Some thoughts from reading Alma 29:6-9 this morning,
"Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."
The Institute manual quotes Elder Henry D. Moyle from October 1952 General Conference talking about these verses,
"I believe that we, as fellow workers in the priesthood, might well take to heart the admonition of Alma and be content with that which God hath allotted us. We might well be assured that we had something to do with our 'allotment' in our pre-existent state. This would be an additional reason for us to accept our present condition and make the best of it. It is what we agreed to do .... We had our own free agency in our pre-mortax existence, and whatever we are today is likely the result of that which we willed to be heretofore"
I love how reading scriptures consistently through our lives can reveal different aspects of the same verses. I have generally taken these to be missionary verses, Alma rejoicing in doing missionary work, then realizing he would be very happy bringing one soul to God.
That clearly is part of the message, but there is more. We should not be blaming our current mistakes on our parents, how we were born, our circumstances, or anything else. We should start where we are, and make the best of our lives from today forward.
"It is what we agreed to do."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Love this post Awes! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and studies, and for the wonderful reminder...we are here based upon our choices, based upon what we wanted so what room do we have to whine or complain?! Powerful thought indeed, love!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I feel like complaining, I try to remember the line in the hymn "wake up and do something more". Soon I forget what it was I wanted to complain about (another way the Lord blesses us for doing).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insightful comments, as always. They really add to the discussion!
Thank you so much for sharing. The gift of choice is such a beautiful truth. Especially knowing we had and used this gift before to bring us where we are now. I need to remember we always have the gift to choose for ourselves. Thank you for inspiring me to choose to rejoice in life.
ReplyDeleteThat was a very kind comment, thank you Everyday Escapades!
ReplyDelete