I want to share a quick object lesson with you. This is something I learned from my mission president, President Clate W. Mask. He was just the greatest teacher and leader for our mission. The lesson is called “Keep on keepin’ on.”

I have this jar with rice in it and this little ball represents us. As missionaries, we would face rejection and struggles a lot, but that also applies to life now. We have moments where we feel on top of the world and things are running smoothly. Unfortunately, sometimes the world slams over us in discouraging ways (turn over the bottle and the rice buries the ball).

This is where we need to keep on keepin’ on. I’ll shake the bottle to represent this. We need to keep our chin up, trust in the Lord, keep acting in faithfulness and obedience, keep striving to be better each day. As we keep on keepin’ on, it’s not long until we are back on top, feeling blessed.

Look at Joseph of Egypt. He was true to God even in the worst of times. He was nearly killed by his brothers, sold to become a slave, and then thrown into prison. He could have renounced his faith and given up so many times. He was 17 years old when his brothers sold him and it was not until he was 30 that he became the greatest in Egypt save Pharaoh.

Joseph kept his faith and covenants. He kept trusting in God. When Potiphar’s wife tempted him, he dared not sin against God, so he fled. Everywhere Joseph went, people saw that God was with him and he could be trusted. He kept on keepin’ on.

So that is the lesson I learned from President Mask, and I cherish it. I have taught it to my kids who have served as missionaries. I still need this reminder for myself. When life buries you and it feels hopeless, keep on keepin’ on, and you will come out on top.

Joseph, Why Did You Say That?

I just started into the story of Joseph of Egypt. One of the first things Joseph does in this story is have a dream that indicated all his family would bow down to him. When I read this, I thought, “Joseph, read the room. That was not the smartest thing to say.”

Joseph’s brothers hated him because he seemed favored by their father, Israel. The brothers conspired against him, almost killed him, but finally sold him to be a slave.

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Joseph had had some street smarts and knew when to keep his mouth shut? Sure, it may have saved him some trouble initially, but what about the big picture. This story is so much larger than the initial events that took place. Joseph was destined to go to Egypt and he became a leader that his family eventually did bow down to.

Let’s consider some reasons why Joseph did open his mouth, even if it might have seemed like a bad idea. It says that Israel loved Joseph more than any all his children and gave him a coat of many colors. Joseph received this love. Joseph also had a dream, and maybe Joseph knew that this dream was from God. Maybe he had a loving relationship with God and knew that this dream needed to be told to his family, regardless of the ramifications. Maybe Joseph felt so much love from God and his own father that he had no fear to speak the truth. We know from the Book of Mormon that “perfect love casteth out all fear.” (Moroni 8:16)

In spite of the many difficulties Joseph endured, he never turned his back on God. He stayed true to being honest and chaste. He trusted in God even through years of trials. God remained with him and kept giving him power to interpret dreams. This would later lead him to a position of great importance. Joseph did not fear men. He trusted in God.

As a side note, as I talked with my wife about this topic, she said it reminded her of Joseph Smith. Why did Joseph Smith tell people about the golden plates? Why didn’t he just keep that to himself? Wouldn’t that be easier? Joseph Smith could not be quiet about his experiences. He feared God more than he feared man.

So what does this mean for us? It makes me wonder what I can do to fearlessly speak the truth of God, even if it is awkward or not a popular thing to say. Personally I feel like social pressure is difficult to overcome. How can I be filled with God’s love so that I do not fear?

Ultimately, the story of Joseph is a type of Jesus Christ. Many of his experiences foreshadow the life of Jesus Christ. Christ is the ultimate example of fearless love and honesty. He humbly, yet powerfully, testified of truth and He received the worst treatment with faith. He willingly bore it all because of His love.

A New Beginning

I read from Acts chapter 2 today and was impressed by the wonderful beginning and change that occurs in this chapter.

The setting was the Day of Pentecost. I found it interesting that this day is 50 days after the Passover, so quite a while had passed since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Day of Pentecost is a Jewish festival day that celebrates the wheat harvest and also God giving the Law to Moses (thanks Chat GPT).

On this day, there was a sound like a great rushing wind. It was the Holy Ghost. People began to speak in tongues and understand tongues. Peter preached to the people and they desired to know what to do.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)

3000 people were baptized and the church was formed.

What a great beginning this was! People joined the church. They sold their goods and parted them to all in need. They had all things in common among them. It says that many were added to the church daily.

How did this change start? I found it interesting that it started with a great understanding of language. Can you imagine what it would be like to understand everyone else? We live among people that share culture, but what about people on the other side of the world that have different languages and cultures. They live so differently and believe so differently. Often this leads to misunderstandings and conflict. What if we all understood, really understood, other people, including their intentions and their hearts?

I believe that when we really understand people, we can love them much more easily. The Holy Ghost filled these people’s hearts and they must have felt love, and there was a great understanding. With all this, no wonder they all wanted to repent and join into a covenant with God.

Are you ready for a new beginning in your life? Here are three things to think about regarding new beginnings:

1. Seek new understanding
2. Seek to repent
3. Seek to make covenants or renew covenants with God.

I believe these things can fill us with the Holy Ghost and give us a wonderful new beginning, filled with the love of Jesus Christ in our hearts.

Please share in the comments your experiences with new beginnings. How did it start? What did it feel like?