Gratitude 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I love sunsets.Do you know what makes a beautiful sunset? Clouds. The darkest clouds bring the most vibrant of color. I like to think that sunsets are how God takes the conflicts and the darkest moments of our day and frames them with his divine light. We first think that the day is ending but in reality if we follow the color,, the color that is created by the reflection of the sun's rays, His sun, it will lead us into another glorious day of brightness and hope. I like to think that a beautiful sunset, bathed in deep reds and oranges, framed by majestic hues of purple is not and ending, but God's way of reflecting his love across the horizon of all of our tomorrows. 

"In the beginning...to create is divine" Genesis 1

Just a few short weeks past, our family celebrated a ‘new beginning’. As my daughter gave birth to my grandson, we welcomed him to earth. His creation, his birth, represents new beginnings and renewed hope. Children help us renew our joy of family, of relationships, and in one another, but mostly children help us consider what the phrase  "to create is divine" truly means.

We all have a beginning, a time when we were not known to this sphere of existence. Did Zbaby (grandson) exist before he was created? What was my parent’s life like before they knew me? How did they, did God, did life converge to make me? Or did I converge with them?

The first book of Genesis is about creation. When I first read it I have to admit that I heard myself say, “Here we go again, the same old story of the earth’s creation”. I was certain I could recite it. But yesterday morning as I read carefully, I came upon the lines “to create is divine.” It changed something in me. My joy began to gurgle up within me like a spring of eternal truth.

I remembered my own children, my own creations, my own unique thoughts, ideas, inventions, perspectives and as I continued to read I realized that the first book of Genesis is not just a book that describes the world’s creation. The first book of Genesis is God’s gift to us that serves as blueprint for all creation, and for all new beginnings.

My joy was great. I realized that God intended this to be more than a history lesson, he intended (for hearts that will listen) to instruct. And I rejoiced to read positive, inspirational, directional and joyful scripture.

Consider this:
Creation = Declaration + Inspiration Intelligence + Contrast + Grouping of purpose + Gathering through naming + degrees of energy + Organization by implementation + Delegation of Leadership. 



Vs 1 Declaration – God declares what it is he intended to do: create the earth and heavens.

Vs. 2-Inspiration  intelligence  - (step one)    After he created the earth... it was without form. (shape, structure). It was void (empty, barren, blank, invalid, no purpose). so... what did God do? He moved his spirit upon the face of the earth. He gave the earth life. Life comes from God's spirit.
This is a good point.Without life creation just is. Life brings purpose and direction to creation.
Also before God's spirit, what was there? only darkness Where was the darkness? upon the face of the deep. Take anything new... add the elements of God's spirit (faith, hope, love, patience, joy, tolerance, truth) ... and you will have life.

vs 3 First Day(Step One) :Organization through Opposition- God saw that within his creation there was no form... no purpose.. no structure.. no validity for his creation and that this creation exists solely within darkness. What do we have when we do not have contrast in our lives? We have darkness. Artist understand that the way to accentuate your creation is to use contrast. Musicians use contrasting dynamics, notes, instruments, etc. Painters use contrasting color, etc. Contrasts help to create purpose and direction for your creation.
So God creates (with the power of his word) Light. Now he has darkness that is where? (upon the face of the deep(space?) and light that is where? (upon the face of the waters as he moved upon the face of the waters). He is continuing to create.. but must divide the two.
At the end of the first day ... after he created the earth.. he has now added light (to contrast the darkness)


vs 6 Second Day (Step 2)Organization through Grouping of Purpose  firmament. okay.. I will go out on a limb here and say that throughout all of my youth I thought firmament referred to the terra firma.. the ground the earth.. It doesn't. Firmament refers to the sky. God had to further separate out "earth" by dividing once again the waters.
Firmament: the sky, heaven; the heavens, the skies; literary the empyrean, the welkin.
Keep in mind that as he is dividing, he is assigning purpose. The Heavens now work to keep the waters separated. The sky works to create atmosphere so that life can exist.
I think it's interesting that the first evening and the first morning were accounted as the second day. And that it went in that order... evening and then morning. night before dawn.

Vs 9 Third Day (Step 3) Organization through Gathering and Naming- God called a gathering of the waters under the heavens. By so doing he was able to allow the earth to come forth. The waters were therefore given rules as to where they could be. By so doing he could begin the next phase...the naming.
Where do you suppose he came up with ideas for names? What is the value of a name to a creation? What is the value of a name within a culture. He named: earth, sea, grass, herb, fruit,
But what is important is that these things either already existed... (because he created them in verse one) and he (when he moved upon the face of the water) caused them to find life or at this time on the third day he creates them anew and now names them.
This is significant.. because it plays to our existence before our creation. If God knew of these things and merely created them anew in the earth by bringing them from somewhere else then we can begin to think of ourselves as eternal beings, with a name, a purpose, and a reason for living out time here on this earth.

vs 14 Fourth Day (Step 4) Organization through degrees of light- Energy -
I think it is important to note that Light existed before the Sun. Light came on the second day when God moved upon the face of the waters, but the Sun did not come until the fourth day when God put it and the moon into the firmament. Is is safe to ask, Are light and Sun the same? Is light maybe something more than we imagine? Or maybe he took the light from the 2nd day and organized it by degrees?

vs 20 Fifth Day (Step 5) Occupation of Life's action. (organization by purpose)  -  Just like on the 3rd day when he called forth the life from within the dry earth, he calls for the life.. "let the waters bring forth abundantly the living creatures who have life."
God understood the purpose of order. If he had created the sun first (before the waters) what might have happened? If he had created the earth without waters what might have happened? I believe that life has always existed and God was merely putting into place the organization, order and structure that life required to exist under the energy of the Sun.

On this 5th day he calls forth what was within his spirit.. from all living creatures.

vs 26 Sixth Day (Step 6)organization through leadership-  the final step of his kingdom. From the beginning he has created the base for life. Light, Water, Air, seed, creatures from the sea, air, and now the earth. Each had its own purpose in the cycle of life. Each has its own place in the earth's cycle. Their physical bodies both require and return to the earth. Their spiritual natures, their beauty and purpose nurture the spirits that God will place here.
All are commanded to multiply and replenish... the earth... an earth that God created for them and through them.
God will create man so that someone will consider the beasts, name them and care for them. God will create all these things for what purpose? for amusement?

Perspective of Conversion

Helaman 6 :1-6

Yesterday when I was driving my GuitarGuy home from his camp we enjoyed hot temperatures and a clear blue sky. But as we drove farther south, we saw looming before us a deep-dark-purple horizon. The contrast of the sun soaked sky against the black clouds made the ensuing storm appear wickedly ominous. I decided to wait it out at my nearby mother's house until it passed. After waiting a bit for the big storm to "hit", we decided to go out and check it out. What I found astounded me.

Within the grey walls of the storm clouds, the storm did not appear to be so dark and fearful. In fact the pelts of rain that I had braced myself for never came.(while at my mother's) In stead, a puffy breeze gusted, and a gentle drizzle fell lightly before blowing itself away. What happened to the excitement that the dark clouds had promised? Why did it not hit with the force that I believed it would?

Perspective. Life is often about where we are, what we see, and where we have been. My perspective on the storm changed because I drove into it. After I drove past the line of clouds that marked the weather front, the contrast faded. The excitement had been caused by the contrast of light and dark that I had seen so clearly as I drove into the changing scene. When I could no longer see the distinct lines of light and dark, my fear's eased.

Why is perspective so important when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ? How does perspective affect our faith, our actions, and our fellowship with other members of the church? Which perspective was right, the one from outside of the clouds (that provided contrast) or the one from within the grey clouds (that led to complacency)?

I noted that when I saw contrast of light and dark, I was motivated to action. I wanted to move quickly to a place of safety. When I saw no contrast, my fears subsided and I accepted the danger as non-threatening. Later as we drove home, the clouds did follow through with their promise and opened upon us. So great was the deluge, I had to slow the car to a snail's pace.

The gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a living vessel. It depends upon the perspective of long standing members as well as the excitement and words of warning of new converts. Each perspective keeps the church alive with truth. In my experience with the storm, it is not that the storm did not come. It came. The excitement that the contrasted scenario helped me to prepare for the rain, led me to take cover, and warned me of a promised downpour. But the perspective of being within the rainstorm (as opposed to being outside of it) also had its place. Inside of the cloud cover, the storm did not appear to be so terrible. Inside of the storm I became complacent until at last the wave of clouds poured their fury.

I believe perspective is important in helping keep our testimonies alive and vibrant. We may not have the opportunity to position ourselves in the many different vantage points necessary to see life as we need, but we can depend on the testimony and perspective of new converts.

New converts are often fresh from the front lines where the contrasts of life are distinct and clear. Sometimes when we have experienced many different vantage points in relation to life and all of her storms and blessings, we might tend to forget about the contrasts and the lessons they provide.

As I read these short few verses, I was reminded of how the Lamanites lives had been one of contrasts. In comparison to the Nephites who had grown complacent to life and it's blessings, the Lamanites brought a new zeal and fervor to the church during this time. Their lives had been lived on different sides of the front line. The lives of the Lamanites had seen contrasts while many of the Nephites had seen complacency. The storms of life still came, but which were spiritually prepared?

Words and Phrases

vs 1 their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites - Why? I think perspective? I think that when they were converted by the angels who came down and conversed with them, they realized the contrast of blessings in their lives and truly converted with a "firmness and steadiness of faith".

Vs 2 hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked - sometimes when we are without contrast in our lives, we begin to feel entitled, proud, and a bit prideful. The cycle of pride leads to the leaning upon our own strength. When we lean only upon our own strength, we reject the truths of God. The real catch here is that we don't believe we are doing anything wrong because we have become so accustomed to being classified as the righteous people. We entitle ourselves and forget to listen to perspective.

vs 3. a great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites - fellowship one with another. ... no social class, no boundaries because of birth, money, or belief, only because of faith. Faith brings great joy. Faith brings perspective.

vs 4. declare unto the people of the Nephites the manner of their conversion -

they gave their testimony of how they were converted by the angels, and by Lehi and Nephi. They helped them see the contrast of their lives. They helped them find perspective.

vs5 great power and authority - experience is the mother of all knowledge. It comes with power and authority. It helps them understand why Jesus Christ's atonement is the perfect gift.
vs 6. the land northward - what a shift we have in who the missionaries are? What a shift we have in who is teaching with testimony. This is what I said before, it does not matter who teaches as long as they teach words of truth and help others discover the power of the Holy Ghost that comes when we speak truth.