Today I read Alma 6 which is a very short chapter but has some good doctrine in it. However the part that stood out to me is in verse 6. It states that the saints were commanded to meet together often to fast and to pray.
I know I recently spoke on the importance and purpose of church but I feel inclined to expound upon what I have already written. I am reminded of a story, most likely a Mormon legend, but one that is truly interesting in it's execution.
The story goes that a bishop went to visit a member of the church that he was responsible for that he had visited many, many times before, and while the member was very nice, he had never come back to church. The member invited the bishop inside and they sat in front of a fire in the fireplace since it was a cold night. The bishop was at a loss of what to say to this brother that he hadn't already said, so the two men sat in silence for a time. Finally the bishop, looking around the room for inspiration saw the fire and saw the coals at the bottom of the fire, how hey were red hot. He grabbed the tongs and without saying a word pulled one coal out of the fire and laid it on the hearth. Predictably, after a moment or two the coal cooled off to he point where it was no longer glowing but was black and smoking slightly. Still without saying anything the bishop grabbed the coal with the tongs and placed it back in the fire where within a moment the coal returned to a bright cherry red. The man then said, "Bishop I understand what you are saying and I will be at church next Sunday." And he did and remained active.
I have no idea if that story is true or not, but it has always stuck with me since the first time I heard it. There are many other stories that I think I could share that would be equally applicable but I really feel strongly that this is the one to record today. Hopefully someone out there will find a use for it! There is a strength that is gained from being a member of a ward or branch that we just don't have on our own. I think everyone at some point in their life goes through a phase where for some reason or another they do not enjoy going to church. It may be because of sin, maybe you are new in the area and don't know anyone so you feel out of place, illness, or any other number of reasons or excuses.
What ever the reason, it really is that important to attend our meetings. I remember being a missionary and one day my companion, who was from Utah, mentioned that he thought the reason our new members fell away from the church is because they had to drive 30 minutes to reach church. Being from Utah he had not experienced this before. However, being from Kentucky myself, I knew several people including my brother's family, who did this "trek" each week. I was actually mad at him for his shallow view of our members at the time, now I just laugh about it. But as I reminded him that day, a true convert of Jesus Christ does not let distance get in the way of attending church meetings. There are countless stories in the Ensign or from missionaries of members, especially in South America, who walk 2 hours one way to attend their meetings each week! Now there is someone converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and who understands the importance of attending our meetings.
There must be something to it, afterall it is a question we are asked to renew our temple recommend every 2 years. I think also part of the importance of going to church is holding a calling. I was taught growing up that you do not refuse a calling for any reason. That they are divinely inspired and we should always serve to the best of our ability. Now there is no harm in speaking with the Bishop or his counselor extending the calling to you to let them know your circumstances, but if after that they still extend the calling, you are to accept it. That is what I was taught and how I live my life.
Callings stretch us and get us out of our comfort zones. I remember one time they were going to replace the Gospel Doctrine teacher and my mother told me she really hopes they will call me because she said that I was a really good teacher. In a moment of inspiration I said, "They won't call me to that calling because it won't stretch me. I won't grow with that calling. It is meant for someone else." And sure enough the next week they sustained a new teacher in Sacrament meeting and it wasn't me. :)
When I first moved down to Huntsville, Alabama it took them over 6 months to give me a calling. I remember being annoyed it took them so long to give me one and that while it was nice to have a "vacation" at church after being the Executive Secretary for over a year, I wanted to get back to serving my brothers and sisters. I mentioned in a previous post how our trials help us to grow and cause us to grow in ways we may not have thought of before. Callings will do the same thing. They will force us to grow and stretch us to the point we think we might break.
But we must have faith in our Heavenly Father that He knows what He is doing. I believe it was Boyd K. Packer who once said that faith is walking a lit path, then coming to a part where there is no light, taking a few steps into the darkness and finding that the way is lit a few more steps ahead of us. Heavenly Father knows that giving us everything we need right off the bat is not a good plan at all. We have ALL seen spoiled children who are given everything they ever ask for and we all know how ill prepared that child is for their later life once they leave mom and dad's house. So are we in our Father's eyes. It would be sheer folly to think that Heavenly Father should only give us good things in this life. What a waste of time! What a pointless exercise this life would be.
However, the Lord also knows how hard this life is for us and so He doesn't want us to go through life alone. That is why we have been given families, and church. Our church family should be important to us and is a great blessing in our life if we allow it to be. How sad it is to see someone turn down a blessing when so much around us is bleak and demanding. Yet that is what we do when we choose not to attend church. We are denying ourselves the change to feel the Spirit as strongly and a chance to bless the lives of others with our testimony. May we all understand what a blessing church meetings are in our life and attend them with happiness and the Spirit. Until tomorrow.
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