Hooray for the Truth!

I'm still alive! Besides the bathroom remodeling it is the end of the semester and yesterday I taught three classes and graded over 150 student journals. It is a fun thing to do because most of the students write things that are interesting to read, but it is also a tedious thing to grade that many journals in one day. But I got it done in record time! I went to work yesterday at 6:30 a.m. and came home at 9:00 p.m. It was dark when I left home and dark when I returned home, but I know that somewhere in between those dark walks to and from the car there was sunshine. (My office has no windows!)

I've been so busy, but have been waiting excitedly to share a scripture with you. It is a verse that talks about the Pit of Illusion which the Book of Mormon calls vain imaginations. (See 1 Nephi 12:18 and Roman 1:21.) This verse is found in Helaman 16:22;

"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 agaisnt that which should come."

That pretty well sums up the opposite of Living in Truth and what it means to live in the Pit of Illusion. It is foolish and vain and people who dwell in the Pit are disturbed, or as I call it vexed, all of the time.

I might be busy, but today I'm celebrating the fact that I don't have to dwell in the Pit of Illusion. I know how to Live in Truth! Three cheers for Truth!

Seeing By the Truth

picture by André Kutscherauer © 2011
  http://www.ak3d.de/all/selfillumination-1/

We are doing some bathroom/kitchen remodeling in our home and at times electricity goes out, water is unavailable and chaos is everywhere all the time.

Yesterday the new lights were finally installed in my kitchen and as I turned them on for the first time last night my whole kitchen looked new. The wood of the cabinets was brighter, the stone on the counter tops looked like I had just polished it, but all that was different was the lighting. This make me think of a quote from my friend, C. S. Lewis; "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."  

Like my kitchen with new lights, when we Live in Truth (also known as Light) the world looks different. Truth illuminates the world so that we see things that we've never noticed before and we see them more clearly and distinctly. When we are deep in the Pit of Illusion there is little light so that the things we are trying to see are distorted and blurred and indistinct. Life doesn’t make sense. Teachings of the gospel don’t make sense. We don’t see any meaning to life or what we are doing because we can't see clearly.

But when we Live in Truth that Truth sheds its Light on all aspects of our lives so that meaning is apparent, beauty is illuminated, and the gospel message becomes clearer. When we Live in Truth we see everything around us as it really is and that brings peace to the heart and joy to the soul.

A Taste of Love

Once again I am so excited to tell you what I am learning and experiencing from Living in Truth. As I explained the other day, I had an experience that a few years ago would have vexed me very, very much. But this week I recognized it as simply the truth of what had happened. It was nothing I could fix and so I had to live with it and to live with it I choose to just laugh at myself for being so stupid and the situation as being rather strange. It worked and I made it through without being vexed and without taking on any Unnecessary Pain.

But the exciting thing is what happened yesterday. I was simply walking along the sidewalk and an image of the person who had talked to me passed through my mind--no thoughts or feelings just her face, and as the image began to fade I suddenly was blessed with a powerful feeling of love for her. No, I take that back. It wasn't just powerful, it was overwhelming, warm, and extraordinarily beautiful feeling that I can't begin to explain to you, and now when I think of her I feel this same sense (but not as powerful) of love for her.

I know this was a gift from my Father in Heaven, and I know that if I had given in to the negative feelings and become vexed or vengeful or bitter or angry or in any way fallen into the Pit of Illusion, I would not have experienced that beautiful feeling.

I think I was given a taste of what the scriptures call charity or the "pure love of Christ."And that taste has made me hungry for more.

There are so many blessings to be discovered by Living in Truth!

Tools of the Trade

I hope you've been paying attention to the stories you are telling yourself. I also hope you are determining whether what you are saying is the Truth and nothing but the Truth, or an Illusion, what you think should be instead of what is? If your story is not the Truth then you need to drop it and how to do that brings us to the subject of Truth Tools.

Truth Tools are strategies that help us get rid of the vexing thoughts that plague us when we are in the Pit of Illusion

Truth Tools are meant to help us move out of Illusion and into a neutral position where the Spirit can then help us Live in Truth. But one of the first things we learn as we begin to use the Tools is that one tool can't do it all.

Just as a carpenter building a house needs more than just a hammer, you and I need more than one Tool to help us Live in Truth.  If one tool doesn't work in a situation,  you try another until you find one that works.

Some of the Truth Tools I’ve identified and use are:

Anchoring

Humor

Music

Rewriting

Questioning

Distraction

Good Courage

Affirmation

Whenever you feel negative emotions such as fear, worry, stress, anger, self-pity, sorrow, or envy pushing you into the Pit of Illusion, pick one of the Truth Tools and use it to get rid of the negative emotion. Once the negative feelings are gone you can move into the positive.  It is a lot easier than trying to go from negative directly to positive. Once in the Realm of Truth you can experience  happiness, joy, love, and peace which are always available when Living in Truth.

The Pit of Illusion

As we've talked about the last few days, Living in Truth means living with what is, what was or what will be, or in other words accepting the verities of life. The opposite is living in Illusion which is living with what is not, or in other words expecting life to be different than what it is. When we live in Illusion it always feels like we’ve falled into a Pit and thus I call it the Pit of Illusion. That deep, dark Pit has some symptoms that we should all be aware of because recognizing them helps us know we are inflicting Unnecessary Pain upon ourselves. Remember, it is always possible to get out of the Pit and out of the pain. Falling into the Pit is a choice and therefore climbing out is also a choice. Therefore, the symptoms of the Pit are like a fever, they warn us that something needs to be done to cure the symptoms and change the course we are on.

Here are the symptoms:

(     1) When in the Pit of Illusion there is no light. I’m not talking about visible light, but we feel darkness and all the negative, vexing feelings that go along with heavy, depressing darkness.

(     2) When we are in the Pit we feel alone and separate from everyone around us. We feel friendless and unloved.

(     3) When we are in the Pit negative emotions overwhelm us so that we feel helpless. It seems that nothing we do will help.

(     4) When we are in the Pit we feel like God has abandoned us. The truth is that God always dwells and is found in Truth, therefore we are the ones who have removed ourselves from God. He is the God of Truth and so when we are in the Pit it makes it very difficult to hear and feel the promptings of His Spirit.

When we feel any or all of these symptoms it is time to examine what we are thinking and ask ourselves, "Is this true?" If the answer to that question is yes then we have two choices, "Fix it, or Live with it." If the answer is no, then all we have to do to eliminate the Unnecessary Pain is drop the thought. Remember, there is always a way out of the Pit of Illusion!

A Story of Living in Truth

In the last General Conference President Monson shared a story that teaches us so much about Living in Truth. He told of a cold, winter night when the temperature had dropped to 27 degrees below freezing. He and his wife had driven to their summer home in Midway to check to make sure everything was holding up in the exceptionally cold weather. The home was fine and they started back to Salt Lake City when their car stalled. Unable to get it going again, Pres. Monson and his wife began to walk back. Several cars passed them without offering to help, but finally a young man stopped to assist them.

This is where Living in Truth comes in. The simple truth was that they were stranded and had to walk in the cold. At that point they could have been attacked by Should Sharks such as, "This shouldn't be happening to me. I've sacrificed everything for God and now He let's this happen to me. He should be protecting me. He should give me a miracle and start my car." or "These people that are passing by should stop and help me." In a situation like this Should Sharks are everywhere. But President Monson didn't give in to them. How do I know? Because of what happened next.

When we give into Should Sharks and tumble ourselves into the Pit of Illusion we create so much mental static it becomes very difficult to hear the still small voice of the Spirit. But as the young man assisted them, Pres. Monson was receiving and acting upon the inspiration of the Spirit. (That's how I know he didn't pay any attention to the Should Sharks.) Pres. Monson asked the young man about a mission. He sent him a book with information about missions underlined. He followed up showing love and concern and eventually the young man accepted a call to the very mission that Pres. had once presided over.

Instead of seeing the experience of that cold, winter night as great adversity inflicted by an uncaring God, President Monson recognized it as an opportunity to serve and did as the Spirit directed.

When we Live in Truth--live with what is without being vexed by it--we open up all kinds of opportunities to serve others and bless our own lives.

Storms

It is difficult to relate to the stories of storms in the east when here the sun is shining in a clear blue  sky that holds only a hint of autumn and no trace of winter. I wish everyone was experiencing what I am, but they aren't and my heart breaks for the news I keep hearing. It would be so easy to let that kind of news get us down and sink us into the Pit of Illusion. Situations like this often do. They cause some people to wonder, "If there is a God, why does He let things like this happen?"

It is a good question, but it has a good answer. God has the power to heal and recompense and restore. So even though we are in a telestial world and must pass through the adversity and necessary pain of a mortal world, He knows he can make it up to us. He knows He can make it all better. He knows everything will eventually be all right. He knows.

But for Him to make it all right, we must turn to Him and let Him take care of us. That is why He begs us to come to Him. He loves us and like any loving parent He wants us to be better. But we must go to Him or He can't make us better.

No Big Deal!

I've actually got time today to stop and enjoy the beautiful world around me!

I can't begin to tell you how much the "But Thanks" game helped me through yesterday. By the end of the day I was exhausted and I was in even more physical pain, but my heart was so full of goodness that the pain didn't matter because all day long I kept thinking about how much worse it could have been and how grateful I was that it wasn't worse.

This morning the doctor ordered X-Rays on the right ankle, but I haven't heard yet what the verdict is. I do know that it is swollen and bruised and that it hurts to bend it, "But Thanks" I can still walk on it when it is stabilized in a boot that comes up to my ankle.

Living in Truth really works. I am very happy today. I'm considering it a day off and doing some things I normally would not be able to enjoy. In other words, I'm looking at this as an opportunity! I know that six years ago, before I learned about Living in Truth, I would have been in the Pit of Illusion big time by today and so full of vexation I would be physically ill and unable to enjoy anything at all.

I LOVE Living in Truth!

Seeing Through Truth

If you've read Good News! for very long you know I love how C. S. Lewis explains Christianity. One of my favorite quotes of his is: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

This applies to Christianity and it also applies to Living in Truth. When I am Living in Truth and am safely out of the Pit of Illusion I see Truth--the verity of life--very clearly, but I also see everything else through Truth.

 It is amazing what viewing life through Truth does for my peace and confidence and joy.

The Vexing Truth

Vexation is a poison we inflict upon ourselves!

Two days ago I wrote about the beginning of school and the student who is teaching me lessons in Living in Truth. SuSu left a wonderful question. She said, "So not to encourage your vexation over said student; but do you ever just hope they drop your class since they bring their negative force into the room? Just wondering."

The simple answer to that is "Yes!" It would be nice. But the Truth is he hasn't dropped the class. What SuSu is getting at, however, is the question of whether hoping he goes away is Living in Truth or not. The answer to that brings up some very important nuances to what it means to Live in Truth.

First of all, thoughts of any kind sometimes pop into our heads uninvited. It isn't the thought itself that sends us into the Pit of Illusion. It is what we do with the thought. We can throw the thought out or we can swell on it. It is is a negative thought it will vex us. If the thought vexes us we need to ask, "Is this the truth?" In the case of my student, the simple truth is that he is bringing a negative influence into the classroom. The second question to ask is, "Can I fix it or do I need to live with it?"

In this case there are some options to fix the problem. Technically I could ask him to leave the class, but I don't think that is the right thing to do. I could say something very sarcastic to "put him in his place." But again that is not a good way to handle it. There are several other negative things I could do, but none of them seem right to me. But I can hope that on his own he decides to change classes as long as my hoping is a simple desire and doesn't  turn into fretting and or vexing. If the though crosses the line from being a simple desire and becomes a vexation that is creating vexing feelings, then I am in the Pit of Illusion.

Since the young man hasn't dropped the class my choice in this situation is to live with it and the way to live with it without vexing is to learn to love it. So I am working on thinking up all the possible ways I can to help him and to see him as God sees him. Yes, it takes effort, but the effort is worth it! It will keep me out of the Pit--a place I hate.

Out of the Pit

Living in Truth means living with what is, or in other words accepting the verities of life. The opposite is living in Illusion which is living with what is not, or in other words expecting life to be different than what it is. When we live in Illusion it always feels like we’ve falled into a Pit and thus I call it the Pit of Illusion. That deep, dark Pit has some symptoms that we should all be aware of because recognizing them helps us know we are inflicting pain upon ourselves. Remember, it is always possible to get out of the Pit and out of the pain. Falling into the Pit is a choice and therefore climbing out is also a choice. Therefore, the symptoms of the Pit are like a fever, they warn us that something needs to be done to cure the symptoms and change the course we are on.

Here are the symptoms:

(1) When in the Pit of Illusion there is no light. I’m not talking about visible light, but we feel darkness and all the negative, vexing feelings that go along with heavy, depressing darkness.

(2) When we are in the Pit we feel alone and separate from everyone around us. We feel friendless and unloved.

(3) When we are in the Pit negative emotions overwhelm us so that we feel helpless. It seems that nothing we do will help.

(4) When we are in the Pit we feel like God has abandoned us. The truth is that God always dwells and is found in Truth, therefore we are the ones who have removed ourselves from God. He is the God of Truth and so when we are in the Pit it makes it very difficult to hear and feel the promptings of His Spirit.

When we feel any or all of these symptoms it is time to pull out the Tool Box of Truth Tools and go to work. Remember, there is always a way out of the Pit of Illusion!

I'm Learning -- Slowly

Don't you just love it when you catch yourself doing the very thing you are preaching against and working so hard to overcome? No! But that's how life goes and that's how we learn.

If you've read Good News! much you already know that I'm a struggling pessimist-addict who is working hard at being positive and non-critical. That's what caused me to search out and learn what it means to Live in Truth. Some days I feel like I'm doing well at my goals and other days I find myself in the Pit of Illusion more than I want to be. And then there are the days I think I'm doing well and something brings me up short. That's what happened on the way home from California yesterday.

I was slowly making my way through the security line at the airport when I noticed a woman in the winding line beside me wearing a banner diagonally across her chest with big, pink, glittery letters that said, "Bachelorette." My immediate thought (I'm sorry to admit it!) was, "That is so weird. Why would anyone parade through an airport advertising in pink glitter their marital status?"

Obvious to you, that was an extremely negative comment. (Mind you, I didn't say it out loud; I just thought it loudly!) But it didn't even register in my mind (think 60 years of bad habit!) that I was thinking a very negative thought UNTIL about two minutes later when someone new entered the security line and seeing the Bachelorette proclaimed aloud to the woman with him, "How cute! Look at that girl with the pink banner."

I was immediately called to repentance and realized my thinking was wrong. The Lord chastens those He loves!

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: 

nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness 

unto them which are exercised thereby. 

Hebrews 12:11

Triumph Over Chaos

Ready or not I leave in two hours for California to speak at a Women's Conference in the Hanford Stake on Saturday. Yesterday as I was working on my talks everything went wrong that could possibly go wrong. I couldn't find my past notes. Both of my computers refused to work and so did the printer. I couldn't find my scriptures! (I have seven sets, but I couldn't find the scriptures I travel with.) I kept getting interrupted and I couldn't find my flash drive with the PowerPoint presentation that I had made on it. And that's just a few of the things that went wrong! It was a terrible, no good, horrible day.

After all that chaos I'm not sure I'm prepared, but I am more convinced than ever that Living in Truth works. I made it through the ordeal without being vexed or upset which if you know my past you know is monumental. That kind of thing used to destroy me. But I kept telling myself that everything is going to be fine and I stayed out of the Pit of Illusion and made it through the day with little pain. This weekend may not be the best prepared lecture I've ever given, but it will be backed up with a lot of conviction. Hopefully that will communicate something.

Everything is exactly as it should be. I'm going to trust and enjoy the present moment!

Dispelling the "Should Sharks"

After yesterday’s warning about the dangers of swimming in Should Shark infested waters, learning how to clear the waters and avoid the danger is important. First, we need to confront the Should Shark by asking a simple question: “Is it true?”

For example, the thought assails you, “This shouldn’t be happening to me!” And you ask, “Is that true?” No. The truth, the verity, of the situation is that it is happening. That is what is. That is the truth. Thinking it shouldn’t happen will not change anything. All Should Sharks do is inflict pain—unnecessary pain.

Once you accept the fact that what happened happened the Should Shark vanishes, and you are free to then ask, “So how do I deal with what is happening in a healthy way?”

Once the Should Shark is gone, the unnecessary pain leaves, the unproductive negative mental chatter stops, and you are able to access and respond to the Spirit that directs and helps you navigate a happy life.

Questioning the truth of a Should Shark is like using a harpoon on a real shark. It saves us from a lot of pain.

Watch Out For "Should Sharks"

Yes, watch out for the "Should Sharks"!

One of the adversaries greatest tricks that pushes us into the Pit of Illusion is to send "shoulds" to prey upon us like circling sharks whenever we experience adversity.  These "Should Sharks" don't bite physically, instead they stab the idea into your head that, “This shouldn’t be happening to you. You keep the commandments and are doing everything you should be doing. You shouldn’t be experiencing this!” This thought is often followed by a thought about the guy down the street who shouldn't be so blessed because he water skis on Sundays and doesn’t pay tithing so he can afford a boat.

But I’ve searched the scriptures, and no place can I find anything that promises that if you keep the commandments you will have no problems--no trials, no adversity. Instead I found a wonderful parable of a man who built his house without a solid foundation and when the flood came the house was washed away. Jesus compared this compared this to a man who built his house upon a solid foundation of rock and when theflood came his house stood firm.(see Luke 6:48-49.)

Notice that the devastating flood deluges both homes, but the home built upon a solid foundation of obedience and gospel principles withstands the storm while the home on the sandy foundation of pride and selfishness crumbles when the waters roar by.

Life with all its ups and downs happens. After all, ups and downs are what mortal life is all about. Gospel living isn’t a preventative measure that keeps life from happening; gospel living is insurance that we will endure despite the floods and down times.

Avoiding The Pit of Illusion

Most of us recognize that emotions such as anger, jealousy, and resentment are negative emotions that push us into the Pit of Illusion and separate us from the Spirit. But there are other negative emotions that dump us into the Pit that we often fail to recognize. These are usually emotions we feel have been thrust upon us by others and so we have no control over them; but we do!

In the last General Conference (April 2012) Elder Richard G. Scott said, “There are some practical principles that enhance revelation. First, yielding to emotions such as anger or hurt or defensiveness will drive away the Holy Ghost. Those emotions must be eliminated, or our chance for receiving revelation is slight.” Anger, we recognize as keeping us from the Spirit but being hurt or becoming defensive when someone mistreats us are not usually recognized as Pit of Illusion feelings.

As James instructed, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Wrath does mean anger, but the Greek word could also be translated, “agitation of the soul,” and things like taking offense, self-pity, defensiveness, depression, dismay, discouragement are all negative emotions that are agitation of the soul. When we Live in Truth we strive to avoid any negative emotion that dumps us in the Pit of Illusion and separates us from the Spirit.

Finding the Golden Goods

Here in Utah it is an overcast, gray day. It is the kind of heavy, gray sky that looks like it will begin to weep at any moment, and it is tempting to give in to the gloominess and turn gray and weep yourself, especially when it is a weekend like this that SHOULD BE a sunny, cheerful, holiday type day. But as the SHOULD BE in the thinking process warns us, that is Pit of Illusion thinking and it only brings Unnecessary Pain.

When you Live in Truth, however, these gray days are exciting. They bring an opportunity that sunny days don't and that is the chance to go sluething for Golden Goods. As you all know, gold is almost always hidden and in order to find it miners have to use time and effort and tools to go searching for it. It takes much more effort to find gold than it does to find sandstone, but the effort is worth it.

So today we get to go mining for Golden Goods by looking under the gray and finding all the wonderful good things the day has to offer. It is nice and cool so I don' have to run the air conditioning. It is too windy and cool to work in the yard so I get to catch up on some things in the house that I'm behind on. Since Mr. J isn't working in the yard I get to spend more time with him and the extra time that we have that was slated for yard work we are now spending finding some family things to share with our children on Memorial Day. That is much better than getting a few weeds out of the way!

It's a rich, wonderful, happy Living in Truth day when you go searching for Golden Goods. The searching is an adventure and the finding is a delight!

Creative Problem Solving

One of the wonderful things about Living in Truth is that we realize that there are always alternatives. A friend who is a psychologist once told me that depression occurs when a person can only see two possibilities and doesn’t like either one. That is what happens in the Pit of Illusion, but when we Live in Truth we realize that there are always many alternatives and possibilities to any problem and so instead of growing discouraged we use our creativity and think up alternatives to solve our problems.


The secret here is to not be too judgmental. Too often we start to think of something and before it is completely thought out we dismiss the idea for one reason or another. But listing whatever ideas come into our head without being critical is healthy. Start by writing down any solution that comes to mind and DON”T censor anything. Some things may seem far-fetched or even ridiculous, but it is surprising how many times the outlandish sparks an idea that is actually good or when writing it down we begin to see ways that it actually could be doable.

In addition, even though some of the ideas are not workable, just adding more things to the list instills hope that there is going to be a solution that will work if we just keep trying.

Numbing Doesn't Work

One of the strange things we humans do when we are living in the Pit of Illusion is find ways to numb ourselves against the pain of life. As we’ve talked about before, the Pit of Illusion is filled with Unnecessary Pain—pain that hurts. But rather than get out of the Pit and rid ourselves from the pain, when wallowing in the Pit we turn to things that will divert us and help us not think about the pain. Some of us seek escape through pleasures such as shopping, or Internet surfing, or watching television, or keeping so busy we can’t think, or any number of things that we hope will provide an escape and keep us from feeling the pain.


While diversions such as these do keep us from feeling the pain for awhile, as soon as the diversion stops the pain comes back in full force. Numbing ourselves through diversions is never a solution. But there is a greater problem that comes when we try to numb ourselves instead of getting rid of the cause of the pain. When we numb ourselves to pain, we also numb ourselves to joy. When we numb darkness we also numb light.

The best solution, then, is to get out of the Pit of Illusion which places us in the realm of Truth. When Living in Truth we rid ourselves of Unnecessary Pain. It also means that we walk confidently through the Necessary Pain of life without numbing ourselves knowing that our Savior will help us every step of the way and that despite the pain, we will feel the joy.

Life is meant to be a time of joy, but if we numb ourselves we won’t experience what is intended for us—the joy.

I'm Being Engraved!

I have a favorite verse of scripture that I like so much I once set it to music, a very painstaking process for someone who isn’t really a musician. The scripture is found in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”


That verse repeated over and over in my head has gotten me through many a trial, but just the other day as I was reading it I opened my Bible and instead of starting to read at verse five I began at verse one and at verse three read, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.”

Several things struck me about this verse. First, I love the juxtaposition of mercy and truth. It happens in many places in scripture not just here, but while endeavoring to Live in Truth I’ve discovered that it can’t be done without mercy. The two concepts go hand in hand. If I’m not merciful to those around me I fall in the Pit of Illusion hard and deep. Mercy is the key. The second thing that struck me was the fact that I should write truth “upon the table of my heart.” But how?

As I thought about that question I realized that writing on the table of my heart is done not by studying or thinking about truth but by living it. Every time I act in Truth and Live in Truth that Truth is written not with pen or pencil or even typed, but to write on a fleshy table it would have to be engraved. That implies to me something enduring and lasting and deep. Ink can be washed away, but engraving cannot. Thus when I Live in Truth something lasting happens to me. I change and the more I Live in Truth the more I change and grow for good. I like that! I’m going to go about my day engraving Truth on my heart!