Sunday, November 20, 2011

What have you done for yourself?


In the interview that I had with Cade, I was prompted to have the interview based on this question. "What have you done for yourself?" When I asked the question, I quickly realized that it was a very odd. Upon seriously asking the question, I listened to Cade say. "I don’t want to come off as selfish. I am definitely not a selfish person at all. When you ask, what have I done for myself? I help others." After some conversation, I realized the question was so bad that the things that Cade said were purely followed by my cultivation. It was my words not his words. In interviewing, you need to be careful to not influence the interviewee's answers. Gratefully the question was asked at the end, and I asked good questions before this one.

This question is completely spiritual; although, it can be looked at in many different ways. I will explain my spiritual perspective of the question. Your salvation is dependent strictly upon your efforts and desires. Self reliance takes a lot of will power of an individual. Even though we depend on the atonement of Christ for your salvation, the promise of the covenant unto salvation is not fulfill; until, we endure to the end. Our salvation depends on us. Another part of self reliance and what we can do for ourselves is as Cade said.

During Stake Conference I learned that when we live providently, we are able to serve God comfortably with our surplus. This blessing is given to us upon our faithfulness. Not living providently limits our service. This is what Cade saw. Since he was able to afford receiving the gospel, he has the blessing with his abundant light to spread the light of Christ. He is seeking for the restoration of his entire family to rejoin the faithful saints.

This is the greatest gift of all. The exaltation of your family is the most important thing to work for. The salvation and exaltation of our families are depending on our faith. Cade explains:

"Being baptised and having the Gospel in my life has truly a blessing because it benefits my family way in the future. My wife and my kids, and also my family in the present, my birth dad and mother and sister because I will be able to help them come unto the Gospel...They are inactive. My parents are not active. My sister has not been baptised yet. I have two sisters. One has been baptised and married in the temple, but my younger sister she is like me. She is in the exact same situation. My parents got divorced. She is in the same boat as me or as I was. I am trying to help her have the blessing of the Gospel in her life. Teach her. Its a great blessing that I can help share with others."

The greatest thing that one can do for oneself is to be temple worthy. In these latter-days God has given us a most glorious blessing that no other generation before this dispensation had before. It is a humbling responsibility. We are the generation of savours on mount Zion. Only those that have the faith to be temple worthy can to this work. No one else can do perform the proxy work in the temple.

It is also an evidence of great faith, and testimony. Attending the temple, I see that the purity of those people therein gives them an exceptional personalities, for they are humble and they continually exercise faith to improve. Their personalities are growing in "faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence" (D&C 4:6) Developing the character to be temple worthy and a servant God is a great thing to do for yourself.

Another worthiness that is a personal work is the following of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is most precious gift in mortality. We cannot serve god without this faith. Elder Seigfried told a story in his talk today in the Capitola Ward. This prompting may felt small, but he followed it, and he was instrumental in the work of God. He was going on an errand, and he was prompted to drive the truck in the way. He had to fill up the gas tank. At the gas station he ran into a guy that had everything stolen from him, and he was able to stand as a witness of the love of God in his aid, giving him some money.

There are many of spiritual works. The few mention in this article is working out our own salvation by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and self reliance unto service. This service is most important in the family, the work of God, and the temple. The last spiritual work that I expounded is that worthiness and character in developed upon our own will. These attributes are crucial in the service of God. Without it God cannot perform any miracles. This is my view of the question. "What have you done for yourself?"

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