Motivate and inspire, Convey vital knowledge, Entertain. These are the three objectives in teaching, and only when all three occur has the goal been achieved. From education and experience, Bob Copeland has developed a series of firesides related to success in important areas of our lives. He was educated in English, Psychology, and Law, and has spent his life studying and teaching the scriptures and other subjects. He has written a booklet on relationships, Battle of the Sexes (a battle both sides must win), and published a book on the power of faith, InPursuit of Faith.

FAITH – THE POWER OF GODS –Lectures on Faith

“All things that pertain to life and godliness are the effects of faith and nothing else”, according to Lectures on Faith. All success, temporal as well as spiritual, is determined by faith. The better we understand what faith is, how powerful it is, and how to implement it in our lives, the more successful our lives, and our eternity, can be.

“LIVE TOGETHER IN LOVE” –D&C 42

Talked about, written about and, too often, joked about, the “battle of the sexes” is perhaps the most universally popular subject. It is a struggle we need both husbands and wives to win, and win decisively – it is vital to a successful life and eternity. Drawing on personal experience and hard-earned lessons, and on the insights of many others, a Ten-Key program is provided. The first five are the personal challenge to become a good partner; the second five provide a plan the partners can work on together toward a successful, happy relationship.

“BLESSED ARE THEY . . .” – Matt. 5

What would Jesus teach if he were here today? Probably the same message he taught both the Jews and the Nephites: the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes, rich in connotations and powerful in shaping lives, are the central theme of that sermon and the pattern for His directive to “be ye therefore perfect”.

“WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO” –Matt. 6

With all the terrible problems in the world today, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the answers people need for security and happiness. If we love the Lord and deeply believe in the treasure of eternity we, like Enos, will be eager to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is an easy, natural, comfortable way to do this. With practice, it will become second nature.

“THE GREATEST OF ALL THESE IS CHARITY” –1 Cor. 13

One of the most important and satisfying ways to follow in the footsteps of Jesus is to lift people, encourage them, and build their self image. It can be done every day, in all our associations. Someone coined the phrase “random acts of kindness”. If we appreciate the power of this concept, and begin consciously to do it, we can initiate an upward spiral in our homes, in our wards, at work, and in society, that has no limits.

RC © 2007.

In a television debate between a Christian and an Atheist, the Atheist mocked “absurdities” of Christianity; the Christian, in response, earnestly countered each point. No one “won”, and surely none of the audience were moved to alter their views either way. Debating atheism on its own terms seems puerile, and a possible approach to the debate might be, in effect, a sermon on the principle of faith:

One truth is certain: We are going to die. Then, if Atheists are correct, we are annihilated; if Christians are correct, we step across the threshold of a never-ending eternity. That possible eventuality is worth reflection; and as miserable and unfair as life is for many, it would be very sad if this life were all.

Atheists cannot prove there is no God and no eternal purpose for life. Categorically. If they prove wrong things people say about God, it does not prove there is no God. Even if they prove wrong—or think they can—things people who wrote the Bible or other scriptures said about God, it does not prove there is no God. However, since it is essentially impossible to prove a negative, the burden of proof rests on Christianity to prove there is a God, not on Atheism to prove there is not. I accept that burden—but there is a catch: The burden of proof really rests with God, and he requires you seek proof by faith. If he chose, God could prove his existence conclusively, but the purpose of life is to develop faith; there is no other way.

Atheists renounce faith, and embrace science. The scientific method is certainly effective, and the world has progressed immensely on the basis of it. Relying on science, Atheists attack what they view as inconsistencies in religion. If we are consistent with that rule, however, science fails the same test! Of hundreds of significant examples, I will cite three: 1] Based on the “Big Bang” theory the expansion of the universe should be slowing, because of gravity. When science found it is accelerating, they postulated it is something they call “dark energy”. 2] The theory of relativity, which explores the largest things in the universe, contradicts the quantum theory, which studies the smallest. Einstein could not resolve it, and no one since can. 3] Modern Darwinists are adamant against God, but the scientific fact that life evolves does not prove there is no God, who is the source of life. Evolutionists dispute it, but Darwin can be “proven” false by his own admission. He wrote, and it stands to reason, that natural selection would be disproved if it could be shown that two features of an organism had to evolve simultaneously to provide a survival advantage. A simple case: Science has discovered a one-celled animal that has an internal “motor” that can rotate 100,000 rpm, and reverse itself in one-quarter revolution. An amazing feature that, alone, is useless. There is, however, an attached “shaft” that extends through the cell wall, and a tiny flagellum that serves as a “propeller”. All three of those features would have to evolve simultaneously to provide the organism any advantage in survival.

The point is not to attack science, but to show Atheism is hypocritical: It attacks alleged inconsistencies as “proof” religion is false, by using science which, itself, is full of inconsistencies. Inconsistency is the nature of life; we are all striving to learn. The fact religionists may teach incorrect things about our spiritual world—and they do—is no different from scientists teaching incorrect things about our physical world. Christianity claims God is perfect, but humans are not, and proving wrong a statement someone has made about God does not disprove God. The Apostle Paul said that despite all our efforts to understand the things of God in this life we “continue to see through a glass, darkly”. God intends this to be so; it is necessary to his requirement that we live by faith and develop faith throughout our lives. There will always be much we do not understand—and even question. There is much of the mind of God we cannot understand, because he is infinite and we are finite, but he will give us all we need to trust and follow him, if we seek him in faith.

Mark Twain quipped that faith is “believin’ what you know ain’t so”. I think we can all agree it would take that kind of so-called “faith” to believe the nonsense my opponent claims Christianity teaches. There is a technique of argument known as “Strawman”: If you can’t counter your opponent’s position honestly, you misstate it, and argue against and ridicule that misstatement, trusting no one will catch the deception. I will not try to answer all my opponent’s strawmen, but for illustration I will mention one: He claimed science has proven humans have existed for at least 100,000 years, but Christianity supposedly teaches it was only 2000 years ago that God finally recognized the need for a “Savior” to come and teach his “dogma” to a relatively small number of the totality of humankind who could be “saved”. He then suffered a “gory human sacrifice”.

That does sound absurd. It is, however, the resurrection, not the death, of Jesus that is central to his Gospel. His resurrection is the pathway by which all, including you and me—and our Atheist friend—will also finally overcome death and live again. All will have the opportunity to learn the Gospel. From the beginning of recorded time, the scriptures prophesied Jesus would live, die, and be resurrected, crowning his atoning sacrifice for all; for death, for pain, and, conditioned on faith and repentance, for the sins we all commit. Whether or not you believe that, or believe in God at all, is, of course, your choice. Choice is central to God’s plan of faith for us. In the event you choose to discover for yourself, may I explain to you briefly what Christianity really does teach, and how the truth of it may be proven?

We are searching for core truths: Is there a God? What is our relationship to him? What is his plan for us? Has he abandoned us to struggle in ignorance? To describe very briefly what Christianitybelieves: 1] God is our eternal Father. Paul said, “[Y]e are children of God, and his heirs, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ?” 2] God created this earth to develop and test us. We are given agency, and the purpose of life is to grow in faith, by learning to seek God and to choose right over wrong. 3] Life is hard. If it were not confusing, unfair, and painful there would be no opportunity to grow and develop faith. 4] God will guide us. He planted a quiet compass inside—if we will but perceive it. 5] Faith is our choice. Those who choose to trust and obey God, our Father, in faith and in free exercise of their agency, can be with him in eternity, through the grace of Jesus Christ. There is no duress—he will not violate our right to choose. 6] Jesus is our Savior. He taught that true happiness would come if we love God, love one another, repent and follow him in faith, and seek to “be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect”. That’s a tall order! The world would surely be a wonderful place if everyone even tried to live it.

Paul declared that the things of God can be understood only through the Spirit of God, by faith. Of course there are two possible conclusions that can be drawn from that assertion: 1] Those who wrote the Bible knew that proof defied reason, and they wanted to deceive credulous people into “believin’ what [they] know ain’t so”, or 2] God does exist and faith can provide real proof—even more compelling than science—and those who refuse to believe in God have never sought him on the terms he requires. Can faith prove the existence of God? Yes! But by its very nature, as intended by God, faith is a proof you can only obtain for yourself—it cannot be proved to another. This proof of faith comes in two steps:

Step 1: The intricacy and order of all creation and all life offer physical evidence of an infinitely intelligent and powerful creator. Consider the complexity of the human body, the relationship of all its organs, the functioning of the mind, and life itself, which science cannot duplicate even in its simplest form. Darwin himself wrote: “That the eye…could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest sense”. It is all just too complex to seem to be chance; it should prompt you at least to search for God.

Step 2: In confirmation of physical evidence, proof of God and of your relationship to him is the personal witness of his Spirit. This is the evidence that is sure; the only evidence by which you may not be deceived. It will come only if sought—in faith—by study, and prayer, and living right. It requires honesty, an open mind, a clear conscience. When received, faith is accompanied by peace and joy and warmth and enlightenment it communicates deep into your soul. These are phenomena God has promised as a personal witness of the truth. It fills your soul to bursting with love and gratitude, and you know, absolutely know, it is from God and that he is. It must be very lonely to live without faith, and never receive that assurance.

A note of caution: Belief through emotion is powerful, and may certainly be confused with faith. But when belief comes through faith, from the Spirit of God, it can not be mistaken and it can not be denied. Certainly one becomes emotional, but God’s witness is far beyond that. Only those who have sought for and received that experience can understand and proclaim the truth of it. I know it because I have experienced it. It is said many things are mistaken for gold, but gold is never mistaken for anything else.

God has said, “Prove me and see”. It is your choice. Life is a trial; it provides continual opportunities and challenges to build and test our faith. Faith is not faith unless it is questioned and tested, and life will test it to the limit. Life seems so important because it is all we know; actually it is, in a sense, just a bump in the road of eternity. Several times in my life, in complete despair over problems no power of earth could resolve, I turned to God, and he promised relief. I knew the promise came from him, and even though circumstances were impossible I chose to trust him, in faith. When his promises were performed he proved to me, beyond question, his power, his love—his very existence. I have proved him, in faith, and I know he lives. All experiences, even—and especially—the really nasty ones, encourage growth of faith toward a never-ending eternity with God. We’ve got to learn to trust him! Will you choose faith or faithlessness? 

(ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE)

Bob Copeland © 2004

The universe began with the “Big Bang”, according to current scientific dogma. An infinite mass, compressed into an infinitely small space, exploded nearly 14 billion years ago and has been expanding outward ever since, with concomitant development of the universe and life. Science cannot conjecture how that mass came to be or what caused it suddenly to explode. Our earth coalesced into orbit around the sun nearly 4.5 billion years ago. Among the proponents of this theory is Stephen Hawking, who has written a book, A Brief History of Time, to help laypersons understand it. It represents a history of time according to science, based upon observation, measurement, and reasoning related to the universe.

This essay is intended as a very brief history of time according to the Bible. It is a testimony of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ, as the central figure in that history. The Bible is not subject to scientific proof; it must be accepted by faith. But faith, unlike the quip by Mark Twain, does not mean “believing what you know ain’t so”. Faith is subject to proof, but it requires proof on God’s terms, through seeking, prayer, and the inspiration of the Spirit. As Paul says, the things of God can be understood only through the Spirit of God. This is different from scientific knowledge, but that is as it should be, for science is a mortal, not a spiritual, system of knowledge.

It would seem, upon consideration, that neither science nor religion has the right to judge the other on its own terms. Many scientists have great faith, and apparently have no difficulty receiving knowledge through both these systems. Science is forever making absolute, dogmatic assertions of truth—and the next generation of scientists comes along with a new version. [The “Big Bang” theory, for example, has a little problem: the expansion of the universe should be slowing, because of gravity. It is accelerating!] The one thing science consistently claims, however, is that there is no God, and the Bible is false. Darwinists are particularly adamant, but Darwin can be proven false by his own admission. He wrote, and it stands to reason, that if it could be shown that two features had to evolve simultaneously in order to give an organism a survival advantage that natural selection would be disproved. Science has discovered a one-celled animal that has an internal “motor” that can rotate at 100,000 rpm, and reverse itself in one-quarter revolution. Obviously that feature, on its own, is useless, but there is also an attached “shaft” that extends through the cell wall, and a tiny flagellum that serves as a “propeller”. All three of those features would have to evolve simultaneously to provide the organism any survival advantage.

There are even Christian scholars today who deny the truth of the Bible. PBS had a program on Christ that was a montage of interviews of intellectuals, many of whom claimed to be Christian, and were members of Christian churches. They said the history of Christ as God is a myth. They said that writers after him wrote that myth to take advantage of the “prophecies” in the Old Testament—to make them appear to have come true. They denied the prophecies and the miracles and, particularly, the resurrection. They provided rationalizations to explain away all these. Two thousand years ago, Paul prophesied about these people, as well as about others who would live in these last days [italics added]:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: From such turn away… Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth… [F]or that day shall not come [the Second Coming], except there come a falling away first… And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming… And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved… And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

For those who have a desire and an open mind, how can it be known whether God exists and the teachings of the Bible are true? Does it matter? Does God care and have a plan for us? What does that plan require of us? Are we willing to follow his plan? An English philosopher once said every church should have inscribed over the portal “Important if True”. That does not go far enough. The words should be “Imperative if True”. The Bible teaches that this life, with all its trials and uncertainty, is a preparation for a life that never ends, and our faithfulness in this life determines our eternal destiny.

One of the major purposes of life, according to the Bible, is to develop faith, and faith is a gift of God that comes to those who seek it from him; but they must do so on his terms. It is his world, and we are his, and he makes the rules—whether we like it or not. He commands us to believe him, to follow him, and to trust him. God has said, “Prove me and see….Ask and ye shall receive”. He has made the offer of proof; but many are unwilling to test him on his terms. He will give everyone just as much as they fervently seek and their heart is open to accept. It is not easy, however; nothing of value ever is. It requires reading the Scriptures, it requires studying and pondering its teachings, principles, and examples of faith, it requires seeking God intensely through prayer, it requires humility toward God and an open heart, it requires living the principles God has taught to determine first-hand whether they are right and true. Faith comes not by signs, the scripture says, but signs follow those who do these things. The Spirit of God, when finally received, is recognized by the peace and joy and warmth and enlightenment of truth it gives. God has promised that these may be received as a witness of him. It is a knowledge that is sure. As Paul said, faith is the evidence. When received, the soul is filled to bursting with love and peace and gratitude and truth, and you know, nothing doubting, that it is from God and that he therefore is. It can be received only for oneself.

To believe in God we must have an assurance that God exists and is ruler of the universe. To have faith in God is far more difficult. It requires not only belief in him, but belief that he knows us personally, loves us, is perfect in his truth, justice, and mercy toward us, has a plan for us that is infinitely more valuable than all the things of the world, and has all knowledge and power necessary to carry out that plan. That belief must be strong enough to motivate us to make a choice to follow him, despite all adversity. That is faith in God.

The Beginning

The Bible begins with the words “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” It describes his power in creating all things in the universe, including the earth and all life, and Hebrews 11 says that power was faith. This work was performed during six periods, referred to as “days”. On the sixth day, man was created “in God’s image”, and made ruler over the earth and all animal life. The Gospel of John reinforces that theme: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Without him was nothing created”. The Godhead consists of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: As Jesus was baptized, the Father was heard, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”, and the Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus in the sign of a dove.

The Book of Acts explains that we were not merely created by God, we are his offspring, and Paul refers to the mortal fathers of our bodies, and to the Father of our spirits, who is God. Throughout the scriptures God has taught us to call him Father and, as Father of our spirits, he literally is. Psalms says, “Ye are gods, and children of the most high”. Paul said, “Know ye not that ye are children of God? And as children, heirs, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ”. Jesus said, “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” We are God’s greatest work and, as his children, our eternal destiny is without limit. Jesus commanded us to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. To help us achieve that, God’s entire being and purpose are devoted to our progression and happiness: “For this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”. To carry out his plan for us God has all power, all truth, and all knowledge, and is filled with perfect mercy and love.

In our previous life, before mortality, we lived with God in heaven. We cannot remember that time—indeed, we cannot remember anything before about age three—as we are required to live this life by faith. God told Jeremiah that he knew him before he was born, and chose him to be a prophet, indicating that Jeremiah had progressed in a pre-life to an advanced degree. The same was true of Jesus’s apostles, as explained by Paul who said, “He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world”. All were not faithful there, as Jude speaks of “the angels who kept not their first estate . . . [and are] reserved in everlasting chains”. One of these evil ones was Satan, a preeminent angel of God, who desired the power of God, and rebelled against him. Isaiah asks, “How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning?” He then explains that Satan desired to exalt his throne above the stars of God.

In our pre-earth life, God initiated a Plan for us to come to this earth, gain a body, grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and overcome evil. As was said of Jesus, he “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man”, the signs of a balanced and complete person, and so we are expected to do. Through intelligence, conscience, free agency, choices, consequences, and repentance, we have the opportunity to learn good from evil, and to learn that joy, which far exceeds pleasure, comes through good. The only way we can learn these lessons is through faith, and faith requires that we face challenges, pain, opportunities to grow and succeed. God recognized that faced with temptations and trials we were weak and would sin and, since “no unclean thing can dwell in his presence”, we would be precluded from returning to him. He provided, in his Plan, a Savior for us, Jesus Christ, who would live a sin-free life and pay for the sins of all through his infinite atonement. Through Jesus, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall become white as snow”. By the growth of our faith in Christ, we would be able to receive the power from him to be saved.

The planned atonement of Jesus was three-fold:

1.Through his resurrection, all mankind will also be resurrected: “As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive”.

2.By taking upon himself all pain and all suffering ever experienced, all our injuries, no matter how deep, may be healed, and all scars removed, by turning to him: “Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses”.

3.By taking the punishment for all sin upon his innocent, sin-free soul, all those who accept him may be saved: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”.

God, in Job, says that when the Plan was explained, “all the sons of God shouted for joy!”

Revelations explains how Satan, with the angels who followed him, rebelled against the Plan and were cast out into the earth, where they are devoted to thwarting God’s Plan and deceiving and destroying all God’s children, by seducing them into sin and trying to overcome their God-given free agency. Satan is the antithesis of God, and his whole being is devoted to hate, lies, and evil. Ironically, Satan actually contributes to God’s plan by testing and trying us, and providing the adversity we must overcome in order to become strong and learn the necessary lessons of life. Satan has great power, even to perform miracles that counterfeit the power of God, and his whole being is devoted to the destruction of mankind. Paul said Satan can even take on the appearance of an angel of light, and his ministers appear to be ministers of righteousness. As such they have power that “even the very elect shall be deceived”. God has infinitely greater power than Satan and, in the end, when all have been tested, Satan will permanently be cast out by the power of God.

As told in Genesis, pursuant to God’s plan Adam and Eve were the zenith of the creation. Along with all other life, they were placed on the earth and commanded to multiply. Originally in the beautiful Garden of Eden, they disobeyed and were driven out when they took the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Taking the fruit allowed them to understand good from evil, so they could exercise the free agency God had given them, make choices, act, and overcome temptation and adversity by faith. It also brought on mortality, and they became subject to death. (God promised them that “in that day thou shalt surely die, and Peter said that a day to the Lord is 1000 years.) They were driven out of the Garden, and Adam was told by God that the earth, filled with difficulty, pain, weeds, and other noxious things, was “cursed for thy sake”. The difficulties, pains, and trials of life are given us for our growth and to allow us to learn to follow God in faith and become like him.

Following the commandment to multiply, after the Fall Adam and Eve began to procreate, and all the human race is descended from them. The book of Genesis, written by Moses, compresses a very long period of time, from Adam to Moses, and therefore provides a highly abbreviated history of that period. The first of Adam and Eve’s children we are told of are Cain and Abel, when murder was introduced into the world by the slaying of Abel. Many of the offspring of Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and chose evil, which eventually culminated in God’s decision to completely destroy the living world by the flood. This event destroyed the entire human race and all terrestrial life, except for eight people and the animals who embarked on the ark.

After the flood, Noah’s family, and the animals, began again to fill the earth with life. A great-great- great-great grandson of Noah was Peleg, which means division, for “in those days was the earth divided”. It is interesting to note how closely the shorelines of all the major continents fit together, with a large break for the Gulf of Mexico. Science says that division occurred over millions of years; the Bible says it occurred in one lifetime. From the time of Noah until the birth of Jesus, the Bible tells us the history of many faithful prophets chosen by God and empowered by him to lead those who elected to follow God.

The Age of Israel

The history as told by the Bible cycled through periods of righteousness, when God would protect his people and bless them to flourish, and unrighteousness, when he would withdraw his blessing and protection. The prophets included Abraham and his progeny, Isaac, Jacob (whom God renamed “Israel”), Joseph (who was sold by his brothers as a slave in Egypt, where he rose to be second in the Kingdom, under Pharoah) and his brothers, the sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel, known as the “Children of Israel”. After 400 years in Egypt, Moses was called to lead the Children of Israel from slavery into the land of Canaan, after wandering with them in the wilderness for forty years. During that period he received the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, as well as many other laws recorded in the Old Testament.

Moses was followed by many other prophets and leaders, including David and Solomon, down to a time about 600 years before the birth of Christ. At that time, according to the Bible, God allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem totally, and lead the people into captivity because of their wickedness. God ceased to call prophets for his people because of their commitment to unrighteousness, at which point the Old Testament ends, as there were no prophets to keep the record. The people were left to struggle with their own interpretations and understanding of God until Jesus came. It was prophesied that in the last days Jerusalem, and the Nation of Israel, would be restored and triumph over their enemies.

The Bible is replete with stories of the tests of mankind, many of which were passed and many of which were not. Hebrews 11 lists a number of these, as examples, including Abraham, who was commanded by God to offer his only son as a sacrifice (a precursor of God’s own offering of his Son), Moses, who gave up his high position in the court of Pharoah to lead the Children of Israel into the wilderness for forty years, and others who were “stoned, sawn asunder, slain . . . destitute, afflicted, and tormented” that they “might obtain a better resurrection”. Everyone must face trials, and overcoming them both proves our commitment to God and builds our commitment and strength to follow him. There is no other way: one is forced to choose to seek the things of the world, which most receive little of, despite their efforts, or to follow God, which requires that we defer gratification, in faith—for a very long time!

One fact that is clear from reading the Bible is that, over the course of history, relatively few have chosen to follow God. The history of the world, according to the Bible, has been a chaos of continual warfare, as a result of hatred, avarice, and wickedness. In the earliest times, this resulted in God’s decision to send the flood, and after that time he selected his “chosen”, who were antecedents and descendants of Abraham, and who maintained at least some degree of willingness to follow him. Abraham was chosen by God, who covenanted with him that he would be the God of Abraham and his descendants, that his descendants would be as numberless as the stars of heaven, that they would be given a “promised land”, and that through them all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Among these chosen he sent his prophets, who were called by God and given authority to speak for him and to act in his name with power.

It is apparent from the Bible, however, that there were followers of God who are not numbered among those named in the Bible. For example, Abraham paid tithes to a High Priest known as Melchizedek, but there is no history of his people, and wise men came from the East at the birth of Jesus, who obviously, as followers of God, were aware of the prophesies of Jesus’s coming and recognized the star. Doubtless there were others, whose histories are entirely unknown to Bible history.

It is clear, however, that over the course of time, extending from Adam to the present, relatively few of the billions of God’s children who have lived on earth have been followers of God. The majority, in fact, have never even heard of the Bible or of Jesus Christ. What of those people? Would a just and infinitely loving God simply abandon and damn them, as many believe? Such a doctrine makes a mockery of a God who is infinitely loving.

The Mission of Jesus

The existence of Jesus is a historical fact. His history, however, is the subject of controversy. The prophets of the Old Testament continually prophesied of a Savior, presaging the birth, life, and mission of Jesus Christ. For example Isaiah says, “A virgin shall conceive and bear a son” who would be “wounded for our transgressions”, and Job prophesied, “I know that my Redeemer lives!” They recognized that, as all would sin, only through the mortal atoning sacrifice of a Savior, who lived a life free of sin, could mankind be redeemed and return finally to their Heavenly Father. Only Jesus, the Son of God, ever lived such a life, and could have performed such an atonement.

Bible writers also testified he would come again, in the last days, as King of the earth, and that he would rule for all eternity. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us the story of his life. There are those today who claim Jesus was a great teacher and moralist, but not the Christ. Jesus himself, throughout the Gospels, continually testified that he was God, the great “I Am”, the Savior of the world. Many of those who heard him, and recognized his claim, tried to kill him for blasphemy; for claiming the name and power of God. There is no middle ground: either he was God, the Savior, or he was a liar. The choice between the two alternatives has to be made.

Jesus was born in a manger because his family was traveling and there was no room in the inn. His mother was Mary, a virgin, and his father was God himself. Conception occurred through the power of the Holy Spirit. After his birth witnesses came, in the form of humble shepherds to whom angels appeared and told where Jesus might be found, and wise men, who expected his coming, and who traveled from the East, following the star that foretold his birth, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We know little of his youth, except that his adoptive father, Joseph, was a carpenter, and we can assume Jesus grew up in that trade, with the strength of one who works with his hands. The scriptures say he grew in “wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man”. When he was twelve, he was found in the temple conversing with the scholars. No doubt the intellect and spiritual understanding of one so young greatly impressed them. In his statement to his mother, “Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” it is clear that he already understood his mission to the world.

Jesus began that mission at age thirty, when he fasted for 40 days and then faced the greatest temptations with which Satan could challenge him. He had to be tested, just as we are tested. Jesus passed that test, as he passed every other through all his life. He went to be baptized by John, who was called and ordained by God to testify of and prepare the way for Jesus. John demurred at the request, saying he was not worthy to baptize one so righteous, but Jesus insisted, saying it was necessary to “fulfill all righteousness”. Jesus’s three-year ministry extended geographically from approximately fifty miles north of the Sea of Galilee south to the northern end of the Dead Sea, an area of 130 by 30 miles. Wherever he went, vast throngs gathered to hear his words. Despite so short a ministry, which ended in death, the effect of the life and teachings of Jesus has had a greater impact on human kind than any other who ever lived.

During his ministry Jesus continually testified that he was God and that he was the Savior of the world. On occasion, even the devils he cast out of people—those who, in the beginning, had been cast out of heaven for rebellion—proclaimed he was the Christ. The mission of Jesus Christ was to proclaim his Gospel, perform many great miracles, show his profound and infinite love through his caring and, particularly, through the virtually infinite agony of the atonement, and lay down his life and take it up again—all as a testament that he, indeed, was the prophesied Savior. He sealed that testament with his death on the cross. He proved that testament, according to the Bible, by his resurrection from the dead three days later. Through his atonement he has power to save all mankind who follow him.

The Gospel Jesus proclaimed, which he taught us to follow, was that he is the Son of God, and only though him and through his sacrifice for the sins of all people can we be saved, by accepting him through faith, repentance, and baptism by water and the Holy Spirit. Paul proclaims, “[W]e also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” He taught that the Law given by Moses, in the Ten Commandments and dozens of other rules for daily life, had contemplated his coming and was fulfilled in him. He reaffirmed the Ten Commandments, but taught there was much more to the doctrine of his Gospel, including loving and serving God and our fellowman. He was always ready to forgive the truly repentant—all but the self-righteous and the hypocrites.

His miracles included turning water into wine, healing the sick, making the blind to see, walking on water, feeding thousands from a few fish and loaves of bread, and raising the dead to life. He knew people’s unspoken thoughts. Those who tried repeatedly to kill him could not, until finally he gave his life. Clearly he came with power!

Jesus knew his mission, and he knew when his hour had come. After the last supper he led the eleven remaining disciples to the Garden of Gethemane, and asked three to wait near him while he went on into the grove of olive trees to pray. As he prayed, prostrate on the ground, the pain of all the world and the punishment for all sin began to infuse itself on his soul, and he writhed in spiritual, emotional, and physical suffering. Even knowing his mission, he could not comprehend beforehand how extreme would be his agony. As it began, he became “sore amazed” and cried out, as his body was racked with such anguish that he sweat blood at every pore, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but as thou wilt”. For three hours it continued, and he did not yield.

On the ground in Gethsemane, and again in utter agony while on the cross—crying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!”—Christ took upon himself all the suffering and all the punishment for sin of all creation. As he whispered, “It is finished”, the atonement was complete, and he voluntarily breathed his last breath. Through his suffering and death, he proved his love for all mankind, and has indeed “suffered the pain of all men”, including yours and mine. All eternity will praise his name.

I am in unspeakable awe at the atonement of Jesus Christ. I personally testify of him—that he lives! that he is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. His love and his suffering for us are beyond all human comprehension. His agony on our behalf has been described as equal to the sum of all the suffering that has ever occurred. It could be borne only by a God, who had power to preserve his own life indefinitely in circumstances of virtually infinite pain. He literally gave his life. His infinite love for us, and for his Father, could have been the only inducements sufficient to motivate such a great sacrifice. If we can understand and empathize with even a small measure of his suffering it can give us courage to endure our own, since ours is comparatively so small.

Christian writings accepted as scripture ended with the deaths of Jesus’s apostles. Subsequent generations assembled these writings into what we now have as the New Testaments. Old Testament writings ended about 600 B.C., and a group of Jewish scholars, in the first century A.D., assembled what they agreed was the canon of scripture. Both Testaments testify of Jesus, his divine mission, his atonement, and his death. But the testimony does not end with his death. His resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament and testified of in the New Testament, and his second coming was also prophesied continually throughout both Testaments. Unlike his first coming, in humility and relative obscurity to be sacrificed for the sins of the world, the second coming will be in power and great glory, as King of the earth, to reign a thousand years (the “Millennium”). Revelations tells us the wicked will be destroyed and the earth will be cleansed. This will occur in the “last days”, in conditions of continuous war, evil, natural disasters, and pestilence of every kind. There is to be a “restoration of all things” in preparation for that great event. Daniel prophesied that in the last days a stone would be cut out of the mountain without hands, and it would roll forth, breaking up all the kingdoms of the world, until it filled the whole earth. It is generally agreed by all Christians that the “last days” are now, and the second coming may occur at any time after all the prophecies concerning it are fulfilled. It is a time for warning and preparation.

Death and Immortality

Death is inevitable, and most fear it. It seems, from our perspective, to be a permanent condition, and the end of existence. It is interesting to note that near-death experiences, thousands of which have been recorded over the millennia, give evidence in confirmation of a beautiful and wonderful life after death, provided one has lived a “good” life. Mortal life, according to James and other Bible writers, consists not only of a physical body but also a spirit, which gives life to the body. We die, just as Mark says Jesus died, by separation of spirit and body. But death is not the end; the Bible teaches hope. As he hung on the cross, shortly before his death, Jesus said to the penitent thief, who hung on the cross next to him, “Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise”. The Bible tells us that at death the spirit leaves the body and goes to a world of spirits, where a judgment is made. After death, Jesus went there to “teach the spirits in spirit prison”. Revelations explains that the spirit world is a place of rest for those who did well, or a prison for those who did not—sins must be paid, either by the atonement of Christ, if accepted through complete repentance, or by personal suffering. All remain in their respective conditions until the resurrection, when body and spirit are eternally reunited.

Job said, “Though the skin-worms destroy my body, yet in my flesh shall I see God”. Ezekial saw a vision of the valley of bones, all of which came together and were clothed again with living bodies. To some who denied the resurrection, Paul asked rhetorically, “Wherefore are ye baptized for the dead if the dead rise not”, confirming the reality of resurrection by what must have been an accepted principle. Jesus, the first to be resurrected, showed himself on several occasions to his disciples, as testified in Acts, and told them to touch him to assure that it was indeed he, in his resurrected state, with a body of flesh and bone. He ascended into heaven with that body. He is both the model and the power. “For as in Adam all die [as a result of the Fall that brought mortality into the world], so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Among his many miracles, Jesus raised the dead, but this was not a resurrection, merely a return to the living mortal state. These individuals were still subject to mortal death, and subsequent resurrection.

So what of all those who die without learning of the teachings of the Bible or the ministry of Jesus in this life? Clearly there must be an opportunity to learn and progress there, just as there is in this life—justice demands it. Otherwise billions of people, guilty only of ignorance of never hearing of Jesus, would be doomed to damnation. How could a loving God do such a thing! Jesus, in the Gospel of John, said “the hour is coming when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear him shall live”. Peter says that, upon his death, Jesus went to the spirits in spirit prison to teach them his Gospel, so that they might be judged as those who received it in life. There would be no point teaching them unless there were a purpose for it, by allowing them to embrace Jesus’s Gospel. As mentioned above, Paul taught the principle of vicarious baptism for the dead, to provide them that necessary ordinance.

Revelations explains there are two resurrections. The righteous who have died will be resurrected “to reign with Christ a thousand years”, which is the first resurrection, “but the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished”. The writers of the Bible spoke frequently about the condition of the righteous upon resurrection. Paul said, “So are ye the children of God, and as children, heirs, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ”, to share his eternal glory. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the hearts of man the things God hath for those that love him.” What great promises! Through the atonement of Jesus he raises us up to be joint heirs, with him, in our Father’s kingdom! It is worth every price; the agony and adversity of life are a minuscule price to pay.

But all will not receive the same reward. There is not a “minimum threshold” established by God, at some arbitrary level, and all who exceed it receive the prize and those who do not receive damnation. God loves every one of his children, and his desire is that they receive all he can give them, depending upon their desire and ability to receive it. True desire is shown by the degree of faith and obedience they have exercised, and everyone is different. Revelations says the dead, small and great, will stand before God to be judged out of the books, “according to their works”. Jesus said that in his Father’s house are many mansions, and Paul, comparing the relative glories of the sun, the moon, and the stars, says, “so also is the resurrection of the dead”. As there are all levels of faith and obedience, there are all levels of glory in the resurrection. Any other condition would be unjust, and God is a God of justice.

As we seek to follow the will of God, to love him with all our “heart, might, mind, and strength”, to love “our neighbor as ourselves”, to repent and follow him in faith, to overcome our weaknesses through his divine power, and to obey him to the best of our understanding, God, in his great mercy, will not forget us. Jesus said that God is cognizant of every sparrow, and even the hairs of our head are numbered to him. He knows each of us individually and personally, and loves each of us infinitely. His whole purpose is our growth and happiness, for eternity, and he will assure that each has exactly those experiences and opportunities that will enable the greatest growth. From our mortal perspective it may not seem so, and many refuse to believe it, but from his eternal perspective he will allow no trial or pain that does not further his eternal goal for each of us. We cannot see it now, to do so would negate the principle of faith, but one day we will see how all things fit the Plan, and worked for our eternal good. Jesus Christ suffered all the pain that has ever been suffered, and the punishment for all sin. “Though he were Son, yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered. And being made perfect he became the author of salvation to all them that obey him”. Are we greater than he? Do we need to learn any less? We have to follow him and obey him in faith—and we’ve got to learn to trust him!

-Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, May 1985

I feel, and the Spirit seems to accord, that the most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. His atonement is the most transcendent event that ever has or ever will occur from Creation’s dawn through all the ages of a never-ending eternity. It is the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a God could perform. Through it, all of the terms and conditions of the Father’s eternal plan of salvation became operative. Through it are brought to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through it, all men are saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment. And through it, all who believe and obey the glorious gospel of God, all who are true and faithful and overcome the world, all who suffer for Christ and his word, all who are chastened and scourged in the Cause of him whose we are—all shall become as their Maker and sit with him on his throne and reign with him forever in everlasting glory.

In speaking of these wondrous things I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets. True it is they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true, and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word.

Two thousand years ago, outside Jerusalem’s walls, there was a pleasant garden spot, Gethsemane by name, where Jesus and his intimate friends were wont to retire for pondering and prayer. There Jesus taught his disciples the doctrines of the kingdom, and all of them communed with Him who is the Father of us all, in whose ministry they were engaged, and on whose errand they served. This sacred spot, like Eden where Adam dwelt, like Sinai from whence Jehovah gave his laws, like Calvary where the Son of God gave his life a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the Sinless Son of the Everlasting Father took upon himself the sins of all men on condition of repentance.

We do not know, we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane. We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his Father had given him. We know he suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death. We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in his holy name. We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink the bitter cup. We know that an angel came from the courts of glory to strengthen him in his ordeal, and we suppose it was mighty Michael, who foremost fell that mortal man might be. As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies—this suffering beyond compare—continued for some three or four hours.

After this—his body then wrenched and drained of strength—he confronted Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedrin itself; and he was led away with a rope around his neck, as a common criminal, to be judged by the arch-criminals who as Jews sat in Aaron’s seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar’s power. They took him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilate, to Herod, and back to Pilate. He was accused, cursed, and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down his face as vicious blows further weakened his pain-engulfed body. With reeds of wrath they rained blows upon his back. Blood ran down his face as a crown of thorns pierced his trembling brow. But above it all he was scourged; scourged with forty stripes save one, scourged with a multithonged whip into whose leather strands sharp bones and cutting metals were woven. Many died from scourging alone, but he rose from the sufferings of the scourge that he might die an ignominious death upon the cruel cross of Calvary. Then he carried his own cross until he collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all.

Finally, on a hill called Calvary—again, it was outside Jerusalem’s walls—while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 A.M. to noon. Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony. And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 P.M., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred. And, finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll—when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of his Father in all things—then he said, “It is finished”, and he voluntarily gave up the ghost. As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the pains and sorrows of mortality, he entered the paradise of God.

When he had made his soul an offering for sin, he was prepared to see his seed, according to the messianic word. These, consisting of all the holy prophets and faithful Saints from ages past; these, comprising all who had taken upon them his name, and who, being spiritually begotten by him, had become his sons and his daughters, even as it is with us; all these were assembled in the spirit world, there to see his face and hear his voice.

After some thirty-eight or forty hours—three days as the Jews measured time—our Blessed Lord came to the Arimathaean’s tomb, where his partially embalmed body had been placed by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. Then, in a way incomprehensible to us, he took up that body which had not yet seen corruption and arose in that glorious immortality which made him like his resurrected Father. He then received all power in heaven and on earth, obtained eternal exaltation, appeared unto Mary Magdalene and many others, and ascended into heaven, there to sit down on the right hand of God the Father Almighty and to reign forever in eternal glory. His rising from death on the third day crowned the Atonement. Again, in some way incomprehensible to us, the effects of his resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave. As Adam brought death, so Christ brought life; as Adam is the father of mortality, so Christ is the father of immortality. And without both, mortality and immortality, man cannot work out his salvation and ascend to those heights beyond the skies where Gods and angels dwell forever in eternal glory.

Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived. May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement. We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation. As we read, ponder, and pray, there will come into our minds a view of the three gardens of God—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.

In Eden we will see all things created in a paradisiacal state—without death, without procreation, without probationary experiences. We will come to know that such a creation, now unknown to man, was the only way to provide for the Fall. We will then see Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman, step down from their state of immortal and paradisiacal glory to become the first mortal flesh on earth. Mortality, including as it does procreation and death, will enter the world. And because of transgression a probationary estate of trial and testing will begin. Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death that came to us because of the Fall. And finally, before an empty tomb, we will come to know that Christ our Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever triumphant over the grave.

Thus, Creation is father to the Fall; and by the Fall came mortality and death; and by Christ came immortality and eternal life. If there had been no fall of Adam, by which cometh death, there could have been no atonement of Christ, by which cometh life. And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.

God grant that all of us may walk in the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

– Stephen Robinson

THE GREAT DILEMMA

God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (D&C 1:31).

Everybody sins. Since we all commit sins, and God cannot tolerate sin, none of us are worthy to enter God’s kingdom.

THE GOOD NEWS

Atonement: Taking two things that have become separate or incompatible and bringing them together again, thus making the two “at one.”

God can erase our sins

Believing Christ

We must believe in Christ’s identity and in his ability and power to cleanse and save—to make unworthy sons and daughters worthy.

Unless we accept the real possibility that we can be exalted, we do not yet have faith in Christ.

Faith in Christ gives us access to the principles of repentance, baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Demand for Perfection

The good news isn’t that perfect people can be reconciled to God but that imperfect people can be.

The Shortcut to Perfection

Jesus Christ will share his perfection, his sinlessness, his righteousness with us.

In the short run we are considered perfect by becoming one with a perfect Christ.

In the long run, this makes it possible for us to become perfect in our own right.

Being Saved

To some degree, we all fail to perfectly keep all the commandments of God, so we all fail to reach perfection on our own merits.

Many lose faith when they realize that they cannot reach perfection on their own.

Many fall from righteousness because they believe that by living righteously, they will miss out on something important that the world has to offer.

Both of these are evidences that we do not trust Him.

How Perfection Comes

Becoming one with Christ in the gospel covenant gives us access to His perfection.

Taken together, Christ and I make up a new creature. My old creature ceases to exist. The two of us, Christ and I, are perfect. It isn’t that we merely can become perfect later on, we are perfect. It is not individual perfection (on my part), but his merits make our partnership perfect, as long as I’m sincerely striving to keep the commandments (Moro. 10:32-33; 3 Ne. 27:16, 19-21).

Through the covenant, we are not judged separately and alone, but as one with Christ.

Mathematically, anything subtracted from infinite is still infinite. Regardless of how much our weaknesses add up, if we are in a covenant relationship with Christ, his infinite mercy and perfection compensate for our weaknesses.

THE COVENANT

A covenant is a contract, an agreement with terms and obligations binding upon both parties.

Justification

To be justified means to be declared innocent, to be acquitted of all charges of misconduct, to stand guiltless before the law.

The law of Moses was established on justice (justification by law). The gospel covenant uses the law of mercy (justification by faith).

The Apostle Paul characterized the old covenant of Moses as a system of justification by law or by works.

According to Paul, anyone stupid enough to trust his own ability to keep all the rules makes the atonement of Christ ineffectual in his own life (Gal. 5:4, 3:10-13).

Justification by Faith in Christ

In the New Testament, the two covenants were compared to different yokes or burdens. The obligation to law was a heavy yoke or a yoke of bondage (Gal. 5:1; Acts 15:10) and the obligation of the gospel was deemed light (Matt. 11:28-30).

There is no heavier yoke than perfection, the curse of the law.

Keeping the Commandments

We generally say “keeping the commandments” when what we really mean is “trying to hard to keep the commandments and succeeding most of the time.” Defined in this way, the phrase describes the attempts at obedience that the new covenant requires as our token of “good faith.”

The whole purpose of the law of the gospel is to provide a way for people who have not kept all the commandments all the time to still be exalted until they ultimately attain perfection.

In the New Testament, when Paul talks about justification by works, he’s talking about keeping all the commandments all the time. In which case, he correctly asserts that we cannot “keep the commandments” in this sense, and thus assigns appropriate condemnation to us unless we look to Christ for salvation.

The Terms of the New Covenant

Faith in Christ

Repentance

Baptism

Gift of the Holy Ghost

Receiving the Holy Ghost verifies that our end of the gospel covenant is being kept. Thus we are truly cleansed of all past sins and are worthy to have a God as our companion.

Like tithing, the terms of this covenant are in one sense the same for everyone, yet in another sense different for each according to individual ability. Christ requires from each of us the same percentage, 100%; all that we have. May 100% is different from other people’s, but Christ doesn’t require more than I can give and what I can give is sufficient. I neither need to be jealous of people who have or produce more (don’t try to do more than you can, D&C 10:4) nor should look down upon those who have or produce less.

Attitude

Christ’s judgment of our efforts is not based upon our performance or goodness but our attitude—the condition of our heart (broken heart, contrite spirit).

The Sacrament

Because conversion and repentance are not once-and-for-all and because we do not keep all the commandments all of the time, we need the sacrament.

In the sacrament prayer, “they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son” is imperative because we will not keep all the commandments all of the time, but we must commit weekly to try to do just that. This is the desire of my heart.

The Acceptability of Committed Hearts

The gifts of the spirit are “given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh to do so.” It is the attitude of our hearts, not merely perfect obedience, that provides us with the Lords’ gifts.

SAVED BY GRACE

The gospel isn’t always fair—it’s merciful.

Some don’t like mercy because it seems too easy. In other words, “I can’t accept mercy because it doesn’t feel like justice.”

Hell receives power over individuals only to the extent and duration that are warranted for the payment of individual debts. It’s part of God’s plan (2 Ne. 9:27).

By definition, mercy can only be mercy if we don’t deserve it.

Grace

In the New Testament, grace refers to God’s attitude of goodwill that predisposes Him to act positively toward human beings.

We see a similar relationship between earthly parents and their children. Kids consume much more than they produce, yet parents are predisposed to treat them with favor.

The child’s entreaty “Please!” is an appeal for parental grace.

The term grace is also used to describe a quality that is responsive or reactive to human behavior. When spoken of in this sense, God’s favor or grace is not a preexisting given but is something that can be sought after, increased, decreased, or even lost completely by an individual’s own actions.

Saved by Grace

Latter Day Saints believe that the gospel covenant is provided by sheer grace, but it must be entered into by choice.

Did attaching a condition to grace destroy its character? Suppose someone offers you an all-expense-paid trip to Hawaii (grace), does requiring you to respond to the invitation by a specific date (work) nullify the graciousness of the gift? No!

Faith vs. Works

To insist that we can be saved by works alone insults the mercy Christ extended. And to say that we are saved by grace alone insults the justice of God and makes Christ the minister of sin.

The relationship between grace and works is that we are required to do what we are able to do, and Jesus Christ, the object of our faith, does what we are not yet able to do.

It is true that we cannot save ourselves by our works, but we can contribute something to the joint efforts of the partnership. The tern covenant implies that we must do something.

Two people riding on a tandem bicycle may not do the same amount of work, but if the weaker uses this fact as an excuse to pick up his feet, the arrangement goes from being a partnership to exploitation.

Doing all we can do demonstrates our sincerity and our commitment to the covenant.

Resisting Grace

Three reasons why believing we can save ourselves is not only misinformed but evil:

It places an impossible burden eventually leading to give up on God.

It keeps us from admitting our dependence on Christ and recognizing His role as Savior.

It perpetuates the arrogance that one is without imperfection, i.e. it’s pride.

In Moses 4:1 we are told that Satan insisted, “Surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.” When we fail to admit our utter dependence on God, we are guilty of a satanic attitude.

My Yoke is Easy

Grace has eliminated every excuse but one: “I just don’t want to follow you; I prefer my sins to your kingdom.”

Some will not submit to Christ because they believe that doing so would make life too easy (Alma 37:46).

Some Fruits of Grace

It has the power to transform us, to give us a mighty change of heart.

MISUNDERSTANDING GRACE

The false doctrine of salvation by grace without commitment violates the terms of the gospel covenant by asking Jesus to do for me what I could very well do for myself—but don’t want to.

Certainly those who say, “I’m doing the best I can,” but then willfully break the commandments need to learn the difference between wanting righteousness and wishing they wanted righteousness (D&C 50:7-8).

Easy Grace

Grace doesn’t permit us not to serve, it simply states that we should not feel guilty for the service we cannot render.

The only proof that what God says is true comes through the private witness of the Spirit.

Gospel Superlatives

There are a great many superlatives used in the scriptures and the Church to exhort the Saints and describe their obligations: all our heart, our greatest desire, always, every, never, and so on. We must remember that applied to mortals these terms are aspirational—that is, they define our desires and set our goals—that in each case the circumstances of the individual determine what “all,” “the best,” or “the greatest” mean, and that “never,” “every,” or “always” are goals to be reached with the help of Christ through his atonement.

After All We Can Do

At first glance, we may think that grace is provided only after all we can do, but this is false, for we have received gestures of grace before we even come to this point (See 2 Nephi 25:23). Actually, this scripture denotes logical separateness rather than temporal sequence. We are saved by grace “apart from all we can do” or “regardless of all we can do.” “We are saved by grace, after all is said and done.”

Even the phrase “all we can do” is susceptible to a sinister interpretation as meaning every single good deed we could conceivably have ever done. But if this were so, none could qualify for the grace of God. If is precisely because we don’t always do everything we could have done that we need a savior in the first place. The emphasis should be “all we can do” as opposed to all he can do.

But when have I Done Enough?

The right question is “When is my offering acceptable to the Lord? When are my efforts acceptable for the time being?” You see, the answer to the former question, “When have I done enough?” is never in this life. Since the goal is perfection, the Lord can never unconditionally approve an imperfect performance.

When you enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Spirit, you may know that God accepts your efforts—for now—and that we are justified before God by our faith in Christ.

Giving Him Everything

As long as we won’t give up but endure to the end in the gospel harness, pulling toward the kingdom, our reward is sure.

False Perfection

The use of the word perfect as “unimprovable” is almost never its scriptural meaning.

In the New Testament the Greek word translated “perfect” is teleios. It means ripe, mature, ready, complete, whole, and so forth. An apple on the tree might be called teleios when it was ripe and ready to be picked, but that doesn’t mean it was an unimprovable apple. It might still have a worm in it.

Brigham Young explained perfection to be “…if they do the very best they know how, they are perfect…and justified.”

Then Why the Demand for More?

One purpose of the Church is to perfect the Saints. Since we make the most progress by working at the limits of our abilities, then no matter how much we do or how well we do it, the Lord—like the spotter in the gym—will always ask for more, will always seek improvement, will always push us toward perfection. We perform at the limits of our abilities (for that is where the real power is gained) and let God worry about the rest.

The “easiness” of the Savior’s yoke does not mean we can expect to be excused from the hard tasks of life. Rather his yoke is easy (a) because it makes what was formerly impossible (the yoke of the law of Moses) possible and (b) because he grants compensatory blessings and grace to help through the hard times.

Individual Perfection

Occurs someday after death.

The Comfort of Knowing

“Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” (D&C 123:17; 106:8; Eph. 3:12.)

We must believe before we will feel the confirmation we’re looking for.

Trust Me

At times, when the panic of life threatens to paralyze us, we must believe Christ. We must hear his voice, “Calm Down! I’m your Father, and I love you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’ve got you! You’re perfectly safe. Now relax and trust me, and I’ll teach you what you need to do.”

“LORD, HOW IS IT DONE?”

Now we must look at the Atonement from the perspective of the One who atones, of the Savior rather than of the saved.

The Divinity of Christ

First of all, Jesus was God, not only the Son of God or the Elder Brother, but God in his own right.

The Apostle Paul explains that Christ created all things and has the power to hold all his creations together (Col. 1:16).

During the events associated with the Atonement, God—in the person of God the Son, Jesus Christ—took moral responsibility for all the negatives—the suffering, pain, and death—that are a necessary part of the plan of God.

At times, the plan asks us to suffer; it asks some of us to suffer horribly. It is therefore only fair that the God who administers such a plan and who asks us to live by it should himself be willing to suffer under its provisions more than any of us.

In the gospel of Jesus Christ, there are no “fall guys.” For he who proposed the plan is the one who suffers the most under it. This gives him the moral right to say, “It is a good plan; it’s the right thing.”

Some critics have suggested that Christianity is just another religion of human sacrifice. The profound difference is that with human sacrifices the intent is that human beings suffer to reconcile God to humanity, while in Christianity God himself—Jesus Christ—suffers and dies to reconcile humanity to himself and to his Father.

The Humanity of Christ

The same Jesus Christ who is God the Son is also one of us. He was human in every respect (“in all things”)—right down to being tempted like other human beings. And because he personally has been tempted, Christ can empathize with us and help us to overcome temptation.

It doesn’t matter how patiently a bird might show me how to fly, or a fish might show me how to breathe underwater. I don’t have wings, and I don’t have gills. These cannot teach me because we are not the same being. Christ was genuinely human, so he could be the perfect example.

Being tempted, even being tempted greatly or over a long period of time, is not in itself a sin. We seldom choose what we will be tempted by, or how strong or how frequent our temptations will be. Still, as long as we resist them, we remain innocent. Thus, for the scripture to maintain that he “hath suffered being tempted” does not insult the Savior or detract from his moral perfection.

Vicarious Suffering

According to the scriptures, he knows more of the dark side than any of us. He suffered every negative. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the hill of Calvary, Jesus took upon himself the sins and the pains of all the world.

Jesus Christ did not just assume the punishment for our sins—he took the guilt as well.

If Jesus had assumed only the punishment for our sins but not the sins themselves, then when the penalty was paid, we would merely be “guilty but forgiven,” instead of being sanctified through the Atonement, being perfect-in-Christ.

In a sense it would be correct to say that while Jesus committed no sins, he has been guilty of them all and knows intimately and personally their awful weight.

Is it possible that the Heavenly Father had really forsaken him? Yes, indeed. For Christ had become guilty of the sins of the world, guilty in our place. What happens to the rest of us when we are guilty of sin? The spirit withdraws from us, the heavens turn to brass, and we are left alone to stew in our guilt until we repent. (D&C 76:107.)

Below All Things

In Gethsemane and on Calvary, in his horrible suffering and death, the Savior descended below all things, just as in his resurrection he ascended above all things. Between those two events, Jesus Christ compassed either personally or vicariously the whole range of possible human experiences and circumstances from the worst to the best. He has been lower than the lowest of us and higher than the highest, so “that he comprehended all things.”

An Infinite Atonement

When Christ descended below all things, he crossed the line from the finite, that which can be measured, to the infinite. (2 Ne. 9:7.)

[Excerpts from the Scriptures]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. . . Have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner? [For] “This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

* * * *

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

* * * *

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

(And, in America, Nephi) cried mightily unto the Lord all that day, and the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given; and on the morrow come I into the world. . .

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. . .

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

* * * *

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. 

“Happiness is the design and object of our existence, and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it.” –Joseph Smith

“People are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.” –Abraham Lincoln

“People worry a lot about happiness. If they’d quit worrying about it and get on with doing what they need to be doing, they’d be a whole lot less unhappy”. -RC

 

20/20 News Program, January 2008

Determinants of Happiness

1. 50% is in the genes, e.g. some people just seem to be “born happy”
2. 10% is circumstances, e.g. childhood, looks, health, social status, where live
3. 40% is intentional attitudes and choices, particularly:

Goals and their pursuit

Relationships, which requires the ability and effort to develop and maintain them

Positive meditation: Kind thoughts, compassion, counting blessings

Half hour each day can make the change in 2 weeks!

Fundamentals of Happiness

1. Certain activities create feelings of happiness, e.g. socializing, praying, sex

Happiness is not a “state”; it comes a moment at a time, from things engaged in

Having kids was not shown necessarily to give happiness

2. Money: Have enough, not too much [a little more than friends], and spend it well
3. All happiness has some social basis: Not what you do, but who you do it with

The happiest people have a rich social life

4. Have a life “calling”, or use sheer will to turn your work into one
5. Develop “flow”. Easy to do with something you love; follow your bliss

Happiest places on earth [US is 23d]*

Denmark is the happiest country, despite 63% tax rate

Homogeneous society: 9 of 10 are full-blood Danes, 8 of 10 are Lutheran

All jobs have similar pay and status, and there is strong trust of each other

Everyone is well provided for, and there are few rich and little desire for it

As Muslims, and conflict, increase in the population, happiness is declining

92% of Danes belong to one or more gov’t-sponsored social clubs

Singapore has the happiest people in Asia

This despite the fact it has extremely strict laws and high taxes

E.g. beaten with a cane for spitting in public

Believe US has too much freedom!

The country is clean, safe, stable, and economically secure

Corruption is discouraged by paying top gov’t officials $1mm per year

The people are more materialistic than the Danes, and somewhat less content

There are some rich people, but they feel least secure, and want even more

Unhappiest places are where there is extreme poverty, instability, or insecurity

E. g. starving countries in Africa

Italians are least happy in Europe, because of total corruption

 

THE EFFECTS OF SUCCESS ON HAPPINESS

ABC News program, circa 1992

Americans who were interviewed expressed several expectations re happiness:

Most believe money is the key, but studies proved newly rich are only happy for about a year

Then, no matter how much they have, it is not enough and they want more

Many may spend compulsively to maintain their “happiness”, till bankrupt

Those who seek fame, as might be expected, are happy only as long as fame continues

Those who are ambitious are happy only as long as they continue to climb upward

Must continue to exceed the apparent success of others

All these things fail to bring real or lasting happiness

Contrary to these beliefs, several principles are conducive to continued real happiness:

Need to believe we have substantial control in our life

Found even among babies a few months old

Most important factor, ahead of money, for employees

Cannot feel in control unless accept responsibility for the things that happen to you

Need to be basically optimistic. Provides confidence one can deal with inevitable problems

With optimism, defeat spurs us on, rather than beating us down, and achievement follows

Need to work. Leisure is a curse to happiness; need meaningful activity

Need to get caught up in and experience challenge and the opportunity for achievement

While working in pursuit of other things, happiness happens

Need to have close relationships to which we are committed

Relationships, e.g. marriage, often break up when success occurs. Unhappiness follows

Need to believe something is more important than ourselves

Faith in God, and service to him, is a usual underpinning to all the other criteria for happiness

Gives sense of purpose and of commitment to something greater

MISCELLANY

Jean Chatsky, Money Magazine, polled 1,500 people. The finding:

Annual income over $50,000 makes no difference to happiness

Simmons and Chatsky: Purposeful work, religion, and family make people happy

Many have negative mental tapes that say, “You’re not happy, shouldn’t be happy, don’t deserve to be happy”. Those tapes need to be fought

Dr John Izzo, who studies happiness,interviewed 250 people age of 60-106. They all agreed there are five true secrets to happiness: Be True to Yourself, Leave No Regrets, Become Love, Live the Moment, and Give More Than You Take.

CONCLUSIONS

• Achieving happiness can be accomplished, and it is therefore worth the effort!

Circumstances [10%] can be worked on to a degree; attitude and activities [40%] a lot

• Look for something greater than self: e.g. God, a cause, community, service, etc
• Spend time each day reading “feel-good” stories, and displace the negative tapes
• Maintain many social contacts and close relationships, e.g. family, and make them good
• Have short- and long-term goals: career, hobbies, travel, etc, and work regularly toward them
• Avoid materialism, but work on having enough to comfortably meet needs
• Deal with and resolve the problems in your life

 

This is a terrible world, filled with violence, misery, and hate

This is a wonderful world, filled with kindness, happiness, and love

Which world do you choose to see?

Which world do you choose to live in?

– RC

*Suicide rates/100,000: Russia: 34.3. Japan: 24. Denmark: 13.6. Sweden: 13.2. Iceland: 12.6. Canada: 11.9. Norway: 11.5. U.S: 11. Singapore: 9.5. Italy: 7.1. U.K: 7. Jamaica: 0.1.

 

 – Ps 82:6

How is your self esteem? Can you judge? Know how it differs from ego? How it relates to umility?

Self esteem is crucial: [Steinbeck:] to like others, [Maxwell:] to love God, [Kimball:] to CTR

Psychologist MacDougall [quoted by Kimball]:

“The first thing to be done to help a man to moral regeneration is to restore his self-respect.”

Much—most?—evil is done not by evil people from evil intentions, but from low self esteem, protecting a sorry ego

Everyone is insecure, just a question of what areas, how much. Tho we’re not unique, often let it grind us down:

Anger, defensiveness, lack confidence, fear, indecisiveness, poor relationships, argumentativeness, controlling, hide it, pull others down, seek constant approval, boastfulness

Recognize the appearance of confidence and self esteem in others can be deceptive

Paradoxically, some of the seemingly most confident people are some of the most insecure

What’s on the outside does not always reflect what’s on the inside—they fake it

Arrogance is always evidence of low self esteem, whatever status may appear to be

[Covey:] The focus today is on technique [outward skills], not character [inward battle]

Recognize can have self esteem despite insecurities. [D&C:] “I give men weakness. . .” Be grateful for it!

[Kimball:] “God, help me to hold a high opinion of myself. Not an abnormally developed self-esteem that becomes haughtiness, conceit, or arrogance, but a righteous self-respect that might be defined as belief in one’s own worth, worth to God, and worth to man.” Gives confidence: “Right is might”

J. Smith was humble, but many thought him arrogant. He was certainly cocky!

The difference? [J Smith:] Nature of man to desire to excel, but should want others to excel also

Since self esteem is imperative both to temporal and spiritual success, how develop true, healthy self esteem?

First. The foundation: “Who am I?” 1] Child of God—literally. 2] His elect, with promises: “Eye hath not seen”

How know? Scriptures, P. Blessing, prayer, [Jesus:] “What manner of men ought ye to be?”

We should be what others admire and want righteously to emulate. Think it, look it, talk it, act it:

[Mandela:] “Playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened. . .”

[Jesus:] Salt; “Do not hide your light under bushel”. [Gillette:] “Look sharp, Feel sharp, Be sharp!”

Be grateful, grateful, grateful—let it fill your soul to bursting

Second. The acronym “CAST”. Each of the 4 is necessary—not enough to know God loves you

To extent develop these, will have self esteem. Must be a balance—excess of one will not compensate

C: Conscience can eat you alive! “All have sinned”, but have I truly repented? Resolved with Bishop? [Duplantis:] “Admit it, quit it, forget it”. Have sense of forgiveness, worthiness from Spirit?

Need to feel, deep inside, God has forgiven you, and sacrifice is acceptable. “Tho sins as scarlet”

A: Achievement. Reasonable success at the things that really matter

Spiritual, educational, relational, occupational

Requires goals, work, growth, dealing with challenges and failure: [Churchill:] “Never give up!”

But measure by proper yardstick, not world’s: How much good done, own gifts [Covey:] Mission

How good are you? At least as good as the best you’ve ever done. With God, vast limits

S: Service. The Dead Sea takes in but won’t give out. [Jesus:] “Cast thy bread upon the water”

Most imp: Lift others and build their self esteem: Help them become their best, too

T: Tapes. Negative mental tapes—most from childhood—go round and round in our head, e.g. Dick Carlson

How you think: Need to replace the negative mental tapes with positive. [Prov:] “Dog returns to its vomit”

[McKay:] “Tell me what a man thinks about, and I’ll tell you what he is.” Think like one of elect

Force self to focus on positives. One negative can grow huge if focused on—fight them!

Remind yourself who you are, what capable of, both in life and eternity

For good self esteem, keep it simple: 1] develop the principles of CAST: clear your Conscience, work to Achieve worthy goals, Serve, replace negative Tapes. 2] Focus always on who you are: Not only a child of God, but his elect. Ps 82:6 and Rom 8:17 tell us, “Ye are gods, and children of the most High”. . . “and as children, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ”. Be humbly grateful to the Lord for his promise—and believe in yourself by believing him.

-David Lieberman, PhD

SIGNS OF DECEPTION [Some of these seem contradictory. Look for number, combinations, and patterns]

Body Language

Little eye contact; will not face, head or body shifts away and shrinks, slouches

Limited physical expression, stiff mechanical movements, arms and legs held close to body

Gestures don’t match and are out of time with words and emotions, partial shrugs

Closed hands, do not use finger to point, touch self only on face and throat

Do not touch others, may absent-mindedly place objects in between you

Look up and in direction of dominant eye to invent a “memory” [opposite to recall one]

Everyone has “tells”, if you can identify them. Covering mouth is common

He is anxious [may fake casualness], and changing the subject causes him to relax

Remains expressionless when accused [focused on planning a defense]

He does not become indignant when “falsely” accused, as an innocent person would

What Is Said

Hates silence, and will tend to talk [Stare and wait for him to start talking]

Keeps volunteering more info to try to convince; parrots your words to make his point

Changes subject or uses red herrings trying to limit challenges [Innocent insist on resolving]

Comes up with “better” alternatives, to sidetrack the issue

Freudian slips; Projection: People often guilty of what they accuse others

Depersonalizes answer, i.e. states his “belief” on the subject, rather than a direct answer

Implies the answer, rather than stating it directly

Doesn’t use contractions, e.g. says, “It was not me”

Tries to establish rapport and trust by talking of things in common

Beware compliments and confirmations of your beliefs and attitudes

If he focuses on consequences, probably lying [if continues to deny fault, probably not]

Uses phrases like, “To tell the truth”, “Honestly”, and has pat answers

What he claims sounds implausible, or he uses humor or sarcasm to belittle accusations

As they say, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is

Numbers seem to match or be multiples of each other

A lie about one thing makes everything said questionable

How It’s Said

Defensive [vs. going on offense, which is a sign of truth], and looks for reassurances

Statements may sound like questions, indicating a need for reassurance [Be noncommittal]

Stalling, e.g. asking to repeat or rephrase questions. Deceitful responses may take time to think up

Response may be out of proportion or context to the question, e.g. politicians

May leave out pronouns, garble grammar and syntax

More interested in how he sounds than whether you understand

Any third party point of view is absent [which would have to be invented]

Often leave out the negatives of a story as well as other details [which have to be invented]

Answers your questions but does not ask any

HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Decisions are 90% emotional. Appeal to emotion, with logic to justify

Easy to lie to one who wants to be deceived. Takes exceptional person to see unpleasant truth

Actions are taken to avoid pain or receive pleasure. Watch their motives and reinforce this

Situations seem most significant if crucial, all-encompassing, and permanent

Vs. insignificant, isolated, and temporary. Emphasize whichever fits strategy

Emotional state is directly related to physical state. Try to change first by changing second

Involve all of the senses possible

If arguing is futile, stop. Exaggerating their point of view may show them the absurdity of it

People will only change their mind if given at least some additional info—a “new” decision

People tend to do what you expect. E.g., acting as if something is a fait accompli is powerful

To get someone to do something, simplify how easy it is, and vice versa

Always be willing to walk away, or they know they gotcha

STRATEGY AND TACTICS

General Principles

When the signs of lying are there, believe it

Prepare in advance: Review evidence, set strategy, think of questions, etc. Call him by name

Always control emotions. If you act angry it better be feigned

Decide whether to build rapport, be confrontational, fake anger, act ignorant or naive, etc

To build rapport, match posture, movements, speech patterns, vocabulary, things in common

Establish “baseline”: Ask questions you know answers to, and observe behavior, emotions, etc

Never reveal what you know, except intentionally as a tactic

Never ask a person to tell the truth, ask them to tell the “whole story”

Avoid interrupting, and use silence to draw out additional responses

Direct the conversation: The one who takes the initiative determines the course of conversation

At the end of their statement, to elicit more, say: Meaning? And? So? Now? Why? How?

If he won’t let you talk say, “Answer this so I can give you my full attention”, “Let me get your opinion”, “I know you’d want me to ask this”, “Before you say anything else, answer this”, “Can anyone else get a word in edgewise?”, “I don’t think that’s correct”, etc.

It may be a battle of wills, so refuse to back down—be overtly or subtly relentless

In General Conversation

Casually talk “about” the situation, or about certain principles, with no hint of accusation

Do not be too general or too specific, and be very casual

Watch for signs: evasiveness, defensiveness, changing the subject, body language, etc

Change the subject briefly, to see if he relaxes when the heat’s off

Ask for a fact and note if the answer is slow, evasive, lacks detail, tries to change the subject

Add a false, plausible fact or expand on their fact and see if they simply go along with it

Ask for proof, in a non-threatening way, without direct accusation

If know almost all, and can guess rest, set up questions to which response shows guilt

Allude, rather than accuse

Describe a similar “hypothetical” scenario to the one at issue, that puts the heat on

e.g. “It’s curious how someone could think they could do X with no one seeing them”

Introduce evidence with the preamble you expect he can explain it away

Act as if something is bothering you or you are hurt, but don’t discuss it directly

Making It Difficult To Lie

Try to have the evidence for your case nailed down, so there’s no basis to deny it

Don’t accuse or ask for confession, assume the facts, state at least 2 truisms pointing to truth

If possible, keep him from knowing the answer you want so he doesn’t know how to lie

Assume the act by shifting focus from what was done to why. Encourage self-justification

Act distant and apathetic. It makes him feel insignificant, and he may want to “show you”

Direct Confrontation [This will cut off further indirect approaches]

Face directly, and move closer. Act quickly, speak fast, and keep the pressure on

Demand specific info, so simple denial is not enough. Use open-ended questions

Ask leading questions that assume the answer. Begin with innocuous ones

Make outrageous, exaggerated accusations and observe the reaction

Act as if you know for certain what you don’t know, and play on guilt. Everyone has some

Say, “We both know what I’m referring to” or “Everyone knows”, and hold your ground

Claim third-party confirmation. Peer pressure can be powerful

“Silver Bullet” Tactics:

Ask, “Anything you want to get off your chest?” Open-ended way to put him on the defensive

Volunteer something of your own misbehavior—preferably worse

Imply the act was actually good, or had good effect. Offer a reduced punishment—or reward

Show how refusing cooperation gets him nothing or worse, and cooperation will get something

Create a deadline or, on the contrary, keep him in the dark about when the axe will fall`

Blame yourself, a third party, or an accident of circumstances to give him an excuse

Appeal to ego, either attack or inflate it

Do not necessarily explain the threat in detail, keep it vague, create an unknown

Reverse course, by acting as if the answer he thinks you want really isn’t

Confuse the chronology or actual time, which is difficult for him to track if he’s lying

Go back over the same territory, if a situation is complex, and see if answers change

Horns of a dilemma: He may admit to one thing if the option is something worse

Cut off conversation after accusations are made. Innocent person will insist on talking about it

Propose a very difficult option. If he readily agrees he has no intention of complying

TRUTH BLOCKERS TO GUARD AGAINST

Self-Deception: From own opinions, attitudes, emotions, beliefs. Must recognize and suspend

You’re like me: We tend to believe those who seem to be like us

Gifts: May be trying to create an obligation [Or contra, per B. Franklin]

Half price: Half of what? All comparisons are subject to question

At least do this: Asks for something big, then what is really wanted seems relatively small

Bandwagon effect: Everyone is doing it

The white lab coat: Creates the specious appearance of expertise and credibility

Statistics: Use of statistics and charts creates “official”, factual, often false, appearance

Hard to get: Rare doesn’t mean valuable

I’m on your side: Maybe, but what axe is he grinding?

What are you actually getting?: Is it really what you thought you were promised?

Reverse psychology: Subtle attack on ego to get you to do what you don’t really want to

SOCIOPATHS [The rules go out the window]

They are professional liars, and they can strip you clean before you know what hit you

Have lied so long and pervasively they can no longer tell truth from lies

They demonstrate all the signs of telling the truth. Can even fool a lie detector

Watched Bill Clinton in a TV interview. All the right signs were there:

Eye contact, leaned forward and faced, pointed finger, total sincerity—he believes himself

Not only highly accomplished liars, but also often charming and expert in social graces

Seem too good to be true. You really like them and want to believe and trust them

May work with great subtlety and convincing rationalizations to involve you in their schemes

Charming people may be genuine, but watch carefully for signs of dishonesty—and believe them

They rationalize, joke about honesty, act counter to their “values”—with excuses for their actions

Insist others are 1] dishonest, so dishonesty is a justified “defense”, or are 2] sheep to be sheared

–Wm. Byham

Zapp! is the key to successful organizations

Only way for continuous improvement

Only way to continue to adapt in constant change

Only way to succeed against increasing competition

Only way to get excited about work, to take responsibility

Only way to achieve “critical mass”

It is easy to Sapp. It is hard to Zapp

First step to Zapp: Maintain self-esteem of self and others

Second step to Zapp: Listen and respond with empathy

Third step to Zapp: Ask for help in solving problems

Seek ideas, suggestions, and information

Soul of Zapp: Offer help w/o taking away responsibility

Most important person: employee’s immediate supervisor

Delegation is central to Zapp. Choices in delegating:

Keep the task

Delegate responsibility without authority

Delegate responsibility and authority

This is the only way to Zapp

With delegation comes the need to set up controls

A boss who over-controls Sapps his people

A boss who abandons control Sapps his people

A boss who uses situational control Zapps his people

People respond negatively to inappropriate controls

Share responsibility, don’t abandon responsibility

Mgmt still has responsibility to: Know what’s going on;

set direction; make final decisions; ensure on course;

clear the way

Zapp does not guide, it excites. Action must be channeled:

Set the direction to go

Provide knowledge, skills, and training

Provide resources

Delegate

Determine the goal

As goals are achieved, set others

Establish measurements and give constant feedback

If possible, let people set their own goals, measurements, timetable, etc

Creating teams spreads Zapp [or Sapp, if not successful]

Zapped team more productive than group of Zapped

individuals

Give team members a say in team membership

Establish a mission for the team

Provide time and place to meet

Provide technical training at the right time

Provide leadership for interacting, solving problems,

making decisions, taking action

Allow team to handle as many issues as possible:

Work assignments, motivation, leader selection, goals,

members, productivity, problem solving, etc.

More decisions team can make, more Zapped they are

Coaching

Be a model of Zapp: Knowledge, responsibility, enthusiasm

teamwork, trust,etc.

Explain purpose and importance; describe process to use;

show how; observe practice and give feedback; express

confidence; agree on follow-up

Learning more about the job boosts Zapp

People learn faster from successes than failures

Provide a Zapp organization

Fattening Sapps, Flattening Zapps

Protect people from Sapp and from people who cause Sapp

Be sure subordinate managers have Zapp skills

Coach and monitor them

Reward Zapp immediately

Provide a clear path up

Generally create an environment which encourages Zapp

Keep learning, growing, progressing

Keep studying and practicing these notes!