Why I'm glad to be a Drinking Fountain

Goodness, you do not know the writer's block I've had in trying to write this post.

It seemed simple enough: it all started off with an email from my family, describing how there was a group of women who were going to try and attend the Priesthood Session of General Conference a month ago. (What is Priesthood Session? It's a meeting in the conference that all Priesthood holders are invited to attend. Why don't women attend? We'll get to that) It seemed like it would be a good idea to jump on the issue and write a blog post about it. I'd originally wanted to post the entry a bit closer to Conference, but then I got rather busy with missionary things. Sometime last week, I finally sat down to start writing, and I've been stuck ever since.

It's not exactly that I don't have anything to say--if you could see my browser window you'd see that's not the case. It's just that I don't exactly know...what I want to say. And how I want to say it.

I guess I'll start out with the basics. The Priesthood is God's power (the same force that created the world and parted the red sea), coupled with the authority (or His permission) to use it. It's given to men on earth so that they can officiate in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which we believe is God's kingdom here on the earth. So, all the leaders of the basic Church organization, from the President of the Church to the local bishop (like a pastor of other faiths) have this power and authority, and if they use it righteously, the church succeeds and grows.

So, what's the issue? Well, when I said that God gives the Priesthood to men in order to church, I didn't mean it generally, in a mankind sort of sense; only men hold the Priesthood. There are auxiliary organizations in the church that are presided over by women (The Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary), but at the core of everything, the church is presided over and run by men. (And only the men who hold the priesthood attend Priesthood Meeting)

That seems a bit sexist, doesn't it? If this were any other organization, I'd probably be on the women's side, pushing for equality.

BUT...

This church isn't just any old organization. While it has leaders such as the Prophet and the Apostles here on the earth, they're really not the ones in charge. We believe that God, our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is the one calling the shots, and all the Prophets and Apostles do is relay His instructions to His children on the earth.

With this being true, another question pops up: if God is our Loving Heavenly Father, and all of His children are equal in His sight, why does he only want men to hold the Priesthood? Why doesn't He let women hold the Priesthood, too?

The answer (which, admittedly, I've been waiting this whole post to say):

WE DON'T KNOW.

Elder Neil L. Andersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, used a passage of scripture to illustrate this point beautifully (in fact, this topic, of women and the Priesthood, is what he spoke on. You should go read it/watch it/share it with friends here). The following dialogue is between an angel and an ancient Book of Mormon prophet, named Nephi:

 "And he [the angel] said unto me [Nephi]: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:16-17)

Even though I very often do not understand why God does things the way He does, at the core of all my beliefs and testimony is the fact that He loves me and all of His other children, and would never do anything to limit their growth or hold them back.

So, sisters, in a sense we do have an answer for you: you don't hold the Priesthood because God loves you and knows that you don't need it to realize your full potential. And perhaps that's not true of men. Perhaps, without this power from God, with all of the responsibility it carries with it (Uncle Ben was right when he said that With Great Power comes Great Responsibility. You can imagine, then, what kind of weight the infinite, eternal power of God entails), we men wouldn't be able to reach what we're supposed to become.

That's just an opinion, though.

So, what does all this have to do with water fountains, and why am I glad to be one? Well, let's think about drinking fountains: their purpose is to distribute water, a substance necessary for life. Anyone, male or female, adult or child, can come to the fountain and drink. That's not to say that the fountain has any sort of power or control over the people. It's purpose is to serve.

Thus it is with the Priesthood. Though we men hold it, we can't use it to bless ourselves. We can only use it to bless others. We are to use it to serve, and as we do, we obtain indispensable blessings for ourselves as well.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He has an important part for each of us to play. I know that He knows best and has created a perfect plan for each of us to progress in the best way possible. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

----------

Whew, well, that took a while to get out. I hope I've expressed everything in a way that helps you. Even if I didn't, I'll Keep Moving Forward, as I encourage each of you to do. Carry on!

-Elder Richmond

The Legend of Stu

Photo Courtesy of LDS.org

This entry of Keep Moving Forward is written in honor of Elder Nelson, my previous mission companion (see his mormon.org profile). If it hadn't been for serving nearly three months with you and listening to all your stories about "the river," I probably never would have thought of this post.

---   ---   ---

Let's say you're looking to take a trip down the nearby Delavida River. You've got all the necessary supplies; boat, life jackets, paddles, oar, etc. You're just lacking one thing: a river guide. You've never been down the river before, and at least for this first time, you don't want to go it alone.

You consider looking in the phonebook (who am I kidding, no one looks in the phonebook anymore) looking online for some established river expedition companies, but then you get a better idea. Using your handy-dandy time machine, you zip back in time in search of Stu Williams, the first man to ever explore the river. You really want the trip to be authentic, and you figure he probably knows the river better than anyone else.

So, you jump back to the 1840's, find Stu, convince him you're not some kind of alien or wizard, and then eventually bring him to the future, promising to show him the wonders of our day (iPhone's, airplanes, flush toilets, etc.). You take him to a pond so that he can familiarize himself with modern boating equipment, and after a bit of practice, Stu says he's ready to take you down the river. So, you round up a few friends, and early the next morning you all disembark down the Delavida.

The trip is quite laid back at first. The river is calm, only requiring occasional paddling from you and a bit of steering from Stu in the back with the oars. While you float on, Stu tells you all about the history of the river and all the thrills of navigating its rapids and other hazards.

"Speakin' of which," says Stu, craning his head to the side, "pull 'er to the starboard, everyone. Don't want to run into ol' Nellie."

"Which side is starboard again?" your friend Steve pipes up.

"To th' right," says Stu, grunting as he heaves at the oars.

You follow his advice, even though you can't see any reason why. As you round the bend, though, you see Nellie, an ancient willow tree growing out of the side of the canyon wall.

"That's it? An old willow tree?" you remark.

"That might look like just another willow tree, but you can be sure there's a swarm of hornets livin' up in Nellie's branches," says Stu. Sure enough, as you pass by the tree you hear the steady drone of the insects at work.

In front of you, your friend Malorie shudders.

"Ugh. I'm glad we've got you here, Stu. I'm allergic to hornets."

"Happy to oblige," is all Stu replies, but you see a warm smile cross his face. You can tell he's enjoying himself.

"When's the next hazard?" you ask, wanting to stow your paddle for a second to drink some water.

"Well, if I reckon correctly, we should have a couple more miles of smooth sailin' until we hit another tricky bit..." Stu strokes his beard as he ponders the river.

"What's that noise then?" asks Kim, sitting up at the front.

Stu pauses, confused, listening to the river. You hear it too: the rushing of running water.

"What in tarnation..." mutters Stu. Before he has time to say anything else, your boat rounds the next corner, heading straight for a formidable whirlpool.

"Port! Port!" yells Stu, rowing with his might.

"Which one is port--"

"Left, confound it! Left!" yells Stu, cutting off Steve's question.

You all paddle frantically, seeking to cut across the whirlpool's outer edge. For a few frightening seconds, it seems as though you'll be sucked in, but eventually you pull through and shoot out of the pool's grasp. Panting, you all stow your paddles and try to catch your breath.

"What was that all about?" you ask between breaths.

"I'm not entirely sure," Stu remarks, taking off his hat and wiping his balding head. "I remember there being a little eddy around these parts, but nothing that powerful...things seem to have changed..."

Just as he says that, you pick up the sound of more rushing water.

"Stu?..." Kim asks timidly from the front.

Stu says something under his breath. You round another corner, and find yourselves facing  a sizable waterfall, created by two fallen boulders.

"What do we do?" you ask, not sure what way to paddle.

"Heck if I know! Hold tight!" yells Stu, looping his arm through a line running around the boat. You start to do the same, but not before the little boat plunges over the waterfall. The impact with the river below throws everyone except Stu from the boat. Thankfully, as you surface, you see that everyone seems to have made it through alright.

"Hang on! I'm comin' round to pick you up! Just lay on your back with your feet downriver!" Stu shouts, rowing frantically. You do what he says, but as you wait, you can't help but wonder if taking him along was the best idea after all...

---   ---   ---

So, what do we take from this perilous adventure with an ancient river guide? A lesson about guidance in this life. Perhaps you picked up that the river Delavida would really be the river de la vida in Spanish, or the river of life (boy, I'm clever, aren't I?). So, in that case, who is Stu? I've been thinking of Stu, in this case, as the Scriptures.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we study the Bible and consider it the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly (Articles of Faith 1:9) (to hear other members' thoughts about the Bible, head over to mormon.org). It's words give us guidance and support. I absolutely love reading the words of Christ in the New Testament; Matthew Chapter 5 and John Chapter 15 especially have found a special place in my heart.

When the Restoration of the Church took place in the 1830's, another book of scripture came forth: The Book of Mormon. This book, written by ancient prophets in the Americas, serves as another testament of Jesus Christ. It contains his words and his teachings, and supports the Bible. Together, the Book of Mormon and the Bible proclaim the truth and confound false doctrines (see 2 Nephi 3:12; the "fruit of the loins of Judah" are the jewish people (who wrote the bible), the "fruit of thy loins" (in this case referring to Joseph of Egypt) are the people described in the Book of Mormon, whom authored said book).

In addition, God revealed many things concerning His kingdom to Joseph Smith. These revelations were compiled in two other books of scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.

So, what with all these scriptures, aren't we well enough off? Shouldn't we be able to handle things pretty well with all these words of the Prophets?

In a word, no.

Just as changes had taken place in the river that Stu couldn't navigate, with only the words of prophets of times of old, we won't be able to get all the guidance we need. There's a wonderful quote from a General Authority (which I can't find at the moment) that says that, even if we had all the lost or missing scriptures in the world (the sealed portion of the Revelation of John, the rest of the plates of Ether, etc.), it would still be impossible to run the Church without living, current revelation. The words of the previous prophets can give us a marvelous base, to be sure, and we may be able to conquer some of the trials we face today based on those principles. But the bottom line is, we need modern revelation.

That's why millions of Church members flock to listen to General Conference. That's why I tear through every issue of the Ensign (the Church's monthly magazine) I can get my hands on. That's why we really, really mean it when we sing "We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet" (Hymns, #19)

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He knows how to help us overcome any and all trials or problems we may face in this life. I know that He sends us Prophets in order to do so. I know that the Prophets and Apostles on the earth today are called of God, and they speak the words of God. I invite all of you to hearken to their words. I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a great week! Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

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

How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 2)

[Note: As stated previously, even though I'll be comparing atheism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, members of said church are not atheist. We believe in God, the Eternal Father. Thank you.]

Welcome Back!

So, as we were discussing earlier, I've been thinking about Atheism recently, and pondering how its beliefs sometimes line up with mine. Today, we'll look at another statement, one that hits rather near and dear to me: Science. (If you didn't know, I'm a Physics Major. Check out my mormon.org page for a bit more info about me)

Here's the idea:

"I believe in Science; there's solid, concrete evidence to back it up. And from what we can see from Science, there's no room for God in the equation."


Or, in other words,

"With what we know about Science and Religion, I don't see how the two can mix. I don't know how God and the Big Bang theory (for example) can coexist."

And I don't really know, either. At least, not exactly.

Before we say anything else, I'd like to offer a viewpoint. From studying Physics for only a year, I've run into lots of theories and equations, and I've found something interesting. Science can be beautiful. Science can be elegant. Of all the craziness of this world, there are some very simple and clean principles that govern it. I take that to mean that someone designed everything, that someone took great care into shaping our universe. As Alma put it, "All things [even Physics equations] denote there is a God." (Alma 30:44)

But, on to a more general solution.

The problem with the statements above is that they're static. They assume that we've already learned all we can about a certain subject. This, of course, is foolish. I'd wager that scientists in the 1910's felt pretty confident about what they were studying, and yet they'd be dazzled by everything we know today. And I'll bet that the people in 2113 are going to be pretty far ahead of what we know.

This applies as much to Religion as it does to Science. To quote the Ninth Article of Faith:

" We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." (Articles of Faith 9)

So, we're not done learning about Religion or Science. And, I believe that one day we will close the gap.

The same situation is actually very closely mirrored in the scientific world today. Right now, a big challenge in Physics is to create "The Theory of Everything." This was something that Albert Einstein attempted, but didn't accomplish.

Here's how it goes: There are two overseeing theories in Physics: Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics (I'm over simplifying here). Relativity deals with the motion of really big things; Quantum Mechanics deals with the motion of incredibly small things. Both theories have principles that are true and are measurable. Relativity helps your GPS to work; Quantum Mechanics lets you talk on a cellphone. However, the two theories don't match up snugly. If one is to be completely true, then the other one can't be. But, do scientists stubbornly pick one theory and say the other is ludicrous? No. They admit that they don't know everything, and they keep researching both sides of the coin, working toward a common solution.

This is the same attitude we all need to take on the subject of Science vs. Religion. The two don't have to be stalwart opponents; on the contrary, they're two sides of the same coin. As Latter-Day Saints, we're told to seek after "anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" (Articles of Faith 13). Basically, if anything in the world is true, we believe it to be part of the Gospel.

I know that God lives, and that He created the heavens and the earth. I know that he wants us to learn all we can about everything that is true. I know He loves us, and wants us to return to live with Him again. And I know that we can gain a witness of these things through prayer. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 1)

[Notice: I want to make it completely clear before we start: As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe in God, our Heavenly Father. (See Article of Faith 1). This post will compare and contrast certain beliefs of ours with those of Atheists, but church members ("Mormons") are Christians, and believe in Diety.]

As missionaries, we talk to a lot of people. From what I've seen (which is possibly biased because most of the people I talk to are Hispanic), most of them believe in God. They have different senses of who He is or what He does, but they believe in Him, regardless. Even the few agnostics I've met believe in a higher "something;" they're just not sure whether that something is God or some other force.

Very rarely have I encountered a pure atheist: someone who absolutely believes there is no God, nor a higher power like God. They stand out in the crowd of theology.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we stand out, too. We're Christians, like many, but some of our beliefs, like the Restoration of the Gospel (see mormon.org for more info) put us add odds with those of different faiths.

As I've thought about how the two groups, Mormons and Atheists, sometimes get attacked because of what they believe, it made me think about what exactly we're defending. And, in pondering some of the statements Atheists have made, I find that I agree.

How is this possible? Let's take a look:

Most atheists I know of don't just simply not believe in God; they have reasons for it. We'll consider three common atheistic statements, and see if we can't find some common ground.

Statement 1: "I don't believe that God exists because of all the terrible things that happen in this world. If there really was a loving, caring, all-powerful being governing the universe, He wouldn't let such things happen."

In considering this (and the other statements), I'll rephrase just a bit:

"I don't believe in an all-powerful Being who takes away all of the pains and tragedies in this world."

And neither do I.

To be certain, God is our loving Heavenly Father. As John put it, "God is love," (1 John 4:16), and He has all the power imaginable. If He wanted, he could take away all the natural disasters, all the pains and sicknesses, and all the evils of this world. But, as is apparent from daily life, He doesn't do this. Why not?

We'll turn to the writings of a Book of Mormon prophet, Lehi. In his final words of counsel to his posterity, he spoke at length about happiness and the purpose of his life. In part of his remarks, he firmly decrees that "men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25) In the same sermon, though, Lehi also states:

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so,... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad." (2 Nephi 2:11)

Essentially, Lehi is saying that there have to be two opposites in order to make a comparison. In order to know happiness, we also need to know what sadness is. If we really want to understand joy, we'll have to understand sorrow as well. Lehi teaches us that the point of this life is not to try and make it through with as few bumps or bruises as possible. We need to learn what's bad in this life so that we can more fully appreciate what's good. And, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we always have someone we can turn to when life gets rough. Christ suffered everything that we will suffer (See Alma 7:11-12), and so he knows exactly what we need to feel better. And, if we turn to Him through prayer and obedience to His gospel, He'll make us whole again.

God loves us. He loves us so much that he sent us here to this earth so we could come to understand true happiness. And He loves us so much that he sent his Son to earth, so that all that is unjust or unfair might be made right again.

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

---

Thanks for reading! See you next time! Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

111: Love Yourself

Once again, I'm late to post! My sincerest apologies. I'm still figuring out what exactly I want to do with the blog and such, but things should even out as we go on.

So, today we come to the last part of 111, love yourself. Now, at first, that sounds awfully self-centered. I'm definitely not trying to promote narcissism here; we should not be so obsessed with ourselves that we forget to think of God or others. But, implied in the mandate to "love our neighbor as [ourselves]," it is implied that we do need to have some level of self-love. To put it mathematically (I'm a bit geeky like that),

Love for Neighbor = Love for Self

So, if we have no love for ourselves (or if Love for Self = 0), then

Love for Neighbor = 0

Which is bad.

---

Alright, now that we've spent more time than is probably necessary discussing how it's okay to love ourselves, let's apply the other ongoing theme of these posts: forgiveness. Just as we must seek forgiveness from God and be willing to forgive others, we must also be willing to forgive ourselves.

How does this work? Well, let's go back to the first story I shared, about saying something embarrassing on 9/11. Quite frankly, I messed up there. Sure, I was only about 8 at the time and I didn't completely understand what was going on, but I still get a bit embarrassed when I think about what happened. And, I've kept making similar mistakes, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, over the course of my life (I just did it this morning at the breakfast table). Now, I could start obsessing over these things. I could start thinking about them every day, focusing on how wrong I was and how things could have gone so much better if I'd have said something else. I could dwell on all the shame and remorse I feel. I could feel pretty lousy about myself in general.

Sound familiar? It's the same principle as the rosebush from last week. In fact, let's use another example from my life (someone's loving himself a bit too much here): in elementary school once, I stabbed a freshly sharpened pencil in to my index finger. How that happened, I have no idea, but one second I was holding the pencil in my right hand and the next it was stuck in my left. Instinctively, I shook the pencil out, breaking the lead and leaving some inside my finger. I promptly went to the bathroom to clean out the wound, but I suspect that some of the lead is still inside, especially since there's still a dark spot on my finger nearly 10 years later.

So, that was something that was self-inflicted, and it hurt, a lot. Not only did I injure myself, but I carry a reminder of it every day, probably for the rest of my life. But, what do I do about it?

I accept that I'm not perfect. I realize that sometimes things happen like that. I analyze what happened and make sure I don't do it again. And then, I move on. I Keep Moving Forward.

Whether it be stabbing ourselves with pencils or saying something we shouldn't or whatever else, we're all likely going to feel a bit ashamed of things we've done. But, just as we must recognize that others aren't perfect and seek to forgive them, we also need to recognize that we, too, make mistakes, and can be forgiven of them.

I've talked a lot about myself in this post, and I'm sorry for that, but I just have to express how much I know that this principle is true. I've lost sleep about things I've done before, about my imperfections. I've been a terrible critic of myself. But I've also felt the wonderful peace of mind and self-confidence that comes from letting things go, from forgiving myself. You can be your own worst enemy, but it feels a lot better to be your own best friend.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that Jesus Christ atoned for all pain, self-inflicted or not. And I know that God wants us to love ourselves, imperfect though we may be, and that Jesus Christ knows how to help us move past our pain. I'm very thankful for the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (info here. I had to get a Mormon.org link in there somewhere), that has let me feel more peace and love in my life. I say these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, thus concludes 111! Thanks for reading! I hope this has helped brighten your week, even if only a little bit.

Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

111: Love God

So, we'll start out the post this week with a story.

My mom woke me up later than usual on September 11, 2001. As I climbed out of bed, she told me that my Grandma had called and told us to turn on the news. Gathered together in the family room, we all watched the footage of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centers. Frankly, I wasn't exactly sure what was happening. The gravity of the situation was lost on me. Eventually, I made it to school. As I walked into class, I offered my 3rd grade teacher an explanation of why I was late. I said:

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Anderson. I was watching people blow up our government."

She quietly said "It's alright" and then told me to take my seat.

Flash forward more than a decade, and I feel a bit embarrassed about what I said. Maybe even a bit ashamed. I don't beat myself up about it (I wasn't quite 9 then), but the feeling lingers.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last time I said something I would later regret. I often tend to speak before I think, it seems, and that leads to me putting my foot in my mouth a lot more often than I'd like. Awkward things are said, words are misunderstood, feelings get hurt. All of these, like my 9/11 experience, leave me feeling embarrassed and a little ashamed.

I take comfort in the fact that I'm not alone. Perhaps not everyone has said something they shouldn't have, like me, but, as imperfect human beings, everyone has done something that's made them feel a bit guilty or ashamed (see Romans 3:23). Hopefully it only happens once in awhile; however, sometimes we have bad weeks, and we get rather weighted down with everything we've done in the week. These feelings, if not attended to, can make us tired, make us downhearted. We don't think we'll ever be able to pick ourselves back up again.

So, what are we to do? And how does all this tie in to forgiveness and 111? It's simple: by asking our Heavenly Father for forgiveness, we can start the process of getting rid of these feelings of regret and remorse.

Physical pain is a type of warning for the body: it lets us know that something's wrong, that we're not doing something right (like not eating for too long or failing to avoid the soccer ball that smacks us in the face). Guilt is the same for our spirits. When we do something in a way that God doesn't want us to do it, we feel guilt as a result.

Fortunately for us, we have a way (called "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" (see this page here, starting with the subheading "Faith in Jesus Christ)) to relieve ourselves of these feelings. We first believe that such a thing is possible. Then, as part of the process of leaving that action behind, we ask forgiveness from Heavenly Father for doing something wrong. It takes humility, but I can testify to you all that it works. I've felt my burdens lifted as I've asked God to forgive me, to give me another chance. He is merciful, and if we promise that we'll try our best to do better (through "covenants," or two-way promises. See the above link), he promises us that he'll forget our sins and help us feel better (see D&C 58:42).

If you find yourself bogged down with your mistakes and your regrets, I urge you to pray. To ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness and relief. As you take the right steps to do better, you'll feel a wonderful peace of conscious. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! We'll continue 111 next week, talking about how forgiveness applies to all those around us. See you then!

-Elder Richmond

111

Hello everyone! And welcome to another installment of Keep Moving Forward!

So, to start off this week, we're going a long, long time ago...just about two years ago, in fact, as I was starting my first year of college at BYU. I was more than a bit disoriented, leaving my small town of 3,000 and living on campus with approximately 10,000 other freshman. At this time, I was very grateful for the counsel of Stephen Biddulph, the bishop of my student ward. (Bishops? Wards? Check out the official church Infographic below!)

In an early talk in Sacrament Meeting, Bishop Biddulph noted how our ward was the 111th. He told us how, to him, the one's seemed to be L's, all standing for the same word: Love. He then shared what he'd chosen as the theme for our ward that year: Love yourself. Love Those Around You. Love God. This was remarkable counsel; I posted it on all the bulletin boards in our dorm. What was better, though, is that the entire ward took it upon themselves. They loved each other. They felt good about themselves. And they loved God, serving Him with diligence. Largely because of this, those two semesters contained some of the happiest times of my life (before my mission, which is even more amazing).

Now, after having studied the scriptures and learned a bit more, I can see that Bishop Biddulph's advice mirrored some teachings of the Savior in the Gospel of Mark:

"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these..."

(Mark 12:28-31. There's a wonderful video of this conversation here as well)

So, we see three important relationships we have in life: that with God, that with other people, and that with ourselves. In the coming weeks, I'd like to look at how the principle of Forgiveness applies to each of these relationships, and how doing so can help us Keep Moving Forward. In the meantime, though, I invite you to analyze: What do you do to show your love for yourself? How do you express your love for others? And how can you better show your love for Heavenly Father?

I've come to know that the frantic things in life tend to dissolve as we focus ourselves on increasing the love in these relationships. I know that, when things seem dark and gloomy, often the best thing to do is to serve. To forgive is also good; we'll look at that in the future. But until then, remember: Love God. Love your Neighbor. Love Yourself.

And Keep Moving Forward.

-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...

---

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