This week’s reading was packed with
great articles all focused on the subject of debt, both monetary debt and
spiritual debt. I think the article that impacted me the most was the article
by President Faust, “Opening the Windows of Heaven”:
He included a quote by Joseph Smith: “A
religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power
sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.” He
continues, “Those who do not make the sacrifice cannot enjoy this faith,
because men are dependent upon this sacrifice in order to obtain this faith.” 14
To be faithful members of this Church
requires sacrifice and consecration. It means that worldly pleasures and
earthly possessions should not be our principal aim in life, because the gift
of eternal life requires a willingness to sacrifice all we have and are in
order to obtain it.
In our time we are surfeited with a
pestilence of violence, evil, and wickedness in so many forms. Those who keep
their covenants and pay their tithes and offerings will have some extra defense
against these virulent modern-day forms of evil. But this protection will not
come with a sacrifice which costs us nothing.
I say this because the world’s religious
drift is obvious. If something can be had cheaply, without exertion or
sacrifice, people do not mind having a little bit of it. In contrast, the
blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints require
both exertion and sacrifice. Receiving the blessings requires the payment of
tithes and offerings. Ours is not a Sunday-only religion. It demands exemplary
conduct and effort every day of the week. It involves accepting calls and
serving with fidelity in those callings. It means strength of character,
integrity, and honesty to the Lord and our fellowmen. It means that our homes
need to be places of sanctuary and love. It means a relentless battle against
the bombardment of worldly evils. It means, at times, being unpopular and
politically incorrect.
The readings this week were very
humbling and comforting. I enjoyed every one of them.
My $100 Challenge is still going strong.
I decided to invest the profits from my first two batches of product in a
machine that will make production so much faster and easier. The machine cost
$212 and has already paid for itself in the batch I am now finishing. I sent
out an email stating that I had a few last minute orders for Valentine Banners
and wondering if anyone else still wanted one. I received over $200 in orders for banners for Valentines, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Happy Birthday.
Once again, I was shocked and happy.
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