Many of you may have noted I’ve spent more time writing articles for Spokane Faith and Values and in creating more spiritually inclined blog posts. I haven’t given up on writing my novels, that work is still rolling forward (sometimes slower than others). I remain committed to writing entertaining books that the whole family can read without worrying about the content. That has always been the goal. In the mean time I have felt very strongly to use what little platform I have to bring some uplifting and brightness to a world that seems intent on wallowing in darkness. The only way I know how to do that is through my faith. Heavenly Father has blessed me with the ability to communicate with others, and I would be squandering that gift if I didn’t share the light that I have in my life with others. I know that may not be appealing to some, but my hope is that the principles and topics that I write about can be universally applied to help us move forward and become better.

To that end, after reading in the Book of Mormon, I came across a verse in Helaman. Now, if you are unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon. The Helaman in this particular section was a Chief Judge of the people of Nephi (a ruler and religious leader of the people). But one particular verse stuck out to me, because I am always seeking ways to firm up my own foundation as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

This comes from Helaman 3:35

“Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.”

Helaman marks out the way for us to draw closer to God, increase the firmness of our faith and sanctify our souls in the following:

1. Fast often – What is often? Well that is up to the individual. And what does fasting have to do with connecting with God? Do you mean I have to go without food? Ughh, I hear you say. Trust me, I love food as much as the next guy, just ask my waistline. Here’s the thing, depriving ourselves of food without spiritual preparation and prayer is just starving ourselves. But sacrificing something with a prayerful intent to draw closer to our Heavenly Father, will help us use the enabling power of Christ to help us overcome our mortal pains and weakness and thus strengthen the bond between us and Christ.

2. Pray often – What is often? Does it have to be a formal prayer? While I think that formal prayer
(prayer that is spoken out loud both in private and in public) is essential, it also essential that we carry a prayer in our hearts. Pray over everything. In all things give God thanks. That is a prayer. By praying often we are solidifying our connection with our Heavenly Father, through his messenger, the Holy Ghost, thus allowing us to continually receive personal revelation and direction for our lives.

3. Fill our souls with joy – Sometimes this is hard, or may even seem downright impossible. Life sometimes seems like it’s only goal is to beat us down. We can feel like we are a participant in Super Punch Out, and King Hippo is about to deliver a KO. We need to do our best to eliminate those things in our life that do not uplift and brighten us, things that seem intent on dragging us down. Take a moment each day and think, what sunshine did I feel in my soul today? What were the joys? Then increase it to twice a day? Then every hour? Even in the darkest hour, if we look hard enough, there will be light, even if it is just a pinprick. And give thanks unto God for those joyous moments. And then what do you know, you are fulfilling #2 on the list.

4. Fill our souls with consolation – In this instance, I think Helaman is referring to the comfort that can only come when we allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to fill our hearts and begin to work its transformative power within our lives. In the pits of our despair, when we feel like a failure or not good enough, when we think we are beyond love, we can have comfort if we call upon the Savior to lend us his strength.

5. Yield our hearts to God/Wax strong in humility – Too often our pride can get in the way of us fulling saying, “Not my will, but thy will be done.” It is human nature to think that we know the best approach to handling our life, but that isn’t always the truth. The sooner we humble ourselves, yield our hearts to God, and fill it with the pure love of Christ, the sooner we can become sanctified through the administrations of the Holy Ghost.

I know that life can seem daunting and even applying the principles of Helaman can be hard. Heavenly Father doesn’t expect us to be perfect now. After all, it is his plan that we come to earth to be tried and tested, to experience the pains and joys of mortality, so that eventually we can become perfected. Notice I said, eventually. Perfection is a process. It is a mountain we must climb one step at a time. It will seem daunting as we move forward, but the good news is that we don’t have to climb it alone. Christ can and will stand beside us, encouraging our often sluggish and painful steps, helping us ascend to our highest potential. I hope that you can take something, even it is small, from Helaman’s counsel to draw closer in your personal relationship with Heavenly Father.