Tuesday, June 28, 2011

B.E.E.F.


       No, I'm not talking about cattle. B.E.E.F. is an acronym my basketball coaches used to help us remember how to shoot a basketball. B stands for balance, E for eyes on the rim, E for elbow in, and F for follow through. I spent hours working on my shooting form. I wanted to be a decent ball player and shooting well is a big part of that.
       Comparing this to the gospel, our goal in life should be to become a decent person and maybe even more than just decent. To realize our potential, Heavenly Father has given us a formula just like the one my coaches gave to me. We call this formula the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It helps us to keep our lives balanced, focused on worthy goals, keep covenants with our Father in Heaven, and follow through unto the very end. So just remember: B.E.E.F.

Friday, June 24, 2011

The Spirit World

       Let's compare life to running a race. If we do our best and obey the rules we can win. In the race of life it doesn't matter so much what place you come in just as long as you are working your very hardest. Heavenly Father has given us commandments, or "rules", as to how we can succeed. We are given this time on earth to learn to follow those commandments and have faith in Jesus Christ. When we reach the finish line, or once we die, we will not, however receive the same prize.

       When I finish a race (I never come in first by the way) I usually walk over to the shade of a tree and find something to drink. Personally, I love a nice, cold chocolate milk after a hard race. This is not, however, my final prize or trophy. I would compare this state of waiting to what we call Spirt Paradise. I am waiting for the final judgement of my performance which comes later. Those people in the race that break the rules or don't give it their all won't be so privilged as to drink a nice cold beverage or relax in the shade. We call this Spirit Prison.
       I know this isn't a perfect parallel but hey, I do my best. Alma explains it much better than me. He says, "...that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles...And... that the spirits of the wicked,... shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity..."1
       It's easy to see where we want to end up. May we all run the race as best we can!

"What happens when I die?"
Running the Race, by Elder Steinicke

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A Late Father's Day Post

       As I thought back on this last Father's Day and everything my own dad has done for me I realized how much I have to be grateful for. A recent talk in General Conference by Richard J. Maynes explains the importance of establishing righteous traditions in our homes. The summary of his talk is:
       "We understand and believe in the eternal nature of the family. This understanding and belief should inspire us to do everything in our power to establish a Christ-centered home." 1
       His talk, entitled: Establishing a Christ-Centered Home, brought me to ponder what my parents have done for me. One thing that I greatly treasure is the time my dad and I got to spend playing basketball. We would wake up at 5:30 am every Tuesday and Thursday to play basketball at the church building. We didn't always say a whole lot to one another, on account of it being so early, but I will forever enjoy the memories and the time we spent together.
       We can show our families how much we love and care about them by what we do, by establishing those relationships on the gospel of Jesus Christ. President Uchtdorf put it this way, "In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time." 2

1.     Establishing a  Christ-Centered Home by Richard J. Maynes
2.     Of Things that Matter Most by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Friday, June 17, 2011

Resurrection, Judgement, and Imomortality

Yes, that's me.
       As a young boy I tried out for a competitive soccer team. Tryouts went well... Or so I thought... When the list was posted I looked up and down for my name but it was nowhere to be found. My heart dropped. I thought I was good enough to play. I guess this coach didn't think so. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. Some time later I tried out for a different soccer team. This time, as I looked at the list, I read my very own name. I made it.
       Our life here on earth can be likened to a tryout or a test wherein we must prove to God that we are willing to follow His commandments. Unlike my experience in trying out for soccer teams our Savior, Jesus Christ, is a perfect judge. We won't feel like we were cheated or rewarded less than we deserve. Jacob, a Book of Mormon prophet, says,"Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness."

Visit mormon.orgElder Sargent's Blog, and lds.org to learn more!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

On and Off the Court

       So, first of all, I am sorry that I keep changing the name of my blog. I think this is gonna be it... But I'm not making any promises. The reason that I chose this name is because sports have always been a large part of my life and I often find myself comparing them to real life and what Mormons believe. Hopefully it will turn out okay. Feel free to comment here or send me a message on Facebook with any tips or suggestions on how I can make it better. Thanks for your help.
       Sincerely, Elder Steinicke

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Preparing to Be a Full-time Missionary

       President Thomas S. Monson, has declared, "Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a missionary."  Then, "... sisters: while you do not have the same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service."
       Prophets have made the importance of missionary work very clear. But once you've made the decision what can you do to prepare to serve faithfully and effectively?
       The first thing President Monson mentions in his talk, "As We Meet Together Again," is to keep yourself clean, pure, and worthy. Second, maintain your health and strength. Make sure that you are taking care of yourself. As a missionary, you will have 30 minutes a day to exercise. Make those minutes count. Third, go to seminary or institute. There you will learn the basic doctrines of the Church. And last, but not least, study Preach My Gospel. Familiarize yourself with it's pages, it will help you be the most effective missionary you can be.
       If you do these things faithfully, and to your best ability, you can become a great instrument in the Lord's hands.

Monday, June 6, 2011

The Atonement


       The Atonement of Jesus Christ is what makes the whole Plan of Salvation possible. It overpowers both physical and spiritual death. Through Jesus Christ's suffering we can overcome our sins and shortcomings. "Without the grace and mercy made possible by His Atonement, we could not be saved from sin." (mormon.org) Maybe I can illustrate this principle by sharing a story.

       Parable of the bicycle: Stephen E. Robinson, has written a wonderful parable, “You Are Priceless - The Parable of the Bicycle”, which I want to share with you.

“Daddy, I need to talk to you,” the little girl said. Seeing her earnest expression, the father set his newspaper aside and looked into his daughter’s eyes.

“All my friends have bikes,” the little girl explained. “Can I get a bike? I could ride it to school and lock it with a lock. I could go to my friend’s house all by myself and you wouldn’t even have to drive me.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought.

“Well,” he said, “that is an interesting idea. But having a bike is a big responsibility, you know. And bikes cost quite a lot of money.”

The little girl smiled confidently. “I’m going to pay for it myself,” she declared. ”I’m going to save up all my money and not spend even one penny. If I save and save, don’t you think I’ll have enough for a bike someday.”

Her father sat for a few moments without answering. He knew that his little girl had no idea what a bicycle would really cost. There was no way her small allowance would be enough, even if she did extra jobs around the house to add to it.

But she was so excited, so earnest – so priceless – that his heart melted. He took her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “A goal is a good thing to have,” he said. “Why don’t you try it, and let’s see what happens.”

A few days went by, and the father found his little girl sweeping the porch. The following week he noticed her working alongside her mother in the garden, pulling weeds and planting flowers. And once or twice, as the little girl went into her bedroom, he heard the clink of coins being dropped into a glass jar.

After a while, the little girl came to her father and said, “Daddy, I’ve been working and saving up all my money for a long time. Can we get my bike now?” She shook the coins in the bottom of the jar.

The father looked at the little collection of coins, and then he looked into the pleading eyes of the little girl he loved so much. “Let’s go and see what we can find out,” he suggested.

The bicycle shop had a little bell that made a tinkling noise when they walked into the store. They hadn’t looked around very long when suddenly the little girl froze. There it was! The most beautiful bicycle she could ever have imagined! She ran to it, stroking its shiny chrome and running her fingers through the colorful streamers that flowed from its handle grips. Never could there be a more perfect bike than this one. She clapped her hands with the pure delight of it.

Then she reached for the price tag.

The next moment, the sunshine in the little girl’s eyes melted into tears. “Oh, Daddy,” she wept, “I’ll never have enough. Never.” She threw herself into his arms.

Her father cradled her head on his shoulder and gently stroked her hair, letting her cry.

When the little girl finally settled down, her father wiped her tears away and said, “How about this? How much money do you have?”

“Sixty-one cents,” she answered in a forlorn voice.

“Then I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Let’s try a different arrangement. You give me everything you’ve got – the whole sixty-one cents – and a hug and a kiss, and this bike is yours. I’ll make up the difference.”

Hope came back into the little girl’s eyes. “Really, Daddy?” she asked.

“Really, honey.”

“Oh, Daddy!” she said once again, but the words were happy ones now, and the little girl hurried to fill her part of the bargain with several hugs and kisses just to be sure.

The deal was completed, and the Most Perfect Bike Ever was purchased, and the father walked beside his little girl as she wheeled it proudly to the car. In his pockets jingled the sixty-one cents, and in his heart glowed his love for his daughter and the joy he felt in knowing how hard she had worked to reach her goal. When it came down to it, the sixty-one cents – and the hugs and kisses – were exactly enough.

But the story doesn’t end there. . . .

The truth is, there’s something we all want, and we want it more than any child ever wanted any bicycle. We want the kingdom of God. We want to go home to our Father in Heaven worthy and clean.

At some point in that spiritual voyage, we recognize the full price of admission into that kingdom, and we also realize we cannot pay it. We’ll never have enough - - never. The tremendous price of perfect performance is hopelessly beyond our means.

And so we despair.

Only then can we fully appreciate the One who comes to save. For Him, each soul is priceless. When we finally feel the pain of our own shortcomings, the Savior, Jesus Christ, steps in and lovingly says, “Let’s try a different arrangement. How much do you have? You give me exactly that much (the whole sixty-one cents) and do all you can do, and I will provide the rest for now. You give me all you’ve got, and a hug and a kiss (signifying the love that cements this covenant), and the kingdom is yours. Perfection will still be our ultimate goal, but until you can achieve it on your own, I’ll let you use mine. What do you say?”

To all who want to serve God and keep his commandments, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, we declare, this is the “good news” of the gospel. Christ is the answer. He is the bridge from here to there. He is our hope when we feel cut off and alone. He is our Savior” (Stephen E. Robinson, “You Are Priceless - The Parable of the Bicycle”, Shadow Mountain 2004).
      
       The Atonement is a beautiful thing. I hope we all remember and appreciate what our Savior has done for us.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Agency and the Fall of Adam and Eve

       "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." Lehi taught, "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden... and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." (2 Nephi 2)
       When I was a little boy I chose to take a stick and knock off the tops of my next-door neighbor's flowers. Bad choice. I had to suffer the consequence. I was required to pay her for the damaged plants with my very own money. I learned at a young age that I was accountable for my actions.
       We all have choices. We do not, however, get to choose the consequence for those choices. With a certain choice comes a certain consequence. If we want to be happy we need to choose to follow Jesus Christ. It's as simple as that.
      

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Reflecting Light


       Have you ever thought about what it would be like to drive at night without reflectors on the road? It would be pretty hard on roads without street lights. The cool thing about reflectors is that they don't require any electricity to help keep us on the road. They just reflect the light that our headlights put out. Jesus said, "Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house; Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
       We give out spiritual light. How do we know if we are staying on the road though? We have spiritual reflectors that help guide us and keep us on the path just like cars have roadside reflectors. Some of these may include family, friends, or church leaders. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. We need to reflect His light and the Christlike light of others. How grateful I am to have had such reflectors in my life!

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