I don't know everything, but I know enough.

When a young Neil L. Anderson was preparing to serve his mission, he felt inadequate. He prayed: “Heavenly Father, how can I serve a mission when I know so little?” As he prayed, he had the impression: “You don’t know everything, but you know enough!”

Whenever I am struggling in body or in spirit, whenever I'm wrestling with confusion or doubts, I try to direct my thoughts to the plain and precious things I know about my faith, and how I came to know these things.

I know that I am a child of a living Heavenly Father. From a very young age, as I heard and sang the beloved song “I am a Child of God” at home and church, I came to know and understand that God loves me and knows me.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He was sent by the Father to conquer sin and death. He died for us and he rose from the grave. He has made it possible for us to live with our Heavenly Father again some day. I have felt His love for me.

I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth through him. I know this because I have read the Book of Mormon, which was translated by him. Through study and prayer I have come to know that the Book of Mormon is a true volume of scripture, another testament of Jesus Christ. And if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet who brought it forth by the power of God.

I know that the Priesthood – the power of God delegated to man – has been restored to the earth.

I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today – Russell M. Nelson – who holds this Priesthood authority and receives revelation from God for His people.

I know that temples are the House of the Lord. They are sacred places where we can perform holy ordinances and make covenants with God that bind us to Him and allow us to access His power when we try to faithfully honor and keep them. When I go to the temple, I feel the peace and love of God. I feel like whatever is going on in my life, everything is going to be alright.

I don't know everything. I have hope that one day I will, but until then, I can find strength and comfort in the things I know. And it is enough. Enough for me to stay in the church, keep the faith, and press forward.

Elder Anderson said:

Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step-by-step, line upon line. We first build a foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We treasure the principles and ordinances of repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We include a continuing commitment to prayer, a willingness to be obedient, and an ongoing witness of the Book of Mormon. (The Book of Mormon is powerful spiritual nourishment.)

We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. Remember Nephi’s words: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.”

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#faith #Christianity #ChurchOfJesusChrist

I think I first heard this song on a Christian radio station as I was driving one day. Scars in Heaven by Casting Crowns is a beautiful and comforting song for anyone who has lost a loved one.

Lyrics:

If I had only known the last time would be the last time I would have put off all the things I had to do I would have stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter Now what I’d give for one more day with you

Cause there’s a wound here in my heart where something's missing And they tell me that it’s going to heal with time But I know you're in a place where all your wounds have been erased And knowing yours are healed is healing mine

The only scars in heaven, they won’t belong to me and you There'll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down Is that the only scars in heaven are on the Hands that hold you now

I know the road you walked was anything but easy You picked up your share of scars along the way But now you’re standing in the sun, you’ve fought your fight and your race is run The pain is all a million miles away

Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, for the Hands that hold you now

There’s not a day goes by that I don’t see you You live on in all the better parts of me Until I’m standing with you in the sun, I'll fight this fight and this race I’ll run Until I finally see what you can see

Discuss...

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 62) #music #life #Christianity

It has become a tradition in my family to watch the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street around Thanksgiving. It’s one of the things we do to kick off the Christmas season. We watched it this evening.

My favorite quote from this film is from Kris Kringle himself:

If you can’t accept anything on faith, then you are doomed to a life dominated by doubt.

This reminded me of a quote from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

It’s natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding. There are few members of the Church who, at one time or another, have not wrestled with serious or sensitive questions. One of the purposes of the Church is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith—even in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. Faith is to hope for things which are not seen but which are true.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters—my dear friends—please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

At times I have grappled with doubt like everyone else, but I refuse to live a life dominated by it. I choose to have faith in something – in someone: Jesus Christ. I join with millions this Christmas season to celebrate His humble birth.

Merry Christmas!

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 60) #faith #Christmas #Christianity #ChurchOfJesusChrist

Listening to one of my music playlists on random, I was reminded of the existence of a beautiful piece of music performed by the supremely talented Norwegian soprano Sissel.

In the summer of 2019 she performed with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. The entire concert is remarkable and worth watching. But one song in particular stood out above the rest for me and many who heard it.

You can't tell from the video, but all 18,000+ people in the audience were on their feet during the lengthy applause after the song. They knew they had just experienced something heavenly.

Sissel's performance of Slow Down by Chuck Girard, arranged by Sam Cardon, is one that I keep coming back to. It soothes and heals, reminds me to stop and take a deep breath. It refocuses me on what is most important. It reminds me that God is near.

Discuss...

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 49) #music #faith #Christianity #intentionism

A couple weeks ago I was perusing the #christian tag on Bandcamp and the first result that came up was an album called Future Foreverby Jonathan Ogden. I'd never heard of him or this album, but I gave the track One Day a listen and was hooked.

His style is a mix of chill, hip hop, electronic, pop – and his lyrics all point to Jesus Christ.

This is a great album to have playing while working, writing, or anytime.

Discuss...

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 38) #music #Christianity

This image was generated by DALL-E prompt “A painting of a cosmic vending machine in the style of Michelangelo”.

Today I had the opportunity to participate in a good Elders Quorum lesson and discussion about a talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson called Our Relationship With God. The entire talk is worth reading and studying, but a favorite passage of mine reads:

Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule. They might think, “If I diligently serve a full-time mission, God will bless me with a happy marriage and children” or “If I refrain from doing schoolwork on the Sabbath, God will bless me with good grades” or “If I pay tithing, God will bless me with that job I’ve been wanting.” If life doesn’t fall out precisely this way or according to an expected timetable, they may feel betrayed by God. But things are not so mechanical in the divine economy. We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.

God will indeed honor His covenants and promises to each of us. We need not worry about that. The atoning power of Jesus Christ—who descended below all things and then ascended on high and who possesses all power in heaven and in earth—ensures that God can and will fulfill His promises. It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual.

(Emphasis mine)

I can't really add anything to this or to the rest of Elder Christofferson's talk, other than to say: I know this is true. None of us are exempt from trials and sorrow in this life, even when we're trying to live righteously. We must trust in God and in His purposes and timing.

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 25) #Christianity #ChurchofJesusChrist #life

I was recently watching the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and was struck by this observation:

Galadriel: Why the halfling? Gandalf: I don't know. Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found it is the small things – everyday deeds of ordinary folk – that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.

Imagine how different the world would be if more of us focused on the small things. Everyday deeds, simple acts of kindness and love. Less “do what makes you happy” and more “do what makes your neighbor happy”. Doing so out of genuine concern for others, not doing it for the Gram (for social media content).

Joseph B. Wirthlin once shared the following story:

[A]n elderly man and woman ... had been married for many decades. Because the wife was slowly losing her sight, she could no longer take care of herself the way she had done for so many years. Without being asked, the husband began to paint her fingernails for her.

“He knew that she could see her fingernails when she held them close to her eyes, at just the right angle, and they made her smile. He liked to see her happy, so he kept painting her nails for more than five years before she passed away.”

That is an example of the pure love of Christ. Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life.

How do we keep at bay the gathering darkness we see in our world? Be kind. Serve. Love one another.

Discuss...

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 20) #life #Christianity #movies

A few days ago I was listening to the General Conference talk by Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt who spoke about the many names of Jesus Christ.

He said:

Just as Jesus knows each of us by name, one way we can come to better know Jesus is by learning His many names. Like the names of Israel and Peter, many of Jesus’s names are titles that help us understand His mission, purpose, character, and attributes. As we come to know Jesus’s many names, we will come to better understand His divine mission and His selfless character. Knowing His many names also inspires us to become more like Him—to develop Christlike attributes that bring joy and purpose to our lives.

As I listened to this talk, my musical mind traveled back in time 20 years to my full-time missionary service in Brazil. It was there that I was first introduced to a recording of The Garden: An Allegorical Oratorio. With lyrics by Michael McLean and music by Bryce Neubert, it is beautiful and moving. There is no spoken word – the story is told completely through music. It's an allegory about Jesus Christ from the perspective of four objects in the Garden of Gethsemane, each with unique troubles:

• A seed that can't grow.
• A ram caught in a thicket.
• An olive tree that can't produce fruit.
• A millstone that has no feelings.

Each of them sings a song explaining their dire circumstances. And to make matters worse, there's a snake slithering around and quite happy about the sorry state of the garden.

Then a Gardener comes and brings hope. He tells the garden's beleaguered residents about someone who will come to help them. The song the Gardener sings is called The Man With Many Names. And it was this very song that began playing in my mind as Elder Schmitt spoke.

That evening I listened to the song for the first time in probably a decade or more, and it moved me just as much as it did the first time I heard it. I listened intently to the lyrics as I reflected on all of the beautiful talks and music about Jesus Christ I had heard during General Conference.

There is One who to this garden comes Like a most unusual rain Drink it in and never thirst again Living Water is His name

There is One who comes to find each one Who has lost his way again He will lead the way back to the fold The Good Shepherd is His name

There is One who when your crying's done Gives the gift you've never known He'll give fruit because He is the Vine And life, for He's the Living Stone

He is known by oh so many names And will be forever more Hope comes from the One with many names And He's not forgotten yours

No, He's not forgotten yours

I won't spoil the rest of the story for you (though you may already have an idea of how it ends), but it's well worth a listen if you can find a digital or physical copy (which I have discovered is sadly not easy to do these days).

I'm thankful for this divine blast from the past. Only God could have brought a memory made 20 years ago to the surface at the perfect moment. It reminded me that God is and has always been aware of and concerned about me and what I do with my life. As the song says, He hasn't forgotten my name. It reminded me of the powerful testimony of Jesus Christ I gained during my 2-year missionary service, and which has grown steadily since.

Discuss...

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#100DaysToOffload (No. 18) #music #Christianity #ChurchofJesusChrist

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