Held Captive

We will be captive when we do not do what we know is right (Lamentations 1:3). In Lamentations, Jeremiah is talking about Judah literally being in captivity because they were wicked. 

Today, we can be held captive in other ways. For example, addiction is a form of captivity. I had to watch as my ex-husband fell more into captivity mentally as he sought for the next drink or cigarette. It was sad to see him hit rock bottom a few years after we divorced knowing who he had been prior to falling into his alcohol addiction. He still has not gone back to church, but he has gotten help. It has been good to see him make positive changes in his life.

We have been given the Word of Wisdom to help keep us away from this type of captivity. In Doctrine and Covenants 89,  we are told what we should and should not put into our bodies. It says we should stay away from tobacco, "hot drinks" (to be interpreted as tea and coffee), and alcohol. As we follow this directive, we are kept from the woes of addiction. 

If we fall into these traps, we can find a way out. The Church provides an addiction recovery program. This shows us that even when we fall into these traps, our Heavenly Father wants to help us get out of them. 

He Will Bring Peace

I am so glad the elections are done. If you had asked me the night of the election if I was happy with the results, I would have said resolutely, "No!" I am not one of those people who cares about the party the person represents. I care about what they stand for and what they plan to accomplish. My husband and I sat and watched as election results trickled in. The announcement for our new governor came less than an hour after the polls had closed. Jared Polis. I did not vote for him. His values did not match mine in the slightest. The only thing I can think of that I did like about him is that he is pro-family. I was worried that his plans would derail some of the things that I like about living in Colorado.
I had a hard time sleeping so I said a little prayer to be able to fall asleep and be comforted. It worked! Not only was I able to fall asleep, I was able to feel comfort from that point on. In fact, I woke up with the line of a Hymn 85 in my head: "Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid..."
Later that day I was reading in Isaiah thinking I was just doing it to feel an assignment. Instead, it turned out that my Heavenly Father was still answering my prayer. He was telling me that if I kept His commandments, he would bring me peace.

O that thou hadst harkened to my commandments!

then had thy peace been as a river,

and they righteousness as waves of the sea;

~Isaiah 48:18

As I continued to read, I found more verses that told me the same thing: I will get help if I do my part to follow the teachings of the Lord. This is such a great promise! 

I am so glad that the Lord loves me and understands me enough to send me a message trough song and just to dive the message home, he told me through scripture. I know that as I do my part, the Lord will keep his promise. I will have peace no matter what happens around me. 

My Experiment

For my Old Testament class, I have a semester long project where I am to work on a Christlike attribute. I chose obedience. More specifically, I am working on following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. So far, I have started doing blogs with my friend again, gone to the temple with another friend, and prayed for a family member that seems lost. When I started this project, I thought it would be something that would help me, but it is looking like I am being used to help others, and I love it. I can't wait to find out who I get to help next.