I don't post very often because I don't have much to say that I want to be public, but I feel especially impressed to share some thoughts that I have been feeling, especially being so far away from the people and the country that I love. It makes me sad to see contentions, fighting, and disunity. It especially makes me sad to see how intolerable people can be towards others and how angry and defensive people get when someone has a differing opinion. I realize that many have different beliefs about what should be done and how things should be done, but I also believe that there is a civilized way to accomplish the general goals and desires of every person. That also being said, I do realize that not all desires of every person are going to be met. Even in situations where you may not necessarily get what you want or, things are not done in the way you think they should have been accomplished, I still very strongly believe is important to be civilized.
All of that being said, today I was reading in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 4:1-16. And in these verses of scripture, King Benjamin is discussing with his people about how to be happy. He then states, that if you have a belief that God has given you everything, including your life, then subsequently after applying those beliefs that come along with that, happiness is acquired, to put it generally.
But to believe is not to receive. A belief is merely the first step. The next step that is required is to test your belief or your theory. In other words the next step is to have faith. A lot of the times those two words get confused but after reading verse 10 where King Benjamin States, "If you believe all these things see that ye do them". I determined there had to be a difference. If faith and belief meant the same thing then you could essentially replace both verbs, believe and do, from the sentence with the same word; either faith or believe. But by doing this we see that either way the sentence then looses it’s meaning. It was then I realized (or I guess re-realized, but with deeper understanding) how simple the solution to avoiding contention really is. It is one thing to believe in something and another to actively practice those beliefs.
So many times I get attacked for the way my husband and I thinks. We consistently hear the phrases “white male supremacy”, “black lives matter”, “You’ll never understand because you are so privileged” or whatever other demeaning things they can think of. Yet, at the same time, these same people preach equality. They preach that everyone deserves to be heard. That everyone has to be offered the EXACT same opportunities. Even, if the work isn’t done. It only matters if it’s fair. And this in itself is completely illogical due to the fact that no one person is the same, no one place on earth is the same, and above all that, EVERY single person has to make their own decisions, and these decisions then affect how their life turns out. Because of all of these different variables, each and every circumstance is different and can’t be compared to anothers. And what’s ironic about that, is THAT is what makes everyone equal. We all face our own equally difficult challenges. To say that things in my life aren’t as hard as something that has happened in yours is difficult to weigh, as maybe something that you consider to be extremely difficult to overcome, might be something that I can just brush of my shoulder and vice versa. What matters is the way the trial is overcome.
Back to my reading, anyone can believe something, but that isn’t what is going to make them happy. A belief is not going to get anyone to where they want to be. No one will ever be truly satisfied with merely a belief. It is the action behind the belief that makes you, your family, and a society better. To clarify, action is not whining about not getting what is wanted or demanding for something that you weren’t given. It’s not gathering a group of people together to tell other people they are wrong and why things should have been done differently. It’s working on yourself, and making sure you are doing everything in your power to make your desires and dreams come true. It’s about learning to be a good member of society and contributing, and then so on up the scale: i.e. Establishing a home of order and love, Helping others do the same, and electing local leaders who will help establish a community of order and love etc (D&C 109:8).
What I’m trying to say is that once you actively start doing things to improve your circumstances instead of just believing you are entitled to happiness and opportunities, you will then begin to receive the fruits of your labor.
I know that with hard work, comes satisfaction and happiness with oneself and with the outcomes you have created or have been given. I know that Heavenly Father wants to bless us with all the opportunities and riches of the world, but I also understand that in order for me to appreciate them fully, I have to earn them. This is hard. Failing and picking yourself up again and moving on is hard. But life is hard, and it’s meant to make us stronger. I hope I didn’t offend anyone, as that was not the purpose of me sharing my feelings. I do hope that we all are doing our best to be better. I hope we will attack each other less, and do more to serve our neighbor. And if you have any questions about my beliefs, please feel free to message me or to go to www.mormon.org and you can read more.
I love you all. Happy Sunday :)
-Melissa
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