Manly Man Training #14: thoughts determine destiny

We men can be interesting creatures.  Whether influenced by DNA, family training or cultural norms we often learn to keep our thoughts to ourselves and not share them often.  This can impact our lives in a variety of ways.  Many of us have learned that if we choose to keep our thoughts to ourselves that it can often get in the way of our relationships with our wife, if married, or interactions with ladies in general.  When we keep our thoughts to ourselves we don't get practice sharing them and when we enter a relationship with a lady and find that sharing thoughts is an important part of relationships, then we often find ourselves fumbling and inadequate. 

Related to that is we can learn to wall off our thoughts to others and keep them private creating a false sense that we can think whatever we want without causing harm to others.  This is clearly false.  Despite any proficiency that we develop in sealing in our harmful thoughts, those thoughts will leak out in our actions, body language and attitudes.  Thoughts determine what we become and who we drag down along with us, or who we lift up as we go along through life. 

In essence our thoughts become the breeding ground of all of our future and what we can become.  It's not just a case of thinking good or bad things it can also be thinking productive and righteous things or thinking valueless and worthless things.  If our time is spent thinking things of little worth then our thoughts are not germinating righteous behaviors enough or at least as often as would be beneficial in our lives and in the lives of others.  Consequently we become a person who isn't as dependable to the Lord because of our wasting our minds time in thoughts of little worth. 

Robert L. Millet says it this way: "Obviously how we think and what we think about will determine our future, even our destiny.  God and his chosen servants have entreated the men of the Church, those called out of the world, to think eternally as they act daily.  When we think eternal thoughts, our actions will be lasting and worthwhile.  When we think eternally, our impact on our homes and our society will be permanent.  When we think eternally, the things that matter most will never be sacrificed to the things that matter least.  And when we view our lives from an eternal vantage point, we will recognize that we are indeed agents on the Lord's errand; we will then do things his way." (Men of Valor p. 34-35)

In Doctrine and Covenants section 64:29: "Wherefore, as ye are agents, ye are on the Lord's errand; and whatever ye do according to the will of the Lord is the Lord's business."

As manly men we are recruits of the Lord, consequently we are his agents and we need to do things his way.  Of course we will take years to learn and hone those abilities, but if we know now an area we should change then we need to take steps to make that change or be held accountable not only for what we are doing and not doing, but for the good that making that change would lead to in our lives and the lives of others. 

So, bottom line, our thoughts need to be of eternal and lasting things, so that our attitudes and actions will be of eternal and lasting things.  Please make adjustments as necessary. 

"As a man thinketh in his heart so is he."  Proverbs 23:7

Homework

Look into what an affirmation is (if you don't already know) and develop 5 affirmations based on eternal values that will guide you in becoming a righteous agent of our God. 

What I've been reading 3

Once again I'm enjoying some of my free time by reading some good books. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins:



I enjoyed this one the best of the three books in the series in my opinion.  In this book all the characters get to show their true colors and are forced to take a stand for what they think is right.  It is not always easy to tell what the truth is and decisions have to be made quickly and based on incomplete information.  As in real life these characters have feelings and some try to ignore them, some are overwhelmed by them and need help and support from others to live their lives while dealing with them and still others try to anesthetize themselves to keep from feeling them.  It seems realistic in a very foreign world and the book concludes on a good note.  I would recommend this series despite the distasteful idea of the competition of the killing games that is forced on the population.  It deals with important concerns like how to decide what is true and what to support and how much freedom a government should give it's people and how influential and important and individual can be.  A good read.  If young kids are reading this book I would recommend a parent read along so the hard topics (killing, government oppression and the associated feelings be discussed so the kids can understand). 

Snow Rising by Matt Baldwin



This is one of those books that are in a niche that I'll call "Self help fiction".  The style is similar to the Peace Giver.  And this book is equally as well done and covers important information.  This style of book seems to really do some good teaching and when you are done you feel like you need to read it again to let is settle some more in you.  I found lots of great things in this book.  The lists at the back unrelated to the story are well worthwhile as well.  I highly recommend this book if you want to figure out what you personally can do to help the problems in your life, particular problems with relationships in or out of the family. 

Hero by Mike Lupica














This is a fun book about a young boy finding and discovering he had super powers and determining what his role is in the world.  A couple adults try to tell him what to do with his powers and he has to determine which is trying to help and which is trying to hinder.  It is a quick and fun read.  It is a YA book that really is best for young people and not adults.  The feelings and situations of the main character are not gone into in a depth that would be preferred by this adult at least, or maybe I'm just accustomed to how Orson Scot Card writes.  A good kids book that doesn't trash families or government or anything and is not gruesome.  A generally wholesome book. 

This is an electronic format science fiction/fantasy magazine edited by Orson Scott Card. I'll list the short stories included in it separately with a brief synopsis. 

Respite--Rachel Ann Dryden--an interesting story about a married couple trying to reach safety.  Both the husband and wife think the wife is the strongest of the pair until a moment of truth comes.

A Rarefied View at Dawn--Dave Wolverton--This is an interesting little story about a young man nearing the beginning of adolescence.  He lives in a city with only women and girls and very few boys.  The qualities of men are detested in this city and men must live outside the city in primitive conditions while the ladies live productive and modern lives inside the city protected from the men by robots.

Loose in the Wires--John Brown--In this fantasy a brother-in-law back from the Peace Corps brings home god in the form of a beetle.  What then happens tests those who are sane. 

Trill and the Beanstalk--Edmund R. Schubert--A chess loving American finds himself out maneuvered by a Chinese person in the race to get the wealth of Mars. 

Night Walks--Robert Stoddard--a husband is treated for cancer and survives only to fall prey to depression that almost takes him and his wife's life. 

Taint of Treason--James Stone--A son's treason is needed to protect the family from the false accusation of treason by the king. 

Eviction Notice--Scott M. Roberts--This is a story about a Vietnam vet who can't shake the horrors of the war or the later abuse of his son until he finds a way for emancipation. 

Mazer in Prison--Orson Scott Card--This is the best story of the bunch.  If you are an Ender fan and wondered how Graff got to be head of the battle school this will answer your questions. 

Hopefully you are doing some reading as well. 

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.
Henry David Thoreau

Agency and Agent

Our religion has a word that we use different than others.  Insofar as I can tell we are the only ones that use it this way.  It is significantly different than the other uses of the word.  The word is agency (click the word to see dictionary meanings of the word).  In our religion it means a human being's ability to choose their actions, reactions and thoughts.  When we speak of agency it indicates that because we each have that ability to choose for ourselves, how to act and think, that we have the incumbent responsibility for our actions.  In addition we are the only ones who can change our actions.  Implied in any discussion of agency is that we have the responsibility to make it a priority to change our behaviors to be more in harmony with Christ's teachings.  We are responsible to attempt to act in a manner not only pleasing to him but following the examples that he gave us in his life and complying with the teachings of ancient and modern day prophets. 

As we put in effort into making that change (which is described as a change from selfishness to selflessness) then we become commendable agents or representatives of our Savior.  We are energized toward that goal due to a covenant or promise that we make at baptism.  That covenant not only communicates our desire to follow his commandments but to also become like him by taking upon us his name symbolically.  Taking upon us His name is like joining His family.  We seek to achieve active daily efforts to act as He would act as evidenced by the teachings from the New Testament and Book of Mormon. 

Needless to say our efforts will be imperfect and often weak.  However, we have the expectation that with increased practice, effort and religious and self understanding (aided by self evaluation) we can improve our efforts and become adequate, commendable and acceptable servants/agents of Christ. 

The Prophet and President of our church Gordon B. Hinckley taught more than once prior to his death in 2008, that in his view what was the best representation of our religion is the individual member's lives (see yesterday's post for more info by clicking here).  Consequently we as members must not just "talk the talk" but "walk the walk", meaning to be an example of what our religion teaches and stands for.  Be living symbols, we might say, in our lives.  Of course we recognize that as living symbols we will be human symbols as well indicating we will not be perfect but make errors.  Even in our errors we can symbolize and exemplify efforts to improve and change to be a more Christ like person. 

Without agency, any talk or expectation of change would be meaningless because without agency we would not be able to do it.  It would be impossible.  Without agency our actions would be due to other causes and not within our own control.  Whatever the other causes we would only be reactive and responsive to those powers.  As believers in agency or rather recognizers that we have been given that gift from God, we are powerful in the ability to choose our actions and take responsibility for good or ill for what we do and think. 

As a result of agency we have a chance to emulate Christ and pattern our behavior after him.  Agency makes that goal a possibility.  (Matt. 5:48: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." See also 3 Nephi 12:48) Without the possibility to control ourselves (as opposed to being controlled by someone else) and without the ability to be responsible for our actions we are animal like in psychology as well as biology, tied to instinct or other controls, rather than being individual agents able to contemplate in thought who or what we choose to follow in our behaviors.

It has always interested me that of all God's creations (of which I am aware) humans are the only ones that can choose to comply with His commandments.  We get to decide whom we will serve rather than automatically comply with everything and anything He says.  


With that established we can more easily see that life is not just what it seems.  It is not just an effort to accumulate stuff or to seek entertainment or fulfill our passions.  Instead life is a testing ground where we can practice and perfect our self-control and shape our thoughts and behaviors to represent what we hold most dear.  Difficulties, catastrophes, pain and heartache are not just a condition of mortality or not merely obstacles to overcome but can literally be the teachers of how to change and conform our lives to be like Christ.  As we modify and transform ourselves in this way we can/will see that our individual life with our individual weaknesses and strengths, along with our individual challenges and successes are an individual schooling that is developed very specifically for each one of us.  This literally can train/shape us individually to reach our potential.  That potential is to most closely resemble our Savior and His Father. 

We may as a child and at times through our lives pattern our behavior after individuals or heroes that we see have some characteristic of the Savior.  But ultimately we must turn to Him and follow His pattern as we understand it, which of course allows us to be responsible for how we turn out.  As we do this we acquire all opportunities to learn and be what this mortal existence was intended to help us be.  The Creator not only did brilliant work in creating this world and all of us, but did ultimately meaningful work in forming a creation with potential!