The State of Mankind: Redeemed---By Rachel Chase

As a little girl I was obsessed with playing dress-up. Decked out in clip-on earrings, bright red lipstick, a loose-fitting, much too long gown, and high heeled shoes that were five sizes too large, I would emerge from the toy closet and strut into my father’s office den. He would ooh and awe for my sake and then, smiling, would hoist me onto his lap and tell me that I was his princess, his little girl.

All fathers have a tendency to call their daughters, “my little princess.” To our father in heaven this is not simply patriarchal biased, it is fact. Especially to the rising generation of young people today, the prophets and apostles have repeatedly expressed that this group is a “chosen generation” and how as spirit sons and daughters of God we have the opportunity to become literal kings and queens in his kingdom.

In Exodus 33:11, Moses describes his conversation with God as a dialogue in which Heavenly Father talked to him “face to face”. God thought Moses important enough to make a personal visit, despite the fact that Moses was a fallen mortal, and this displays our price in the eyes of God. It is His work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Our heavenly father dips into human affairs despite how far we are from being like him and this shows the value he sees in his spirit children. Just the fact that we are indeed children of an omnipotent being is a powerful concept—we are people of a noble birthright.

Yet there are several passages in the scriptures which seem to challenge our royal significance. In Mosiah 2:25-26 it states: “And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you. And I, even I, whom ye call your king, am no better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust…” Not even as much as the dust of the earth, he says. This is enough to shatter all human hopes of gaining godhood when we are no better than even the dirt.

So is Man God’s crowning creation or is Man lower than even the dust of the earth—insignificant and worthless? There are evidences to support both from the scriptures and the prophets, yet they seem to be two ideas than can never harmoniously exist. This is a problem: these two spiritual concepts seem to be a dichotomy to each other. Am I supposed to see myself as a “little princess” in God’s kingdom, or am I truly lower than the dust of the earth? Should I think highly of myself as a chosen daughter of God or am I only an insignificant speck in the spectrum of God’s power and all of his creations? And they would be contradicting themselves and unable to occupy the same sentence if not for another factor that has not been mentioned yet. I submit to you that we should not feel like dust; we should not feel like royalty; what we should feel is redeemed.

In Hebrew, the word “redeem” has several connotations. In application to Christ’s redeeming of all mankind the synonyms “ransom” and “pay the price” certainly apply. He, our kinsman, fulfilled the cost so that we could one day live with him again. This is the thing that bridges the gap between our state of dust and our potential to earn godhood. In Mosiah 4:2 it reads: “And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.” In our lowest times, Christ sacrifice is able to lift us to new heights.
I find this illustrated in one of my very favorite songs called “You raise me up.”

“When I am down and oh! My soul so weary,
When troubles come and my heart burdened be,
Then I am still and waiting in the silence
For you to come and sit a while with me.
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.”


As he always has and will, Christ serves as our perfect mediator between queenship/kingship and feeling like the dust of the earth. You see, he is the one that makes it possible for us to become from our dust-composed, imperfect, insignificant selves a king or queen in his kingdom—the only requirement is to draw upon the power of his atoning sacrifice, which power has the ability to change ordinary people into extraordinary ones. We needn’t feel insignificant and become depressed, nor need we feel so “chosen” that we fall into a pattern of pride; we only need rely on our elder brother who paid the price for us. He built the bridge between these two truths, he paved the way and it is marked by the dark red stain of his blood.

Enos testified of this as well in Enos 1:27: “And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.” Christ is the one who carries with him hope, a hope in a kingdom someday where the saints can find peace and rest to their souls because of what he did for us. “And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.” (Omni 1:26)

To conclude I would like to echo the words of Mormon: And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. (Ether 12:41). As always, Christ is the one who makes it possible for us to reach the full potential that a son/daughter of God deserves. I love him as a friend, trust him as my brother, and worship him as my savior. May God grant us all the desire and faith to use the atonement in our own lives. I know that Christ died for us, and I also know that he lives again. One day, I hope to join him in God’s kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Works cited:

*The Holy Bible
*The Book of Mormon
*You raise me up lyrics

When I View his countenance

Lost within a darkness, chained to captivity
The peace I need he brings me in my humility.

Oh when my soul feels weary
His love falls over me.
I find my souls solace beyond captivity
Where does salvation come from?
My Sav-ior, the only one

And when that day at last shall come, of death and hell’s defeat
Oh I will sing redeeming love, my praise’s will he meet.
At last the enlarging of my soul shall feel his mighty change.

Oh when my soul feels weary
His love falls over me.
I find my souls solace beyond captivity


Written Nov. 18 2008 by Lucy Lybbert
To the tune of Abide with Me Tis Eventide; Hymn #165

Ok so i know it doesn't really fit the counts we were given in class but last night i just kinda wrote out what I was feeling using the words of Alma 5 as a structure for my hymn

For Better But Not For Worse: By David Dynes

Every member of this church is a convert to this church. Even if you were born into the church, you still had to have a conversion to the gospel and a change of heart. Without this change of heart, our participation in this church barely does any good for us. Alma the Younger gives us one of the greatest examples of showing what a change of heart can do for a person. Before Alma had a change of heart, he was “a very wicked and an idolatrous man [who] . . . led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.” (1) This is what Alma once was, and after his change, he became one of the most influential prophets and missionaries in the Book of Mormon.

King Benjamin talks to his people about serving their Lord and about the Law of Moses. At the end of his speech, the people of King Benjamin tell him that “because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” (2) A change of heart does not just come to anyone. The change almost always requires two things to happen: a manifestation of the Holy Ghost, and a willingness to change. Ezra Taft Benson emphasizes and stresses these two points when he said that a change “is brought about only through faith in Jesus Christ and through the operation of the Spirit upon us.”(3) Nephi’s brothers, Laman and Lemuel, show us what happens when a willingness to change does not take place, the attitude adjustment and willingness to serve the Lord is not permanent. We must be willing to change and try to act more righteous; otherwise, our actions are for naught because we do not have the true spirit within us.

“When we have undergone this mighty change . . . it is as though we have become a new person.” (4) Alma the younger changes from trying to destroy the church to building it up. The Book of Mormon shows the mighty change in Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah when Mormon wrote that “thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth.” (5) When a person undergoes a true change, their character, mindset, and attitude changes completely. My friend from high school used to be a party girl and used to get into many terrible situations filled with drinking and sex. One day, things just didn’t go right for her, and it got her to think about why she was in the situations she was in. She decided on that day, to give up her old ways, and make more of a commitment to give service through her church. If you were to meet her today, you would never be able to tell that she used to do the things she once did. Her firm decision in creating a change, and giving service unto to others through her church allowed a mighty change to take place in her heart.

The change in Alma and the sons of Mosiah led to thousands of Lamanities and fallen Nephites to repent and be baptized unto Christ. Not all of us will have a change in our lives that leads us to convert thousands of people. This does not mean that our change was any less complete or powerful. What we do not know is how our changes in our actions and attitudes will affect people we meet. Through our actions and examples, we can lead to changes in others as well. When Alma went to preach in the city of Ammonihah, he was kicked out and told not to return. Alma felt so depressed that he felt “weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul.” (6) Alma did not believe he had even gotten through to anyone in the city. An angel came to Alma and told him to go back. It turns out that Alma’s actions and preaching got through to only one person in the city. This one person eventually helps Alma in converting thousands of people. We never know when, where, or who our actions will affect. Through mighty changes in our hearts, we can become the people that God would have us be so that we may help fulfill his will in bringing people unto salvation.

A change in heart is what our Heavenly Father desires to see in us. He wants us to be as happy as we can be; he wants to help us along and be the best people and saints we can be. Ezra Taft Benson said that “[n]o one is more anxious to see us change our lives than the Father and the Savior.” (7) Heavenly Father cares about our well being, which is why he tries his hardest to bring about changes in our hearts, so that we can reach our full potential. Our Father in Heaven cares so much, that he will do anything he can. In the case of Alma the younger, the Father sent an “angel of the Lord” to call Alma unto repentance. (8) Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he will send angels to us make necessary changes in our lives. Ultimately, a change of heart can lead us to the Celestial Kingdom and a desire to do the will of our Father. Without a change of heart, even on little issues, we may not be able to be forgiven of our sins because of our stubbornness. Only through the Spirit and a willingness to change can we truly make a change in our heart that will last for an eternity.

(1) Mosiah 27:8

(2) Mosiah 5:2

(3) Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct 1989, 2. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=474727cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

(4) Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct 1989, 2.

(5) Mosiah 27:36

(6) Alma 8:14

(7) Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct 1989, 2.

(8) Mosiah 27:11

Hope- Light Through the Darkness, Michelle Lindsey

D a r k n e s s

Clouding my mind,
Dragging me down,
Farther
---------Farther
-------------------Farther

until

it closes completely
around my heart
sealing off all
light and
I lose
hope.

One of the worst things a person can do in this life is to lose hope. As Dieter F. Uchdorf said, “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time (1).” Proverbs teaches us that, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick(2).” Without hope, we lose the will to fight for our salvation against evil and temptations.

Hope is “an anchor to our souls (3).” I have two very good friends, named Matt and Jacob, who are facing very similar trials in their lives right now. They have both made some very bad decisions recently and, as a result, fallen away from the church and virtually disowned by their families. They are both moving away from home in an attempt to start over. Away from nearly every soul they’ve ever known, they are each very much alone. There is one major difference in their situations, however. Matt has completely lost hope in ever making it back into God’s good graces. He thinks that he has gone “too far” and “isn’t even sure [he wants] to go back.” Because of this key factor, I doubt very much that he will ever repent and make it back to a good position in his life. Jacob, on the other hand, still has that bright, shining beacon of hope that he looks to for inspiration. He truly believes that if he works hard enough, he can make it back to our Lord and Savior. Right now I have no idea how he’s going to do it, but I am certain that someday Jacob will return to his former standing with God. It’s this hope that makes the difference in their lives. “Man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in [Heaven] (4).”

How, then, are we to gain hope? As always, we must turn to the scriptures for the answer. Alma the Younger led a very wild life as a youth. One day, however, he was visited by an angel and as a result, he remembered all his sins and his soul “was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all [his] sins (5).” For three days and nights he “was racked, even with the pains of a damned soul (6).” But at one point during his despair, he remembered the prophesies of Jesus Christ and the Atonement. He had faith in Christ, which gave him hope. Thus, he was able to repent and have joy. Moroni teaches that “hope cometh of faith (7).” We must have faith in Jesus Christ and his ability to redeem us from our sins if we are to have any hope for the redemption of our souls.

Hope is what will get us through this life to the joys of eternal life. Without hope, we cannot expect to perform well in this life. The evidence of this statement is all around us. What happens to those who find no reasons to hope? They turn to drugs, immorality, and a slew of other destructive things. You will never find a drug addict- if he lives long enough to have tasted the fruit of his decisions and is sober- who will say, “Drugs have made my life better.” It is more likely that they will say, “I would never have started. It has not made my life better like I thought it would, but I had nothing to hope for.” I have many friends who turned to drugs or immorality when they could find nothing to hope for in life, and all of them have made some variation on this statement. The loss of hope does terrible things to a person both physically and spiritually.

This is not to say that hope will save us from all of our immediate problems and trials. Those are a part of learning and growing through life. But through hope, “we will be rescued from everlasting death (8)!” If you continue through your trials with “a perfect brightness of hope” and “endure to the end…Ye shall have eternal life (9).” I know that if we have hope in Jesus Christ and, in so doing, follow his commandments, we will find happiness in the arms of our Father at the last day.

"Looking to the light of hope from the darkness of despair"









(1) Dieter F. Uchdorf- The Infinite Power of Hope
LDS.org
(2) Proverbs 13:12
(3) Dieter F. Uchdorf- The Infinite Power of Hope
LDS.org
(4) Ether 12:32
(5) Alma 36:12
(6) Alma 36:16
(7) Ether 12:4
(8) Neal A. Maxwell- Hope Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ
LDS.org
(9) 2 Nephi 31:20

Hope for a Mighty Change of Heart - Joy Zywocienski-Madsen

When one says that they have had a "mighty change of heart," our first thought often is that they are a convert to the church; that they were baptized later than at the age of eight. As students at BYU I feel that we are all aware that whether we are considered "converts" or we have been raised in the church we need to experience a mighty change of heart. We must all decide for ourselves to lay down our guilty pleasures and follow the Lord with our whole selves. I feel that I am undergoing a mighty change of heart and in studying the scriptures have come to hope that members of my family might have a similar change in their hearts.

A mighty change of heart. What does it mean to have a mighty change of heart? Mighty means powerful or strong and change means to transform or convert. Heart has a few meanings. There is the biological meaning of heart, the organ that pumps blood throughout our bodies, but there are other meanings of heart. In English it can also mean the center of personality, especially in reference to intuition, feeling or emotion. In Romanian the word for heart is "inima" which can also mean soul. In some languages, like Turkish, there are many words for heart and they all have different meanings ranging from the biological organ to romance. So what is a mighty change of heart? I don't think when the we hear that someone had a mighty change of heart that it means someone experienced a powerful transformation of the organ that pumps their blood. Instead, I think a mighty change of heart means a powerful conversion or transformation of our feelings, intuitions, or soul.

Obviously when someone experiences a mighty change of heart there is a lot that goes on internally, but is there anything that occurs externally? We learn in Mosiah 27:25-56 to, "Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God." We see here that we must be changed from our carnal state and become new creatures. This will happen after a mighty change of heart. As we become new creatures, similar to those people in Alma 13:12, we will no longer be able to look upon sin. We will come to abhor it at will not be able to stay in it's presence. We also learn that in experiencing a mighty change of heart we, as the people in Alma 23:7, will no longer rebel against the Lord. Instead we will be always obedient to His council and will love His law. Finally, when we have experienced a change of heart we will be desirous to share the gospel. In Mosiah 18:1 we learn that Alma, after repenting, began to teach the words of Abinadi and in Mosiah 27:32-33 we see that Alma is further teaching his brothers and sisters concerning the gospel. So as we experience a change of heart we will begin to see changes in ourselves; gradually we will begin to abhor sins of all manner, we will love the law of the Lord and cease to transgress and we will have a great desire to share what we know with all those around us.

As many of you are aware, I am a convert to the church. I feel that during my conversion process I began to experience a mighty change of heart that is still occurring. Although I was never a "bad kid," I definitely had to change things about myself in order to feel worthy to join the church. I grew up watching R rated movies and had really enjoyed a lot of them so when the missionaries told me that I needed to stop that practice I struggled with it. However, over time my heart has gradually been changed and I no longer have the desire to watch these films. Not only do I not actively seek to view R rated material, but if I find myself in someone's home who is watching an R rated movie I quietly excuse myself because I now find it almost repulsive to view these movies. This is just one example of the changes I made to join the church, but now that I am a member I still find myself constantly finding ways to better myself; I am striving to live all of the laws the Lord has set up for us. I cannot say that I have had a mighty change of heart, but only that I have begun the process. It is a long process but it is one with great rewards. As I have enjoyed the rewards of gradually changing my heart my desire that my family might enjoy the same rewards has greatly increased. I have been more open about my beliefs and practices in hopes that I might help my parents to understand the change I am experiencing and facilitate a similar change in them.

There are times when I feel there is no hope for change within my family. However, when I look to the scriptures I find strength. In Alma 5:11-13 we are taught that as Alma preached to the people, they experienced a mighty change of heart. Because of Alma's faith and teaching those around him were able to experience change in their hearts. Also, in Mosiah 5:1-2 we learn that as Mosiah preached to the people they experienced a mighty change of heart. Through these scriptures I have found patience. I have realized that the hearts of my parents are in the Lord's hands and that all I can do is the best that I can. I am given hope that if I continue to teach my parents about my beliefs and practices and continue to pray for them in faith that they might someday accept the gospel and experience the mighty change of heart that has brought me such great joy. I know that the Lord knows me and the desires of my heart. We are so blessed to be members of this church and to know that our Father is a loving father who will never desert us. I am so grateful for this blessing in my life and pray that I might be an instrument in my Lord's hands. This I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


My mom and I:



Works Cited:
The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

YES ON PROP 8: Yes to God's Love Story

Once Upon A Time... - Sarah F. Langford

It is 12:26 in the morning. As any normal college student, I am still up in the early hours of the morning trying to stay on top of midterms, study guides, essays, and homework. Yet tonight, for once I am caught up on homework but still find myself with the need to write. Perhaps I might call it soulwork. This time, I am not writing for a teacher or a test. Not notecards to study or even homework. Rather tonight my soulwork is to share with all of my dear friends back home in California a most sincere and righteous desire of my heart. That is, the beauty of traditional marriage.

As busy as college life may be, over the past few weeks I have found a few hours here and there to volunteer for the InternationalVoiceForYouth program. With a combined effort amongst different faiths, inspired leaders, and service organizations, I have been part of a most historical effort to preserve the beauty of traditional marriage between a man and woman. In a matter of hours, a most sacred and honored union designed by God himself could possibly fall victim to the ways of the world. Do I try to persuade your thoughts or list statistics to get your vote? Do I share the inevitable side effects that could harm generation after generation in the near future? Or do I just try to convince you to say Yes to Proposition 8? Sure I could do all of that. Instead, I would like to share a love story with you.

You see from the beginning of time, love stories have surrounded each one of us. In my lifetime alone, I grew up with the fairytale love stories of the prince and princess, of Ariel and Eric, Aladdin and Jasmine. As I grew older, I learned to love the stories of Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Once understanding the love that goes beyond the happily ever after, there is a constant reassurance in the love of my family. I have seen siblings unite in marriage and be sealed for time and all eternity to their spouses. I see the commitment to sacred promises and covenants by the love of my parents. And I see the true love story come alive, as I look at photo albums full of pictures of the traditions and blessings created by the love of my grandparents and their 60 years together.

As I have grown up a bit and enjoyed my studies in school, I have found that love stories, traditional love stories, a love between a man and a woman have linked the past to our future throughout the Ages. In biblical times, The Old and New Testament both state cherished love stories between men and women. It was not good for Adam to be alone, therefore God creating the crowning glory of the woman to be by man's side. In classical Greek and Roman mythology, the Gods united amongst themselves in love and adoration. In Hinduism and the stories of the Eastern land of India, their stories and dances were filled with the art of love. Native American Indians focused on family and stuck together as tribes. And on and on and on. These historical aspects of love only serve as testaments of the true value and sacred design of the heavenly love story.

Yet with all of this there is still a love that exceeds our entire capacity to understand. Our wise and Omnipotent Author created a sacred, divinely crafted union that is designed to forever unite man and woman througout the eternities. Although the trends of the world may argue otherwise, we must look inside our own souls and listen to the heart beat God gave us. We all have the agency to act for ourselves, and we all can love whomever we care for. However, the message of Propositioin 8 is not prohibiting anyone from loving anyone else. Proposition 8 is only trying to preserve a heavenly love story, written by the Lord himself. The beauty of the love story is found in the tradition. Not just any tradition, but a heavenly tradition. A tradition tha must remain sacred, unbroken, unaltered, or tampered with. A tradition that we might easily not have the capacity to understand. And a tradition that we should not take lightly.

There are some things in life that matter more than we will ever in this life fully understand. This is precisely one of those things. It just simply matters. We can not allow the Lord's love story to be rewritten, nor could I allow my thoughts on this sacred blessing to remain unwritten.

So as I write you about this love story form the Lord, all I can do is write as if every fiber in my body was pouring out upon these pages, and share with you the love inside my heart. I may not be married yet, nor have children to raise up in this world. But someday I will and I pray to God that they can partake of the Lord's love story and the design of the sacred family unit in the same ways that I have been able to experience it. What I do have is my family, the traditions that we hold dear, and the love story that we continue to write. As important as my family traditions are to me, so are the traditions of my Father in Heaven. And this is one tradition he does not want us to lose, to forget about, or to erase. I know He wants us to enjoy the blessings of traditional marriage between a man and a woman. I know what my heart beat is telling me and the love that my Heavenly Father has written specifically for my soul. So as you go to the polls tomorrow and read the written words "Proposition 8", my sincerest prayer is that you look to your past to read the love stories that surround you, and look to your future to the love stories that remain unwritten.

It is my prayer that we all can awknowledge God's design, God's good wisdom, his blessings and his love. This is my soulwork for you and the righteous desire I hold dear to my heart. Yes for Prop 8. Yes to God's love story.