Monday, February 4, 2008

Sunday's Insights


So Brad's job at bath time is to get Emma undressed while I make sure the water is at the right temperature. He loves it. He also loves turning her onesies into hats. Each night he does it, and each night it makes him giddy and laugh like a school girl. Those two love each other. You can see it in the photos. Gotta love Emmer's "deer in the headlights" looks.


So a friend of mine and I were talking a while back about adding Gospel insights to our blogs. I thought today would be as good as any to start that tradition (these thoughts aren't all mine, Brad has a hand in this one. ;) So yesterday in Relief Society, we discussed how everything points back to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everything else we speak of are mere appendages to it. That's something that "Preach My Gospel" really hits on over and over. Nothing else really matters without that atoning sacrifice. Nothing else within the Gospel--it's principles, ordinances, anything we do, etc.--are worth anything without the Atonement. It makes me ponder with greater reverence the Sacrament. How blessed we are to have modern living apostles and prophets who can truly testify that "He lives!" and can truly describe His divinity and actions on our behalf. Sometimes I forget and take for granted the comforting knowledge of who my Heavenly Father is--that He's not just some mystical being that rules the universe and occasionally takes notice of me. He truly is a loving Father that is intimately involved in my life whether I realize it or not. And I'm grateful for those moments where my eyes are opened and see His hand in my life. He truly is a God of love.

We also hit on the notions of freedom, agency, and choice with regard to the Fall and Atonement and how there's a circular interplay between the three. Choices are placed before us allowing us the opportunity to exercise our agency and, if we choose wisely, an increase in freedom--opening up more choices and a greater chance to act and not be acted upon. Lehi talks about this when he says that all men are agents unto themselves and are free to choose the liberty and life afforded by following Christ or captivity and death by following the adversary. Commandments (choices) and the keeping of them (agency) brings greater and greater blessings (freedom) and the opposite is true when sinning against them. It creates either a continuous upward or downward spiral. Commandments, laws, rules, and regulations aren't confining, it's the breaking of them that leads to captivity. So be obedient and be free.

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