Mind Blowing Book
My Summation-
When we mistakenly think we are righteous our misplaced pride causes us to down on others and directly at the Savior. When fall to heaven it is a humble recognition that we are in His Hands and in His Care. Instead of believing we are earning our way to heaven we recognize we are reliant on his Mercy. In the LDS Church I think we tend to favor works over grace even though well intended this over compensation leads to pride, discord, and shame.
Remarkable Quotes
" All are guilty under the law, a guilt that separates us from God. What does it mean to forgive ourselves when we are, in effect, "guilyt of all"? Clearly the power of such forgiveness is not within us; the guilty cannot render themselves innocent. Only the judge-in this case, the great and Eternal Judge- can do that."
Do not look within for healing and forgiveness. Look to the Lord. Same with forgiving others.
"The deep scars we inflict on one another can be reached only by the One who has healing in his wings"
I thought this was a beautifully written expression of the human experience and condition. There are scars in my soul i believe will never heal but are made light with the healing balm of the Savior.
"We realize that innocence is not in us but in the Lord. With this understanding, we don't feel the need to hide our sins, challenges, or struggles. We similarly have no interest in, or need for, managing others' impressions of us, as our concern is not for ourselves."
Free yourself from the notion you are pure, clean, or near perfection. Live a confessional life. Don't fall into the charade of innocence.
"Sinning in the name of piety"
How often I have excused myself for the right thing in the name of church duty, obligation ect.
"Only One who has ever lived was entirely good, and I would be surprised if there has ever been one who has been entirely bad."
Perfection is not a prerequisite for love. Just as we free ourselves from the facade of perfection we can free others from the expectation of such and allow them their humanity and rightful use of the Atonement.
"...view others only with hope and gratitude? Or do we rather view others with a critical eye, demanding that they be different than they are? If like Oakley, we are filled only with hope, we will be able to feel gratitude for others notwithstanding their faults. If on the other hand we feel entitled, we condemn ourselves to a resented life and will feel embittered toward those whom we have been called to love and cherish."
I struggle with this. I just got back from a quick trip to the "Sev" with my roommates and one of them I have bitter feelings toward. I can hear the sting in my voice, feel the venom in my tone, and the coldness of my heart toward him. It is like everything he does is wrong. For some reason I have a tainted view of him, his motives, and speech. I don't know how to change it without help of the Lord. I need His healing wings to lift me from my prison of hate and disregard. I should focus on his strengths.
"It is so easy, isn't it, to spiritually hyperventilate ourselves to the point that we believe that any one sin puts our eternity at risk. But in our gasping for breath, we are forgetting the Savior. He knew we would fail. He knew we would transgress. His plans contains the solution for this."
Some of our crisis of identity following a sin major or small is the fact that we have "glorified" ourselves as righteous beings and trusted in the arm of the flesh. The reality is we are fallen beings at the mercy of a loving just God. When we recognize our true condition it strips us of pride and will draw us closer to the Savior in times of guilt and remorse rather than wallowing in self pity.
"Any need to love myself or to approve of myself or to think well of myself will finally and fully be melted away by the realization that he loves me despite all I have done and been. My smallness will be swallowed up by his wholeness, my self-concern consumed by his selfless love."
Our desire to be righteous comes when we feel his Love. It is feeling this love that opens us up to see our own nothingness and realize we are prized above the kingdoms of the world. This pure love melts away pride.
"Focus on our own sins and upon others' virtues. Do this, and our teaching, our thinking, our befriending, and our parenting will all be transformed for the better."
What a great way to live life and look at others. I would love to come up with a system to put this into practice. Seems like every time i catch my self critiquing others I can stop acknowledge 5 strengths and not 3 of my weaknesses. I will report how it goes.
