Ye shall not teach

 

Disciples of Christ have received a divine mandate to preach His Gospel to all the world (see Matthew 28:19-20). However, as important as it is to be willing to boldly declare the word to others, it's just as important to know when to stay silent.

We are not without example from the master teacher Himself. There were numerous occasions when Jesus remained silent, at times even refusing to answer a direct question (for example, Matthew 26:63, St John 19:9, Luke 23:9). The pattern for these cases seems to be that the listener or questioner was not spiritually prepared to receive instruction. In addition to this possibility, we have our own spiritual preparedness to be concerned about. If at any time we feel that the Holy Spirit is not present to carry the truth into the hearts of of those with whom we are speaking, it is better to exercise restraint and forebare.

The statement that we "shall not teach" if we receive not the Spirit could be seen as both a commandment and a warning. We are commanded not to teach if we receive not the Spirit, and we are warned that if we attempt to do so anyway, we won't teach, because the one we are trying to teach won't learn anything. After all, no one can be forced to understand, much less accept truth. And attempting to force it can actually create a stumbling block, making it more difficult to reach someone in the future.

There may be times when we are speaking to one who is not receptive, and yet we feel prompted to continue teaching. It could be that they will remember the words taught to them at a later time when they are more open to it. There may be others present who need to hear it. Or it may simply be for our own benefit, to strengthen our testimonies and help plant the seeds of truth even deeper into our own hearts. If we suspect that this may be the case, we should examine our hearts and motives, and sense whether the Spirit is indeed present. When in doubt, we can be bold and speak up, provided we do so with humility and love. But when we can tell the Spirit is not present, we should save our teaching for another time.

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Troubled about many things

 

There are many demands on our time. It sometimes feels like there's too much to do and not enough time to do it. And on top of all that, God wants us to do those things that will bring us closer to Him: reading our scriptures, attending temple and other worship services, serving others, etc. It's not hard to understand why we sometimes let those things slide. But when we prioritize them, they help all the other activities in our lives to fall into their proper place.

When Jesus told Martha that "one thing is needful," He was not implying that the other things she was trying to do were unimportant or not worthwhile. Rather, He was pointing out that at that time, Martha's desire to learn from Him in order to draw nearer to God was more important. Concerning herself with keeping house and serving her guests was a worthy desire. But Christ would only be with them for a short time, and they were better served by taking advantage of His presence.

This doesn't mean every second of every day needs to be spent on studying the Gospel. We need to take care of our mortal bodies (which includes appropriate intervals of rest and recreation), maintain close relationships with those we love, and contribute to our communities and society at large. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). If we ever feel overwhelmed with all the things we need to do, or are ever unsure of what to do next, we can take some time to ponder what one thing is most needful in that moment.

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True Love Triangle

 

In works of fiction, it is very common to have one character in love with two others, or visa versa. This trope is so common in fact, that it has it's own name: "love triangle". At the risk of sounding pedantic though, it's usually not a true triangle. While there may be three points (one character and their two love interests), there are only two sides: one connecting the character with one love interest, and another connecting them with the other love interest. If there is any relationship between the two love interests, it is often characterized by jealousy, competition, disdain, or sometimes even hatred. That is, of course, the point of authors employing the love triangle: it's a very easy narrative device for generating conflict and driving the story.

God's love, however, works differently. This isn't to criticize the use of such a narrative device in fiction, nor to diminish the conflicts that can arise from similar scenarios in real-life. It's simply a reminder that when we strive to follow the great commandment, we are edified and drawn closer together.

The admonition for one to "love thy God, and thy neighbor as thyself" supplies us with the three points of our "True Love Triangle". The first two are obvious: love God and love thy neighbor. However, loving them "as thyself" implies the need to actually love oneself. After all, if we don't love ourselves, then loving God or our neighbor "as ourselves" doesn't actually mean much. To be clear, I am not referring to the prideful, narcissistic "self-love"that causes one to see themselves as superior to others. Rather, I am referring to love like God has for us.

This three-way relationship of love between God, our neighbor, and ourselves produces a beautiful harmony in which strengthening any one point of the triangle simultaneously strengthens the other two:

• The more we love God, the easier it is to love ourselves, because we'll feel closer to Him and see ourselves as He sees us: someone worthy of love.
• The more we love God, the easier it is to love our neighbor, because we internalize God-like attributes such as mercy, patience, and generosity.
• The more we love our neighbor, the easier it is to love God, because loving and serving our neighbor is one way to demonstrate our love for God (see Matthew 25:40, Mosiah 2:17).
• The more we love our neighbor, the easier it is to love ourselves, because showing love for others makes us feel good about ourselves.
• The more we love ourselves, the easier it is to love God, because dark thoughts of self-doubt will be diminished, which could otherwise distract us from thinking of God.
  
• The more we love ourselves, the easier it is to love our neighbor, because taking care of ourselves grants us the health and strength we need to serve others.

So if we are ever finding it difficult to feel love for God, ourselves, or those around us, we may find it easier to start with another point of the triangle. The more we sincerely express love, the more love we will be able to feel in turn.

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Timelapse: Ine the Alligator Boy

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Marcus and Skylar Ballroom Scene

Tale as old as time: beauty and the... German shepherd? Hey, they're still a cute couple! 🥰 A commission for Marcus.

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Muscle Megan

A commission for Jacob Wyldclaw of the lovely lady wolf, Megan!

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Magna Gun Show

Hold up, I didn't know there were any guns in Armello! 💪😉 A commission for Scarbo.

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