Keep the Lower Lights Burning

Note the lights on the shore

Even while those around us may be using Survival Strategies against us, we can live Paradoxically and feel Sustainable Joy despite them.  This is because Jesus lives.  It is because he is King of Paradoxical Strategies.  He walks with all those who will walk in his ways.  Now and forever.

Because that is true we have the power to Paradoxically “keep the lower lights burning” for our Survival children, spouses, family members, neighbors, friends, etc.  When we stay true to Christ, the party, the safety, the love, and the Sustainable Joy is always right here within the family.  Watch the following video for the story behind the "lower lights."

 

Listen:  “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy” A Cappella sung by Dan Ellison, Spencer Ellison, Steven Jensen and Trevor Nielsen

Figure 1 describes how Paradoxical Strategies--sacrificing first--might be difficult in the beginning, but overtime our ability to sacrifice and our faith increase.  This causes the perceived intensity of the sacrifice to decrease while Sustainable Joy increases. 

When we use Survival Strategies, we hurt other people.  They suffer and we don't...at least in the beginning.  What makes Survival Strategies bad for us are the end results.  They don’t last.  And things end up worse than they were when we started.  When we seek to get what we want first regardless of the desires and feelings of others, we end up not getting what we want at all.  Of course there is a draw to Survival Strategies because often times we do get what we want at first.  We may even be living the good life now, seemingly winning the game while others are losing.  But the issue is, that’s all going to end.  It never fails to end when we employ Survival Strategies.

Figure 2 describes the full story behind Survival of the Fittest Strategies.  In the beginning our perceived intensity of Joy is high.  We’re riding high.  Everything is great!  The sacrifice required of us for the Joy we’re receiving is minuscule.  We like it that way.  Get what we want for the least amount of sacrifice.  But over time, the Effects of Joy decrease.  What’s happening is our Effect Sensors are becoming numb to the Pseudo Joy.  Without an appropriate level of sacrifice, feelings of boredom, lethargy, apathy, and stagnancy are the result.  The initial Pseudo Joy puts a smoke screen up so we aren’t completely aware of the incremental decrease of real Sustainable Joy.  The Survival Effects kill our motivation to sacrifice.  If we don’t sacrifice at the level we’re capable of, we’re not working our faith muscles.  Atrophy occurs.  As the perceived intensity of Pseudo Joy wanes, normal level sacrifices seem over-the-top hard.  Even though we’re doing close to nothing, the perceived intensity of such a sacrifice seems beyond our capacity to bear.  This robs us of our motivation to sacrifice.  It makes us think we need to go hunting for more of that Pseudo Joy to resolve the conflict.  It turns our arrows to Survival of the Fittest Strategies.  We’re like a black hole.  We need to suck the Joy out of others to feel good.  We need to somehow regain that state of getting what we want for the least amount of sacrifice.  We’re basically forced to use Survival of the Fittest Strategies to obtain our desires and resolve our conflicts.

One very prominent Survival of the Fittest Pseudo Joy Effect is the acceptance and praise of the world.  When the world goes against Jesus Christ and his Paradoxical Strategies, it serves as a smoke screen to the real Joy we receive from choosing to live his ways.  Here are some examples.

Herod and John the Baptist
Herod was a man who was in an authoritative position during the life of Christ and John the Baptist.  He was a tetrarch, which is a governor of one of four divisions of a country or province.  When he heard John the Baptist teach, he believed in him but wasn't baptized.  Herod committed sin when he took his brother Philip’s wife unlawfully.  John called him on this and so Herod put him in prison.  Herodias was the name of Philip’s wife and she too was angry with John for calling them on their adultery.  She set up a scheme to trick Herod into ordering John’s death.  She had her daughter go dance for him and when she pleased him,

“...he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.  And she, being instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.  And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.” ~Matthew 14:7-9

So he believed in John and knew he was a man of God but because he feared losing the good opinion of the people, he folded under their pressure.  It’s a sacrifice to stand up for what is right and what is not generally accepted.  Herod would not make that sacrifice.  He feared the people more than he feared God.  He took the easy way out—Survival of the Fittest Strategies.  But what is it like for Herod now?  The majority of us who believe in Christ look upon him as a bad example.  He is not accepted among us.  We see that when presented with a challenge to choose Paradoxical or Survival, he chose Survival.  None of us would want to be governed by such a man.  He showed his true colors.  Full story found in Matthew 14  and Mark 6:16-29

Paul & King Agrippa
On the other hand, Paul was a believer.  He was persecuted, abused, beat, whipped, shipwrecked, and imprisoned but continued to stand for God using Paradoxical Strategies.  On one occasion he had to stand before King Agrippa and and another man in authority, named Festus, to declare his faith in Christ.  At one point Festus said he was mad. 

“But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” ~ Acts 26:25

That’s a sacrifice.  To be accused of being mad when we are speaking the words of truth and soberness is painful.  It’s also totally frustrating.  King Agrippa almost changes his colors but then doesn’t.

“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” ~Acts 26:28

The Paradoxical Results for Paul:

He is one of our most esteemed heroes and role models.
Agrippa—who is he?

Lazarus and the Rich Man
There are a couple of people in the new testament with the name Lazarus.  One was in a parable Jesus told. This parable demonstrates Survival and Paradoxical Results pretty efficiently.


“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” ~Luke 16:19-31

That’s a pretty clear warning about what our eventual results are going to be given our present choices.  But because we’re still in the middle of the game and we haven’t reached the final result, we may look around at the Survival people and think they’re winning and that it pays to use Survival Strategies.  But to this the Lord says,

“Your words have been stout against me...Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” ~Malachi 3:13-18

This is the Paradoxical result:

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.  And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” ~Malachi 3:13-18

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Getting the House Clean
So let’s bring these epic scriptural stories and words of counsel down to our everyday life. As a mother, my endless desire is to get the house clean.  I want my kids to help with this.  How do I use Paradoxical Strategies as opposed to Survival of the Fittest Strategies to accomplish this goal?  If I put my desire to have a clean house above them, I get angry at them for messing it up and for not helping to clean it.  That is Survival thinking.  It will result in forcing them to clean and in them disliking cleaning.  I know this because I’ve not only tried it but am repeatedly sucked into this way of thinking.  But here is what my Paradoxical Cause has taught me to do:  Center your desires up on training them to make and keep their commitments.  Teach them that is how to obtain Sustainable Joy.  It’s the only way to develop confidence.  When you voluntarily make commitments with those you love and then keep them, you make that love an action word.  You grow the love.  You grow the Joy.  Train them to work out of love for their team, for confidence, for Joy instead of out of fear that they will get in trouble if they don't.

This is an endless battle for me.  It’s so easy for me to get frustrated because they don’t see or value the Sustainable Joy in it.  They don’t want to commit or keep their commitments.  They don’t see the value of this team—the family.  They want to belong to all kinds of other teams first.  They complain about not having any friends.  But why not start with the friendships made in the family?  Why not be a true friend here?  Then take those same skills and use them in their other relationships.  That is Paradoxical!

Kid Survival of the Fittest Strategies are seeking to be apart of all kinds of other teams without first seeking to be apart of the family team.  Fun and popularity are the readily seen Pseudo Joys they seek after.

I once watched the making of the “Lord of the Rings” with my kids.  Wow, those people were having the time of their lives working and sacrificing!  What would it be like to be apart of that team?  Everyone worked together on a common goal.  So many people made and kept their commitments to each other in order to bring about this amazing end product.  That’s Joy.  

So why can’t  the family’s goals be equally (if not way more) important?  Why can’t family members see that what creates that love, friendship, and excitement in the journey is everyone’s valuing the team, their fellow team members, and common goals?  Why go out looking for another team that’s more happening, more important, more fun, more exciting?  This is my answer:  It takes a leap of faith in Jesus Christ to choose to make and keep our commitments to our family.  “The Lord of the Rings” was already a hit movie when we saw the making of it.  The successful results were readily seen.  Everyone wants to be apart of a successful result but not everyone wants to take the risk of devoting oneself to an effort that doesn’t yet have a readily seen fun, successful ending.  However, because of all of the stories in the scriptures that witness to us of Jesus Christ, his Paradoxical Strategies, and successful endings we can see with eyes of faith that obtaining our own successful ending is only a matter of time.  That is faith in Christ.

“And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” ~Alma 32:21

Seminary Tables
I taught seminary a few years ago.  We had a stake scripture chase activity.  Students and teachers met at the stake center in the gym.  There were various round tables set up.  As the youth came in they picked what table they wanted to sit at.  I watched as a popular table formed.  A few kids were apparently the popular kids and others their followers.  After the popular kids’ table was filled with people, a couple of the popular kids got up and moved to a different table just to see if people would follow them.  The result was that many did.  Other did not.  Some who originally were sitting with us also got up to find the most popular tables.  No one wanted to be with the unpopular people.  And the unpopular people were the apparent losers.  The people who would not play this game just stayed where they were regardless of being left alone.  The popular kids were using Survival of the Fittest Strategies.  I know they didn't completely understand what they were doing but this whole scene made me sick.

Listen:  “Popular” from the Broadway play, "Wicked" 

So if kids do this with their own families, what the heck, right?  They are always looking to be where the fun and popularity is.  Fun first.  No work.  No sacrifice.  They want to be apart of the “in-crowd.”  They don’t want to be left out.  But all the while they are the ones leaving their family and others out, not caring about the first team they were assigned to, not realizing the joy and happiness that come from sincerely valuing what they already have.  And we demonstrate how we value our family by making and keeping commitments to them.  We all work together to live.  Why turn your parents into nags?  Why tempt them to turn to Survival of the Fittest Strategies to get you to do your part?  Kids live in the house.  They eat there.  They use the facilities.  They leave their stuff around.  Because they are partaking of the privileges of the family, they are inherently bound to the commitments.  When they complain, whine, and try every means to get out of keeping their commitments, they are Survival.  They are communicating through their actions that they will not love their parents or siblings through voluntary Paradoxical Strategies.  Now I know they are young and still learning and many are not even consciously doing this but that doesn’t change the fact that they are indeed practicing Survival of the Fittest Strategies to obtain their desires and resolve their conflicts.  That will bug us parents even though (or especially because) we have committed to Paradoxical Strategies.

How can a happy family be established with such people?  This is when the sacrifices parents have to make increase in magnitude.  It hurts.  And the pain lasts for so long.  In fact most kids don’t change their colors until after they leave home.  So how can there be love at home?  And why won’t they change their colors before leaving?  If they continue in Survival Strategies all the way up till they leave, they will never know the Joy that comes from pulling together as a family.  And without that, they are unprotected.  They will seek to be on every other team and never feel like they belong anywhere. 

Mice and Fairy Godmother symbols of Heaven's help.

So how can parents form a loving team in the face of most of their family members turning Survival?  It is imperative to have a team of people where all are working to make and keep commitments to each other voluntarily.  Who will be the team members if all the children are straying from the flock?

May I suggest that God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and all the angels are apart of our team.  If we are choosing Paradoxical Strategies we have the whole of heaven on our side. 

Aragorn & the Spirits of the Dead Army
In the movie, “Lord of the Rings, Return of the King,” Aragorn is the leader of the armies fighting against an innumerable host of Orks.  The Orks are the bad guys and are using Survival Strategies to get what they want.  The good guys are way out-numbered and don’t know how they are going to defeat these creeps.  Aragorn gets the idea to summon the spirits of the dead.  Now these spirits are kind of scary and seem to have been bad during their lifetimes.  They are now living in an eternal hell.  Aragorn has the power to release them from this hell if they will change their colors now and fight for the good guys.  They do.  With their help the Orks are destroyed and the war ends.

Fear Not!
In 2 Kings another story like this takes place but this one is real.  The prophet Elisha and the people of Israel (good guys) are surrounded by the Syrian’s horses and chariots (bad guys) by night.

“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And [Elisha’s] servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” ~2 Kings 6:15-17

So the spirits of heaven who are on our side are not evil spirits that have a debt to pay to get out of hell.  They are spirits of light and love, who lived their lives Paradoxically while they were on the earth.  They are ALL on our side.  When it seems like we are too few in number and we’re left alone to do the work and to create love at home on our own, it’s important to remember that we are never alone.  Heaven is with us.  The party is here.  The happiness is right here in the family.  While we do have to wait for the Paradoxical results, when all people, motives, and deeds are made known, we don’t have to wait for the kingdom of heaven.  It is at hand.  And this is where Sustainable Joy comes from.  It is ours when we choose to obtain our goals and resolve our conflicts using Paradoxical Strategies. 

Ending with the beginning--lower lights metaphor: The lower lights on the shore may not seem very valuable. We may even feel like we're alone there. We may not even realize the impact we're having on the lives of our children and others. But when we keep our light burning and align it with the Light in the light house through Paradoxical Strategies, our light is the most valuable it can be, regardless of the choices and evaluations of others.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16

The Power of Love

Understanding that adversity is inherent to the Goal Achievement Journey equips us to deal with it without letting it defeat us.  Understanding that we have been given the power to incrementally increase the intensity of Sustainable Joy we experience through the use of our agency gives us the tools to defeat adversity.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” ~1 Corinthians 2:9

Most of us define adversity as having to deal with Survival of the Fittest people, natural disasters, accidents, our inherent needs not being met for whatever reason, and death, which includes the incremental approach to it through illness and disease.  All of these things bring us sorrow.  They are seriously hard to deal with. 

Adversity also includes temptation.  These types of Effects are used to lure us out of the Safe Spot.  They take down our forcefield so we are exposed more intensely to adversity.  As long as we use Paradoxical Strategies, we are protected.  But if we, like a fish, take the bait of temptation on the hook, we lose that protection incrementally.

“I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say.  But when you do not what I say, you have no promise”  ~D&C 82:10

Hard times can be a temptation for us to give up on using Paradoxical Strategies to obtain our goals and resolve our conflicts.  They tempt us to give up on Christ.  We speak our name when we demonstrate how we respond to them.  Do we give up on Christ or do we remain steadfast in him?  This is the whole purpose of our journey here on earth.  It is how we are being tested.  It is how God is determining just what substance each of us is made of.  Are we diamonds underneath a coal exterior?  Or are we dross?

See "Hold on Thy Way" by Elder Koichi Aoyagi

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
~"How Firm a Foundation", Hymn 85

While it is true that God doesn’t make junk, we can alter ourselves through our agency so that we become junk.  When adversity comes our way, we can defect from God and choose someone else to be our “maker.”

“I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.  Ye do the deeds of your father.” ~John 8:37-41

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” ~Matthew 3:10

Personal Story
It never fails to lighten my burdens when I understand things from a higher perspective.  When I gain greater light and knowledge I’m being told a greater story or being shown the bigger picture.  When I see it like this, I understand what’s going on and cease to be tormented so much by adversity.  I’m telling the bigger-picture story, as I understand it, through all my blog posts.  I’m telling it because I believe it will also lighten your burdens once you understand it from that perspective.  To know that our overall mission is to use Paradoxical Strategies in the face of Survival Strategies is so freeing!  We don’t see others treating us badly as a judgment.  Yes, it’s hard and it brings us sorrow but we can deal with that adversity as long as we know it doesn’t mean we are bad.  And this is all because of Jesus Christ.  He says over and over again throughout his ministry that we are judged by our own works and not by how others treat us.  We are not judged by the adversity we have to go through.  We are judged by how we Paradoxically handle that adversity.  If people don’t like us when we’re doing all we can to follow Christ, it’s hard.  But it’s less hard because he likes us.  He loves us.  He won’t leave us alone.

We are not necessarily judged by the adversity we experience but how we respond to it.
“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” ~Luke 13:1-5

We are judged by our works.
“And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began.” ~3 Nephi 26:4-5

We are not judged by how others treat us.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” ~Matthew 5:10-12

Listen:  Not Alone by Red

Adversity makes us spiritually stronger when in spite of it we continue in Paradoxical Strategies to obtain our goals and resolve our conflicts.

Survival Effects purposefully used to lure us out of the Safe Spot are the kinds of Effects Survival of the Fittest people seek after. 

“For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world? Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?” ~Mormon 8:37-39

Partaking of Temptation Effects provides us with pseudo Joy.  They are immediate and give us too much cotton candy peace and require us to sacrifice too little.  They are false because they are not sustainable.  They actually decrease over time so we have to increase the dose in order to just feel okay.  Eventually we cannot even manage to feel okay.  Everyday we feel sorrow.  This is like the Effect of drugs.  It’s the addiction trap.  Even most of the drugs that doctors prescribe do not have sustainability.  Doses have to be increased in order to maintain the same intensity of Effects but the negative side-Effects correspondingly increase.  Illegal drugs are like Temptation Effects.  Prescribed drugs are like Mercy Effects.  We cannot take any doctor-prescribed drug without a commitment to do all that is within our power to improve our health.  If we don’t do what we can we are taking the Lord’s name in vain. 

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” ~Mosiah 13:15

His name is Mercy.  It’s the Paradoxical Strategies others employ to assist us in our journey.

Partaking of Temptation Effects masks our separation from Sustainable Joy—the Paradoxical Effects that guides us in our Goal Achievement Journey. 

Because of this we lose sight of our goal and the pathway we need to take to obtain it.  Because these Effects provide us with a numbing kind of peace, they cause us to lose motivation to sacrifice.  When we don’t consistently sacrifice in Paradoxical Strategies, our faith weakens similar to muscular atrophy.  So by the time the Temptation Effects lose their effectiveness we have very little strength or ability to exercise faith in Christ.  Even the smallest of sacrifices feel overwhelming.  These false Effects actually confirm us when we’re off track so that the Effects of Adversity act as a kind of censure when we’re on track.  Every time we try to get back on track the inherent Adversity is overwhelming because we have become so much weaker than we were before.

“I Wanna New Drug” by Huey Lewis

Paradoxical Effects, as already mentioned, are the real Sustainable Joy we experience when we engage in Paradoxical Strategies to obtain our goals and resolve our conflicts.  At first these Effects may not be extremely powerful.  They guide us but also nourish us.  They are more like a healthy and tasty meal than chocolate cake with ganache filling (see blog post Joy).  They are what sustain us from day to day in such a subtle way we may not even be aware of them until they’re gone. 

Listen:  “Big Yellow Taxi” by Amy Grant

Paradoxical Effects are given in Mercy, which means their intensity is incrementally increased and decreased depending on our own actions.  In short, Paradoxical Effects are Mercy.  And Mercy Effects are not an all or nothing deal.  Slowly but surely they give us space and time to get it right.  They both warn us when we’re deviating from our pathway and confirm us when we’re on it.  They demonstrate they are our friends because they assist us in achieving our righteous goals instead of distracting us from them.  When we deviate a little we feel gentle warnings.  When we continuously deviate, the warning Effects become increasingly powerful.  This is a result of our separation from our General Paradoxical Cause—Jesus Christ—and the general pathway to obtaining Sustainable Joy.

When we continuously stay on the pathway, without deviating, the confirmation Effects (Joy) become increasingly intense and sustainable.  We basically rise to a higher emotional plane.  We experience a greater sense of well-being and overall happiness.  It is also true that if we deviate at this level the Sorrow we experience is much greater.  Over time Paradoxical Effects become so amazingly powerful that even the allurement of Temptation Effects have no power over us.   Why?  Because Paradoxical Effects are the most delicious, the sweetest, the purest, the best feeling we have ever felt and nothing compares to them. 

“And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?  And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.  And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.” ~1 Nephi 11:21-23

“And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.” ~Alma 32:42

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” ~1 Corinthians 2:9 

Listen:  “Nothing Compares 2U” by Sinead O’Connor

When we develop our capacity to sense Paradoxical Effects to this degree the Effects of Adversity are more manageable.  We aren’t bowled over by our problems as much.  We are able to stand steadfast in the face of stronger and stronger winds.  We’re able to use Paradoxical Strategies at more advanced levels.  This is where Jesus was when he was required to Paradoxically sacrifice himself in Gethsemane and on the Cross.  It’s not that he didn’t suffer.  He did.  But he was able to bear such incredibly intense suffering without deviating to Survival of the Fittest thoughts, words, or actions.  He kept his heart full of love the whole time.  I don’t know about you but that is the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard of.  Through this intense suffering without ever turning, he developed his ability to sacrifice Paradoxically beyond the level that anyone else has ever obtained.

Watch this clip about Jim Caviezel's experience playing Jesus Christ in the movie, "Passion of the Christ."  (Note:  I can't say that I agree completely with Jim Caviezel's doctrine but the sharing of his experience is invaluable to me!)


I think that's what Jesus was going through X100 but he controlled his response process to it.  He felt the pain and felt the temptation to retaliate in Survival of the Fittest Strategies ("my humanity") but used his agency to see the bigger picture and the importance of loving to the end in Paradoxical Strategies.  In so doing he refused to accept and entertain those kinds of vengeance thoughts.  All of us couldn't do that.  There have been a lot of people who have suffered throughout history, many who have given their lives voluntarily, but none have been able to keep their hearts steadfast in love under the intensity of adversity and total irony of consequences as he had to endure.  He was their Savior!  He healed them!  He forgave them!  He taught them the way to everlasting life!  For which of these works did they crucify him?!

Remember that our Effects are the result of another person combining with or separating from us in thought, word, or action.  That action can even be done with our hearts as we wrap our hearts around others in pure love.  The more powerfully a person can Paradoxically sacrifice, the more intense his Effects.  So because of the At-one-ment of Jesus Christ, when he combines his heart with ours, we experience Sustainable Joy IF we are also sacrificing Paradoxically to the extent we are able.  When we separate from him and his Paradoxical Strategies, we feel Sorrow.  Thus we are motivated and protected by the love of Jesus Christ.  This is the Power of Love.  Everyone on this earth is sustained by this love to some degree whether we know it or not. 

Watch “Earthly Father, Heavenly Father”

Each of our choices to face our challenges with Paradoxical Strategies or turn to Survival Strategies affect our own proximity to the Power and Love of God.  The more we choose Paradoxical Strategies, the more intense and protective his Sustainable Joy becomes.  In essence, the Power and Love and of God is in us.
 
Listen to the end of this song:  “The Power of Love” by Air Supply