Tarzan - Strangers Like Me

To continue from yesterdays Tarzan, we shall discuss how we are all alike, even when we can seem strange to others.

"there so much to Learn"

There is much to learn about Life, the Universe, and Everything.  However the answer is not 42, the answer is 'The Gospel'.

"It's all so Close, and Yet so Far"

Many people believe in Christ, but they all have their own way of expressing that Belief or Faith.  But the Bible says, "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism". (Ephesians 4:5)  But if there is only 'One Way' to return to live with our Heavenly Father, then why are there so many different Denominations?

It is because of the Great Apostasy, or Falling Away. (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3)  So all of these Denominations have come so Close to having the Truth in its Fullness, but they are Far enough away that they don't realize it.

There is something Bigger out there.  Do you want to Know?  Do you want me to Show you?

"But behold,

if ye will awake and arouse your faculties [make an effort],

even to an experiment upon my words,

and exercise a particle of faith,

yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe,

let this desire work in you,

even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place

for a portion of my words."

-- Alma 32:27

I can tell you more, and I will show you.  But first you must have a Willing Heart.

When Clayton becomes frustrated he makes an excellent point about the Gospel.  If we spend all our time on what We want, but it is not the pursuit of Truth and increased Knowledge, which is what the Lord wants, then we are putting our spiritual life at risk.  As he states, the 'boat' could arrive any day, and we should ask questions Straight Out, or Without Reservation.

Give a Question in the Comments, or go to LDS.org and MORMON.org for a greater understanding of the Gospel.

Son of Man

Sometimes we don't see our own potential.

But if we do our best to do what the Lord has planned for us, we can do things that have never been done before.

Tarzan was having a bad day.  We all have bad days sometimes.

Sometimes I have

But, "The Son of Man hath descended below them all." (Doctrine and Covenants 122:8)

Once Tarzan learns that he is the same on the inside as everyone else, he does everything he can to prove his worth to Kerchak.

Sure he has a few mistakes there in the beginning, but as he grows he learns how to be more efficient and also gains more Strength.  Likewise must we start out by acting on Faith, and then grow until we have a Strong Testimony of the Gospel.

"I have fed you with milk,

and not with meat:

for hitherto ye were not able to bear it,

neither yet now are ye able."
-- 1 Corinthians 3:2

A particular set of Lyrics for the clip is, "Son of Man, LOOK TO THE SKY."

Where are we to find the Son of Man?  The Lord addresses Ezekiel as 'son of man' (such as Ezekiel 37:16), but this is lower case and designates the mortality of Ezekiel.  THE Son of Man has ascended to Heaven, and we shall need to Look to the Sky if we are to find Him.  Perhaps the Sky should be herein considered as a Symbol of the Scriptures.

"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,

why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

this same Jesus,

which is taken up from you into heaven,

shall so come in like manner

as ye have seen him go into heaven."

-- Acts 1:11

Next set of Lyrics to evaluate, "Lift your Spirit, Set it FREE."

We all know, 'Freedom comes with a Price.'  What is the Price of Spiritual Freedom?  And How do we 'Lift our Spirit?

Much as the laws of the land are there to keep us safe physically, the Laws of God are there only to keep us safe Spiritually.  You wouldn't want to be going 112 miles an hour and have an unexpected sharp turn, so the posted speed limit is going to be something like 35-45 miles an hour for your safety.  Sometimes this Law, or Commandment, is uncomfortable.  However, if we choose not to follow it, the consequence could turn out with us badly hurt.

The same is true Spiritually, if we Choose not to obey one of God's Commandments, then we will have to deal with the consequence of our actions.  Doing drugs limits our ability to make other choices.  Having Inappropriate Sexual Relations with anyone results in shame, guilt, and diseases.  There are many blessings which we do not receive if we do not keep the Sabbath day Holy. (Leviticus 26:1-13)

If we Keep the Commandments of God, we the Serpent comes after us he will not have power to harm us, and we will be able to be a blessing to others around us.

"The purpose of the gospel is to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature."

-- David O. McKay

In essence, the Gospel of Christ intends for us to BECOME, more like Christ.

Do what Christ has taught, and

"A [son of] Man in Time You'll BE."

Pocahontas - Is Your Heart Feeling Savage?

Ask yourself, "Am I 'Savage' towards others?"

Interdenominational differences often cause people to raise aggressive defense against each other.  This is not intended to happen if we truly lived the Gospel as taught by Jesus Christ.

"And he gave some, apostles;

and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists;

and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints,

for the work of the ministry,

for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith,

and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

unto a perfect man,

unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

-- Ephesians 4:11-13

All of the offices of the Priesthood listed were given specifically for us to come into a 'Unity of the Faith'.  Are we Unified in our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ?  Is there only One 'Faith', or 'Church' on the Earth?

Jesus Christ set up His church when He was on the Earth.  Jesus Christ is Perfect, therefore anything He does or establishes must needs be perfect.  Futhermore, if there are any changes made to that church which He established it would become imperfect, because you simply can't make something 'more than perfect'.

If Christ's Church had the offices of Prophet (Adam, Noah, Moses), Apostles (Peter, James, John), Seventy (Luke 10:1,17), Pastor/Bishop (1 Timothy 3:1), Teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28), Deacons (1 Timothy 3:8), Patriarch/Evangelist (Hebrews 7:4), Elder (James 5:14), Priest and High Priest (Hebrews 5:10, Hebrews 9:6-7).

Christ is the Head of the Church. (Ephesians 5:23, Mosiah 5:8)

So how can we know of ourselves which Church is True to the organization of Christ's Church?

Prayer.  That's it.  Prayer is the only way to know if any particular Church is right.  Don't bother asking some mortal, even myself, because they will tell you as far as their understanding allows.  God however cannot lie, and has all the understanding of the Universe.  He is also your Heavenly Father and you can Trust Him without any reservation.

When Pocahontas goes to speak to 'Grandmother Willow', she seeks guidance.  This represents prayer. The Spirit, like the Spinning Arrow guides us in Truth, and tells us what we should do.  Once we know the path we need to have the courage to run the course.  Much as Pocahontas could have received her revelation that she should save John Smith, had she not run as fast as she could to save him, or in other words to Live the Gospel, then he would have been killed by her father, and many others would have been killed in war.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye find direction.  Pray to your Heavenly Father and He will give you direction, but you must listen with your Heart.

It is Unfortunate That so Many Seek the Ways of the Devil

Sometimes things happen that are not so good.  This is 'Unfortunate'.

"For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
-- Romans 6:23

Some decisions we have to make in life can be very hard.

Like when Ariel Finds this guy, and she thinks he is attractive.

She kinda wants to spend time with him.  Lots of Time.

So she went to the nearest person who could give her Immediate Gratification.

Ariel Foolishly signed a Contract 'For ALL Eternity'.

Satan (the Sea Witch) puts on a pretty good show, and Ariel got a good set of Legs.  However, Satan will not care if you dont know how to swim with legs, and drown before even finding Prince Eric.

Satan will give you everything you want, and he gives it to you right away.  However the one thing you Should want the he cannot give you is Eternal Life.

"And thus we see that the devil

will not support his children at the last day,

but doth speedily drag them down to hell."

-- Alma 30:60

Eternal Life is the Greatest gift that God can give us, but we must Patiently Endure to the End, being obedient to His Commandments.

Getting something that we think is good now, isn't what is always best for us in the long term.

God will never ask us to give away our talents as payment for his blessings.  He gave us our Talents in the first place, and wants us to share them to bless the lives of others.  He gives open reward when we seek to develop and improve our talents.

Ariel's talent was Singing, and 'the devil' took it away.

NEVER GIVE YOUR TALENTS AWAY FOR ANYTHING.

"And so he that had received five talents came

and brought other five talents, saying,

Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents:

behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

His lord said unto him,

Well done, thou good and faithful servant:

thou hast been faithful over a few things,

I will make thee ruler over many things:

enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

-- Matthew 25:20-21

"I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth:

lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him,

Thou wicked and slothful servant,

thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not,

and gather where I have not strawed:

...

Take therefore the talent from him,

and give it unto him which hath ten talents."

-- Matthew 25:25-26,28

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Goofy Movie Stand out and Eye to Eye

Don't be distracted by the world.

We should see everything the same way that God sees things.  We should want what He wants.

In A Goofy Movie, Goofy and his son Max go on a fishing trip, which Max didn't actually want to go on.  Max was a bit of a trouble maker in school, and somewhat rebellious at home. (much like most teenagers)

Goofy just wanted to spend time with his son, but he didn't take into account what his son wanted to do while spending time together.  This meant that Max was simply more rebellious while they were on their trip.

Meanwhile, Max just wants to impress a girl, Roxanne, and get her to think that he is 'cool'.

So Goofy entrusts Max with the map, which Max subsequently alters to take them to the Powerline concert, instead of going Fishing.  Most parents would not be very happy with this.

However, after they talk about it some, Goofy and Max both accept that they still love each other and want to help when things don't go the way they wanted it too.

 

When he needed help, Max spoke with his Father.

"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other." -- LDS Bible Dictionary When we Pray to our Heavenly Father, we align our will to His. Sometimes we find out that He is ok with what we had planned, but that we just needed to ask Him for help before He would grant those blessings. As seen in the first clip at the beginning of this blog, Goofy and Max did make it on stage with Powerline, and in the end Max did get Roxanne to really like him.

It is when we have an Eye Single to the Glory of God, that we are able to do the most good and achieve the best things in this life.

"And faith, hope, charity and love,

with an eye single to the glory of God,

qualify him for the work."

-- Doctrine and Covenants 4:5

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For the Birds ~ Or, For the FOWLS

This is my Favorite Pixar Short.

My First thought is that of the Law of Chastity.  There is no need to be running around without any Feathers(Clothing) to cover our body.  We should maintain modest dress standards no matter what the occasion is.

The second point is that we should always show 'Brotherly Kindness' to those around us.  Just because someone thinks Different, Acts Different, Believes Different, and is simply DIFFERENT from us, doesn't mean we should whisper rumors back and forth, and we should also probably not peck at their toes.

A third item on the agenda is that we should have Patience.  Just because someone or something cause us some level of discomfort now, doesn't mean that making them go away will immediately make everything better.  Sometimes God will let us struggle a bit before He sends help.  Sometimes we have to figure out how to fix the problem on our own.  We have several options with this clip.  The little birds could have flown somewhere else and not been bothered by the big bird.  They could have sat farther apart from each other in the first place.  They could have spread out on one of the other wires.  All the other birds could have flown away when they realized that the wire was going to project them into the air.  God gives us many options, but we have to make our own choices.

Lastly I wish to point out that all of the birds are blue.  I personally believe that the big bird is either the little birds Mom or Grandma.  If this was the case, the little teenager birds were well animated.  However, just because they think they are so clever as to run away from Mommy and talk amongst themselves, Mommy still knew what they were doing, and Mommy always knows best.

Notice, Mommy didn't lose any feathers.

Only ONE More

So I only have one more month as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I have some mixed feeling about going home, as I have spent Two Years away from everything (no movies, no TV, no Video Games, no College, no Dating, no Job) to teach others about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This next month I will draw from the great power of the Film industry to teach the Gospel by similarities and comparison to those things which most people are already familiar with.

Most of the clips I will be using are musical, and the from Disney movies.  I hope you enjoy them and learn at the same time.

Why Should WE Worry?

So this song is by Dodger, and he is wondering why he should care about anything.

Why should we care?  What great need do we have to worry?

Many people believe that they can be 'Saved' and then they are good for the rest of forever.  This is not exactly the best line of thinking.  We cannot 'Be Saved' in this life.  It is possible to 'fall' even after being Baptized, or accepting Christ.

We should take major precations with our choices in life.  As today is the Fourth of July, and most Americans will be celebrating the Day of our Independance, which usually includes Fireworks.

As a missionary I am held to particular rules that are for personal safety, which I am not held to outside of the Two Years that I wear a Name Tag.  One of those rules is to not handle fireworks.  some people think that this is ridiculous, and that being 22 years old 'I should be able to do things like this safely'.

Well I have handled many fireworks before my mission, and I too am pretty sure that I can still do so safely.  so "Why Should I Worry, or Care"?  The point is that God, through His Prophet, has given His Divine Counsel to avoid doing so.

So if I am able to follow God's counsel for Two Years, I will have His blessings with me.

Even after we accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we still need to give heed to the Commandments that God has given us.  We can't just sit back and think that everything will go along just fine.  We must continue to repent from sin, and make things right when we do something wrong.

No one can 'Be Saved' until AFTER they are dead, and AFTER ALL of their choices have been finalized.


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YOU are NOT WORTHLESS

Sometimes we all have to go through the dark times in order to 'transform' into what the lord whats us to be.

And when we get there we will find that others need our help as well.

When Shang begins training, he doesn't think Mulan (Ping) is really capable of anything.  Ping is the worst at all of the training exercises, and even tries to cheat the system.(Mushu's Fault)

However, after he sends her home she feels like she can't do anything, and that she really is worthless.  These feeling come from the Devil.  When she comes into the shadow of the Tree with the Arrow, she realizes that if she could get to that Arrow she would prove her worth.

God does not ask us to 'Prove' that we are of worth in this world.  He simply says that WE ARE.

After everyone wakes up in the Morning and they see that she can "Retrieve the Arrow" (while thinking she is a man) they realize that each of them have their own Talents and Abilities.

Chien-Po is no longer afraid of water, and can do flips to each platform across the river.

Yao can run through blazing arrows, even when they are 10 times as thick as before.

Ling can smash stone with his face without losing any teeth, or hurting himself.

We all have Talents and Abilities, sometimes we just need to figure out what they are before giving up and going home.

Trinity or Godhead ? ?

So I have had quite a few questions about the 'Trinity'.  This post is to help others understand where the Trinity came from and how it was conceived.

"And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."

-- John 8:16
If I am not alone then there must be another person standing by, and I cannot send myself somewhere, I would just GO there.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
-- John 14:26

Again being sent is a command from someone else, and if 'he' (the Holy Ghost) shall bring all things which Christ had said unto them, why would He not have said that, 'I shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have already told you'?

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

-- Acts 10:38
To anoint is like giving a blessing.  The priesthood of God is used to bless and help others, not yourself.  Being selfish is against the will of the Lord, and prevents one from exercising the priesthood.  When Christ was baptized by this same priesthood authority, 'God was with him'.  I cannot be with myself, I simply am myself.

"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
-- Luke 3:22
The Holy Ghost has the form of a body all on his own, and if Christ was in the water then how could He be speaking from Heaven.  'Thou' and 'Thee' are pronouns like 'you' and are used when talking with someone else, not yourself.

The notion of the Trinity was conceived by men because after the Death and Resurrection of Christ, His apostles were also killed.  In war if you don't like the King you kill all of the Kings servants as well to prevent them from rebelling against your dominion.  The Jewish senate known as the Sanhedrin condemned Christ, so also afterward they sought to destroy His apostles.  After those apostles were gone there was no one left on the earth with the priesthood authority to speak with God concerning doctrines taught in the scriptures.  So several hundred years went by with honest men giving what they thought about the Bible.

These concepts were than taken to be correct because their was very little opportunity to actually read the Bible itself without having someone else who could read Greek, Latin, or Hebrew.  It wasn't until about 1500 AD that William Tyndale translated the Bible into English.  This even had to be done secretly as the church and national governments did not agree with giving the common folk access to sacred scripture.  Tyndale once said to a priest, "If God spare my life ere many years, I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the scriptures than you!" (source)

This was realized about 300 years later when a 14 year-old farmboy in New York was reading the Bible, which was made possible by Tyndale's efforts to translate it into English. 

Excerpts from the history of how this farmboy, Joseph Smith, learned more about scripture than an educated priest, is as follows.  For the entire record see Joseph Smith History.


"There was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion.

"During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit....but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.

"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

"I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

"When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right and which I should join.

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” "


Joseph Smith was called as a Prophet of God, to restore the church that Christ had established during His mortal ministry.  Through him we have the Knowledge that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared in the year 1820, side by side.

In regard to the Godhead the scriptures teach that They are each individual, yet one in purpose.  Separate physically, but united spiritually.  Even as I and my mortal father are united in our labors when we go out into the field to work, so also was Christ united with the Father while laboring here in His vineyard.


"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me."

-- John 8:42

I cannot be my own father.  That would require being of age before I was born.  If God works by natural laws, and is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), then Jesus Christ could not have also been His own Father.

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

-- John 17:20-21

Here Christ prays for His apostles, but not them alone also all who believe on their words.  Therefore there must needs be a way for us to be 'one', or 'united', with each other while still in possesion of our own individual bodies.

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."

-- John 20:17

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are not each other.  However they each hold the title of God.