Mindful Latter-day Saint Apologetics
Providing thoughtful and faithful responses to criticisms and questions of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ
This is a response to a post written by Melanie Redd, entitled: An open letter to my friend who has stopped going to church. The article is inspiring, heartfelt, and encouraging. So, what is the reason to respond to this post? It is not merely the post itself, it is also the comments posted and… Continue reading Reason I’ve stopped attending Church
Today, our religious worship requires something more. It requires our sincere reverence and gratitude. It is a sacrifice of our own self and will. Such sacrifice comes when we call upon God, through Jesus Christ on a daily basis
Faith is the driving factor to us going forward into this new year with purpose and meaning. The Apostle Paul taught that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). And in Alma 32:21 we read that ...faith is not to have perfect knowledge of things;
If any truth of my own personal journey and recovery holds validity it is the idea that I still feel inadequate. Still feel that I am not the man I have wanted to become. And I sometimes forget that my recovery and spiritual growth are a personal journey of becoming complete in Christ.
All these teachings helps us understand the central truth of the Gospel - Jesus is the Christ by whom we are saved. Salvation comes when we place our initial faith and trust in Him. It comes when we humble ourselves and enter into the waters of baptism for the remission of our sins. This is accomplished when we come to the awareness of our natural state and disposition. Through repentance, we receive the first principle ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Faith teaches us to act in a manner to which we believe God will help us, strengthen us, and give unto us what we need to withstand the storms in our lives. Scripture is firm on the nature of our faith as it relates to God. Christ constantly chastised the disciples - O ye of little faith. Christ commented on the simplest acts of faith - I have not seen such great faith. Faith even may bring healing into our own lives - Thy faith has made thee whole. Each time Christ ministered to those individuals it is because they had sought him out.
Today, we do well to focus on the teachings of our Heavenly Father. Work to walk in faithful obedience to His divine and righteous council. Stand firm on the truth of His personal revelation and will for our lives. Sit with those who are working out their faith with fear and trembling and fighting the good fight (See, Philippians 2:12 and 1 Timothy 6:12, KJV).
I did not believe that when I turn my heart over to God, that He governs me and shapes me automatically. This is not what inspired scripture teaches in Proverbs 4:23. It is a command to guard my heart. I am to be careful about what I allow into my heart. My heart cannot be an open door to unbiblical and ungodly influences. I am not to be captive to them; they are to be captive to the word of God. I am given the responsibility of being vigilant about their content.
Where do my affections lie? Do I hear the truth and then turn my heart toward other things? I will not retain what I have heard or read unless I spend time dwelling on it, turning it over in my mind and locking it within my heart. I will not be changed and I will not grow by passive hearing. I must set my affections on God's wisdom, act on it, and beat away any philosophical or material rivals. The promise for doing that is amazing: life and health. Truth and righteousness are powerful; they are the substance of my own life.
For me, I had to learn to be patient toward myself because I realized there was much healing needed to take place. Healing because I had not realized that much of the reason for being impulsive, compulsive, seeking approval of others was due to my self-invisibility and survival mode that had brought much dissatisfaction within my own life. My self-esteem was quite low.
I stand grateful and amazed and confused at the sovereign Grace of my Heavenly Father. Grace bestowed upon me by Christ's death, burial, and resurrection to a new life. Confessing my sins and embracing Christ as my Savior is the essential first step to spiritual transformation and growth.
When someone explodes, I am responsible to realize that it is always best to be mindful and remain silent. I want to remind myself that such outbursts only reveal the individuals own unhappiness and dissatisfaction. I move to detach myself from making the situation far more worst by taking seriously what they say.
The aim of living in recovery is to deepen our transformation and help us become more like Jesus Christ. For this reason, when we engage in recovery, we’re not just looking for new information; we want to become a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means relying on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to help us change our hearts, our views, our actions, and our very natures.
Do not waste your time grieving over the fact that your life may feel empty because of a lack of enjoyment. For, it is only joy that brings true authentic happiness that sustains us during times of despair and struggle. God did not create us to merely endure mortality. He gave us the ability to enjoy the life we have been given. This is what Christ meant when he promised us an abundant life (see John 10:10).
Photo by Mateusz Sau0142aciak on Pexels.com Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. ~Lamentations 3:40, KJV ~ Both busyness and mind-numbing activities are ways to avoid self-reflection. Self-reflection runs against the grain of a busy culture. It requires us to set specific time aside to be quiet, still, and… Continue reading Self-Examination is a Courageous and Faithful Spiritual Discipline
Today, we do well to focus on the teachings of our Heavenly Father. Work to walk in faithful obedience to His divine and righteous council. Stand firm on the truth of His personal revelation and will for our lives. Sit with those who are working out their faith with fear and trembling and fighting the good fight (See, Philippians 2:12 and 1 Timothy 6:12, KJV).
James appears to sum up all the truths of scripture with verses 16-18. These verses focuses on the Divine love and Knowledge of God's Sovereign Grace and how it is bestowed upon us. Christ is the good gift that has been brought forth from Heaven. Through Christ, we are brought into a new way of living. It is through our Heavenly Father's loving kindness and mercy that we experience a spiritual awakening and rebirth.
For us, we feel that our zealousness slowly fades away with each inevitable struggle. If that is the case - maybe it is time to slow down, to take a sabbath, find ways to be grateful for what you have, and above all else, pray to our Heavenly Father. And, if worry and fear has weighted you down some - pray with great intensity and passion to seek God's divine grace that will renew your soul.
Photo by Daria Obymaha on Pexels.com No, I do not want to live a life of misery where there is no hope, there is no faith, and there is no charity. I am not giving up on myself or on my life. Regardless of my age and where I am now at. So, then how… Continue reading Yes, I am Letting go of Happiness in my Life
What then is the recipe to get on the other side of our wrestling match with God? First, we ought to remember to always seek after truth in our own lives. Not only seek after it, live it out as authentic as possible. Remember that just as God validates our own sorrows, our own struggles and our own doubts and fears, we too must validate other's who are going through their own season of wrestling with God. Secondly, we ought to be ready to be of service to those who are wanting to find their own personal revelation. Though, we are not able to give to them their own revelation about God, or receive answers for them. We are, instead, able to encourage, empower and support their ongoing means to find their own blessing, testimony and faith in God. Much like Jacob had to wrestle with God and receive the blessing afterward, we too must do this alone - not without the support of others around us though.
It is not enough to merely confess Christ as our Lord and Savior that makes a spiritual and significant impact. We must walk in obedience to God's will. Study the scriptures. Live in the center of His divine sovereign will. By doing so, we increase in our faith. We grow in His Grace and truth. We become healthy and strong in the Lord.
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.~ 1 Timothy 2:7, KJV ~ Our Christian Faith is a simple one to share with others ~ January 13, 2020 Devotional ~ A simple faith makes the greatest spiritual impact and influence in the lives of others. We… Continue reading A Simple and Genuine Faith to Share
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ~ 1 John 2:6, ESV ~ How remarkably obvious that there are many people today who claim to know of Christ yet lack the ability to walk as Jesus walked. This incongruity is caused when an individual decides they'd rather… Continue reading To Walk as Jesus Walked
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness ~ Ephesians 4:22-24, ESV ~ Christianity offers… Continue reading Putting Off the Old Self and Put on the New Self
One of the things we do not consider is the review mirror effect of looking back on our lives. Going through some of my previous writings, and musings, I found this. Originally written in January of 2014. I happened to attend a MARS Hill Church in Shoreline, Washington. The sermon finished up a series based off the book… Continue reading Seeking transformation toward a more enduring authentic Christian life
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control ~ 2 Timothy 1:7, ESV ~ Recovery is a process of growth. This growth comes from our relationship with God. The moment we decided to give our life and will over to Heavenly Father, is the very moment we experience a… Continue reading Being mindful and receptive
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalms 118:24, ESV ~ Everyday we engage in recovery, let it be a day of celebration. This is what the 118th Psalm reminds us of. As we surrender our life and will over to a Sovereign God, we are given… Continue reading This is His day and I will rejoice
Why Do the Best People Say They Are Done? Josh Packard, Ph.D., a sociologist, has done some research into this question in his book, Church Refugees. In interviews, he discovered people keep hearing the same old lectures from the pulpit. They do not want to “plop, pray and pay,” but want to be involved with others… Continue reading The “Dones” and the Need for Revolutionary Christian Writing
This is a response to a post written by Melanie Redd, entitled: An open letter to my friend who has stopped going to church. The article is inspiring, heartfelt, and encouraging. So, what is the reason to respond to this post? It is not merely the post itself, it is also the comments posted and… Continue reading Reason I’ve stopped attending Church
For it must needs be, there is an opposition in all things ~ 2 Nephi 2:11 ... it is as necessary that we should have difficulties to contend with, in order to make intelligent provision for our spiritual concerns, as it is that we should have the winter frosts and stormy weather to enable us… Continue reading How opposition is beneficial to our authentic Christian life
Mindful Latter-day Saint Apologetics 
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