We sometimes attempt to do too much on our own - just like Moses. (Exodus 18-20)

18:14, 17-18

Moses had a delegation problem. His father-in-law correctly pointed this out. "What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? ...the thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone."

I can empathize with Moses. I have a problem delegating. I have trust issues. I like to do things myself so I can completely control the outcome. What Moses was doing was very important. He wanted it done right. He felt the responsibility for Israel. It was a weight on his shoulders.

With good intentions, he didn't delegate any of this responsibility. This was "not good" for him OR the people. They were both going to "wear away." We aren't expected to do more than we can do. To do everything, it is "too heavy" for any of us. There are many callings and responsibilities that are too much for ANYONE to perform it "alone."

There are many local church leaders in the world that go inactive immediately after being released. They are burnt out. They were so busy, they need a break.

There are many mothers who are afraid to ask others for help - even their own husbands.

There are business leaders who work insane hours because they don't trust their subordinates.

If we have leadership positions, we should utilize the people we have around us who are willing to help. Even if they will do a lesser job, it is better to work through others. I often say that, if someone else can do my work at 80% quality, it's worth it to delegate. :)

The bigger picture is that this life is about development. If a few of us are wanting to do all of the work, we deprive others of opportunities to develop. Think of how God himself works! It would be so much for effective if he personally spoke to us at General Conference. If God led our sacrament meetings, think of the impact!

But, he wants us to develop. So, he allows the work of his earthly kingdom to be led by mortal men and women. Each is a small fraction as effective. He allows these chosen leaders to make mistakes and do things imperfectly because it allows for their progression. We should follow God's pattern for developing others.

By the way, many of us could us a Jethro in our lives. Someone who doesn't mince words and beat around the bush. We need friends and family who will call it like they see it and tell us when we're wrong. We should all be that type of friend to others.

19:5

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine." If we blend in with the world, what use are we? What value do we have? It we are natural men in a natural world, we can't become something more.

God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. In other words, his work is to help us progress to become like Him. This is what is important to him. This is what will add to his glory. Our eternal progression is what he cares about. So, if we are obedient and keep our covenants, we will remain teachable and will progress. If we can keep it up through eternity, we can be like him.

Natural men are not peculiar. They don't stand out. They are a part of the world and are not partakers of the plan of salvation.

19:8

The people intended to be obedient. They were caught up in the emotion and said, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." It is easy to make commitments when you're feeling the emotion. However, someone once said, "the true measure of character is the ability to follow through after the emotion has passed." The Israelites struggled with following through.

19:9

God wanted the people to believe. He wanted them to hear his voice. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever." It's interesting because the Israelites seem to be a fickle people later. They weren't completely converted through the miracle of hearing God directly.

It's a good reminder that we are not usually converted by a single, emotional event. We become converted through daily acts that eventually change our character.

19:14-15

"And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives."

We humans need to do physical things that help us focus our faith. For example, we:

• Take the sacrament weekly.

• Pray on our knees with our eyes closed.

• Raise our hands when we sustain our leaders.

• Are baptized by immersion.

• Fast once a month.

For whatever reason, these physical actions help us become stronger disciples. Our discipleship cannot be inside of our minds.

For the Israelites to wash their clothes and not be with their wives, it further sanctified them. They were doing something physical that was a manifestation of how they feel. Physical actions strengthen our faith.

19:21

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish." One reason that God doesn't appear to people regularly is that their discipleship hasn't progressed to the point that they will 'live up' to knowledge they have. Their moral weaknesses will still be there even though they have knowledge. In other words, their spiritual strength may not have developed enough to handle the new knowledge they've received.

Our faith, spiritual strength and knowledge should all grow together. If our faith becomes a sure knowledge without spiritual strength, we are doomed to transgress against sure knowledge. Doing this will certainly cause us to 'perish.'

20:5

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." The Hebrew word for jealous is 'qannah' which means "possessing sensitive and deep feelings." I think that this verse isn't saying that God is jealous. However, he cares deeply about us.

I know that he doesn't really curse children because of the iniquities of their fathers. Instead, I think that this cursing happens naturally. When a person hates God, his children are effected. They are effected so strongly that their children and grandchildren will also be affected. It's a natural cause and effect of unrighteousness.

20:8

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." I think it could be said to remember the sabbath day to keep US holy. As I wrote earlier, we need physical manifestations of our faith. As we do 'things,' it strengthens our faith. Keeping the sabbath day holy is a good weekly reminder for us of what is important. It helps us keep things in perspective. It prevents our worldly lives from taking over our entire existence.

A humans that are constantly pulled by the natural man, we need these reminders. The sabbath day is a major tool for preventing personal apostasy. It's something that I could stand to be a little more diligent with...

20:12

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Why does honoring our parents lengthen our lives? First, we need to realize how much wisdom is earned over time. Our parents always have 20-30 years more experience in life than we do. We can build on the lessons that they learned. Every generation doesn't have to reinvent the wheel.

If every person honored the acquired wisdom of his or her parents - that wisdom accumulates. Every generation would get progressively better at avoiding the common pitfalls and mistakes that exist in this world. Doing so would add years to our lives.

20:16

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." The footnote here mentions 'gossip.' We generally associate this verse with not telling lies. It's usually about being honest. I think most of us are usually honest. However, many of us enjoy sharing gossip that we hear about others. We think that it makes us seem more interesting if we can share something juicy. It also helps us feel better about ourselves to talk about the follies of others.

These are two tempting reasons to enjoy gossip. But, to truly be Christlike and follow the commandments, we need to avoid gossip the same way we avoid lying.

20:17

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s." Why is coveting such a problem? Two big reasons that I can think of:

1. We focus on worldly things rather than spiritual growth. We seek to acquire greater possessions rather than improving our righteousness. These things become golden cows to us.

2. We may compare ours to theirs. Whether it's a car or a spouse, to compare what we have with what others have can only cause dissatisfaction (when what we have is less) or pride (when what we have is more).

20:20

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." If the fear of God was always before our faces, we wouldn't sin. It is only when our minds drift from Godly things that we sin. We can't bask in eternal thoughts and do something immoral. There has to be some kind of anti-spiritual buffer for us to do bad things. This buffer can be apathy, small sins, wicked media or simple time filled with nothing spiritual. If we watch HBO for a week without having spiritual thoughts, it is much easier to sin.

20:22

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven." This simple concept of God speaking with a man is important. There are so many that believe that God is a force or an idea or a concept that is unfathomable.

If we cannot even begin to conceptualize God, how can we truly view ourselves as sons and daughters? But, if we see him as a man with flesh and bones, it automatically gives us an understanding of our potential. We can view ourselves as his actual children with divine potential. Knowing that God is a being who can talk is part of us understanding ourselves.

20:23

"Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold." God is very concerned about us not understanding who he is and who we are. Seeing him as a loving parent is important in building a relationship with him and understanding his nature. If we attempt to create a God of silver or gold, we are viewing him incorrectly. Instead of a loving parent, we see him as some magical animal or symbol. This prevents us from seeing him truly and knowing what we have potential to become.

20:25

"And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."

I remember the first time I went to the temple, I was surprised at how simple the endowment room was. It was nice, but not at all ornate. The altar seemed especially basic to me. I've learned that the altar itself is not important, it is what we are sacrificing on the altar that matters. The altar is simply the venue for the important event.

The Israelites obviously had an issue with worshipping idols. I believe that asking that they build an altar with natural stones helped them understand what was really important. Our churches don't have to be like the amazing European cathedrals with mosaic tiles, painted ceilings and intricate statues. The important thing is the worship that happens in the church - not the church itself.

Kneeling before a fancy altar isn't helpful - it's simply the kneeling that matters.