Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sirius black knows whats up!

     So who is a little Harry Potter crazy right now? It seems like everyone has a bit of the wizard fever with the last movie coming out and everything! I was thinking about all the good parts of the Harry Potter series, and I soon realized there is much that can be learned from this! One of the most memorable lessons that I took away from it was something that Sirius Black said in the 4th book.

     Harry, Ron and Hermione have snuck off during a Hogsmeade visit, to go see Sirius, who is of course, disguised as the big black shaggy dog until they are back into the mountains in the cave he has been hiding out in. During their visit, they discuss Bary Crouch and who he is and what kind of character he has as a person.

     In their conversation, Hermione mentions how poorly Mr. Crouch treats his House elf, Winky. House elves are considered to be lower class in the magical world. Ron, points this out and tries to shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal, however, Sirius Black replies with some excellent insight on people's character.  He says
" If you want to know the character of a man, look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

     So let's disect how true this statement really is. We know that all men are created equal, and I don't believe that is what Sirius is saying. When he says inferiors, he is talking about those who may not have as many blessings as we do, or those who are looked down upon by society, such as a house elf. I believe Sirius hit the nail on the head with this one! Look at Jesus Christ! He spent his time with the poor and the sinners. Clearly they did not reach his level, him being the Son of God. But he set the example of how we need to treat them.

     So let us ask ourselves. How do we treat those who are less fortunate than ourselves? When we see a home less person on the side of the road what is our first reaction? Do we automatically judge and say it was their own fault? Or do we follow the Savior's example, and show them love and evaluate how we can help them? I know that if we all try our best to treat everyone with love and kindness, the world will be a much better place!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Tasty cookie v.s. The Burnt cookie

     Soooooo who loves cookies raise your hand! If you currently have your hand in the air then this is the post for you, because you are about to like cookies even more! Last night, my companion and I were teaching a lesson about overcoming temptaion and choosing the right. We were describing how Satan desguises temptaion and makes it look desirable, and makes it look delicious.

     So imagine this! You have a mean older brother, or mean older sibling ( which some of you won't have to imagine too hard ) Well your sweet mother has just finished baking an amazing batch of chocolate chip cookies. All of them look so yummy, however a few of them got burnt in the process, which we know can happen sometimes. But there are still a bunch of warm soft ones that did not get burnt. Well as your mother pulls them out, she councils you to wait and let them cool off before taking one. So, as a good child you listen and find something to occupy yourself with for 15 minutes while they cool down. After 15 minutes it is finally time! The amazing cookies are ready to be devoured! And how nice your older brother is approaching you with a cookie in hand, letting you have the first one. He even covered it in some chocolate frosting to enjoy even more! You are so excited, you close your eyes and bite into the seemingly fresh cookie. And then you find out it is not good at all! You didn't just eat a good soft cookie, but a burnt one! How could this be!? Well i'll tell you. Your brother tricked you. He took a burnt cookie and covered it in frosting and sprinkles making it look like a tasty treat. Which is exactly what he wanted you to think!

   
      Just like the older brother, Satan does the same thing with temptation. Clearly we know right from wrong, we know what our Savior wants us to do. However, Satan tempts us, and disguises sin to make it look fun and delicious. He makes it seem like something that we really want, until we bite into it, and realize it isn't at all what we thought it was going to be. It is something we need to watch out for and be careful of! Remember what the Savior taught and the commandments he laid out for us to be happy! I promise if we follow his teachings and keep the commandments we will be so happy in this life! Stay away from the burnt cookie covered in chocolate frosting!