Are You Trustworthy?

      I shared a scripture this morning on my facebook page that opened a whole new way of thinking about it for me. May I share the scripture again and then share what penetrated my heart and mind as I pondered it a bit more. It is taken from Doctrine and Covenants 3:5-8: "Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your comandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them. And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set as naught the counsels of God, and despise his words - Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble." This was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith when instead of listening and obeying the Lord, he followed the desires of Martin Harris and lost the manuscript that he had translated. He was disciplined by the Lord, as all good parents discipline their children for disobeying. Of course, the Lord is on a higher parent level than we are in this earth and I want to point out something somewhat along those lines, but different. The Lord had entrusted Joseph Smith with the gold plates and the work of translation and had also given him the rules to follow in doing so. And, sadly, Joseph as a human, prophet or not, messed up because  of human weakness and frailty, but he also learned from it and continued to work to become the man, leader, and prophet the Lord wanted HIm to be!  I want to discuss this on a level with us personally in a somewhat different aspect, but in the same light.

     What has God entrusted each of us with? Stop and think about it for a minute! What do we have that God has entrusted to us to take care of? Has He not given us rules and regulations to follow which we call His commandments, just as He did to Joseph Smith when He entrusted him with the Gold Plates and the responsibility of translating them, so we could receive God's word in the Book of Mormon.

     Okay, any ideas of what the Lord has entrusted each of us with? First off He blessed each of us with a physical body to house our spirits in. Did He not also give us guidelines and helps in order to keep this physical body, the temple of our spirits, healthy and strong in order to learn and grow and progress? We all may be a bit different physically, but we can all do our best to live up to the trust He put in us as He gave us these bodies.

     Another one? Did the Lord entrust you with the lives of others? A spouse? Children? Did He not also give us guidelines and rules to help us bless and care for our spouses and children so they can become truer, stronger sons and daughters of God here? Being entrusted with our own lives is one thing, but on a so much higher level, when we are entrusted with the lives of others.

      Are we living up to the faith and trust He has in us to improve our own lives and the lives of others who are our responsibility? It says right in the promise to Joseph Smith above that we should not fear man, but should be faithful to what God asks us to do and then He WILL support us against all the fiery darts of the adversary. Imagine how awesome that feels to know that in caring for your own physical and spiritual being the Lord will be with you! Imagine the joy and satisfaction of strengthening your relationship with your spouse, according to the Lord's rules, knowing that He will be there, by your side, to see that your relationship develops into an eternal one as is His with Heavenly Mother. And anyone who is a true and loving parent cannot look at each of their children without an overwhelming love in their heart and soul to see that child grow to be a happy, responsible, strong adult who will someday, also be yours for eternity. 

     There are many more things, including the care of the world around us,  that the Lord has entrusted us with, but our very lives and the lives of those we love, especially our family, truly opened my heart and soul to the Lord in seeking to do better and be better in fulfilling His trust. And He did not leave us to wander around and do it with only our own experience and wisdom. The scriptures, words of our modern day prophets, and personal revelation for our personal needs are all at our disposal to help make  and light the path to our eternal home and our continuing eternal progression. Let's live true to  the trust that our powerful and loving Heavenly Parents have entrusted us with!!!