controversy and compassion

Bold claims spark a lot of debate and criticism. 
Is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and all the truths that it entails, a bold claim? It depends on who you ask, but many would say that yes, it is. Saving grace? Infinite mercy? Loving Savior? Eternal life?

Bold, indeed. 

Our church gets a lot of attention. "Mormons" are starting to be nationally and even, in some places, globally recognized, especially in recent years. 

Are we nationally - even globally - positively being recognized? Ha. Not even close. 

We are even - and here's what I am kind of trying to address - bombarded with criticism, anger, and doubt coming from our own members. 

Some believe women are being oppressed in our church. "Ordain women!" They cry. 

Some believe we ought to be more accepting toward the gay community. "Equality for all!" They cry.

And there's more. These are just a couple of the biggest ones, but my point is that there's controversy and doubt surrounding our lovely church. 

Look, I don't care where you stand on ordaining women or gay rights or any of the other stuff. These subjects are complicated and touchy because we simply don't understand God and His eternal plans. And, quite frankly, we don't always understand our fellow humans and their internal struggles, and we aren't always very willing to try.

We know where the church stands, but sometimes we struggle. Doubts creep in and we dwell and we dwell until sometimes we don't know what to believe. 

I don't think we can ever truly understand God and why He does what He does, at least not while on this earth. 
We try to make sense of it. But we all make sense of it in different ways, which I think causes problems sometimes. For example, I know some people quite personally who hope for a day when women will be ordained. Do I hope for that? No. But I do understand that for some people, this is a real desire and a real struggle, and I try to at least acknowledge that and try to understand and reach out to them. 

Here's what I'm getting at, really: We're all different. We all have different opinions, and even within the church, some of us are going to disagree on doctrine and believe different things. 
If we could put on some sort of goggles that made it so we could suddenly see all things with God's perfect understanding and wisdom, that would be great. That would undoubtedly clear some things up. But unfortunately, that isn't possible. We are just going to have to trust and have faith and wait patiently and faithfully for the day when we will see all things as He sees them. 

In the meantime, let us be understanding of and compassionate toward our brothers and sisters who struggle and who believe different things than us. None of us have a perfect knowledge. None of us have perfect lives, and some of us believe in or hope for things that another person may not be able to understand or relate to. 
It's all part of the human experience, my friends. We aren't perfect, and we aren't the same. 

But here's what I think we can all agree on: 
God is good. He is over all, and He knows what He's doing. Jesus Christ is full of grace and mercy, and he understands and loves each and every one of us. 
I think we can all say that we love our family and our friends and that we want to be with them forever. 
I think we can all say that we love the gospel. 

The gospel is amazing, friends. And the church is amazing, too. It's run by and made up of imperfect people, but somehow it works. 
And it will continue to work and be an incredible vehicle for Christ's gospel, so long as we continue to support and love one another. 

So until Christ comes again, until we actually have a perfect knowledge and understanding, praise God. Because even with all the turmoil and controversy that's in the world - and even in the church, sometimes - God never changes. 
No matter what I struggle with, no matter what turmoil I have in my life, I will sing praises until I die. I have so many reasons to. God is so good to me, and so good to us all. 

So don't get caught up in little doubts and troubles. The gospel is good. It's true. It's simple. 



"Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes."

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman





Haley

observe and learn from others!

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't blog last week!
Hopefully all your summers are going great… I'm leaving for pioneer trek TOMORROW and I am really excited! Anxious too, but mostly excited! :) I will be sure to post about that when I get back home.

I saw this quote on Pinterest the other day and thought it was interesting. You could definitely interpret it multiple ways, but in the moment it made me wonder how many people around me have things to teach me - to teach everyone - and yet they never open their mouths.

I know so many quiet people; people that I didn't really expect much from but have really surprised me once I've gotten to know them.

The people around you have more to teach you than you might ever believe. You can learn so much about love and compassion and hard work and true joy and sacrifice just by watching others. Can you think of someone in your life whom you have learned something from, even if they never used words to teach you?

Pay attention to others. Be perceptive. You have no idea what lessons you might learn if you watch others and ask people about their lives, especially people you don't usually talk to.

What else could be accomplished by reaching out and paying attention to people, do you think? In a regional stake conference we had a couple months ago, I heard the following quote:
"Some ask in silence because their arms are too tired to be lifted up."
Could there be people around you who need - even desperately need - help but don't ask for it?
Certainly!

I feel like I'm jumping around a bit, but I think the message I'm trying to get across is pay attention to people. Don't just go through life with your blinders on, only thinking about yourself.

There are people to help. There are people to learn from. There are people who have needs and don't make them known. There are people who could bless your life greatly if you just reached out to them and got to know them.

One thing I know about people is that they can surprise you. So be aware of the people around you. We need others to help us be our best selves. And others need YOU!

People hold their tongues. They don't always tell others what they are really thinking. In fact, they rarely do. Learn to be perceptive and understanding of others. Their life will be blessed and surely yours will be as well!



Have a great week! I'll just be trekking away!

Haley

no contradiction

*make the video full-screen. it's far superior that way. just sayin'.

It is so interesting to me that people think science and religion contradict. Look, I'm no genius, but I have a pretty basic knowledge of many aspects of science - biology, chemistry, and physics especially, since I have taken all three in the last couple years. (Chemistry is boss, am I right?! Loved it.) :)
And I feel exceedingly more learned in religion than in science. But I still have a lot to learn about both!

But one thing I DO know is that religion and science explain each other beautifully, and the more I learn about one, the more faith I have in the other.
Make sense?


My physics textbook says the COOLEST thing. I came across the neatest paragraph when reading through my textbook a while ago and took a picture of it so I wouldn't forget it (this was probably back on like the second day of school, because the first week of school was pretty much the only time I actually read more than five words at a time from that textbook).

Oh, and this is a college textbook... Conceptual Physics, the Weber State custom edition. I guess that detail doesn't really change anything, but for some reason it seems cooler to me that I was reading for a college physics class I'm taking at Weber State.

Okay. Are you ready to hear the actual paragraph??

"When we study the nature of light later in this book, we will treat light first as a wave and then as a particle. To the person who knows a little bit about science, waves and particles are contradictory; light can be only one or the other, and we have to choose between them. But to the enlightened person, waves and particles complement each other and provide a deeper understanding of light. In a similar way, it is mainly people who are either uninformed or misinformed about the deeper natures of both science and religion who feel that they must choose between believing in religion and believing in science. Unless one has a shallow understanding of either or both, there is no contradiction in being religious and being scientific in one's thinking."

Wow! Right?!

The book says a lot of other cool things about how it's okay to not know the answers to everything - the author even says that "an important message in science... is that uncertainty is acceptable."
Even scientists don't claim to have all the answers.
The gospel gives me answers! But still, some things we will never know or fully understand until we leave this life.
But you know what? We know a lot now! When we keep an open mind and have faith in God and the answers He gives us - we learn for ourselves that they are true.


When sitting down to write this post, I really didn't plan on having it all about science and religion, haha.

My point is that everything we have here on earth - all the knowledge you have ever learned, every experience you go through, every little thing that was created - works together.

"Art is about cosmic beauty. Science is about cosmic order. Religion is about cosmic purpose. " 

-Paul G. Hewitt

What an incredible thing creation is!
How amazing it is that God had so many factors in mind when he made the Plan of Salvation!

Everything is the way that it is because that's how it should be!

YOU are YOU because YOU are perfect!

We each have our own thread that, in the grand scheme of things, is interwoven with everyone else's to form a beautiful tapestry that blankets the earth.

God doesn't make mistakes. Just like a machine, the world has no extra parts.


As far as learning is concerned, it is up to you to discern between truth and error.
But in the end, never forget that two true things do not and can not contradict each other.

I believe in the atom! haha! I think the human body is amazing!
I also believe in God and His timing and His creation!

God is truly the greatest scientist of us all.

A truly knowledgeable person has a well-rounded understanding of many subjects and understands that all things work together for the good of the world.

And God is in charge of it all!

What a lovely existence - to be in the hands of a God who understands so much!

THIS is knowledge.

Have you ever looked into space and wondered a little extra about God?
About how He lives? What He knows?
Have you wondered about time? About creation?

About the mysteries of the universe... and have you ever wondered what we could possibly have to contribute...?

Because I do occasionally. But then I get a bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of such thoughts.
But still... I wonder about those who do not wonder. Those who accept life as it is and don't search for truth. Don't search for religion, for hope, for knowledge. 

It's the natural thing to do... question things. Because it's a need to have knowledge. It gives us purpose and something to look forward to. It nurtures the spirit and calms us in times of doubt.

And there are things that I don't know. Lots and lots of things. And many things I simply don't comprehend. I can't fathom them. I just can't fathom the hugeness of the universe.

But there are things that I do know. I have earthly knowledge and facts that have been fed to me since my birth. I go to school. I have a pretty basic understanding of history and chemistry and the english language.
And I have spiritual knowledge. More than I could ever sort through. More knowledge than they could ever teach me at a school. I have knowledge of a Creator and an eternity of happiness that awaits me. I have knowledge of my heritage, and an appreciation for my ancestors who would have sacrificed anything for truth to continue. And I wouldn't even know how to begin to thank them for that.

Some wouldn't call these facts. They'd call them hopes, wishes, theories, maybe even fantasies. But I know that these are statements. They are facts. And the only ones that can truly calm the human's tendency to constantly question. There's a period at the end of each of those statements because God put it there in my mind. And I would never let anyone put a question mark where God has already put a period.

Knowledge is a beautiful thing. And even though I don't know everything, I know enough. I know enough to even stop questioning.

And that isn't like me.

no worries.

Our message is a simple one.

Our doctrine is easy.


I mean, sure there is a lot to learn.

The truths of eternity stretch on forever and ever. No man living here on earth could ever or will ever know everything.

But that's really okay.


You don't have to know everything. You actually only need to know a few things.

All the knowledge you need to obtain eternal life is available to you.


And all things considered, you don't need to do much.

Just be a good person and love God.


Do what you can. The Lord is merciful.

I am confident that in the end, you will receive the lightest consequences that are possible for your sins...
And the most abundant blessings possible for your faithfulness.


And pretty soon, if you are doing your best, your best will be better.

And you will want to do more.

It's a natural part of conversion.


Like Henry B. Eyring said just a couple weeks ago, having a testimony means you know the gospel is true.

And being converted is being true to the gospel.


Once you realize this your life will change so much for the better.


Imagine how proud your Creator will be when you return to Him.

Maybe you will be a little battered and not entirely perfect, but that's how the world returns you.


And then heaven makes you perfect.

Jesus Christ makes you perfect.


Again, sometimes it seems really hard and complicated.

Sometimes I am asked questions about the church that are really quite deep.

And sometimes I know how to answer, sometimes I don't, but then I wonder to myself, "who cares?"


Who cares if I don't know everything there is to know. It isn't even possible, and it isn't necessary for my salvation.

Don't get me wrong, knowledge is beautiful and important and required.


But don't let the little tiny details you don't know keep you away from the huge things that you do know.


Do you know the gospel is true?

Have you felt the Spirit - have you gained a testimony?

At least a little piece of one?


The gospel will always be true.

And when you take a step back, it will always be simple.


So... hakuna matata. 


and have a happy Sunday.