Recently I (John) went with the young men in my ward on a camping/hiking adventure in Utah. As part of our trip we went and hiked some slot canyons. They were beautiful.
Archive for the ‘Commandments’ Category
Why should I learn how?
Friday, July 15th, 2011Why Should I Read the For The Strength of Youth Pamphlet This Month?
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
At a Ward Conference in Redmond, Washington last week the Bishop centered his talk on the pamphlet, For the Strength of Youth.
Sin is Easy, Righteousness is Hard.
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
Ever noticed that sometimes is seems harder to do what is right and easier to do what is wrong? There is a popular breakdown of this fact called “Bad is Easy, Good is Hard” (author unknown; various versions are on the web) that sums up the point well:
Bad is Easy, Good is Hard.
Losing is easy. Winning is hard.
Talking is easy. Listening is hard.
Watching TV is easy. Reading is hard.
Giving advice is easy. Taking advice is hard.
Flab is easy. Muscle is hard.
Stop is easy. Go is hard.
Dirty is easy. Clean is hard.
Take is easy. Give is hard.
Dream is easy. Think is hard.
Lying is easy. Truth is hard.
Sleeping is easy. Waking is hard.
Holding a grudge is easy. Forgiving is hard.
Telling a secret is easy. Keeping a secret is hard.
Play is easy. Work is hard.
Falling is easy. Getting up is hard.
Spending is easy. Saving is hard.
Eating is easy. Dieting is hard.
Doubt is easy. Faith is hard.
Criticizing is easy. Taking criticism is hard.
Secrecy is easy. Confession is hard.
Pride is easy. Humility is hard.
Excusing oneself is easy. Excusing others is hard
Borrowing is easy. Paying back is hard.
Immorality is easy. Chastity is hard.
Argument is easy. Negotiation is hard.
Going along is easy. Walking alone is hard.
Dumb is easy. Smart is hard.
Cowardice is easy. Bravery is hard.
Messy is easy. Neat is hard.
War is easy. Peace is hard.
Sarcasm is easy. Sincerity is hard.
An F is easy. An A is hard.
Growing weeds is easy. Growing flowers is hard.
Can’t do is easy. Can do is hard.
Feasting is easy. Fasting is hard.
Talking about God is easy. Following God is hard.
Getting the Flu is Easy. Preventing it is Hard. 
One of the many reasons why some people give up on the gospel is because it is hard. After Jesus gave his wondrous “bread of life” discourse the scriptures record: “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? … From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 66).
The irony of all of this, is that although it is harder to follow the gospel than to not follow it, it is easier—much easier—in the long run. Yes, it is hard to save your money, but is makes life easier in the long run. Yes, it is difficult to study hard and get good grades, but it makes life easier in the long run. Yes, it is hard to be honest, but it makes life easier. Perhaps this is why Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 29-30). Conversely, sin is easy—very easy. Who can’t do it? We could all be pro’s if we wanted to. Cheating on tests or assignments is easy, but overcoming the effects of a lifetime without much knowledge is hard. Being immoral is easy, but it makes life so much more difficult over time. Viewing pornography is easy, but overcoming its destructive effects and kicking its addiction makes life hard.
Up front, sin is easy. Righteousness is hard.
However in the long run…
Sin makes life harder. Righteousness makes life easier.
Why are good habits so important?
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009Often times we talk about things not to do…
Like “Don’t swear” or “Don’t listen to bad music.” But in addition to avoiding the bad, good habits are important to develop also. Why?
Let’s look at tooth decay to illustrate.
Why Should I Avoid Little Sins?
Friday, July 10th, 2009
Why Do I have to be a Member of the Church? Isn’t Being a Good Person Enough?
Monday, April 13th, 2009
The answer to this question is simple: Yes. Being a good person is good enough. It is good enough to keep us out of the Telestial kingdom (the bottom) and earn us a spot right in the Terrestrial (middle) kingdom for eternity. The Lord said that those who will inherit the Terrestrial kingdom “are honorable men of the earth” (D&C 76:75). But are we really aiming for the Terrestrial Kingdom? No. And that is the real answer to the question about just being a good person—it isn’t enough. Being a good person is not good enough if we want to make it to the celestial kingdom. Let us explain WHY through some math:
Why do we have to do so much to be able to go into the temple?
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
Why Don’t Some People see our Standards and Want to Live Them?
Sunday, March 15th, 2009
Why is it so Hard to Keep Some of the Commandments?
Thursday, March 5th, 2009The commandments aren’t like these signs–they have a purpose. Most of us have commandments that are more difficult to keep than others. For some, it is the Word of Wisdom, for others, the law of chastity, or pride. Even the apostle Paul said he had a “thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). One of the keys to obedience is how we view the commandments. Do we view them as laws that help make us free (John 8:32) and happy, or as irritating restrictions? President Ezra Taft Benson taught a key to gaining power over temptation: “ When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power” (quoted in Ensign, May 1998, 82). Another key is to fill your life as much as possible with things that invite the Spirit of God. Remember what King Benjamin’s people said:
