Weaknesses, Temptations And Succor

I have tried to make a habit of reading the scriptures daily. There are days, when I have trouble getting up, and only do so when I have to go somewhere, so my study becomes superficial at times. Well, this morning was one of those, when I had trouble not so much getting up as being able to sleep longer than 5 hours.

An Acceptable Batting Average?

Okay, I’m no “sports enthusiast” (the quotation marks signify my somewhat snide observation that people, who are called sports enthusiasts, mainly participate by swigging beer on a Lay-Z-Boy), but just following popular culture has introduced me to the subject of batting averages. Furthermore, I am not all too fond of sports analogies, partly because I regard sports trivial at best, and a vehicle of chauvinistic provincialism and xenophobia at worst, partly because they tend to be too simplistic. On the other hand, their simplicity is what makes them useful. So there you are.

Can I Forgive – And What About Forgetting?

Okay, after being sick for two weeks, I am coming back to life. I had to do a little studying last week while trying to get going, and I came up with some ideas I think may be interesting (and maybe not).

For starters, I got my first spiritual insight reading the New Testament long before I ever met a Mormon. I’m saying that just to say that it’s something that people have come up with this independently. In Matthew’s chapter six, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. His demonstration includes the words, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12). After he had finished that, he says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt 6:14-15).

Oops!

Ever made a mistake? Right, who hasn’t.

Let’s think for a moment of our ability to learn from our mistakes. My understanding is, that when we accepted the plan that would eventually lead to our becoming like our Father, we were told that an important part of it is this: We have the ability to make value judgments and choose for ourselves – without coercion from Father – what we are going to do.