Does God Really Direct Us Down "Wrong Roads" Sometimes?

Elder Holland gave a talk in General Conference a couple of years ago about what he learned when he and his father took a wrong road on the way home late one night. It generated a lot of discussion online about whether or not God really would direct us down wrong roads in our lives. 

My own take is that God allows us to walk "wrong roads" as part and parcel of mortality and our limited understanding (that he doesn't always stop us from walking the ones we are prone to walk), but I personally don't believe he proactively places us on or guides us to roads that truly are wrong for us. Thus, I don't believe he gives us incorrect answers to our prayers. I might be wrong, but that's how I see it. It just fits my own belief in the nature of God better.

Having said that, it makes perfect sense for someone who sees God as more of an interventionist God than I do - and it can be the only thing that would make sense for some people who thought they received answers to prayers that they followed into situations that caused pain and felt wrong to them. I also am completely open to the idea that God will do that for some people who need to learn from mistakes but won't choose them on their own - those, for example, who mare more inclined to put their head down and live a Law of Moses life, letting others tell them exactly what to so. I can see God directing them off that path in order to get them to the right one, even if that means they walk a hard road to get there.

However, I do believe that God opens doors to us at times and arranges opportunities that we can take or not take. That's how I see my own life, since I can't deny the incredible ways that the path of my life appears to be "directed" in various ways. There have been a couple of moments/periods in my life that I only understand in hindsight as what was necessary to get me to the next place my family needed to be, so, in that sense, I can understand the idea of being on a "wrong path" to get to the "right path" - even though I wouldn't phrase it that way.

I recently have come to phrase those experiences as being on the right track but the wrong train - or, perhaps more accurately, being on the only train at that particular time that would take me to the point on the track where I could catch the next "right train" for that particular time - usually with the core purpose being someone in my family or a personal connection, rather than a professional reason. In that light, I can see my life as a serious of trains connecting me to multiple tracks that made our overall destinations possible to reach - but I had to disembark from each train and climb on a new one each time to get where my family needed to be at each juncture in our life.

Church Programs: Necessary Crutches, Not Divine Ideals

A friend whom I respect greatly was talking with me about Home and Visiting Teaching recently, and she said something that I want to share here.  It's not new or uniquely profound, but it is powerful, nonetheless. 

My thinking is that if we lived as we ought, we wouldn't need a program to look after one another.

I usually tell a story to illustrate the point. My sister-in-law had three little girls when her fourth was born with down's syndrome. There was no forewarning of the abnormality and she found out when the nurse laid the baby in her arms. It was a shock that began a period of constant adversity. Unlike her other children, this newborn would not sleep. She had trouble feeding. She cried almost round the clock for the entire first year. One morning, as my sister-in-law sat in her pajamas crying because she had reached her wit's end, the phone rang. A sweet voice on the other end said, your name came to me when I prayed today. How can I help you? And help she did. She swooped in and gave my sister-in-law a much needed reprieve. No formal calling necessary.

And one from my own life. Our family was going through a soul-crushing period of adversity. I was home with our children. My husband was away. I was at my breaking point. It was Monday evening and I was skyping my sister. Feeling utterly alone and abandoned by God, my feelings spilled out as I tearfully wrote, "I give up. I don't think God even knows my address anymore." I signed off to go downstairs and make dinner for the children. As I exited Skype the doorbell rang. It was my bishop. "I had a feeling as I was leaving work that I needed to stop by tonight. Is that okay? My family is out of town. Can I have Family Home Evening with you? I brought ice cream." He held out the carton and I smiled wryly at God's impeccable sense of timing. He didn't just know my address, He knew my broken heart. This good brother had a calling but that's not how he ended up at my door. This was the most humble, genuinely charitable, and concerned bishop I've ever known.

I wish I were half as inspired. I need a program, like a crutch, to keep me upright and moving forward. But I hope I never make the mistake of confusing the hobbling I do aided by a poor prosthetic with running full speed with two good legs to be the Lord's hand and feet in this world.

Our programs are so much less than our potential.

Can Conflicting Impressions Both Be Inspired?

I've served in enough callings that include impressions about who to ask to do things to understand that there can be equally valid but competing impressions that can be inspired and appropriate.  

1) When I was serving in a Stake Mission Presidency many years ago, I had a very strong impression to talk with a particular person about being the Ward Mission Leader. I didn't know anyone in the ward, so I said a prayer, looked through the ward directly and couldn't move my eyes past one particular name. Interestingly, his last name was one I actually did recognize, but I didn't know him at all.

When I sat down in his home to talk with him about the potential calling, he told me there was no way he could accept it - since he was completely inactive at the time. He then said that he had been thinking about returning to church activity but hadn't been able to do it, largely because he was sure there wasn't a place for him anymore. He said that he knew he had the ability to function in the calling and that he interpreted my impression as God telling him that there was a place for him - as soon as he got his act together and felt he could accept a calling like that. He thanked me for talking with him about it and politely declined the calling due to his own "competing impression".

My question had been, "Whom should I ask to accept this calling?" I believe the answer I got was inspired, even though he didn't accept the calling due to equally valid personal inspiration.

2) When my wife was in the Primary Presidency, they prayed about who to ask for in a teaching position - asking who would be best for that particular class. I was in the Bishopric at the time, if I remember correctly (or maybe I just gave her some input from my previous times in Bishoprics), and their request wasn't approved by the Bishop. He ended up asking the person to serve somewhere else in the ward.

Both my wife (and the presidency) and the Bishop were certain their answers to prayer had been inspired - and I believe both competing answers were valid and appropriate. The Primary Presidency received an answer that was correct concerning who would be the best person to suggest, while the Bishop received an answer that was correct concerning which calling would be best use of that person for the ward as a whole. Two correct but competing impressions.

3) My parents submitted mission papers based on an answer to prayer that they should serve at Cove Fort in Utah. Their Bishop prayed about it and agreed. Their papers were sent to SLC with explicit reasons why Cove Fort would be an appropriate call and why a regular mission would not be possible. They were called on a regular mission to South Carolina - an impossibility at the time. They accepted the assignment and left home to drive to South Carolina, knowing it would be impossible to complete the assignment. They completed the assignment, and it was one of the highlights of their lives. Two competing answers and impressions - both valid and appropriate.

 (If you want to read the fuller account, it is in the following post: "Exercising Faith and Seeing the Hand of God".)

I know it might seem paradoxical, but I've seen and experienced correct but contrasting impressions happen so many times that I have to accept it as inspiration, even when it is not understood at the time - or even when it causes consternation.

"Called of God" vs. "Inspried of God" or "Leading of God" or "Acting for God" or "Being Godly"

I think whether or not a particular leader (or anyone serving in any calling) is "called of God" depends largely on whether the person doing the calling is "inspired of God" and/or "acting for God" - and, frankly, whether there's a need for God to be involved to some degree, for some reason, in the calling. Those are two very subjective, difficult to determine criteria - so I don't spend a lot of emotional capital on trying to figure it out in most cases. I also think it doesn't matter much if someone is called of God if they wind up not "leading of God" or "being godly".

However, I have experienced situations where I absolutely believe the calling was "of God" (meaning directed by God) - and, interestingly, one of those cases was when the person turned down the calling.  He said he wasn't ready for such a calling but needed the assurance that God knew his heart and was willing to answer a private prayer asking to know if he could serve God in a formal calling if he changed his life in the way he knew he should. I had struggled mightily with trying to figure out who should be asked, and I questioned the answer I got even more when I learned about the man's situation. I didn't know him as anything but a name on a page, and what I heard about him before our meeting didn't ease my concerns. When I left, however, I was humbled that his name had jumped out at me so forcefully. 

Just Because Truly Inspirational Stories Ought to Be Shared

The following link is to a story about a woman who lost both of her arms at the age of two but now competes in top-level fitness routine competitions.  She is an amazing woman, and her story ought to be told.

"Armless Body Builder Inspires Fitness World with Her Ability" - Susan Donaldson James (Good Morning America)

My Sunday School Lesson Recaps: There Is No Reward in Thoughtless Obedience

This month, the topic is "Temporal and Spiritual Self-Reliance". Thus far, we have talked about the following:

D&C 58: 26-28 - "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

We talked about needing to make our own decisions and choose what we believe about lots of things - that being told everything to think, believe and do is, essentially, Lucifer's plan, which is why those who do only what they are told to do receive "no reward". They don't grow; rather, they stagnate and never develop any degree of godliness.

We talked about "anxiously" meaning "with fervor and excitement - and how being "engaged" means being "committed and in a close relationship", not just casually doing something occasionally. We talked about how "good cause" is singular, while "many things" is plural - that we should do lots of good things, but that it's better to choose a good cause into which we can pour ourselves than to do multiple things only shallowly.

We talked about how "(wo)men do good" isn't confined to any one area (not even church), so anyone who does good, no matter what that is, will be rewarded.

Alma 37:37 - "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good."

We discussed how "counsel" means "discuss among equals - that it doesn't mean to do only what you're told or commanded to do. That ties in really well with doing much good of one's own free will. We also discussed how "direct thee for good" does not mean "tell you what to do" - that it's much more like pointing in a general direction and away from the opposite direction. Another way to say it is that God will point us toward a good outcome, but he won't tell us exactly how to get there.

D&C 9: 7-8 - "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind;"

We talked about the background for this passage and then focused on the need to "study" things prior to asking for answers - and how it is important to do so "in your (own) mind" and not just rely on or accept what others think, no matter who those others are.

Revelation, Inspiration and Our Expectations of Prophets and Apostles

There were lots of lengthy time periods in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon without new revelations and periods during which the prophets only reiterated important truths and called people to repentance - and the entire New Testament fits that description with the exception of Paul's converting vision and John's Revelation.

We tend to conflate revelation and inspiration a lot. "To reveal" means to "uncover / make visible that which was covered / not visible". To reveal is to make known the previously unknown or unknowable. "To inspire" means to "provide new insight into something already known / visible". Those are two very different things. 

When you get right down to it, not a whole lot in our scriptures is "pure revelation". Most of it is inspiration to varying degrees - some to an amazing degree, but not truly revelatory at heart.

Ironically, that's one of the reasons why I can sustain the apostles as prophets, seers and revelators. I see that role as being able to prophecy, see and reveal IF such things are needed - NOT as being a constant or even regular (or perhaps even occasional) condition. I just see those things happening so rarely throughout our recorded religious history that I don't expect anyone to experience them much, if at all. I can sustain lots of people as possible conduits for prophecy, foresight and revelation, so I have no problem doing so with the Church's leadership or viewing them as conduits for special revelation and inspiration for the Church and even the world. That for which I hope is a higher degree of regular (not constant) inspiration than most, and I think there is a very good argument for that among the apostles.

How Much Control Do I Really Have Over My Actions? I Don't Know, but I Have Faith in God.

I have no idea how much free will I have as I make the decisions of my life – but it’s good to believe I have some degree of power to choose. It’s also good to believe it’s not all in my control, especially as I keep struggling to change what appears to be unchangeable in my nature – and it helps keep me from condemning others who also struggle to change (or appear to not be trying at all).

I have no idea why God very clearly and obviously spoke clear revelation through me on at least three occasions – but in the other hundreds of times when He could have done so He didn’t. It’s good to believe he will do so when it’s really important and not do so when I just need to do my best and learn from the chips falling where they may.

I have no idea why some of the decisions I just knew were inspired turned out so badly at the time – or why some of those ended up being really good decisions in longer hindsight, while others still look like bad decisions now. It’s good to believe he will stop me from making really bad decisions that will hurt other people badly while letting me make bad decisions that will hurt me but from which I can grow.

I have no idea why some people have been healed or protected in truly miraculous ways, while others have been left to suffer tremendously without protection or relief. It’s good to believe He loves us in those situations, but it’s bad to think He doesn’t love others in their situations.

I have no idea why the distinction obviously is NOT objective level of righteousness. Of everything else I’ve written in this comment, that is the only area about which I am certain. Sincere effort to be righteous can result in misery and pain, while wickedness actually can be happiness – at least in all objective measurements dealing only with mortality.

All of this could lead me to question God’s existence and/or love, but I know from personal experience there is something / someone out there that knows me personally and really cares – and that’s enough to keep faith that, despite my lack of understanding of issues like this, there is an answer that will make sense eventually.

My Experience Giving Blessings

I have given literally hundreds of Priesthood blessings in my life, and I have come to accept that I only can say what comes into my mind and hope it is inspired and helpful in some way.

I always go into a blessing hoping and praying to be a conduit for God's voice, since I have had a few such experiences that were undeniable, but that is out of literally hundreds of blessings I've given in my life. It probably works out to about 1%-2% as undeniable voice of God experiences, 1%-5% as probably my own best but perhaps mistaken thoughts and 90%-95% as not sure if they were God's will but good words of comfort that helped in some way.

I'm ok with that, since I believe God doesn't micro-manage our lives every time we want or need a blessing - and I'm willing to muddle through hundreds of comforting encouragements to experience the unmistakable revelatory experiences that I have experienced as a result of being willing to put myself in the position to experience them.

One Way I Handle Hearing Things at Church with Which I Disagree

There are times at church when someone says something that I believe to be truly dangerous - or so wrong that it has to be addressed openly.  That doesn't happen very often; most things I hear with which I disagree can be ignored without any harm whatsoever, especially when other members share slightly different perspectives that make it clear what is said isn't immutable Mormon doctrine. 

I have found over my decades in the Church that there are multiple ways hearing conflicting things can be a good experience. 

I like to take things that others say and see how I would say them to make them make sense and be meaningful to me. If someone says something in a church meeting with which I disagree, I like to pull my mind away and figure out how I would say it if I were speaking to a group. It keeps me from getting upset, and it also has been the genesis of a few talks in my life - as new thoughts came to me and a way to explain them became a little clearer.

Learning from People in Other Religions

I drove in rural Southeastern Ohio years ago on a regular basis, and the only radio options were farm-related stock exchange rates and religion - so I listened to the religious program. There was a Protestant minister who regularly preached openly about "Mormon cultists" and mentioned occasionally that nothing good ever comes from such devilish sources. Most of what he preached was stuff with which I disagreed, but some of it was inspired and made me think about and see some things in a new light - for which I was grateful.  At the risk of sounding dismissive (which I don't want to have happen), I had to sort through a lot of what I saw as doctrinal garbage to find the pearls of wisdom - but I really enjoyed the beautiful pearls when he presented them. 

I had to laugh one day as I heard him tell his listeners about a wonderful idea that James Hobson (Focus on the Family) had been inspired to teach. It encouraged Christians to set aside one evening each week to spend with their families - to share the Gospel, testify and engage in fun activities in order to strengthen the family and bring Christians closer to God. He said it obviously was prophecy for our time, and he thanked God for inspiring Hobson in such a manner - and he had no clue whatsoever that the idea was modeled after the Mormon program of Family Home Evening.

We certainly can learn things from others, but they certainly can learn things from us - even if they can't attribute those things to us.

Church Callings: Inspiration or Desperation? Issuing vs. Extending?

I have been in various positions in the LDS Church where I was responsible for "issuing a calling" - but I always have preferred the concept of "extending a calling".  The difference can be subtle, but I believe it is important. 

"Issuing" implies something being given as a matter of course that cannot be refused, while "extending" implies offering something that can be "retracted" if the person to whom the offer is being made doesn't accept it.  Since I don't believe callings must be accepted (either reflexively or even after contemplation), but rather that everyone has the right and responsibility to ascertain whether or not they should accept any particular calling, it is important to me to choose words that allow the person to not feel obligated to accept.  At the most fundamental level, I am wary of any phrasing that, even if only in theory or subtly, abrigates personal agency and pressures others to accept decisions I (and/or a presidency in which I am serving) have made regarding them. 

Also, I never claim inspiration when I issue a calling - except in cases where I believe I have been inspired in very obvious and unmistakable ways, and those cases have occurred. In some cases, the genesis of the calling has been powerful revelation.  Generally, however, I simply say something like, "I would like to talk with you about ______," I usually do this even in those cases where I believe the decision to extend the calling truly was inspirational or revelatory - although I have deviated from this general rule occasionally, when I have felt prompted to do so. 

Likewise, I have heard far more leaders say, "We would like to extend this calling to you," than, "The Lord would like you to serve in this calling." I've heard the latter only rarely. I know there are leaders who phrase the extension of callings that way as a general practice, and I think they generally believe it, but I believe my own approach happens more often than claiming all callings are the result of undeniable revelation.

Committees vs. Councils: The Difference is Important

There is a big difference between decision that need to be made individually and those that are made best by a committee of some sort.  One of the problems I have seen in every organization in which I've been involved throughout my life is distinguishing between those two situations and acting accordingly. 

With that in mind, I want to share the following generality - understanding it is not a universal constant that applies to all situations:

If the Spirit is telling you to do something, he's likely to share that with others involved.

Often one person will receive the initial inspiration, but if others are going to be impacted to a large degree and in important ways, I believe it is critical to allow for those others to receive confirmation of that inspiration prior to implementation of the decision.  This is one of the reasons I like the council model so much for groups. I don't like committee decision making, necessarily, in many instances (although it is important in some instances) - but I like "counciling". There is an important difference. 

Committee decisions require no decision be made until everyone can reach a mutual decision, which means  that the ultimate decision often is a compromise (or is postponed indefinitely) - OK, but not even close to ideal in many situations.  True council decisions require open discussion and active, sincere consideration of all voices and perspectives - but, ultimately, the decision must be reached by the leader of the council and accepted by the group body. Council decisions can and often should be a compromise from the leader's initial thought, and those decisions can be postponed, but this approach allows decisions to be made that do not require consensus in the traditional way.  They require acceptance, and that is not the same thing as pure consensus. 

The key, in my opinion, is that the leader ask and listen PRIOR to sharing his or her initial opinion - which, in practical terms, means that the group body might not know in the end what that initial opinion was.  I believe the Spirit can share aspects of inspiration with individuals that differ in perspective from that which is shared with others, and combining those aspects into one vision / answer / solution can be powerful. 

In the case of spouses, I believe strongly that one spouse should not dictate to the other. After all, those two are supposed to be one - so, theoretically, one half shouldn't be making major decisions for the whole. Thus, I appreciate the change that has been made in the past few years in the way that the global Church leadership has addressed the concept of presiding in the home - focusing on a couple presiding together as equal partners.  In this instance, the best decision-making process is more of the standard committee model, not the council model. 

It's hard for some members to let go of the former paradigm, but it's important to accept that change.

A Personal Example of Why I Believe in Inspiration

I was visiting one of the branches in our stake a few years ago and had a really neat experience. For the full picture:

My daughter had to return to college after the Thanksgiving break, and, given the timing of her available ride, I thought I might not be able to attend the branch I normally visited each fourth Sunday. At the last minute, she told me that her friend who would be driving wasn't going to be ready until after our ward's meetings were over (completely unexpectedly) - so I had time to visit the branch and make it back in time to take her to her friend's house.

When I arrived at the branch, the counselor who was conducting told me that one of the speakers probably wouldn't be able to make it - so he asked if I would be willing to speak, if necessary. I agreed - and told him to put me last so I could take whatever time was left.

The topic for the day was "happiness" - so I started thinking about it as soon as I sat down, which was about five minutes before the meeting was to start. I immediately had a thought that I suppressed, since it just didn't seem like something someone normally would say in Sacrament Meeting - especially with the Stake President visiting and sitting on the stand. You see, it was, in a nutshell:

"Not everyone can be happy just by keeping the commandments, praying, attending church and reading the scriptures."

Instead, I looked through the scriptures and started crafting a more traditional talk.

As the first speaker began, I realized she was giving a good but quite predictable talk about happiness - and focusing on the benefits of the things I mentioned above. It really was a very well-organized, thoughtful talk. The second speaker spoke similarly - with different verses and different focal areas, but also stressing the things I mentioned above. It also really was a very good talk. In the middle of both talks, the same basic thought hit me - each time progressively stronger. So, I changed focus and looked for a way to teach the idea that hit me and still make it inspiring and not dismissive in any way of the other talks.

I started by mentioning my struggle to accept my first impression, then I read Psalms 46:10 and focused on the injunction, "Be still, and know that I am God." I mentioned that having a mother with schizophrenia had taught me a lot about happiness. I said that my father did two things for her to help her be happy: 1) He sought professional help and found medication that controlled her schizophrenia; 2) He shouldered ALL the responsibilities for the family in order to shield her from worry and anxiety. I said that my father's example was an extreme one due to my mother's condition, but I stressed that the same basic approach was important for many people.

I then mentioned that I had really enjoyed the previous two talks and that their advice was excellent for the vast majority of us - but that there are some members who struggle with depression or bi-polar disorder or other issues who feel crushing weight when they translate what someone says about happiness as:

"If you only tried harder, you wouldn't be unhappy. It's all your fault. You're useless and hopeless."

I mentioned that I believe those people must: 1) find out if there are medicines and/or coping mechanisms that can help control their debilitating tendencies; 2) find a way to "Be still, and know that I am God." They need to understand and accept the idea that the Atonement redeems us from things that we didn't choose, like the chemical imbalances that cause depression and other issues - that they are not "guilty" of those feelings and the attendant struggles they cause.

I then quoted Matthew 11:28-30 and focused on the part that says, "Take my yoke upon you, and I shall give you rest." I said that many people are so busy in their everyday lives that they fail to find time simply to pray, contemplate, meditate, ponder and rest. I asked everyone in the congregation to try to find ways to "be still" and "receive rest" - so that they could have time and energy to "count their blessings" and "see what God has done" in their lives. I finished by explaining how my wife has kept a blessings list (through her blog) each weekend and what that has done to her daily perspective over the last three years.

Now, to address the title of this post:

A woman came up to the stand after the meeting and told me that she had woken up that morning and almost decided not to come to church. She said she has been battling depression for a long time and that it has been worse the past few months since her father died. She told me the Branch President has been very supportive and "wonderful", but that she almost stayed home. She said she felt a strong impression to go anyway - at least to Sacrament Meeting. She then said that the moment I started speaking (before I had even addressed the issue of depression), she had felt an incredible peace flow through her and the thought entered her mind:

"See, someone understands what you are going through. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. It's OK; I love you just as you are."

 
  I don't know the mechanics of inspiration, and I have no idea why things like this happen for some and not for others. I just know I really do believe in inspiration - and that there is someone out there who really does know us as individuals.

The Danger of Seeing Patterns as Formulas

A friend of mine once shared the following with me, and I want to pass it on to everyone who reads my blog.  I thought it was profound when I received it, and I still think so now.  I have added some of my own thoughts into his words - modifying his pattern a bit, if you will:

A formula, by definition is a series of inputs that result inevitably in a predictable output: A + B = C. 
A pattern is a plan, based on experience and/or observation, for producing a predictable output. A pattern however, can be modified by lots of varying circumstances outside the control of the "creator" and end up producing radically different "outputs".

It is efficient to use patterns for one's life, and we use them all the time in the Church. There is no reason, for example, to burn your finger on the stove, if someone else has already had that experience and you can learn from it vicariously.  Thus, following the principles articulated in the Word of Wisdom can be much safer than insisting on understanding addictions fully by becoming addicted then overcoming the addiction.  Even though not all who partake become addicts (there is no firm formula for addiction to some substances), there is enough of a discernible pattern to warrant many people treating the pattern as if it was a formula. 
There are issues, however, to doing that - to seeing patterns as if they were formulas:

First, to some degree, as we rely on patterns or formulas, we give up our ability to experience life personally and up close. Obviously, we want to avoid unnecessary dangers, but is it really life if we engulf ourselves completely in patterns and formulas? Maybe we risk not seeing the sunrise differently that someone else - and that would be a shame. Maybe we risk closing ourselves to the whispering of the Spirit - and that would be an even greater shame. 

The second thought is that as an LDS culture, we tend to take a pattern and think of it as a formula.  (In fact, this tendency is deeply rooted in the "natural (wo)man".)  For example:

- Marrying a returned missionary will make you happy.

- Marrying in the temple will lead to the Celestial Kingdom.

- If you marry a returned missionary in the temple, you will be happy and end up in the celestial kingdom.  (A + B = C)

Any time that we think of a pattern as an absolute formula, we are eventually BOUND to be gravely disappointed by: the returned missionary who goes 'astray' - the temple marriage that goes bad - the general unhappiness we might feel.  Perhaps, some of that general unhappiness (or shattering disappointment and disillusionment) might be because we feel we haven't really experienced "our own" lives and, instead, simply lived a pattern believing it to be a formula. 

I think it is important to understand the heart of what my friend said - that we can follow a general pattern (and that it's important to do so in many cases), but that it's just as important to find and follow our own paths and the promptings of the Holy Ghost that can tailor and alter a general pattern to one that is right and inspired and directed for each of us as an individual.  We need to understand how few formulas there are in mortality and, instead, see and adapt patterns that have meaning to us - and that will not shatter our perspectives if they do not act as formulas that create "C" and lead us instead to "D" - or "L" or even "Z".

Valuing Inspiration as Legitimate Revelation

I think, personally, that God inspires and gives revelation to MANY outside the LDS Church - and I don't think that's inconsistent at all with our scriptures, history and fundamental principles. I'm also of the opinion that MUCH of what we call revelation really isn't different in nature than MUCH of what we call inspiration. I believe in instances of revelation that are more clearly divine communication than general inspiration, both for prophets and also in my own life, but, in general, I believe we place way too high an importance on what I might call "radical and obvious revelation" - especially when there is so tiny an amount of it recorded even in our canonized scriptures.

If we really stop and think about it, most of what we call revelation could be termed "visions" or "dreams" or such - and dismissed easily by those who don't believe in such things. Certainly, that is the case with Joseph in Egypt, Ezekial, Paul, Joseph Smith, Jacob's ladder, Wilford Woodruff, Spencer W. Kimball, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Muhammed, Nephi - and even Jesus, of Nazareth. I'm not saying that to disparage revelation in any way - but it does point to the heart of this post.

I don't think there's a thing I'm "missing" by being LDS - mostly because I believe I can and do tap into everything that is available to anyone else anywhere else - and more. (especially since I can study almost anything I want to study and remain firmly within the LDS Church) I really do believe there is something "extra" in the cosmology of Mormonism that is missing elsewhere - and I really do value that "something" as a source of inspiration and revelation. In other words, I believe both inspiration and revelation are available to all - but I also believe they both are more accessible generally within Mormonism than elsewhere.

I don't say that lightly, and I don't say it condescendingly - but I also think the very fact that I am writing this post and acknowledging the possibility of "receiving" personal inspiration and revelation (in the manner in which I am writing about it) is more instructive than most people realize.

Simple Prayer Request

It's really intriguing how often my New Year's Resolution for the month has paralleled my actual life.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that my life has paralleled my resolutions, as I will explain. 

I say it is intriguing, because I choose my monthly New Year's Resolutions at the beginning of the year - meaning most of them are chosen substantially before my life catches up to them and shows me why I was prompted to choose them in the first place.  I would say that each year I have been pursuing this resolution format, there have been at least two months where the resolution is so spot-on for the events of the month that I simply must conclude that my mind was inspired to structure my resolutions for the year in such a way as to be working on those specifics traits at the very time I would need most to be focused on them.

This has been one such month.

"To set my heart less upon the things of the world" has been . . . challenging . . . to say the least.  We probably have had a higher number of unique opportunities to internalize this resolution this month than at any time in the last few years.  In fact, it might not be hyperbole to say that there has been a unique combination of opportunities this month that, in a real way, has been more all-encompassing than perhaps at any other time in our lives - and it's not over yet.

In that vein, I simply want to ask anyone who reads my blog regularly (or anyone else who reads this post) to keep us in your prayers.  We are OK.  In fact, we are more than OK.  We simply need insight and clarity with regard to a few things still. 

We appreciate it greatly. 

Blessed by God: Individual Journies That Are Acceptable to Him

A friend of mine wrote the following comment a while ago in a thread about finding our way to God - and how not all of us walk the same pathway in that journey. I thought it was incredibly insightful, and I really like the scriptural reference to very different journeys that were blessed by God despite their differences. My friend excerpted a couple of comments from other people, and I have copied here the entire thing - excerpts and all:
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There are times when I wonder if all that's really required is a good honest heart toward other people (hard work, love, caring for others, etc.) - and all this ordinance / sacrifice / priesthood holding, moving, etc. is the invention of men. Blessed by God, but only one of a number of paths that are acceptable to Him.

A good scriptural account of this principle is how the Lord worked with the brother of Jared. The important thing was that a journey needed to happen - to get the people to the promised land.

The boats were just tools in the journey. How the boats would work, or have light to support life, could be done a number of ways.

The Lord lets the brother of Jared choose one way (crystal stones touched and lighted by God's power), and God reaches His finger through the veil to oblige and bless that choice.

That is one way you can get to the promised land. Obviously, other groups did it differently, and the Lord blessed their "ways" also. In the end, it was the journey and what the individuals learned along the journey that mattered, not the details.

I think this way about the Temple Ceremony, and possible sources Joseph Smith might have used to create it. If it was blessed by the Lord, than that is fine for me. As [someone else] put it:

I'm chalking it up to human ideas.

I think in many cases . . . they're pretty good [or even transcendent] ideas and can help me feel close to God, as long as I don't get so caught up in the literal teachings that I fail to benefit from the symbolic and spiritual truths and principles they are meant to convey. The details are far less important than how I use them to reach my intended destination.

Thy Will, O Lord, Be Done: Some Things Simply Can't Be Coincidental

Almost exactly two years ago, I got a phone call from my youngest brother telling me that my mother's medication had quit working again and she was starting to hallucinate. I had just started my new job in Missouri; my family still was in Ohio; I was driving to church on a Sunday morning - alone - when I got the call.

As I prayed while I drove, the phrase "Thy will, O Lord, be done" came into my mind - clearly and calmly.

When I got to church, I was quite early, so I went into the RS room and sat down at the piano to play some relaxing music and try to not stress out about my mother's condition. When I opened the hymnal, I saw hymn #188 - "Thy Will, O Lord, Be Done". I played it and sang the words silently in my head. It was a wonderful few minutes, full of the recognition of God's grace and love and understanding of my personal situation that day.

When I walked into the chapel to sit and wait for Sacrament Meeting to start, I looked at the program and saw the intermediate hymn - #188, "Thy Will, O Lord, Be Done".

I can't explain what happened that day, and I can't explain why it happened to me and doesn't happen to some others, but I am grateful that it did.

God knows us individually.  Of that, I am certain.

Foresight in Inspired Callings

[NOTE: This post is not claiming that all callings are inspired - or even that all leadership callings are inspired. I don't believe that. However, I believe many are - and this post address those that are.]

I believe that there is something everyone can learn from every calling they fulfill, but I don't think the Lord wants an entire ward or stake to suffer in order for one person to grow. In my experience, however, when it comes to truly inspired callings of Bishops and Stake Presidents (and auxiliary and priesthood presidents), there generally is a particular reason that a particular person is going to be needed in the future - so that person is called.

I have experienced a ward that went through certain problems that required a very strong, single-minded, no-nonsense, "iron rod" Bishop. A soft-spoken consensus builder would have been eaten alive and spit out. (I mean that seriously. The ward might have imploded.) The Lord knew in advance what trials that ward would face, so he called someone who could handle those trials - even though some other issues arose as a result of some members not reacting as well to such a personality. When those trials passed, the Bishop was released - and a soft-spoken, incredibly humble and gentle man was called to take his place. It was revelation through the Stake President in the truest sense.

Each was the right person for his specific time because of the particular strengths each possessed that were a perfect match for the issues of his own administration. Yes, they learned lessons while they served, but I am convinced that their learning of those lessons was not the primary reason they were called. They were secondary to the needs of the body of Christ they led.