Sinners Like Us

    One of my favorite stories from the New Testament is found in the book of John. Chapter eight opens as Jesus is teaching some people in the temple and a woman is brought before him by the scribes and the pharisees who has been taken in adultery. They tell him they have taken her "in adultery, in the very act", and begin to ask him what they should do. Under the law in those times, the consequence was stoning. The scribes and pharisees only aimed to tempt Jesus so that they could accuse him.
    As if he hadn't even heard them, Jesus stoops down and begins to write on the ground with his finger. He then arises and tells the accusers: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" -St. John 8:7

   One by one the accusers left, realizing the convictions of their own consciences, and left Jesus and the woman alone.
  "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?" asks Jesus.
  "No man Lord"
   Then Jesus says "Neither do I condemn thee: Go and sin no more."
    There's a lot to lean from this story. Forgiveness, repentance, and mercy are huge things that we see. But there is something that sometimes we forget to take from this lesson, even when it is placed right before our eyes. 
    Im sure the pharisees and scribes felt a little crappy when Jesus told them what they should do. When it was put to em' bluntly like that, im sure they realized they weren't perfect. Of course though, who wouldn't? None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, we all fall short, we all mess up,we all regret.
    So why is it sometimes it is so easy to find fault in others when we ourselves are all sinners?
    There's a saying in the church that goes something like this: The church is true, but the people aren't. As much as the truth hurts, this often is the case. Meeting with people from different walks of life, I often hear people say that they are reluctant to come to church because they feel pushed out, or not good enough. "The mormon church is just a place for perfect people to go, ill start on fire if I step foot in there!" 
    Now we all know this isn't true. It can't be, they let me in. And there are many who could say the same as well, but to hear this from someone seeking to rebuild their life is both heart wrenching, and embarrassing. We are taught to love the sinner and hate the sin, not too look down upon the sinner and magnify their sins. This is not right. For those of us who know what its like to come back know how hard it is and how much harder it makes it when the people behind the finish line are the ones who have been cheering against you the whole race.
    Lets remember who were striving to be like, our elder brother Jesus Christ. He taught to love everyone, no matter where we've came from or what mistakes we've made. Were all God's children, and he loves us all. Not just the "perfect" ones but also the sinners, the saints, you, and yes, even me.
    No mortal man who ever walked this earth has ever been perfect, with the exception of Jesus himself. Of course there are those who do truly believe they have reached that level. But if you happen to come across someone of the sort, just smile and wave. They're only confused. Were all here on the same level, shooting for the same goal. And as long as we follow our Savior, were going to make it no mater what anyone else thinks.
 

Once Broken, Twice As Strong

      Can something broken or shattered be put back together and become twice as strong as it was before? Think about this question for a second. . . . . Is it possible? In an ideal world, everything can usually be put back together after it is broken. A vase for example, can fall and shatter into small pieces. If you're ambitious enough, you could get your bottle of super glue out and tack that baby back together! If a leg on a wood table snaps in half, its more than possible to glue back on, good as new. But will either of these things be just as or even twice as strong as they were before? You would certainly hope so, but in reality they wouldn't. It depends alot on the overall strength of the material, but usually fixes like these don't hold up. And almost every time they break at the same exact spot where they were fixed.
      During my high school years I spent most of my time in the industrial arts classes. Auto mechanics and welding were probably my two favorite classes period. But welding was the one I spent the most time in. For those who don't know exactly what welding is, it is the fusion of metal.  Or put simply, the way to get metal to bind together.

    
      The picture to the right gives a basic description of a weld. Using original metal, the gas/metal filler combine and fuse the two pieces together. Its simple enough, but how is this different from gluing a vase back together or a leg on a wooden table?
      The main difference is that a weld, if done right, not only has penetration through the material but also fuses together the original material with the new one being added, making it twice as strong as before. If you put it in a clamp, bend it, heat it, grind it, or whatever you can think of to break it, it won't matter. The rest of the metal with give before the weld does. Its always the last to break.
    In The Book Of Mormon we read that if we realize our weaknesses and let The Lord take care of them, then he will make us stronger:
         27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
    Does anyone ever feel broken or weak? Like there are some things that are impossible to overcome? The truth is, everyone does. We all have weaknesses so that we will be compelled to be humble. The Lord knows us better than we do and he knows how to help us. Giving our weaknesses to The Lord takes more effort and time than some of the other "quick fixes" that we come across in life when were faced with challenges. However, if we humble ourselves before our Lord and let him help us, weak things will become strong unto us. We will not only overcome, but will become stronger in the face of adversity. And the things fixed with the help of The Lord will hold when we ourselves cannot. I know this is true. He can make us twice as strong.