10: Covenanting to Christ and meeting the standard

Christ’s covenant requires a few things. One, he wants us to have faith in him. Two, he wants us to repent of our bad thoughts, feelings, and actions. Three, he wants us to be baptized and then renew that covenant every Sunday with him. It is in the renewing of the covenant that forgiveness for the previous week’s bad thoughts, feelings and actions is made effective. Four, he wants us to endure to the end. Enduring to the end means continuing to try each day to have good thoughts, feelings, and actions. The wonderful thing about this new and everlasting covenant is it provides a way whereby man can be forgiven of his bad thoughts, feelings and actions on a weekly basis while also granting access to the infinite resources of the Savior in our own attempt for perfect thoughts, feelings and actions. The covenant is like a Band-Aid and training wheels in one.

9: The good news

God provided a way to meet His standard and overcome all that is stacked against us. This is the good news of the gospel known as the atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement provides a way to both cover the repercussions of falling short and it enables us to find access to Christ’s infinite resources. Through covenants with Christ we become joint heirs to Christ’s perfect attributes while we work on perfecting our own. (Col 1:28; 1 Pet. 5:10; Moro. 10:32; D&C 67:13) Christ was whole and complete in thought, feeling, and action. He is the model of good thoughts, feelings, and actions. Through the making of covenants we have access to these infinite resources. We also can be forgiven for the misuse of our agency. It is also Christ’s atonement that gives us the power to forgive others in the misuse of their agency upon us.

8: Summary of all that is stacked against us in life.

So if you take into account everything that is stacked against us it can become very discouraging very quickly. First, we are the sum of our thoughts, feelings and actions. Second, we are given agency to choose. Third we are asked to choose the good over the evil, which also means there is no other third alternative, it is only a choice between good and bad. Fourth, we have outside forces enticing us to be bad or chose unwisely. Fifth, we are given our physical bodies and all the desires our natural man is prone to. Sixth and finally, Heavenly Father requires that we handle our thoughts, feelings and actions perfectly or we can’t return to live with him.

This is the point in most our lives that we begin to struggle mightily.(Hel 5:12; D&C 90:5) When we realize how much is stacked against us we begin to slip below the line. When we are bombarded on every side and there seems to be no respite from the storm we begin to have victim type attitudes that bind us to our problems. Addictions and vices seem insurmountable, forgiving and challenges of the heart are near impossible to deal with, and destructive intellectualism lead us unwillingly down darkened paths. If this was the end of the story we would all be entirely justified in doing, thinking, and feeling the above. However, this isn’t the end of the story and that is the good news.

7: We can not meet the standard of perfection on our own.

Our challenge is we simply aren’t capable of meeting that standard under our own power. We are not perfect no matter how hard we try. (Rom 3:23; 1Kgs 8:46; 2 Chr. 6:36; Eccl. 7:20) We frequently have negative, thoughts, feelings and actions that bring pain, suffering and often terrible consequences.  Some pain and suffering comes as result of others poor choices. In both cases it should be made clear that though perfection of thought, feeling and action are required, under our own power is not possible in this life to meet that standard 100% of the time.

6: Perfection Required

Not only do celestial laws govern outcomes of a given thought, feeling, or action but ultimately Heavenly Father himself requires each of us to be perfect in our thoughts, feelings, and actions. No one can return to live with him without first meeting that standard.  Perfection in thoughts, feelings, and actions is the requirement. (Gen 17:1; 1Kgs 8:61; Ps.18:30; Matt 5:48; 3 Ne. 12:48; Col 4:12; 2 Tim 3:17; Heb 12:23; D&C 1:31)

5: Man is accountable to Heavenly Father

Man is accountable before Heavenly Father and His irrevocable laws (D&C 130:18-21; 82:10; Jer. 26:4; Mosiah 5:13; Alma 37:36-37). These laws determine the outcomes of his chosen thoughts, feelings, and actions. Choose wisely and growth, happiness and wisdom are a result. Choose unwisely and retraction, unhappiness and ignorance are a result. Because we cannot suspend entirely our thoughts, feelings, and actions we are always either moving closer of further from Heavenly Father at any given moment. There really is no grey area or standing still. (Matt 6:24; Alma 5:39-42)

4: Internal struggles impact us

In addition to outside agents that can influence us there is an internal struggle each of us face between the man of god and the natural man each of us is born with. The natural man’s influence is different for each of us but generally speaking the natural man is carnally minded, sensual/lustful, and prone to devilish vices. This internal conflict is often a major obstacle to maintaining good thoughts, feelings, and actions.  The man born of God at his core is prone to truth/light, pure love, and righteous actions/service.

3: Others influence our thoughts, feelings and actions

Man is not entirely alone in the thoughts, feelings, and actions he experiences in this life. Other agents both positive (John14:26; Hel 5:30, 46; D&C 85:6) and negative (Mosiah 3:6; 2 Nephi 28:22) can and do act upon him. Man can be acted upon for good or for ill. Sometimes man is acted upon for ill in spite of making good choices. In these cases man is still accountable for how he responds with his thoughts, feelings, and actions.

2: We have been given "Agency"

Man has been given agency or the ability to choose his thoughts, feelings, and actions. (2 Nephi 2:27; Deut. 11:26-28; 30:15-20; Joshua 24:14-15; 2 Nephi 2; Helaman 14:30-31; Moroni 7:15-19; D&C 58: 26-28; 101:78; Moses 4:3-4)

This would imply that there are both good thoughts, feelings ,and actions (Gen 3:5; 1 Kings 3:9; Ps. 34:14; Amos 5:14-15; Romans 12:9; 2 Thes. 2:17; Alma 5:40; Alma 41:14)  and bad thoughts, feelings, and actions (Gen 8:21; Ps. 141:4; Prov. 31:21; 16:27; Isa. 1:16; 59:7; Matt 6:23; 9:4; 15:19)  and that one could exercise his agency in choosing. Man is not capable of doing both at the same time. He must either be thinking good or bad thoughts. The same is true for feelings and actions.

1: Man is a combination of thoughts, feelings, and actions

As a missionary I had a great mission president who taught a number of wonderful principles to us. One of those was this basic idea. Man is a combination of thoughts (Proverbs 23:7; 2 Nephi 9:39; D&C 121:45), feelings (D&C 9:8), and actions (Prov 20:11; Alma 37:36; 2 Nephi 2:16; 10:32; Alma 12:31). Ultimately these three make up his being.

Think about yourself, are you not a combination of these three simple things? Is there a part of who you are that cannot be classified as a thought, feeling or action?

Not only do I believe that man is a combination of these three but they are inseparably connected to each other. Thoughts impact feelings and actions; so to do actions impact thoughts and feelings; and finally feelings can impact actions and thoughts.

Why This Blog

I decided to start this blog as a location to capture principles and doctrine related to our journey here on earth. As a Bishop I have found that some simple concepts explained well and practiced can make a big difference in overcoming a number of problems.