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What Offering Will be Enough?

The world tells those that are seeking a deeper personal understanding to go out and find themselves. To set out on a such a mission is a misguided, self-centered concept, fraught with dangerous experimentation. Very often it involves exploring chemical substances, permissive sexual behaviors, extreme sports and/or poor life styles. Notice how these choices that seem to hold out a promise of finding one’s self also include addictive practices which bring instead unsuspected and unbelievable consequences. Misery, loneliness, hopelessness and pain are often the rewards.

Many people who set out on a quest to find themselves unfortunately find they have lost themselves in the very process.

The Lord’s council on the other hand is to “ Lose ourselves in his cause of serving others”.

Matthew 16:25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

He also promises us that in the process, we will discover ourselves. The only thing that can help us understand ourselves better, which is really what “ finding ourselves” is supposed to mean, is serving others.

Alma 37: 34 “Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.”

Through this process, we discover that no matter how poorly off or mistreated we believe ourselves to be, there are others who are worse off. No matter how little we may think we have to offer, there are others whose needs are much greater – and they desperately need us to share. Only when we serve others do we find those who need us to reach out and include them in our lives.

The happiest people, no matter where in the world they live, are those who lose themselves serving others, while the most miserable people in the world are those obsessed with helping themselves.

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John 12: 24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. “

This is a very baffling statement unless you know something about plant biology.

Every seed that is ever planted in the ground goes through a special experience very like a ritual sacrifice. First the seed’s physical composition changes. As it begins to sprout, the seed becomes itself a food source for the emerging sprout. The tender sprout is totally dependent on the seed to sustain it until it can develop its own independent root system. By the time the sprout has become a little plant with independent roots, it has used up every last bit of resources the seed contained. And the seed has died. This is the sacrifice demanded of the seed if it is going to produce a new plant. If the seed is not prepared to die, it must then live alone, because there is no other way to produce another like unto it. The sacrifice of one seed, brings to life many seeds which in turn yields many thousands more that bear the same future responsibility.

You can perhaps anticipate where Christ was going with this analogy. He was referring to the sacrifice he himself was about to make: He offered his life so that we may live.

If he did not die, we would not have eternal life. He would not have fulfilled the measure of his own creation and we would all be doomed to remain physically and spiritually dead forever,

We know he fulfilled all that The Father required of him. His offering was enough and it was accepted.

If Christ gave the ultimate offering so that we could have life, what is required of us in return? Surely we also, must be required to make an offering to fulfill the measure of our creation. What sort of an offering should it be? Perhaps the real question is: “What offering will be enough?” 

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Years ago I met a man and his wife in Montreal. They had a beautiful and talented daughter who went away to university in Utah to complete her education. While there she met a young man from her hometown. He offered to give her a ride. Unfortunately, his careless driving caused an accident in which she was killed and he was badly injured.

Her grieving parents went to Utah to make arrangements to have her body returned to Montreal. While there, they learned the young man was still in intensive care. They could have just ignored the situation. Or they might have visited him to vent their grief and anger. After all, it was his fault that their daughter was gone.

They did neither.

Instead, when they found out that the young man had no family, no insurance and no money, these parents paid his outstanding bill, and brought him back home with them. 

For months they bathed his wounds and changed his bandages. They fed him and encouraged him through his guilt and grief, while still suffering from their own. After almost a year, they discovered the service they so humbly offered to this boy, had healed their hearts in the process. They had laid their offering on the alter and it had been sufficient. 

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Each of us has a mission or purpose. It absolutely involves service. We may not discover what it is until we are deeply involved in it. Our offering will be enough when, by our nature and our faith, we rise to fulfill that presented need. 

If we serve where ever and whenever we are called, spontaneously, eagerly and with joy, then surely it will become part of our nature to do so always. Then we will have become what he wanted us to be.

The hymn suggests:

“It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.”

(Text: Mary Brown, 1856–1918)

May I add…

I’ll do what you want me to do,  dear Lord,
Whatever may be your request.
I’ll serve with my heart and my soul ’till you say,
“My Child, enter in to my rest.”

Our offering becomes enough when we give all we have.

-Doug Garrett

Giving Up, Giving In and Giving Away

There is no other way.

I have discovered that this life is all about giving up, giving in or giving away. Before we even got here, we chose to give up the beautiful spirit home where we lived in innocence and happiness with our Heavenly Parents. The motivation was we could gain experience and a physical body like our Heavenly Father had. But mortal life was not without its inherent dangers. We would be exposed to temptations and evil we could not even conceived of. Our mission would be to choose good over evil or vice versa. We could lose our way and the opportunity to come back to his presence, But we all had the faith and confidence we would do what was required. We willingly and eagerly gave up what we had, for what we might become.

As little children we were concerned only about ourselves and meeting our needs. Yet even then we knew our parents were more experienced than we were. So we gave in to their wisdom.

When we were teenagers we were preoccupied by the need to be accepted. Impressing others, especially those we thought were special, consumed our daily thoughts. But we soon discovered we had to up give many of our frivolous fantasies if we ever hoped to get an education or the skills we needed for life. We discovered, after experimenting, it worked better for us when we cooperated with others. So we occasionally volunteered to give up, give in and give away.

As we met our future partners we have to give away our selfish, single habits and give in to dreams that involved at least the two of us if our marriage was to be successful.

When we had children, we found we had to give in to their immediate needs and give away some of our precious free time because little babies depended totally upon us to survive. There was no one else who would give what we should give.

When we joined The Church of Jesus Christ, we covenanted to give our time, talents and all we possessed to build the Kingdom of God so that he could bless us with peace and hope now, and receive Eternal Life hereafter.

When we gave up 10% of our increase, we became partners with God, giving up a portion of our earthly wealth so he could share with us his heavenly blessings. 

As our children grew, we had to give up the dreams we had for their future because the dreams they had for themselves were even greater than we could have imagined.

Our young adult children, whom we had fallen in love with, brought home total strangers and asked us to give these, our precious offspring away to them. We would have held them to ourselves forever, but we realized they were never ours to keep in the first place. God had only loaned them to us to raise for him There was no other way they, or we, could reach the full measure of our creation unless we let them go. And so we, the parents, hugged, trembled and wept as we watched them drive away together, with our blessings.

When our children had children of their own, we gave up our rights of authority in parenting. We had to stand back and watch silently — even when they made mistakes — because they needed the room and experience to learn and to grow to be become even better parents than we were.

In our roles of leadership we finally realized we need not compete with others forever. We matured enough to give in to the desire for glory, recognition and power. Those things are best exercised by us when we shared them with others. 

As we grew older, we gave up our need to be everything to everybody. We were finally willing to let others win and let others have their time in the spotlight. They needed the experience. We had our days aplenty of these things. We became content to see the job done, not always as well as it would have been by us, but as well done as others with less experience could do. We found ourselves glowing in the satisfaction of the joy of helping others to do and become better.

Now, as our personal health and strength decreases, we recognize someday we will have to give up our independence. Then it may become a joy for others to serve us as tenderly and unselfishly as they compassionately desire to do.

Someday, one of us will have to remain behind while the other slips away. When we are asked to give up our life and eternal companion, it will also mean giving up our spiritual and temporal rock, our pillar of strength. Then there will only be family and friends left to lean on. None of us are ever really prepared for this day.

It may be many or few years before our own time comes. Then we will be required to give up and lay down in the ground the last thing we could call truly our own. We will be left with nothing but our faith in the Saviour and the hope that he will handle it from there.

Constantly and deliberately, from the very beginning of life, we will have given up, given in or given away everything we thought we absolutely had to have to be happy and content, or to experience joy. At each step we discovered all things we thought were indispensable, and had acquired at such sacrifice indeed, were replaced with something else of much greater value than we could have hoped for.

We have been changed through the process, becoming refined, dependable generous, loving — and lovable.

What a remarkable, magnificent plan it is that requires us to fight our very basic natural inclinations to obtain its reward. What a surprise to discover that that was God’s very purpose for allowing us to come here: That we might, through our own choices, be united again with loved ones and become eternally as he is. 

Doug Garrett

The Major Difference: The Plan of Salvation

The major difference between what we teach (in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and what is taught in other Christian churches is The Plan of Salvation.

There are 3 pillars upon which The Plan of Salvation stands:

1. The Creation of the Earth
This pillar has to do with the purpose and reason for man’s existence, his relationship to God as his Father, and the reason for his trials and temptations.

2. The Fall 
No one fully understands why we need Christ until they understand the effects the fall of Adam had upon mankind. This is known as spiritual death.

3. The Redemption
Without the atonement of Christ there is no way we, as fallen spirits in a fallen world, could by ourselves return unto the presence of God The Father.

Before the knowledge of The Plan of Salvation was restored, there was confusion between the roles of Grace (what Christ has done for our salvation) and Works (what we must do for our own salvation).

Once this plan is understood, the power of salvation can become a powerful force for changing our behaviour and motivating us to help ourselves by helping others to become more perfect.

The Lord taught… “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Matthew 13: 45-46

The rich young man asked the Saviour what he must yet do to gain eternal life...
“…sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” Luke 18: 22 

King Lamoni’s Father implored…
“What shall I do that I may have this Eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Behold, I will give up all that I possess, yea I will forsake my Kingdom that I may receive this great joy.” Alma 22: 15 

The king was not asked to do that. He was only asked to change  and become a new man (repent), covenant with God (baptism)  and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost (learn about God and be obedient to his commands).

What must I do to have eternal life? (Luke 18: 18)

That question is asked again and again in the scriptures, and each time it is answered in a different way depending on the individual.

The scriptures should be likened unto ourselves. That query is like a self-direction/correction question. We should be asking it often, especially as regarding our:

1. Understanding of the gospel.
2. Social standing among our fellowmen.
3. Spiritual standing in the Kingdom of God.
4. Willingness to have love and compassion.
5. Willingness to serve, or give, all we have to God.

The personal answer will change from time to time, according to our changing circumstances. But there is wisdom in asking oneself that question — and asking it frequently.

If we do so, it will become the major difference in our lives too. The question will become a course-correcting compass guiding us back, step by step, to our home with Our Heavenly Father.

-Doug Garrett

Self-Discovery

The process of growing up includes the process of discovering who you are and liking what you discover. Do not let fear beat out the tender sparks of your hidden talents or latent uniqueness. They cannot be measured against the yard stick of your present limited capabilities. Abilities will grow with care and practice. However, if we waited until we were so proficient that they could not be denied, then our talents would be still born. There would be no Beethoven. No Einstein. No Joseph Smith. No real you or me. A desperately hungry world, would remain unsatisfied and uniformed because there was an absence of motivation. 

One of the greatest virtues of God is his ability to see in us what others do not. In his wisdom, he gives us the time to feel, to evaluate and discover what it is, that only he can presently see, and only we can presently feel. 

Both in nature and in the arts, beauty is magnified through diversity. Diversity is also the excitement of living. What a dull and uninspiring world it would be if all we had to offer is what is approved by the judgmental few. The majesty of the rising and setting of the sun, the ballet of a school of fish, the look of a Mother as she first caresses her newly born. Who will share these emotions with us? Whose minds have been moved to reverent silence or majestic awesomeness because of them?

Or what of the terror and hopeless agony in the eyes of the dispossessed and abandoned? Those whose numbers are beyond counting, who have discarded hope for their future and for their children’s future.  What of the  exquisite gratitude of those who are rescued from these situations of impossible desperation? Who can express these emotions by words or music, photos or documents so they remain unmistakable and unforgettable in our consciousness? Who among us needs to be taught how to express such anguish if our souls have been seared and our minds numbed into understanding by personal experiences? Theirs are the voices that give words that burn our ears and melt our hardened hearts and move us to change what should be changed.

What the world really needs are those who have the courage to bear their souls while they are yet imperfect. Of course, perfected skills in any craft is desired and are of unparalleled value. These can be taught and acquired over time. The flowering of a talent is more dependent upon the sprouting of its aspiration than it is in its blossoming. The latter can never be realized unless and until the former has begun.

In all of us there lies greatness. The lack of skill is secondary to the possession of a burning desire. If you want to sing, sing now. It may only be exciting to you at the moment, but if it excites you enough, you will sing until there will be those who desire as much to listen to you as you desire to sing  If you want to paint, dance, perform, build or to do any other righteous endeavor, then do it and pursue it with all the passion in you, even if no one responds. Do it because it is in you to do so. Not only will you expressed it in an unique way which only you can give birth to, but you might in the process ignite in others that motivation to give life to their dreams as well. Many of the world’s greatest motivators, writers, speakers, artists and creators are awaiting discovery. Not by others but by themselves.

Doug Garrett

The Trapped Chilean Miners

Hardly anyone of the millions who heard or watched the rescue of the Chilean miners who were trapped 700 meters underground for sixty-nine days, will ever forget the complete fascination and anticipation that kept us glued to our TV screens in 2005. Yet this was only the dramatic conclusion to a greater, bolder, courageous, personal drama that had been unfolding for months earlier — half a mile below the surface in the Chilean Mountains.

Thirty-three miners had been trapped in the San José copper mine in Copiapó, Chile for 17 days and none of them had heard a word about their fate. Somewhere, somehow, in those first 17 days, someone initiated the idea and convinced the others that their desperate situation was not hopeless. It is the miners code that no matter the cause of the entrapment, and regardless of how long it may take, or how great the cost or effort, those above will come and find them, dead or alive. All the buried men had to do was muster the means and will to stay alive until they were found. 

No doubt there was contention and arguing at first between those miners who were convinced and those who doubted. But in the end, we know they all agreed. They agreed to share their water, their food, and the batteries in their lights which were only intended to last 48 hours. All knew that on their own as individuals, there was no hope any one could make it. But if they were willing to share and work together, there was a slim hope they could all make it out together.

As they began to organize themselves, their thinking began to shift. Instead of just thinking about the problem, they began to allow themselves to consider and plan for a future. They began to think about what would happen if they actually survived!. They would imagine themselves being cheered and greeted by their family, friends and the news media around the world. Slowly but surely the feelings of hopelessness were replaced by a concern for their other miners and their families. That faint flickering flame of hope was being fanned and embellished each time they thought of their future instead of their present condition.

Each man was given an immediate responsibility. One was made responsible for the food supply and to insure each ate something three times a day. Another with First Aid experience was made the official “ Doctor”. Still another was assigned to keep a daily journal and to encourage the others to add to it. As their lives began to take on a structured feeling again, they began to encourage each other to pull together and hope together.

Can you imagine the moment when a pipe was pushed into their isolation? Contact from those on the surface, along with fresh air, water, food and supplies coming down the pipe. The greatest thing they received when that pipe broke through their dark hole was hope. Now they knew they were no longer alone. They knew someone was working to save them. They didn’t know how it was going to work, but somehow, somewhere, someone up there had a plan to save them, something they painfully understood, they could not do for themselves.

They were right. A plan had been put in place to rescue them one at a time. A capsule, just big enough to carry one man, but small enough to slide down the bore hole, could bring them back from the dead to the living again. Yet the first capsuled lowered to the waiting miners did no go down empty. In it was its creative engineer who felt he personally had to go down to show his faith that the capsule functioned correctly and to be there so others would know how it was done.

This is where the TV worldwide coverage had picked up the events that we had all watched.

Included were skilled technicians and ground crews from many countries around the world, the Presidents of Chile and Peru, and planners from N.A.S.A. Also waiting and cheering were family members and friends, who had camped in a makeshift village while keeping a candle light vigil and hope alive until their loved ones were safely back with them. As the miners came up, one by one, from the bowels of the earth, they were embraced in the arms of their loved ones and we all shouted and wept for joy.

How much like the miners we sometimes feel when we are in a dark hole, where we fear there is no hope or way out. We have nothing but a small flickering light and limited reserves that are about to expire. We may have even felt such self-pity that we thought no one really cared if we lived or died. 

Yet, high above us, there is a plan in operation to bring us safely out, if we will just do everything in our power to hold on until the rescue party comes and shows us how. That rescue party is Christ and his Church. It has come. The Savior personally came down to earth to show us how it’s done.

Have faith, reach out and climb into the rescue capsule. Christ promises us, if we do so, he will bring us back home to our loved ones.

Note: THE 33 is a movie that has been made about these courageous men and their remarkable rescue.

Doug Garrett

Marriage is a Butterfly

When you see a butterfly, you see a jewel of God’s creations. Magnified against the blue sky or flashed against the green meadow, its mere existence catches your attention and your breath. It focuses your vision instantly by its singular rarity.

It was not created in a night of fantasy, nor is it the product of serendipitous experimentation. Long and purposeful has it been in the making. From a lowly, unpretentious beginning to its magnificent sense of purpose, is has been molded to protect itself from even the coldest and boldest of foes, and thus has it emerged. Determination has been its source of tempered elasticity. Strength has been the forger’s gift. Do not be fooled by so fragile its appearance nor its seemingly goalless flight. Not by these things has its laurels been won. Neither by one single sighting can a flawless judgment be rendered of its success. It is a work still in progress.

Its journey is long and perilous, the route precise, its purpose exact, even Eternal. Yet, if left to discover its own way, it will flourish, and all that was ascribed to it by its maker will be attained and its seemingly minuscule mandate, fulfilled.

When you see a strong and fruitful marriage, you see a jewel of God’s creations. Magnified against the chaos of man’s vanity and feeble follies, or flashed against his ever changing, self-liberating norms, its mere existence catches your attention and your breath. It focuses your vision instantly by its singular rarity.

It was not invented in a night of passion, nor is it the product of serendipitous experimentation. Long and purposeful has it been in the making. From a lowly, unpretentious beginning to its sense of purpose, it has been molded to protect itself from even the coldest and boldest of foes, and thus it has emerged. Determination has been its source of tempered elasticity. Strength has been its forger’s gift. Do not be fooled by so fragile its appearance nor its seemingly goalless flight. Not by these things has its laurels been won. Neither by one single sighting can a flawless judgment be rendered of its success. It is a work still in progress.

Its journey is long, and perilous, the route precise, its purpose exact even Eternal. Yet, if left to discover its own way, it will flourish and all that was ascribed to it by its maker, will be attained and its cosmic consequences, fulfilled.

Doug Garrett