We are all blessed with the gift of agency to chose for ourselves what we want in this life. We can either chose the right or the wrong, Christ or Satan. In order to receive eternal life, which is the greatest possible gift from God, we need to make the right decisions now. In Joshua 24:15 it reads, "And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." In serving the Lord we are acquire the same traits that Christ possesses: humility, compassion, love, mercy. These traits will shape us into a delightsome, joyful person.
The world is a very persuasive place. Satan tries his hardest to suck you into the manner of the world. Temptations are everywhere and if you are not steadfast in your beliefs you will fall. In order to become a delightsome person you must chose the right. The hymn Chose the Right perfectly explains to "chose the right when a choice is placed before you...And God will bless you ever more." Unfortunately, I am not perfect; in fact, I am far from it. There are times when I will do the wrong thing even when I know it is wrong. For example, when my little sister is bugging me; instead of ignoring her I chose to use unkind words to belittle her. Also, when my friends used to invite me to parties where I know there would be immoral things for some reason I would go. I would be sucked into the worlds grasp and regret my bad decisions after I have already made them. I have learned that bad choices usually come with bad consequences. The smart thing to do is make right choices from the beginning to avoid any negative outcomes. God is pleased when we make right choices. In 2 Nephi 9:49 the Lord states, "Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness". So if we want to make our Heavenly Father happy we need to be righteous.
The best way to become a delightsome person is to believe in Christ because, after all, he is perfect and the best example anyone can have. In 2 Nephi 30:7 it reads that "as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people." I truly believe in this scripture. I wasn't very strong in the church before three years ago. I went to church because my family went, not because I wanted to. My language wasn't very appropriate, my actions were less than admirable, and I didn't attend seminary my first year of high school. Overall, I wasn't the best person I could be. However, when Gordon B. Hinckley challenged us to read the Book of Mormon I did and slowly but surely my attitude began to change. I gained a testimony of the church and of my savior Jesus Christ. I started seminary my sophomore year and made up the work so I could graduate from seminary. I could sense the change in myself for the better and those around me could as well. It is the knowledge and relationship I gained with Christ that I became a delightsome person.
In Doctrine and Covenants 76:5 the Lord says "I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end." If we will serve the Lord with righteous doings he will gladly honor us. Knowing that the Lord will honor me is such a blessing because he is so great and perfect that I wouldn't consider him respecting a young eighteen year old girl. We are all choice spirits and we need to be righteous to return to our Father in heaven. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley stated in the First Presidency Message on the Law of Tithing that, "those who walk in obedience shall be a delightsome people. What a marvelous condition to be a delightsome people whom others would describe as blessed." We all need to be obedient and be the examples for others to follow. We will be blessed if we are righteous and obedient to the Lord.
Choosing the right when a choice is placed before you may be difficult at times but if you are obedient and uphold the standards of the church we will be blessed and honored. By choosing the right and abounding in good works we will become delightsome in the eyes of God. We need to be the best we can be, act as a child of God. There is no greater blessing than living with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the next life.
Work Cited:
Joshua 24:15
"Choose the Right" hymn
2 Nephi 9:49
2 Nephi 30:7
D&C 76:5
First Presidency Message: Gordon B. Hinckley
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4 comments:
I like the straightforwardness of this blog post and your personal experiences. Good work!
Thank you for your insights, testimony, and your experiences. The things that you mentioned about not being perfect and consequences made me reflect on my own life and decisions that I have made in the past. I resolve now to try to make better decisions in the future so that I too, may become a more delightful person.
I totally know what you mean about not being perfect. But that is the whole point of the atonement and i like how you showed how your testimony grew by following the counsel of the prophet.
It can be so hard to remember to be that delightsome person! But I loved your blog and the way you just laid out what is needed to find that delight and joy in life.
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