Friday, August 5, 2011

Thermite: Ignition

We've got the ingredients assembled, and we're waiting to see sparks fly. Something is missing; a pile of rust and aluminum shavings are just sitting there, and nothing has happened. This is where the ingredient is no longer in the control of the thermite mixer. This is the final edge, the last thing that's required for a thermite reaction, and needs to be special. A normal fire at the end of a match or a lighter won't light thermite. You need something hot enough to light the aluminum, such as magnesium. You need to be prepared for what happens next, since it will be quite the experience.

Just like with thermite, the final push for your "reaction" will be out of your hands. It needs to be extremely special, and it comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. No phony imitation will do. If you have a good thermite mixture, filled with good study and earnest prayer, the Holy Ghost will have the ability to ignite you and push you on your way to conversion. Be prepared; this is where the magic happens.

So how can you ignite the spiritual mixture you've been working on? As I said, it is through divine power that it will happen. All we can do is strive to be as receptive to it as possible. We know that the Spirit speaks in a still small voice (Helaman 5:30). How can we hope to hear if we are busy doing things that drown out his voice? How can we listen for the divine prompting if we are focused on an addicting or distracting behavior? You need to calm your environment and listen for the spark that can "pierce [you] even to the very soul" and ignite the preparation you've already gone through.

Another problem is that too many people don't realize that the revelation you will receive is rarely the 3000°+ burning of a strip of magnesium or a visit from an angel. It is quite often the gentle and calm "fruits of the Spirit" talked about in Galatians 5:22-23. The problem with not realizing this fact is that if you are searching for those visions and signs, it is quite possible that you will miss the small voice I've already talked about. If you are paying attention and notice these feelings, it is only because you have a suitable mixture of study and prayer. We know that the Spirit helps us "know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5) and we know that "God [can] not lie" (Enos 1:6). You will only feel the fruits of the Spirit if and only if you partake of truth; if you feel these fruits, you must know that the Book of Mormon is true. If true, it was translated by the power of God through Joseph Smith. If he was guided by God, then He restored his church through Joseph Smith as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This line of logic continues to all aspects of the Church. See how a small spark can ignite so many things?

You have successfully studied words of truth, and you have properly humbled yourself in prayer. The Holy Ghost has blessed you with the spark to ignite this work, and now you have the blessing of a sure knowledge of the truth! What do you do with it now? Now you watch as the thermite reaction rages forth in a mighty experience. You go forth with the knowledge that you have. You experience conversion.

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