Because we can only be in one place, and think about one thing at a time, our actions and choices show what we care most about. Nephi says, “For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and the soul, other set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels” (1Ne. 19:7). To dismiss things the Lord values is to dismiss Him as well.
How can the Lord be certain we will value what He gives us? By requiring an investment of us.
An auto mechanic recently explained that people who are poor bring their broken down cars to the shop with great care, and that most repairs are incident to normal wear and tear. They value their cars because they have made tremendous personal investments in them. But young men and women who have expensive cars given to them by wealthy parents often bring them to the shop damaged due to neglect or carelessness. When we get something for free, we tend to treat it with less care than when we pay a price for it.
Deriving revelation from scripture study seems to work on a similar principle. It is possible to read the scriptures from beginning to end without getting inspiration about them. It is the Spirit that teaches us what we need most when studying. The guidance of the Spirit in scripture study makes it relevant to our lives. Why not simply have all the knowledge we need dumped directly into our brains without study? The investment of searching the scriptures shows that we are serious about getting those nuggets of revelation, and ensures that we will not treat them lightly after we receive them.
“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received...And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written...” (D&C 84:54-57). (It is interesting that one page after delineating the oath and covenant of the priesthood, the Lord again uses the word “covenant,” this time to describe the Book of Mormon itself.) Gifts offered and rejected become millstones around our neck instead of blessings.
It seems that the Lord will give us gifts of knowledge when our degree of regard for them is high enough that we change our behavior according to such knowledge. “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matt. 7:6). Those who cannot yet appreciate the value of the gospel will not benefit from hearing it. In this sense, comfort is the enemy of progress.
“In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me” (D&C 101:8). When we are in pain, suddenly we pay close attention to what the Lord has to say. No wonder so many people are in so much pain. We are being given weakness that we may be humble, to drive us to the Lord in faith and humility so He can affect the change in us we actually need. We begin to value, and seek, the counsel of the Lord:
“Behold, what shall these my brethren do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty...for they have cast us out...what shall we do? And now when Alma heard this...he beheld with great joy; for...their afflictions had truly humbled them, and they were in a preparation to hear the word” (Alma 32:5-6). Rock-bottom is a great place to start learning about the gospel.
The Lord is not stingy with His gifts; we are often not ready to receive them yet, “...because [we are] not willing to enjoy that which [we] might have received. For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:32-33).
After Jesus healed ten lepers, one returned to thank Him: “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17). Our gratitude, our whole attitude, is important to the Lord. “And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. And he who receiveth all things (trials too) with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more” (D&C 78:18-19). A whining child is hard to tolerate, but a child who never complains is an irresistible target for gifts.
How can we value what the Lord values? Values reflect knowledge and beliefs. When our beliefs are educated, correctly informed, our values more nearly align with the Lord’s. This is particularly pertinent to the Temple. As our understanding increases, we value it more. The investment of time increases our concern for what we learn there, too.
We sing “Count Your Many Blessings;” I wonder if we ought to catalogue them, not only to feel good or salve disappointments, but to determine which ones we are not currently using. The Lord has given us so much—patriarchal blessings, prayer, scriptures, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, relationships with others, access to the words of living Apostles and prophets, an array of talents. Are we using these gifts? I have always had a bookshelf next to my bed; how many of those books have merely gathered dust? Neglecting gifts is not far from trampling them.
John 3:16 is dilapidated from over-quoting. Usually I read it with the focus on “what’s in it for me.” But try reading it with an emphasis, not on the eventual reward of paradise, but on the Who, the “giver” of the gift: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “...eternal life...is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7). Before we can receive the gift of eternal life, we must receive the gift of a Savior who provides a way to repent and be cleansed of sin. Great provision has been made for us. We only need to repent to access it.
God does not ask of us what He is unwilling to do Himself. For every requirement placed upon us, there is some reciprocal action on His part. We are to value Him above all else, and demonstrate this love through our personal sacrifices. We are to make Him our highest priority, and offer the very best we have. In offering His Son, Jesus Christ, He has shown that we are His highest priority by sending us the Best He had, too.
“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me” (Isa. 49:16). I wonder if this means that in constantly viewing us, the Lord’s unlimited ability to comprehend the vastness of space is being used to examine the tiny boxes (houses) in which we live. We are constantly on His mind; we covenant to “always remember him” as well.
Often the Lord simply gives us things for free, or because we ask. There are other things He could give as easily for free, but that He requires us to sweat and exert for. That which we pay for is less likely to lose its value in our eyes. Insights into the Temple and the scriptures are among those things.
Another thing that increases the value of something is allowing us to own it, to feel we discovered it on our own. Most of the music I learned while taking piano lessons is lost to me, but everything I figured out or pursued on my own for fun is still available. I can plunk out any of those tunes. I learned them because I wanted to, not because I had to. Over-programming scripture study for youth in the Church had a similar effect on me; whatever I was compelled to read became a chore, while the things I discovered in the course of my own exploration became treasures. Agency allows learning to penetrate deeply and sink in; compulsory learning is shed like scales, as though the brain itself refuses to remember anything it was forced to ingest against its will.
When we value something, we tend to invest in it, but the reverse is also true; when we invest in something, we come to value it more.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Charity Respects Agency
Charity is a gift from God, a special kind of love that He “[bestows] upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ” (Moroni 7:48). It cannot be added to our list of virtues the way we learn to play the piano through constant practice; it is “bestowed.” There are forms of love that are native to the human heart that can be developed through our efforts, but charity originates from above. Likewise, pride, contention, and malice can come from human hearts, but they are intensified and promoted by Satan.
“...he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.” (3Ne. 11:29).
Nephi laments, “...Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? Awake, my soul...O, my heart...no longer give place for the enemy of my soul. Do not anger again because of mine enemies...” (2Ne. 4:27-29). He is reflecting on his misery, and recognizing where it is coming from.
The Spirit is with us when our desires are righteous, aligned with God’s will. God respects agency greatly, enough to forsake one third of His children in favor of sustaining agency. Adopting Satan's stance on agency (to destroy it) is to lose the Spirit, and hence become bereft of charity. Satan invites all to share His misery, both by wickedness, and through self-righteousness and judgmentalism in viewing others’ wickedness. Accusing others of sin, even truthfully, will invite misery. Satan is “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10), and we can expect to feel the way he does when we attempt to take his calling upon ourselves.
D&C 121 contrasts the wrong way to lead with the right way—first it tells us about Satan's plan to thwart others' agency: “...when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God” (vs. 37-38).
If we compel people to do the right thing, the Spirit withdraws. There are no spiritual vacuums; another spirit comes to take its place. Imagine that—going from a self-appointed police officer for God to becoming His active enemy, exactly because you sought to compel His children. When is it ever right to criticize anyone? Section 121 gives us the answer when it explains the right way to lead. Notice the respect for agency under-girding these instructions:
“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost (which is the only time we can criticize others without losing the Spirit); and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.”
It reflects the original Plan of Salvation—agency is held as sacred, inviolate. Notice the connection between respect for agency and charity. One flows into the other:
“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (D&C 121:35-46). Here God is teaching us how He governs—with love. And perfect love, charity, respects agency.
I believe this idea of respect for agency linked to charity explains why politics can be so dark and depressing and rage-inducing (even thinking about it). The paradigm of modern American politics is to solve all our problems by compelling other people to change their behaviors, and seeking to enact policies and laws that will force others to conform to our ideas of right and wrong. Satan could not help but reign triumphant over such a unified assault on agency. Where agency is under attack, it is evil territory. I have often come away from discussions or thoughts about politics feeling horrendous darkness, anger, and depression. Accusing, gossip, and the desire to compel give Satan power over us, over our hearts. And our accusations need not be false to generate such negative feelings. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom.12:19). We can be right while still acting or feeling in the wrong.
I recently lost thirty percent of my income because of federal legislation. This is a reality I live with. But I, like Nephi of old, am determined not to let it “destroy my peace” or “afflict my soul.” I avoid anger, even true accusations against particular politicians, because the companionship of the Spirit is worth more to me than money. What amount of my income legislators and managers slice out of my paycheck is hardly within my control; what I choose to think and feel about it is totally under my control, and I choose to let go and forgive rather than be dragged into Satan's misery.
This principle of respect for agency being a prerequisite to receiving charity from the Lord was highlighted for me recently with the news about the Prop 8 non-ruling. While my grumblings about the actions of politicians were based on truth, I felt unrighteous anger towards them and towards proponents of gay marriage because I overstepped their freedom to choose (only in my mind and heart, but that is all it took). Protecting the interests of unborn children by promoting guardianship of both biological parents is the extent of a good argument against legal status for gay marriage. Stepping beyond that is to invite the wrong spirit.
As we look out over the sea of human wickedness in high places that confronts us, I hope we will not fall into Satan’s trap of rage, tooth-gnashing, hand-wringing, and stomach acid-churning. Wicked people are doing evil things, but The Book of Mormon describes them in its pages and warns against them. Conspiracies, murder, theft, intrigues—it is all there, seemingly ripped from today’s headlines. That our scriptures describe such things should bring us hope, and turn our hearts to God, rather than make us self-righteous and accusatory. Darkness is real; so is mud, and we should not immerse our heads in either.
Rather than fight fire with fire—becoming monsters to exterminate monsters—we ought to fight fire with water. If we will repent, God will soften the hearts of our enemies, give us good leaders, prosper us as a people, and allow us to get out from under current political corruption and vice. We can focus on changing our behavior instead of trying to change others.
It is tempting to reach out and steady the ark, to tamper with others’ agency. But consequences will teach far better than we can with our scolding and self-righteous tongue-clicking. "If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do...for truth will cut its own way" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 314). If the Spirit prompts us to be sharp (plain) and tell someone they are out of line, then we may correct them and keep the Spirit. If we show forth afterward an increase of love, it is evidence that the critique originated from the Lord, rather than from ourselves. If we showed love instead of bearing down in harshness, those who hit rock bottom will feel safer turning to us for help.
Peter chopped off the ear of Malchus with a sword to defend the Savior; the Savior healed the servant’s ear. We often do the same thing in a figurative way, chopping with words instead of blades. The Lord is the only one fully qualified to criticize and judge, and He is the most merciful, lenient, forgiving, and indulgent of all. His pardon is dispensed when we merely ask for it. I hope we can discern when to draw the sword (probably rarely, if ever), and when to invite, entice, and persuade. Then we can enjoy the fruits of the Spirit: peace, joy, and love.
“...he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.” (3Ne. 11:29).
Nephi laments, “...Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? Awake, my soul...O, my heart...no longer give place for the enemy of my soul. Do not anger again because of mine enemies...” (2Ne. 4:27-29). He is reflecting on his misery, and recognizing where it is coming from.
The Spirit is with us when our desires are righteous, aligned with God’s will. God respects agency greatly, enough to forsake one third of His children in favor of sustaining agency. Adopting Satan's stance on agency (to destroy it) is to lose the Spirit, and hence become bereft of charity. Satan invites all to share His misery, both by wickedness, and through self-righteousness and judgmentalism in viewing others’ wickedness. Accusing others of sin, even truthfully, will invite misery. Satan is “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10), and we can expect to feel the way he does when we attempt to take his calling upon ourselves.
D&C 121 contrasts the wrong way to lead with the right way—first it tells us about Satan's plan to thwart others' agency: “...when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God” (vs. 37-38).
If we compel people to do the right thing, the Spirit withdraws. There are no spiritual vacuums; another spirit comes to take its place. Imagine that—going from a self-appointed police officer for God to becoming His active enemy, exactly because you sought to compel His children. When is it ever right to criticize anyone? Section 121 gives us the answer when it explains the right way to lead. Notice the respect for agency under-girding these instructions:
“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost (which is the only time we can criticize others without losing the Spirit); and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.”
It reflects the original Plan of Salvation—agency is held as sacred, inviolate. Notice the connection between respect for agency and charity. One flows into the other:
“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (D&C 121:35-46). Here God is teaching us how He governs—with love. And perfect love, charity, respects agency.
I believe this idea of respect for agency linked to charity explains why politics can be so dark and depressing and rage-inducing (even thinking about it). The paradigm of modern American politics is to solve all our problems by compelling other people to change their behaviors, and seeking to enact policies and laws that will force others to conform to our ideas of right and wrong. Satan could not help but reign triumphant over such a unified assault on agency. Where agency is under attack, it is evil territory. I have often come away from discussions or thoughts about politics feeling horrendous darkness, anger, and depression. Accusing, gossip, and the desire to compel give Satan power over us, over our hearts. And our accusations need not be false to generate such negative feelings. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom.12:19). We can be right while still acting or feeling in the wrong.
I recently lost thirty percent of my income because of federal legislation. This is a reality I live with. But I, like Nephi of old, am determined not to let it “destroy my peace” or “afflict my soul.” I avoid anger, even true accusations against particular politicians, because the companionship of the Spirit is worth more to me than money. What amount of my income legislators and managers slice out of my paycheck is hardly within my control; what I choose to think and feel about it is totally under my control, and I choose to let go and forgive rather than be dragged into Satan's misery.
This principle of respect for agency being a prerequisite to receiving charity from the Lord was highlighted for me recently with the news about the Prop 8 non-ruling. While my grumblings about the actions of politicians were based on truth, I felt unrighteous anger towards them and towards proponents of gay marriage because I overstepped their freedom to choose (only in my mind and heart, but that is all it took). Protecting the interests of unborn children by promoting guardianship of both biological parents is the extent of a good argument against legal status for gay marriage. Stepping beyond that is to invite the wrong spirit.
As we look out over the sea of human wickedness in high places that confronts us, I hope we will not fall into Satan’s trap of rage, tooth-gnashing, hand-wringing, and stomach acid-churning. Wicked people are doing evil things, but The Book of Mormon describes them in its pages and warns against them. Conspiracies, murder, theft, intrigues—it is all there, seemingly ripped from today’s headlines. That our scriptures describe such things should bring us hope, and turn our hearts to God, rather than make us self-righteous and accusatory. Darkness is real; so is mud, and we should not immerse our heads in either.
Rather than fight fire with fire—becoming monsters to exterminate monsters—we ought to fight fire with water. If we will repent, God will soften the hearts of our enemies, give us good leaders, prosper us as a people, and allow us to get out from under current political corruption and vice. We can focus on changing our behavior instead of trying to change others.
It is tempting to reach out and steady the ark, to tamper with others’ agency. But consequences will teach far better than we can with our scolding and self-righteous tongue-clicking. "If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do...for truth will cut its own way" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 314). If the Spirit prompts us to be sharp (plain) and tell someone they are out of line, then we may correct them and keep the Spirit. If we show forth afterward an increase of love, it is evidence that the critique originated from the Lord, rather than from ourselves. If we showed love instead of bearing down in harshness, those who hit rock bottom will feel safer turning to us for help.
Peter chopped off the ear of Malchus with a sword to defend the Savior; the Savior healed the servant’s ear. We often do the same thing in a figurative way, chopping with words instead of blades. The Lord is the only one fully qualified to criticize and judge, and He is the most merciful, lenient, forgiving, and indulgent of all. His pardon is dispensed when we merely ask for it. I hope we can discern when to draw the sword (probably rarely, if ever), and when to invite, entice, and persuade. Then we can enjoy the fruits of the Spirit: peace, joy, and love.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
The Bar
Jesus Christ is our Savior. That means He does things for us that we cannot do for ourselves.
I spent a lot of time this week chasing hyperactive nieces and a nephew, 5 years or younger, around the house. I did many things for them, including cleaning up their messes, feeding them, and playing with them. Some things they could do for themselves, others not at all, but I could do anything better for them than they could for themselves. I could not help wondering as I looked at these precious little ones, is this how God sees me? Is this how it feels to be like Him?
Jesus Christ is "the light of the world." Not only does His universal influence illuminate conscience; it makes life and conscious existence possible. Lucifer wanted to be the savior instead, and lower the bar for himself by lowering it for us so that there would be no sin for him to suffer for. Instead of chasing us around cleaning up our messes when we sin, and providing succor for our mistakes and weaknesses, Lucifer proposed a plan in which no one could even choose to sin. Instead of lowering the bar for us, Jesus atones for our sins, and makes it possible to be forgiven when we repent. He also staves off justice, clears a space for mortal probation, in which we may repent.
"And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents" (2Ne. 2:21).
From creation to the final judgment at the narrow gate of heaven, Jesus is there with us every step of the way. This is true for all of His Father in Heaven's children. This is an incomprehensibly enormous responsibility. He assumed it all when He said, "Here am I, send me" (Abr. 3:27).
Even with this generous extension of our lives beyond the years of procreation, knowing what the standard is can be daunting. I have looked at high-jump bars and pole vaulting bars set high in the air, and it is intimidating to think of what skill and strength it would take to clear them. The disparity between where we are and where we know we ought be is staggering. How can we look at the bar of righteous behavior so high above our heads, and not become discouraged?
We have a chance to alter our behavior, to improve it. "Perfect" has several meanings in the scriptures. The Greek meaning in Matt. 5:48 ("be ye therefore perfect") implies completion, adulthood, full development. But the word translated as as "perfect" from Greek (teleios) can also mean that we live up to all the commandments we currently have—"keeping the whole law." This simply means our behavior conforms to the rules. A circle may be small or big, but the small one only has to be the right shape to be a perfect circle. We do not need to live up to every law that exists, just every law we have currently been given, to achieve this kind of "perfect." I believe this second kind of perfection is closer to what Moroni meant when he wrote the last few verses in the Book of Mormon:
"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." I believe this is an admonition about behavioral perfection rather than ultimate perfection because of the next verse: "And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot" (Moroni 10:32:33).
If we are perfect, as in flawless and fully developed, how can we be improved upon? But Moroni is saying that AFTER we become "perfect in Christ," we can then become sanctified when we do not deny His power. That indicates an improvement; how do you improve on perfection? But if he is speaking about having our behavior perfected, then the verse makes sense. I believe he is saying that first we receive strength beyond our own natural powers, grace, to live the law outwardly. Then, if we do not deny that Jesus was the one who gave us that power, we will be sanctified, or cleansed of evil inwardly. It is possible to be righteous through resisting by will power, but it is better to be righteous because we have lost the ability to be tempted, or the desire to sin at all. One by one, our evil tendencies blink out like stars disappearing before the dawn of a new day, until they are dissipated and obscured and scoured out of us. That is sanctification.
Jesus is our Savior at all stages of this process, whether recognizing pangs of guilt for our sins for the first time, or changing our behavior alone, or being strengthened to change our behavior more, or having unrighteous desires "rooted out of [our] breast" (Alma 22:15). What makes recognition of our nothingness bearable? Our trust and reliance upon the Savior, our hope through His atonement, the knowledge that He fills in the blanks we leave, and makes up the difference. Feeling the Savior's hand in our lives, feeling the sting of guilt prompting us to change and repent, is evidence that there is hope for us. Why would the Spirit prompt us to work harder if it was all meaningless? There must be hope for us, otherwise God would give up and let us go our way. In short, knowing He loves us, and will perfect us, makes weakness bearable.
Rather than lower the bar, or hit us over the head with it, the Savior gives us one boost after another as we learn and grow and reach toward ultimate perfection. He lifts us up to His level. He puts a series of steps between us and the bar, instead of expecting us to clear it in one enormous leap to flawlessness. He asks that we keep trying via the numerous commands to repent. We can wobble at perilous altitudes with confidence because a pair of strong hands waits to catch us when we stumble, as long as we are willing to repent and try again.
I spent a lot of time this week chasing hyperactive nieces and a nephew, 5 years or younger, around the house. I did many things for them, including cleaning up their messes, feeding them, and playing with them. Some things they could do for themselves, others not at all, but I could do anything better for them than they could for themselves. I could not help wondering as I looked at these precious little ones, is this how God sees me? Is this how it feels to be like Him?
Jesus Christ is "the light of the world." Not only does His universal influence illuminate conscience; it makes life and conscious existence possible. Lucifer wanted to be the savior instead, and lower the bar for himself by lowering it for us so that there would be no sin for him to suffer for. Instead of chasing us around cleaning up our messes when we sin, and providing succor for our mistakes and weaknesses, Lucifer proposed a plan in which no one could even choose to sin. Instead of lowering the bar for us, Jesus atones for our sins, and makes it possible to be forgiven when we repent. He also staves off justice, clears a space for mortal probation, in which we may repent.
"And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents" (2Ne. 2:21).
From creation to the final judgment at the narrow gate of heaven, Jesus is there with us every step of the way. This is true for all of His Father in Heaven's children. This is an incomprehensibly enormous responsibility. He assumed it all when He said, "Here am I, send me" (Abr. 3:27).
Even with this generous extension of our lives beyond the years of procreation, knowing what the standard is can be daunting. I have looked at high-jump bars and pole vaulting bars set high in the air, and it is intimidating to think of what skill and strength it would take to clear them. The disparity between where we are and where we know we ought be is staggering. How can we look at the bar of righteous behavior so high above our heads, and not become discouraged?
We have a chance to alter our behavior, to improve it. "Perfect" has several meanings in the scriptures. The Greek meaning in Matt. 5:48 ("be ye therefore perfect") implies completion, adulthood, full development. But the word translated as as "perfect" from Greek (teleios) can also mean that we live up to all the commandments we currently have—"keeping the whole law." This simply means our behavior conforms to the rules. A circle may be small or big, but the small one only has to be the right shape to be a perfect circle. We do not need to live up to every law that exists, just every law we have currently been given, to achieve this kind of "perfect." I believe this second kind of perfection is closer to what Moroni meant when he wrote the last few verses in the Book of Mormon:
"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." I believe this is an admonition about behavioral perfection rather than ultimate perfection because of the next verse: "And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot" (Moroni 10:32:33).
If we are perfect, as in flawless and fully developed, how can we be improved upon? But Moroni is saying that AFTER we become "perfect in Christ," we can then become sanctified when we do not deny His power. That indicates an improvement; how do you improve on perfection? But if he is speaking about having our behavior perfected, then the verse makes sense. I believe he is saying that first we receive strength beyond our own natural powers, grace, to live the law outwardly. Then, if we do not deny that Jesus was the one who gave us that power, we will be sanctified, or cleansed of evil inwardly. It is possible to be righteous through resisting by will power, but it is better to be righteous because we have lost the ability to be tempted, or the desire to sin at all. One by one, our evil tendencies blink out like stars disappearing before the dawn of a new day, until they are dissipated and obscured and scoured out of us. That is sanctification.
Jesus is our Savior at all stages of this process, whether recognizing pangs of guilt for our sins for the first time, or changing our behavior alone, or being strengthened to change our behavior more, or having unrighteous desires "rooted out of [our] breast" (Alma 22:15). What makes recognition of our nothingness bearable? Our trust and reliance upon the Savior, our hope through His atonement, the knowledge that He fills in the blanks we leave, and makes up the difference. Feeling the Savior's hand in our lives, feeling the sting of guilt prompting us to change and repent, is evidence that there is hope for us. Why would the Spirit prompt us to work harder if it was all meaningless? There must be hope for us, otherwise God would give up and let us go our way. In short, knowing He loves us, and will perfect us, makes weakness bearable.
Rather than lower the bar, or hit us over the head with it, the Savior gives us one boost after another as we learn and grow and reach toward ultimate perfection. He lifts us up to His level. He puts a series of steps between us and the bar, instead of expecting us to clear it in one enormous leap to flawlessness. He asks that we keep trying via the numerous commands to repent. We can wobble at perilous altitudes with confidence because a pair of strong hands waits to catch us when we stumble, as long as we are willing to repent and try again.
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