Consecration

This post actually has nothing to do with comparing the Spanish scriptures to the English. Recently I decided to focus my scripture study a little better. Up till now I have been sort of wandering around the scriptures to see what I found interesting when comparing English to Spanish.

But instead, I have set my study up thusly: Monday I study my lesson and prepare it. Tuesday I study the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School lesson. Wednesday I study the Relief Society lesson for the upcoming week if I know what it is. Thursday I study/read from Church magazines, comparing the Liahona to the Ensign, and Friday I pick a topic and study that. I've been doing it this way for one whole week, and although I know I should spend close to an hour every day on the topic portion of study and augment with the others, this works for my lazy self for now.

So today I decided to try to research a little some of the laws that we covenant to keep in the temple. I looked some words up in the Bible Dictionary, the Topical Guide and the Index. What I settled on for my focus was the word consecration. I love that word. I found it odd that there isn't a definition for it in the Bible dictionary, but in a regular dictionary it says, "Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred".

I don't want to put in detail what that means in conjunction with the temple, but it does help with understanding. I would and do love to have any and/or all of my life "associated with the sacred".

The scripture that hit me the most forcefully today was in 2 Nephi 2:2. Lehi is talking to his son, Jacob about the many afflictions he has had to suffer in his short life so far and says, Nevertheless, Jacob,.... thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."

Because of our weaknesses, we sometimes have a hard time consecrating all of ourselves or our lives to the sacred, but Heavenly Father is ready always to consecrate even our very afflictions for our gain. He is most certainly a loving and kind Heavenly Father. He knows we will have many afflictions throughout our lives, but He never means for us to suffer. If we but turn to Him, he will make everything right. He will ease our burdens, cheer our hearts, and sanctify us through them. He will literally 'dedicate' our afflictions 'to a special or sacred purpose'

There is no part of our short sojourn on earth that has no eternal purpose, except the stupid things we chose to waste our time on. Everything we do and what we go through has been given us by our loving Father in Heaven who will make everything we have to go through work out to our great blessing. I love the hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way. The words say, "Ye fearful Saints fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head."