Godly Gifts

There were few that were hoping for the Mayan apocalypse to take place than me, unfortunately, I survived and now I stand before you today.

"As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ over two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice.  None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon this earth."

As we approach the Christmas holiday this week, we are often reminded of the corporate definition of our Lord Jesus Christ's birthday celebration:  a temporally driven gift-a-thon promising the newest, fastest, and brightest technologies and toys, whose limits are dictated only by the depths of one's pocketbook, the maximum line of credit allowable, or the closing up of shops on Christmas Eve signaling the end of the holiday spending season.  We must ask ourselves however, of the nearly $36 billion dollars that will be spent this holiday season, how much of this truly reminds us of our Savior, and how much of this do we acknowledge to be given by Him?  Were we to be brought to stand at His feet, would we be able to recognize the gifts that He has already given to us?

The prophet Isaiah gives us the Lord's counsel which we read first in Isaiah 55:2:

"Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

And again from the Prophet Nephi in 2nd Nephi 9:51

"Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness."

Though it is certainly not a problem to share gifts with others and to enjoy the spirit that the holiday season brings into our homes, we must first consider the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts, recognize the blessings with which we are blessed, and then consider the depth at which we participate in the gift giving to others.  My message today focuses on the many gifts that we have already been given by the Savior, both as a result of His coming and as a result of His bounteous blessings  in our daily lives.  I invite you to allow the spirit to teach us as we explore the many areas in which we are blessed.

The Gift of the Gospel

Throughout the holiday season, we often turn to the scriptures and read various parts of the Christmas story, from the announcement of his birth to Joseph, to the tribulations of the wearied Mary as she sought respite from the long travels of the day, to the pronouncement of the Savior's First Coming to the many peoples of the world. 

Of the many significant accounts and stories that are shared of the Lord's coming in the scriptures, among the most significant is that of the account in Luke 2:9-11 where we read:

"9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

This is an account with which most of us familiar with, but we are offered additional insight into this as we consider the definition for the word "gospel" provided to us in the Bible Dictionary which tells us that word gospel means "good news."  As we consider the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew translations for this, we realize that the two are interchangeable.  Thus, while the shepherds in the fields marveled the heavenly messengers announcing the birth of the Son of God, it is likely that they did not fully recognize the true meaning of the angel's announcement to them, for it was not just that the Christ child was born but that he had brought with Him to the earth the fullness of the gospel!

This is also alluded to in the Doctrine and Covenants in the 128th section, in the 19th verse where we read:

19 Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!

Further, the true significance of the Savior's birth and his gift to man is somewhat lost to many modern scholars because of the English language translation of the bible.  In both Matthew 1:21 and Luke 2:21 we read that the name of the Savior was to be Jesus, however, the original Greek indicates that the true name of the Savior is Yeshua, or in other words, Joshua mean "salvation of man" in the Greek form.  Thus either of the scriptures is to be read "And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name 'salvation of man' for he shall save his people from their sins."

These two examples show us the great importance of the birth of the Savior.  What greater gift has he bestowed upon us than the gift of the gospel?  What greater gift can we share with our friends and family than the Savior's most precious to the world?  Let us first consider this the most important gift of this Christmas season!

Spiritual Gifts

As we further explore the topic of godly gifts, we must turn our search to the many revealed to us through modern revelation to the Prophet Joseph.  In the 46th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are given the following counsel:

"8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

 9 For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.

 10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church.

 11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

 12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby."

Starting in the 13th verse, the Lord provides a list of some of the many gifts bestowed upon individuals of the Church such as:

"To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.

to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

 to know the differences of administration,

to know the diversities of operations,

the word of wisdom.

word of knowledge

to have faith to be healed;

to have faith to heal.

the working of miracles;

to prophesy;

the discerning of spirits.

to speak with tongues;

the interpretation of tongues.

And unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts lest there shall be any among you professing and yet be not of God."

While it is not necessarily apparent what gifts each individual bestows, it is up to each one of us to discover the talents and gifts that lie deep within each of us.  How blessed we are with this holiday season to be reminded of the many spiritual gifts available to us from our Savior and for the moments we have each Sabbath Day that we have to commune with our Savior and further strengthen our Spirits!

The Gift of Music

Perhaps the most favorite gift of mine is the gift of music and the part that it plays in both the Church and in my life personally.

My wife Alexa told me a story sometime after we began dating that is summarized as follows:

Growing up, Alexa and her family were in charge of the audio/visual duties for their stake in Washington, which included all broadcasts of General Conference.  As a part of this, this included Priesthood Session, which Alexa often had the chance to view.  In April 2009, prior to her transfer to BYU-Idaho the following fall, Alexa and her mother were viewing the Priesthood Session in the High Council room of her Stake Center, when it was announced that the music would be provided by a combined Priesthood Choir from BYU-Idaho.  Her mother jokingly  commented that she should find one of the young men in the choir to date and possibly marry someday.  Little did Alexa's mother realize that the joke was on her:  there standing in the front row of that choir near the Conference Center organ stood the man that would become future husband!

Music has been such a wonderful gift in my life, and it is the very reason that I treat music the way that I do.  I sat down and figured out one day that I have played, led, or sung (in some special form) the music in over 2000 Church meetings or events.  Now, this may come as a surprise to many of you, but I now present an even bigger surprise that very few people know:  1) I have never had professional training on the piano, organ, or in leading the music.  2) I am nearly 70% deaf in my right ear, and 40% deaf in my left ear.

When I was just past 11 years old, I decided that I was tired of playing the piano by ear and memorization.  To that point, I had only ever had musical training in beginning band while learning how to play the saxophone.  I determined at that time that the best way to learn was to pull out a hymn book, write the note names along the left of the staff, and begin memorizing what notes went to which places on the keyboard, much like one would learn typing.  Through several painful renditions of The Spirit of God and How Great Thou Art, I eventually apparently learned enough that I was called as a Priesthood Pianist at the tender age of 12 and a half.  I continued to learn and train and observe my father during the many times that he played the piano and the organ.  As I approached 16 years of age, my father's job with the military put him on the road a lot, and an absence of available organists in the Beavercreek ward forced me to make a few baptism by fire appearances as the organist, which led me to being called as their Ward Organist at only 16 and a half.

I had always been taught the basics of leading the music from my father, but often found myself watching intently during General Conferences, as Brother Craig Jessop, then the conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir led them, and as I discreetly imitated his movements.  (To this day, he would be the number one person that I would love to meet!)  When in High School I sought to become the drum major of my marching band two years running.  After the second year, my band director pulled me aside and told me that he didn't think that I had the talent or skill to ever become the director of any musical group, much less a large one.  Let's just say that being the Ward Chorister and serving as BYU-Idaho's longest tenured director of Stadium Singing for over four years in two different languages probably proves him just a little wrong.

In all of this, many have asked why I never pursued a music major in college and / or have not put out any kind of albums or done concerts, and I always give them this reason:  because what I have is a gift, and I've always been afraid that if I did that it would be something that the Lord would withdraw from me.  I am not suggesting that anyone with the gift and talent for music shouldn't share it, but for me personally, I've found it to be such a special and sacred gift that I should share it only in a certain way.  Additionally, because of my hearing difficulties, music for me has become somewhat of a journal because it is the only way that I can normally interact with the hearing world.

It is especially around the Christmas season though that I am reminded of this wonderful gift and how grateful I am to have it as a part of my life!  I cannot imagine where my life would be without it!

I am truly grateful for the Christmas holiday, because it not only allows me to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and the gospel and Atonement that he has brought to the world, but for the reminder of the many gifts that he has already given each of us.  With the number of gifts that we already have, it makes it easier to appreciate the small temporal things that we find under the tree each year that much more.  May we find it all in our hearts to seek out the many gifts bestowed upon each of us, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Examples of Righteousness

Some years ago in the Priesthood Session of General Conference, President Monson recounted a story where he was being watched by a young boy during a Stake Conference that he was attending.  He explained that every action he took was imitated by that young boy in the first row, up to the point where he wiggled his ears at which point the young boy acknowledged defeat.  Though I do not propose to stand here and wiggle my own ears, I do wish to examine some the same principles presented in that talk by President Monson.  My message today focuses on our need to be "Examples of Righteousness."   As we examine this topic, I invite you to consider three key principles that will allow us to become better living examples to our fellow men: 1) The commandment to be a righteous example 2) our examples as a teaching tool and 3) Being identified through our examples

The Commandment to be a Righteous Example

As Latter-Day Saints, we are taught from a young age the importance of being an example and living righteously.  Each week the Young Women of the Church stand and recite their theme which is a constant reminder of the need to "stand as witnesses of God in all times and in all things and in all places."  Similarly, Young Men of the Church are frequently reminded of their need to be worthy holders (and bearers) of the Priesthood every time they assist in officiating a Priesthood ordinance, perform a Priesthood duty, or even put on their Scout shirts on mutual nights.  The design of the Young Women’s Theme and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood are not merely to serve as rote recitation or recall but to remind us of commandments that already exist and were taken upon us when we joined the Church.

While I was at BYU-Idaho, I had the opportunity to take classes in Biblical Hebrew.  One day, while studying Deuteronomy, we came across a passage that reads:

 לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂא אֶת־שְׁמֹו לַשָּׁוְא׃ ס ( "lo tis-sa 'et sem Yah-weh e-lo-he-ka las-saw ki lo ye-naq-qeh Yah-weh 'et 'a-ser yis-sa et se-mow las-saw."  To the untrained ear, this sounds like a lot of gibberish and has little to do with a sacrament talk, but it is actually the 11th verse of chapter 5 which we read in our King James Translation as "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain"  The interesting thing about this verse however is that the original Hebrew manuscript does not use the verb form for the word "to take" but more appropriately the word  תִשָּׂ֛א  "tis-sa" stems from the Hebrew verb נָשָׂא  "nah-sah" meaning "to bear."   When we look at the verse in this light, we realize that we are commanded not to "bear the name of the Lord vain..." which instills in us a greater since of duty and privilege.  When we consider this commandment along with the first two commandments that instruct us to have no other gods before the face of the Lord and to never serve or idolize those things which falsely represent the Lord, we come to a greater understanding of our responsibilities as members of the Church.

Our understanding of this principle is further expanded when we examine the words of the prophet Alma in the 18^th Chapter of Mosiah, specifically verses 8, 9 and 22 where we read:

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

22 And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the children of God.

When we examine these scriptures together, along with the commandment to bear the Lord’s name righteously, we receive a powerful witness concerning our duties as living examples in the Lord’s Church.  It is not enough for us to simply assist others with their burdens, but rather, according to those covenants we made at baptism we take upon ourselves that duty to assist others in making those burdens light.  We may take this understanding to a more celestial level when we consider that the reference to light throughout the scriptures often refers to the Light of Christ that is given to every man, which is also what we radiate when we become righteous examples of the Savior.

Additionally, in the Lord’s counsel directed to Joseph Smith and all members of the Priesthood in the 121^st Section of the Doctrine and Covenants provides us with a stern and clear reminder that it only through our righteous examples that the work of the Lord may be accomplished.  We read:

34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

 35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the donors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

 36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

 37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

 41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

 46 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.

This scriptural account reminds us that our ability to lead and govern our families and those organizations which we lead shall be everlasting if we enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost and lead by example, rather than through the compulsion of other means.

Our Examples as a Teaching Tool

As we embrace the commandment to be living examples of the Savior, we become more fully aware of our capabilities as teachers through our righteous examples.  The Irish author Edmund Burke once sad that “Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other.”

The most effective teachers and by extension, examples,  in the Church are not necessarily the ones that receive the most credit nor the ones that are sustained in front of their congregation, but are the ones that sit at the head of every home within the Stakes of Zion.  They are the mothers and fathers that guide each family and provide the examples that will pass on to the next generation.

Our cannon of scriptures are replete with instances of various individuals and their examples teaching their fellow men, most notably those of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Few however, are plainer in thanking their parents then the example provided in Alma of the Strippling Warriors.

As you may recall, the Stripling Warriors were a group of very young men that entered into battle under the command of Helaman.  We read from the account in Chapters 56 and 57:

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.

The examples shown to each of these young men by their mothers and fathers is evident in these verses.  It was clearly in their homes where they were taught the principles of faith, obedience, liberty, and instilled with a firm testimony of their God.  Their recognition of their duties and allegiance to God were paramount to their success as warriors and future leaders of their own families.

More recently, the need to be effective teachers through our examples has been reaffirmed through the issuance of the Family Proclamation issued by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency.  It states:

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

Our most effective means of teaching children are through how we treat our spouses and each other.  The responsibility that each of us bear as current and future fathers and mothers to be righteous examples is vital to the success of the Lord’s kingdom among future generations.

President Monson has also taught about the great value of Sunday School teachers in being effective examples as teachers to children.  He has spoken on many occasions in General Conference of his fondness for a particular Sunday School teacher while in his youth, Sister Lucy Gertsch.  He recounts: “The years have flown. The old chapel is gone, a victim of industrialization. The boys and girls who learned, who laughed, who grew under the direction of that inspired teacher of truth have never forgotten her love or her lessons. Her personal influence for good was contagious.”

Whether we have our own children or have the opportunity to teach others’, we must fully recognize our great privilege and duty to be effective teachers through our examples

Being Identified Through Our Examples

Over the last several months I have had the opportunity to study and receive a certification that is both required for my job and is very useful to have in my line of work.  Of the many topics I covered, one major component of this exam was to fully understand the principle of multi-factor authentication.  This principle states that when authenticating to a security system, one’s identity may be established by a combination of three factors which are:  who you are, what you have, and what you know.

As I initially pondered the topic of being a living example, my mind was brought to the recollection of this principle.  Likewise, our ability to be recognized as examples of the Savior is also dependent on who we are, what we have, and what we know.  Our successes as examples to others, as teachers, as missionaries, and as heirs of eternal life are defined by our ability to present the authenticity of our testimonies of Christ and as representatives of His Church.

Few of us, if any, would participate in any action that would bring shame to our own family names.  Many of us bear our surnames as a banner that should not be tarnished nor ridiculed, and would willingly defend that name to the end if so required.  Yet, how many of us regularly consider the actions of our daily lives and how they relate to the name of Christ which we bear as members and representatives of the Church?  Do we protect our title as Children of God from tarnish and ridicule?  Are we willing to defend this name at all costs?

There are many within the world today that will propose to be men of God or examples of righteousness that we should follow.  There are fewer however, that are able to show that witness unto others, to share testimony, or to impart the Spirit into someone’s lives.  The Savior warned us of such individuals when he taught the Nephites following his crucifixion and subsequent visit to the Americas after his resurrection.  In 3^rd Nephi the Savior declares:

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 20 Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.

It is only by the fruits of any individual that one may truly come to know them.  Thus, there will be many that will invite us to follow in their footsteps, but outwardly show forth evil fruit that warns us that they are not living examples to follow.  All around us are the examples of pride, fame, glory, riches, and other worldly pursuits that are not only poor examples by which to pattern our lives after, but are examples which if followed present a danger to each individual from claiming their full eternal inheritance.

While each of us strive to be living examples, we cannot reach our full potential until we first come to a knowledge of our Savior, his teachings, and the doctrines of the Church.  In speaking through the Prophet Joseph, to his brother Hyrum, the Lord counseled:

20 Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength.

 21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.

The effectiveness of our daily scripture study and prayers, our weekly Family Home Evenings and Church attendance, and our monthly fasts and donations, will have little impact upon our lives if we are not first striving to obtain the word of the Lord, and keep his commandments with full purpose of heart.

As we strive to become better living examples, let us remember the name whom each of us bear in our hearts, that of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Let us seek to be stalwart parents, teachers, and members of the Church in showing a righteous example to our children and those around us.  May we continue to ever seek the word and will of the Lord, and to pattern our lives according to His counsel through our anointed Church leaders, called at His hand, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Government Agency

For those that expect to read a post about a politically extreme viewpoint I don't apologize, I rather suggest that you look elsewhere. Those of you familiar with my words know that you can expect some kind of interesting twist to the topic which may be perceived by the title I have placed at the top of this post. Even my best friend in the whole world doesn't even know what is coming with this post.

As I was recently studying a favorite Scripture Mastery scripture I was recently brought to the awareness of my own lack of understanding or comprehension of this entire verse. It is one that I know is oft repeated throughout much of the Church, but one that I feel that perhaps lacks the full recognizance necessary to properly promote the doctrines contained with in. If you open your sticks to 2 Nephi, Chapter 2, verse 27 you read:

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

Now, I bring your attention not to the heart of the verse that we most frequently focus on, but to the first two phrases of the verse which state that "men are free according to the flesh" and "all things are given them which are expedient unto men." How many of us have focused on the importance of these two phrases before, much less the footnotes attached to a couple of the words in these phrases? I'm guessing...probably very few of us.

When we cross-reference the footnote from the word "free" we are directed to Helaman 14:29-30:

29. And this to the intent that whosoever will believe might be saved and that whosoever will not believe, a righteous judgment might come upon them; and also if they are condemned they bring upon themselves their own condemnation.
30. And now remember, remember my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselfs; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

Completely clear right? Okay...so maybe not exactly. When it suggests in this verse that we are free according to the flesh, maybe we can lengthen this and suggest that we are free according to the knowledge that we are given and according to the agency that we exercise amongst ourselves. This scripture also tells us that in essence - we have no one else to blame but ourselves for what we do. Yes, there are punishments affixed from God for what we do, but they are just that - affixed. This is to say that he doesn't mette out punishment subjectively or upon whom he wishes. Rather, he simply assigns that punishment to the crime and allows the great intercession of the Atonement to take place and apply mercy accordingly.

Now, what kind of a teacher would I be if I went through all of the footnotes provided and explained the interpretation for each and every one of them? I'll give you a hint - not a good one. Suffice it to say though, I will provide my summarization following:

When our Father tells us that something is expedient unto men - he is suggesting that it is good, sufficient, and for their well-being. Thus, for all things to be given to us - it suggests that he has given us the resources necessary for us to act for ourselves according to the sphere in which we reside. These resources include talents, leaders, scriptures, the Spirit, prophets, and a plethora of other beneficial aspects of life that are designed to allow us the most agency possible.

I believe that too often we become the figuratively lazy teenagers that make a half-hearted attempted at overcoming our problems and trials and then call for help in some way. While there is nothing wrong with asking for a little assistance here and there, we do have to recognize that we are literally agents unto ourselves and that we need to act accordingly, rather than react or be acted upon. When we place our burdens upon the Lord so often that we feel to be compelled in all things, we not only surrender that agency to ourselves, but we make light of and negate the talents and dominions which the Lord has bestowed upon us.

What exactly does it mean to be an agent? It means that we are held accountable to ourselves for all things that we do according to our knowledge. Thus you might say that the punishment fits the crime and the blessings are according to our faith and works. We can't expect to escape punishment for our shortfalls if we have had reason to act accordingly and chose not to. Thus, this fulfills the mandate that men are free according to the flesh.

Now, this is all well and good to be agents unto ourselves, but there is a twist. Should we use the agency given us in a self-destructive manner which allows the presence of Satan to become a dominant force in our lives, we lose our ability to be agents unto ourselves - either because the flesh has given itself slave to a more powerful and controlling force, or because we simply cannot obtain the guidance of the Spirit because it has been wronged. As such, our failure to do things the way that the Lord has provided leaves us on our own and as many scriptures suggest "left unto ourselves."

As we turn our lives more fully to the Savior we will find that our knowledge will continually increase and that we will have more dominion over ourselves and our choices. Let us all find ways that we can reapply ourselves to the Lord's plan and find the agency within ourselves that has been promised to us and guaranteed through the atoning blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.