What is Your Birthright Worth?
Filed under: Becoming More Christlike, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Leading a Balanced Life, Obedience
The Old Testament tells of twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau was the oldest, and according to Jewish custom, was entitled to the birthright blessing. However, one day Esau came home very hungry to find Jacob had made pottage, which is a stew. He asked Jacob for some and Jacob agreed, but only if Esau would give him the birthright in exchange. Esau, not understanding the importance of the birthright, really wasn’t that interested in it. He cared more about his immediate physical needs than in God’s plan for him or in his eternal life. He happily sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, a term that has come to mean something worthless. Later, of course, when he matured and understood what he had given up, he was sorry he’d done so. The pleasure of the stew was long gone and he had nothing to show for it, while Jacob’s birthright had eternal blessings attached.
Prayer helps us prioritize.
While most of us find it silly that someone would sell his eternal blessings for stew, many of us sell off God’s blessings for things of even lesser importance than stew. Each time we choose to violate a commandment, we are choosing to sell our birthright.
Our birthright is to receive all of God’s promised blessings for our lives on earth and to have the life He hopes we will have. In eternity, our birthright is to return to God to live forever. When Jesus lived on the earth, He consistently warned people they must keep the commandments if they wished to be with God after their deaths.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (See Matthew 7:21.)
Each time we make a choice, we are prioritizing our values. If we decide to disobey a commandment, we’ve put that particular sin above the commandment in our priorities. We’ve decided the sin is worth more than the blessings associated with the commandment—in other words, we’ve sold our birthright for something that has only temporary benefit.
Mormons teach that we are expected to live a health code known as the Word of Wisdom. Sometimes a person will say, “I can’t believe God will keep me out of Heaven just because of a cup of coffee.” They are turning the problem around of course. What they should say is, “I can’t believe I’m willing to give up Heaven over a cup of coffee.” The same reasoning can be said of any sin we decide we value more than we value an eternity in God’s presence. When Jesus was on the earth, a young man asked Him how He could follow Jesus. Jesus reminded him of the commandments, but the man said he’d been doing all those things since he was a child. In response, Jesus offered Him another commandment: that of giving up all his worldly possessions. The man went away sadly. This he wasn’t willing to do. He preferred to sell his birthright for a fancy home or some other possessions. He had great possessions, and he had decided they were worth more to him than eternity.
Sometimes the mistaken priorities we set aren’t sins; they’re simply less important than the place we give them on our life scale. Many people put their careers or politics higher on their priority list than they do God. If being a Christian might damage their rise up the ladder to fame and fortune, they keep it a secret from those who know them. Some might decide they need the extra money they’ll earn working on Sunday more than they need the blessings that come from keeping the Sabbath Day holy. (We’re talking here about elective work, not essential work, or having no choice in the matter.)
When Jesus visited the home of Mary and Martha, Martha was terribly anxious about putting a good meal on the table for Jesus. It is without question important to give our best to Jesus, but when she complained about Mary, who was, instead of helping, letting Jesus teach her, Jesus helped Martha put her priorities in order. He gently told her that even though what Martha was doing was good, it was not the most important thing she could be doing at that moment. Jesus didn’t care about a fancy meal; He did care about teaching Mary and Martha the gospel. At another time, doing the housework might be the best use of Martha’s time, but at that particular moment, learning the gospel was the most important part. What was a feast at one time became a mere mess of pottage at this particular moment.
Take a few hours to look at how you plan and use your time. You’ll find that even though you are very busy, you always find time for the things you put first in your life. The challenge then is to make sure the first things go first. You have to be at work at a certain time and stay until a certain time, so although work may not be the most important thing in your world, it is the priority during that time. But do you really have to put in the many hours of overtime that keep you from your family or prevent you from doing God’s work? Do you need to earn as much money as you’re earning, or would it allow you to use your time in a more eternally important way if you turned down the next promotion or accepted less of the optional overtime?
What about your hobbies? There is nothing wrong with relaxing, but where do your hobbies fit into your priority scale? Is there a way to relax and to do something good at the same time? Could you develop a new hobby that also serves a purpose—perhaps gardening or teaching someone to read? What would happen if you decided to replace the morning newspaper with a half hour of scripture reading?
Each time we make a choice that puts something else over the teachings of God, or the priorities He wants you to have at this moment, we’re selling our birthright. Is what you’re getting worth what you’re giving up to get it?
Which gets your loyalty—pottage or eternity?
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Book of Mormon, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Gospel & Doctrine, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Judge of all Humanity, Mortal Ministry & Mission, Plan of Salvation, Premortal Life
When Jesus Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane, He embarked on one of the most powerful experiences in human history. As He took on our sins, He suffered extraordinary pain. It was an experience that was essential for our own salvation but also one essential for His own calling in life. By experiencing the pain of sin, He became able, despite having never sinned Himself, to completely understand what we go through when we sin. This makes Him uniquely qualified to be our Savior and judge. What we’ve experienced, He has also experienced. In this article, and the one that follows, we will explore the nature of the atonement and what it means for us personally.
The Atonement is Personal
Atonement is a gift of love. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, said, “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love, (2 Nephi 1:15) Doesn’t that scripture help you understand the extraordinary gift of atonement? Picturing ourselves encircled in the arms of Jesus’ love is what the atonement does for us, and it’s why the atonement was done at all. Read more
Are Mormons Allowed to Have Fun?
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Finding Happiness, Living the Gospel, Service Opportunities, Teens & Seminary, Youth Programs
Are Mormons allowed to have fun? Of course we are–but our concept of fun might take a little getting used to.
For Mormons, having fun includes serving
When I first became a Mormon, someone asked what I did for fun, since I didn’t drink, smoke, use drugs, or participate in a number of other activities common to college students. When I teasingly—but truthfully–told him I’d been on a hayride the night before, he stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. He didn’t think that sounded like fun, but it had been (and it was where I met my husband, making it even more fun in retrospect.) I became Mormon the last year of high school, and soon after starting to visit Mormon activities, I said to a friend, “I’ve figured out why Mormon teens don’t get into trouble. They don’t have time.” I was always busy with the Church’s many activities for teens, including dances, parties, sports, service projects, campouts, and canoe trips.. There was always something fun to do and something new to work on. Read more
The Gift of Wisdom
Filed under: Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Jesus Christ, Leading a Balanced Life
The New Testament apostle Paul complained to Timothy of people who were “ ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7.) Jesus lamented that the lawyers had taken away the key of knowledge (Luke 11:52.)
Wisdom comes from
Today, we see that many people confuse the concepts of education and wisdom. No matter how many years of schooling a person might have, there is no guarantee he will also have gained wisdom, or even truth, as Paul told Timothy. Read more
Spiritual Gift of Prophecy
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Blessings, Church Organization, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Jesus Christ, The Prophet
In 1 Corinthians 12:10, we learn that one spiritual gift God gives to some people is the gift of prophecy. A spiritual gift is given to people in order to do God’s work and to bless others, and must not be used for personal gain. The gift comes through the Holy Ghost to those who are worthy and obedient to God’s commandments.
Although the Mormon church is headed by a prophet, the gift of prophecy referred to here is not referring to that prophet. The office of the prophet is held by the president of the Mormons. Only one person holds that office, but many people can have the gift of prophecy. Read more
What is the Gift of Tongues?
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Gospel Principles, Practices & Precepts, Missionary Miracles, Today's Mission Field
In a previous article, we learned that God gives each of us at least one spiritual gift, to be used in doing God’s work and building the kingdom. They aren’t used for entertainment or personal non-spiritual gain. One gift God sometimes gives is the gift of tongues. The Articles of Faith, a list of thirteen core beliefs of Mormons, includes the following:
7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. (See Articles of Faith.) Read more
Improving Your Bible Study
Filed under: Bible, Finding Truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Scripture Study Techniques, The Bible
It is very important to read the Bible every day, but sometimes we can find ourselves in checklist mode—read the number of chapters on our to-do list efficiently, cross them off our list, and move on to the next item on the list. While this does ensure we will read the scriptures daily, it doesn’t really serve much purpose. Reading the Bible is a commandment because God wants us to learn more about Him, to ponder what is inside, and to apply the lessons to ourselves. They help us develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and to build our testimony. Read more
Mormons Announce New Solar Powered Chapel
Filed under: Bible, Premortal Life, The Creation, The Prophet
On April 27, 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, introduced its first solar-powered chapel, located in Farmington, Utah. “It’s about creating a place of worship that works in harmony with the environment. For decades we have looked for innovative ways to use natural resources in our meetinghouses that reflect our commitment as wise stewards of God’s creations.” Said H. David Burton Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the press conference. The new building is one of five pilot buildings designed to meet LEED certification standards. Read more
What is the Mormon General Conference?
General Conference is the name of a meeting held in Salt Lake City, Utah for all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often known as Mormons. Held twice a year, in April and October, it is an opportunity for people world-wide to hear from Mormon leaders. The meeting is broadcast over television, radio, satellite, and Internet, so anyone is welcome to watch the weekend-long proceedings, or to watch or read the proceedings later on the Internet. Read more
Moral Courage
Filed under: Becoming More Christlike, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Jesus Christ, Leading a Balanced Life, Obedience
One of the purposes of mortal life is to prove to God that we will keep His commandments when that takes courage (Henry B. Eyring, “Moral Courage,” Liahona, Mar 2010, 4–7).
An important aspect of Mormon beliefs is that one purpose of our life on earth is to be tested. Passing the test requires moral courage, because if it were easy, the test would be meaningless. Read more