I'm Trying to be Like Jesus

I found myself thinking about the Primary song "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" a few weeks ago.  In the past, when I've thought what it mean to be like Jesus, I thought in terms of serving others, keeping the commandments, that sort of stuff.  But then I realized some new ways of being like Him that put the idea in a completely different perspective.

How about being like Him when your friends betray you?

How about being like Him when you're falsely accused of something?

How about being like Him when you're punished for someone else's mistake?

I decided to read through one of the gospels (Matthew - just because it was the first one) to make a list of what Jesus did and what people did to Jesus.

Things Jesus Did:

• Was baptized by water and the Holy Ghost
• Fasted
• Preached repentance
• Taught others
• Healed others, even an enemy
• Cast out devils and unclean spirits
• Rebuked the winds and sea
• Forgave sins
• Discerned others’ thoughts
• Raised the dead
• Had compassion for others
• Endured
• Lost His life in service to others
• Refused to defend Himself
• Fed others physically and spiritually
• Prayed in solitude
• Comforted others
• Encouraged others
• Corrected false doctrine
• Quoted scripture
• Offended others
• Performed miracles
• Forgave others
• Showed generosity to others
• Praised Father
• Spoke against the wicked
• Prophesied
• Expressed grief
• Set His mind on things of God
• Suffered injustice
• Paid for others' sins

Things Others Did to Jesus:

• Begged Him for help
• Touched Him
• Defended him
• Worshiped Him
• Testified of Him
• Praised Him
• Anointed Him
• Expressed gratitude to Him
• Falsely accused Him
• Tried to use the law to entrap Him
• Called Him the devil
• Questioned His divinity/identity
• Took offense because of Him
• Did not believe in Him
• Betrayed Him
• Abandoned Him
• Denied knowing Him
• Illegally put Him on trial
• Spit on Him
• Punched Him
• Hit Him
• Whipped Him
• Rejected Him
• Laughed at Him
• Jeered at Him
• Hated Him
• Persecuted Him
• Stripped Him
• Ridiculed Him
• Jeered at Him
• Scorned Him
• Taunted Him
• Mocked Him
• Tempted Him
• Insulted Him
• Killed Him

After studying Isaiah, I know that persecution is coming.  We will be tested to see whether we will stand up for our beliefs, for our God, on a level we've probably never imagined.  Being like Jesus will involve persecution, suffering and perhaps even dying as He did.  I'm trying to prepare for this by meekly accepting the small trials and injustices I have in life, knowing that I'm being like Him when I do so.  Suffering injustice is one thing that we will most definitely have to experience in the upcoming tribulations - just as He did when He atoned for our sins.  There is no greater injustice than the pure, holy Son of God suffering the consequences of the sins of the populations of worlds.

The end is near.... for reals

Have you ever commented that "The end is near," considering it a joke because you didn't think it was actually true?  Well, one of the hardest things I learned after my spiritual awakening was that the end really IS near.  I thought I had (God willing) many more decades to work toward making my calling and election sure.  Then I found out I don't.

I don't have any "proof" that the end-time tribulations are coming.  I have yet to see a vision or have a prophetic dream.  About the only "proof" I have is that some of the situations described in Isaiah match the state of the world today.  But there are plenty of others¹ who have gotten a glimpse of what's coming.  And what they're saying isn't good news:

• massive earthquake in Utah that causes major flooding and damage
• famines that last many years
• foreign occupation coming from both the east and the west coasts
• plague
• nukes
• financial collapse 
• living in tent cities

When I learned that multiple sources were saying the same thing - some of which I very much trust - I took the news pretty hard.  I felt like I had wasted the days of my probation.  I was despondent for a week.

The good news is, while we don't have another 40 years left, according to the scriptures we have at least 7.  And once those trials and tribulations start, they will work to sort everyone into two categories - the wheat (10% of the world's population according to Isaiah) and the tares (the other 90%).  The wheat will become refined by the trials to the point where they have their calling and election made sure.  The tares... well, we all know the scriptures about them.

Even so, now is not the time to continue in complacence.  What's coming is awful.  Probably the worst time in the history of the world.  You will only make it by having total trust in the Lord, and by receiving personal revelation - even words straight from the Lord Himself.

Are you ready?  I'm certainly not.   Start your spiritual preparations while you still can!  You may not be celestial material by the time all hell breaks loose, but you want to be spiritually far enough along that you can be refined as the wheat, and not burned as the tares.

¹ I get no kickback from that Amazon link.