"Your mission...

should you choose to accept it." I've never seen any of the Mission Impossible films, but even I have heard this quote. Predestination is a widely discussed and disputed topic. Personally, I prefer the term fore-ordination. In C. S. Lewis' Perelandra he explores the topic of God given missions--whether or not we are predestined to do things and whether God's plan hangs in the balance if we do not perform our assigned duties. C. S. Lewis illustrates (and I agree) that there are things that God has asked us to do and that are part of our "mission" per say, but God's plan and His purposes will be fulfilled even if we choose not to do our part. One of the most important parts of God's eternal plan is that each of us has been granted agency. Not one of us is forced to choose good or evil, to act or not to act. If we use our agency to not fulfill the mission God has for us, His plan will not be thwarted. He will provide another way. But perhaps we were the best candidate for the job. Or, even more importantly, perhaps the experience would have helped us become stronger, more patient, more kind, more diligent, more humble--more like our Father in Heaven. The whole purpose of this life is for us to prove ourselves, to show our Father that we will be obedient even when it's inconvenient and that our ultimate desire is to do His will. When we reach that point we give our will over to Him, and in return He hands us back our true selves. That is the greatest reward for accepting our mission here on earth and fulfilling it to the best of our ability.

Pere-huh?

Flying coffins, a Green Lady, a possessed frog killing man? Sound like the plot of a religious book? Perhaps not, but for C. S. Lewis it is. C.S. Lewis wrote three science fiction novels but tucked obscurely underneath the apparent storyline is in intricate analogy of the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement of Christ, and the redemption of man. Before reading the book I had been told by others that the Fall was a theme of the book so as I read the first few chapters I tried (largely unsuccessfully) to make connections between characters in the book and individuals involved in the Fall. But as I continued to read I realized that many of the characters were not actually symbolic of real people, but only types of them. One of the things that stood out to me the most from the book was how the Green Lady (symbolic of Eve before the Fall) was able to receive almost direct, uninhibited communication from Maleldil (Christ). I realized that in the Garden of Eden, before the veil was drawn, Adam and Eve were in the presence of God and could communicate with Him directly. What an incredible experience that would be and must have been! But, something amazing I have been discovering over the last few years of my life, is that as we are obedient and pure, we can qualify to hear the voice of the Lord clearly in our own life, even if we are not directly in His presence. The things that have helped me to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly have been 1) a strong, consistent desire to hear His voice 2) asking the Lord specifically for His guidance 3) asking for the ability to discern His voice and 4) for the courage and power to follow the direction I receive. As I have diligently sought His voice, I have felt greater peace and confidence and an increased desire to do His will. What a blessing it will be for us if we learn to recognize His voice here, so we will know His voice when we meet Him again.

Angels Among Us

Pause to think of the people that have influenced your life the most, for good or ill. Can you imagine who you would be without their influence? C. S. Lewis' autobiography "Surprised by Joy" demonstrates how much each of us are shaped by our interactions with others. As a child C. S. Lewis' faith in God was a result of his mother's influence, his fascination with mysticism was sparked by a childhood teacher, and his incredible ability to analytically examine a subject was molded by Mr. Kirk's mentorship.Personally, I have been molded by the influence of my parents, friends, teachers, religious leaders, and most of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the influence of these people I would not know that happiness comes from obeying the commandments of God, being "honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and virtuous" (Articles of Faith 13), and from losing our lives in the service of others. As a child we have little say over who composes the sphere of those who influence us, but as adults we can largely choose those we associate with, and thereby those who will impact our lives. It may seem difficult at times to discern between good and poor influences, but thankfully we have the light of Christ or the gift of the Holy Ghost to help us chose our associations wisely. I think back to C. S. Lewis' life and in his adulthood, whether he realized it or not, it appears that the Spirit of the Lord was working in him to lead him to truth. Not only to truth itself, but to those who would help him discover more truth. God wants us to return to be with Him, and those around us can help or hinder us from achieving that goal. May we chose to associate with angels so we can live according to "the nature of happiness" (Alma 40: 11).

A Taste of Heaven

Have you ever wondered what heaven is like? We hear talk of angels, harps, and people endlessly singing praises to God, but what does it feel like to be in the presence of our Father?

When we come home to the smell of freshly baked bread, when we experience the giddy feeling of a newly discovered love, when we lie on the grass and feel the gentle warmth of the sun sink into our skin we describe it as heavenly. Why? The word heavenly may also be applied to being surrounded by close friends and family, to receiving comfort in a time of need, and to receiving answers to our prayers. Why? I believe these things give us a taste of heaven; that they remind us of our pre-mortal home or break down for a moment the wall between our world and the realm of God. C. S. Lewis' captured this sensation in his autobiography "Surprised by Joy". He terms these moments as Joy--experiences that give us a sense of something beyond this world. These experiences create a longing within us that hurts but is simultaneously fulfilling and beautiful. Joy is an interesting thing because although we can put ourselves in situations that remind us of moments of Joy, we cannot command Joy to be present (Lewis 1955, 17-18). Moments of Joy are gifts from God that remind us that this world is not our permanent home, that we shouldn't get too comfortable here, and that motivate us to strive to be fit for the world to come. These tastes of heaven are a special reminder that God is aware of each of us and that life, in spite of its hardships, can be a beautiful, enlightening, and Joyful experience.