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I Would Not Hear

21 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by latterdaylamanite in Book of Mormon

≈ 1 Comment

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Amulek, calling, money, riches, Zion

The Lord told Adam that he “shalt” eat by the sweat of his brow all his days (KJV). Since then, there have been many who, rather than rely on the Lord for their bounty (the Lord multiplies crops, orchards, gardens, fruits, vegetables and grains, rebuking the devourer for the sake of the righteous), they rely on the arm of their own flesh; on their own industry. The more I ponder Amulek, the more I see just how much I was like Amulek. He was industrious and a man of means and of money and of reputation. He was the CEO of his own company.

2 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi; and it was that same Aminadi who interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of the temple, which was written by the finger of God.

3 And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.

4 And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry.

5 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.

I’ve been a business owner since I was a teenager. When you are a business owner, you rely on yourself and your cunning and intellect and and planning and organizing. You rely on people for your business as they are your potential customers and clients. You influence their agency. Where is the Lord in all this? It cannot be right to ask God to bless people so that they will buy from you, patronize your business and make you rich and prosperous. And I used to pray such things as a business owner for many years.

I don’t know how many times I did not fulfill callings such as home teaching, because I was too busy managing, organizing, making contacts, etc. I shudder to think how I will look back on my life and seeing how often I passed someone in need of my substance or succor. How often did I not come to someone in need because I was too busy getting gain (as described in the Book of Mormon)?

My life is in a much different place now. I have simplified my life considerably and am trying to simplify it further–in fact as far as I can. The more I cast off the world, the less I need money to subsist or even to be entertained. You can buy anything in this world with money. But you can also get by well enough without it, or at least, in a modern world without much at all. If you have no debt, you don’t need money. It is irrelevant. And then you can focus so much more time on helping and serving others. My heart is in a much better place today. Truly a rich man is not fit for Zion. He ignores its call. Those who labor in Zion labor for Zion.

More Things To Do

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by latterdaylamanite in Just Marc

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mammon, money, needy, poor, success, wealth

So I was reading the newspaper yesterday and happened upon the GO! section. This is the section where you can find all the events that are going on in the local and even the regional area. I browsed through all the concerts, movies, rodeos and then I flipped the page. In big capital letters read the words, “MORE THINGS TO DO.” Underneath and on the next four pages were categories of more things to do. There were lists of events under EXHIBITS, and there were lists of events under MUSEUMS and so on for OPERA, COMEDY, etc. There were MORE THINGS TO DO JUST FOR KIDS, too.

As if I didn’t already have enough things to do. It seems that we as a people excel at complicating our lives so much that we struggle to find time to entertain ourselves with more things to do. I still cringe to think of the time when all I wanted in life was to be successful. And to be successful you have to work hard. if I was working hard and building my dream, I would reach a point where I could coast the rest of my life. I have noticed, however, that people don’t truly coast when they hit that point. They still have to work just as hard to keep all the fancy things that they have acquired. The irony of seeking any kind of freedom, whether financial, spiritual, etc, is that the source of your freedom also becomes your master.

Today most people equate success with money. We forget, however, that money is not at all synonymous with success. Success depends on the journey, though. And the journey depends on your choice of direction. Jesus Christ said that no man can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold on to one and despise the other. We cannot serve God and Mammon. For those who do not know, Mammon is a word that has several meanings wrapped up in one: wealth, riches, possessions, materialism. Basically it is worldliness. And I cannot ignore how the two have been conflated.

This is in stark contrast to the teachings of our Savior who traveled without purse or scrip. And when once a man told Him that he would follow Him wherever He went, the Savior replied, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

I have come to learn that I cannot be a true disciple of Jesus Christ if I am always looking for more things to do, more things to buy, more riches to possess, more things to outgrow and more things to throw away. I’ll never forget the Saturday I toured a new outdoor shopping mall in Salt Lake City to see what all the fuss was about. There were so many people walking along, shopping, wearing their latest fashions and shiny things at overpriced outlets. Meanwhile, just outside the center at almost every entrance sat someone asking for help. There is a world full of people who need help. These are the people that Jesus Christ spent His time with during His mortal ministry. These are the people that Alma and the four sons of Mosiah spent countless years serving. I prefer to think of those words in a new context, and as I strive to be more like my Savior serving others, I know that there are always more things to do.

King Benjamin was one who had more things to do and he implored his people; his esteemed brothers and sisters to do the same:

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—
18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.
19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

Indeed I have more things to do!

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