“Let Go Off That Branch”

Once upon a time there was a man sitting on the top of a mountain, enjoying the gentle spring breeze and the beautiful scenery, including the tree and the rock that was behind him. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew him off the mountain, and while falling he saw a branch sticking out so he grabbed it. Hanging off the side of the mountain like cliff hanger the man naturally began to pray, asking for God’s help and hears a voice that asks “Do you believe that I created that tree on the mountain?”. The man replies “yes I do, but I really need some help”. The voice then asks, “Do you believe that I created that rock on the mountain?” The man replies a little faster “Yes, I do now please! Help me!”. The voice then asks “Do you believe that I created the wind that blew you off the mountain?”. The man replies a little slower this time “……yes I do”, then the voice asks,” Do you believe that I can create another wind that will blow you right back up unto the mountain?”. The man replies, “Yes I do believe” and the voice says “Then let go off that branch”. My brother who is currently serving a mission in Alabama sent me this story one week and it really helped to lift my spirits, after a particularly difficult week. It helped me to realize that I don’t need to worry-not to worry about my unpaid tuition, or how I will survive without my grandmother around, I just need to have faith and everything will work out. Since I did that I have felt great peace. Even though I still don’t see or know how things will work out, that’s OK because I know that they will work out, some way, somehow.

My Little Christ Like Elements P.1 (Loyalty)

"It's abundantly clear that somewhere out here is a [post] that will suit you just right!"
-Fluttershy to Rainbow Dash

"Wow, you are just on fire with these My Little Pony posts aren't you?" Well, in my Senior year of High School, I took Economics and didn't understand a lick of it. BUT, I did learn the principle of Supply and Demand. Basically, if demand is high, then you supply more. "There's no demand for pony posts is there?" Not that I know of, but I'm doing them anyway cause there is much My Little Pony can teach us about the gospel and what kind of missionary would I be if I didn't teach the gospel? "One who talks about ponies..." Good point. So on to what I wanted to talk about! "Here we go..."

So what are Christ-like attributes? "Aren't they attributes of Christ?" I should've seen that one coming... Well yes, but more specifically, what are some? "Can I phone a friend?" Yea, be my guest. Actually hold on, my phone's ringing. Hello? "I'm phoning you." Sigh... Fine... well, according to Preach My Gospel, there are multiple attributes, but the ones I want to focus on are Love, Obedience, Charity, Hope, Virtue, and Faith. These are all quite important to have in any circumstance. "I can imagine, all these seem pretty fancy." Totally! There's a quote by none other than Elder Jefferey R. Holland that says, 

"Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we." 

The "Elements" of Harmony, get it?

Pretty strong stuff huh? "Oh yea." Which is why we need to strive to have these Christ-like attributes. "So where do ponies play in all this?" I'm VERY glad you asked, In the show, there are these things called the Elements of Harmony. They are these powerful... Well, I'm not entirely sure what they are, but each element represents an attribute, Loyalty, Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity and finally, Magic. Sound familiar? "No." Ugh... THEY'RE BASICALLY CHRIST-LIKE ATTRIBUTES!!! "How so?" Well, take a look at each of them. 

Let's start with Loyalty, cause the pony that coincides with Loyalty is Awesome! But that's a post for another day. "You wouldn't..." Oh but I will! But some other time. So where was I? "Loyalty...?" Oh right Rainbow Dash. "What?" So if you look at it, Loyalty is

A great picture of Loyalty
if I've ever seen one!

pretty much a synonym for Obedience. I mean, loyalty shows devoutness and you obey someone you're loyal to. Think of your parents, you love them right? "Is that a serious question?" More of a rhetorical one... But you obey them cause you love them and they want what's best for you. The same thing with our Savior, Jesus Christ! Christ said it simply,

"If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Loyalty is also a sign of faithfulness. Here's a question, a non-rhetorical one, if someone told you to do something that sounded very ridiculous but assured you it was for your own good, would you do it? "It depends what it was, I mean if it's something crazy like push a rock or something, forget it" Funny you should say that actually, I gots a story for you that my Dad sent me,

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled
with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him
to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained
that the man was to Push against the rock with all his might...
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup
to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface
of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that
his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing
discouragement, the adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by
placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!
'You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't
moved.' Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible
and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened
the man.
Satan said, 'Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving
just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.' That's what the
weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of Prayer and to
take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.
'Lord,' he said, 'I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting
all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after all this
time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter.
What is wrong? Why am I failing?'
The Lord responded compassionately, 'My friend, when I asked you to serve
Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the
rock with all of your strength, which you have done.
Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it.
Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent,
thinking that you have failed..
But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and
muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant
pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.
Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass
that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your
calling was to be Obedient and to push and to exercise your Faith and
trust in My Wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.'
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect
to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is just simple
obedience and faith in Him.
By all means, exercise the Faith that moves mountains, but know that it
is still God Who moves the Mountains.

Pretty sweet huh? "Wow, I must say." Right? So even when a task seems meaningless and mundane, if it is given to you by the Lord, there's a reason for it, and yes you can choose whether to do it or not, but Loyalty and Obedience isn't about doing something that seems smart and useful at the time, it means to do it, cause you love the Lord and

It kinda looks like Inception
*Spoiler Alert*

 truly believe he will steer you the right way. 

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

I can testify to you that there will be times when we just aren't sure whether we should be doing what we are doing, but if it is good, and of God, then you bet it's what we should be doing. There will be times where people will laugh and make fun of you because they think what you're doing is lame, but they don't matter, the Lord does. 

"So you mentioned more than one element or attribute, where are the others?" I guess you're just gonna have to wait and find out huh?"