Standards

Throughout my Mormon career, I've sat and listened to a lot of Sunday School lessons.  Sadly, by church the next week, I would've already forgotten the lesson taught the previous week.  I didn't forget them all though.  There were a few lessons that stuck with me, and I would like to tell you about one involving standards.

Standards are everywhere.  Some examples: You must be this tall to ride this roller coaster, you must have this good of a grade to get an A, you must be this attractive to be called a Jaw Breaker.  But these aren't the standards we were talking about.  This lesson was about moral standards.  The chart above (the extent of my artistic ability) compares God's standards to the worlds standards.  We know God is "the same yesterday, to day, and forever," (Hebrews 13:8) and as such, his standards never change.  The world's standards, on the other hand, are continually getting further from God's standards.  The penetrating question that was asked during this Sunday School lesson was this: "Are we only trying to be above the world's standards, or are we staying in line with God's standards?"

If we just want to be better than the world's standards, that can and will get us into trouble.  And the further down the slope we go, the steeper it gets.  May we stick to the Lord's standards and avoid the world's with all costs.

General Conference

Have you ever been reading the scriptures and realize that everything totally went over your head?  I know I have.  It's hard to fully grasp what you're reading when it's caught up in parables, analogies, and symbols.  Wouldn't it be nice if we had scripture that was in our own modern day language instead of that old scriptural language?  Turns out, there is.  We can hear a prophets voice even today. 

Just like in Biblical times, God calls prophets today.  Every 6 months, the prophet and the apostles speak to us in an event called General Conference.  It almost seems too good to be true, but it's real, and it's amazing.  Amos 3:7 reads, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."  This pattern has always been in effect.  God has called prophets on the earth since the beginning of time, and that is how he has revealed his secrets.

So take the opportunity to listen to conference.  This is truly no ordinary blessing.  If we take heed to the prophets of the past as well as present, then we will have increased happisness, more trust in the Lord, and a more satisfying life.