My Mormon Third Eye: I See… The Danger of Dissin’ the Lord’s Servants

Sunday, March 16, 2008

I See… The Danger of Dissin’ the Lord’s Servants

The Old Testament is a pretty rough neighborhood. I’m learning that going through seminary lessons with Leslie. You have the plagues of Egypt, scores of Israelites dying from venomous serpent bites when they refused to look upon Moses’ raised staff and live, more Israelites dying because the tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant, etc. The constant moral of this book of scripture is that there are consequences, some of them immediate and terrible, for not obeying the Lord’s counsel. Thank heavens that doesn’t happen in modern times, right?

Wrong.

My son Brian, laboring as a missionary in the white fields of North Carolina among the Hispanic people, shared with us an experience they had on their bikes in a “nice” neighborhood. They spotted a Hispanic gentleman and stopped to chat with him for moment, as missionaries are prone to do. Apparently the man was deeply offended because he wasn’t Hispanic, but ethnically Middle Eastern. he rejected Brian and his companion “hardcore” and treated them harshly, like it was “the worst day of his life.”

The next week they were cycling by this mean man’s house again on the way to somewhere else, as missionaries are prone to do, and noticed that the side and the roof of it were burnt. They were able to look inside and determine that it had been vacated.

So, what happens when you diss the Lord’s servants? Does the Lord still play by Old Testament rules? Hmmm… I wonder… I’m adding two and two here, and getting four… I think the next time the missionaries ask me to drive them around town, and I have to turn them down, I think I’ll do it as nicely as I can, just in case…

1 comment:

Carter FamilyMarch 17, 2008 at 12:54 AM
During my mission we had a young seemingly healthy young guy start making fun of us and hazing us as we walked through "his" neighborhood. Next day we walked through the same area and everyone was mourning the same guy that had made fun of us. That night He had suffered a massive heart attack and died. I think there is some truth in what you preach my friend.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

I See… The Danger of Dissin’ the Lord’s Servants

1 comment:

The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

Search This Blog

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

What the Mormon Third Eye Sees on the Internet

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Blog Archive