No Middle Ground

After each General Conference when we get the Ensign issue of conference I read a talk or two each morning before I get up.  They are easily read in bed which is my favorite place to read.  I have found it is difficult to study the scriptures for me in bed so I postpone the inevitable of getting up by still doing something productive and inspiring before I start my day.  (A disclaimer:  I do study my scriptures later after I am up)  Occasionally I do something good but it is usually borrowed from someone else and so is this-----my cousin once told me that in her family growing up they all were expected to read an article in the New Era or Ensign each day and then they initialed the article they finished reading.  Their dad, my uncle, would then know who had been reading them and if he didn't see initials of one of the children for a while he would know they needed an interview.  Now unfortunately I did not initiate this with my children, but I do it myself with my conference talks.  I initial each talk after I finish it and it does give a sense of accomplishment as I refer to the conference issue often I can see my initials on each talk of the conference. OK I'm thrilled by small things, but whatever works.
Now to the point of this entry.  I was reading the other morning the talk given in October Conference by Elder Tad R. Callister, and he quoted CS Lewis from Mere Christianity.  This thought has resonated in my mind many times throughout the next few days.  I will share it with you.

C. S. Lewis spoke of a similar dilemma faced by someone who must choose whether to accept or reject the Savior’s divinity—where there is likewise no middle ground: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. … You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. … But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”² 


I associate with dear friends who don't believe in the Divinity of God and my heart breaks for them and the comfort they are missing in their lives.  One friend told me that growing up  Jesus was never even mentioned with the Christmas Season.  She had no idea it was even remotely a religious holiday until she moved away from home and noticed what others were saying about Christmas and that Nativities were being displayed.  How thankful I am, especially during this Christmas Season, that I do know that Jesus is the Son of God.  I love the magic of the season, but it is magical because of Whom it represents.