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!

Beginning, Middle, End

I'm in the middle of a remodel job in my home and I've decided I missed my calling in life. I've enjoyed getting bids from contractors, lining up work crews, and making all the decisions about what goes where and when. But it has kept me busy so I've been a little sporadic with the Good News! I hope you haven't given up on me.

I did discover something fun the other day that I've been eager to share. The word for truth in Hebrew is transliterated as emeth and in Hebrew it consists of three letters. I had known that before, but what I didn't realize is that the three letters are the first letter of the alphabet, the exact middle letter of the alphabet (thirteen letters before and thirteen letters after), and the last letter of the alphabet. Jews teach that the word itself testifies that truth must be the beginning, the middle, and the end of all things.

When Living in Truth it is a good thing to remember--truth must be our beginning, our middle, and our end!

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.

It's All About Love

Today in my New Testament class we discussed the three epistles of John, known in the New Testament as 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. 1 John is one of my all time favorite chapters of scripture for two reasons. The first is that it is all about Living in Truth. For example, "The darkness is past, and the true light now shineth" (1 John 2:8). In my own words, when you are Living in Truth the bad things of the past are over, you don't need to think about or dwell on them, and today the true light shines. If you step out of the dark past, you are walking in light. The best part is that you can step out of that dark past anytime you want and the light is waiting for you.

The second thing I love about 1 John is that it is all about love. I never read this without feeling that some unseen power has risen from the page, wrapped arms around me and is hugging me tightly while whispering reassuring words of comfort in my ear. Verses like, "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God" (1 John 4:7). and "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16), and "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18).

If you are every feeling discouraged, down, dismayed, depressed or any other negative feelings read 1 John 1-5 and let the words wrap you in love.

Just Be Curious

Awhile back I discovered a new Truth Tool that I used and then for some reason forgot all about. But it is a good one--Curiosity. I discovered it by watching how children deal with negative experiences. Children are naturally resilient and I realized that part of what makes them so resilient is their curiosity about life.

I love this Truth Tool and realize that I have used it on many occasions in my life without recognizing that it is a Truth Tool. Here’s how it works. When vexation starts to swell in you, instead of being sucked into the negative feelings get curious about them. An example will best explain how this works.

Let’s say you suddenly get bad news that your company is laying off 200 workers and you are one of them. Vexation! The negative feelings start to rise in you and the Should Sharks begin to attack. “What am I going to do? I’ve got bills to pay!” “This shouldn't t be happening. I’ve been a good employee for twenty years! I’m too old to find a new job.” “This isn’t fair!” “I always knew this company could care less about employees. All that matters to them are dollars.” These thoughts cause negative feelings to knot in the stomach and choke in the chest.

But then you remember the Truth Tools and pull out Curiosity and change the way you are thinking to things like:

“I wonder what lesson God wants me to learn from this.” 

“When God closes a window, He opens a door. I wonder what door will open for me now.” 

“I can’t wait to see what tender mercies will come my way to help me through this.” 

“I wonder how this is going to make me grow.”

 

In short, be curious instead of worrying and stay in the Realm of Truth.

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!

I'm Learning

Yesterday I had one of those interesting moments when Living in Truth saved me. Our ward is doing a Passover Seder this coming Saturday to help us prepare for Easter. While the Passover is traditionally a Jewish festival, God commanded the people to observe it in the book of Exodus which is part of our Old Testament. So to help our ward members understand the significance and why we as Christians are doing it, the bishopric asked me to speak about it in Sacrament meeting. They told me that there would only be two speakers, me and the high councilman so to plan on 20 to 25 minutes. So I did.

Well, I got to the meeting and they had added a speaker. And to make a long story short, I left the high councilman very little time which I feel very bad about. I cut a lot of my talk out, but it wasn't enough. I apologized profusely to the high councilman, but what was done was done. I really did feel bad about it.

Then as I was leaving Church a woman stopped me and said, "I really wanted to hear that high councilman speak today, and then when you went on and on and on." I wasn't sure how to respond to that except to say, "I'm sorry." She had poured salt into an open wound. But could I fix it? No. But I could learn from it.

I pulled out the Truth Tool humor and laughed at myself. I was in the wrong. There was nothing I could do to change it. Other people had noticed and wished I hadn't gone over time. Could I change that? No. So, I had to cry or laugh, and I choose to laugh. What can I say? I make mistakes. I hope I've learned from this one. And I should be thankful this good sister helped me learn my lesson. Bless her little heart!

Truth for Health!

We’ve talked a lot about Living in Truth and the help Truth Tools can be in your quest to Live in Truth, but I haven’t talked much about the advantages of Living in Truth. But there are many and they aren't just mental. A report from Johns Hopkins explains, “Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness, and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.” And relaxing and enjoying and loving life, whatever it brings to you, is what Living in Truth is all about.
 

Many studies now show that when we get trapped into the negative feelings found in the Pit of Illusion, it not only makes us miserable but it adversely affects our health. When we Live in Truth we are not only at peace but are healthier.

Living in Truth Challenge

I've been pondering on how to make this blog more useful and I've decided that every Friday I will suggest a Living in Truth Challenge for all of us to work on during the week.

Too often in our quest to better ourselves and make life more enjoyable we take on too much and get overwhelmed and discouraged. But when we break the process of growth down into steps and take it one step at a time, growth and change become much more doable and especially much more enjoyable.

With that said, let me be your personal Living in Truth Life Coach. I know what peace and joy Living in Truth has given me and the wonderful changes it has made in my life and I want to share that with you. So let's get started with week one!

 LIT Step #1:

Live in the Present Moment

This week watch your thoughts and when they start to drift into worry or fear or discouragement or anything vexing don't try to fight them. Simply Anchor (click here)  yourself back to the present moment.
The present moment always holds an abundant source of joy, peace, hope, love, and gratitude that is just waiting to be yours. So go for it!

Feel free to look back over past posts on being in the present or the Truth Tool Anchoring (click here) if you think it will help. And share your comments about your experience. By sharing we encourage and help each other find a more abundant life.

When you Live in Truth you live in Happiness.

Happy Rowing

I've never met a person who doesn't have a problem. Problems seem to be the stuff of life. And problems become the problems. By that I mean that problems overwhelm us and keep us from thinking about others. Problems blind us to the world around us and make us think of ourselves as isolated and different.

But when we consciously make an effort to look beyond our own problems and reach out to comfort and help others with their problems, our own problems become easier to deal with.

To really Live in Truth we need to get outside our own problems and realize that the Truth is that everyone has problems and we are not in this boat alone. If we can help row the boat for all who are on board (all those around us!) we will get to our destination a lot faster.

So here's to Happy Rowing.

Truth Tools

Brigham Young once gave this advice, “When you are tempted, buffeted, and step out of the way inadvertently; when you are overtaken in a fault, or commit an overt act unthinkingly; when you are full of evil passion, and wish to yield to it, then stop and let the spirit, which God has put into your tabernacles, take the lead. If you do that, I will promise that you will overcome all evil, and obtain eternal lives. But many, very many, let the spirit yield to the body, and are overcome and destroyed” (Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe, p.70).

President Young is talking here about sin, but the beginning of all sin is negative thoughts. So if we can stop the negative thoughts and change them to positive thoughts, our actions will always be positive. The key is to find the strategies that work for us and then learn to use them. And that is what the Truth Tools are all about. They are Tools to use to stop the tempting thoughts, the vexing thoughts, the angry thoughts, the lustful thoughts, any negative thoughts that may pop into our heads, and allow the Spirit to guide us to what we should do.

I like to compare the Truth Tools to the stick shift of the car I learned to drive in. When in reverse I always needed to go into neutral before I could go forward. Negative emotions are like that. It is very difficult to go from anger to love, but if instead I just concentrate using the Truth Tools to get me from anger to neutral, the Spirit then helps me get to love.

Truth Tool--Anchoring

My very favorite Truth Tool is Anchoring. The way Anchoring works is that whenever you feel any vexation—any negative feelings building inside you—you stop and Anchor yourself to the present moment. You concentrate on NOW. To do this you refuse to think about anything except what is present before you. Concentrate on the colors and shapes, the sounds, the feel of the textures your hands and body are touching, the subtle odors in the air. In other words you engage all of your senses on what is there for them right NOW.

Don’t let any thoughts about the things you should have said to your friend yesterday or the bills that are coming due tomorrow or anything from the past or about the future enter your mind. Just enjoy this very minute and what the Lord is giving you right now. This may sound similar to forms of meditation that are taught in Eastern religious practices, but it is different. In meditation you push ALL thought away and try to make the mind go blank. But in Anchoring you let the senses connect you to the current moment. As you connect to the present you find that there are other things available in the present besides what you can see, feel, hear, taste, and smell.

As the Lord has told us in D&C 59:18-19, “Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.” What this means is that the things around us are given to us not just for physical sustenance but to “gladden the heart” and “to enliven the soul.” The problem is that we get our minds so full of what needs to be done or what has happened to us in the past that we don’t pay attention to what is right before us. We are living in the past or future and ignoring the present. By Anchoring in the current moment you open yourself up to experience the joy, love, hope, and peace that are always available in the present moment. As President Thomas S. Monson has instructed, "Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present" (Ensign, May 2003, 22).

 Try Anchoring while doing menial tasks such as washing dishes or pulling weeds. Concentrate on how your hands move, the feel of the water or soil on your hands, the smell of the soap or soil, the sound of the dripping water or dropping soil, etc. and then pay attention to what comes to you as you Anchor. Anchoring does away with vexation and opens the windows of heaven for us to peer through. I love life when I'm anchored.

More Snow

It's snowing here in Utah--AGAIN! So we have two choice, get vexed and upset complaining that we are tired of winter and it should be over. Or we can find ways to make the cold fun. Cuddle up in front of a fire and read a good book. Or if you have to go out in it, use your imagination and figure out how the Eskimos would do it. Go make a snowman.

The Truth is, it is winter and it is snowing. So live with it, but don't just endure it, make it fun!

A Lesson From Swedish Fish

Yesterday my daughter, Mariah, made me the best birthday dinner. She went to a lot of trouble and made all my favorite things. Kirsha and Meleah helped in the preparation and everyone (within driving distance!) gathered at Mariah's house. There were twenty four of us and we had a wonderful evening together.

I knew we would be gathering and so I saved everyone's Valentine's for the party and after dinner I gave them out. My four-year-old grandson, George, got one of the boxes of Swedish Fish and was very excited, but a few minutes later he was having a terrible tantrum. I went in to see what was the matter and his mother was just getting him calmed down enough to tell her. Between great sobs we finally heard, "Adults aren't supposed to eat the fish." Sitting on the couch was the culprit, his father who had innocently eaten ONE of the Swedish Fish.

I couldn't help but chuckle, but I wasn't laughing at George or his father or Swedish Fish. Instead I was thinking about all the times I've brought that kind of tantrum-inspired pain upon myself because I didn't think what happened should have happened.

When watching a child have a tantrum it is so easy to identify how absurd it all is. But we as adults do the same thing. We have our own tantrums and cause ourselves so much pain for the most inconsequential things even though we are old enough to know better. I'm going to store this memory up and remind myself often that most of the things I get upset about don't really matter at all! But most important, I'm going to remember what George taught me;

"Adults aren't supposed to eat the fish (make that Should Sharks!)."

Truth Tools - Questioning

One of the funnest of the Truth Tools for me is Questioning. The reason I say it is fun is because I end up laughing every time I use it.

This Tool is easy to use. When the Should Sharks start to swarm around you and the vexing thoughts begin to bite you simply ask, "Is that true?"

For example, you see an old friend and are excited to greet her, but as you do she barely acknowledges you. You feel hurt and the Should Sharks begin to bite with vexing thoughts such as, "She thinks she's so much better than me since they moved into that fancy new home." or "She shouldn't be so arrogant. She should be more friendly." As the thought enter your mind you apply the Tool Questioning and ask, "Is that true?"

The obvious answer is "No!" You have no way of knowing why she "snubbed" you or even if she actually did. Maybe she's starting to suffer from Alzheimer's and didn't recognize you. Maybe she just got some terrible bad news and is preoccupied. Maybe her husband just left her and she's embarrassed and doesn't want to talk to anyone. There could be a thousand reasons why she didn't react to you the way you thought she should and most of them are very good reasons that have nothing to do with you or her humility or lack of.

The reason I laugh? Because once I've asked the question, "Is it true?" The answer makes me realize how absolutely absurd I have been and I find myself chuckling at myself.

Change Your Focus

Distraction is my mother's favorite Truth Tool to use. (Did I tell you she fell last week and broke her sternum and had to have five stitches in her hand. She had barely gotten back to normal from when she fell last year and broke eleven ribs and her clavicle!) She is a trooper! She is 86 years old and is spry and feisty. She is amazing. I just hope to be as courageous and valiant as she is when I get her age--if I do.

While distraction can be a great Truth Tool there are two cautions. Distraction can be a problem at times like when you are driving a car. The other problem is that when using it we need to be sure we aren't avoiding a problem. The way to tell is that distraction is momentary--a way to clear your mind so you can deal with whatever is vexing you. Avoidance is seeking after pleasure in order to avoid the problem completely.

When using distraction to combat vexation you pay close attention to vexation and as soon as you feel it instead of dwelling on it and making things worse, you change your focus from the thing that is distressing you to something else. You do something that takes your mind off the vexation,but as soon as you've relaxed you go back to the problem and solve it. Go read a book, take a walk, call a friend, write a letter, do whatever you LIKE that will keep your mind off what is vexing you.

It is surprising that often even fifteen or thirty minutes of distraction can give you a new perspective, and make you feel better.

Truth Tool - Good Courage

When Moses left the Children of Israel and Joshua became the new leader, the Lord gave Joshua a charge:

“Have not I commanded thee? 

Be strong and of a good courage; 

be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: 

for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest” 

(Joshua 1:9). 

I love this charge, which the Lord later gave to all the House of Israel, and since I am part of the House of Israel, I consider it my charge also.

But one day while I was contemplating this verse some things jumped out at me and hitting me over the head as if saying, “Look!” The first of thing that struck me was that this is not simply good advice, it is a commandment from the Lord. It is a command to not fear, and to not get discouraged. But even the command not to be fearful seemed strange. To me having courage meant to be brave and so did not being afraid. Why the redundancy? And why did the Lord find it necessary to define courage with the adjective good? Is there such a thing as bad courage?

It took me awhile, but I finally discovered that at the time the King James translators were translating the Bible the word courage meant “feelings and passions of the heart” and not bravery. Thus any emotion was courage, and so the Lord is charging Joshua (and us) to only have good feelings in our hearts.

But that presents a big problem. How can we go through our days with the media, other people saying and doing things and only let the good feelings into our hearts? Don’t bad feelings sometimes overpower us? The answer to that is in the last sentence. The reason we can do it is because the Lord is with us where ever we go or whatever we do. Despite the bad and evil in the world, we can cast it all away because we know there is a Savior who will eventually heal this world and all the righteous in it.

Understanding this charge to only let good feelings into your heart is a powerful Truth Tool. It can be used in time of vexation by simply repeating the words, or as a preventative Tool to recite every day in order to avoid vexation. I have rewritten the charge in modern English and put my own name in it. I have it laminated and carry it around in my wallet where I can refer to it any time vexation starts to overwhelm me. I also have it on a mirror that I see every morning. I have found that there is a power I can literally feel envelop me every time I simply recite the words out loud.

A Little More Affirmation

It is obvious how the Truth Tools help us drop the Unnecessary Pain in our lives. The Tools change how we think, and thus we let go of the thought that is causing us Pain and move on. But the Truth Tools are also very effective for helping us deal with Necessary Pain.

For example, yesterday we talked about the Truth Tool Affirmation and how it helps us both avoid and rid ourselves of Unnecessary Pain. But Affirmation also strengthens and encourages us so that we can pass through the Necessary Pain of life valiantly.

When dealing with Necessary Pain the power comes not from Affirming your own strength, but from Affirming the strength of God. Paul said it best, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Other Affirmations that help us endure the Necessary Pain of life are: "I have a Savior who strengthens me," "Yoked with the Savior I can endure anything." Again, just saying these words with conviction strengthens and empowers.

There are many ways to word Affirmations, but the important thing is to acknowledge that there is a strength beyond our own supporting and helping us. That is the most powerful Affirmation there is.

Truth Tool - Affirmation

One of the ways to keep ourselves out of the Pit of Illusion and to avoid vexation is to use a Truth Tool called Affirmation.

But to understand how to use Affirmation we need to first understand a little about how the mind works. The mind does not compute the command “don’t.” When we tell ourselves things like, “Don’t hurt!” or “Don’t eat that!” or “Don’t hold this grudge!” it doesn’t work because the mind only calculates “do.” Try imagining not eating that donut. Just my mentioning this made you see yourself eating the donut. You may have imagined setting it down after a bit, but you first imagine eating it. You simply can’t imagine not doing something. A wise friend once told me never to say to a newly licensed, teenage driver as she backs out of the driveway, “Don’t hit the mailbox” because as soon as you say it, the mental picture of hitting the mailbox pops into her head, and the next thing you know a dented car hovers over a fallen mailbox while you try to console the hysterical driver.

So as we try to redirect our behavior or to overcome negative feelings, the most important thing we can do is replace the negative thought with a positive, Affirming, thought. “I eat healthy foods.” “I feel good.” “I forgive him.” As we come to understand this principle we realize that our negative and positive thoughts and feelings are powerful. But the most important thing to realize is that when given enough time, the positives will always have power over the negatives. The prime example of that is the Atonement, the most positive event of all time which will eventually overcome all negatives. But remember, positive encouragement takes time. A forceful, manipulative, negative approach to get someone to do what you want them to do may intimidate them into doing it faster, but it will always generate negative feelings in the other person that can fester and cause more problems—usually worse problems. On the other hand, a positive, loving approach may take more time, but it will last and generate positive feelings in the other person and in yourself.

Keeping your self-talk Affirming and positive can help you conquer and avoid Unnecessary Pain, and being Affirmative with others can strengthen relationships.You don't have to take my word for it. Right now say out loud, "I can't do this." Repeat it several times and notice how you feel inside. Now repeat out loud, "I can do this!" Say it several times and stop to notice how you feel inside. Just saying the words without even thinking about something you are doing creates a different feeling inside you. The Affirmative words, "I can do this!" make you feel good and confident--they encourage you.

So when negative words about yourself or others creep into your head, use the Truth Tool, Affirmation, and quickly turn the negative into positive.

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.