Joyful Wells | Sharing Cups of Water

I learned about a man recently fighting a particular temptation, so he left behind all his daily worldly entertainment and went for a walk.   Shortly into his walk, he encountered another man walking and decided to interject himself and begin a discussion. They walked and talked for a long time, so long that the first man forgot about the temptation altogether. He was happy to have met him. After they parted ways, the man realized how much time passed, so he began walking back home.  On the way, he noticed a plastic grocery bag caught on a bush across the street and thought, “The earth can’t be renewed if we keep polluting her.” So he decided to cross the street and throw it away.  As he approached, he also noticed some old trash by the bush. He thought, “Maybe I’ll pick up this little bit of trash, put it in this grocery bag, and throw it all away together.” But as he looked around, he saw even more trash. And more. And more.  He concluded he couldn’t get it all wit...

"I Won't Back Down" Tom Petty Well, I won't back down No, I won't back down You can stand me up at the gates of hell But I won't back down No, I'll stand my ground Won't be turned around And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down Gonna stand my ground And I won't back down (I won't back down) Hey, baby There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down) Hey, I Will stand my ground And I won't back down Well, I know what's right I got just one life In a world that keeps on pushin' me around But I'll stand my ground And I won't back down (I won't back down) Hey, baby There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down) Hey, I Will stand my ground (I won't back down) And I won't back down (I won't back down) Hey, baby There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down) Hey, I Won't back down (I won't back down) Hey, baby There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down) Hey, ...

Rob Smith from upwardthought just released a 26-minute video  on obtaining blessings through faith.  The whole video is worth watching multiple times, and I hope everyone will listen to it. Here’s one part in the beginning that stuck with me: “[…] the pathway to everything you want lies exactly through everything you already know about but aren’t living up to. The second (and I do mean the second) that you comply with the best that you know, God will give you more.” 

D enver Snuffer, in his book, Come, Let Us Adore Him , provided a paraphrase of Joseph Smith's D&C 121: 34-36 (now T&C 139:5-7). Below is the original, followed by Denver's paraphrase. I think both men sublimely capture the intention. But like all other scriptures, they are best understood when experienced. . . . " Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson — 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. 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 unrighte...

The Restoration Edition scriptures (linked in the menu of my blog) include a timeline of the Fathers who held a place among the Holy Order . It's an important visual. The scriptural account of this timeline can be read here . One thing that particularly caught my attention was when Mahalalel was ordained. Notice from the visual that three men—Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah—were ordained to the Holy Order before him [1]. Yet, he appears ahead of them in the timeline as the next-in-line Patriarch.  We do not know why they were ordained before him because more needs to be written about Mahalalel. However, the timeline and scriptures suggest that he was a righteous man who stood as a Father like Adam and to whom we must be sealed.  Was he not worthy to be among the Holy Order until later in life? Was he rebellious, wayward, or disruptive to the community early on? Was he lacking some virtue that needed to be obtained first? We can only guess.  But I can't help but think of Cain...

The Book of Mormon follows the father-to-son pattern of the Holy Order  that was instituted in the beginning. Lehi was the first Patriarch father of that scattered branch ( 1 Nephi 3:4 ). Nephi was Lehi's next oldest and righteous son to occupy that position after him. And so on. But do you notice that the next person to inherit this position after Nephi isn't any of Nephi's children? Instead, it went to Nephi's younger brother, Jacob. Why didn't it continue in the father-to-son Order? Did Nephi not have a righteous son? It went to Nephi's brother instead of any of his children because as long as Lehi had righteous sons who were alive, the father-to-son Order would continue to follow his line, not Nephi's. Jacob was the oldest, righteous, living son of Lehi after Nephi.  Yet, Nephi tells us that his "seed" are the ones who will write on the plates: " Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which ...

Abraham sent his servant on a mission to find a suitable wife for his son Isaac: " And now Abraham was old, being well stricken in age. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put forth, I pray you, your hand under my head, and I will make you swear before the Lord, the God of Heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. But you shall go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac." ( Genesis 8:11 ) If you ask what the big deal was in finding a suitable wife for Isaac, most people will tell you it was so that Isaac would not intermarry with a non-covenant woman. That's what the verse above says, and that's a good reason.  Another exciting reason this is important is that, according to the Holy Order, Issac is 'next in line' to be the one to hold dominion...

Here's what Jesus said about fasting: " And blessed are all they that do hunger  and thirst after righteousness , for they shall be filled with the holy ghost." ( Matthew 3:9 ) Why is that important and what does that foreshadow?   We learn in the last days Zion that the devil will have no power over the hearts of the people because of their righteousness: " And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power. Wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years, for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth." ( 1 Nephi 7:5 ) What's the connection between learning to be righteous now and actually being righteous then? Or said differently, what's the connection between being hungry and thirsty now and being filled then? " They shall hunger  no more , neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; f or the Lamb who is in the mi...