So once upon a time there were these two people and they had to make a really hard decision so that man-kind could come down to the green planet and go through this buffet line called life and get a big steaming helping of agency. (There's more to the story but... time and cramped hands!)Those people were Adam and Eve in case you didn't pick up on that.
Anyway, So here we are.... livin... we have these prophet guys that tell us important messages that we need to hear in order to stay on the right track. We love those guys! They're the best! We also have our bishops who give us great advice on how to overcome some of our little hiccups in life. (Some of us ate our agency a little TOO fast) Then! We have all of these other people who think they can tell you what is wrong, right, offensive, not bold enough, not spiritual enough, and that your skirt is too short. Those people are not bad... they're just not getting it. Hopefully they will get it soon, but we are not concerned with them because we have learned that this life is for living OUR lives! Not anyone else's life!
Not only were we blessed with agency, but we were also blessed with personal revelation. I want you all to think about eye colors and finger prints and those things that make us all unique. Don't you think that the way the gospel is applied in each of our lives is pretty unique? I do. We all interpret things so differently! Which is why prophets are so important! But they can't follow you around all day telling you what to do in all of that gray area in life! Thats why you have the right to choose. Thats why you have the ability to communicate to a loving Heavenly Father about what the right decision is for you in that particular moment.
Each of our journeys are incredibly different. Our personalities are incredibly different. Our upbringings, experiences, and our individual relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are different. What he expects from one of us, he may not expect from another one of us. So why do we think we can hold each other up to certain expectations? We cant! The prophet gives us the gospel, a skeleton guide book that we fill in with the juices of our own interesting and unique lives! Isn't that awesome!??
So take a look at the girl who you have never met before. The one wearing the worlds shortest mini skirt to church. I know right? You can almost see her underwear! So what are you going to do? Laugh at her with your friends? Go tell her that her skirt is too short and mortify her into inactivity? Or are you just going to say hi to her and invite her to sit with you in relief society? Are you going to judge her? Or are you going to let God do that? Last time I checked, that was his job, and not yours.
Let us love one another. It IS the second most important commandment. Let us respect the decisions of others. Their life is theirs. You will probably be able to wave at each other in the celestial kingdom later because most likely, they are taking care of the things that matter! And how they fill in that gospel skeleton is up to them, and they will probably do an ok job! No worries, they've got personal revelation so that God can tell them what is best for THEM! Get it? You got that? Good.
GO FORTH AND LOVE! LIVE AN AWESOME LIFE! FILL IN THAT SKELETON WITH YOUR OWN FLAVORS! (<--- that sounds kinda weird)
Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and worry about what Heavenly Father is trying to tell you about your own life. You are his greatest creation, and you are your most important convert.
This is an important blog Crystal. Thanks for your openness & ability to help us laugh a little at ourselves too! As a new LDS bishop, I KNOW this is an essential dialogue. I look forward to learning more with you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Marty N.
Thanks Marty. I felt like it needed to be done. Thank you for reading!
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