Bubbles

I really like this article!  There are lots of good things to think about....

1. TRAVEL.  See the world.  Get outside your bubble.  Go places.  Experience life and people and things that are different than you.  That's a great thing and we should do it whether near or far.  We should learn about others and be open and also share about ourselves in the process.

2. BE YOU.  We can't let the world change us.  Before and as we go and after we return we need to truly know and remember who we are and be that.  Obviously we learn and grow as we go, and must be humble, but we should be firm in our core beliefs and identity and not let the world determine that for us or make us afraid to share who we truly are.

I think that too often when we think of bubbles or sharing the gospel it sounds self-righteous.  It shouldn't be.  A humble learner and traveler will learn and share freely out of love and care and desire to learn and grow.  (I heard a neat thing this week.  Meekness is recognizing that others need you.  Humility is recognizing that you need others.)

While we humbly learn and share we need to not be distracted!  The world is loud and persuasive, so we need to be sure to stay focused on the most important thing - building Zion, truly becoming a disciple of Christ, making Christ the center of our lives.

I really like these two quotes from the article:

Joseph Smith said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. … The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,  160–61).

We need to be Zion people – A Zion Person. Pure in heart, and of one heart and mind. How do we do this? Be clean, and follow the Savior and His prophets: “We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson)

While reading this article I thought of salt and leaven.  Here are a couple of really good related references:

Salt and Light by Matthew Richardson

• Elder Ballard teaches that "we should not try to take ourselves or our children out of the world.  The Lord does not need a society that hides and isolates itself from the world. Rather, he needs stalwart individuals and families who live exemplary lives in the world and demonstrate that joy and fulfillment that come not of the world but through the spirit and doctrine of Jesus Christ."

Matthew 5:13

• Salt preserves and saves.
• We can't lose our savor or we're good for nothing!  ;)

We can't hide ourselves (like a bubble implies), but we must preserve the purity of our salt and light and leaven and create our 'bubble' so that it makes a difference in the world and grows in influence (like the original article says.... start with ourselves, families, then communities, etc.).  I think the world discounts bubbles.  I think that those who are interested in creating a haven of peace and goodness in their lives and homes and families are sometimes judged unfairly and seen as self-righteousness or selfish.  Those who choose to focus on and build and share the good should be valued and be able to share.

I'm reading Evicted right now.  I don't recommend it, but it's eye-opening in some ways showing the cycle of the hard, sad life when there's no leaven, or haven, or peace.  In some ways I believe these articles and thoughts are what comes after peace - peace and Zion means striving for oneness with God.  That's what we work for and share.️