Today in Relief Society, we read a lesson from the life of President Ezra Taft Benson, who was President of the LDS Church from 1985-1994. The lesson we read is called "Living Joyfully in Troubled TImes" from the book Teachings of Presidents: Ezra Taft Benson. I know that usually I write my own thoughts about things, but today this lesson touched me so much that I thought I'd share a few quotes from President Benson on how to find happiness even when things aren't looking so good.
1. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that President Benson always had a buoyancy and cheerfulness about him. "Such buoyancy," he said, "comes not from ignoring enveloping events, but from noticing these and yet looking beyond them to promises having to do with how the kingdom will finally prevail."
One of my favorite quotes of all times is: "All the water in the world cannot sink the smallest boat--until some gets inside." Keeping ourselves afloat consists not of ignoring the bad things that happen to us, but of having the hope that the promised blessings will be ours someday. So, be buoyant!
2. "We have no cause to really worry. Live the gospel, keep the commandments. Attend to your prayers night and morning in your home. Maintain the standards of the Church. Try and live calmly and cheerfully. ...Happiness must be earned from day to day. But it is worth the effort."
Maintain your standards and live calmly and cheerfully.
3. When President George Albert Smith was sick, "He [the Prophet Joseph Smith] told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulty might surround me. If I were sunk into the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged, but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I should come out on the top of the heap."
4. "There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you."
My softball coach taught me, "When you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on." Sometimes all you can do is keep fighting and hang on!
5. "You can have that certain knowledge that in due time God will wipe away all tears and that 'eye hath not seen, not ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Cor. 2:9). Be cheerful in all that you do. Live joyfully. Live happily. Live enthusiastically, knowing that God does not dwell in gloom and melancholy, but in light and love."
Remember that our God is a God of love and light--He has so many things in store for us.
6. "To live happily is to grow in spiritual strength toward perfection."
God does not expect us to be perfect, but he expects us to try to grow spiritually everyday so that we can reach that perfection someday.
7. "Let us remember that the real source of our strength and happiness is beyond the measure of men and circumstances."
Our happiness comes from doing what the Lord has asked us, and not what men of the world think of us. God is enough.
8. "Brethren," said Paul, "but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philip. 3:13-14)."
We have to put our past behind us (credit to The Lion King) and press toward the mark.
What I learned today from a prophet of God is that our happiness is largely up to us. When we get to that fork in the road, we can either choose to be bitter, or get better. Never give up! Just keep swimming. Have faith in promises that God has promised us. Be happy.
Siempre he sido una fanática del arte, aunque no siempre entiendo el "significado secreto" detrás de una pintura o una escultura. Estudio la literatura Inglesa, y siento que siempre estoy en busca de algún tipo de significado secreto a través de los temas o colores. Este semestre en la Universidad de Brigham Young estoy inscrito en una clase de historia del arte, y he sido capaz de aprender un poco más sobre el contexto histórico de obras de arte. Esta última semana de clase, nuestro profesor nos mostró una pintura del Renacimiento artista Tiziano, que representa a Cristo y María Magdalena a las afueras de la tumba del jardín. Nuestro profesor nos dijo que esta pintura específica de Tiziano definitivamente no era su mejor, pero se había hecho famoso por su importancia a Inglaterra durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Europa, Inglaterra tenía miedo que los museos de arte serían bombardeados y que el arte sería destruida, por lo que arrastró todo y lo puso en el almacenamiento. Sin embargo, los directores de la National Gallery de Londres pensaban que la gente necesitaba algo para mantenerlos, por lo que decidieron volver a instalar una sola pintura y girarlo a cabo cada mes. La primera pintura que pusieron de nuevo era de Tiziano "Noli me tangere". En la pintura, María llega a abrazar al Señor resucitado, sino que Cristo está espalda, diciéndole, "Noli me tangere", en latín significa "no me toques".
En la Biblia, Cristo dice a María: "No me toques, porque aún no he subido a mi Padre." En ese momento, María era probablemente llena de amor y devoción por su salvador y quería nada más que para lanzar sus brazos alrededor de él y alegrarse. Pero, como James E. Talmage sugiere en Jesús el Cristo, "ninguna mano humana debía ser permitido tocar el cuerpo resucitado y inmortalizado del Señor hasta después de que él mismo había presentado al Padre" (682). Talmage también sugiere que tal vez María se acercó a él con los sentimientos personales y de amistad que ya no eran apropiados para un ser tan divino. Por alguna razón, Jesús tuvo que detener María. Es por eso que la Galería Nacional eligió para mostrar este cuadro primero, porque así es como Inglaterra se sintió durante la guerra. Ellos sentían que el Señor estaba frenando sus bendiciones y su presencia de ellos. Al mismo tiempo, ellos sabían que con el tiempo serían capaces de abrazarlo; al igual que con María, el Señor vendría a ellos y bendecirlos con su incomparable amor y compasión. Él los salvaría de la guerra.
Estoy seguro de que María estaba confundida en cuanto a por qué no podía tocar su salvador. En realidad, si yo fuera María, me preguntaría ¿por qué no puedo tocarlo? Creo que a veces nos sentimos así - que estamos siendo frenados de bendiciones que pensamos que podríamos recibir. Sentimos que Dios nos ha olvidado tal vez. Sé que es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo, pero tenemos que recordar que Dios tiene un plan perfecto. Esas bendiciones serán dadas a nosotros en el tiempo del Señor! No importa cómo las cosas duras consiguen, podemos tranquilizar a nosotros mismos con el hecho de que un día seremos capaces de tocar nuestro salvador y regocijarnos con él.
I've always been an art fan, although I don't always understand the "secret meaning" behind a painting or sculpture. As an English major, I feel like I'm always searching for some kind of secret meaning through the themes or colors. This semester at BYU I'm enrolled in an art history class, and I've been able to learn a bit more about the historical context of artworks. Just this last week in class, our professor displayed a painting from the Renaissance artist Titian, depicting Christ and Mary Magdalene just outside the garden tomb. Our teacher told us that this specific painting from Titian was definitely not his best, but had become famous due to its importance to England during World War II. During World War II in Europe, England worried that the art museums would be bombed and that the art would be destroyed, so they hauled it all out and put it into storage. However, the directors of The National Gallery in London thought that the people needed something to keep them going, so they decided to reinstall just one painting and rotate it out each month. The first painting they put back was Titian's "Noli me Tangere." In the painting, Mary reaches out to embrace the resurrected Lord, but Christ stands back, telling her, "Noli me Tangere," Latin for "touch me not."
In the Bible, Christ says to Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended up to my Father." In that moment, Mary was probably full of love and devotion for her savior and wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and rejoice. But, as James E. Talmage suggests in Jesus the Christ, "no human hand was to be permitted to touch the Lord's resurrected and immortalized body until after He had presented Himself to the Father" (682). Talmage also suggests that maybe Mary approached him with personal and friendly feelings that were no longer appropriate for such a divine being. For whatever reason, Jesus had to withhold himself from Mary. That's why The National Gallery chose to display this painting first, because that's how England felt during the war. They felt that the Lord was holding back his blessings and presence from them. At the same time, they knew that eventually they would be able to embrace him; just like with Mary, the Lord would come to them and bless them with his matchless love and compassion. He would save them from the war.
I'm sure Mary was confused as to why she couldn't touch her savior. Actually, if I were Mary, I would wonder why on earth he would hold himself back like that. I think sometimes we feel like that--that we're being held back from blessings we thought we would receive. We feel like God has forgotten us maybe. I know it's easier said than done, but we need to remember that God has a perfect plan. Those blessings will be given to us in the Lord's time! No matter how hard things get, we can reassure ourselves with the fact that one day we will be able to touch our savior and rejoice with him.
