We, as male members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are worthy, have been ordained with the Priesthood after the Holy Order of God.
So why is it so often that we don't act like it?I've been included in the camp that doesn't act like it many times. I'm a recovering sexual addict only on day 37. 37 days have passed since one fateful monday when I committed a serious sin in the sight of God.
Now I'm trying to get back to His side. For many reasons, but for several in particular:
"And so, my dear young men, you may not think seriously about it now. But the time will come when you will fall in love. it will occupy all of your thoughts and be the stuff of which your dreams are made. Make yourself worthy of the loveliest girl in all the world."
--President Gordon B. Hinckley
Alma 41:2-10
2 I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself.
3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.
4 And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other—
5 The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
6 And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.
7 These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.
8 Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.
9 And now behold, my son, do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine, which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.
10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.
Wickedness never was happiness. Being wicked, committing wicked deeds, causes the soul to literally die and displace itself from the body, causing us to lose touch with our emotions, which are spiritually-based, and causing us to lose as firm a touch with God as we should have or would have if we were obeying the commandments.
This world needs more men. More real men. And don't try to squander me by saying "there are no real men". A "real man" is a man that is Godfearing, that is in touch with the Spirit, that obeys God. If there are real men, there are fake men, and I have known a few fake men. I was one. We need more men that honor the Priesthood. More men that uphold all of God's commandments. A real man is someone who is in touch with the Divine. A fake man is in touch with those that have been cast out. The closest we can come to reality is when we come into contact with life as God sees it, not how we do. And we do that by becoming a disciple of Christ.
“To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”
-Jeffrey R. Holland, from the October 2012 General Conference
A real man is a disciple of Christ, because a real man is a good man. If there were no good, there would be no evil, and then the plan would never have worked. A testifier of the Lord in these times of trouble. Someone who stands up for the truth regardless of how popular or unpopular it is, regardless of the trials or troubles. We are called to be a witness of Christ at all times, in all things, in all places, with all people. Not just when it's easy. When it's hard. When it matters, and when it doesn't seem to matter so much. And yes, there are good men outside of the Church, that may or may not believe in Christ, but because the principles, precepts, and truths that Jesus taught are eternal and not just temporal, they still receive blessings for their work, and all blessings stem from God.
We are called to be Men. To hold the office of man that God has called us to. If there were no office, no manliness to reach for--and manliness is not masculinity as the world sees it, because Jesus had many traits that are not seen as masculine, and are we not called to be like unto him?--then we would not be called to it. If there were no desired state of being for us to be in, we would not be called to it, because God does not give orders that we cannot obey. He does not commission men to fight wars they cannot win. He qualifies the called to fight on His behalf knowing that they can pull through. We are not called out of the dust to be okay workers of some good. We are called out of the dust to be men.
Sometimes they need help. Sometimes we need a boost. Jesus did, in the Garden. He asked for the bitter cup to be removed, knowing that His Father would hear him. It couldn't be removed, but Father did send down an angel to strengthen Jesus.
We have been called and we are bound by duty to honor the call of the Celestial. We are to be men of God, to stand as witness for Him in our very being.
So why are the rosters so empty? There are many men that have honored the call. And I am proud of them. But how much more full could the rosters be? How many more could we have honoring the call if they would shake off the chains of hell and fully embrace the atonement?
I'm extending the call to my brothers to get your act together and man up. We need you. The women need you. Not because they are weak, but because they are so strong. They need men to act like men--not men-children that act like unsophisticated drooling sex addicts that can't stop getting themselves drunk. Men that are hurtful and abusive and jerks for no reason. And any man that has committed abuse would be better to be drowned in the depths of the ocean by his own hand. A disciple of Christ does not abuse. It is against every calling that we have. If we have love towards our God, our Master, we must have love towards all other men. We do not need more men that fulfill the a-typical jerk role. We don't need more men of Babylon, but more men of Zion.
Ye Elders of Israel, come join now with me and seek out the righteous wherever they may be! In desert, on mountain, on land or on sea.
Fill the roster.
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