Can you feel the love tonight?

  The Lion King is one of the greatest movies of all time. I love it's story, I love it's songs, and I want to be just like Rafiki when I grow up (but that's a blog for another time). The songs are what this blog is about, one song in particular...

Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings

The world, for once, in perfect harmony

With all its living things

Can you feel the love tonight?

You needn't look too far

Stealing through the night's uncertainties

Love is where they are 

It's such a good song, and it poses an interesting question. Can you feel the love tonight? Is it where you are?    There have been times where I definitely did not feel the love. But why is that a big deal? 

  "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35) The Savior said it best. He has commanded us to love each other, that should be the thing that defines us as Christians. Love is the center of all the we believe, and love should be where we are.

Where love is, there is no disputation. Where love is, there is no contention. Where love is, there God will be also. -Thomas S. Monson

Form = Power

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'

-Muhammad Ali

  Anyone who has competed in sports knows how important training is. What turns an athlete into a champion is the amount of hard work and dedication they put into their sport. I love boxing, so that's the example I'm going to use today, and then we'll see how that applies to our spirituality. 

  Boxing is all about form. A misconception people have about boxing is that you have to be a big muscular guy to punch someone really hard, however the smaller boxers have some incredible power. But how is that possible? Shouldn't you have to be big to hit hard? NO! It's all about the way you throw your punch, the way you line up your arm and the way you shift your hips and feet. If you punch with perfect form there will be power there no matter how big you are. And how do you learn perfect form? You train hard, every day, until your body knows instinctively how to move the correct way.

  How does this apply to the gospel you ask? There is a form to the gospel! There is a way that we've been asked to live our lives so that we can qualify for the blessings of heaven. You don't have to be the most spiritual person in the world to live up to this standard. It just takes practice, the more you choose to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings the easier it gets. If you follow the commandments and live worthily then you will have spiritual power. You just have to train hard, every day, until your spirit knows instinctively how to choose the correct way. There is a hymn that I love that says it best:

School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.

Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.

School thy feelings; there is power In the cool, collected mind.

Passion shatters reason's tower, Makes the clearest vision blind.

As we make choices that bring us closer to God, we become his disciples. The difference between the casual christian and the disciple of Jesus Christ is the amount of hard work and determination they put into following Him. With proper training we can all be celestial champs!