Grace (Part 2)

Last week I began a 2-part post on the topic of grace (to see Part 1, click here), talking about how grace can be divine help and how being "saved by grace" (Galatians 2:8) isn't based on passive belief, but active faith. This week I would like to touch on how grace is also divine strength.
Here again is the definition of faith as described in True to the Faith: "The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter taught that we should 'grow in grace, and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 3:18)" (p. 77, emphasis in original).
Now let's discuss divine strength.
When I think of divine strength, I don't necessarily think of physical strength (though Samson in the Old Testament sure had a good amount of physical strength beyond human capability, thanks to the Lord's grace--see Judges 13-16), but of emotional, mental, and spiritual strength. I think of a strong testimony, able to withstand anything that tries to tear it down. I think of full-time missionaries who sacrifice 18-24 months, leaving their families, their home, and oftentimes putting their education on hold, to serve the Lord through serving fellowmen. I think of those who did not grow up with religion and choose to follow the Savior, sometimes leaving the "norm" of the family circle. I think of those who serve in all capacities, even in their weaknesses.
We all have weaknesses. We can't handle them on their own; we need divine help, we need divine strength from God to make up for our weakness.
And why do we have weaknesses? I think of a couple of people who share with us this answer:

• Paul (in the New Testament): "...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh...lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasures in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when  I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
• Moroni (in the Book of Mormon): "...the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; and if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith" (Ether 12:26-27, 29).

So, what can we learn from this? Why do we have weaknesses (besides the fact that we were born into an imperfect world)?

• So that we can humble ourselves. Weaknesses are a wonderful way to learn to exercise humility. If we didn't have any weaknesses, then we would have more of a tendency to think too highly of ourselves and become hot-headed.
• So that we can exercise our faith. What a great opportunity! Exercising faith strengthens testimony, which means that we become more steadfast in the gospel, and that is a wonderful thing.

There's a lot of things we can learn from this about exercising humility and faith. How can we exercise humility and faith? Let me know in the comments!

Grace (Part 1)

Grace seems to be a word thrown around often without really knowing what it means. All sorts of people define grace differently, especially as how it relates to salvation or works. Or how it doesn't relate to either topic.
As a Latter-day Saint, I'd like to add my own understanding of what grace is and how it applies to us.
There's a wonderful definition of grace in True to the Faith, a small glossary-like publication by the LDS Church. It states: "The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter taught that we should 'grow in grace, and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 3:18)" (p. 77, emphasis in original). Notice that grace is defined as divine help and strength. I will be focusing on those aspects.
First, divine help.
Several months ago I was riding in the car with a close friend, about to pull out of a parking lot, when the car wouldn't move. We could hear the engine, but the vehicle itself would not move forward nor backward. The engine wasn't catching properly, and we were stuck. Luckily, there were still people where we had just been, and we were at the edge of the parking lot, so I pulled out my cell phone and called one friend who was inside, briefly explaining the situation and asking for help getting the car into a safe place in the parking lot. That friend brought a couple other guys with him, and we sat as they pushed the car back in enough that I could get out of the car. Then I stood out of the way, as directed, while my friend steered the car, thus making it easier to move the car into the nearest parking spot.
Divine help works similarly. We couldn't have gotten out and pushed the car into a parking spot without help; we needed help. Similarly, we cannot return to God on our own, no matter how much good we do. At the same time, we cannot just sit on the sidelines and expect God to make things better for us, nor can we expect God to grant us eternal life without taking action on our part. Some people believe that all we must do to receive eternal life is to believe in God, but that's not all, folks. Can someone say that they believe a chair will support their weight, and then just stand back and stare at it? Or would true belief that the chair will support them be manifest through them actually sitting in the chair?
Yes, I am aware of what the Bible says: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). And that is right: it is by grace that we are saved through faith, but faith isn't passive; it's active. As written later in the New Testament:
"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ... Was not Abraham...justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believe God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:18, 21-24, emphasis added).
If we have true faith in God, it should show in what we do, say, and take part in. Let us all strive to be examples of our faith--in every aspect of our lives.


*Next week I will focus on the second part: divine strength.

Face Fear

Ok...not really...but I thought it was amusing.

About three and a half years ago, on my 17th birthday, I decided I was going to face my fear of heights and do something that scared me. I was at a camp, and there was this giant swing. Basically, you get hoisted up 30 feet in the air, and then you go free-falling/swinging down 20 feet, until you're about 10 feet in the air, at which you are brought down. The worst part: you have to pull the chord that starts your free fall.
The giant swing was closed on my birthday, but we were informed that it would be open the next day, so that's what I did the next afternoon: I did the giant swing. It was so incredible, and it felt so good, that I wound up doing it twice in a row. Even though it freaked me out, if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would do it.

Facing and overcoming fears--it's so important. So with a new year, I challenge YOU to join me in one of my New Years resolutions, and that's to face a fear of yours. What do you fear? What will you do to face it, to overcome it? And when I say overcome a fear, I don't mean that you no longer have any fear, but that you face it and do something about it and not let it control you. Like if you're me and you fear heights, maybe you'll try climbing a rock wall. If your fear is water, perhaps you'll get yourself to swim, or to go to a waterpark like Wild Waves and not just sit on the sidelines, but actually partake in the amenities. If you're terrified of rollercoasters, ride one the next time you're at a theme park. Just face a fear this year, and trust me, it'll feel good.