Things of My Soul

Lifting weights is kind of a funny concept. You pick up something heavy, move it up and down repeatedly, straining and struggling under the load, lactic acid builds up and your muscles begin to burn, rep after rep the weight seems to get heavier and heavier and eventually, if you’re doing things right you can no longer lift the weight under your own power. At this point hopefully you have a spotter who gives you just the right amount of help, enough help to keep you from complete failure and getting pinned by the weight you no longer can lift on your own, but allowing you to still strain and push with all of your might and slowly continue to creep the weight to the top. After the exercise you are sore, the ache may last a few days as your muscles recover. If you’re like me, there are long gaps of time where you don’t exercise, and then when you start again, the soreness can last over a week. Eventually though, if you are discipline in the dosage of pain, you will get stronger...

What is failure? In the sense of the gospel when do we fail? I submit, it is when we stop progressing. And really I believe there are only two reasons that we stop progressing. First, when we give up, and second when we get distracted. When we give up we stop believing in ourselves, and ultimately we stop believing in God. One might say, I believe in God, I just don’t think I can do this. This person does not understand what God tells us though: “How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens.” (3 Nephi 10:5) “Fear not, I am with thee, be not dismayed, I am thy God and will still give the aid, I’ll strengthen, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand.”(How Firm a foundation, LDS Hymns). “The Lord shall fight for you.”(Exodus 14:14) Often this takes the form of not forgiving ourselves. When we do this we forget what God has told us: “as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.” (Mo...