Textbook Tackle

Back in the day when I used to play football my coaches would often tell us to tackle by the textbook. I am not sure if there is any specific textbook that they were referring to. But I know I never read it. Actually I think they were just using the word "textbook" as a synonym for the words "original" or "proper". In a way, we should live our lives by the textbook. Unlike football, however, we can be sure which textbook we should refer to.

Our Heavenly Father has given us prophets who have written His word (aka the scriptures). Just as a good tackle is made up of certain components, our lives can be "textbook" if we live by the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Especially now, in the fourth quarter before the Lord returns, we need to live by the "textbook" more than ever. As a modern day Apostle has said, "Don't delay. It's getting late."1.

Practice Prepares us for Success

Deuternomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

Before the regular football season starts, in high school anyway, the team will go through extensive practicing and a lot of hard work. You might even call it a refiner's fire. Perhaps, one of the most significant reasons the coach will put his players through this is to weed out the ones who are too weak, or who simply do not want to work hard.

The Lord is our coach, so to speak. He wants us to enjoy the blessing of playing in the homecoming game and enjoy a successful season in the promised land. But He must test and try us before we can come up out of the wildnerness. If we will prove to Him that we will keep His commandments then we will reap the reward.