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-- Edited by Mahonri at 20:23, 2007-03-12

My most recent theory on life is that people forget, and that's why life can get difficult.

If you forget to pray, you don't have that added power. If you forget to read the scriptures, you don't have that added spirit. By forgetting the power of the Atonement and not applying it in our lives, we bring so much pain and sorrow into our lives that we don't really need. By forgetting the joys, happiness, and blessings in our lives, we come to think that we just have to pass through all of our trials. Sometimes just by remembering the Plan of Happiness, our trials are more insignificant than they once appeared, and we can have joy again. All you really have to do is look around you to find joy, and many people seem to forget that.

fear of shiz wrote:

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until you are safely dead?

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Did I trigger this by what I said in the other thread about when the second coming will occur? 

It is an interesting question.

Perhaps the trend tends to go with the conceptual understanding many have of "enduring to the end." 

Adam fell that man might be.  Men are that they might have joy.

Joy is learning to recognize, and with gratitude, to accept the good things and hope and happiness and beauty of this sphere of existence even while in the midst of the trials sorrows and hardship.  It is the personal overcoming of sin in a sinful world, and thereby the humble recognition that He who is sinless paid the price for that sin and has forgiven the sinner who repents.

I think that members of the Church are not immune to the impatience inherent to our mortal sphere.  We all would like our trials to be over quickly.  We want, and maybe expect, that the hardships we face will be cured in the 60 minute Brady Bunch formula.  We get so focused on what we would like to have or be, we lose focus on the present, and in the process we lose proper aspect of the future, blaming everything on our perception of the present.

In the light of the second coming prediction thread, I wonder if maybe this phenomena is kind of related to the fascination some members have in looking for the signs of the second coming.  People, in both instances, are aware of the ugliness and wicknedness of the world we live in.  Some may hope to be freed from mortality relatively quickly so that they don't have to endure the harder times that will precede His return.  Others maybe are hoping the day of His return is hastened so that things won't get much worse, and hence look with great anticipation for the signs.  Me personally, I'm probably somewhere in the middle, but certainly have no desire (if it were my druthers) to be around longer than I need to be.

Which attitude is correct?  Both?  Neither?  I think it depends on where our desires lie.  Remember how when Christ called the Nephite Disciples at his post-resurrection appearance to the New World, he asked what they each wanted of Him?  Nine asked that they could come speedily unto Him when their mortal mission was done.  And three asked that they be allowed to teach and bring people to Christ until He came again.  The Lord was pleased and felt that all their desires were righteous, and granted them.  But, He appeared to be even more pleased with the three, for their's was less selfish.  And, he granted unto them that they would no longer feel the pains and sorrows of mortality, and that Satan would no longer have the power to tempt them.  (See 3 Nephi 28)

How sweet would that be!  I think that if the same condition and promise was available to the rest of us, far fewer of us would wish for and ask to be allowed to return speedily to Him in His kingdom (or hope the day of His coming would be hastened).

Anway, just my thoughts...

I think arbi, we're kind of on the same wave length now, in a round about way from that other thread. I wasn't quite sure how to answer your response when I saw it there. I think I can do so now and not have it come across wrong.

Actually, Cat, this was triggered by our Gospel Doctrine class yesterday, as we discussed Matthew 11:28-30.  It amazed me how many people just think that Christ's promise of rest in those verses only applies to the afterlife.  That isn't how I see it at all! 

I appreciate Arbi's comments about perspective, and on how this is a manifestation of pessimism.  But I find this viewpoint to be rather widespread in the Church.  What are we teaching or failing to teach that gives rise to it?

  You totally misunderstand me, Ray.  I have my share of hardships.  My life is no cake-walk.  I just don't choose to see that as the sum total of my life. 

Didn't the Python boys make a movie on this topic? The meaning of life as expressed by Mr. Creosote!

42.

Most Christain religion's views of the afterlife are pretty discouraging.  When you ask a main stream Christain's take on what will happen they talk of living in peace, and love, and singing forever as angels.  I would rather go to HEDOUBLEHOCKEYSTICK then spend my eternity like that.  With the true gospel we have a roadmap.  This is where we came from, this is why we're here, this is what we need to do, this is where we can go, and this is what we can become.  A lot more motivating.  When I went to the evangelical Christain school as a lad they told me that as long as I accepted Jesus in my heart I would go to heaven no matter what.  Add that to the view of heaven and eternity they espoused and I could see no reason not to party every day for the rest of my life like a drugged up monkey in heat.  I mean as long as I accepted Him in my heart I was saved and eternity looked pretty bleak anyway, I might as well have some fun.   Thankfully the true gospel has the complete skinny and the eternities look a lot better under the Lord's real plan.