Learning by Choice

Dear Family and Friends,

I had a really awesome opportunity to sing in Sacrament Meeting last Sunday. It was cool because we have a Julliard graduate professional violinist in our ward that is in charge of all the special Musical numbers. She asked me to do a musical number and with her help and another sister on the piano we performed a version of Joseph Smith's First Prayer arranged by Rick Graham. It is done to the tune of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, and I think it is one of the coolest arrangements I have ever heard. Anyway, that was a fun experience for me. 

I come to learn by more and more experience that people just don't choose to be obedient, including myself in many ways. A scripture that comes to mind is James 4:17 which mentions (paraphrasing), to him that knows to do good and he does it not, to him it is Sin. We learn from the first example of disobedience that this world has known that God's plan is a merciful one, yet a just plan as well. God instilled the possibility of doing wrong when he instructed Adam and Eve not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He had instructed them as to what would happen if they chose one path or the other. On one hand they would live forever in the garden without learning, without feeling, without growing. On the other hand they could partake of the fruit and immediately feel the absence of God's presence, and consequentially they would become mortal and subject to sickness pain and death. That is the process of Learning. I believe that the fruit was not instilled with some magic substance that immediately gave them knowledge of everything that was right and everything that was wrong. Instead by their choice, they were able to learn what God had explained would happen by choice. It is no secret that the Jesus Christ, or Jehovah as he is referred to in the old testament, was chose before this world began to be the Savior of the World. It is only by our choices that we are able to learn and grow, and also to recognize right from wrong. This is what made the necessity for commandments. So that by living in the light of that which is true we can gain an understanding of who we are. I like the quote "There are two important days in a persons life, the day they are born, and the day they find out why." We are instructed sufficiently to know good from evil in the circumstances we are faced with, and from that point we grow from grace to grace until we are able to gain a fullness of the knowledge God is ready to give us. This is the pattern each and every day of learning by choice. I felt that I needed to share that today. I love you all!

The baptism this Saturday will be great! Peter is learning quickly and accepting the Gospel with an open heart. Thanks for all your prayers and love, I feel the strength and benefit that these simple things bring!

Have a great week!

Elder McGarry

 5th ward Quad :)

 Radiator Springs?? Not quite ;)​