RULE: (these are the lesser definitions of a rule)
a : a prescribed guide for conduct or action
b : an accepted procedure, custom, or habit
c : a standard of judgment
d : a regulating principle
Yes, there are laws and policies we all need to pay attention to and take heed. But the rules I am talking about speak to a higher standard and include not just looking at the technical rules, but the situations that arise around them.
Maybe I should call these MY rules to live by.
The first "rule" I ever remember hearing was from my Granny. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I always liked that rule. In my naivete, I assumed everyone wants to treat me just how I want to treat them.
She and my aunt also taught me the two great commandments. Love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
So, I'm nowhere near perfect on either of these. But, I do love God and I am trying to love Him with all that I am. I know I am blessed whenever I do. And to do number two, I must start with loving myself, which oddly happens when I love my neighbor by serving him. Who is my neighbor? Well, that's for another post.
Of course I was taught the ten commandments, but for this post, I am staying away from the more legalistic rules. I was taught very early the Beatitudes taught in Matthew 5 and I have loved them as a guide or rules for living.
The blessed parts don't really seem that glamorous, but the beatitudes are not about glamor.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, they that mourn, the meek, those which hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the persecuted. When I seek these things, live in this way, I am blessed by the promises. The kingdom of heaven, being comforted, inheriting the earth, being filled, obtaining mercy, seeing God, being called a child of God, rejoicing and exceeding gladness. Hmm. I think I can do more in these areas. I know I'd love those blessings.
The Bish's favorite is the one on mercy. He believes rules are not for the sake of rules, but in all cases should be balanced by situations and people. I like this quote in the following article:
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6982
The quality of mercy is to temper the strict, severe sentence with generous interpretations and understanding of extenuating circumstances, or, like the infinite mercy of God, simply canceling any and all punishment because the person asks for forgiveness and promises to follow Christ. God's mercy seems to come from his unlimited and unconditional love for us. Our mercy to others should likewise come from our unlimited and unconditional love for others.
Two of my favorite scriptures are about mourning in Revelation and speak of no more tears. What a blessing! For another great story about mercy, read under the heading The Merciful, here:
http://lds.org/ensign/1991/01/the-beatitudes-pathway-to-the-savior?lang=eng
My favorite is the one about peacemakers. When I was 5, my brother and I briefly lived in Flagstaff with my aunt and our younger cousins. On weekends we would drive down to Sedona to visit my grandparents. On the trip, we would sing, play games, she would quote Bible verses, and we would memorize things. She taught us the beatitudes and I remember how my heart connected with this one. I knew I wanted to be a peacemaker. Maybe because my parents divorced, maybe because I was bounced around a little, something in me wanted to be identified as a child of God; a state that could not be changed by my circumstances. Generally, I think I do my best in this area, but again, there is always room for improvement. I am constantly challenged by rooting out the natural woman.
The most important rule in my life is the rule of the atonement. When any person makes a decision to give their heart to Christ: to repent and be baptized and keep His commandments, He ultimately becomes the Ruler of our lives. I am so grateful that no matter what rules I break or sins I commit against others, that the atonement covers them all. And I am also grateful that when others break rules or sin against me, the atonement covers them all. I can forgive and be forgiven.
But it's not just our sins. The atonement covers our griefs and sorrow and more. I love this scripture.
Isaiah 53: 3-5
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
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