Paul Talks About Good Qualities

  Well, this is it! This is the last post for my class. I've had loads of fun blogging about what I learn about the gospel. There are a few books I have with me that I could look through and choose something to blog about again, but of course it won't be set up as well. Anyways, hopefully I can still keep up with my blogging, it will most likely be about being in Yellowstone :)  ***Remember, what I say is how I perceive it and it is not doctrine!***

         In 2 Peter 1:5-7 Paul lists certain qualities. Each of us could always improve them because there is always room to grow. Next to the quality I wrote something that I could do to strengthen it. They could be a way for everyone to strengthen that quality.

• Faith – find more opportunities to completely trust in God and Christ. Try harder to really have faith to let my life fall in to God’s hands. That God’s plan is better than any I have ever had.

• Virtue – let people know that my standards can’t be changed and work on increasing them. However, not go parading around yelling them out, just let people know what they are when it is needed.

• Knowledge – Always be ready and willing to learn more. If it bores me, I will do better than my best to listen and remember.

• Temperance – Take a deep breath and calmly tell people what is on my mind.

• Patience – Remember that everyone’s slow is another’s fast. Everyone has their own pace.

• Godliness – WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?

• Kindness – A smile is contagious

• Charity – Charity is the love of Christ. Everyone needs to be loved.

          Paul says in 2 Peter 1:8-12 that if we have “these things,” being the characteristics listed above, we will not be “barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I understand that the knowledge of Christ is immense. If God and Christ know all and are greater than man, it will take someone a long time to fill their branches of all the fruit possible. Paul also says that if one lacks “these things” they are blind. Those that have “these things” are to help those that don’t and to help them receive them. We all need to know “these things” to be established in truth.

          Paul wants the saints to seek to make sure that their calling and election is sure. To do that they had to serve Christ and bring back his lost sheep. They simply had to help others to the truth, but then again, it wasn't always that simple. People didn't always listen, they still don’t. However, today we still need to help others to Christ. When we do it we are making our calling and election sure.

          In 2 Peter 1:20-21 Paul is talking about prophecy, particularly about the scriptures. He says “that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” However, it was changed a bit, Joseph Smith translated it as “no prophecy of the scriptures is given of any private will of man.” In the institute manual it talks of the Spirit being need to understand scripture. To me the last bit was very strong, “Those who do not possess the Spirit of God cannot comprehend the things of God.” One might know what the scriptures say and might know a fraction of what they mean, but they cannot fully comprehend the meaning. So, if you lose connection with the Spirit, you lose connection with understanding the scriptures. We can always build our connection with the Spirit by doing the little things (which are really the big things) pray, go to church, read scriptures, keep the commandment, and the usual “primary” answers. 

            A scripture that the spirit helped me understand was a commonly used scripture, Alma 37:37. There were choice all around me, some good and bad. Parts of my life were falling apart. Then I had a lesson about trusting God. When this scripture came up it hit me like a boulder. Even though I know what the scripture is teaching and I know the truth of it, sometimes I forget. Sometimes I don’t follow what I know to be true and then I hit myself for forgetting. Re-reading it for this assignment has reminded me that I still need to follow it’s teaching, because lately I have forgotten. “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.” ***Remember, what I say is how I perceive it and it is not doctrine!***