His Sheep Know His Voice

During Sunday School today we had a long discussion about how to tell the difference between inspiration from Heavenly Father and inspiration from the devil. At one point the teacher asked why it is important for us to study out the scriptures and words of our prophets for ourselves rather than just accept them immediately. I had two thoughts on that and shared one of them, which was that by studying ourselves we know the doctrine better and can better compare impressions and ideas to what has already been revealed, but by the time I had expressed that thought I had forgotten the other part of my answer. Well, I remember now and want to share it, but first I will tell a story from my life.

Years ago, right after I had moved to Provo, I learned of a blog some neighbors of mine had made in connection with a series of related pranks they had pulled over the course of a semester. They had each written under a specific pseudonym, but as I read through this blog I couldn't keep track of who had written what. In fact, at one point I thought there might be more pseudonyms than people writing.

Over the next couple of years, I spent a lot of time with these neighbors and became pretty good friends with them. Then we all went our separate ways. Some time after I had last seen these friends, I remembered this blog and felt inclined to read through it again. I found the web address and started reading, expecting to be a little confused about who had posted what again, but it was not so. Within just a couple lines of each post, I knew exactly who had written it. I checked against the credits of a youtube video about their pranks and found that I had been correct. After getting to know these men, I knew their individual voices.

The more time we spend prayerfully studying the words of the Lord, the better our relationship with Him will be, and the better we will be at distinguishing His voice.

Christmas Links

'Twas the Day Before Christmas
Stream Christmas music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
History of Handel and his Messiah
Come Let Us Adore Him
The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
The Condescension of Jesus Christ
Reflections of Christ Art Gallery
Free Music Downloads (Christmas songs are the first three links at the far right)

Prayer and Politics

Before every election in my memory, somebody read a letter in church encouraging everybody to be involved in the political process, get informed, and vote. The most recent letter is available to read at mormonnewsroom.org. I have always thought it important to do as the letters advise.

I have also always thought that the results of the elections were important enough that I should make my decisions about how to vote a matter of prayer, but exactly how I pray about my decisions has changed somewhat since I was 18. As I remember, back then I studied the candidates and issues, made choices that seemed logical to me, and then asked if my choices were good or right in a very straightforward, literal following of Doctrine and Covenants 9:8

 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But after some more experience with seeking help from Heavenly Father in other matters, I've started praying a bit more comprehensively about my decisions. First comes more praying before my studying for discernment and insight. As I study, I tell Him what aspects of the candidates or propositions I think matter most. I tell Him what I'm unsure about. When I start to lean a certain way, I tell Him why, point by point. Because one thing I have noticed is that the more I tell Heavenly Father of my thought process, the more I get out of the prayer. Maybe it's because I'm spending more time praying, giving me more time dedicated to each question for impressions; maybe it's because by actively telling what I am thinking, I am improving my connections with the Father; maybe my this process I am able to solidify my own thoughts. I think it is likely a combination of these factors. So far, I'm feeling pretty good about how my methods have been influencing my decisions.

And while I'm on the topic of politics, here are a couple modern scriptural references about how our government should be:
Doctrine and Covenants 98:4-10
Doctrine and Covenants 134

To Forgive Is Divine

When I was a kid, I got a bit nervous about this verse of scripture:

I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. (Doctrine and Covenants 64:10)

I interpreted it to mean that people would be forgiven or not based on a whim, and worried that when He got to me, He would feel like not forgiving. I wish that when I'd gotten that impression, I would have remembered this other verse:

Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. (Mosiah 26:30)

By the Moon and the Stars in the Sky

I was thinking about swearing on the Bible tonight and I realized that is sort of a strange practice considering what Jesus has to say about oaths.

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)

Marsa Joyoy

A member of one of my facebook groups recently posted a meme thing that has been going the rounds in her circles, saying that you have recently given birth to a daughter and her name must be the first three letters of your mother's name plus the last two letters of your own name.

So, announcement: I am now the mother of a baby girl named Marsa.

Marsa fit in pretty well with the names the other ladies in the group got. But then I tried out the same formula with my sisters' names. And what did they get? Maria. Marte. Maryn.

Every single one of those is a real, reasonably normal name. Unfair!

I was able to console myself with the results I got when I gender-flipped it and used my dad's and brothers' names: Ranam and Ranll. At least Marsa has a decent vowel/consonant distribution.

After that, I played around a bit with other family names. When I was born, I guess I really should have been named Loule or Dorle. And Dad was supposed to have been Othnd. (The men in my family aren't doing too well with name pronouncability, are they?)

My favorite is probably what came up when I moved on to middle names: Joyoy.

Maybe I will name my daughter using this method. After all, who would want to be called Martha Joy or Margaret Joy or Miriam Joy if they could be known as Marsa Joyoy?

Christmas Links

Grace and Christ's enabling and strengthening power
3 Christmas hymn origin stories, lyrics, and performance videos
When Bishop Monson saved Christmas
12 Christmas songs arranged by Mack Wilberg, performed by MoTab
Christmas Is About a Baby
Festival of the Nativity