Madness in the Methodology and Our Purpose in Being here

You can see why it is difficult to write a book on topical studies. The process of studying the scriptures can seem messy, disjointed and disorganized, but it really isn't. We live in the day of Franklin Planners and "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People." We are taught to multitask our way to heaven, scheduling, prioritizing and programming every minute of our lives so one productive minute doesn't pass without full utilization. This is Babylon's mentality. The Lord's methodology is different.

The Lord said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 58:8-9)

In our search for light and knowledge we need to understand the Lord is more organized and ordered than we will ever be. We are constrained by time. He is not. The Lord knows exactly how long our lives will be to the last nanosecond. He understands what we need and when we need it. On the chessboard of life, our Savior is always five moves ahead of us. Evidence of this is found in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants. The Lord was directing Mormon to add the small plates containing king Benjamin's writings to counter Satan's plan to steal and discredit Joseph Smith and the translated portion of the Book of Mormon.

I listened to a modern example last night of how the Lord prepared the way to answer a brothers prayers. I met a brother from our stake who found his way back to the Gospel after many years of sin. He shared with me his experience of a "falling out" he had with his adopted father. His father was the only father this brother had ever known and the brother became angry when his father returned to activity in the Church and traded Sunday activities for Church attendance.

The brother recently graduated from high school and left on his "senior trip" angry and knowing his father was in the hospital recuperating from a severe heart attack. While on the trip, this brother missed the passing of his father.

Many years later when he returned to Church he fasted and prayed for a month seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with his father. After much pleading with the Lord this brother received a phone call from his cousin with whom he had not spoken for years. His cousin had moved to Utah County and heard this brother was living in Pleasant Grove. After discussing their families, the cousin confided that he (the cousin) was serving as Elder's Quorum President in his ward and he was calling with a specific message. He wanted this brother to know that his deceased father loved him, was proud of what he was doing and wanted him to get on with his life. The prayers of our brother were answered through a righteous Priesthood holder and peace, reconciliation and redemption were granted through the mercy of Christ from beyond the grave.

There are always reasons for what we do and the more we become aware of the tender mercies of the Lord in our lives, the more sensitive and attuned to His Spirit we will be. Babylon teaches us to fill our lives with compulsion. We seek to compel material wealth to come to us. Compel our children to capitalize on every opportunity to increase their skills so they may be competitive in a modern world. We may even find ourselves seeking to compel them to keep the commandments.

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson- That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and the the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness." (D&C 121:34-36)

Contrast how we build our earthly kingdoms to how God would have us build our heavenly:

"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews of heaven." (This is the one lesson we are kept from learning because our hearts are set so much upon the things of this world. We have been called but not chosen because of this. Note how the Lord administers the doctrines of the priesthood from heaven. There is no manual. There are no credentialed instructors. It is not contingent on how many books you have read or the directions of your favorite Prophet, Apostle or religion professor. The dews from heaven are imperceptible until they seem to magically appear out of nowhere. Obedience to the commandments and prayers for understanding do more to bring light and knowledge of the doctrines of the priesthood. It is contrary to the economy of heaven to give answers to questions not asked.) "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and WITHOUT COMPULSORY MEANS it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." (D&C 121:45-46, emphasis mine)

We may not always know why we are reading what we are reading or why we do what we do, but the doctrines of the priesthood are given to us according to the wisdom of the Lord and to fulfill His purposes in our lives and the lives of others. These things cannot be compelled. We have to patiently wait upon the Lord to give us answers we need at the exact time we need them. I have waited several years for answers to questions. Eventually they always come and their arrival is always associated with accomplishing some purpose in my life or the lives of friends or family.

There is a reason you are reading this blog at this point in time. The content will sometimes feel like you are putting your mouth over the end of a fire hose. (My daughter says it is "heavy.")Don't try to compel understanding. Take what you can and set aside what you can't. Wait for another day. Comprehension will distill upon you at exactly the right time. You will have many "light bulb" moments when doctrines of the priesthood distill upon your souls. This applies to sisters as well as holders of the priesthood. Sisters are clothed in the robes of the Holy Priesthood and share the same covenants in the Temple that "..., administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest to men in the flesh; For without this no man (or woman) can see the face of God and live." (D&C 84:19-22, insert mine)

If this process seems scattered or disorganized I apologize. Dews from heaven do not flow in a steady, direct stream. With your patience I will continue to throw spaghetti against the wall and then try to weave the pieces that stick into a tapestry of understanding and enlightenment. Until then, "Just the facts ma'am." That is what we are after.