Week 5 in BNH

I apologize for not writing last week, I will do my best to give a healthy letter this week, but it might be a little random.

I have been listing to a lot of discourses by Bruce R. McConkie and they have had a pretty big effect on me. He doesn't go in really deep, he just lays it all out very plainly. He took a lot of things that I thought were just gray area and made the line very clear. Consequently, that has raised the bar for me because I was erring on the easy/confortable side of those gray areas. It seems to be our human nature to do as little as possible when there is gray area. I guess that is the "natural man" that we are all trying to overcome. Unfortunately we (myself included) aren't always super proactive in searching out and living the higher laws. I think I have made my new found love for gospel study clear, and part of that I have been realizing lately is the willingness to make yourself accountable. I can't remember what Elder McConkie said, but the feeling that I got was that it is basically the least we can do to keep the commandments and clean ourselves from sin. He was speaking in relation to personal revelation and spiritual experiences and he basically said that we all want these experiences, but we allow the filth of the world to remain in our lives and then wonder why the heavens are so quiet. He mentioned some higher laws that hadn't even crossed my mind. He said that EVERY man can and SHOULD recieve revelation, have dreams and visions, entertain angels, and see the face of God. But, we (myself included) stay in our comfort zones and avoid uncomfortable battle with the natural man. Its great that we stay out of the Bishop's office and even have temple recommends, but we have still not arrived. Joseph Smith said, "It is necessary for men to recieve an understanding concerning the laws of the heavenly kingdom, before they are permitted to enter it: We mean the Celestial Glory." and as well in DC 131:6 we learn that it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance. Its great that we are living the temple recommend standards, but there are still plenty of higher laws we can seek after. Uncleanliness that we can take out of our lives. This means things that aren't totally bad, but not necessarily good either. This means commandments like Keeping the Sabath Day Holy have more meaning than just not going to the store on Sunday. However, these are just examples and I will leave it up to you to study and make yourself accountable if that is what you desire. 

I've been wondering for a while what it means and how we can trust in the Lord. Along the same lines, what is and how can we follow the "will of the Lord". I still have a lot to learn, but I am learning that the commandments are very related to them both. The commandments are a big part of the Lord's will and we need to trust him that those are what is best for us and that the apparent sacrafice that it is sometimes to do what is right will be infinitely rewarded.

I was going to mention quite a few other random things but I'm starting to feel like they don't really matter so I will leave it at this this week.

Elder Beck

P.S. Elder Knechtel was transferred and I will stay.