"...ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a prefect brightness of hope..." (2 Nephi 31:20)

I love looking up definitions from my big, fat, red dictionary I got in college many years ago. I use it frequently. So, the other morning I looked up a few definitions from one of my favorite scriptures which reads:

  "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a prefect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." 

2 Nephi 31:20

I love the admonition to "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ". "Press" means "to act with steady force". In cycling, when going up a hill, if I stop pedaling I will fall over and crash or I can turn around and go back down the hill, but only if I turn quickly enough and this defeats the purpose of getting to the top. In order to make it to the top, I must act with steady force, or press forward and keep my legs pressing in a forward movement. Steadfastness means: "firm, fixed settled or established; not changing, or fickle, or unwavering; constant". Think of this with "pressing forward"- unwavering and constant. It is so effective in cycling. In life, it is also effective when we press forward, unwavering in making good choices, choosing the right. It might be a lot of work, or perhaps a long hill. But if we are pressing forward and don't turn around or stop pedaling and are steadfast, we will make it to the top. And WOW! does that feel awesome!!!

As I looked up definitions, the one that intrigued me the most was "brightness". It says: "shining with light that is radiated or reflected". "Having a perfect brightness of hope" or a prefect shining with light that is radiated from us and that light is Christ. Christ is our hope. We hope in His eternal sacrifice. Hope in His power to heal us. Hope in His eyes to see, because we can't and don't see what is over that hill that we are in the middle of climbing and it sometimes feels like we have been climbing it forever! Hope, a perfect brightness of hope, so bright it reflects in our countenances (see Alma 5:14, 19) because we hope in the perfect Atonement made for us. 

The hope is, even when we can't see over the top of the hill, that Christ sees and knows all that is over the hill. And Christ does know and sees beyond the current hill we are climbing (see Matt. 6:8; 2 Nephi 2:24). As we "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a prefect brightness of hope" we can make it through, up, and over all the challenging hills, valleys, and rides of life. Christ is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). We don't have to wait to get to the top to have a Christ-like life as we "endure to the end". A Christ-like life, is eternal life now. 

Have a "prefect brightness of hope"- He knows all, sees all, and loves us beyond measure and we have nothing to fear (see 2 Tim 1:7; D&C 98:14). Just keep pedaling, or as the scripture says, "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ". Life is good, even when it's hard and seems all up hill. This I testify.

"...Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world..." (Ether 12:4)

At the coming of a New Year there is always the thought of setting goals and making changes in my life. What kind of changes do I need to make and what kind of changes do I want to make? There is a difference between  need and want. But either way, I believe change starts and remains true if it begins in the correct place, and there is only one place that will make lasting change. This lasting change must take place at the heart. If I am to change a bad habit, I must have my heart changed and desire the change more than wanting to be the same. How can we have this change of heart so that we can achieve our goals? "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than the study of behavior will improve behavior" (Pres. Boyd K. Packer). Understanding the doctrines of the gospel will and does help us achieve our goals when they are founded upon righteousness. When we have our hearts placed upon Jesus Christ, anything is possible.

Change can be difficult, but it is not impossible. The question is, "...if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now" (Alma 5:26)? Singing the song of redeeming love is a part of all change, it is "being born again". What exactly does it mean to be "born again"? It means: "To have the Spirit of the Lord cause a mighty change in a person's heart so that he [or she] has no more desire to do evil, but rather desires to seek the things of God" (The Guide to the Scriptures). I think President Ezra Taft Benson said it best, "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities" (The Great Commandment-Love the Lord).

I know that being "born again" isn't a one time thing. I have to reset and retry things over and over. I believe, that is why God has given us a new day, every day, so that we can keep trying. We keep looking forward and remember that God "has all wisdom, and all power" (Mosiah 4:9). We can "do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [us]" (Philippians 4:13). Unlike Lot's wife, who looked back (see Genesis 19:26) and longed for the past, we can "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men" (2 Nephi 31:20). When we "press forward with steadfastness in Christ" we are using our faith, we are taking the daily steps needed to make progress that "often occurs gradually, rather than instantaneously or globally" (Elder Cecil O. Samuelson). I often forget that change takes time and get frustrated with myself because I want to be different right now. But that's rarely how it is. We learn more from the process of exercise and eating right than we do from instantaneous weight loss. We learn more from having to practice being patient with others, loving them, forgiving, being kind even when they are not, than we do from instantaneously being "perfect".

Having gone through pregnancy and giving birth to four children you would think I would know that being born takes more than just a day. It is a process. That is why the question, "...can ye feel so now" (Alma 5:26)? We have committed ourselves to Christ, which we do when we are baptized, and we renew those covenants when we partake of the sacrament (read the sacrament prayers here). We can ponder these questions during the sacrament: Am I "stripped of pride" (Alma 5:28)? Am I "... stripped of envy" (Alma 5:29)? Do I "...make a mock of [my] brother, or ...heap upon him persecutions" (Alma 5:30)? Asking ourselves these questions and answering honestly leads us though the process of turning our minds and hearts to God, which is repentance; for we must repent and exercise faith in Christ in order to have this "mighty change of heart" (see Alma 5:14; Born Again). Being born again gives us a better life. "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God" (Ether 12:4).

Change, permanent change starts with the heart. It is powerful and real and leads to a "better world". One that is "always abounding in good works" and we will be "led to glorify God" (Ether 12:4). That's a goal we don't just want, but we all need and is achievable. This I testify.

"Truly God is good..." (Psalms 73:1)

I got to hear an incredible violin concert last night. It was a private concert, performed by my niece and her husband to an audience of about 15-18 people. It was a practice recital, kind of a dress rehearsal if you will. So, if they made a mistake, they could "fix it". There wasn't a whole lot of fixing going on in this concert. It was amazing to hear the sound of the music and the tone and the emotion in their playing, and the speed of their fingers!  The two of them playing a duet together, awesome, in the true sense of the word. The spirit is so powerful in music. I get so moved and touched by good music. God is so good to us! He blesses us with such good things!

Yes, He blesses us with good music, good food, good friends and family, good health, good life! He blesses us with all things. And I started thinking.."[I] have come to a knowledge of ...His goodness and have tasted of his love"(Mosiah 4:11). His goodness is so amazing and powerful! So powerful that He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians (Exodus 3:8), which is symbolic of the deliverance that the Savior would eventually offer to them, and does now offer to everyone, from physical and spiritual bondage, a constant reminder of the "goodness of God".

What a blessing for "the riches of His goodness...[because]...the goodness of God leadeth [us] to repentance" (Romans 2:4). (Not keen on repentance, read Laundry and The Physician). With His goodness, we get a second chance, again and again because He knew we would need more than one chance. He knew we would all be "beggars...begging for a remission for [our] sins" and does He let us beg "in vain?" No. He pours out His Spirit upon us and causes that our hearts be filled with joy and causes that our mouths can't speak "so exceedingly great is our joy" when we repent and return to Him.(Mosiah 4:19-20). That is incredible goodness!

His "infinite goodness" (Mosiah 5:3) is- that He has "prepared a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit" (2 Nephi 9:10). We aren't stuck when we make a mistake or commit sin, which is spiritual death/death of the spirit or when we physically die/death of the body. His "Infinite goodness" is the atonement, made for you and me, so that we can "sing the song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26) because our hearts don't have to stay the same. We don't have to keep repeating the bad notes in our lives when we make a mistake. We can and do, through faith in Jesus Christ, have His goodness fill us up and make up the difference.

The question I ask, are we still "singing the song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26)? Do we continue to practice the music the Savior has for us, and continue to "feel the music" after the concert is over, so to speak? Do we allow a "mighty change wrought in [our] hearts" (Alma 5:13) because faith in Jesus Christ helps us have a permanent change, changing the "inward man" (Romans 7:22)? Changed to the point that "His image [is] in your countenance" (Alma 5:14) and it reflects who you are on the inside out to all who see you. The "power of continuing in the goodness of God" (D&C 86:11).

I used to think this was a one time concert and I would beat myself up for every little thing. It's not. The "goodness of God" is that He let's us prepare daily. "...This life is the time for [us] to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for [us] to perform [our] labors" (Alma 34:32). Isn't that "goodness"! This life is to prepare and today we perform, and so we can't and must not "procrastinate the day of our repentance (or returning/turning our hearts and minds to God!)" (Alma 34:33). Just as the concert I heard last night was amazing, it would not have been had they procrastinated their preparation. We too can perform our labors, labors of love (see 1 Thess. 1:3), of kindness (see D&C 121:42), of serving others (see Mosiah 2:17), of  "forgiving one another" (Ephesians 4:32), of doing good (see Gal. 6:10), or whatever the Spirit moves us to "do that is right" (1 Kings 11:38)! (Note: it isn't "[fitting or proper] that [we]...should be compelled in all things" (D&C 58:26) but that is a blog for a whole other day.)

Let us "continue in [His] goodness" (D&C 86:11) so that we can practice and perform that which will bring us joy so great we won't even be able to speak! Singing is really a good way to perform as our souls will swell with the words: "Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee. How Great Thou Art" (Great Christian Hymns)! The music is there and has been written, we just need to follow the Master, the One who is Good and will help us perform beyond our own abilities. God is good. This I testify.