Sunday musings...

Sunday 15Nov09  - Joey Rapp gave a talk today about E’ Holland’s conference talk about holding on to the iron rod, and I thought about how one can ‘hold’ on to the rod. Merely reading scriptures seems so...ineffective. It’s like glancing at a paragraph and getting the gist of it, but no application of principle.

                Moroni9.23 – ‘And if they  [the Nephites] perish it will be like unto the Jaredites, because of the willfulness of their hearts, seeking for blood and revenge.’ I wonder how many people anger has killed? I remember Pres. Monson’s priesthood session talk about anger, and that it has a harmful effect upon spirituality. It’s too easy to do things that one will regret when they are angry.

I recognize that I have an anger problem, usually because I feel like I am not listened to, my opinion isn’t valued (or sought) or I am ignored. I dislike all of those things a lot (no, really, I hate those things- I think it is because I try to find out what others think and feel, and I want them to do the same), but that doesn’t mean I have to resort to the ‘last-Nephite’ tendency of trembling because of my anger and hardening my heart. Usually what I decide is best, when I remember to do it, is to go away, off somewhere alone and say a prayer (‘When your heart was filled with anger/did you think to pray...?) and then play computer for a bit. Then I can articulate myself better and I am not in the midst of the firestorm of my rage. And that is probably the best thing I can do for everyone involved.

                I know I have a long way to go, but I try to do better. It’s troublesome to be so easily beset by such a powerful emotion as anger.