IAT for Amazing Questions

IAT = I am thankful

 For a long time, or at least since it came out, I have wanted to get the book Change Your Questions, Change Your Answers, by Wendy Watson Nelson. At the Genius Bootcamp I went to this weekend base on the book by Leslie Householder, Portal to Genius, the book was brought up. And it was on sale at Seagull. Hooray. So, I went and bought it and started reading it. Based on one of the early things I read in it, I've been reading Alma 5. I think that chapter is one of the most powerful in the Book of Mormon. Even if you do not look at this book as scriptural, the questions are amazingly powerful and this is only part of them. The parts I like the most. What would the world be like if we all asked ourselves these questions?

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a ^achange of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the ^bsong of redeeming love, I would ask, ^ccan ye feel so now?

 27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves ^ablameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently ^bhumble? That your garments have been ^ccleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to ^dredeem his people from their sins?

Could I say that? That's a good question. I've accepted Christ as my Savior. I am sure I could be more humble at times.

 28 Behold, are ye stripped of ^apride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

If you want to read more about the universal sin of pride, here's the BEST TALK EVER. I'll be the first to admit, that I do have knee jerk reactions and think I know better sometimes, but I always come back to if I am upset, there is something wrong in me. And I work on that. And then once I have worked on that, I come back to the problem and see if it can be approached from a happier point of view. It is REALLY HARD WORK. Changing your thoughts is one of the very hardest things you can do. But it helps you not to judge and not to be so prideful.

 29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of ^aenvy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare ^bquickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

 30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a ^amock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?

 31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the ^atime is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!

 32 Yea, even wo unto all ye ^aworkers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!

 33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto ^aall men, for the ^barms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

Isn't it wonderful that when we fall short, repentance can help us return to our relationship with God?

 34 Yea, he saith: ^aCome unto me and ye shall partake of the ^bfruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the ^cbread and the waters of life ^dfreely;

 35 Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—

 36 For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever ^abringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.

 37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are ^apuffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone ^bastray, as ^csheep having no ^dshepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath ^ecalled after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not ^fhearken unto his voice!

Oh, how I want to be a meek little lamb and here his voice!

 38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good ^ashepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not ^bhearken unto the voice of the ^cgood shepherd, to the ^dname by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

 39 And now if ye are not the ^asheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the ^bdevil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a ^cliar and a ^dchild of the devil.

Who's name do I act in? Who am I known as? I know who I want to be known as.

 40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is ^agood cometh from God, and whatsoever is ^bevil cometh from the devil.

 41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth ^agood works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a ^bchild of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.

 42 And whosoever doeth this must receive his ^awages of him; therefore, for his ^bwages he receiveth ^cdeath, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.

Edit. 

 54 Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been ^asanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—

One of the things I really have tried to work on is realizing everyone has a point of view, trying to understand where people are coming from and not letting differences get in the way of relationships.  Sometimes you just can't. There are some people who don't want to know where you are coming from, understand you or see things your way, and in the end, that is ok. You have to make the best of it and move on. But I know for sure, I am not better than anyone else. God loves us all the same, good and bad, weak and strong, rich and poor. And I am grateful for that.

 55 Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the ^apoor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?

 56 And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent.

 57 And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the ^agood shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye ^bseparate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be ^cblotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;

 58 For the names of the righteous shall be written in the ^abook of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled.

I am hoping I will be in the book of life. I think I better keep asking myself these questions. It's kind of like a great interview by God. See end.

 59 For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? And behold, if a wolf enter his ^aflock doth he not drive him out? Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

 60 And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

Interview by God:

Soooo, Are you still singing the song of redeeming love?
Are you blameless before me?
If I brought you home to me today, would you be humble enough?
Are you cleansed of sin through my Son?
Are you proud? Did you look down on some? Did you look up with jealousy at others?

Yeah, I think I'll stop or start with those and then see how much farther I can get. Good stuff. And after I've processed this a little more, I'll read some more. It's not a sit down and read book. It's a sit down and ponder book. Awesome!

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