June 7, 2011

3 Nephi 27:13-14

13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you - that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up my men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

...still June 6

Studying "love unfeigned". Love that is genuine. Love that is not for "show." Hmmm. Something worth thinking about.

Came across this magnificent poem. Read it about 35 times.

Geoffrey Chaucer. 1340?–1400

10. The Love Unfeigned

O YONGE fresshe folkes, he or she,
In which that love up groweth with your age,
Repeyreth hoom from worldly vanitee,
And of your herte up-casteth the visage
To thilke god that after his image	5
Yow made, and thinketh al nis but a fayre
This world, that passeth sone as floures fayre.
And loveth him, the which that right for love
Upon a cros, our soules for to beye,
First starf, and roos, and sit in hevene a-bove;	10
For he nil falsen no wight, dar I seye,
That wol his herte al hoolly on him leye.
And sin he best to love is, and most meke,
What nedeth feyned loves for to seke?

June 6, 2011

Reading Doctrine and Covenants Section 121 tonight. It seems fitting to me this evening to substitute the word "parenthood" for priesthood.

For example:

34Behold, there are many ^acalled, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

35Because their ^ahearts are set so much upon the things of this ^bworld, and ^caspire to the ^dhonors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

36That the ^arights of [parenthood] are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be ^bcontrolled nor handled only upon the ^cprinciples of righteousness.

37That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to ^acover our ^bsins, or to gratify our ^cpride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or ^ddominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens ^ewithdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the [parenthood] or the authority of that man (or woman).

It also seems fitting here:

41No ^apower or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the [parenthood], only by ^cpersuasion, by ^dlong-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

42By ^akindness, and pure ^bknowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the ^csoul without ^dhypocrisy, and without ^eguile—

43^aReproving betimes with ^bsharpness, when ^cmoved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of ^dlove toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

And the lesson of the night is this:

45Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all [children], and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresence of God; and the doctrine of the[righteous parenthood] shall distil upon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.