Today is a new day.
Today is a day of recovery.
Today is a day I’m submitting my will to God.
I started the day good today by going and playing basketball for an hour. It was good to get out and run around and associate with friends. When I got back, Beck was in the office and I could tell things were tough. I ask her how things were and she said fine, but I could tell.
Last night we had a good talk, although the online affair came up again. I’m ok with the questions but would prefer not to discuss it any longer in detail. Beck started reading a book called “After the Affair”, which I’d looked at when it came in the mail. I honestly don’t think it’s a good book for either of us since it’s not gospel based and seems to be talking more to couples who have slept with another person instead of been part of a sexual addictive online affair. I realize BOTH are terrible and there is no excuse or looking past one or the other, I just feel the advice is different for one versus the other.
So I told her I didn’t think she should read the book. She seemed to agree because it seemed to be bringing back hard feelings from the past.
Last night we talked about the chin up approach as well and what goes through my head when I look at another woman. I told Beck I really didn’t know but that I thought it was like social media – it just snowballs into something that isn’t right, it plants thoughts in my head, and I feel by practicing the chin up approach, I’m showing God, myself and others that I want to do God’s will. I recognize that this topic is hard for her, but I want to be 100% honest with where I’m at and what I’m working on.
Today is a busy day. I’m headed up to the U in about an hour for a meeting with the VP and Brett, I have two proposals to do, and we have Webelos at 2:45. Plus its nearing the end of the month so I’m starting to feel the pressure of collecting and making more sales in order to hit financial goals for the month.
In the book of Alma, chapters 43–62, Mormon alerted the reader that he would “return to an account of the wars” (Alma 43:3).
Question: Why did Mormon feel it was important to talk about war and how does it apply to my life?
As I studied the other day about the war chapters, I feel that every day is potentially a war with Satan and that I have to fortify myself and my family against the power of the adversary.
In D&C 45:26 it talks about wars:
And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.
I also really like what I found here about the armor we can wear in our day. President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) explained one way that we could apply these verses to our lives today:
“We have the four parts of the body that the Apostle Paul said or saw to be the most vulnerable to the powers of darkness. The loins, typifying virtue, chastity. The heart typifying our conduct. Our feet, our goals or objectives in life and finally our head, our thoughts.
The Loins: Virtue & Chastity
“… We should have our loins girt about with truth. What is truth? Truth, the Lord said, was knowledge of things as they are, things as they were and things as they are to come [D&C 93:24]. … ‘Our loins shall be girt about with truth,’ the prophet said.
The Heart: Conduct
“And the heart, what kind of a breastplate shall protect our conduct in life? We shall have over our hearts a breastplate of righteousness. Well, having learned truth we have a measure by which we can judge between right and wrong and so our conduct will always be gauged by that thing which we know to be true. Our breastplate to cover our conduct shall be the breastplate of righteousness.
The Feet: Goals & Objectives in Life
“[By] what shall we protect our feet, or by what shall we gauge our objectives or our goals in life? … ‘Your feet should be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.’ (Ephesians 6:15). …
The Head: Thoughts
“And then finally the helmet of salvation. … What is salvation? Salvation is to be saved. Saved from what? Saved from death and saved from sin. …
“Well, now the Apostle Paul … had his armoured man holding in his hand a shield and in his other hand a sword, which were the weapons of those days. That shield was the shield of faith and the sword was the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. I can’t think of any more powerful weapons than faith and a knowledge of the scriptures in the which are contained the Word of God. One so armoured and one so prepared with those weapons is prepared to go out against the enemy” (Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Nov. 9, 1954], 2–3, 6–7; see also Ephesians 6:13–17; D&C 27:15–18).
I like all of these suggestions. I really like the two bits of armor that are so powerful: Faith and a Knowledge of the Scriptures.
The Apostle Paul goes on to say, after talking about the armor of God, in Ephesians 6:18:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
This is submitting. This is surrendering. This is giving my will to God and letting Him direct the pathway of my life. This is being Spiritually Minded, putting off the “natural man [who] is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19)
As I read a bit more about the war chapters, I thought this contrast was interesting, especially if thinking about how it applies to our political leaders today:
| Captain Moroni | Amalickiah |
|---|---|
| Was appointed by “the voice of the people” and the judges as chief captain of the armies (Alma 46:34; see also 43:16). | Obtained power by fraud and deceit (see Alma 47:1–35; 48:7). |
| Rallied the people to righteousness and taught them to be faithful to God and their covenants (see Alma 46:12–21; 48:7). | Incited the people through hatred and propaganda (see Alma 48:1–3). |
| Rejoiced in the liberty and freedom of his country and the people (see Alma 48:11). | Sought to destroy the liberty of the people (see Alma 46:10). |
| Loved his brethren and labored “exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people” (Alma 48:12). | “Did care not for the blood of his people” and worked to promote his own selfishness (Alma 49:10). |
| A man governed by righteous principles who taught the Nephites to never raise the sword, except to defend one’s family, life, or freedoms (see Alma 48:10, 14). | A man governed by passion who taught the people to aggressively conquer and make oaths to destroy (see Alma 49:13, 26–27). |
| Humbly sought God’s help in preserving life (see Alma 48:16). | Cursed God and swore to kill (see Alma 49:27). |
| Worked to put an end to contention and dissension (see Alma 51:16). | Worked to create contention and dissension (see Alma 46:6, 10). |
I’m grateful for a new day.
I’m grateful to be able to submit my will to God today.
I’m grateful that I want to do what’s right.
I’m grateful that Becky loves me and wants to be with me forever.
I’m grateful that I’ve felt the terrible pain due to the choices I’ve made.
I’m grateful that I’ve felt the Spirit too that testifies that I’m doing God’s will.
I’m grateful to understand better the “one day at a time” concept.
I’m grateful for great kids who I love and want to protect.
I’m grateful I made time today to do this study.
Hasta manana!
Nate
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