Today I read Doctrine and Covenants section 85, which is a short section on the law of consecration and how those who have apostatized are to be dealt with in regards to their inheritance with the Saints. The part that actually stood out to me was a section that has to do with the next life and our eternal reward.
Verse 9 states that those who are not found written in the book of remembrance shall find none inheritance in that day. It got me thinking a little bit about what is really important and opportunity cost again. We are only here on this earth for a short period of time and yet we manage to cram so much into so little time. The thing that is baffling is that we are given a map to get home and most choose to throw it away or at the very least, ignore it.
It's strange how travelers go to great lengths to find maps from those who have gone before so that they will know what to expect. Mariners in days of old would not travel in unfamiliar waters without a guide or a map of the region. And yet in this day and age, we sell ourselves for sex, money, drugs, TV, video games or any other number of pursuits that as soon as we are out of this world will be no more. Why do we do it to ourselves? Why do we sell our inheritance for a mess of pottage?
It is because we do not take control of the natural man in us. We instead allow it to control us and thereby do not take the time to get to know the spirit inside of us. How many people sell themselves for sex? It is the most commonly used currency for any number of things. And the worst part is, it is glamorized in the media and our social circles. It feels physically pleasurable and so we confuse a brief moment of "fun" for happiness. And yet how many of those people deep down desire a family lifestyle if they really examined themselves? How many, emulate a marriage by living together and doing everything a true family does while living the sickly parody that Satan has convinced us is ok?
That is because our spirit talks to us and tells us that we are meant for better things. We just won't listen. Yes, we will all be tempted for certain things, but the key is to rely on our Heavenly Father for help and to slowly change our nature and who we are so that we can overcome those carnal temptations. Just about everyone in this life would say don't mess up your entire life, for one month of pleasure. No one would advise you to do that, not even the most addle brained drug addict on the planet would advise you to such a course of action. And yet that is what billions of people are doing in this life. In the course of our existence, we are only on this planet for such a short period time. And yet how we conduct ourselves here and what we choose will determine the whole rest of our existence. Why waste it?
The true problem I think is we lose perspective and so we don't think of it in those terms, even though that is exactly what we are doing. The primary answers help here with keeping us focused. Daily scripture study, personal and family prayers, attending church meetings, home/visiting teaching, service and temple worship will all help us keep the proper frame of mind so that we don't lose ourselves in the meaningless pastimes that are so abundant here on the earth. Remember to reach out to Heavenly Father in faith and ask for the help we all need and it will come. He wants us to succeed and that is where His joy comes from. He will not leave you helpless. Until tomorrow.
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