FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT--Blessed with Abundance

Sorry all! Long time, no blog...

I was watching the 700 Club for a few minutes last night on TV, mostly because I was curious about the program. It's sort of a Christian-based news show, mixed with inspirational stories. At the end of the episode, the host was talking about feelings of guilt for things we have done in the past. He invited the viewers to close their eyes and pray with him. In his prayer, he asked that God would forgive their mistakes because they were confessing them to Him and that they would no longer have a memory of what they had done.

I thought to myself: "How sad."

First of all, we need to REPENT if we have sinned. We can't just say a magical little prayer and have all of our sins magically taken away. Faith without works is dead. We have to make restitution for our sins. We have to develop a deep, abiding relationship with the Savior, through fervant fasting, study, prayer, service to others, and obedience. Our hearts have to be changed thorugh the miracle of the Atonement. True, God's method for repentance requires a great deal of effort, but that effort becomes a catalyst for TRUE devotion and growth. No other man can pray away OUR own sins or weaknesses. Only Christ can assist us in coming back.

Secondly, I want to remember the sins I've committed and the mistakes I've made. They do cause me a great deal of pain, but they also have made me who I am and the memory of my transgressions can guide me to the person I will eventually become. God never promised us that we won't remember our sins. We need that remembrance to inspire us to keep away from danger in the future.

Anyway, I do accept that most Christian religions have pieces of the gospel puzzle, but I am so grateful to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I can't imagine how hollow my life would be without the fulness of the gospel as restored to Joseph Smith. I am thankful that living the gospel is hard. Through my continued, sometimes strenuous, efforts to live righteously, I am blessed with abundance. . .