayed by these challenges, rather, they seemed to face them head-on. Verses 17 and 18 of Helaman 5 describe how Nephi and Lehi taught with power, and how that power led to the conversion of many people. How many exactly? Well, among the Nephites, we don't know exactly; the record just states that they convinced "many" of the dissenters of the error of their ways. That's a little dissatisfying to read (we crave exact details), but frankly, given the previous descriptions of these former believers, it seems to me at least slightly miraculous that they converted any of them at all.

As for the Lamanites, we have a much more concrete figure. Verse 19 says that Nephi and Lehi's teaching convinced 8,000 of the Lamanites living in the land of Zarahemla (which until recently had been Nephite territory) to repent, be baptized, and join the church.

8,000 people. That's nearly three times the population of my hometown. On a whim, I googled "8,000 people" and found a bunch of pictures that represented that amount. Take a look at those pictures for a minute, then consider that two men influenced that many people to make major life changes just by speaking to them.

Power indeed.

Now things start getting interesting.

Perhaps emboldened by their successes among the Nephites and the Lamanites, verse 20 notes that Nephi and Lehi set out for the city of Nephi, the Lamanite capital, as their next stop on their let's-teach-and-baptize-everybody tour. They didn't make it far, though, before they were captured by an army of Lamanties and thrown into prison near Nephi.

Let's think about this for a second: an army of Lamanites picked them up and took them back to the capital.

Do armies generally wander about the land and just capture whoever they may find in their path? No, so this army had a purpose (otherwise I'm not sure it'd be called an army).

Do armies with orders to attack a specific city make random detours back to where they came from just to deliver two guys they found along the way? No.

Do you see what I'm getting at here? The fact that the army found Nephi and Lehi wasn't coincidental: the king of the Lamanites sent an army to capture them. An army. That's how impressive Nephi and Lehi's reputation was. That is how powerful their preaching was: the king of a nation commanded his army to apprehend them before they could speak to any more of his subjects.

Going on, verse 22 says that Nephi and Lehi were kept in the prison for many days and were deprived of food during that time. Eventually, a group of prison guards was sent into the cell to kill them. Now, this begs the question: if the plan all along was just to kill Nephi and Lehi, why didn't the army just do it when they first encountered the brothers outside of Zarahemla? There's no official word on this, but I think the Lamanite's actions are telling. They only attempted to kill Nephi and Lehi after they had been starving in a prison cell for who knows how long; I think it's entirely possible that the army didn't try to kill Nephi and Lehi because the soldiers didn't believe they could.

Now that I've spent all of this time outlining how powerful Nephi and Lehi seemed to the people of their day and what miracles they brought about, it's time to burst the bubble: they were just men. Humble, righteous men? Definitely. Eloquent, thoughtful men? Entirely possible. Men blessed with the power of God to aid them in their labors? Certainly, but in the end, for all intents and purposes, they remained normal, mortal men.

So now let's consider what they might have been thinking at the point of verse 22. They only recently abandoned all other temporal pursuits so that they could preach the gospel to strangers, strangers who often did not have the kindest feelings toward them. Despite this, they had success, and quite a lot of it, due to their hard work and the power of God working through them. Maybe they allowed themselves to feel hopeful about the future. Maybe they thought that, if things kept going like this, they might not have to spend their entire lives preaching after all.

But then things went south, and they went there quite quickly. A hostile army accosted them and threw them into prison. They were kept in that prison cell for days, without food. Seeing as how they were mortal men, this made them weak. And then, after days of this torment, a group of guards enters their cell, with the intent to kill them. The brothers, despite their hunger and weakness, rise and stand to face their captors.

Did they hope for a miraculous deliverance like that given to Alma and Amulek so many years before?

Or did they resign themselves to their fate, knowing that, as Alma once said, the Lord sometimes allows the righteous to be slain so that his judgement can fall upon the wicked?

I see the guards start to advance. The moment of the brothers' doom seems to have arrived. I see them closing their eyes, thinking back to the words of their father:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

The devil had sent his shafts and the winds to propel them forward. He had sent his thunderous storms filled with devastating hail. He had sent opposition. He had sent people to denounce them and capture them and starve them and finally to kill them.

But Nephi and Lehi didn't fall.

A pillar of fire surrounded the brothers, driving back the Lamanite guards but leaving those enclosed by it intact. That this divine protection was unexpected is apparent from verse 24; it notes that upon seeing the pillar of fire surrounding them but not consuming them, Nephi and Lehi took courage. Thus emboldened, they began to preach again, and this time their preaching led to a powerful spiritual experience for the guards who came to kill them. All of them went forth and preached after this experience, leading to a massive conversion across the entire land. This conversion, in turn, led the Lamanites to return land that they had taken from the Nephites earlier, something the Nephites had failed to accomplish through military might and force of will.

To bring this about, Nephi and Lehi listened to their father. They build themselves upon a strong foundation. The devil came and threw all he had at them, but in the end they did not fall.

And that's what I think about when I read Helaman 5.

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And that's about how these posts are going to go. Not all of the stories I have in mind are as self-contained as Helaman 5, so there will be a few differences moving forward. Some stories might be told over multiple posts. Some posts might examine the same story from multiple angles.

I have a few more ideas, a few more ideas I'd like to share. We'll see how things go after that.

Have a wonderful week, everybody. Take care of each other. Keep Moving Forward.

-Jesse

Keep on Keepin' On

When you can't seem to tell what's right or what's true
Just keep on keepin' on.

When the sky's stuck grey when you wish it'd be blue,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When there's trials and pain and sorrow, too,
When you don't understand what's happenin' to you,
When you're stuck in a rut and don't know what to do,
Just keep on keepin' on.

Just keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

When you're stressed and you're tired and you feel nearly dead,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When it takes all your strength just to get out of bed,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When you just can't forget something wrong that you said,
When mistakes from the past keep you stuck in your head,
When you feel that your life's hangin' on by a thread,
Just keep on keepin' on.

Just keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

We can't always say why we trip and we fall
When we're doing all we can.

We just trust there's a reason and a time and a season
And it's part of a bigger plan.

So we brush ourselves off, stretch out, and look up
And we find the strength to stand

When we see Him standing right by our side
And we take hold of His hand.

--- --- ---

So we get back on our feet and we try to stand tall
And keep on keepin' on.

We know He'll be there every time that we call
While we keep on keepin' on.

He's our Heavenly Father, and He loves us all
From the great and the big to the humble and small
And he comes when he knows our back's to the wall

And the only thing He asks, at the end of it all,

Is that we keep on keepin' on.

We keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

A little ditty I composed as I sat at the computer on a rather dreary day. In succession, two appointments had cancelled on us, and it was looking like the third one we'd planned was headed the same way. I was a little blue, you could say.

As I sat there, though, a little melody started playing through my head. It didn't have any words, at first, but as I listened to it, the lyrics started coming, based on the motto of my trusty companion, Elder Jensen:

Keep on Keepin' on.

--- --- ---

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He lets us go through the hard times because that's what makes us grow, what makes us better. And I know that He's always there when we find ourselves (literally or figuratively) sprawled out on the ground, wondering what's happened and how we'll ever get back up.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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New Year, New Look! I wish I'd been able to post sooner. I've been blessed with a new tool to use in the missionary work (there's a picture of it below!), and it makes it so I tend to not be sitting in front of a computer quite as much. But, whenever I get the chance, I still like to blog a bit.

Have a great week!

Proof that Elder Richmond can even look like a doofus when holding the latest in Apple technology.
Photo Courtesy of President and Sister Craig.

You Already Said Yes

I've got a question for you: are you having troubles moving on? Does the future and all of its challenges and struggles loom dauntingly before you? Are you sitting, anguished, on the brink of a decision, knowing you need to make the right choice but seeming to lack the courage or strength to move forward?

I've been thinking about you recently. And I want to tell you something: I know you can do it. I know you've got what it takes. How do I know this? Well, it's because I know certain things about you. I know them because they're true of everyone on this earth.

You see, before you or anyone else was born here, you still existed. You lived as a spirit in heaven, with God, your Heavenly Father. He created you; you are and were his child. You grew up as a spirit in His presence, living and learning. You noticed that He, unlike you, had a physical body, and He also had all wisdom and knowledge. Perhaps, on a whim, you may have wondered if you'd ever become like Him, but more often than not you were content with your life with Him and all your brothers and sisters.

It probably surprised you, then, when God called for a great gathering of His family, a "council in heaven." As you took your spot, you may have been a bit apprehensive, but felt your worries ease a little when you saw Jesus, God's firstborn and your older brother, sitting at God's side. You looked up to Him, and trusted Him.

While we don't have a specific record of what happened next, I imagine it went something like this: when everyone was present and accounted for, God stood to speak. He smiled warmly at all of you. He expressed His love for each and every one of His children. He talked of how happy He was to see all of you learning and progressing. He told you how much he cares for you and how often He thinks about what He can do to make you happy.

With that in mind, Heavenly Father announced something incredible. He told you of a plan that He had created, a plan in which every one of His children, you and all of your brothers and sisters, would be given an amazing opportunity. God said He would create a place for all of you to go, in order to gain a physical body (like His) and continue learning and growing in ways not possible in your then-current state. Then, everyone would have the opportunity to return and live with Heavenly Father again, but now with perfect physical bodies and enhanced understanding. It was a plan in which all of God's children could become more like Him.

You likely were taken aback, amazed at this incredible opportunity. Thousands of questions could have sprung to mind, but in that moment, a feeling of peace probably entered your being. You knew, as incredible as it seemed, that this plan was right.

As you pondered these news, though, another voice sounded, one of discontent. Another one of God's older children stood, and, to your astonishment, spoke out against God's plan. Whether or not he'd heard of this plan before the council, you weren't sure, but he seemed to be more familiar with it than most. You listened intently as he pointed out what he saw to be a flaw in the plan. Though all of the spirit children would, indeed, be given an equal opportunity to succeed, to prove themselves worthy of the great blessings God promised, their success wasn't guaranteed. As God had outlined the plan, every one would have Agency, or the ability to choose. And, as this son pointed out, many of God's children could easily choose wrong, and lose their privilege of returning to God's presence, forever.

You were likely stunned; it hadn't occurred to you before that so much of your success would be dependent on on your choices and actions. What's more, God had said that, in order for the plan to work the way He intended, everyone would forget their previous lives. Doubt perhaps crept into your thoughts; could you really choose the right without anything to guide you?

Perhaps, at this point, Jesus spoke up, reiterating that the children of God would not be left completely alone; God had promised to send them blessings such as Prophets, the Scriptures, and the Holy Ghost to aid in their journey. He also described that Agency was what Heavenly Father treasured most, and to take it away would spoil the entire purpose of the plan But this wasn't enough for the other son. In his mind, a plan in which failure was a possibility was imperfect, and to be discarded.

Then, turning to the rest of you, this son began to tell you of his wonderful news; that he had devised a plan as well. The plan was similar to Heavenly Father's, but with one marked difference: there would be no choice. Every child of God would come to the world prepared for them, receive their physical body, and automatically do everything required to merit returning to God's presence. Not a single soul would be lost, he promised, and all he asked for was the credit of coming up with such an amazing scheme.

You pondered this idea in your mind. It seemed to be the perfect solution; and yet, something didn't feel right. That feeling, that assurance that you'd felt before was missing.

Uneasily, you turned to look at God again. He looked sad, pained by His son's proposal. Jesus then spoke:

"Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." (Moses 4:2)

And thus began a war in heaven. Whether it was a war of words or a war of weapons or a war of some other sort, we don't know. What we do know is that a "third part" of God's children sided with the rebellious son. They balked at the chance of losing everything, and flocked to the assurance that his plan seemed to offer. In the end, though, they lost the war. God, Jesus, and the rest of His children fought against the other souls, and won. As a result, all those who rebelled were cast out of the presence of God. They lost any opportunity to receive a physical body and progress. The rebellious son was then known as Satan, and from that point on he and his followers have sought the destruction of God's children.

So, what does all this have to do with you, right here, and right now? Well, before the war in heaven was fought, you and everyone else had a choice to make. Both God's plan and Satan's plan were laid out in front of you completely and thoroughly. You had absolutely all the information you needed. And then you maid a choice. You saw Satan's plan, which appeared easy and attractive. You'd be guaranteed a place back in heaven with God, and you didn't even really have to do anything.

Then, you looked at God's plan, and frankly, it didn't seem easy. You'd forget your entire life in heaven from beforehand. You'd be born into a world with natural disasters, sickness, and wars. You'd have to make your own choices and then live with the consequences of those choices. You'd have to walk by faith and not by sight. And there was a very real possibility that you could fail and lose everything you held dear.

But you looked to God, and you said "I'll do it."

Isn't it incredible? Isn't it amazing? All that time ago, you had the faith to accept God's plan. You trusted that He wouldn't ask you to do anything out of your power. You felt that, as hard as His plan appeared, it was the right thing to do. So, unlike so many others, you rejected the offer to do what was easy, what was comfortable. Where countless souls faltered because there was a chance they could fail, you stepped forward with faith, trusting that there was a chance that you could succeed and that God would help you.

When asked to do something that perhaps wasn't easy, but was worth it, You Already Said Yes.

So take courage in this! As much as you've grown and changed throughout your life, you're still that same spirit that accepted God's plan. Look deep within yourself, and find the resolve you've already shown. If you can't seem to find it, then ask God, your Heavenly Father, to help you. He'll aid you to recover what you once had, and then he'll multiply it a thousand times over.

You can do it. I know you can. Keep up the faith. Keep doing your best. Keep Moving Forward.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He created a plan so that we could be happy. I know He wants each and every one of us to succeed, and is actively working to help us do so (see my favorite scripture, 1 Nephi 3:7). I know that he'll help you in whatever trial you face. I know this because He's helped me in countless occasions. He's helped me when I've lacked the strength to do better, to be better. He's helped me when I've been lost and confused, unsure of how to proceed.

He's helped me, even when I haven't felt worthy of it.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

Photo Courtesy of LDS.org

How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 3)

Welcome back! This is the final look at Atheism and how it relates to my beliefs (to reiterate: Mormons believe in God and aren't Atheist. Thank You).

We've already examined a couple of statements about God's nature; why He lets bad things happen, and how He can still exist, standing with the laws of science. This post's statement is similar to the first:

"There's so much evil in the world; so many bad people doing bad things. You say God hates sin and evil, and yet I see it all around me. So, I don't believe He exists."

Which, once more, I'll rephrase:

"I don't believe in an all-powerful being who makes everyone live right."

And I don't believe it, either.

To be sure, God wants us to live righteously, and He's overjoyed when we live the commandments and do what's right. But, that doesn't mean that He'll eradicate evil any time He sees it.

Why not? It has to deal with what really matters to God, and that is Agency, or the ability to choose.

Think for a second: what is really yours in this world? What is something that no one, no matter how hard they try, can take from you?

Victor Frankl found the answer as he suffered in a concentration camp. He saw some men turn into animals; fathers would steal food from their own sons. But, he also saw prisoners, starved and emaciated, giving away their crusts of bread to those around them. Impossible as it seemed, they were smiling. What made the difference?

They chose to be happy. They chose not to be controlled by their circumstances. They were as tired and hungry and weak as all the others, but they chose not to let it break them. And nothing in the world could take that ability to choose from that. (For a better description, see "Man's Search for Meaning", by Victor Frankl)

To be sure, God wants us to keep His commandments. He has given them to us for our benefit; He knows that we'll be able to find the greatest possible happiness in this life (and a place to live with Him in the eternities) if we follow them. But He also knows that, in order for our obedience to mean anything, it has to be our choice. Forced obedience means nothing, but chosen obedience means the world. Our wills really are the only thing in this world that God won't ever choose to take away from us, and so our giving them to Him is the ultimate expression of love.

For this reason, God won't simply send down a lightning bolt to eliminate evil. He is sad when we sin. Very, very sad. But He knows that, if any of this world is going to be worth anything, we have to be able to choose.

As Lehi, the Book of Mormon prophet (who we've already quoted a lot in this series) put it:

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)

I know that God lives and that He loves us so very, very much. He loves us so much that He lets us make our own decisions, even when those decisions hurt others and distance ourselves from Him. I also know that He's given us a way to make up for our mistakes and to right our wrongs. And I know that what He wants the most is for all of us to choose to do what it takes to make it back. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Well, thanks for reading everyone! In the next few posts, we'll be gearing up for General Conference, which takes place on October 5-6. The windows of heaven are about to open up and pour out knowledge from our Heavenly Father. Let's get ready for it!

-Elder Richmond

Alma 30:44

In the midst of thinking about my ideas for "Why Atheists are Sometimes Right," I was pondering Alma 30:44 (which I mentioned in the last post), and figured I'd try to do some stickies of it. I'm pretty satisfied with the end result.

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I know that God, our Heavenly Father, created this and all the other worlds, and I know that all of His creations indeed witness that He created them. I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to be here and to enjoy everything He has made. I so say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

D&C 122

Do you feel as if you're falling? 

Do all of your problems seem to be collapsing on top of you, 

threatening to crush your spirit?

Does the light at the end of the tunnel seem to be dimming?

Do you feel a darkness beginning to surround you?

Does it feel as if you're one step away from being swallowed up by

all the dark and gloom in your life?

If so...

---  ---  ---

When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he had a question. He took this question to prayer, and something miraculous occurred: God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him (more info here, on mormon.org)

After this occurred, Satan decided to turn things up a notch:

"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me." (Joseph Smith--History 1:22)

To be clear, Joseph didn't want to harm anyone. His message was of peace, and yet it was responded to by violence. 

Eventually, Joseph found himself in Liberty Jail, a dark, oppressing dungeon in Missouri. His wife, Emma, was left alone to take care of their children. His friends and family were being driven from their homes and beaten and killed. All of this, in effect, because of the vision he had seen.

It must have felt horrible. Stuck in the jail with no light, poor conditions, and nothing really to do but think about his situation. 

Did Joseph ever doubt the veracity of what he had seen? We don't know. We do know, however, that the oppressive circumstances led him to cry out:

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?" (D&C 121:1)

To which our loving Heavenly Father responded:

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

Following these words and other instructions, God counseled Joseph on the reasons for adversity, which we've already described with the stickies (read the full section here)

---  ---  ---

So, what can we take from all of this? Unfortunately, bad things are going to happen to all of us. Part of the purpose of this life is so that we can recognize what sorrow is, because it will help us more fully appreciate true joy. 

What I want to share is that there is truly no suffering that comes upon us without a reason. Things will seem black at times. Very, very, very black. We often won't understand why these things happen to us until some time later, but they key is that we Keep Moving Forward until that day comes. And the day will come. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Richmond

Alma 32:28-42

Time to dust the dust off the blog a little bit! I've been focusing more on a Spanish blog at the moment (See Here!), but I figured I'd give this one a little TLC.

I thought I'd share something I drew today (Disclaimer: I don't claim to be an artist. However, my dad is! Here's his website [Ron Richmond Fine Art], and here's his business facebook. Enjoy!). As quoted, the pictures are based off of a sermon that the Book of Mormon prophet Alma gave on the topic of Faith.

If you can't read what the stickies say, I'll provide some captions:

1. "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed...(Alma 32:28)"

2. "...If ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold...it will begin to swell within your breasts... (Alma 32:28)"

"...And now, because...it...beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good (Alma 32:33)"

3. "And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care,... that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us... (Alma 32:37)"

4. "...by your faith with great diligence, and with patience... it shall be a tree springing up unto Everlasting Life (Alma 32:41)"

5. "...By and by, ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious... and pure above all that is pure... and ye shall feast upon this fruit, even until ye are filled (Alma 32:42)"

So, what does all this mean?

It means that there is a process we follow to see if something will help us out. We first obtain a seed, either by reading the scriptures or hearing someone's testimony. The seed is the word of God, and it promises us happiness. If we believe it, we then seek to apply it to our lives (we "plant it in our hearts") to see if it really will bring us the promised blessings (and even if we don't believe it, simply the desire to believe in it can be enough to work with (see Alma 32:27)). As it grows, it makes us feel good, and we can then determine that the seed was a good seed; the word is true. But, that isn't the end. We must continue to act on this belief, or "nourish the seed," throughout our lives. At the end, we'll have a giant tree, bearing fruit. And, as we eat this fruit, we will find that it brings us the greatest joy possible: the joy of Eternal Life with our Heavenly Father, His son Jesus Christ, and our families, for eternity.

I know that, even though I haven't tasted the fruit yet, it does exist, and it will be the most wonderful thing we can possibly imagine. I know that patiently nourishing the tree of our faith can be discouraging at times, but I know that it really will be worth it in the end. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Richmond

Come What May, and Love It

Hello again, and welcome back to Keep Moving Forward! My apologies for missing last week; it was rather busy setting up the baptismal service of some very close friends of mine (Pictures Here!)

While thinking about what I might write about next, I read over a talk from a previous General Conference that struck a chord (what is General Conference? Find out here). The talk, entitled "Come What May, and Love It," was written by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has now since passed. The power and truth in his words are palpable.

So, without further ado, the talk! (For the written version, go here)



As Elder Wirthlin summed it up,

"As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, 'Come what may, and love it.'" (But you should really listen to the entire talk)

I too testify that, although adversity and trials may come our way, facing them in the way that Elder Wirthlin says will make everything go smoother. As we look to laugh, see things eternally, wait patiently, and pray for support, we'll all be aided in our quest to Keep Moving Forward. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, a bit shorter this week, but I think that's alright. Onward!

-Elder Richmond

111: Love Each Other

Welcome back! My apologies for being a day late. While we plan out every day as a missionary, sometimes even we get thrown curveballs and deviate from our plans in order to help those in need. But, we are all set for today.

I'll start out this portion of 111 with another story, this one much more recent. I was with another missionary, and he asked to borrow some shoe-shining supplies since we were staying in my apartment. I said that was perfectly fine. Using some materials from my kit, and some that a previous missionary had left behind, he shined his shoes. As we were leaving the apartment, I noted that he'd put some of the older missionary's supplies into a bag to take with him. I didn't have a problem with that. However, I also noticed a small buffering cloth in his bag that looked awfully like one of mine. I was a bit suspicious, but didn't jump to any conclusions until I was back at my apartment later, with another missionary. Sure enough, I checked my shoe-shining kit, and one of the cloths was missing.

And that really bugged me.

We'll come back to the story later.

So, going back to the original post, the second great commandment that Jesus taught us is that we love our neighbors (i.e. everyone around us) as we love ourselves. For some people, we find that very easy. For others, we find that very hard. They hurt us with their words and actions. They stress us out. In a perfect world (not this one), everyone would treat each other with love and kindness, and hurt feelings would not exist. That world, though, won't come for a while (although it will eventually come). In the meantime, we need to learn how we can keep living with people we'd rather not have anything to do with.

First, we need to understand that nobody is perfect. To bring back the scripture from last time, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Due to a lack of knowledge or understanding, or perhaps even because of malicious intentions, people are going to end up hurting us. So what do we do? Do we mourn our social injuries, constantly bringing back the hurt we've felt? Do we get angry, despising the person at fault?

Let's use a metaphor. Say you see a rosebush, and you stop to admire the flowers. As you go to touch the blossoms, though, a thorn pricks your thumb and sticks in it. What do you do? Do you stare at the wound, tears in your eyes, wishing for the pure, unhurt thumb you had before? Do you spitefully leave the thorn in the wound, using the pain to fuel your plans to take a chainsaw to the bush?

Or do you calmly take out the thorn, step inside to get a bandage, treat the hurt, and go back to looking at flowers?

We firstly can't wallow in self-pity, longing for the happy selves we were before we were hurt. Some people believe that the world would be better if nothing bad ever happened to us at all. We know, though, through the Book of Mormon, that pain and trials are part of this life, and they help us grow (See 2 Nephi 2:27). We also shouldn't let the offending words and actions become the focus of our lives. The wound will never heal if we refuse to take out the thorn, and we shouldn't get angry at the imperfect nature of the thornbush for hurting us.

What we should do is forgive. Recognize that nobody is perfect, and be willing to move on and keep associating with those who have harmed us. As we do so, we find that we are free, that we don't let the words or actions of others define us. As stated by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2nd Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, "We do matter. We determine our happiness. You and I are ultimately in charge of our own happiness" (See, "Of Regrets and Resolutions").

As well, God has commanded us to forgive, or to be merciful. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." He demonstrated this principle in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (see Matthew 18:21-35). In short, since we all depend on God for mercy (as discussed last time), we must also be ready and willing to extend mercy to all of those around us, be they friend or foe.

I know this is a bit hard to swallow. But, as in my story about the shoe cloth, I've obsessed over the actions of another person, and it just doesn't make me feel good. There have been other circumstances as well, in which I've become so focused on what another person has done or said that it becomes hard for me to think of anything else. But I've found freedom and happiness through letting these things go. It is hard; I've prayed for a lot of strength at times to do this. But, in the end, the past is the past. A shoe cloth is just a shoe cloth, and we'll all feel a lot happier when we're willing to let it go.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know he wants to forgive us, and he wants us to forgive others. I know that as we do these things, a greater light and happiness will enter into our lives. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, just one more installment of 111! See you there next week (and hopefully on time)!

-Elder Richmond

Have Faith

Hello everyone! We're posting early this week, because tomorrow is going to be crazy busy with missionary meetings for me. A Wednesday pick-me-up is still good, isn't it?

So, if you came here from Facebook, you might have seen the teaser yesterday and found out that today's topic is Faith. Faith is really what helps me keep moving forward, what helps me pick myself up when I'm feeling down, and I believe its power is pretty much universal.

Before we get into that, though, let's talk a little bit about missionary work. As missionaries, we get up early, work out, study the scriptures, and then spend the rest of the day trying to help and teach people. In order to find people, we often resort to "tracting," which is going door to door and asking people if they're interested. Sadly, most aren't. Some people argue with us, others yell at us and slam the door in our faces. I've heard reports of some people spitting on missionaries (although that's never happened to me personally). Basically, tracting has the potential to turn out very, very badly.

So why do we keep doing it? Why do we still go out every day and put ourselves in peoples' paths? I've literally had days where not a single person we talk to wants to hear anything we have to say; why, then, do I keep trying?

It's definitely hard. And discouraging. And frustrating. But what keeps me going is this: the belief that somewhere out there, there is someone who wants to listen. There is someone who'll listen to us. There is someone we can help.

Belief is a part of Faith, but not all of it. When we have Faith in something, we believe it, but there's more involved. To have Faith in something requires us to first believe in it, and then act according to our belief. If I believe that there's something tasty in the fridge, for instance, it won't do me any good to believe it and then just sit on the couch, hungry. In order to exercise Faith, I have to get up off of the couch and open the fridge in order to see. Only then can my faith be rewarded with something tasty, like orange juice or cold pizza (delicious).

We can easily apply this back to the previous example: I believe that there are people out there (currently, in Jacksonville) who really want to hear what we have to say. But, in order to meet these people, I have to act. I have to leave my apartment and try to find them, through tracting or some other means. Only then can my faith be rewarded, and it has been, for which I'm very grateful.

Now, how do we apply Faith on a more practical level? It's all fine for missionary work and midnight snacks, but how can the majority of us use Faith?

Before my mission, I studied at BYU. I was usually pretty good about doing my homework, but I'll readily admit that the dorm atmosphere led to a lot of procrastination. I can still clearly remember some very desperate nights in which the assignments had piled up and I was very sleep-deprived. In the midst of this desperation, it was often hard to see how things were going to get better. I couldn't reason out in my mind how all of it was going to work. But, it didn't matter so much, because even though I couldn't see how things were going to be okay, I believed that they would, and then took action based on that belief.

We're all going to have bad days here and there. It's an unfortunate part of life. But believe that things can get better, then do whatever you can to realize it, and I know things will turn out okay.

One last note: perhaps you're in the state where you actually can't believe that things will get better. That level of desperation does exist, and I've been there once or twice. If you find yourself there, I'd like to share the words of Alma, a prophet from the Book of Mormon (what is the Book of Mormon? Info is here):

"But behold, if ye will... experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe..."
(Alma 32:27)

If you can't believe that things will be okay in the end, then desire to believe. Want things to be better. Want to be able to believe. And if you act on that faith, I know that you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel some day.

I know that there is power in Faith and that it can truly help everyone overcome their challenges. It's helped me overcome mine. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, until next week, everyone (all 27 of you who have been here. Thanks for coming!)

Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

Hello, World

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney

That's where the name of the blog comes from, and I felt I should pay homage to it (yes, I got it by watching Meet the Robinsons. It's a good movie). As good as that quote is, though, it's not quite what we're looking for here...

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Hello, World! My name is Elder Jesse Richmond. Currently, I'm serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We're often called the Mormons (as you may have noted from the bar to your left). If you have questions about our church, this site (Mormon.org) does an excellent job of explaining everything. If you want to learn more about the missionary program, there's more info here. I've even got a profile on the website; you can visit it and learn more about me and how I live my faith (Me!). 

Now that that's all out of the way...

Missionaries have many duties, many things we need to do. Honestly, though, I came on my mission to help people. Do I believe I can help people by teaching them? By knocking on their doors and inviting them to learn about our church? Yes. But people need other help, too.

In specific, I've found that a lot of people tend to get down and don't know how to get back up. The future, dark and dreary, seems to stretch ahead of them, and they can't see any light. They're not sure what to do: their circumstances aren't the best, and it doesn't necessarily look any better up ahead (I know I've definitely found myself in this situation).

I want to help these people. I want to help you. And, while this blog will talk about many other things, for now I just want to echo the words of Walt Disney (changing them to the imperative) and say:

Keep Moving Forward.

It'll be okay.

Keep Moving Forward.

You can do it.

Keep Moving Forward. 

The future looks terrible. It looks bleak. But, as one who's been in the dark and can't see the light, I can tell you that the only way to get out is to take that first step. Make an effort to find the light. It may not come quickly. The road may not be easy. But a brighter future is there, and you can find it if you're willing to try. All that matters is that you move, and that you move forward.

This blog will update every Thursday, that day in the middle of the week that stands in between the "hump" of the week and the glorious weekend. I've found a lot of people are a bit out of energy and motivation on Thursdays, and I hope I can help.

Until next Thursday, I leave you with the words of Elder Jefferey R. Holland, who has some great things to say on this subject: (Good Things to Come)

Keep trying. Keep smiling. Keep doing your best.

Keep Moving Forward.

-Elder Richmond