Prove It!

Degrees, certifications, honorary titles and verifications of that nature help us know who we can trust and who we cannot. For example, when I choose a doctor, I make sure he or she has a degree in medicine. I also ask family and friends who have gone to that doctor if they would recommend him/her. I don’t want to be examined and then prescribed medicine, behavioral changes, or surgical procedures by someone who is not well trained and experienced in the medical field as well as having a talent for bedside manner.

But sometimes the system which both trains and bestows degrees can be corrupted. Such was the case during Jesus’ time. The certified Jewish leadership who were supposed to be Holy men of God leading His people in His name had gone astray. They were blinding the people’s eyes to the pure principles of His Gospel. 

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.” ~Matthew 23:2-7

Sign by the River Jordan where John baptized

“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” ~Luke 11:52

“Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.
And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?” ~Luke 20:9-15

Because of the unreliable nature of man and groups of men, God does not fully rely on the certifications given to men of other men as primary validators. He has set up his own system. I talked about it in the Introduction post to this blog. It is the verification of the Holy Ghost. It testifies of truth. The presence of the Holy Ghost enables us to know who to trust and who not to. It enables us to know which statements and prescribed ways of living are true and which ones are not. But in order to wield this sword, our hearts need to be pure. We need to be true seekers of truth. We can’t seek it or use it in Pride and Envy.

Listen:  Will He Really Answer Me? ~Joy Gardner

Frederic W. Farrar's comments on how he envisioned Nathaniel's experience with having received personal revelation in The Life of Christ (pg 139):
"At such moments we are nearer to God; we seem to know Him and be known of Him...That such solitary musings--such penetrating, even in this life, 'behind the vail'--such raptures into the third heaven during which the soul strives to transcend the limitations of space and time while it communes, face to face, with the Eternal and the Unseen--such sudden kindling of celestial lightning which seem to have fused all that is meanest and basest within us in an instant and for ever--that these supreme crises among the recorded experiences of the Christian life, rests upon indisputable evidence of testimony and of fact.  And if any one of my readers has ever known this spasm of divine change which annihilates the old and in the same moment creates or re-creates a new-born soul, such a one, at least, will understand the thrill of electric sympathy, the arrow-point of intense conviction, that shot that very instant through the heart of Nathanael, and brought him, as it were, at once upon his knees with the exclamation, 'Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel!'"

Jesus was deliberately placed on earth in life conditions that were not traditional validators of power, authority, or success. He was born in a stable. He grew up in a remote village. He was a "blue-collar" worker. People from that town were looked down upon by the upper ruling classes of Jerusalem. Even the people in his town couldn’t see past the carpenter’s son.

“And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.” ~Luke 4:22-24

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” ~Mark 6:3

“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” ~John 1:46

"For a time they listened to him in awe-struck silence; but soon the old scruples recurred to them. 'He is no authorized Rabbi; He belongs to no recognized school; neither the followers of Hillel nor those of Shammai claim him; He is a Nazarene; He was trained in the shop of the Galilean carpenter...' As though the few who are taught of God--whose learning is the learning of a pure heart and an enlightened eye and a blameless life [or repentant life]--did not unspeakably transcend in wisdom, and therefore also in the best and truest knowledge, those whose learning has but come from other men!" ~Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ (pg 399)

And to top it all off, his life ended in crucifixion, a seeming tragedy and supposed proof that his prescribed doctrine would lead any man to the same final demise. He only showed his resurrected body to the faithful. The happily-ever-after ending to his story that he came to exemplify took place in another kingdom that was not of this world. Success in Christ can only be obtained by faith in the existence of this other kingdom in the face of apparent temporal adversity and failure.

“Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” ~Matthew 27:41-43

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” ~John 18:36

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” ~John 15:18-20

“Jesus, once of humble birth,
Now in glory comes to earth.
Once he suffered grief and pain;
Now he comes on earth to reign.”
~Jesus, Once of Humble Birth by Parley P. Pratt

Jesus went to the scriptures and straight to God for his education. He was taught by his Father in Heaven. In this way, he was able to receive pure truth, instead of the convoluted, adulterated, perverted version that existed among men during that time period. His mission was to restore the pure truth that God prescribed for his Children so that they could see and walk the straight and narrow pathway to obtain Sustainable Joy in their relationships. He needed to illuminate that pathway that had been obscured by deviant men.

“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” ~Luke 2:40

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” ~Luke 2:52

“And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.” Matthew 3:25 JST

“And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” ~John 7:15-16

But deviant men certified by other deviant men didn’t want the pathway illuminated. They criticized, disregarded, and persecuted him. Yet, he just kept on steadfastly walking, healing, teaching, loving, illuminating. His mission was not to rely on the worldly honors of men as the proof of his Messiahship. He didn’t want his Children to only believe because everyone else did. He still doesn’t want us—his Children—to follow the crowd or determine truth by the evidence of fame, wealth, worldly success, and popularity. The crowd that we belong to may indeed be following a true leadership who stand for Christ. They may be a prosperous society. Their testimonies will assist us in developing our faith. But if we rely on the popularity-wealth measures for verification, our faith will not be sustained when the going gets tough.

Relying solely on the testimonies of others will not help us to become like our Savior and our Heavenly Father. It will not help us understand why God is God. It will not help us know why we should follow certain people but not others. When we are required to assess truth by faith, two measures rise to the surface of importance. The first is: Does this prescribed doctrine return Sustainable Results in my relationships with others—with God, with my spouse, with my family, with my community, and with the earth? We can reasonably evaluate the answer to that question by putting the prescribed doctrine to the test. We do that first in our minds and on paper. We write it out, ponder it to view it as best we can, making hypotheses and drawing possible conclusions. If it passes that test, we can put it into action. This is using our noggin. It’s using the intelligence and knowledge we have been given.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:"  ~Isaiah 1:18

“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong;” ~D&C 9:8-9

"Sometimes we can learn, study, and know, and sometimes we have to believe, trust, and hope." ~Elder M. Russell Ballard

The second measure of truth is used simultaneously with the first:  When we ponder and then put this prescribed doctrine into action, we assess how we are feeling. Do we feel Joy? Do we feel Peace in our hearts confirming it’s truth? Are we motivated to go out and put it to the test, to continue in it, and to share it with others? Does it cause a Desire to uplift others to arise in our hearts? (#Charity) Does it make us feel good about ourselves, even if it requires our personal correction?

“The Lord taught us that when we are truly converted to His gospel, our hearts will be turned from selfish concerns and turned toward service to lift others as they move upward to eternal life. To obtain that conversion, we can pray and work in faith to become the new creature made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” ~President Henry B. Eyring

Or when we implement the prescribed doctrine into our system of values, do we want to criticize and hurt other people or ourselves? Measuring truth like this is exercising our Faith. Joy is of God. We cannot obtain it sustainably in any other way. We may be able to obtain pseudo pleasure and adulterated excitement but those feelings always end in Sorrow. If the prescribed doctrine we are hearing is not truth and if we are not implementing truth into our lives we can’t obtain Joy. That is why this is such a reliable source of validation.

We will feel his Peace when we hear his Word:  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~John 14:27

We will feel his delight when we obey his word:  “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” ~1 Samuel 15:22

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” ~John 7:17

From what I can see, the intent of Jesus Christ was to provide real love, real healing, real help for his Children and then to teach them how to keep these things sustainable through his prescribed doctrine.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~John 8:32

If the people of Jesus' time were looking to wealth, power, dominance, status, or worldly degrees for verification, they would miss their Savior entirely. In fact, he taught that wealth, power, dominance, status, and degrees were all supposed to be used as tools to facilitate temporal forms of love, healing, and help for others, not to become the object of our Desires themselves.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” ~Matthew 6:33

“But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.” ~2 Nephi 9:29

If they put this doctrine to the test, they would have PROOF that it was true. His challenge to them and to us is to walk by faith. Those who have ears to hear can clearly identify the pathway that leads to Sustainable Results, including Sustainable Joy. Thus we are really the ones who are challenged to "Prove it!" Our ears, our faith. Are we able to identify truth when we hear it? Do we keep ourselves clean so we can? Do we keep our motives pure so that we can discern what is true and what is false, regardless of who is saying it? Would we recognize Jesus as our Savior if we had lived in his day? Or would we have disregarded him because of his lack of worldly degrees, certifications, and honorary titles? Whether or not we develop the skill to identify the pathway to obtain Sustainable Joy is dependent upon our answer to those questions. And in pondering these questions and their answers, we shouldn't be blaming or shaming others or ourselves. The goal is not to one-up or put down. It's not about Pride and Envy. It's about identifying TRUTH--the pathway we need to take to obtain Sustainable Joy in our relationships with others.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” ~Mark 4:9

Introduction

For a Christmas gift to our Savior this year I’ve decided to start this blog.  I want to highlight and then comment on various events of his life and his teachings.  My desire is to testify of Jesus Christ.  I want to write about who I think he is and how coming to know him like this has been my saving grace.  Elder James E. Faust wrote a song called “This Is the Christ”  One verse says, “With saints of old, I too can testify, this is the Christ.”  And so with this blog I echo those words.

Opposite Toby Keith, "I wanna talk about You You You You!"
Over the past eleven years as I’ve studied Jesus’ life, gospel, and atonement I have learned so many amazingly beautiful things about him. I’ve shared some of them in my other blogs and videos. And I’ve been striving to implement them in my life.  Despite the fact that it has been no easy task, it has brought me so much Joy. I love talking about him! I love focusing on him and describing him. When I do, I see him more clearly.

I’ve read a few biographies on Jesus Christ. These mainly comment on his life as is recorded in the four gospels in the New Testament.

“Jesus the Christ” by James E. Talmage

“The Mortal Messiah:  from Bethlehem to Calvary: Book 4” by Bruce R. McConkie

Some biographers, in addition to commenting on the New Testament, bring in other biographies, documents, archaeological discoveries, and unauthenticated accounts to evaluate the possibilities.  

“The Life of Christ” by Frederic W. Farrar

“The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” by Alfred Edershiem

“Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts” by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed

“Jesus And His Times” by Reader’s Digest

When I read these accounts, I sometimes agreed with their description of Him and sometimes I didn’t.  Yet their attempts to describe him have enabled the Spirit to communicate to me what was accurate. So it hasn’t even mattered to me if they were off a little here or there.  The fact that they were considering a specific characteristic about him or a specific event enabled me to consider it independently with the aid of the Holy Ghost to ascertain the truth.  That’s why I value each one of these authors.  I love it that they have stood up and shared their opinion of him.  In that way I can more clearly see who Christ is and who the authors are.

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." ~2 Nephi 28:31

I hope that all who read my comments will do the same thing.  Put them to the Holy Ghost test.  It’s possible that sometimes I may not be completely accurate when I describe our Savior, even though my goal is to see him for who he really is. It is true that my perspective continues to be revised in some ways as I progress along my life journey.  Some of what I saw in him a few years ago has undergone some alterations.  But there are some characteristics  that have not changed at all.  

Evidence
Because the Holy Ghost bears witness of truth, it is the main source of evidence for what I write.  The more closely we are in tune with it, the better we can discern whether what anyone says about Jesus Christ is accurate or not.  I will use scriptures and quotes from the prophets that will serve as further evidence, as I have done in my other writings.  They verify that I’m not the only person who has seen him like this or who has understood his words to mean what I believe they mean.  There are foundational witnesses in the scriptures and the prophets.  

I also plan on using examples of other people who have developed Christ-like characteristics and have put them into action without any intent to “be seen of men.”  Yet I do see them and they are beautiful!

Witnesses of Truth
I love Jesus Christ. I love the scriptures and have been attempting to summarize what they are saying for many years. I’ve been looking for a way to describe the core structure of truth they are all describing or witnessing. That is, I’ve been looking for Christ in them. All scriptures and all the talks given by the prophets are describing this truth. But I have noticed they are repeating themselves.  They are all saying the same thing using different words, perspectives, metaphors, and experiences.  I’m still working on boiling it all down to its essence. But it is my total delight to match up what is said in the New Testament with what is said in the Old Testament or in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, or Pearl of Great Price. And the cool thing about it is that much of what other people are saying, singing, painting, creating also matches up! People from all ages all over the world and in so many different religions are echoing this truth. And that’s not all! The physics principles of the human body, the earth, and the universe all testify of Christ! It is so beautiful! It is one of my goals for this blog to bring all these witnesses together to praise Him and them at the same time. 

“But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” ~Alma 30:44

“And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.” ~Moses 6:63

“… for [Isaiah] verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.” ~2 Nephew 11:2-3

Listen:  He Reigns by Newsboys

Note on the Capital H
In all my writings I do not consistently use a capital H for the pronouns that refer to Christ.  Since I refer to him so often, that would be totally obnoxious.  At least that’s how it makes me feel.  Occasionally I’ll use the capital H for emphasis and clarity but usually I’ll use the lower case.  However, I do use capital letters for words such as Joy, Desire, Cause, Process, Effect, Result, and Conflict.  Those are words I have chosen to represent the meanings that are part of the core structure of truth—His core structure.  I’ve noticed that everyone is using those words or their synonyms to describe the truth they are seeing.

So as I give the facts, and my opinion, and my own adoration (I’ll try to keep it down), my goal is actually to picture Him reading what I’m saying about him.  I want him to see that I am talking about him out loud and to hear what I think of him.  In essence I want to be "guilty by association."  I’m hoping he’ll correct me as I go so I can get a better view of him.

My Story:  Writer-Curator of Jesus Christ
I’m thankful to have been helped to and through college by my grandmother, who enabled me to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish Teaching.  I later obtained an additional year of college towards a degree in Health Science.  My educational training sharpened my intellect and prepared me to study and write about whatever subject attracted me the most.  It taught me how to research and summarize my findings. It also gave me various examples, which I have subsequently been able to use as evidence of core truths I’m trying to explain.  My religious education has been equally, if not more valuable as it has taught me how to develop my relationship with God so that I can talk to him personally in prayer and hear his answers (see blog post The Voice Inside My Head).

About 17 years ago when I started learning how to write stories, I wrote a historical fiction story about Jesus Christ but it was rejected by publishers.  I wrote another fiction story but didn’t get very far in the publishing world with that either.  I read lots of books about ‘how to write.’ I went to writer's conferences. I participated in a writer's group. I practiced, practiced, practiced. All of this was to train me to become a writer. But I still couldn’t accomplish my goal. The criticism was too harsh. The training was ineffective.  Constructive positive reinforcement was lacking. No matter how hard I tried, it wasn’t good enough. I got to the point where I swore I would never write again. But that just made me feel like someone close to me had died. I realized I couldn’t disembark from this journey. I couldn’t quit. I had to find a way to accomplish this goal.

I finally turned my entire self to the Lord for help.  I asked him to help me understand what the structure of story was.  Somehow I knew that was the tool I needed to “build the ship.”

“And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?” ~1 Nephi 17:9

And that’s what He did.  He taught me the structure of story, which turns out to be the same thing as the core structure of truth, which turns out to be the same thing as Himself—the core structure of Jesus Christ. This journey has been the greatest Joy of my life!

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” ~John 14:6

"He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." ~D&C 93:28

Somewhere along the way, I changed the direction of my writing.  I was given a choice to make.  I could either write the historical fiction novel I had originally set out to do or I could continue researching the structure of story.  I chose the longer of the two journeys—the structure of story.  So I write about our Redeemer's story.  But I don’t focus on the timeline of events and how they all fit together or waste my time trying to prove that he really existed and was really the Son of God or that his miracles really happened.  That’s a given for me and I have no interest in entering into that argument. I focus on who he is Presently and Infinitely. I focus on the Living God and the Living Man.

"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment." ~Moses 6:61

The Word
Whether I use his name or some of those core-structure-truth words, every post, every video, every question in the Servant Program is about him.  

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ~John 1:1

And since his whole focus is on us—his Children, everything I have written is about his relationship with us.  

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." ~Isaiah 49:16

He wants to know what our Desire is.  

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" ~Matthew 7:7

He wants us to use our agency to choose him as our Cause, and to stay allegiant to him even when the going gets tough.  

"...choose you this day whom ye will serve..." ~Joshua 24:15

He wants to help us with our journey.  He knows each one of us and the pathway we need to take to obtain our Desires.  

"Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your lawgiver, and what can stay my hand?" ~D&C 38:22

He wants us to know his voice well, pay attention to his feedback—confirmation as well as his warning signs so we can know when we’re on track and when we’re deviating from our desired destination.  

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" ~John 10:27

He wants us to track our Results so that we can verify that in following his guidance, we’re indeed progressing towards the achievement of our goals.

"...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." ~Alma 34:38

As a writer-curator of Jesus Christ, I have joined the team that testifies of him. That is my chosen career, my occupation.  It is where I spend my time and talents. This blog is an extension of that career path. So I say again, “With saints of old, I too can testify, this is the Christ.”

I Learned to Communicate with God

I needed to communicate.  Really, there was no getting around it.  And I needed to communicate with my New Parent about my kids, about my life, about things I couldn't talk about with anyone else.   I decided to start writing letters to him.  I would figuratively send my letter out and then forget to check the mailbox.  I would even forget that I even sent the letter…until I ended up in major conflict and wrote another letter much like the first.

Finding Nemo

“Checking the mailbox” is like this game I once played with my primary class.  I showed the class a gift wrapped box and explained that we were going to send a child out of the room and then hide this desirable item.  When the child left, we hid the gift and I told the rest of the children that our job was to be her guide to help her find it.  I invited her back into the room and instructed her to find the gift.  When she got closer to the location we had hidden it, the rest of the class and I tapped our fingers on our chairs.  The closer she came, the louder and faster we tapped until she found it. 

After I learned that I needed to be searching for a response to my letter, I realized the responses were coming and they always had been.  It was just me who didn't know how to receive them.

As communication improved, my letters and their responses transferred to emails.  My ability to identify his response increased in speed.   

 

Finally communication became very rapid much like text messaging.  As I was writing the question in my journal, the answer would begin to come.  I didn't know the answer before I wrote the question.  Sometimes these answers would come in the form of songs I had heard, stories I had read, verses of scripture, or the words others had written in books or that I had heard spoken. 

More on the Concept of a New Parent

In past posts I’ve spoken of my need for a New Parent.  Because there have been many who have written down or spoken of the parenting structure they have found works the best, I have been able to be specifically retrained.  Dr. Glenn I. Latham, Stephen R. Covey, Grant Von Harrison, and Dean Hughes are three of those people who have influenced me like fathers.

There are specific fathers and there are more general fathers.  The specific fathers I choose to listen to are those whose words are attended by a specific feeling that I have come to know as my General Father’s signature (John 10:27).  In this way, I choose to be parented by my General Father and no one else.

I have noted in my blog post Responsibility and Choice that, “While we want the state of happiness, we don’t want the secrets to obtain it just handed to us.  We want to figure it out on own.  I think we're okay with clues but we are intelligent beings that love solving a good mystery.  We love progressing through a story.  We don’t want to hear the ending until the end.  And we can’t really feel the joy of the solution unless we’ve had to wait for it, solve it, sacrifice for it. ” 

I believe that my General Father knows this about me.  That’s why he hangs back a ways.  He wants me to answer the question myself having studied all the facts.  So he interacts with me via clues; the clues in themselves become my facts.  When people act as specific parents, their actions and words are like clues.  I can sense the figurative taps in my heart or lack of them.  The energy I feel there is not under my control except my controlling my thoughts.  If I think a thought or consider someone else’s, I can sense his opinion of it.  He gives his opinion because of the letter I sent him requesting his response.

So that means if I read a book and a story is told in it that applies to my own situation, I can feel it.  If I listen to a song and the words in it strike deep within my heart, I know my General Father is responding to my letter.  If I’m reading someone’s ideas on how to be a good parent and I feel a sense of peace or even excitement wash over me, I know I’m being answered.

That feeling cannot be mocked.  People have tried but it always comes out flat or sharp.  The real feeling is the most powerful, the most beautiful, and the most lasting feeling I have ever experienced.  I know it.  I love it.  I am allegiant to it.  He has won me hands down.

Revelation and Inspiration

Fasting

We know that drugs and alcohol numb the senses.  But I have found that when I turn to substances that are imbalanced to even lesser degrees for my peace and energy, my ability to sense my General Father’s texts decreases.  Occasional fasting  has enabled me to regain sensitivity for a period of time.  Since I desire a more continuous presence, I strive to fast on a more continuous basis from anything that disrupts the level of communication I desire to maintain.

Structure:  General vs. Specific

Before I started writing my prayers, I could only plead for general help.  “Please help me.”  I had no idea what I needed.  I only knew I didn’t like where I was at and somehow needed things to get better.

Star Wars: The Deathstar Battle

I’m sure I heard the directions from many different sources that I needed to get more specific—identify what I needed that would in actuality help me.  But the proton torpedo that finally penetrated my shields and caused a chain reaction of amazing events in my life was Grant Von Harrison’s “Drawing On The Powers Of Heaven” that my mom sent me.

Proton Torpedo #1:  Identify my Specific Desires

“When a person chooses not to use his free will in directing his thoughts, he leaves the dimensions of the mind that control his desires wide open to suggestion….So you have the choice of deliberately directing your thinking, or allowing other forces to dictate your desires and attitudes” (pg. 17).

Proton Torpedo #2:  Identify the Processes within my control to obtain my Desires and resolve my Conflicts

“The powers of heaven are governed by spiritual laws; their receipt is always predicated upon obedience to law.  When you understand and learn to comply with these laws, you will be able to consistently call upon the powers of heaven to assist you in your endeavors.  The scriptures tell us very clearly that we must be obedient to specific laws in order to receive blessings from God (D&C 130:20-21).”

Proton Torpedo #3:  Communicate my Specific Desires and Commitments to my General Father

“In order to draw on the powers of heaven, you must systematically decide what you want the Lord to help you accomplish.  It is impossible to exercise faith in the powers of heaven at your disposal without having a very specific end in mind.  The most serious failing on [our part] with respect to faith as a principle of power is [our] failure to make specific decisions regarding things [we] want the Lord to assist [us] with (Mormon 9:21).

Camhi Lane

A good friend of mine, Camhi Lane, wrote the following about how it does take effort to establish this communication relationship with our General Father:

“Work begs structure. There is a scheduled time and a place for work and there must also be a scheduled time and place for prayer. Try making an appointment with the Lord. Show up to that appointment. Don’t be late. Don’t be under dressed. The Lord will be there on time and ready and so should you. Are you going for a walk with the Lord? Good. Tell Him when and where to meet you. Would you like a standing appointment on Sundays at 8pm?  Great. Be there, and be ready to take notes because if you ask the Lord to show up, He will.”

Just as I need to have a time and place for Kid Report, I also need to have a time and place for my own Report.  I’ve needed to take the relationship seriously because I have wanted him to seriously help me.  Keeping these appointments is the core level of my commitment.

Imogen Heap “Can’t Take It In”

At the beginning of this journey—developing this communication relationship with my General Father--I really wanted my desires badly.   My life, my situation, had come to the point where I was motivated to do all I could to obtain them.  But at the same time I would not, could not deviate into using greater imbalanced methods to obtain.  Sink or swim.  The course I was on needed to be corrected.  I made the course corrections—kept my commitments continuously (and usually not perfectly).  Snail mail developed into text messaging.  Within 6 months, my life changed forever, the boredom I was experiencing leaving me, excitement moving into a predominant position, happiness, "how-can-it-be-so-beautiful" experiences one after another.   

Yes, there are refiner’s fires, hard times, things I would prefer not to have to go through.  This is definitely not Candy Land.  But overall has been a steady progression towards the best place I have EVER been in.