Yes I try to do a personal study everyday...and in the mornings too. Sometimes I fail and end up reading my scriptures in bed. But today I did ok...and I was so glad I did. I am reading talks from the most recent General Conference of our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). And this is what I read in the talk entitle The Costs and Blessings of Discipleship by Elder Jeffery R. Holland:

Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.¹¹

Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in?

And what of those who just want to look at sin or touch it from a distance? Jesus said with a flash, if your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your hand offends you, cut it off.¹² “I came not to [bring] peace, but a sword,”¹³ He warned those who thought He spoke only soothing platitudes. No wonder that, sermon after sermon, the local communities “pray[ed] him to depart out of their coasts.”¹⁴ No wonder, miracle after miracle, His power was attributed not to God but to the devil.¹⁵ It is obvious that the bumper sticker question “What would Jesus do?” will not always bring a popular response.

Oh I LOVE THIS!!!!! I think is so important that we don't make God how we want Him to be, but really seek after Him and find out who He is.

Try it.

Love,

b.