Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
Or stated another way.
An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
In Newton’s paper describing his laws of motion he put it this way:
Lex I: Corpus omne perseverare in statu suo quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum, nisi quatenus a viribus impressis cogitur statum illum mutare.
An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an external and unbalanced force. An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an external and unbalanced force.
This law is also called the law of inertia.
In other words: People keep on doing what they are doing.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that "in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state." This is also commonly referred to as entropy. A watchspring-driven watch will run until the potential energy in the spring is converted, and not again until energy is reapplied to the spring to rewind it. A car that has run out of gas will not run again until you walk 10 miles to a gas station and refuel the car. Once the potential energy locked in carbohydrates is converted into kinetic energy (energy in use or motion), the organism will get no more until energy is input again. In the process of energy transfer, some energy will dissipate as heat. Entropy is a measure of disorder: cells are NOT disordered and so have low entropy. The flow of energy maintains order and life. Entropy wins when organisms cease to take in energy and die.
In other words: Unless you put energy and work into your life you will be less than you ought to or can become. We always have to move and expand our horizons by effort on our part.
The man or woman of Christ
We have been invited to become like Christ. What follows is a few scriptural citations to point us the way. .
3 Nephi 27:27
27 And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.
3 Nephi 27:28
28 And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you.
Matthew 5:48
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
JST Matthew 5:50
50 Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Philippians 3:15
15 ¶ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
JST James 1:4
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
3 Nephi 12:48
48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Moroni 10:32
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
D&C 58:27
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
D&C 58:28
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
Matthew 21:22
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
John 16:22
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16:23
23 ¶ And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
John 16:24
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
1 Nephi 15:11
11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?--If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
Enos 1:15
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
3 Nephi 18:19
19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
3 Nephi 18:20
20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
3 Nephi 27:29
29 Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
Moroni 7:26
26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as sure as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
D&C 4:6
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
D&C 4:7
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.
D&C 49:26
26 Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.
D&C 66:9
9 Lay your hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. Return not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
D&C 88:63
63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
D&C 88:64
64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;
D&C 88:65
65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.
D&C 103:31
31 Behold this is my will; ask and ye shall receive; but men do not always do my will.
JST Matthew 21:20
20 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, in faith believing, ye shall receive.
D&C 88:36
36 All kingdoms have a law given;
D&C 88:37
37 And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
D&C 88:38
38 And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
D&C 88:39
39 All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.
D&C 88:42
42 And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons;
In summary; these are the things that we need to do in order to come to and be like the Savior.
- Study
- Constant learning
- Constant Improvement
- Ask and ye shall receive
How many of us ask how we may improve our lives and change to become the man of Christ? Once again: D&C 58:28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.
The mists of darkness in Lehi’s dream are the distractions that keep us from coming to Christ and being perfected in him.
Grandpa says; Stay away from the mists of darkness and walk in the light.
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