Categories
life

How Firm a Foundation

I woke up this morning with my brain making up variations on “The wise man built his house upon the rock.” (ex. “The wise man lived his life above reproach” or “The wise man spent his time above the fray.”) I really don’t know why I was thinking of that, but it fit right in with the lesson in Sunday school today about the foundation that we build our lives upon. One of the great things that Sister Monson did with the lesson was that she started off playing How Firm a Foundation while the class sang verses 1, 2, & 7. I love that hymn – like many that have extra verses written outside the music, we don’t sing the later verses nearly enough.

As we were talking about what it means to build our lives on a foundation of Christ I realized that our real foundation in life, no matter what we might profess, is the thing that never gives when push comes to shove. It reminded me of a discussion that took place on the blog of a friend in early 2007:

The key is to remember that there can be only one rock upon which to build your knowledge. Everything else must be window-dressing. . . Even your rock must be open for reexamination because if it can’t withstand a challenge it isn’t much of a rock.

If the foundation that we claim to be built on can be shifed by the challenges that we face then it is more sand than rock.

Categories
meta

Picking Up the Pace

I realized yesterday that I have been losing steam on my review of the Federalist papers partly because the idea of 84 posts is rather daunting. I also realize that I am not obligated to break them up exactly as they were published. I have determined that I could have covered 2 – 5 in one post 6 & 7 in another and 9 & 10 together as well. Right there I would have cut the number of posts so far in half. In the future I will combine papers as it seems appropriate to me.

Another realization was that, while I hope to generate some discussion and even awareness of the contents of these founding documents, another result of this undertaking is to solidify the foundation of my own thoughts on issues of government so that I can write more soundly as well as return to a record of my conclusions.

Categories
life

Stake Conference

Sitting through meeting for stake conference has left me reflective. Our stake was split today and I realized that Laura and I have moved into this stake twice and had temple recommends twice from the same counselor in the stake presidency, who is now the president of the new stake which does not include our current residence, but it does cover where we lived the first time we moved into the stake.

None of that is of any great importance.

I have also been reflecting on some other insights into myself which have left me questioning. As I sat through the priesthood leadership meeting I found it amazing at the questions that some people have about proper church operations. Upon reflection I have realized that I have spent a lifetime observing and taking mental notes as to the proper organization and management of the church. I have been blessed to serve as a secretary in two bishoprics and serve as an ordinance worker in the Provo Temple. These callings have given me opportunities to observe the management of the Lord’s kingdom on earth in such a way as to afford observation of some details which would never be visible to someone who had not been in those positions.

I reflect that in addition to those wonderful opportunities to observe the order that the Lord wants for His church, I have also spent many years trying to cultivate in myself (and teach to others where appropriate) a proper and complete understanding of the doctrines of the gospel. That will always be a work in progress, but I believe that with the progress I have made so far I have built a firm foundation. If that were not enough I have also been blessed to “be able to have an understanding concerning the great latter day work.”

When considering all these factors I am left to wonder – why? It would seem that I have never been in a position to put this compilation of observation and understanding to any use in the work of the Lord. Not only that, but I do not seem to be on any track that would lead to being able to make use of any of it. This is not a matter of discontent. I would willingly continue doing the things I am currently called to do, but I just wonder at the fact that what I am called to do does not seem to make any use of the lessons that I have been taught thus far in my life. When will my previous lessons be brought to bear in the work that the Lord gives to me?