"Glorious Field" Country Worship Album

For the past few weeks our daughter Emily has been creating music with the help of AI. She writes the lyrics and chooses the tone and style of the arrangement. The technology helps her create music our family really enjoys.

She just finished a country worship album we've been listening to all week, "Glorious Field". We listen to her music over and over again. The lyrics carry a message to guide our life. Its amazing how we can put our thoughts into music like this! We're excited to share her music with you. Enjoy!

You're The God of This Land

Growing in Your Light

In the Quiet of the Morning

Harvesting Joy

You Make Everything Shine

The Field of My Heart

The Only Good Fruit is Repentance

During family scripture study, we were reading about pruning the Lord’s vineyard and preserving good fruit. 

Then the servants went ahead and worked hard, and the lord of the vineyard also worked with them. And they obeyed the lord of the vineyard’s direction in all things. And original fruit again grew in the vineyard, and the original branches began to grow and produce abundantly, and the wild branches began to be cut off and thrown away. And they kept the root and the top equal based on their strength. This is how they worked with all diligence according to the lord of the vineyard’s commandments, until the bad had been thrown out of the vineyard and the lord had saved the good for himself, so the trees had again produced the original fruit. And they became like one body and the fruit was equally good; and the lord of the vineyard had saved the original fruit for himself, which was most valuable to him from the beginning. Jacob 3:27 [emphasis added] https://scriptures.info/scriptures/cc/jacob/3.27#27

The only way to guarantee you are not among those who will be “hewn down and cast in to the fire” is to bring forth sweet fruit. All of that is entirely individual. There is no group salvation, and never has been. Each person has the same opportunity and responsibility to bring forth good fruit. Chapter 6: I KNOW OF NO REVELATION, paragraph 57 (approx. page 128) 2007-10-31 Eighteen Verses  [emphasis added] 

John asked the family what it means to be good fruit or bring forth good fruit because it is easy to assume we are good fruit without knowing what that means. He found this explanation to help us understand what it means to be good fruit.

A true prophet’s message will produce repentance. The only good fruit which can be offered in this world is repentance. When mankind lays down their sins because of a message, that message comes from Him. All others are distractions and invite you to err. The fruit which gives eternal life is repentance and a return to Christ. When the message comes from a false prophet, you can know the messengers, along with those who listen to it, and the message itself will be “hewn down, and cast into the fire.” It will be purged.https://denversnuffer.com/2010/10/3-nephi-14-15-20/ [emphasis added] 

Those who desire to bring forth good fruit or be fruit worth preserving are continually repenting.

And Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests, one priest for every 50. He ordained them to preach and teach concerning God’s kingdom. And he commanded them to only teach the things he and the holy prophets had taught. To be clear, he commanded them to preach nothing but repentance and faith in the Lord, who had redeemed His people. And he commanded them not to have any heated arguments with each other, but to look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts bound together in unity and love toward each other. This is how he commanded them to preach. And so they became God’s children. [emphasis added] Mosiah 9:9  https://scriptures.info/scriptures/cc/mosiah/9.9#9

Repentance is a process not a destination. I used to be critical of myself when I made errors. I spent too much time regretting my mistakes. One day as I lamented my weakness, I heard a voice asking,  “Did you learn something?” I eagerly responded explaining the lessons I had gained from the experience. I then heard Him encouraging me to get up and move on and give the guilt and shame to Him. I realized God does not want to punish me. He wants me to learn and grow. My focus changed away from my mistakes and toward what the experience was teaching me. I saw value in the tailor-made experiences life was providing me and began to rejoice in the learning process in spite of my clumsiness. 

Our Heavenly Parents know their children are going to stumble and fall many times as they develop. The Doctrine of Christ teaches us to repent and become as a little child. When little children learn to walk, they fall over and over, but they also keep getting up until they learn to walk. Little children are eager to learn and grow. Our Parents are always reaching out to inspire us to keep going and growing until we learn how to navigate every situation . . .  until we become even as They are. 

The Lord's purposes for us are fulfilled as we learn, grow, and develop. It is not helpful for us to wallow in guilt, shame, and regret, yet sometimes we do. Our pain is beneficial when it causes us to cry out to the Lord. Yet, we should not expect the Lord to wave a wand and immediately relieve our distress. We should expect to be corrected and instructed. Every experience in life is specifically designed for our growth and learning. The pain can turn to joy as we learn from our experiences. Jesus knows how to lead us through the ever changing maze we are required to navigate. He is a good guide. . . the best teacher. 

As a young LDS missionary, I had a dream that changed the way I thought about repentance. At the end of the dream I was told, “The purpose of life is to get better as soon as possible and be happy.” Repentance brings understanding, freedom, and light. It is meant to change us and give us peace, joy, and hope.

When the Body Was Divided . . .

 “Before making you all kings and queens with me, I needed to have a people who would live in peace together. Immortality without peace among us would be a great punishment and not a great prize.

“All of us who remain in this kingdom have lost friends, family members and others whom we love. However, all who remain will be able to live in peace, forever.”

The King did as he planned from the beginning. He and his counselors were able to find those who could live in peace, and for whom life would endure in peace forever.

There is not now, and never has been, a kingdom more stable, more happy, more at peace, and more enduring than this King’s. Though he ceased to reign as a king, he continued to be loved above all others. For he was the one who brought to life the happiest people of all.

The Great Competition

Six Things Hated, Seven Abominable!

"A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a froward mouth. He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers. Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

These six things does the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren." (Proverbs 1:25-26 RE)

Adultery, murder, lying, stealing are the big (4) four that appear throughout the scriptures and have been recently revealed specifically for us on August 8, 2022. This most definitely applies to us in our day. (Answer on Forgiveness): 

“How can you be one if you gather together with another who has been the adulterer again after being forgiven? And how can a man love his wife with all his heart and cleave unto her and none else if he commit adultery again after being forgiven?

You did not ask, but remember that I have said also that, You shall not kill, and he that kills shall not have forgiveness, neither in this world nor in the world to come. And again, you shall not kill; he that kills shall die. You shall not steal, and he that steals and will not repent shall be cast out. You shall not lie; he that lies and will not repent shall be cast out. How can you be one with he who murders, with the liar who deceives, and with the thief who steals? I say to you that you cannot be one when you are fractured and your little ones threatened by the disobedience of the adulterer, murderer, liar and thief who will not repent. (Bold emphasis)

Here is part of God’s covenant (September 2017) with His people and specifies the requirements of the people He is talking to:

“All you who have turned from your wicked ways and repented of your evil doings, of lying and deceiving, and of all whoredoms, and of secret abominations, idolatries, murders, priestcrafts, envying, and strife, and from all wickedness and abominations, and have come unto me, and been baptized in my name, and have received a remission of your sins, and received the holy ghost, are now numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. I say to you:” (T&C 158:10 RE)

 

It may be beneficial to be aware of these requirements, characteristics, and attributes so we can recognize them when we see them, both the good and the bad. We need to be attentive and take notice whenever we begin observing the bad, unacceptable traits either in ourselves or others. If they are found in me, I have the ability with Christ to root them out and repent and move on. If it comes to my attention that they are found in others, at least I need to be aware and be wise about it. Being more familiar with these features, we will be better at accurately identifying and properly handling such individuals when they appear and wicked groups of people as they are manifested. 

Both history and common sense suggest at any time God sends a servant with a message of repentance to a people, on any occasion a new dispensation begins, or whenever society finds itself in the process of restoration with revelations given from heaven, the adversary takes notice. Naughty people and wicked men, who walk with a froward mouth, almost always crawl out of the woodworks and make themselves known to cause confusion, contention, and damage. Sadly, the ones most determined and lethal come from within. Be alert, pay attention, and act accordingly!

“And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they which knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection, and it shall be tolerable for them. And Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men. And at that day when I shall come in my glory shall the parable be fulfilled which I spoke concerning the ten virgins, for they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the holy spirit for their guide and have not been deceived, verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day, and the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance. And they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation, for the Lord shall be in their midst and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.” (T&C 31:12 RE)

I have included a list of words that came to my mind and helps me reflect on what may further describe portions of a naughty person or a wicked man that walks around with a froward mouth. They tend to accumulate and manifest some of following characteristics and traits:

Disobedient, bad perspectives, mischievous, poor behavior, unacceptable language, indecent, obscene, risque, suggestive, unfaithful, adulterous, disloyal, contrary, contumacious, disorderly, rude, rebellious, selfish, childish, wild, wicked, unpleasant, headstrong, obstinate, alienated, disaffected, factious, disagreeable, argumentative, froward, haughty, inflexible, insubordinate, irreconcilable, mutinous, obdurate, perverse, pig-headed, rebellious, recalcitrant, unmanageable, untrustworthy, willful, stubborn, unyielding, contentious, belligerent, quarrelsome, turbulent, unruly, upsetting, lying, dishonest, deceptive, deceiving, bears false witness, double-dealing, under-handed, sneaky, two-faced, unreliable, disrespectful, discordant, conflicted, at odds, off-key, contradictory, harsh, out of harmony, angry,  with “jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires”, deals “unkindly as if they were the opponents, accusers, and adversaries”, hard hearted, closed mind, blind eyes, deaf ears, unwilling to change, immature, display temper tantrums, lack of clear boundaries, emotional distress, ache, concern, disappointment, affliction, grief, headache, anguish,

irritation, anxiety, shame, sorrow, discomfort, embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, ordeal, heartache, misery, confusion, awkwardness, unhappiness, perplexity, trouble, sadness, tribulation, suffering, worry, complexity, depression, wretchedness, despair, defiant, obstinate, undisciplined, malicious, evil, injurious, arrogant, self-important, overbearing, know-it-all, self-righteous, aloof, bossy, imperious, pompous, presumptuous, pretentious, smug, vain, prideful, demands attention, seeks acceptance and appreciation, wants a high and envied seat with a bonafide high ranking position, sets one's heart on the chief seats seeking wealth, power, status, recognition, authority, right to preside, oversee, control, exploit, rob, cheat, swindle, defraud, outwit, devious, unethical, stratagems, slander, defame, discredit,

belittle, denigrate, maneuver, in it for themselves, self-absorbed, egotistical, corrupt, dishonorable, unscrupulous, shameful, wayward, spiteful, manipulates, cruel, bitter, mean, hurtful, unkind, ill-natured, unfriendly, revengeful, unforgiving, resentful, vindictive, brutal, traitorous, back-stabbing, double-crossing, intrigue, villainous scheming, wicked conspiracy, harmful motives, malevolent purposes, wretched intents, treacherous, violent, fierce, vicious, lethal, deadly, murderous, bloodthirsty, savage, and homicidal, making war with the saints, rebelling against God, seeking to take the kingdom, denying the truth, and defying My power.

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

Here’s a short story I read the other day about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

- Charles R. Swindoll -

Virtue Yields to Righteousness

“The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a great whole.  It requires an overall harmony between all its parts to be understood.  Without that overall harmony it is jarring and discordant.

The problem with apostasy is that it forfeits truths which are necessary in order to comprehend the majesty of Christ’s teachings.  Those truths which get retained are not kept in balance with the rest.  Simple virtues are kept while overall righteousness is forfeited.

No one can argue with the virtue of tolerance.  But it is constrained and governed inside a larger context that prevents permissiveness and sloth.

No one can argue with the virtue of obedience.  Indeed, obedience is itself one of the bedrock requirements of the Gospel.  But divorced from the other virtues inside of which it is regulated, obedience can become a terrible weapon used to separate people from God’s Holy Spirit and drive them into submission to “Popes and Priests.”  (Any man believed to be incapable of leading you into error is a “Pope.”)

No one can argue against the virtue of patience.  But when it is urged to prevent necessary action to develop a god-like people, then it has become a tool for deception and error and not a virtue at all.

Take any virtue and remove it from its overall context within the great Gospel whole and you see how apostasy can warp a people.  They retain the conviction that they are still God’s chosen disciples, because the virtues they practice are, in fact, godly.  However, they have become distorted, bloated and swollen.  They are without harmony, capable of great evil or neglect, all the while celebrating their fidelity to the “truth” as they understand it.

You MUST understand doctrine.  You MUST study the scriptures.  But more important than anything else, you MUST seek to gain further light and knowledge by conversing with the Lord directly…” (Philosophies of men)

“Virtue is almost always passive, constraining from abrupt and improper behavior. It contains and limits. It is a strong barrier against misconduct. It has protocols and expects behavior to be mild. It is not the same as righteousness. Righteousness will often require or impose action — sometimes action that exceeds mere virtue. Nephi was constrained to kill Laban. Elijah mocked the false priests. Christ rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees as unclean “whited sepulchers” filled with rot and decay. These kinds of righteous actions are not ungoverned or spontaneous. They are carefully controlled and are undertaken only when the priesthood holder, whose thoughts are virtuous and disciplined, is led by the power of the holy ghost to rebuke sharply. Virtue can be offended by righteousness. Righteousness controls, and virtue surrenders. Whenever it is necessary to do so, virtue yields every time to righteousness.” (Glossary Virtue)

"Conformity to the Divine Law. God measures differently than does man. Being “righteous before God” may not mean the same thing one thinks “righteousness” means. Man wants outward signs, symbols, dress, grooming, and conformity. God looks at the intent of the heart. Righteousness comes by obedience. Obedience requires action. Without conforming conduct to the Lord’s commandments, it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Glossary Righteousness) 

“... And yet, we look sometimes at righteousness, and we say it can never be so because it is not virtuous. Because we overlay virtue atop righteousness—and it does not work and never has worked that way. Righteousness controls, and virtue surrenders. And virtue yields every time to righteousness—else Abraham could never have been commanded to slay his son. Because that was not virtuous. Therefore,

 

Melchizedek was a man of righteousness; …when a child he feared God [not man], …stopped the mouths of lions, …quenched the violence of fire. …thus, having been approved of God [not man]… (JST Genesis 14:26-27) 

In fact, to be approved of God, in many cases, will make you offensive to man. But the opinions, and the vagaries, and the fashions of men, the opinion-polling and the drifts of what is and what is not popular at one point or another are damnable. They ought not even be considered. Righteousness does not give any regard to such things. And yet, it may be virtuous… It may be virtuous to be a limp-wristed, weepy, happy-go-lucky, “have a nice day” kind of chap… But righteousness will kick his ass everyday.

…having been approved of God… (Ibid)

It is God—and God’s approval alone—that matters. It is what God regards of you. It is what is in your heart, because God can detect what is in your heart. God knows why you do what you do. God knows why you say what you say. God knows what is in your thoughts. Therefore, to be approved of God is to be weighed against the standard of righteousness and not the whims of fashion. Fashion will come and go. Ideas will be popular or unpopular. Righteousness will endure forever. This. This. This is the kind of man upon whom the words get spoken, “My Son.”” (Virtue yields to righteousness)

“There is a difference between virtue and righteousness. Virtue is laudable, required and necessary, but righteousness has priority. Virtue surrenders to righteousness, not vice-versa. 

The point can be illustrated from scripture:

It is not virtuous to kill. Nephi was repulsed at the idea, but the Lord required it, and Nephi complied. The doctrinal reasons justifying the killing are set out in The Second Comforter, and there were sufficient reasons both under the Law of Moses and the Lord’s standards of judgment to vindicate the Lord’s decision to kill Laban. The killing was offensive to virtue, but it was righteous.

It is not virtuous to mockingly taunt others. Yet Elijah was pursuing a righteous course against the priests of Baal when he did just that: “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.” (1 Kings 18: 27.) Mocking is both unvirtuous and uncouth, and in this context would qualify only as righteous.

It is not virtuous to rail against the religious leaders of any faith. Yet John the Baptist rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees as a generation of vipers: “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3: 7.) This term of derision, “generation of vipers” is graphic and in context it is both offensive and uncouth. Yet he was a righteous man, moreso than any other apart from Christ. (Luke 7: 28.)

It was not virtuous for Christ to rebuke His accusers: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! … for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, … ye fools and blind…” (Matt. 23: 14-17.) The language of the Lord here is quite blunt, uncouth and in the context of that language, gutteral. It was righteous, but not an example of virtuous language.

It was worse still for Christ to call Herod “that fox.” This is a term of derision comparable in our own language to calling someone a “son of a bitch.” (Luke 13: 32.) Yet it was righteous, justified and appropriate.

It was blunt and threatening for Joseph to tell his guards in Liberty Jail: “SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!” (Taken from The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, emphasis in original.) Calling another a “fiend of the infernal pit” is quite abrasive and offensive; it was intended to be so.

Those who prefer virtue to righteousness will handicap their ability to work for the Lord’s ends. He will always require righteousness to be done. When someone prefers virtue and neglects righteousness, or condemns the righteous for their lack of virtue, their inappropriate standard serves only one purpose. It gets applied against the one proposing to use it. They get to be measured by the standard they apply. (Matt. 7: 22.)

I choose to look at Elijah, John the Baptist, Christ and Joseph Smith, as well as any other person moved to rebuke me or anyone else by the power of the Holy Ghost as fully justified and Christlike. I do not resist the challenge of a righteous rebuke. I welcome them. No one should feel they cannot “damn” me. I’ll consider it important and will respond with my defense, or an apology if I think it is warranted.

It is important for you to know that I do not think Christ is a limp-wristed, lisping chap who dotes on us and has nothing but bouquets of flowers to dispense to us. I think He’s about to return in judgment, dressed in red to burn the wicked. He has said that is who He is and I believe Him. I would like to have as many people take that seriously and consider repenting. We are mistaken in our belief that we are chosen. We are mistaken when we think we are too good to be in need of continual repentance. We are nothing before God. We are about to see His judgments. I know these ideas make me irritating.

As Hugh Nibley put it, “there is nothing so irritating as being awakened from a sound sleep.” But my hope is to awaken some few. Therefore, it is worth offending a great number if the result benefit a few. That is the way things work here and I am quite realistic about it all…”  (Virtue and Righteousness) 

Hugh Nibley had this to say about repentance, “Who is righteous? Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting he is a righteous man. There is hope for him. And no matter how good he has been all his life, if he is not repenting, he is a wicked man. The difference is which way you are facing. The man on the top of the stairs facing down is much worse off than the man on the bottom step who is facing up. The direction we are facing, that is repentance; and that is what determines whether we are good or bad.”

“Whoever desires life must travel on the road of righteousness.” 

“Without any of us saying a word, righteousness will come from Jesus Christ.”

“Lies are oxygen to the wicked as truth is to the righteous.”

“Respond only to the righteous criticism from righteous people in a righteous way.”