Distinctions

Temperance
 noun; moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control. 

 I think one of the  biggest keys to a happy life is balance between extremes  (in a word: temperance). Satan works in extremes. The scriptures are filled with references of how "more or less" than the gospel is evil (More or Less - LDS.org search). We see this in countless examples in life: eating too much verses eating too little, challenging others too much verses being so understanding you limit progress, condoning the sin verses condemning the sinner. The balance in the middle of extremes is where we want to be. To help me understand life more clearly and find more balance, I have made a list of things to study in the future.  

 These things are Different: 

Rest and Idleness  
Joy and Happiness 

Work and Business 

Accepting Differences and Condoning Sin

Honesty and Inconsideration 

Addressing Feelings and Dwelling in Negativity 

Positivity and Running from Problems

Sweet Above All

I was once reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning after I time where I had had my testimony of the relationship between obedience and blessings strengthened. I was excited to find these correlations in my new re-reading of the Book of Mormon. As I read with this intent, however, I was puzzled to find what seemed like the opposite. 

Lehi prays with all his heart for the city of Jerusalem. He whole-heartedly cares for these people and in direct response to his obedience to the commandment to love and pray, he receives a vision of these people - for which he cares for with his whole heart - get wiped off the earth. (1 Nephi 1). Cool. What kind of blessing is that?

It continues. God literally tells Lehi (and I summarize) "Because you have been obedient, your life is in danger, you are going to be killed, unless you leave everything you have behind." (1 Nephi 2:1-2). The direct correlation I was looking for was blessings for obedience. Not punishment for obedience. 

This caused me some confusion for years. Until recently when I linked this concept to some other truths in the Book of Mormon. Later, when Nephi witnesses the vision of the tree of life, he describes the fruit as "sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the ^bwhiteness that I had ever seen" (1 Nephi 8:11). 

Other prophets testified of the sweetness of the joy of the gospel. In Alma, this fruit is described as "sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst" (Alma 32:42). 

The fruit of the gospel (in this analogy - the blessings resulting from obedience to our benevolent Father) are truly sweet above all that is sweet. Any pain that we face will be filled with joy. I find great hope in the fact that the depth of the pain which we feel reflects the amount of pure joy that can fill our hearts. 

Alma described it this way: " Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy" (Alma 36:21).

Upon re-reading Lehi's account, He describes his vision with amazing descriptions, which I somehow missed when I read it while being so bewildered that he watched his beloved people get wiped out. But, Lehi's "SOUL did rejoice, and his whole heart was FILLED, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him" (1 Nephi 1:15).

 "I testify that bad days come to an end, that faith always triumphs, and that
heavenly promises are always kept." —Jeffery R. Holland

It is worth it.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Why does perfect love cast out all fear?

Love is the opposite of fear. "There is no fear in love" (1 John 4:18). As we have more love filling our hearts, we have less room for fear. Perfect love is the type of love which casts ALL fear out. Perfect love is Christlike love.
"It is only an appreciation of this divine love that will make our own lesser
suffering first bearable, then understandable, and finally redemptive" (Jeffery R. Holland, Like a Broken Vessel).

Christlike love is always accompanied by obedience (Jeffery R. Holland, The Costs - and Blessings - of Discipleship). Christ himself defined this by saying "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 15:10). Obedience brings confidence because laws of God are predicated on obedience. When we keep commandments, we get blessings. This is a consistent law. It is absolute. So why does perfect love cast out fear? As we have more love, we have less room for fear. And as we have more Christlike love we are more obedient, and can experience the consistency of blessings which are predicated on obedience. 

Also. God is love (John 4:16). Why does perfect love cast out fear? Because God casts fear out of us. Christ - our perfect, beautiful Savior - suffered and felt our fear, so he would know what it felt like. So he would know how to succor us (Alma 7:12). Christ also suffered for our sins to keep the commandment of the Father (which proves his perfect love to the Father). His willingness to do this also showed his understanding that sin cannot be tolerated or condoned. "No clean thing can inherit the kingdom of God" (Alma 40:26). Sin can however be forgiven.

Christ is the perfect love which casts fear out of us as we use his purifying Atonement. Also, as we develop love in our own hearts through obedience, and through coming to understand and appreciate Christ, we consume the room fear needs to grow in our hearts.