Rain- Of Reality, and the Mind

When it rains, it is both a blessing and a curse. One man prays for plentiful rains to make his crops grow and give him  a good food income this year. But another man prays for it to be dry so that it doesn't flood and destroy his house. We all know that the Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest place in the world, some places there having not received rain in over 50 years. To the people living near there, rain is a rare and wonderful gift. Yet on the same continent is the wettest and most tropical forests on the planet. The rainforests around the Amazon get close to +100 inches of rain per year. To them, the rain is a constant and common thing. It's always there, and when it's dry, it's hot and humid, so it's not even dry. When it rains in our minds, it can mean one of two things. One can be that we are "brainstorming" and are thus exercising the analytical lobes and areas of the brain, thus becoming faster and smarter. Another could also mean that there is a "cloud" over our minds and means that we are feeling sluggish and slow or are not thinking very quickly, and may even be quite tired or exhausted. But even then, those things are either directly applicable to our lives, reality rain, or are merely metaphors to describe our state of mind and personality, mind rain. But what about spiritual rain? The Lord constantly refers to a "seed of faith" that must be nourished and taken care of to sprout a strong testimony of the gospel. So this rain could be the "living water" or "water that gives life" to the seed in our hearts, thus strengthening our souls, minds, and hearts in the gospel. But, just as one man's blessing is another's curse, could this spiritual rain be a great storm of sadness that clouds and shrouds our hearts and minds in darkness and sorrow? It would explain the times when you see an extremely sorrowful and mournful person. They are merely drowning in the rains and floods that are happening within their hearts and souls. The thunderings and tempests and winds can ravage and destroy a person's will and strength. But then again, maybe this is just God cleaning up the stuff inside that you don't need so that you have a clear patch of earth to plant your testimony and faith. Then, there is another kind of rain. The rain of oppression and wickedness. When one steps into one aspect of sin, they are sprinkled with countless drops of other sins. Or when one is oppressed by the wicked angels of Satan, it isn't one angel. It's a massive host of those wicked ones trying to pull you down. It seems as though when one thing goes wrong in your life, everything goes wrong. So when it rains, it pours. And it never seems to stop. It only seems to slowly stave off until it is only a sprinkle. But there is another type of rain still. The rain of the mind, heart, and soul that is accompanied by the quakings and thunderings of complete and utter sorrow. When a woman weeps, it could be for a great many things. A woman in today's society is expected to be tender, loving, and kind, thus making it easy for them to be hurt and cry. So when someone sees a girl or woman cry, it's not much of a big deal. We comfort her, she stops crying, end of story. But when a man cries, it is a much more painful matter indeed. Men have acquired a pride in being tough, stern, and unshakeable. But, there are times when a man cannot control his emotions, and breaks, thus weeping horribly. A crying man is much more noticeable and is made into a big deal by many. But why is it that extreme pain or sorrow cause our tear glands to overload and begin pouring forth the salty tears? Could this be the only manifestation of the rains within that God has given us? Of course, this could just be a natural reaction. But, it could also be a metaphorical depiction of the rains within our souls and hearts that cannot be contained. Rain. Blessing, and curse. Healer, and destroyer. It seems that this is a good depiction of the Savior. A blessing to the saints, a curse to the wicked. A healer to the sinner, a destroyer of the sin. Indeed, rain is yet another testament to the divinity and authority of Christ.

Meaning of Existence

Until recently, I had the total and unfailing belief in the creation of everything by the hand of God. Now, by "Until recently" I don't mean that my beliefs have changed. I am merely setting the stage for the discussion on what people try to argue as the "natural order" of things.
Many handfuls of scientists believe that this universe came about by the means of a cataclysmic explosion of matter known as the "Big Bang". As the universe formed, the bits known as atoms came together. Wait. Why are the bits shaped as they are? I mean, if this is the only reality that we currently know about, then as far as we know, it's the ONLY reality. Now, if it's the solitary reality of existence, then why are atoms shaped the way they are? Atoms have a very basic shape, but why aren't they another basic shape as well?
Along another precept is the rise of living beings as we know it, and the evolution of species as we know it. In the beginning, when the world had oceans and dirt, theoretically, some endoplasmic goo was at just the right consistency for life, but needed energy. As chance would have it, a lightning bolt struck it and organized it into the most basic form of DNA. Eventually, that DNA molecule designed itself into the first microorganisms. Wait. What purpose would a bacterial organism have to live? What would the point be of living off of the elements around you, if you are only going to die without having accomplished anything except the reproduction of yourself? Why reproduce? What point does reproduction have? It's not survival, as many people state, because that original organism is STILL GOING TO DIE.
Along another point, how is it that plants developed on the land? I mean, why would they need to grow and develop on land? I mean, all there was on land was dirt and minerals necessary for survival, but what was the purpose of living if all you were going to do is reproduce and then die? And how is it that at some point along the way, those little organisms divided into two groups. Those that are autotrophic and those that are heterotrophic. In that case, how is it that the heterotrophic organisms didn't wipe out the autotrophic ones? I mean, how did one little organism divide into two completely different organisms?
As the organisms gained complexity and diversity, two distinct multi-cellular groups emerged. Plant-life, and animals. Now, as we all know, there are ecosystems that have certain animals dependent on certain plants, and vice versa. But, how is it that these organisms became mutually existent? How is it that the DNA saw that it needed to rely solely on this OTHER DNA? How is it that these organisms, which had no way of communicating their needs to the plants, could have genes specifically organized to have traits to only eat THIS plant, but not THAT plant?
Now, as we move further along, scientists, mainly microbiologists, biologists, and certain other areas of study, have noticed that at some point, reptilian organisms, also known as dinosaurs, came into existence. Now, I reiterate. Why would that organism have any point in living? What would the product of this be? Reproduction, and death. Then what? Its offspring carry out the same monotonous actions and eventually, arrive at the same end. Then, almost inexplicably, every single one of those reptiles was eliminated by some supercatastrophe, resulting in the extinction of EVERY SINGLE ONE of the species of dinosaur. Not one, not two, but ALL of the species. Now, based on the preface that natural selection codes for advantageous traits, why didn't at least one of these beasts have the ability to survive this? I mean, the survivors of this supposed catastrophe were RODENTS. Mammals! Mammals would have been in the minority, and now, they were the majority? Well then, why do we still have reptiles? I thought they all died out.
Now, as mammals developed into more complex and diverse forms, the reliance on each other did not vary. Wait, what? Diversity didn't change animals' diets and habitats? Hmmm. And then, as humanoid animals came into existence, mainly primates, higher brain functions began to be inferred by scientists. They thought that as these "monkies" came into existence, they brought with them a higher brain function. And as natural selection would have it, that intelligence kept progressing. Soon, humans emerged from this.
Now, on another topic, why is there only one species of human? I mean, with natural selection, the less adaptable animal dies out or is absorbed into the more advantageous group. But how is it that we still have monkeys? Wouldn't they be absorbed into our gene pool? Wait. What about all of the other species? Why haven't they died out or been absorbed over the "millions" of supposed years that humans have been in existence? And yet somehow there are still billions of species of insects, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
After having stated all of those things, I'm going to say this. How can this be the result of a completely "natural" and unorganized event? How is it that all of this; the ecosystems, the wars, the atoms, the monkeys, the animal diversity, the insects, and all of the other things on this planet; how is it that these are the result of something unorganized and undirected? I say unto you, THEY CANNOT. It is not possible for an existence such as this to be merely chance. The odds of it happening are ZERO. I mean, in the first place, how is it that this reality came to be? I mean, why does it even exist? Obviously, God had need of it, and thus created it. How did atoms have the law to attract to each other and BIND? God had need, and created. How did life come to be? God had need, and created. How did animals diverge into billions of different species? God had need, and created. Why are humans here? To be tested. To be tried. To be proven worthy of the powers of Godhood, and proving ourselves in all matters of life. This is not a chance existence. We are here with a purpose, the one purpose that gives all other things purpose. We are children of God, and need to live down here in mortal bodies in order to be resurrected in eternally perfected bodies. Once this is put forth, it shows that animals, plants, atoms, monkeys, animal diversity, ecosystems, and many other things were put here for us to survive and reproduce with. And why do we reproduce? We do it in order to allow others in the pre-mortal life to enter this mortal probation. THAT, my friends, is the one purpose. THAT is why the denial and rejection of a living God is utterly and completely impossible.

Sociality

Sociality...is it good or bad? By definition, sociality is the interaction between individuals in a community or group. But is this necessarily good? Well, by human nature, we seek companionship. We go about trying to be friendly to others so that we can gain appreciation from those people. It allows us to socialize with each other to find out what troubles somebody might be going through, and be able to serve those people in order to help them with those troubles. This is the good in sociality. But what about the bad part? When we socialize, we put trust in those that we meet in order to establish a friendship, but it doesn't take care of those people that would take advantage of those relationships. We may put trust in a person over time to the point of being their best friend, and then being betrayed and finding out they were only using you.
Sociality enables us to become better by interacting with other people, but leaves us open to severe emotional injury. In D&C 88:90, it says,"And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds." In this verse, God is saying that his voice has been in each of these things. Have you ever noticed that human beings can never fully unite in a time of peace, but once there's a common disaster they unite in bonds of friendship. Take WW II for example. We Allied Nations joined together to eliminate the common threat which was Germany. When the earthquakes of 2010 happened, the countries of the world united to bring relief to those who had been affected. God gives us these horrifying things to overcome to help us all to unite. So, does this mean that God wants us to be sociable? Yes. He has said so many times throughout the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and D&C. "Be kind to your neighbor" and "serve your neighbor" are two of the many statements that He has made about us being sociable. And yet how do we avoid trusting those nations and people that would use us to their advantage?
Well, after having watched the TV series Lie to Me, I've picked up on some of the subtle tendencies that a person has when they are being deceptive. But, people can be deceptive without even trying and manifest no such tendencies. So how are we supposed to tell? Only God would know, and so we must ask him if we are to know if that person is a true friend, or if they are trying to deceive us.

Jealousy

This topic was a considerably difficult one to think about. First of all, what is jealousy? Is it an emotion? Or a state of being? Personally, I think it's both, because for one thing, you feel jealousy, but you can also be jealous in the sense of pride. Pride is one of those things that incorporates many emotions into itself. Jealousy, by definition, is basically a resentment towards a rival, enjoying success or advantage over another, and having resentment towards another's success or advantage. Why is jealousy so infectious? Why is it that when you see someone that has achieved a state of higher talent than you, inside, you resent their success and talent. There are those of us that have been able to get by that by being thankful for what we have. But because of pride and greed, we want to be more talented or more benefited than that certain person. So why is jealousy so hard to let go of if it's so closely tied in with pride? Well, since pride is the human disease, it is very closely tied in with our character and our personality. We unconsciously have the need to receive approval from those we respect. So when we see that someone else has something better than us or does something better than us, we feel jealousy, because they are better than us. Jealousy is a horrible thing. It forces us to compare ourselves against those around us, and by doing so, we begin to dislike those that are better than ourselves, and look down upon those that are less so than we are. But when we let go of this jealousy, we force ourselves to realize that we shouldn't be something we're not just because someone else is better at something than we are. We need to realize the fact that we can't do everything perfectly, nor are the odds very high of us becoming the very best at something. Very few human beings have achieved the status as being "the best". Usain Bolt, for example, is the fastest man on Earth according to his speed being compared to other peoples'. So does this mean that competition is a sport of jealousy? Yes and no. Yes because it makes us dislike those we are competing against because we are the "enemy" so to speak. And no because this sort of competition is what gets us to push ourselves to the limit, to become better than we already are. So can jealousy be a good thing? Perhaps. Perhaps if somebody was able to completely let go of their pride and enmity, they could exercise their jealousy for the sole purpose of making themselves better, rather than to try and become better than the next guy. But it is highly unlikely that anyone would be able to let go of their pride completely soon enough to actually use it without pride. As you all know the General Authorities are the best example of those having no jealousy, but they have no real desire to become the best at anything. They have service in mind at all times, and they have the benefits and well being of their families in mind. Not becoming the best. So is this what we should do? Focus ourselves on others in order to lose our jealousy? Perhaps, it is the only way.

Time

What exactly is time? Is time merely the method with which we measure the rate of entropy? Or does time actually have a physical effect on this universe and its inhabitants? Time is the sequential measurement of events and provides us with the terms past, present, and future. Past refers to events that have already occurred, present refers to events happening currently, and future refers to events that have not happened yet, but will eventually. So how does time apply to the time/space continuum if time is merely a sequential measurement? This term is deemed spacetime and refers to the geometrical grid that space is made up of; time being the fourth dimensional variable, and thus helping in explaining gravity and its effects. With larger and larger bodies out in space, the more spacetime is distorted and bent around the celestial body, thus the greater gravity. But, the phenomenon known as the black hole is basically a complete breach of this geometrical grid. The gravity of this object is so great that once you've passed the event horizon, it is impossible to escape. And once inside the hole, you are "spaghetti'd" and all of your atoms are separated slowly. But since it's a rift in the spaceTIME, there is no time to speak of, and thus you are infinitely being pulled apart. At least, that's the theory. We'll never actually know what a black hole is exactly because one has never been observed, and even if we found one, it would be too far away for us to get to. And yet there are physical effects that happen with time. An experiment was conducted where two atomic clocks were synchronized. One was left on the ground, and the other was put in a high speed fighter jet. The jet went up, reached its peak velocity, and came back down. But when they compared the two clocks, the one from the plane was a couple of seconds behind the clock on the ground. How could this be? Well, the theory of relativity states that time passes much more slowly when going at extremely high speeds. So does that mean that time is physical? Who knows? No one has ever fully understood time. But, time also has one redeeming quality. Healing. Time heals the broken heart, the shattered soul, the mourning man. But, time never really passes at the rate we want it to. Sometimes, it passes in a flash, and other times it is tenaciously drawn out. But why is it time that heals us? Is it actually the things that we do in that space of "time" that ends up helping us to heal? Or is it really just us waiting for the wound to heal on its own? Nobody really knows.

Opposites

When God created the earth, he separated the day from the night, the light from the darkness. What is that supposed to mean? How could he have separated them if they are the complete opposites of each other? Well, when you think of a desert, what do you usually think of? Dry, hot, barren, dusty, etc. But what happens to that point of view when there is a small stream running through that desert? Well, the extremely fertile, yet dry soil is provided with a source of water, and soon after water is introduced to this soil, life begins to flourish. How is it, that when dry and wet are put together, we get an oasis of life? Sure, the rain forests are full of life. But not like this. Enemies can come to this little spot of water, and become mutual friends. By searching for the same thing, and having found it, they have established a mutual need. And what about light and dark? Is darkness, as a student said, just an absence of light? Or do they, when put together, create something much more amazing and beautiful than ever imagined? Yes. With light, we receive the majority of what we need, such as water from storms, wind to move our ships, and plants to provide us food. In sunlight, we do most of our work, play, and basically use up all of our energy. Then what? If we have constant sunlight, the heat grows and grows until it is unbearable. And so, darkness is needed to create a state of equilibrium. It lets the earth cool, and allows us to sleep and restore the energy used during the day. Males and females. Oh how different they are. And yet they are extremely similar in many ways. And when you put these two together, you get life. Pain and suffering? Put them with joy and happiness and the good is made sweeter by experiencing the bad. A great loss gives way for great gain. Flying inevitably requires landing, working requires rest, and life requires death. So, is it also reversible? Does darkness require light? Does water require an absence thereof? Does pain require joy? Does landing require flying? Does rest require work? Yes. They still work. So why is it, that when something inexplicably good and beautiful comes into your life, that you must lose it? Why is it that when you lose something inexplicably good and beautiful, that you must slowly collect that good which is required? Why slowly? Why is it that it must come this way, when with the other things, the exchange of opposites was almost instantaneous? Who knows. And why is it, that in many cases, there is no good to counter the bad, or no bad to counter the good? How is it that this cycle of opposites can be broken in some places, flawed in others, and perfect in the rest? Why is it that people can give and expound wisdom to those in need and confusion, yet when they themselves are confused and in need, they cannot heed their own words? Who knows. Too many contradictions and hypocrites in the world for anything to make sense.

Confusion And Love

Confusion, in my opinion, is easily THE most devious way to deceive someone. What exactly is confusion? It's disorder. Upheaval. Tumult. Chaos. Pretty much anything that doesn't have very much order. Confusion is in a category of emotion all to itself. It's almost like a concoction of emotions badly blended together so there are chunks that are bigger than others. Sometimes we are confused and angry. Or confused and sad. Confusion opens the door for external, or internal, forces to collaborate against our better character and judgment. When I'm confused about someone's actions, usually someone I care about, I automatically assume the worst, thinking that whatever is making them sad, angry, or other such negative emotions, is in all actuality, MY fault. I always assume the worst in every situation and end up misinterpreting what is going on in their life. Confussion is very aptly named because, if many of you noticed, I spelled confusion wrong at the beginning of this sentence. Confused? Now you are, because for one thing, you don't exactly know WHY I spelled it wrong on purpose, nor do you know why I even brought that topic up. Then again, I'M not even sure why I brought that point up. That's confusing. Then again, so are a lot of things. Such as girls are confusing to guys and vice versa. Love is also a very confusing thing, because it involves many instinctual emotions and desires. When going through puberty, we don't know if what we're feeling is love or lust. Only when we've either lost the desire, or lust, for something do we realize that it actually was lust. Love, on the other hand, is much
longer and stronger than lust could ever be. You never know what you have until you don't have it anymore. That is why love is so confusing. It doesn't end. Love endures through trial and error, pain and suffering, disaster and catastrophe. Through and through love and hope endure. They never fail, nor do they die. The Adversary may attack us with the hordes of Hell, but as long as we have love, hope, trust, honesty, responsibility, honor, courage, and companionship, he will NEVER prevail against us. As long as we hold to our values and principles that have been set before us, confusion will not work against us. But, being human beings, we end up not trusting in these things occasionally. This is when our resolve is at its weakest, and it is also when we must be on our guard. But even with these fail-safes, we still make mistakes that may cause us great pains of guilt and sorrow. When in these pits of despair, we must remember love. It is through love that Jesus Christ suffered for us, not through his own motives and desires. Love supported him in Gethsemane, even when God was forced to retreat the Holy Ghost. Love is what binds us together. Without it, we are
nothing. But with it, we become more than we could ever dream of becoming. We strive to make ourselves better because of love and the desire of approval from those we love. Gordon B. Hinckley said. "Love is the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is not only found at the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arched across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with their family, friends, and neighbors! Love, like faith, is a gift of God. It is also the most enduring and most powerful virtue." But, love is not all about passion and romance. This is also by Gordon B. Hinckley. "True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion." And so, I leave these things with you by saying that I love you all. And for those of the female status that may have some doubts about a guy in your life, I suggest going to the link I have posted and looking at the 11th quote from the top.
"Quotes by Gordon B. Hinckley"