THE POWER OF YOU

 

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies"

Proverbs 31:10

 

"The colour of rubies varies from vermilion to red. The most desired colour is pure red with a hint of blue.  If the colour is too pink, the stone is a pink sapphire.  The same is true if it is too violet - it is a violet sapphire.  The best rubies and star rubies are bright red....The Mogok Valley in Upper Burma  was for centuries the world's main source for rubies.  That region has produced some of the finest rubies ever mined, but in the recent years very few good rubies have been found there....."(Wikipedia)

 

A virtuous woman, as valued as a bright red ruby, is fast becoming a rare possession in today's world.  The glare of the telestial world has blinded so many of us to the inherent spiritual nature we as women are born with.  In his last conference talk, Elder D. Todd Christofferson pointed out that 'women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift, that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy and refinement in relationships and in cultures'.  This statement suggests that women have been gifted in this way because they have a particular responsibility in this life to lift others to higher ground.  The adversary knows this and he also knows that if he works on women to dull their spiritual natures, they will not accomplish this divine responsibility.  He uses the world and its ideals to weaken and eliminate our influence to the great detriment of our families and the society at large.  Elder Christofferson mentions three ways as a caution and a warning:

 

1.  The devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career.  I remember some years ago I heard a woman of prominence discuss child care on the radio.  Her suggestion was that women use the cost of child care as an excuse to stay at home and 'do nothing'.  It saddened me greatly to hear a woman say such a thing.  The attitude that homemaking and rearing children is unimportant and demeaning to women is getting more and more prevalent in our society. 

 

 

 

2.  Sexual immorality which reinforces the lie that a woman's sexuality is what defines her worth.

I think that women have played a large part in the undermining of marriage by becoming sexually available to men.  Elder Christofferson says this:

 

"There has long been a cultural double standard that expected women to be sexually circumspect while excusing male immorality.  The unfairness of such a double standard is obvious, and it has been justifiably criticized and rejected.  In that rejection, one would have hoped that men would rise to the higher, single standard, but just the opposite has occurred - women and girls are now encouraged to be as promiscuous as the double standard expected men to be.  Where once women's higher standards demanded commitment and responsibility from men, we now have sexual relations without conscience, fatherless families, and growing poverty.  Equal-opportunity promiscuity simply robs women of their moral influence and degrades all of society.  In this hollow bargain, it is men who are 'liberated' and women and children who suffer most."

 

3.  Erasing of differences between the masculine and the feminine.  Lara Croft, as gorgeous, wealthy and adventurous as she is, has done much to push women to adopt more masculine traits.  Through the media's influence women are encouraged to be more aggressive, tough and confrontational.  It is so common now to see women in terribly violent roles, leaving dead bodies and mayhem in their wake.  Elder Christofferson goes on to say that it is "soul-numbing to see men in such roles and certainly no less when women are the ones perpetrating and suffering the violence".

 

 

Former Young Women general president Margaret D. Nadauld taught:  "The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender.  There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind.  There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined.  We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith.  We have enough greed; we need more goodness.  We have enough vanity; we need more virtue.  We have enough popularity; we need more purity".

 

 

 



The only source of our moral power is God the Father.  Elder Christofferson says that Jesus' power came through His single-minded devotion to the Father's will.  Submitting ourselves to Him in likewise manner can endow us with power also.  It is only through this relationship that we can continue to cultivate the spiritual divine nature we were born with.  The Father made us gentle, He made us kind and tender and loving.  These are all attributes that the Saviour possesses.  Nurturing our spiritual selves and putting aside the values of the telestial world will ensure that we sharpen these attributes and become powerful enough to lift others to higher ground.  This means our children, our spouses, our extended families, our friends, our co-workers, our communities.  We all know how to immerse ourselves in things of the spirit: prayer, scripture study, fasting, temple attendance, church attendance, service and living the commandments.  All this goes a long way towards enabling us to identify with our spiritual identities from day to day.  When we know who we are and don't allow the world to confuse us, we are being single minded, in other words, being at one with God.  Having our feet in two camps never works.  Being double minded often finds us sitting on the fence not being truly committed to either masters.  Know who you are and do everything you can to uphold that knowledge and you will be a power for good.


"Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels".
(D&C 101:3)

 

(RS lesson taught in Mortdale Ward 24 November 2013)

HOW'S YOUR ARMOUR?

Elder Carlos E. Asay had the following dream concerning the Lord's armour:

"As a small boy in grammar school, I had a teacher who made King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table come alive.  She caused me to become so obsessed with stories of knights that I played and dreamed that I was one.  One evening I dreamed that I was a white knight on a white horse riding over the greens of England.  Suddenly, without warning, a knight dressed in black armour and mounted on a black horse appeared at the edge of the forest.  We measured each other carefully, lowered our lances, and charged at full gallop.  The lances struck target and both of us were knocked off our steeds.

"I scrambled to my feet knowing that swords would be drawn and that hand-to-hand combat was imminent.  Fear gripped my heart as I saw my opponent rushing toward me flashing a long, gleaming sword.  Instinctively, I reached to my side and drew forth from the scabbard my weapon.  That is when the dream turned into a nightmare!  For in my hand was a small, dinky dagger - not a long, gleaming sword.  I woke up in a cold sweat screaming for help. 

"Many times since that nightmarish experience, I have wondered about the serviceability of the Saints, particularly the young Latter-day Saints.  When God calls you to serve, are you positioned in the scabbard and ready to be drawn?  When the Lord draws you forth as his instrument in combating evil forces, what does he have in his hand - a long, gleaming sword or a dinky dagger?...The saving virtue of a sword is related to its strength, sharpness, cleanliness, and the hand which guides it.  Is it not the same with people?  I would pray that you would seek strength of character, sharpness of mind, and cleanliness of soul so as to become gleaming swords of righteousness.  By doing this, there will be no embarrassment, no disappointment, and no nightmare when He draws you out in battling the powers of darkness" (Elder Carlos E. Asay, "Instruments of Righteousness", New Era, June 1983)

"Wherefore lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armour, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.

"Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, which I have sent mine angels to commit unto you;

"Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be caught up, that where I am ye shall be also. Amen."
(D&C 27:15-18)

We are engaged in the mother of all battles.  Our enemy has been perfecting his craft for nearly 6,000 years.  He knows us both from our pre-mortal life and from observing us in our mortal state.  He knows what buttons to push when and he knows how to get into our cracks and inflict wounds that might never heal.  The message in the abovementioned scripture is that we take up the 'whole armour' of God upon us to prevent these wounds.  A section or two is not enough.  Almost all the armour will not do.  It needs to be complete armour for complete protection.

When Ahab, the king of Israel led his army against the forces of Syria, he took every precaution to avoid being injured, even disguising himself so that the Syrians would not recognise him and focus on his destruction.  The only thing he forgot was to wear enough armour.

"But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armour". (2K22:34, NIV) (Ted Gibbons, SS Lesson 43 - Take Upon You My Whole Armour)

The degree of protection we have from the adversary is directly proportional to the diligence and heed we give to the Lord's commandments.  How obedient we are here is an indication of how much we are willing to stand for the conviction that was ours in our pre-existence.  The extent of our armour is a good indication of how valiant in our testimony of Jesus we are being here and now.  We cannot afford to choose which commandment we will obey and which we will let slide.  This life is not a cafeteria. 

If you ever wanted to be a hero, this is the time and the place.  Examine the cracks in your armour and sharpen your sword of righteousness.  President Ezra Taft Benson said: "You will never have a better opportunity to be a greater hero in a more crucial battle than in the battle you will face today and in the immediate future. Be warned that some of the greatest battles you will face will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.  David's battles in the field against the foe were not as critical as David's battles in the palace against a lustful eye.  We will each find our own battlefield". (Ezra Taft Benson, "In His Steps", 1979, Devotional Speeches of the Year, 60).

When the war is over and the battle won, whose side will you be found on?

ALL THAT MATTERS

Some years ago I read an article by Dallin H. Oaks in the Ensign where he said something like 'it doesn't matter if you are single or married or what your circumstances are, as hard as they may be, all that matters is that you are on the path to eternal life'.  I was outraged by this comment.  At the time I was a single mother struggling terribly and it mattered to me very much whether I had a husband or not to lighten the burdens I was carrying.  I thought Elder Oaks was not in sync with reality and the people who were living with hardship on daily basis.  However, the more spiritually refined I became over the years, the more I realised the truth of this statement.  

Sometimes we become very blinded by this telestial world and find it difficult to focus on the overall picture.  I think this is where Elder Oaks' statement came from.  He had risen above the telestial and had the celestial kingdom in his horizon.  I also think that he had made peace with the hardships of this life and had submitted his will fully to God.  Acceptance is the ultimate panacea for coping in this fallen world.  It eliminates unrealistic expectations and the frustration which comes from expecting a perfect life. 

God's main concern is our spiritual welfare.  When our mortal experience is providing spiritual growth, we are on the path He would have us be on.  When the choices we make complicate our lives and place us in bondage to sin, we are obviously not living according to His will.  When our worldly pursuits take us away from Him and endanger the spiritual welfare of our families, we can be assured we are not on the same page. Anything that takes us away from God would not include His will.

Submitting our will to God is crucial if we want to accomplish His plan for us, the individualised plan for us to become as He is.  We do not remember this plan which we were so familiar with before we came here, but He does.  He knows what we wanted to become and how we wanted our earthly experience to contribute to that goal.  To stay on the path that we had chosen so long ago, we need to have trust that His will for us will get us there.  And what did we want back then?  Eternal life and godhood. Eternal life meaning life with God.  We cannot have either without the experience of this mortal life.  It is a perfect schooling ground where we can develop God like characteristics.  Without those traits we cannot live as gods.  The Saviour can forgive us our sins and rescue us from the sting of death but it is up to us to develop god like natures through yielding our hearts to God. 

Neal A. Maxwell said "it is only by yielding to God that we can begin to realise His will for us".  He went on to say:  "we need to break free of our old selves - the provincial, constraining, and complaining selves - and become susceptible to the shaping of the Lord.  But the old self goes neither gladly nor quickly.  Even so, this subjection to God is really emancipation". (Neal A. Maxwell, "Willing to Submit", Ensign May 1985)

Consider King Benjamin's advice:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, for ever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father".  (Mosiah 3:19)

Even if we stood at the judgment bar, ready for our eternal reward, and had the Lord forgive us totally of all our sins, we would not qualify for Celestial Kingdom if we had not developed the God like nature spoken of in this scripture.  Can you image to yourself an impatient god, or an intolerant god, or a complaining god, or a god lacking in love?  Only yielding our hearts to God and making His Atonement active in our lives can create a god within us.

When Christ visited the Americas he spoke a lot about the Father and that He was sent to do His will.  In fact, he made 147 references to the Father during His visit with them. I counted them all a few years ago when I suddenly noticed how frequent the references were even though I had read the Book of Mormon countless times before.   The Saviour perfectly exemplified total obedience to the Father's will, no matter how hard the task that was asked of Him, and He had the hardest task to accomplish out of all of us.  The whole act of Atonement pivots on Christ's submission to the Father's will. "...Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done". (Luke 22:42) There is something very important about this.  If the Atonement was performed out of submission, it goes to say that the Atonement can empower us, his disciples, to submit our will to the Father too.  This means using the Atonement in our daily efforts to overcome the natural man and to accept the hardships and adversity we are required to go through which will in the end refine and polish us.  Once again, verbal invocation of the Atonement comes into play.  As already suggested in my post on How to Use The Power of the Atonement, the wording should reflect our faith in Jesus Christ and should invoke the power we need to overcome the natural man or to endure the trials we are experiencing. If you are having a difficult time being submissive to God's will in general, your supplication should be: "Through my faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Atonement, I ask for the ability to submit my will to thine, to know thy will and to be empowered to live it" or even better, "Through my faith in Jesus Christ who so perfectly submitted His will to thine, I ask to be empowered through His Atonement to submit my will to thine in all things".  The wording can be more specific relative to the situation you are in. 

If you are blinded by the gloss of this telestial world and care too much about what you have in this life and find it difficult to let go, you are not on the path to eternal life.  The Father has so so much more to give you than this dismal telestial glory. This is not your true home.  You are here for a one off experience.  When that experience is ended and the earth is 'rolled together as a scroll' (Mormon 9:2) you will want to be walked through the pearly gates to receive the splendour of eternal life. So let go and do it now.

THE CHURCH FULFILLS PROPHECIES

"We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (9th Article of Faith)

Continuing revelation is the lifeblood of this Church.  President Lee once shared this story:

"Elder John A. Widstoe of the Council of the Twelve once told of a discussion he had with a group of stake officers.  In the course of the discussion someone said to him, 'Brother Widstoe, how long has it been since the Church received a revelation?'  Brother Widstoe rubbed his chin thoroughly and said in reply, 'Oh, probably since last Thursday'." (Lee, Harold B., Stand Ye In Holy Places, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City: 1974, pp 132-33)

It is amazing to me to witness how revelation can bridge time in fulfilment of prophecies.  It strengthens my testimony to see how the Church is an instrument in God's hands to effect this fulfilment.  None of this would be possible if revelation had ceased between God and his children.  One such prophecy dates back to Ezekiel:

"The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 'Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all of the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand". (Ezek 37:15-17)

The obvious reference of the sticks is the Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon.  The way they have been made into one stick, two historical accounts becoming one witness of Jesus Christ, is through the Church's own publication of the Bible, influenced by revelation, which incorporates references to all of the standard works.

Elder Boyd K. Packer expounded on the significance of the new editions of the scriptures back in 1982:

"The stick or record of Judah - the Old Testament and the New Testament - and the stick or record of Ephraim - The Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ - are now woven together in such a way that as you pore over one you are drawn to the other, as you learn from one you are enlightened by the other.  They are indeed one in our hands.  Ezekiel's prophecy now stands fulfilled.

With the passing of years, these scriptures will produce successive generations of faithful Christians who know the Lord Jesus Christ and are disposed to obey His will.

The older generation has been raised without them, but there is another generation growing up.  The revelations will be opened to them as to no other in the history of the world.  Into their hands now are placed the sticks of Joseph and of Judah.  They will develop a gospel scholarship beyond that which their forebears could achieve.  They will have the testimony that Jesus is the Christ and be competent to proclaim Him and to defend Him. (Boyd K. Packer, "Scriptures", Ensign, Nov. 1982, p. 53)

We are privileged to be a part of the most important and powerful institution on this earth.  Powerful because at the helm of it is Jesus Christ who directs it through his living prophets.  Important because of the work that is being accomplished through revelation for the salvation of the human family.  This institution is the only place that will enable us to stand at the last day when the Saviour returns.  Whether we survive what is to take place before that great event, is up to us.  President Lee explained it in this way:

"This is what has been said, in effect, in this conference:  Unless every member of this Church gains for himself an unshakeable testimony of the divinity of this Church, he will be among those who will be deceived in this day when the 'elect according to the covenant' are going to be tried and tested.  Only those will survive who have gained for themselves that testimony." (President Harold B. Lee, October 1950)

PRIESTHOOD REVELATION BRINGS JOY

"For many years, I have watched the process of continuous revelation which emanates from God through the keys, authority, and under direction of the President of the Church.  I testify that this revelatory power has directed this work since April 6, 1830.  That confirmation is the source of the greatest knowledge I have.  I counsel and pray that all will heed the ongoing prophetic voice of this Church, revealing the word of God in our day. (James E. Faust, "The Prophetic Voice", Ensign, May 1997, 7)"

Studying this lesson has made me see the magnitude of what the Church is accomplishing in preparation of the Saviour's coming.  The Church is a well oiled machine, perfectly organised and run under the direction of the priesthood who continue to receive revelation relative to this preparation.  The scriptures speak of prophets as "watch(men) upon the tower" who see "the enemy while he (is) yet afar off" (D&C 101:54).  Because we have continuous revelation and living prophets,  the Church is always one step ahead to ensure this preparation is ever forging onward. 

One of the greatest examples of this is the revelation extending the blessings of the priesthood to every worthy male member of the Church.  This revelation was presented to the Church and the world on September 30, 1978, at the 148th Semiannual General Conference of the Church.  I stand in awe of President Kimball who had pondered, meditated and prayed much to invite this revelation and bring about such an important change for the Church and its' membership.  At the time I was only a new convert in the Church and did not fully grasp what this revelation would really mean to the membership of the Church and the world.  I think I was of the opinion that it was 'really nice' that this had happened.  The Lord however, doesn't do 'really nice'.  He always fulfils his purposes and he does it on a grand scale.  This revelation had great impact on accelerating the missionary efforts so the Church can fulfil its' destiny of growing and filling the world, as prophesied by Joseph Smith.

I read the following story about the priesthood revelation and was reminded of what it feels like to long to be in the Church:

"Joseph William Billy Johnson of Cape Coast, Ghana, first received literature about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1964.  He knew that the Church doctrines he read in it were true, and he immediately began teaching them to his family, friends and anyone else who would listen to him.  It was not until four years later that he was able to obtain a copy of the Book of Mormon, to carefully read and pray about it, and to receive a witness of its truth.  In letters to Salt Lake City, he had asked for more information about the Church and for missionaries to come to Africa to teach and baptize him.  President McKay sent him literature and told him it was not yet time for missionaries to come to his country but that he should continue to study and have faith.

For 14 years Billy Johnson devoted himself to teaching the everlasting gospel and meeting with informal groups of believers.  While strengthened by many spiritual experiences, he and members of these groups became discouraged when their pleadings for missionaries were not answered quickly.

During a particularly difficult period, Billy returned home one day much discouraged.  As he struggled to obtain comfort and counsel from the Lord, he felt impressed to turn on his shortwave radio and find the BBC news broadcast.  He was finally able to tune in the BBC at midnight.  He recalls:

          "I heard the message of President Kimball's prophecy concerning the priesthood, that all
           worthy males in all of the world could receive the priesthood.  I burst into tears of joy,
           because I knew the priesthood would come to Africa, and if we did the right things, we
           would all receive the priesthood".

What joy spread through his heart as he heard the BBC news commentator announce the long-await revelation! (Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, "The Incomparable Blessings of the Priesthood", Ensign Oct. 1997, p. 50)

Why did Billy Johnson have to wait so long to be baptised?  Because the Church cannot exist anywhere without the administration of the priesthood. This man felt constrained to preach the Gospel in Ghana and converted so many people to it that he organised several branches and all with just one copy of the Book of Mormon.  Members of his branch were allowed just a few moments each to read from it.   There is another amazing story of Nigerian saints who had also organised themselves into a branch under the direction of one man, Anthony Obinna, and waited for the priesthood revelation to bring the saving ordinance and missionary work to Africa. Both of these stories can be found in full in the Church History section of the Church site, www.lds.org . It will make you weep and make you reflect on how much you value your Church membership.  It is astounding to me how the Lord prepared these people on one side of the world and put in place a prophet on the other side of the world who would consider the constant pleading of the African saints important enough to seek a revelation that would bring salvation to so many souls.  Such is the power of continuing revelation to latter-day prophets.



 



HOW TO USE THE POWER OF THE ATONEMENT

I adore words.  I am a firm believer in their power.  I constantly pray that I will be blessed with 'the tongue of angels' so I can expound the words of Christ in my speaking, teaching and writing.  There are no more powerful words to me than the name of Jesus Christ.  I always delight to read stories in the scriptures where the ancients have invoked the blessings of heaven by using the Saviour's name.  One such example is Alma who delivered himself and Amulek from prison by pleading for strength according to their faith which was in Christ (Alma 14:26). 

To make the Atonement active in our lives, we need to call upon its' power in such a manner that it would affirm our faith in Jesus Christ.  If we do not believe in Him, we have no claim on His power.  When working on something as serious as overcoming addictions, we might need to do this several times a day.  The Atonement is the source by which power will come to us that has been taken away.  The Saviour has overcome the world and we can overcome it too through the power He gives us. 

I learnt about this power and how to use it at the time of my divorce when I felt that nothing else would be able to heal the crippling emotional pain I was experiencing.  I invoked the power of the Atonement on daily basis, several times a day, and through it achieved the very result I wanted.  Knowing how powerful words are, I carefully worded my daily petition: 
"Through my faith in Jesus Christ I ask for the power of the Atonement to heal my broken heart, to replace resentment, anger and the sense of injustice with love, peace and forgiveness". 
This phrase became my mantra. I used it every time I felt a wave of pain wash over me. It didn't happen overnight but it happened just like I asked and in good time.  I was healed and survived incredibly well.  Thereafter, I preached about the Atonement and its' healing power many times.  I came to understand it was the greatest tool that was given to us to survive this life.  It was the tool we voted for before this world began.  It was the tool that I think we understood very well in our pre-existence, the only tool through which we could obtain godhood.

When praying for the power of the Atonement to overcome an addiction, I suggest the following wording:

"Through my faith in Jesus Christ I ask for the power of the Atonement to strengthen me in my time of weakness, to give me power over my addiction even unto deliverance."

If you want to be more specific, you could say:

"Through my faith in Jesus Christ I ask for the power of the Atonement to strengthen me in my time of weakness and to free me from my addiction to _______________."

You can use this formula whenever you need to call upon the power of the Atonement for anything you deem is worthy of its assistance.  I testify that it works.  The Saviour is real and so is His power. He suffered indescribable pain so you and I can have eternal life.  And He has provided the way so we can get there.  This is grace.  He cannot live our lives for us so it is up to us to access His grace to lift us to higher ground.  We cannot say that we can't make it, because we can.  Through the grace of God we can do all things.  And if we believe that we can't, we are not His disciples.

ADDICTIONS AND THE ATONEMENT

So many of us have addictive natures and just about all of us can become addicted to something at some point in our lives.  Addictions range from eating chocolate, to compulsive shopping to pornography.  Some are not so destructive and some can destroy us and keep us in chains for years.  What is the worst addiction?  The one that plagues you.  What is the worst aspect of an addiction?  Being stripped of one's power.  An addiction is inverted faith in something outside of ourselves which takes us away from God and his power to save.  If you have been using an addiction as a way of coping with your life, you have more faith in your addiction to get you by than you do in  the Saviour of the world and His power to succor you from day to day. And if you believe that it is impossible for you to overcome your addiction, you are denying the power of the Atonement.

Addictions are so prevalent in our society that they have become one of the greatest tools the adversary has to disempower us.  He wants us to believe that our addictions are who we are, that they are our true nature.  This is a craft very easily accomplished by the world which convinces us that we are what our behaviour labels us to be.  The world tells you that you are an alcoholic, a sex addict, a compulsive eater, a drug addict, a gambler.  The world uses labels and Satan uses the world. 

Satan seeks to confuse us as to our identity by undermining our spiritual origin.  Consider the encounter that Moses had with both God and Satan.  When God the Father appeared to Moses he proclaimed Himself to be "the Lord God Almighty" and he reiterated to him a number of times that He was His father by calling him "Moses, my son".  This stands out in stark contrast to Lucifer who appeared immediately after the Father withdrew and addressed him as "Moses, son of man".  (Moses 1:4,6,12)  When we label ourselves with worldly labels we forget that we are a son or daughter of God.

There is another reason why labelling ourselves is dangerous. If you believe that you are for instance an alcoholic, you will act as an alcoholic because what does an alcoholic do?  He drinks.  If you believe you are an alcoholic and will always be an alcoholic, even if you are on the wagon, you will eventually return to drink to confirm that inner belief, the belief that says that's who you are.  A good example of this is Robin Williams who after 23 years of being sober went back to drinking.  If you are constantly attending meetings that are constantly telling you you are an alcoholic, you will feel there is never escaping this addiction. This can be incredibly discouraging, disheartening and disempowering.  As you can tell, I do not agree with AA.  I am not undermining the seriousness of alcohol addiction but am rather trying to give you hope that there is a better way if you want it.  You are not an alcoholic but a son or daughter or God.  Alcoholism is an addiction, it is not a definition of who you are or of your self worth.  Therefore, it is better to say "I am a son or daughter of God with an addiction to alcohol".  It is not who you are, but what you are when you are drinking. You might want to contend with me here and say that going to meetings and being told that you are an alcoholic all the time keeps you in remembrance of your addiction and thus ensures success in abstinence.  I am of the opinion that suffering the consequences of our addictions keeps us in remembrance better. And there are always consequences.  I have been a witness to this through someone close to me. 

We should be extremely careful when we speak the words "I am" because what you say you are, you will believe and you will act according to that belief.  When we say "I am", we own that definition.  This is why it is important for us to understand our spiritual origin, to know ourselves, our gifts, talents, our character, our weaknesses and our strengths.  It is also important to understand our purpose and our destiny.  And what is our destiny?  We are destined to become gods.  It also goes without saying that we need to have a relationship with God and know Him as our Father.

Consider the Saviour and how well He knows Himself.   In several instances in the scriptures He calls himself "The Great I Am".  What He is saying is, this is who I am:

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35)
"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:14)
"I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25)
"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12)
"I am the way, the truth, the life" (John 14:6)
"I am the true vine"  (John 15:1)
"I am the first and I am also the last" (Isaiah 44:6)

No wonder He is The Great I Am! How many of us speak so positively of ourselves?  How many of us proclaim ourselves to be scriptoreans, servants, forgivers, hard workers, believers, healers, people lovers, helpers, peacemakers, good mothers?  We are more likely to hear such negatives as:

I am a procrastinator
I am a glutton
I am an addict
I am uncaring
I am unthoughtful
I am dumb
I am stupid
I am weak
I am fat
I am unlovable

The scriptures say that our words and our thoughts will condemn us (Alma 12:14).  This does not mean only the bad things we say about and to others.  This also means that what we think and say about ourselves corrodes our spirits, damages our self-esteem and distances us from our spiritual identity. 

I believe God who says He can change the inner man and make out of us new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:16a(footnote),17).  Once you allow Him to change you through the power of the Atonement,  you will turn to Him to help you handle life's difficulties rather than your addictive behaviour.  Such is the power of the Atonement.  It can purify us and refine us and cause all imperfections to fall away as dross.  Our addictions can then become something positive, a vehicle which has enabled us to come unto Christ. And this is where we want to be, in His safety and in His care.