Use the Force, Nephi

DISCLAIMER: This may in fact be the nerdiest thing you'll ever read.

I know I've talked about this to some people before, but I was just reading my scriptures, and I came across this part in Nephi 17: 53-54
And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth thine hand  again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this will I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God.
And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand unto my brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken.

The priesthood=the force. Nephi totally just forced shocked his brothers.

Obi-Wan, Yoda, Qui-Gan-Jin, all appear as "force ghosts" to Luke to help him on his merry way, Moroni, Mormon, Elijah, etc. all appear to help people and prophets out...like Joseph Smith, they helped him out right?

There is the light side, and the dark side of the force. The priesthood, given by God, provides worthy young men that hold it, the ability to perform miracles and healing. I've had friends tell me stories about things they've done, like running faster than they ever have before, ((force run)) and they only knew that it was by the power of the Lord that they were able to do it for a righteous cause. (light side) "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack." Yoda
---"The light side of the Force was concerned with the ideals of good, benevolence, and healing. Followers of the light side strove to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the light side of the Force, its practitioners would often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these were thought to bring on acceptance of the dark side." Men must always be worthy of their priesthood. How can they exercise their power if they are angry or have anything in their heart but love, compassion, and righteousness. The Holy Ghost cannot grant the power of the priesthood and all its abilities otherwise.

Satan has a counter for everything...however, I won't go into that for the sake of not offending people...(dark side) "The strength of the dark side lies with the power of the individual. The Force comes from within. You must learn to draw on it yourself." Darth Bane
--Satan doesn't want us to rely on the Lord, he tries to get you to indulge in self pleasures and to be self serving, never thinking of others. Even Anakin says "The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inward, only about themselves." That's what the followers of Satan do.

Force sense/enlightenment/comprehension=revelation

Force heal=priesthood blessing

Force stealth=Nephi was inspired to put on the clothes of Laban to get the plates from Zoram
(1 Nephi 4: 19-26
19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.

20 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the ^aservant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury.

21 And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.

22 And he spake unto me concerning the ^aelders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.

23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.

24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the ^aplates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.

25 And I also bade him that he should follow me.

26 And he, supposing that I spake of the ^abrethren of the ^bchurch, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.)

Obviously they aren't exactly the same, or else everyone would have been suspicious of George Lucas but...force, priesthood...force, priesthood...force, priesthood....is there some kind of similarity there? I think maybe there is...(50 points to whoever gets that reference).




Also, Rachel is the greatest.

If We'd All Just Listen a Little Closer

My friend just posted this video: http://youtu.be/a1uPf5O-on0

I clicked on it, thinking it would be some cute story about an Autistic girl learning to sing or something like that. For those of you who don't know, my youngest brother has Down Syndrome, so special needs kids have such a hold on my heart. I have also worked with them as a substitute teacher and through a program when I was in middle school, and I can honestly say no child or person will love you more, or accept you without hesitation or expectation than those with special needs. I remember teaching in a special needs class, and the moment one of the little boys rolled himself in on his wheelchair, he took one look at me, his eyes lit up, and he asked "do you want to be my friend?" My heart instantly just melted. I also worked on a train in Durango--every winter we would put on the Polar Express, and I would work as a chef, serving hot chocolate, singing songs, and getting everyone excited about Christmas--and one night, I had a group of disabled adults. Among those, I had a Down Syndrome couple sitting at a table for two. I usually go around and ask the passengers about their lives and their Christmas experience thus far, etc. and this night was different only for the fact that I had far less passengers, so I got more time to talk to each of them. So, as I was talking to this couple, I asked how their Christmas season was going. The girl responded that it was going to be the greatest Christmas of her life, because she was finally getting exactly what she wanted. When I asked her what that was, the man sitting with her grabbed her hand and said "I just asked her to be my sweetheart for the rest of my life." My eyes tear up just writing this.

So I watched that video, and I cannot possibly express how it touched me. As much as I love those kids, I will be the first to admit I'm pretty ignorant about their conditions. I know that my brother, having Down Syndrome, meant he had one extra chromosome, and I know common mannerisms and tendencies, but I have never really understood just how that effects him. I had a couple kids in my class all through school that I worked with and talked to and knew as a presence, but never took the time to try to understand. I never knew why one of the Autistic girls could never look at me, or why one of the boys would sometimes cover his ears, I just thought it was a body function that they couldn't control or something. I never would have guessed that it was because they needed to block out sensory overload. The girl in this video is completely aware when she is being asked a question. She knows what's going on around her, and because her parents didn't give up on her, didn't write her off, and loved her so much, she is able to communicate exactly what she is thinking or what she wants. So often I think society disregards these kids because they don't out rightly show that they understand this world around them, but that is evidently so far from the truth. How much would these kids have to tell us if everyone took the time to really, genuinely listen?