I was thinking last week that I needed to write a blog entitled
"Mormon Dictionary" Because although we as Mormons share with other
Christian faiths a vocabulary of biblical terms, we also have a diverse
language of our own and sometimes even those who are members don't fully
understand some meanings. I would include those words and phrases
that are very and most times uniquely Latter-Day Saint that sometimes
have a more in-depth meaning such as free agency, foreordination, plan
of salvation, patriarchal blessing, and my personal favorite eternal
perspective.
I chose eternal perspective as my favorite "Mormon
word" because even the flow of it from the mouth seems to ring out a
sound of hope and escape from a world of death and pain. We are taught,
as we come to baptism and membership in the church to think not
worldly, or presently, but eternally; that we might develop an eternal
perspective to comfort and strengthen us in our daily living until our
work upon this earth is done. How peaceful the thought.... life is not
just today or tomorrow, it is, forever....
After
thinking about that, and how those two words seem to flow into one, I
googled the word perspective just to see what came up and this is what
particularly struck me of the several definitions: "Perspective, a true
understanding of the relative importance of things..." Then I googled
the word eternal and got " valid for all time; essentially
unchanging..." If we put the two meanings together to fit our word we
have, "eternal perspective: a true understanding of the relative
importance of things that are unchanging, and valid for all time." Next
I "Mormoniszed
it and this is what wI came up with: "eternal perspective: a true
understanding and knowledge of the relative importance of the gospel of
Jesus Christ which is unchanging and valid for all time." I say then
that this is not only a beautiful Mormon word, but indeed a very
important one, one that stems from our core.
As Latter-day
saints we belive in forever, and as we grow in our knowledge of the
gospel, it should be our goal to conduct our lives on earth in a
forever manner. Eternal life, when considering an eternal perspective
is the greatest of all gifts from God. It is reserved for those who
believe and obey. It is our hope of a better life to come that enables
us to stand against the trials and temptations of the world. When we
gain an eternal perspective of where we come from, why we are here and
what lies ahead, we are able to better govern our choices while here on
earth.
After pondering these things and this word I'd chosen as my
favorite, I thought about myself. When Sunday comes I am in that
thinking mode. Its time to keep the day holy, to make good choices, to
ready myself for spiritual enlightenment. I gear up for a day of
service and love and make my choices based on the eternal principles
that I know to be true. But, what about the rest of the week. What is
it like when I walk out of this building following the meetings and go
out into the world to make preparing ourselves to return to Heavenly
Father. What are my thoughts like when faced with decision-making
throughout the work week. When faced with big challenges and choices I
always remember what I've learned. I call upon the Lord and fast and
pray and find a way with the help of the Savior to make the right
decision, one that will have a positive impact not only in this life but
the life to come. My question for myself then was what about the
other choices, how do I react in my day-to-day interactions, are the
choices I make, even the little ones, in keeping with that eternal
perspective? It as while thinking about this and searching and studying
that I found a story.....
A certain man, having lived a long and
productive life, was getting ready to meet his Maker. One night he had a
dream during which he was told that because he had been generous with
his considerable worldly wealth he would be permitted to take his most
valued possession with him when he passed on to the other world. The
next morning, the old man set out to put his affairs in order. He
liquidated his assets and gave half of all he had to charities and other
good purposes. The other half he had converted into gold bars. Upon his
death, Saint Peter met him and welcomed him to his new home. But when
he noticed the large and heavy bag that the man was carrying, Saint
Peter reminded him that no one could bring any earthly goods with them
to this place. The old man described his dream and indicated that he had
been given special permission to bring this treasure with him. “Okay,”
said Saint Peter, “if you have permission. But may I see what you chose
as your greatest treasure?” When Saint Peter looked into the bag, he
stepped back in amazement and questioned, “For your treasure you brought
pavement?”
This story is all about how things can be seen while here on earth. And when thinking about it are we at many times not unlike
this man waiting at the pearly gates with his bags of gold. As humans,
we tend sometimes, to cling to things and ideas that seem so valuable
and important, yet in the end, may really be quite worthless. It is
very important that we not assume the perspectives of mortality in
making decisions that bear our eternity. We need to understand that we
cannot do the Lord's work in the worlds way. If we really believe
that God is real, it should begin to change, or determine all of our
thinking, and even the small choices can begin to be made with an
eternal perspective.
The
scriptures can teach us so much about keeping an eternal perspective in
our day-to-day interactions and one story that sticks out in my mind is
that of Esau in Genesis Chapter 25. When reading about him, we learn
that arriving home one day from a hunting expedition, a famished Esau
longed for his brother’s food. “Feed me, I pray thee,” Esau pled (Gen. 25:30). Jacob agreed, but for a price: his brother’s birthright. The scripture says, “Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34).
and he says, upon request to sell it, "Behold I am at the point to die,
what profit shall this birthright do to me?" If by this Esau saw his
birth right as pertaining only to this life, he did not have an eternal
perspective which then influenced his choice most negatively. So let us
then ask ourselves daily, are we too selling our birthright with our
choices? Do we have an eternal perspective and does it influence all of
our choices, or do we fall for the things of the world forgetting the
Lord?
When we
remember the Lord and keep the end goal im mind we gain great blessings,
gifts and strength. Daily as we choose with an eternal perspective, we
will be blessed and comforted. We will gain respect for the integrity
of our steadfastness in gospel center choices such as not cursing,
choosing our activities with care, and watching our temper. We will
have better health in living the word of wisdom, we will gain a personal
peace in making and keeping sacred covenants with temple attendance,
Our homes will be a haven as we make them a place where the Lord can
dwell. The service we give to others through magnifying our church
callings or otherwise will bring us knowledge and healing. And Temporal
trials, set backs or struggles become an opportunity to develop soul
power. In keeping an eternal perspective with our choices we gain
great strength and forge through adversity developing faith that is life
changing, that is strong and forever.
As most of you know I have identified myself as a connoisseur of
trials. I have personally lived through struggles that I belive no one
should have to go through, and that I thought I would never survive
but when keeping my thoughts upon eternity my choices through these
times became different from that of the world and I did survive, in fact
I am a new person today because of them. I really don't want to live
through those trials again, but I am truly grateful for the teaching
they gave me on keeping my eyes upon eternity always. Now, my goal is
to make my everyday choices even better and to treat them as I do the
big things and make a choice based upon eternalness.
When I get cut off in Dallas traffic, when I work with someone who is
difficult, when I am aggravated with things at home, when I am faced
with temptations of being lax or lazy, when I am depressed and
broken-hearted over the challenges of life, It will be my goal to
remember to make the choices for the day, for the moment, with an
eternal perspective; to choose the right, to choose for eternity and not
the world.
It is my desire today, that your favorite
Mormon word might to become eternal perspective. That we may all become
more determined to live by Heavenly Father's plan using our moral
agency to make decisions based on truth and not on worldly standards.
That as we all draw farther from worldliness we will feel closer to
Father in Heaven and more able to be guided by his spirit.
President
Spencer W Kimball said, : If we live in such a way that the
considerations of eternity press upon us, we will make better
decisions."
My prayer is that not one of us will show up with pavement....
With Love, Dixie
