Lessons learned

We can all draw parallels from history. One for example: I have a huge life ahead of me. I'm almost halfway through the first third of college. Most people don't do the last two-thirds, which I am deliberating doing, MA and Ph.D. Many do so, and end up teaching. That can be done. It seems something daunting and far, like someday going back to where I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ in Peru. I just got back last August. My wife (then my fiance) was VERY happy about that.

I compare it to the experience an ancestor of mine had in the early years of the modern organization of the Church. I know that this Church was founded anciently, in the seeds of the adoration of Adam and Eve, and that it's the same church, same gospel, every nook and cranny, as what Jesus taught, not missing a thing. We learned in Doctrine and Covenants class this past week about the difficulties my ancestors faced while trying to reach what for them was certainly the promised land. Human frailties and imperfections got in the way, but they reached their goal, as far as they could project. They just needed to persevere, pray, and hope. I will do all those things, and I WILL reach my goals.

The truth is... God always has more in store for us than we ever can imagine for ourselves. He really does love us, wants us to excel, and He'll take us higher than we can think to fly.

Matter Enough

How is it that I can start something without knowing what effect it will have in the long-term? I guess that's where my faith comes in. I have faith in many things, but strangely enough, I am just as excited about the things that I already surely know. These things matter... a TON. Let me give you a few examples:

I know that God is a real, loving Father of all of us. That's right... us! First, I heard this from my family, who took care of me and loved me and helped me grow to the man I am. Then I studied it in such places as the Holy Scriptures, books that are not only sacred to me because of the peace I receive from them, but more are really sacred because God gave them to us, every bit :). One volume of modern scripture that I know came from God is called The Doctrine and Covenants (D&C). It is published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I quote a couple verses from it that I studied recently in a university class about these scriptures:

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; for, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him."

That scripture refers to Jesus Christ by the way. Pretty cool, huh? We all have souls, and He (God) thinks that pretty special. We're great in his sight. It doesn't matter how bad or poor or disfigured we may be in body or mind, our souls are worth a lot to him, and that's why Christ suffered so much. It was for us, so that if we try, we can go back someday :).

So, you can tell. I love our God. These are matters of the Spirit, because I know that God lives and loves us all. I will take time on this blog to address many matters, ranging from things that matter to many, or just things that matter to me. As for now, I'll just sum up with one of the things that matters the most. Spirit.