Things pertaining to a higher order

I really like the Maps application on my ipad because it makes it possible for me to zoom in and zoom out on the world. I can look at the world in so many views. I can see satellite images, or I can have street names superimposed on those images, and I can see terrain and buildings. It is almost like going somewhere and getting a bird’s eye view. When I read about different places, I like to go to my Maps application and discover those places so that they can become more real to me. As I've been reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, I've looked up some of the places to understand the geography better. (I wish it had the capability of telling me what the scale is of what I am seeing. I also wish I could know longitude and latitude.) Nevertheless, this application is amazing to me. Occasionally when the urge hits, I "wander around" North, South, and Central America, looking for anything that might fit vaguely with Book of Mormon geography. Zooming in and zooming out in satellite view, I feel like I can get a sense of what it must be like for God to see the big picture of what is going on globally and also know on the very small scale of what is going on with each person. (Granted, it is a very limited sense, but still, it teaches me about how vast His vision is, and yet how much He cares for 'the one.') I remember back in 2000 or 2001 when supercomputers were donated to BYU that could render these images so you could zoom in and zoom out on earth smoothly as if you were in a rocket rising or an asteroid falling. The ipad doesn’t zoom in or out quite as smoothly, but it does allow the same kind of global or magnified view.

As I was thinking about this recently, some scriptures came to my mind.

Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer. (Mosiah 8:13, emphasis added)

Computers are starting to remind me of Urim and Thummims these days. They can show us so many things, we just have to be aware that there are some things we should not look for. I’m finding that I get the best use my ipad and my computer when I have a specific purpose to sit down and use them. I suppose this great technology is a gift and also a test to see if we will look for the things God commands us to look for or whether we will look for things we ought not that will spiritually kill us. In a certain sense, it is preparation for this glorious future:

9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.
10 Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known; (D&C 130:9-10, emphasis added)

I love that idea that we will have things pertaining to a higher order revealed to us. But I don’t want to wait for that; I want to search for things of a higher order now. I suppose that if that is what I search for, that is what I will find.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipadfix/4498992951/

Doctrine of cell phone usage from the scriptures

This started out as a fun exercise in applying the scriptures to modern problems, and turned into an instructive experience.

I suppose the title is a little misleading because I don’t presume to give doctrine. Nor are cell phones mentioned specifically in the standard works. ;-) So my search had to be a little creative to find what the scriptures said that could apply to cell phone usage and which could suggest principles by which we can govern ourselves and principles we can teach our children.

Good communication is important

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; (1 Timothy 6:18)

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)

Avoid Gossip

And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come. (Helaman 16:22)

And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. (1 Tim. 5:13)

Shall vain words have an end? (Job 16:3)

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Cor. 15:33)

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:16)

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)

…commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still (Psalm 4:4)

Avoid distraction

Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing (Alma 39:11)

And this I speak for your own profit;… that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. (1 Cor. 7:35)

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (Eccl. 3:1)

Avoid vanity (turn to God)

For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world… (Alma 4:8)

O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world! (Helaman 12:4)

And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:15)

Idleness

Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer. (D&C 42:42)

wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, thus: Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known. (D&C 60:13)

So, to summarize:
• Good communication edifies (builds up) the hearer and doesn’t waste their time.
• We need to be willing to communicate, both through technology and in person.
• Don’t forget to communicate important stuff. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to communicate.
• Cell phone use can spread news very quickly, but Satan uses rumors and contentions to disturb the peace and harden hearts.
• Gossiping leads to idleness.
• Unimportant communication is never-ending.
• Evil words lead to evil acts.
• Talking about nothing leads to talking about improper topics as people try to fill the time.
• Everyone will have to account for every word they say.
• Don’t be afraid to be quiet by yourself and reflect.
• Don’t let yourself be distracted, especially by little unimportant things.
• Make sure you are able to read scriptures, pray, go to church, and worship God without being distracted.
• There’s a time for everything. There’s a time to talk in person, and there’s a time to use the cell phone. There’s a time to have the cell phone on and a time to have it off.
• We will have a tendency to set our hearts on things that don’t matter. We will have a tendency to abuse cell phones and use them as an excuse to not engage people around us.
• When cell phone use gets in the way of the more important things, it becomes a vanity.
• There are more important things to do than just play with a cell phone.

The Test of Blessings

I ran across a scripture in Exodus that really made me think.

Then said the LORD unto Moses,
Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you;
and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day,
that I may prove them,
whether they will walk in my law, or no.
(Exodus 16:4)

At the same time that the Lord provided Israel with a blessing (food), He also gave some rules concerning it, and the whole reason this was done was so that He could test Israel to see if they would obey or not.

I was struck by this, that the Lord was going to test the Israelites with the blessings that He gave them. It had never occurred to me that the Lord could test with blessings as well as with tribulations.

I could immediately apply this to myself, because I had just gotten a new computer, a Macbook, which was turning out to be an amazing blessing. It made it a lot faster and easier to do homework. But it also made it a lot faster and easier to waste time too, like with too much Facebooking, and too much reading the news and too much watching videos on Youtube.

I have to make sure use all these blessings the way the Lord would want me to, in moderation.

Facebook is a blessing, because I have found some of my siblings and a lot of my cousins are on it, so I can use it to keep in closer contact with my family. It is a curse if I get involved in the frivolous applications, or if I check it too often.

Reading the news on the internet is a blessing, because I can do it as quickly as I like, but it is a curse if I just do it to avoid doing other things I know need to be done more and if I read it endlessly.

Youtube is a blessing, because it allows me to find videos that can educate me and show me good and virtuous things that would not ordinarily find enough of an audience on TV. When I was sick of my chemistry homework and needed motivation, I looked up videos on chemical explosions and after about an hour of that, I was stoked to study chemistry again. When I wanted to learn about folk dance, I found a list of dances on wikipedia and then looked for them on Youtube and was enthralled. When I wanted something to show my cub scouts that could explain how helicopters work, I found it on Youtube. But Youtube can also be a curse, if watching it is all I want to do all the time.

Now I see that when the Lord commanded the children of Israel to only gather a certain rate every day, He was trying to show how rationing promotes moderation, which can help us find balance.

What blessing do you need to ration in your life?