Remembering Christ in All That We Do

 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

"Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

These were Jesus's words at the Last Supper to His disciples as He reminded them to remember Him when they take the sacrament. His sacrifice of His body and blood to wash away our sins was given so that we could return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven. Remembering Christ is not just something to think about on Sundays but a charge to carry with us in all that we do. It serves as a constant reminder to align our choices, interactions, and aspirations with His teachings, inviting His presence into every aspect of our daily lives.

Why Remembering Christ Matters

Remembering Christ anchors us in our beliefs. It reminds us of the life He lived, the teachings He gave, and the sacrifice He made for us.

In my life, I, like everyone here, have had challenges. The main difference is in the type of challenges. My challenges may be similar in some areas and quite different from most of you in others. I have had struggles with addiction, spent time locked away in a purgatory cut off from my family and friends, ruined two marriages, and deeply disappointed my mother.

For a time, I forgot Him. I forgot what He did for me. I was the cynical, arrogant young man who said, “I can do it myself,” and those doings got me in serious hot water.

Years ago, I was in that purgatory, having just returned after making more serious mistakes. After almost seven years of rarely thinking of Him, I knew it was time to return. I read every day. I prayed every day. I focused, as much as I could, completely on Him. I did all the things I should have been doing every day for the three months leading up to my parole hearing.

That hearing did not go as I had hoped it would, and I lived in that purgatory another five and a half years. At first, I was angry. I didn’t understand. I did all the things I was supposed to do. How did this happen?

For another two months, my scriptures were left on a shelf, and I again felt like the cynical, arrogant young man who wanted to do it myself. The key difference was that I had been doing all the things I was supposed to be doing—for three months. Not for the seven years I spent on parole, not for the years and years before when I had made so many bad decisions.

Once I had gone through my cooling-off period and had time to think about what happened, I realized that I needed to live it every day, not just for three months. So I picked up my scriptures again. I read, I prayed, I went back to church, and I lived it. Even in my excommunicated state, inside that purgatory, I lived it.

He remembered us in His darkest moments, in Gethsemane, and even on the cross, saying, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

In my darkest hours, after being stripped of all the time I had completed on parole, I, at first, made the decision to forget Him and do it myself. This was the wrong decision.

Over the next five and a half years, after I woke up from my pigheadedness, I tried my best to be the right kind of person. I wasn’t perfect at it, but I was a whole lot better than I had been in the seven and a half years before. I made good friends, avoided bad situations, went to church, read, prayed, sang, led the choir, taught classes, held callings, and learned from wonderful church leaders. I remembered Him.

Living as a Witness of Christ

When we remember Christ and keep Him in our thoughts, it influences our decisions, softens our hearts, and strengthens our resolve. We learn, or remember, His path, and we resolve to follow Him. When we remember Christ, we naturally become witnesses of Him to those around us. It is not enough to say we follow Christ. James said, "...faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." In 3 Nephi (3 Nephi 18:24), Christ said, "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world."

Our words and actions can be a testimony of Christ’s love and truth, reflecting the teachings and life of the Savior. As we strive to align our actions with His example, we not only strengthen our relationship with Him but also inspire those around us to seek Him. This connection is a living testament of His love that speaks louder than words alone. For example, the scriptural counsel to "let your light so shine before men" ties directly into our daily interactions, reminding us to illuminate the path for others toward Christ’s grace and truth. By living His teachings, we inspire others to come unto Him. 

In that purgatory, I tried to be an example to those around me. I kept my language clean, I was kind to others, and I led the dog training program with a goal to help better those around me, not to seek any vainglory of position and authority. I earned respect from my fellow inmates by being an honest, trustworthy person in a place filled with some of the most vile people you hopefully will never meet.

We can remember Christ and live for Him by looking for opportunities to be the hands of the Savior, lifting others and showing compassion. We can emulate Him in our daily habits of scripture study and prayer. We can meditate on our relationship with Him to keep that constant connection to Christ.

And like Peter was encouraged to be as he was walking on water, we can keep our focus on Christ amid life’s storms and be not afraid. Christ taught us to "love one another as I have loved you." Remembering Him helps us treat others with patience, forgiveness, and charity.

Seeing Others as Christ Sees Them

In that place, I had a friend named Jason. At some point, he had been in a car accident and received a traumatic brain injury that caused him to forget things, not be able to process as quickly, and honestly made him a little weird. But at the same time, he was a wonderful example of seeing others as Christ saw them.

Jason told me a story of a time he was on his mission, and he tried to see every person he visited while he was teaching the gospel as if they were wearing their baptism jumper, all in white. He would come and knock, visualize them in the waters of baptism, and make introductions. If they did not want to invite him in, he would ask them if he could sing them a song, and then would sing "I Am a Child of God." He told me that got him in several homes because of the pure truths that wonderful hymn contains.

We can remember Christ by being an example to others. By not hiding our light under a bushel, we can live a life worth emulating. While in that place, a friend named Matthew came to me and said, “You are always happy. How do I get what you have?” and I told him, “Come to church.” And he did.

It wasn’t the smoothest transition for him. Matthew had a rough upbringing, a physically abusive father, and an emotionally abusive mother. The idea that he had Heavenly Parents that loved him was a difficult one for him to grasp, and after a time, he stopped coming.

After I came home, he wrote me a beautiful testimony about how he had taken time to think things through and decided he should go back to church. He had become a teacher and leader in the branch and was making great leaps in his testimony.

Drawing Strength Through Christ

I was walking the track around the ballfield one day after work with a couple of friends, Mark and Lyle. Lyle was a barrel-chested tank of a man, with a crushing handshake and a warm smile. Mark was quite the opposite. He was quiet, reserved, short and round with thick glasses, and he was having trouble keeping up with Lyle and me.

Mark made the comment, "When does this get any easier?"

To which Lyle replied, "It doesn’t. You just get to where you handle it better."

I always thought that was a very profound statement that can be applied to a lot more than just exercise.

Like Lyle’s advice, remembering Christ helps us to grow stronger through our trials. For example, when I reflect on moments in my life where challenges seemed insurmountable, I see how the Savior’s teachings and presence provided clarity and resilience. These trials were not just moments of hardship but opportunities for growth, like the refiner’s fire mentioned in scripture. By remembering Christ, we are reminded of His promises and are better able to endure with faith and strength. 

In Sunday School, we often discuss the importance of challenges in our lives, and how the challenges we face help us to grow strong.

The scriptures are full of examples of this: burning off the dross, sifting wheat from the chaff, the refiner’s fire, burning out the impurities. The people in the time of Christ were a hands-on people who worked in agriculture and metal trades, among others, so it is no wonder that the stories He told related to these topics often, so they were relatable to the people.

In Matthew 11:29-30, Christ says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Alma spoke about the Lord lightening the burdens of the people when they were in bondage to the Lamanites. In Mosiah 24:13-15, we read:

"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

The Lord didn’t immediately remove the people from bondage, as He did not inspire the parole board to remove me from bondage, but He strengthened them to bear their burdens with ease. I feel like He strengthened me as I studied and prayed, taught, and volunteered, so that I was able to handle my time in bondage.

Eventually, He delivered them entirely, showing His power and faithfulness. This teaches us that while we may face trials, the Lord can lighten our load and help us endure, even before complete deliverance comes.

Conclusion: Remembering Christ Daily

Remembering Christ in all that we do doesn’t mean our lives will be free of struggles. But it does mean that we will face those challenges with purpose, faith, and the assurance of His love and grace. As we take on the heaviest burdens we can carry, we will find strength, meaning, and growth. We will draw closer to Him, and in so doing, we will become more like Him.

I leave this with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Leveling up in Life

I was walking the track around the ballfield one day after work with a couple friends, Mark and Lyle. 

Lyle was a barrel chested tank of a man, with a crushing handshake, and a warm smile. Mark was quite the opposite. He was quiet, reserved. Short and round with thick glasses, and he was having trouble keeping up with Lyle and me.

Mark made the comment, "When does this get any easier?" 

To which Lyle replied, "It doesn’t. You just get to where you handle it better."

I always thought that was a very profound statement that can be applied to a lot more than just exercise.

Our bodies are meant for work. In Genesis 3:19 God tells Adam, 

'In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;..'

When we lift heavy things, our bodies learn to adapt and build stronger muscles so they can handle the lifting of those heavy things. When we walk long distances, our bodies build lean muscles that are more full of energy and can better handle the long walks. 

But the body isn't the only thing that God gave us that adapts to it's challenges.

Our minds, our emotions, and our spirit are all strengthened when we "lift heavy things" for each of them.

When a student studies, their brain carves new grooves, pathways that store the knowledge. When they apply that knowledge, those pathways are reinforced and a stronger connection is made to that knowledge.

The same applies to our spiritual muscles. When we read our scriptures, pray, participate in our Sunday School, ponder the teachings of the gospel, and, as Nephi said, "feast upon the words of Christ," we build those spiritual muscles that will support us during challenges.

We must be challenged

In the movie The Matrix, The Architect is telling Neo about how this is not the first iteration of the Matrix, but the sixth. 

"The first matrix I designed," he says, "was quite naturally perfect. It was a work of art; flawless, sublime, and triumph equaled only by it's monumental failure."

He is telling Neo that the first matrix, in it's "perfection" provided mankind with all their needs. Everyone could be happy. 

But instead, it failed. And while the Architect does not say why it failed, we can look at a real world experiment to see what may have happened.

In the 1960s, a behavioral researcher named John Calhoun created the "Mouse Utopia" experiment. Calhoun created several habitats for mice to observe overcrowding in a perfect world.

He provided the mice with limitless food, and secluded rodent condos on several levels, and no natural predators. Because food and space was so plentiful, they expanded their population quickly. 

At the peak population, most mice spent every living second in the company of hundreds of other mice. They gathered in the main squares, waiting to be fed and occasionally attacking each other. Few females carried pregnancies to term, and the ones that did seemed to simply forget about their babies. They'd move half their litter away from danger and forget the rest. Sometimes they'd drop and abandon a baby while they were carrying it.

The few secluded spaces housed a population Calhoun called, "the beautiful ones." Generally guarded by one male, the females—and few males—inside the space didn't breed or fight or do anything but eat and groom and sleep. When the population started declining the beautiful ones were spared from violence and death, but had completely lost touch with social behaviors, including [mating] or caring for their young.

Mouse Utopia, John Calhoun

The mice and rats had no challenges, and basically went insane. I think the Architect meant the same thing about his first 'perfect' matrix.

God, in contrast, did not create a perfect world where all our needs were to be met. In fact, if you remember from what was revealed of the war in heaven, that was Satan's plan: 

In Moses, chapter four, verse 1: 

Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

But just like in the Matrix, God knew the only way it would not be "a monumental failure" was that man had to be given choice, and with that choice the opportunity to make poor choices that come with consequences.

But it is in those consequences that we have the opportunity to grow stronger, in whichever area of life the challenge lies. 

In James, Chapter one, verses two through four: 

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

It is never the case that we are strengthened by avoiding challenges. When we avoid doing difficult things, our life area atrophies, no different than if we lay in bed all day, never lifting a finger. If our muscles are never used, the body will not keep them up. The same is true for our mind, and our spirit. 

I'm not sure if you've heard his lectures on YouTube, but Dr. Jordan Peterson gives great advice. One of the things he often says to those who don’t know what to do with their lives, is this: "Pick up the heaviest load you can, and carry it."

Dr. Peterson is specifically talking about seeking responsibility. Not just about moving furniture, or bringing in the box of books from the moving van, but pick up the heaviest burden you can, and take responsibility for it. It is in this that you will find meaning.

So in that, our challenges do not just build our mind, body, and spirit for no reason, but they build those things that we will be able to handle more difficult challenges.

all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good

I play video games in my spare time with David and Matt. We like role playing games, like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and Divinity. One thing these games all have in common is, as you complete challenges, you gain experience and 'level up'.

The other night David and I were playing Divinity, and we were having a heck of a time with a fight. The opponents were tough, and the terrain was not in our favor. After a few tries we thought it would be a good idea to go out and look for other challenges that were more appropriate to our skills, increase our abilities, and then try again. 

We fought other battles. We gained new equipment and abilities. I think one character even leveled up. We formed new strategies, and we went back to that fight and won.

Yes, this is just a game, but our story in that game could not progress unless we defeated that enemy. And it was seeking out other challenges and experiences, and formulating a new plan that allowed us to overcome, which provided us with even more experience and equipment, to prepare us for challenges that were coming later.

In Doctrine & Covenants 122, Joseph is in Liberty Jail. He cries out about the unfairness of it all, asking why the Lord would allow this to happen to his chosen people. And the Lord gave him an answer:

5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. 

All of them. 

The Lord sees challenges as opportunities for growth, and to 'level up'. He does not want us to shy away from the difficult things that come before us, but to face them, learn from them, grow from them, and be better because of them.

Brothers and sisters, my little round friend Mark, as we walked around that track, was leveling up in that walk. And as we pick up the heaviest thing we can find, as we take responsibility for it, as we seek challenges to give us experience, the Lord has promised that those things will be for our good.

I leave that with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 

Amen.

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David wasn't an underdog

In the story of David and Goliath, it is commonly read as David is an underdog, a young boy that faces off against a giant of a man, clearly outmatched, but overcomes.

This is the wrong interpretation of this story.

In 1 Samuel 17, the setting is laid out. The Philistines and Isrealites are gathered on opposite mountains overlooking the valley of Elah. Neither really wants to go down to the valley, and whichever tries to take the other in the mountains is looking at a slaughter from dug in forces in a higher position.. It was much like Normandy.

So Goliath, champion of the Philistines, went down to the valley to challenge the Isrealite champion to single combat to decide the battle.

4 ¶ And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. - 1Sam17:4

10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

A cubit is the measure of the tip of your middle finger, commonly the longest finger, to the tip of your elbow. Common measurement is about 17-1/2". A Span is the measurement from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger, when extended, or about 9".

So a little math, Goliath was ((6*17.5)+9)/12 = 9.5' tall. That's a big guy.

Saul asked around, but his soldiers were too afraid to face him. For forty days he asked, but no one would come forward.

David was there bringing his brothers lunch on the 40th day. David was a shepherd, not a soldier.

15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

David heard Goliath issue his challenge, and he asked around to the soldiers, won't anybody go out and face him? And they told him, no. He'll kill us.

So David went to Saul and told him don't worry, I'll do it.

32 ¶ And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

Saul tried to give him armor, David wouldnt take it, he instead insisted that he be allowed to fight Goliath his own way.

David wasn't just a shepherd.. he was a skilled hunter (probably with a bit of boasting):

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

He picked 5 stones from the ground.

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Now, the stones of this mountain are not just the normal granite-quartz stones you might find in the back yard, or in the field. These stones are of a Salt mineral called Barium-Sulfate, which is desired for both it's white appearance and it's high density. For comparison, it is equivalent to the density of Titanium, about 280lb/ft³ or 4500kg/m³.

David had his sling in hand. Probably less likely than grabbing a bear and lion by the beard, he killed it with his sling, which was why he was confident he could use it to take out Goliath. The slinger was an important part of the military.

An advantage of the slinger over the armor-clad swordsman or spearman was his effectiveness from a distance. It is claimed that their range of effectiveness was up to 400 feet (c. 122 meters) with stones, and even farther with lead pellets. - Watchtower OL

Lead has a density of 708lb/ft³, so two-and-a-half times that of Barium-Sulfate, for comparison.

Even still, common riverstone, like what is normally thought of, and usually made up of granite, limestone, or flint, is significantly lighter.

Density of:

Granite: 168lb/ft³
Flint: 163.69 lb/ft³
Limestone: 169lb/ft³
Common stone: 157lb/ft³

citation: https://www.aqua-calc.com/page/density-table/

Goliath was a foot soldier. He wore bronze armor and caried a sword. Goliath was literally bringing a knife to a gunfight.

So David walked down there, was mocked by Goliath, David loaded his sling and BANG! right between the eyes, dropped Goliath, picked up the giant's sword, and cut off his head to deliver to Saul as a trophy, taking the armor for his own trophy.

David wasn't the underdog, he was a skilled marksman with a deadly weapon. He knew his skill, and he knew God was with him.

Goliath is often, like the giants from my previous post, alegorically seen as a challenge we need to overcome.

But instead of seeing ourselves as the underdog, try looking at it this way: You are more equiped to handle the challenges that come your way than you might at first realize.

Further study:
http://www.ancient-battles.com/warriors/ancient-slingers.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IQ15ymhR2M
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/calculating-sling-projectile-speed-from-video.561760/
https://christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-slingsforkids.html
https://www.amazon.com/David-Goliath-Underdogs-Misfits-Battling/dp/0316204374/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziGD7vQOwl8

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