Truly Good, and Without Guile

Hello Everyone!

This week I'm taking my title from a recent General Conference talk given by Michael T. Ringwood.  In his talk he focuses on the need to be truly good, and not be persuaded to do good things based upon wanting success or recognition.  He says that we should seek to do "what [is] right for right’s sake rather than for praise, position, power,accolades, or authority."

In seeking to know more about the phrase 'without guile' I turned to the New Testament where Christ himself  says of Nathanael "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"  Being free from guile is a trait praised by the Savior and a trait needed to receive answers to prayers and have the spirit with you at all times.  To better understand guile, we'll turn to an antonymic phrase to study it more closely: real intent.  

Within the Book of Mormon the phrase 'real intent' often appears alongside council regarding prayers and the attitude of prayer.  We are often exhorted to ask and act with real intent (see Moroni 6:8, Moroni 10:4, or 2 Nephi 31:13) and warned against acting without real intent (Moroni 7:6).  Sometimes I feel that we underestimate the power of our deep-rooted motives or desires in how we go about our daily activities.  But we know that God understands the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and we need to do our best to act as Nephi councils with "no hypocrisy and no deception before God" (2 Nephi 31:13).  

We are counseled by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf to be genuine, both in out relationship with God and with man, in his talk "On Being Genuine" in this past General Conference.  He tells the story of Grigory Potemkin who "desperately wanted to impress [several foreign ambassadors]. And so he went to remarkable lengths to showcase [Russia's] accomplishments.

For part of the journey, Catherine [the Great] floated down the Dnieper River, proudly pointing out to the ambassadors the thriving hamlets along the shore, filled with industrious and happy townspeople. There was only one problem: it was all for show. It is said that Potemkin had assembled pasteboard facades of shops and homes. He had even positioned busy-looking peasants to create the impression of a prosperous economy.Once the party disappeared around the bend of the river, Potemkin’s men packed up the fake village and rushed it downstream in preparation for Catherine’s next pass."

We often have to ask ourselves if the image we present to God and man are the true intents of our heart, or is it all a facade to have the impression of being prosperous, happy, or caring?  I echo both Elder Ringwood's and President Uchtdorf's messages of being truly good, and without guile and know that as we come to be more genuine and truly good, that we will have the blessings of the Lord with us always.  Now how one becomes truly good and without guile, is the million-dollar question, but I won't attempt to say that I know how.  Understanding that process is personal to you, and will take much pondering and studying to discover, but I know that God gives answers to those who diligently seek.  

I hope that you all have a wonderful week! 

Elder Gailey

The End of an Era

Hello Everyone, 

So I'm currently reading through the Book of Mormon, trying to finish it one more time before I hit my year mark.  Time sure does fly, I'll tell you that.  But as I was reading a little while ago in the book of Jacob, something stood out to me and caught my attention.  In the first chapter of Jacob, Jacob is relating some of the Nephite history since Nephi finished his record and entrusted the plates to his younger brother.  

Verse 12 of this chapter, though short, made me pause and think for quite some time as I was reading.  This verse reads:

"And it came to pass that Nephi died."

That's it.  That's the whole verse.  It's pretty short, but when I read that my mind was captured by the thought of how sorrowful that occasion would have been.  Nephi was the beloved King of the Nephite people.  So loved was he that after his death, all kinds were called after his name, being called "second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings" (v11).  Nephi was a King who delighted in having his people be industrious.  He taught them many temporal things that they might be a hard-working people.  Early in his reign as their king he "did cause [his] people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands" (2 Nephi 5:17).  He sought for their temporal and eternal welfare, to be a blessing and not a burden upon them.  

Nephi was also their mighty protector.  He had "wielded the sword of Laban in their defence", that they might not fall into the hands of their enemies, who had "swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers" (Enos 1:13).  Nephi was a temporal leader and protector to the end of his days.  

  

But more important than a temporal leader, he was their leader spiritually.  One who could speak unto them to protect them from the temptations of the adversary.  He was the one who unfolded the doctrine of Christ and the great plan of redemption to the Nephites.  To his children he unfolded the mysteries of God, that they might have a greater understanding of that God who created them, that they might not be blind like his brothers Laman and Lemuel.  He had the gift of revelation and prophesy and was able to understand and expound the words of Isaiah.  He understood them and their plainness, which plainness is not comprehended by any unless they have the Spirit with them.  He lead them along the rod of iron so that they might enter into the joy of the Lord and have eternal rest.  He labored his days to bring about the immortality and eternal life of his children.  

Within this short verse must have been great sorrow and it must have truly been the end of an era for the Nephite people.  Likely after the death of Nephi, there were few or no others who knew of Jerusalem and the teachings of the Jews.  Nephi's death symbolized the loss of the personal connection with the Israelites, and symbolized that this righteous branch of Joseph was fully broken off.  This short verse hit me with great power and I have come to understand, in part, the greatness of Nephi's reign and ministry.  He was a man who feared God, and loved his fellow man, and was obedient to the end.  He was a man to be used as an example of the type of people we should all strive to become.  I find the last recorded words of Nephi to be exceptionally fitting to his personality, and they showcase the attribute we could learn the most from Nephi:

"For thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey".

I hope that you call can come to appreciate Nephi as the great prophet, protector, and teacher that he was.  I hope that you all have a great week!

Love, Elder Gailey

Simple Truths from King Benjamin

Hello Everyone!  This week I want to talk about one of my favorite passages in the Book of Mormon, and one for me that has great power.  

In an address to his subjects, King Benjamin gives many great insights to his people concerning a wide array of topics.  From the purpose of life, the importance of the Savior, service, and what I find to be most important, is an exhortation on what to believe to gain the most out of this mortal life.  This powerful exhortation comes in Mosiah Chapter 4 verses 9 and 10.

King Benjamin begins by telling his people to simply "believe in God" and to "believe that he is".  This simple pronouncement of belief tells us of an important gospel truth.  This truth is that God is, not was.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and believing this will lead to greater understanding of the doctrines and principles of the gospel, as well as a greater understanding of the purpose behind that knowledge.  A belief in God is fundamental to this life.  Knowing that we have a loving Heavenly Father can bring much comfort to this chaotic life.  Sometimes it is the most simple truths and beliefs that can have the most profound impact on a persons life, for it is those key doctrines that are the basis for all others.  

Continuing in his address he bears witness that God "created all things, both in heaven and in earth".  Once we understand that there is a God, and we know that we are his children.  It is important to know that everything that we see around us was created for us.  God did not take a stroll through the universe, find the earth, and say "What a coincidence, I was looking for a place just like this!"  This earth and all we see around us was carefully created, and often we don't admire or pay full gratitude for the things that we see is intrinsic to this mortal life.  We don't question how the laws of physics came into play, we just know that they work.  We often don't notice the great planning and care that went into the most fundamental parts of this universe.  

King Benjamin goes on to give comfort.  I'm not sure about you, but creating a universe is a little out of my range of skills at the current moment.  But knowing the span between the knowledge of man and God, King Benjamin tells his people "that man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend".  But nowhere does he say that we can't comprehend, he simply says that we currently don't.  This life is a time for us to learn and to grow in comprehension that we might one day be like our Father in Heaven and live a life like his.  

Knowing of this span between God and man, and knowing that we are upon this earth for the purpose of gaining knowledge, we must come to understand that there is a way prepared for us to bridge the chasm between heaven and earth.  And this is through "repent[ing] of your sins and forsak[ing] them".  It is through repentance and using the Atonement of our Savior that we are able to become like our Father in Heaven.  But this requires us to "humble [ourselves] before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you".  As Jeffrey R. Holland stated: "It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, 'I’ll change'—and mean it".  We have been promised that as often as we repent, we will be forgiven.  

Perhaps the most important part of these two verses is the very last statement made by King Benjamin.  He states boldly that "if you believe all these things see that ye do them".  Knowing that repentance works isn't enough, just as knowing that studying can help you pass a course won't guarantee a good grade.  It takes work to bridge the gap between God and man, but fortunately that's why God has given us an infinite atonement.  God knows that we are fallible, and has laid from the foundation of the world, a plan that will allow every one of his children to return to him, if they exercise their agency and repent.  

I hope that all of you will pay heed to King Benjamin's exhortation.  His words are great and are still applicable to us in these days.  These words and key beliefs have the ability to change every human life.  I know these things to be true.  I love you all, and hope you have a great week!

Elder Gailey

Be Equal in Strength

Hello World!

So one of my favorite chapters in all of recorded scripture also is one of the most repetitions and monotonous in all of recorded scripture.  If any of you are familiar with the Book of Mormon and it's stories, you are likely familiar with the 77 verse allegory (76 if you remove Jacob's intro to the passage) of the Vineyard recorded in Jacob chapter 5.  

For background, this allegory, recorded by an ancient prophet named Zenos.  It tells the tale of a Lord of a vineyard who repeatedly nourishes, grafts, digs, and dungs a series of olive trees.  Throughout the allegory the efforts of the Lord of the vineyard and his servant are recorded as they try and preserve good fruit, while eliminating the bitter.  This allegory is long and covers a vast sea of topics, themes, and types, but I wish to focus on two verses located in the latter-half of the chapter: 

65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear‍ away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.

66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.

(Jacob 5:65-66)

These verses highlight an important attribute of this mortal life.  That attribute is simply that the Lord's will for us is to grown in strength, experience, and spiritual maturity.  But in order to accomplish this goal, there must be an opposition.  Just as weight-lifting achieves no purpose in zero-gravity, so too does life lose it's purpose if there is no opposition.  

In the allegory, the Lord of the vineyard commands his servants to remove the bad branches only as the good branches are able to have strength sufficient.  The Lord has promised us that he will not tempt us above that which we are able to overcome (1 Cor. 10:13).  And so in this allegory, Zenos outlines that the Lord will let us struggle and grow in strength, so that we can become as a tree planted with firm roots and strong branches.  

I believe I have spoken a bit on the need for opposition, for without it we cannot grow.  Remember that it takes no effort to be a loser, or to stay at a low level.  Face those encumbering trials around you and know that God will clear them away as you grow in strength to face them.  I know that the Lord gives us strength sufficient for all trials we endure, all according to the faith that we have in him.  So endure with faith and press forward, knowing that there is a land of paradise ahead.  

I hope that you all have a great week!

Love, Elder Gailey

Family History

Hello Everyone, lets talk about Family History for a moment.  

Today I'd like to honor my namesake, my Great Great Great Grandfather John Gailey. His life and stories from it stand as a testimony to me of the power that comes from a sincere testimony and understanding of Christ and his divinity. He was a man with a strong testimony, who knew his Savior, and who loved those around him. Though I never knew him, the stories I have been told have shaped him to be a great man in my eyes and one that I seek to emulate.  

A verse from Helaman chapter 5 rings in my ears when I learn of my namesake:

"Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land...and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good." (Helaman 5:6)

Great spiritual strength and understanding can come of family history work.  You gain a greater understanding of the power of the Atonement of Christ, and learn great stories that lead up to who you are and where you are.  We should all seek to "sufficiently [retain] in remembrance the captivity of [our] fathers...and...[retain] in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them". (Alma 5:6)

If you aren't currently doing family history, set yourself a goal to find just one more name that you could prepare and archive.  Or you could begin your own history of your current family.  You could save pictures, stories, and journal entries for future generations, that they might be able to remember you when your time is over on this earth.  

I may not have time to do family history while on my mission, but I'm very grateful for those that have gone before me and paved the way that I might do what I am on this earth do to.  

I love you all, and hope that you have a great week!

Love, Elder Gailey

Member Missionary Work

Y'ello Everyone!

So this week I gave a training alongside my new companion, Elder Holt, on the importance of working with the members.  Now if you're reading this blog, chances are that you're not a full-time missionary with the nametag and white handbook.  So this week I'd like to just share some of the insights that we shared as a part of out training.

The first that I would like to share is a quote by Elder Quentin L. Cook, which reads:

What we desperately need is for member-missionary work to become a way of life—for the Savior’s mandate to share the gospel to become part of who we are.

(Quentin L. Cook, "Be a Missionary All Your Life", given as a BYU Devotional March 2007)

What I love about this quote is that Elder Cook stresses the importance of making missionary work a way of life.  In this quote he implies that member-missionary work is far more than just occasionally going out with the missionaries or giving a referral to them every now and then.  True member-missionary work is shown every day, not just on the days when the missionaries ask for assistance.  It's living in such a way that our testimony is visible, not just something that we say.  

As you all live your lives, stop for a moment an consider whether you share your testimony in everything that you do, or whether you just share it during fast and testimony meetings at church.  A testimony is a terrible thing to keep to yourself, and sometimes the most powerful testimony is the one that requires no words to be spoken.  

Another point on member-missionary work is to show just how awkward missionary work can be at first.  I'm not going to lie, being a missionary is weird.  You talk to a lot of people about a subject that many people avoid talking about in public.  It can be weird talking about religion to a stranger or to a friend if you've never done it before.  But as with anything, the more you practice the less-awkward it becomes.  In an article titled "Seven Lessons on Sharing the Gospel", which I would recommend everyone read, Elder Clayton M. Christensen gave this piece of wisdom concerning sharing the gospel:

The ability to share the gospel isn’t a “gift” that has been given to only a few Latter-day Saints and denied to the rest. We have concluded from our own experiences and from watching others that finding people for the missionaries to teach can be easy and natural for all‍ of us—if we go about it the Lord’s way.

Missionary skills aren't restricted to missionaries.  The same skills and gifts of the spirit that are available to the few that wear the tags are available to every member of this church.  Spreading the gospel can become natural, but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and try spreading the word of God.  I remember the first few weeks as a missionary.  They were awkward and full of mistakes and mishaps.  There's a definite learning curve, but the more I worked at it, the better I got.  Soon enough, talking to people on the streets or on their front porches became second nature.  And though I still have some fears, many of the large ones have been swept away in the joy of sharing the gospel.  

I just want you all to know that missionary work brings great joy, but I can tell you that all day and it wont change your life.  What will is if you have faith in the promises of the Lord and try sharing the gospel.  Prove the Lord and see if he wont bless you and aid you in this righteous goal.  I love you all, and hope that you discover or rediscover the joy in spreading the gospel. 

Love, Elder Gailey

Introspections Insights

Hello Everyone!

So I'm safely in Ballston Spa, New York now and life is going great.  I'm pretty much all unpacked and I'm getting used to my new routine.  The people here are great, but I want to move on to one of my favorite subjects as of late: introspection.  

in·tro·spec·tion

noun

The examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes.

There's the definition of introspection if you quickly type 'define introspection' into Google.  I wish to propose a great scriptural definition of introspection that comes from the book of Haggai in the Old Testament.  Now some of you  may think to yourselves "is that actually a book in the Old Testiment?"  Yes, yes it is.  And it's pretty short and it's not an oft quoted book, but in the first chapter there is some amazing wisdom from the Lord given to Haggai in a very short phrase which reads:

Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. (Haggai 1:5)

Consider your ways.  What an excellent piece of advice from a loving Heavenly Father.  We are, just as Haggai, admonished to consider our actions and by connection to consider everything that makes the person we look at in the mirror.  Why would the Lord want us to consider who we are and why we are ourselves?  Simply because if one does not understand where one is in relation to God, one cannot possibly make lasting progress in becoming like God.  We are commanded to "be ye therefore perfect" by the Savior (Matt 5:48).  But if we don't adequately understand our own mortal state and the flaws that are inherent within each of us, how can we possibly become perfect.  

Imagine for a moment this scenario.  A college student near the end of the semester walks into one of his classes for an English final.  He sits down and begins to write his essay.  For over an hour he writes based on the generic prompt in front of him about the book he has spent weeks pouring over.  From a stack of blank papers this student produces a long, well written, essay.  He confidently turns in the paper to his professor and leaves the classroom, certain of his upcoming achievement.  Days go by and the professor has finished grading the papers.  The students gather to see their scores and congratulate one another on their success.  But when our fine student sees his grade his is dismayed to find that he has scored far lower than he thought he should.  Filled with a mixture of agitation and incredulity he meets with his professor shortly thereafter and inquires of the reason for his poor performance.  The professor sits him down and explains that the reason for his poor score was that his essay had been written on the wrong book.  The class had required a reading of one book that was supposed to be the basis for the essay, and he used another of his own choosing.  The rubric and scoring was designed for the book specified by the teacher.  And though the student wrote excellently, he has missed the mark.  Though he had worked, he had failed to work hard on what truly mattered.  

So our lives can be if we do not take time to ponder how our actions and works will be graded upon at the day of judgment.  We can spend our lives doing work that ultimately misses the mark on what this life is meant for.  Too often in our lives we can become consumed by the miniscule and become lost in the thick of thin things.  If we do not take time to ponder where we are in relation to the eventual judgment that will take place, we can finish our lives feeling confident that we have done well, but are in for a rude awakening when we are brought before the judgment bar and measured to the only scale that matters in the eternities.  My hope is that all of you will 'consider your ways' and see if they are the Lord's ways.  Follow his footsteps instead of making your own trail.  

I love you all, and hope that you have a great week!

Love, Elder Gailey