The Aaronic priesthood is described as "preparatory." I used to assume this implied the duties performed by deacons, teachers, and priests were meant to prepare them for greater responsibilities when they were ordained as elders. This may be part of the meaning of "preparatory," but I have come to see another meaning. The ordinances performed by deacons, teachers, and priests are preparatory for the greater ordinances of the Melchizedek priesthood. Baptism, the sacrament, and ordaining other priests, teachers, and deacons are all ordinances performed by the authority of the Aaronic priesthood, and they are all preparation for something greater. Baptism represents birth, among other things; it is the gate through which we enter the path to God, not the end of the line. The sacrament is an ordinance for those who are on the path, and its language is tentative. We only witness that we are willing to do certain things; we do not actually promise anything yet. Of course, to ordain someone to any office below that of Elder is to give them less authority than they will ultimately have if they continue faithful on the path.
John the Baptist was also sent to "prepare the way of the Lord." "John answered, saying unto them all, I
indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the
latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire..." (Luke 3:16).
Aaronic duties are also physical. Collecting fast offerings, setting up the sacrament and administering it, running errands for the bishop, and seeing to the physical needs of members via home teaching as representatives of the bishop, are all physically oriented tasks. They are visible, outward things.
Melchizedek priesthood ordinances are geared toward the spiritual, inward, invisible aspects of the gospel. A priest may baptize, but only an elder can confirm new members and bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost. Temple ordinances are all performed by elders, and they are not made public, but are hidden from the world to keep them sacred. You can watch someone immersed physically in water, but can you tell whether they have the broken heart and contrite spirit necessary to receive baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost? Can we tell if they have the Spirit or not? This is the province of the Melchizedek priesthood.
In our backward telestial world, truth is mutable, expendable, and frequently tortured and mutilated for the purpose of salesmanship and deception. Three dimensional objects and social status outweigh truth in most circles here on earth. In heaven, however, the truth is in charge, and physical things are ancillary. The world could not be created until Jesus said, "Here am I, send me." His honest agreement to fulfill the role of Savior, was necessary in order for creation of the physical worlds to begin. Can you weigh words? How much mass does abstract information have? Can you drink a gallon of truth? Eternity and galaxies and trillions of inhabitants on millions of worlds hung on the word of one Being.
Just as this ranking of truth above physical concerns is the proper order for the universe, so it is the proper order for our internal worlds, our hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies. When the intelligence in us rules, when our spirits take the reigns, and our bodies are taking orders from them, all is well. When the body gives orders to the spirit, all is lost. It is not unlike a horse trying to ride a human. The human suffers, and neither of them get anywhere. As my mission president observed, the body is a wonderful servant, but a horrible master.
The world reflects the gross order of appetite before truth, and the Savior was confronted by the classical temptations of the world when He was in the wilderness. Bread represented the lusts of the flesh; leaping from a pinnacle of the Temple represented popularity; the vision of all the kingdoms and money of the world represented the twin temptations of wealth and power (can you have one without the other?) He faced down all of these, and triumphantly declared, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Why should I be of good cheer if I'm still in the muck of this world, while He has slogged through and escaped? Because we rely on His merits. We do not merit (earn) anything, because we fall short; He merits everything, because He succeeded. He wants to share it with us, and has set the example for us to follow, as well as constructing the pathway to walk, making it possible to follow Him.
It seems to me that in the Old Temple, we get an image of worldly work from the Table of Shewbread. Bread is the byproduct of civilization. It requires work, knowledge of calendars and seasons, tilling, sowing, irrigation, harvesting, threshing, grinding in the mill, baking in ovens, in order to be enjoyed. By the sweat of our brow, and the cunning of our ingenuity, we eat bread. Meanwhile, we dodge the missiles of Satan. Money can procure bread; dishonesty, a blatant disrespect for truth, is the quickest path to money. Money is nothing but a paper promise of value, a promissory IOU. Liars can manufacture these in unlimited quantities. It is all very telestial, survival of the fittest, dog-eat-dog, predatory stuff.
But as you cross from your right to the left side of the Old Temple, in contrast to the Table of Shewbread, you find a golden, glowing representation of the Tree of Life, the Menorah. Lehi and his family "fell down" to partake of the fruit of this tree; there was no planting, plowing, reaping, etc. They merely came up to it and plucked the fruit. Many people in the Book of Mormon had spent their lives toiling in sin or in righteousness, but the moments when they crossed that line do not record effort on their part, other than to cry unto the Lord with all their hearts (see Mosiah 4:2-3, Alma 36:18-21, 22:15-18). The obstacles to the Tree in Lehi's dream were emotional, social, and only physical insofar as temptations are physical. There were mists, mockers, distractions, but no walls, barriers, or mountains in the way. Social constraints are not physical; they exist inside of us as inhibitions, a deep concern for others' opinions. Even the physical temptations, the mists of darkness, were options rather than compulsion; you could hold the rod to defeat them. The iron rod was a representation of the word of God, and His word is truth (John 17:17).
I have implied that truth is an abstract, weightless, zero-dimensional concept, an untouchable wisp or figment of consciousness. But Jesus claims it as a name for Himself: "...I am the...truth..." (John 14:6). He does not say "I am honest," or "I am truthful;" He says he IS the truth. The order of heaven is backwards from the order of this world in many ways, and the contrast between the disregard for truth and honesty here on earth are starkly contrasted against the strict obedience to truth, regardless of the inconvenience, pain, burdens, or suffering it may incur. Jesus embodies truth in that way; He was perfectly humble, always deferring to truth in spite of any consequences.
John was the living embodiment of the Aaronic priesthood, and Jesus was the living embodiment of the Melchizedek priesthood. John said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). We emphasize the fact that God is a resurrected man, with a perfect body, but He also has a spirit. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24). There is a verse, D&C 93:19, that baffles me: "I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness." The word "truth" appears eighteen times in that section of the D&C. I guess I am asking out loud rather than stating for sure, but is that related to the what mentioned here? I will leave this one hanging for now.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Problems: Causes, Confusions, Solutions
I have written elsewhere that the cure for addiction to pornography is spiritual rebirth. While I believe what I wrote is true, it has been brought forcefully to my attention that taking away a poison does not necessarily mean that all is well in an individual. I want to clear up confusion about the difference between being healed of addiction (or a grudge, or obsessions, or jealousy, or any other malady of the heart that rebirth can heal), and having the consequences of choices reversed.
Let me offer a medical analogy. I believe that health problems can be chalked up to one of five causes:
1. Poisons-something is in the system that does not belong.
2. Deficiency-something important is low or absent from the system.
3. Excess-toxic amounts of something that is necessary for survival.
4. Deformity-all the necessary ingredients are there, but the organs are arranged counterproductively.
5. Some combination of 1-4.
Deficiency: Lost Opportunities
Removing a poison like mercury from a body will help it to function properly, but it will not spontaneously cure iron deficiency. Likewise, removing the desire for pornography through spiritual rebirth will relieve the ills that come with it, but it will bring back lost opportunities for development. The desire for pornography may be gone, but the opportunities to develop social skills through dating that were missed do not re-present themselves. The thousands of hours lost in solitude could have been filled with many positive learning experiences, and that time is permanently gone.
Here is a huge section of a talk by President Eyring, from the October 1999 Conference. The talk is called Do Not Delay, and he makes clear what I am trying to get at:
"I knew a man once...When he was 12 he was ordained a deacon. Some of his friends tempted him to begin to smoke. He began to feel uncomfortable in church. He left his little town, not finishing high school, to begin a life following construction jobs across the United States. He was a heavy-equipment operator. He married. They had children. The marriage ended in a bitter divorce. He lost his children. He lost an eye in an accident. He lived alone in boardinghouses. He lost everything he owned except what he could carry in a trunk.
"One night, as he prepared to move yet again, he decided to lighten the load of that trunk. Beneath the junk of years, he found a book. He never knew how it got there. It was the Book of Mormon. He read it through, and the Spirit told him it was true. He knew then that all those years ago he had walked away from the true Church of Jesus Christ and from the happiness which could have been his.
"Later, he was my more-than-70-year-old district missionary companion. I asked the people we were teaching, as I testified of the power of the Savior’s Atonement, to look at him. He had been washed clean and given a new heart, and I knew they would see that in his face. I told the people that what they saw was evidence that the Atonement of Jesus Christ could wash away all the corrosive effects of sin.
"That was the only time he ever rebuked me. He told me in the darkness outside the trailer where we had been teaching that I should have told the people that while God was able to give him a new heart, He had not been able to give him back his wife and his children and what he might have done for them. But he had not looked back in sorrow and regret for what might have been. He moved forward, lifted by faith, to what yet might be.
"One day he told me that in a dream the night before, the sight in his blind eye was restored. He realized that the dream was a glimpse of a future day, walking among loving people in the light of a glorious resurrection. Tears of joy ran down the deeply lined face of that towering, raw-boned man. He spoke to me quietly, with a radiant smile. I don’t remember what he said he saw, but I remember that his face shone with happy anticipation as he described the view. With the Lord’s help and the miracle of that book in the bottom of a trunk, it had not for him been too late nor the way too hard."
I have been told that to master a great skill, such as piano or painting, requires ten thousand hours of concentrated effort. I do not know where my good friends got that statistic, but we will just assume that it is true for a minute. If you spend eight hours a day, EVERY day, practicing at some skill, you will come away with ten thousand hours after 3.42 years. If you practice forty hours a week, skipping weekends, you will reach ten thousand hours in about 5.2 years. If you spend four hours a day, skipping weekends, you will get to the magical ten thousand hour mark in 9.6 years. I can hardly think of anything that I have been that committed to for that much time, except perhaps things like driving, brushing teeth, and studying the scriptures. Mastery is illusive because devotion is rare. We witness the fruits of it in concert halls, art galleries, and athletic competitions. It takes nascent talent, yes, but that talent must be cultivated.
Assumptions
Assumptions can become blind spots for us. It is very easy to assume that other people think the way we do, that they have the same skills, motivations, feelings, beliefs. Only when they act or open their mouths do we see the internal differences between us and those around us. It is easy to assume that someone is able to do things easily because we can do them easily. But why are such abilities part of our skill set? They became a part of our repertoire because we took the time and chances to develop them.
The men in the Church have been counseled to date more. Dating requires a level of social competence that is becoming more rare, thanks to video games, pornography, and other consuming activities that dominate early lives of boys. If a boy spends ten thousand hours looking at pornography and playing games online, in isolation, will he be able to interact well with the opposite sex, develop healthy relationships, and get married? His growth in these areas will be stunted. The general assumption is that social interaction is as easy and natural as breathing, "it's just what we humans do." But extreme cases of feral children, boys and girls raised without human contact, indicate that without extensive social experience a person will view other people as aliens from another world, and lack sensitivity to the nuances of protocol, etiquette, body language, deportment, and on and on. In my opinion, pornography, video games, movies, and other obsessive, isolating, massively time consuming activities produce a diluted version of this feral child effect by robbing the developing mind of the thousands of hours of social interaction needed to train the brain. Impaired ability to interact socially, especially to date, court, and marry, are the results.
Solutions
There must be a way to overcome this deficiency for those who have been so robbed of precious opportunities, but I can only think of one or two possible solutions. One is to learn to swim by jumping in the water. If your social skills are at a 6th grade level, now is the best time to improve them. Jane Austin's fictional heroine, Elizabeth Bennett, recommended practicing social skills, and that means using women around us as our clinical material. Awkward outcomes notwithstanding, this is among the reasonable solutions I can see. The grace of God is another thing that comes to mind—assistance beyond personal ability.
I remember trying to starting a fire in the fire place with my father looking on. He said I was doing it wrong, expecting flames from newspaper to light an enormous log. He showed me how to use paper to light twigs, and use the burning twigs to light chopped pieces of kindling, and larger and larger pieces, until there were big enough flames to ignite full-sized logs. I have often thought of this as my only parental training in the realm of dating and courtship. Start small, as acquaintances, then friends, then dating, then exclusive dating, then courtship, then engagement, then marriage.
Elder Ballard recommended young men to consult with their fathers about how to succeed in dating and courship: "Courting seems to be a lost art. Rediscover it. It really works! Ask your fathers—they know!" (Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship, Oct. 2009 Gen. Conf.). I believe that while there is an epidemic deficiency of learning and social skills among the men and boys of the current generation, I still believe what Nephi taught is true—when the Lord gives a commandment, he also prepares a way to keep it.
Let me offer a medical analogy. I believe that health problems can be chalked up to one of five causes:
1. Poisons-something is in the system that does not belong.
2. Deficiency-something important is low or absent from the system.
3. Excess-toxic amounts of something that is necessary for survival.
4. Deformity-all the necessary ingredients are there, but the organs are arranged counterproductively.
5. Some combination of 1-4.
Deficiency: Lost Opportunities
Removing a poison like mercury from a body will help it to function properly, but it will not spontaneously cure iron deficiency. Likewise, removing the desire for pornography through spiritual rebirth will relieve the ills that come with it, but it will bring back lost opportunities for development. The desire for pornography may be gone, but the opportunities to develop social skills through dating that were missed do not re-present themselves. The thousands of hours lost in solitude could have been filled with many positive learning experiences, and that time is permanently gone.
Here is a huge section of a talk by President Eyring, from the October 1999 Conference. The talk is called Do Not Delay, and he makes clear what I am trying to get at:
"I knew a man once...When he was 12 he was ordained a deacon. Some of his friends tempted him to begin to smoke. He began to feel uncomfortable in church. He left his little town, not finishing high school, to begin a life following construction jobs across the United States. He was a heavy-equipment operator. He married. They had children. The marriage ended in a bitter divorce. He lost his children. He lost an eye in an accident. He lived alone in boardinghouses. He lost everything he owned except what he could carry in a trunk.
"One night, as he prepared to move yet again, he decided to lighten the load of that trunk. Beneath the junk of years, he found a book. He never knew how it got there. It was the Book of Mormon. He read it through, and the Spirit told him it was true. He knew then that all those years ago he had walked away from the true Church of Jesus Christ and from the happiness which could have been his.
"Later, he was my more-than-70-year-old district missionary companion. I asked the people we were teaching, as I testified of the power of the Savior’s Atonement, to look at him. He had been washed clean and given a new heart, and I knew they would see that in his face. I told the people that what they saw was evidence that the Atonement of Jesus Christ could wash away all the corrosive effects of sin.
"That was the only time he ever rebuked me. He told me in the darkness outside the trailer where we had been teaching that I should have told the people that while God was able to give him a new heart, He had not been able to give him back his wife and his children and what he might have done for them. But he had not looked back in sorrow and regret for what might have been. He moved forward, lifted by faith, to what yet might be.
"One day he told me that in a dream the night before, the sight in his blind eye was restored. He realized that the dream was a glimpse of a future day, walking among loving people in the light of a glorious resurrection. Tears of joy ran down the deeply lined face of that towering, raw-boned man. He spoke to me quietly, with a radiant smile. I don’t remember what he said he saw, but I remember that his face shone with happy anticipation as he described the view. With the Lord’s help and the miracle of that book in the bottom of a trunk, it had not for him been too late nor the way too hard."
I have been told that to master a great skill, such as piano or painting, requires ten thousand hours of concentrated effort. I do not know where my good friends got that statistic, but we will just assume that it is true for a minute. If you spend eight hours a day, EVERY day, practicing at some skill, you will come away with ten thousand hours after 3.42 years. If you practice forty hours a week, skipping weekends, you will reach ten thousand hours in about 5.2 years. If you spend four hours a day, skipping weekends, you will get to the magical ten thousand hour mark in 9.6 years. I can hardly think of anything that I have been that committed to for that much time, except perhaps things like driving, brushing teeth, and studying the scriptures. Mastery is illusive because devotion is rare. We witness the fruits of it in concert halls, art galleries, and athletic competitions. It takes nascent talent, yes, but that talent must be cultivated.
Assumptions
Assumptions can become blind spots for us. It is very easy to assume that other people think the way we do, that they have the same skills, motivations, feelings, beliefs. Only when they act or open their mouths do we see the internal differences between us and those around us. It is easy to assume that someone is able to do things easily because we can do them easily. But why are such abilities part of our skill set? They became a part of our repertoire because we took the time and chances to develop them.
The men in the Church have been counseled to date more. Dating requires a level of social competence that is becoming more rare, thanks to video games, pornography, and other consuming activities that dominate early lives of boys. If a boy spends ten thousand hours looking at pornography and playing games online, in isolation, will he be able to interact well with the opposite sex, develop healthy relationships, and get married? His growth in these areas will be stunted. The general assumption is that social interaction is as easy and natural as breathing, "it's just what we humans do." But extreme cases of feral children, boys and girls raised without human contact, indicate that without extensive social experience a person will view other people as aliens from another world, and lack sensitivity to the nuances of protocol, etiquette, body language, deportment, and on and on. In my opinion, pornography, video games, movies, and other obsessive, isolating, massively time consuming activities produce a diluted version of this feral child effect by robbing the developing mind of the thousands of hours of social interaction needed to train the brain. Impaired ability to interact socially, especially to date, court, and marry, are the results.
Solutions
There must be a way to overcome this deficiency for those who have been so robbed of precious opportunities, but I can only think of one or two possible solutions. One is to learn to swim by jumping in the water. If your social skills are at a 6th grade level, now is the best time to improve them. Jane Austin's fictional heroine, Elizabeth Bennett, recommended practicing social skills, and that means using women around us as our clinical material. Awkward outcomes notwithstanding, this is among the reasonable solutions I can see. The grace of God is another thing that comes to mind—assistance beyond personal ability.
I remember trying to starting a fire in the fire place with my father looking on. He said I was doing it wrong, expecting flames from newspaper to light an enormous log. He showed me how to use paper to light twigs, and use the burning twigs to light chopped pieces of kindling, and larger and larger pieces, until there were big enough flames to ignite full-sized logs. I have often thought of this as my only parental training in the realm of dating and courtship. Start small, as acquaintances, then friends, then dating, then exclusive dating, then courtship, then engagement, then marriage.
Elder Ballard recommended young men to consult with their fathers about how to succeed in dating and courship: "Courting seems to be a lost art. Rediscover it. It really works! Ask your fathers—they know!" (Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship, Oct. 2009 Gen. Conf.). I believe that while there is an epidemic deficiency of learning and social skills among the men and boys of the current generation, I still believe what Nephi taught is true—when the Lord gives a commandment, he also prepares a way to keep it.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tender Mercies
When we use a word or phrase often enough, it begins to lose its meaning. As a child, I remember watching a children's edutainment television program. There was a song about shadows, and by the time it was over, the word "shadow" had lost its meaning in my head. I think there are many terms repeated so often in the context of Church that they lose their meaning to a certain extent. "Tender mercies of the Lord" is one of those endangered phrases.
Lehi finds himself in "a dark and dreary waste." Even though this was a dream, I still feel bad for him. This morning I had a dream that a funnel cloud formed above my home town, and was rapidly bearing down on me and extended family members visiting my uncle's house. It was terrifying, and I am glad I could wake up and console myself that it was a dream. Lehi's dream goes on for hours. After hours of traveling in this empty telestial wasteland, he begins to beg the Lord for help.
"And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies" (1Ne. 8:8).
Elder Bednar's talk about tender mercies solidified the definition of the phrase as a reference to miraculous events that you recognize as deliberate assistance or communication from the Lord, but might be missed or dismissed as coincidence by others. I was in a depression as a teenager, and as I sat on the floor of my bedroom with tears leaking onto my cheeks, I saw a book on my desk. I felt prompted to pick it up and turn to a certain page number, 231 or something like that. It was about psychology. I had never read the book before, but as I opened to the specific page number, I looked at the chapter heading at the top of the page: Depression. I did not even read what was in the paragraphs below the heading; it was a sign to me that God was aware of my situation, and cared about me. This was a tender mercy. As Lehi indicates, the Lord possesses a multitude of them.
To help put some verve and meaning back into those dilapidated words, we can start defining them.
Tender
Tenderness denotes awareness of the fragile nature of something valuable, and the application of gentleness in response to its fragility. It implies kindness and affection, both in actions and feelings. The word translated as "jealous" in the ten commandments (I the Lord thy God am a jealous God) is the Hebrew qannah, meaning "possessing deep and sensitive feelings." Nurturing and care are also implied by tenderness. Green shoots from newly planted seeds require tender care because they are fragile, and they receive it because they are beloved and prized.
Mercy
Mercy is some leniency or pardon from difficulty given to someone who has not earned it. To forgive a debt is mercy. Blessings are the result of obedience (D&C 130:20-21). Mercy is not merit-based. (True, repentance usually precedes mercy, but that simply means confessing wrongs and pledging not to do them again. Attempts to right the wrongs, "restitution," are almost always inadequate, or impossible.) Most people who experience mercy, the removal of some physical or emotional burden, erupt with joy, humility, and gratitude. Lehi was commanded to follow a "man" in a "white robe." He was obeying, and he found himself in a dreary waste as a result. He did not pray for blessings; he prayed instead for tender (kind, gentle) mercy (undeserved relief, liberation) from the Lord. This pattern of following the commandments, and begging the Lord for a way to make resulting difficulties livable, is familiar in my life. I am faring far better than I deserve to.
The Willie and Martin handcart companies told amazing stories of tender mercies shown to them as they moved through their own dreary wasteland of pre-railroad North America. Miracles occurred along the way to help them reach Zion. Food appeared out of nowhere, or was given by strange messengers. The effect was more than survival; it confirmed the faith of those who experienced these events. My situation did not change when I opened the book to a seemingly random page number that entered my head; my faith that God was aware of me was strengthened. It is a strange two-edged sword to not be delivered, yet know that God is watching you. You know that He could deliver you if He wanted, but He does not. That means that He actually approves of what you are going through. It is not pointless suffering, but part of the test of your life.
Everyone with any faith has stories like this they could tell, of things working out just right, of heroic rescuers showing up in the nick of time, of the confluence of materials arriving to meet needs out of nowhere. These kinds of experiences are sweet and desirable, and a result of genuine interaction between God and His children. I hope we do not casually blurt out "tendermercies," but try to keep the meaning of the words alive and special in our mouths and minds.
Lehi finds himself in "a dark and dreary waste." Even though this was a dream, I still feel bad for him. This morning I had a dream that a funnel cloud formed above my home town, and was rapidly bearing down on me and extended family members visiting my uncle's house. It was terrifying, and I am glad I could wake up and console myself that it was a dream. Lehi's dream goes on for hours. After hours of traveling in this empty telestial wasteland, he begins to beg the Lord for help.
"And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies" (1Ne. 8:8).
Elder Bednar's talk about tender mercies solidified the definition of the phrase as a reference to miraculous events that you recognize as deliberate assistance or communication from the Lord, but might be missed or dismissed as coincidence by others. I was in a depression as a teenager, and as I sat on the floor of my bedroom with tears leaking onto my cheeks, I saw a book on my desk. I felt prompted to pick it up and turn to a certain page number, 231 or something like that. It was about psychology. I had never read the book before, but as I opened to the specific page number, I looked at the chapter heading at the top of the page: Depression. I did not even read what was in the paragraphs below the heading; it was a sign to me that God was aware of my situation, and cared about me. This was a tender mercy. As Lehi indicates, the Lord possesses a multitude of them.
To help put some verve and meaning back into those dilapidated words, we can start defining them.
Tender
Tenderness denotes awareness of the fragile nature of something valuable, and the application of gentleness in response to its fragility. It implies kindness and affection, both in actions and feelings. The word translated as "jealous" in the ten commandments (I the Lord thy God am a jealous God) is the Hebrew qannah, meaning "possessing deep and sensitive feelings." Nurturing and care are also implied by tenderness. Green shoots from newly planted seeds require tender care because they are fragile, and they receive it because they are beloved and prized.
Mercy
Mercy is some leniency or pardon from difficulty given to someone who has not earned it. To forgive a debt is mercy. Blessings are the result of obedience (D&C 130:20-21). Mercy is not merit-based. (True, repentance usually precedes mercy, but that simply means confessing wrongs and pledging not to do them again. Attempts to right the wrongs, "restitution," are almost always inadequate, or impossible.) Most people who experience mercy, the removal of some physical or emotional burden, erupt with joy, humility, and gratitude. Lehi was commanded to follow a "man" in a "white robe." He was obeying, and he found himself in a dreary waste as a result. He did not pray for blessings; he prayed instead for tender (kind, gentle) mercy (undeserved relief, liberation) from the Lord. This pattern of following the commandments, and begging the Lord for a way to make resulting difficulties livable, is familiar in my life. I am faring far better than I deserve to.
The Willie and Martin handcart companies told amazing stories of tender mercies shown to them as they moved through their own dreary wasteland of pre-railroad North America. Miracles occurred along the way to help them reach Zion. Food appeared out of nowhere, or was given by strange messengers. The effect was more than survival; it confirmed the faith of those who experienced these events. My situation did not change when I opened the book to a seemingly random page number that entered my head; my faith that God was aware of me was strengthened. It is a strange two-edged sword to not be delivered, yet know that God is watching you. You know that He could deliver you if He wanted, but He does not. That means that He actually approves of what you are going through. It is not pointless suffering, but part of the test of your life.
Everyone with any faith has stories like this they could tell, of things working out just right, of heroic rescuers showing up in the nick of time, of the confluence of materials arriving to meet needs out of nowhere. These kinds of experiences are sweet and desirable, and a result of genuine interaction between God and His children. I hope we do not casually blurt out "tendermercies," but try to keep the meaning of the words alive and special in our mouths and minds.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
General Conference: A Few Thoughts
General Conference has always been an exciting time for me. As a child, it was exciting because I did not have to go to Church on Sunday. At some point, though, I came to love Conference itself, rather than loving it for displacing a chore.
Attending Church once every six months in my pajamas, sitting in front of the television with my family and a bowl of cereal, was a welcomed change from the normal routine of getting dressed up for three hours. True, five two-hour sessions of conference in the course of two days was a marathon for a boy, but I felt free to doze off, assuring myself that I would watch, listen to, or read what I had missed "later." Sometimes I did, sometimes I did not.
As I got older and began attending Priesthood Session, the tradition of inviting extended family to the home on Saturday night developed. Cousins attending college nearby would drop into the home, relatives attending the Conference would come from far and wide. We would eat a finger-food meal on disposable dishes, discussing the talks we had heard that day. Conversations lasting into the wee hours of the next day often ensued, and I remember one such night when priesthood blessings were given by uncles to nephews. It was very dear to me, sacred. Traditions added spice
What would Jesus' original Church have looked like if it had not been swallowed up in a universal apostasy? You can hear the fabric of the Church tearing in the background of Paul's epistles as he frantically tries to correct false doctrines creeping into the Church. If he could have turned his epistles into world-wide satellite broadcasts, or internet transmissions, I feel certain he would have done so.
Before the saints were driven from Nauvoo, Joseph Smith proposed building a tabernacle, a large oval tent meant to seat eight thousand people. It was meant to sit right in front of the Nauvoo Temple. The canvas was purchased, but never used for the tent—instead, the Russian duck canvas was employed to cover wagons used in the forced exodus from Nauvoo. Regarding meeting houses, Joseph said that you could never get all the saints under one roof. The Tabernacle on Temple Square became a permanent version of the canvas tent intended for Nauvoo.
Now the only canopy capable of containing the saints is the sky itself, and technology has become the trump of God, allowing the leaders of the Church to keep the doctrine pure by reaffirming it every six months. "They say the same thing every time," a young friend of mine complained years ago. I said something like, "That's probably because we keep committing the same sins." New members of the Church need to hear some things familiar to me, because they are new for them. Review never hurts me, either. Beyond that, I have found that the indispensable ingredient of the teaching/hearing/learning process is the Holy Ghost. To listen to General Conference without it is like trying to drive a car without gasoline in the tank—it goes nowhere, and frustration results. The Holy Ghost brings the simple, familiar lessons to astonishing vibrancy, and makes new information available between the lines for individuals.
"Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!...For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have" (2Ne. 28:27, 30).
I find that new information and revelation is proportional to our willingness and readiness to receive it and live it. What do I need to get rid of? What do I need to obtain? What do I need to do? Answering these questions with action removes obstacles to personal revelation.
Bring several questions with you to conference, and listen for the answers. I showed up, somewhat reluctantly, for a priesthood meeting that was scheduled in the middle of the week last year. As I sat listening, I received a personal witness about something that had been troubling me. The inspiration had nothing to do with what the speaker was saying, but I knew I had been blessed with the knowledge I needed because I had showed up to do my duty by attending my meetings.
I think about how high of a stack of institutions General Conference rests on, and it is harder to take for granted. Freedom of speech and press, freedom of worship and religion, technological modern marvels, infrastructure for all the electricity and signals, satellites orbiting the planet, an army of technicians and translators, intercontinental air travel to bring authorities from their assigned fields of labor, and on and on. These things are all amazing in themselves, and yet they are not the central feature of Conference; without the Holy Ghost, it is all hollow. "...to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). Peter was not following Jesus for miracles or free bread, but because he felt the confirmation that what Jesus was teaching was absolutely true. I feel this way to a certain extent about the general authorities of the Church—they are representatives of Christ, standing in His place to say what He would if He came today. As such, the Spirit confirms the truth of their messages to me, and it engenders good feelings towards them, as well as a desire to do what is right.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). I do not know why, but interacting in a discussion of the gospel tends to bring the Spirit more strongly than private study. I do not discount private study; it is essential. But it seems that since heaven is "an innumerable company," the Lord confirms our person-to-person group study and discussion because it is preparation for heaven.
Anti-mormon protesters who congregate in the streets to harass the members attending conference are unwelcome evidence of the truth of the work. If it were false, there would be limited opposition. Strangely, people who generally hold to the idea that a belief in Christ is the same as a free ride into heaven come to tell fellow believers that they will be damned regardless of their belief. Meanwhile, the stringent Mormons who advocate obedience to the laws of the gospel as necessary for salvation speak messages of healing and forgiveness, teaching the mercy and grace of Christ toward sinners. It is very backward and counter-intuitive. If persecutors would rephrase their accusations in the form of sincere questions, they might be surprised to find that there are answers, and be surprised by how sweet and satisfactory they can be.
Pre-Conference opposition afflicts me more from the other side of the veil than from mortal antagonists. It seems that the law of "opposition in all things" applies to the abundant outpouring from heaven that characterizes General Conference. I get rain and snow from unworthy sources before getting to bask in the sunshine of love and light. Problems in life always seem to sharpen just before Conference weekend.
General Conference is an ingenious mechanism for keeping the doctrines of the Church, and the direction of its development, pure and true. Every time the Church has grown, technology has kept up pace to match the growth, enabling cohesiveness that Paul and Peter and the early church leaders could only dream about. And it is not dumped on people against their will. It is amazing to see people, especially young people, congregate with such eagerness to "feast upon the word." I am pleased to herald in a new installment of talks to ponder and study for the next six months.
Attending Church once every six months in my pajamas, sitting in front of the television with my family and a bowl of cereal, was a welcomed change from the normal routine of getting dressed up for three hours. True, five two-hour sessions of conference in the course of two days was a marathon for a boy, but I felt free to doze off, assuring myself that I would watch, listen to, or read what I had missed "later." Sometimes I did, sometimes I did not.
As I got older and began attending Priesthood Session, the tradition of inviting extended family to the home on Saturday night developed. Cousins attending college nearby would drop into the home, relatives attending the Conference would come from far and wide. We would eat a finger-food meal on disposable dishes, discussing the talks we had heard that day. Conversations lasting into the wee hours of the next day often ensued, and I remember one such night when priesthood blessings were given by uncles to nephews. It was very dear to me, sacred. Traditions added spice
What would Jesus' original Church have looked like if it had not been swallowed up in a universal apostasy? You can hear the fabric of the Church tearing in the background of Paul's epistles as he frantically tries to correct false doctrines creeping into the Church. If he could have turned his epistles into world-wide satellite broadcasts, or internet transmissions, I feel certain he would have done so.
Before the saints were driven from Nauvoo, Joseph Smith proposed building a tabernacle, a large oval tent meant to seat eight thousand people. It was meant to sit right in front of the Nauvoo Temple. The canvas was purchased, but never used for the tent—instead, the Russian duck canvas was employed to cover wagons used in the forced exodus from Nauvoo. Regarding meeting houses, Joseph said that you could never get all the saints under one roof. The Tabernacle on Temple Square became a permanent version of the canvas tent intended for Nauvoo.
Now the only canopy capable of containing the saints is the sky itself, and technology has become the trump of God, allowing the leaders of the Church to keep the doctrine pure by reaffirming it every six months. "They say the same thing every time," a young friend of mine complained years ago. I said something like, "That's probably because we keep committing the same sins." New members of the Church need to hear some things familiar to me, because they are new for them. Review never hurts me, either. Beyond that, I have found that the indispensable ingredient of the teaching/hearing/learning process is the Holy Ghost. To listen to General Conference without it is like trying to drive a car without gasoline in the tank—it goes nowhere, and frustration results. The Holy Ghost brings the simple, familiar lessons to astonishing vibrancy, and makes new information available between the lines for individuals.
"Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!...For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have" (2Ne. 28:27, 30).
I find that new information and revelation is proportional to our willingness and readiness to receive it and live it. What do I need to get rid of? What do I need to obtain? What do I need to do? Answering these questions with action removes obstacles to personal revelation.
Bring several questions with you to conference, and listen for the answers. I showed up, somewhat reluctantly, for a priesthood meeting that was scheduled in the middle of the week last year. As I sat listening, I received a personal witness about something that had been troubling me. The inspiration had nothing to do with what the speaker was saying, but I knew I had been blessed with the knowledge I needed because I had showed up to do my duty by attending my meetings.
I think about how high of a stack of institutions General Conference rests on, and it is harder to take for granted. Freedom of speech and press, freedom of worship and religion, technological modern marvels, infrastructure for all the electricity and signals, satellites orbiting the planet, an army of technicians and translators, intercontinental air travel to bring authorities from their assigned fields of labor, and on and on. These things are all amazing in themselves, and yet they are not the central feature of Conference; without the Holy Ghost, it is all hollow. "...to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). Peter was not following Jesus for miracles or free bread, but because he felt the confirmation that what Jesus was teaching was absolutely true. I feel this way to a certain extent about the general authorities of the Church—they are representatives of Christ, standing in His place to say what He would if He came today. As such, the Spirit confirms the truth of their messages to me, and it engenders good feelings towards them, as well as a desire to do what is right.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). I do not know why, but interacting in a discussion of the gospel tends to bring the Spirit more strongly than private study. I do not discount private study; it is essential. But it seems that since heaven is "an innumerable company," the Lord confirms our person-to-person group study and discussion because it is preparation for heaven.
Anti-mormon protesters who congregate in the streets to harass the members attending conference are unwelcome evidence of the truth of the work. If it were false, there would be limited opposition. Strangely, people who generally hold to the idea that a belief in Christ is the same as a free ride into heaven come to tell fellow believers that they will be damned regardless of their belief. Meanwhile, the stringent Mormons who advocate obedience to the laws of the gospel as necessary for salvation speak messages of healing and forgiveness, teaching the mercy and grace of Christ toward sinners. It is very backward and counter-intuitive. If persecutors would rephrase their accusations in the form of sincere questions, they might be surprised to find that there are answers, and be surprised by how sweet and satisfactory they can be.
Pre-Conference opposition afflicts me more from the other side of the veil than from mortal antagonists. It seems that the law of "opposition in all things" applies to the abundant outpouring from heaven that characterizes General Conference. I get rain and snow from unworthy sources before getting to bask in the sunshine of love and light. Problems in life always seem to sharpen just before Conference weekend.
General Conference is an ingenious mechanism for keeping the doctrines of the Church, and the direction of its development, pure and true. Every time the Church has grown, technology has kept up pace to match the growth, enabling cohesiveness that Paul and Peter and the early church leaders could only dream about. And it is not dumped on people against their will. It is amazing to see people, especially young people, congregate with such eagerness to "feast upon the word." I am pleased to herald in a new installment of talks to ponder and study for the next six months.
Monday, March 19, 2012
First Principles Revisited
"What is the doctrine of Christ?" asked the Sunday school teacher. I blurted out my standard response, "Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost." Two other people in the class took issue with what they considered an oversimplification. The first one insisted that you could "do all those things" and not get to heaven. He said love was missing from the list. Another person in the class objected that the gospel included a lot of things, not just the first principles and ordinances.
Really?
What is "the gospel?" It has become a catch-all phrase in the Church. Anything related to scriptures, Church history, is generically referred to as "the gospel." This is not the way Jesus characterized it.
I turned to the girl I was sitting next to, and asked to borrow her scriptures. I looked up 3Ne. 11 quietly, not wanting to push the issue. I did not read it to the class; Jesus first tells the people not to argue about the scriptures, as they have previously. Jesus then lays down the law, and teaches the people what His doctrine actually is:
"Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them" (verses 31-40).
There it is, in all its simplicity. Believe in Christ, repent, be baptized, be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost. This is the way God has ordained for us to find access to the Atonement of Christ. This is also what has been lost through the apostasy, and obscured throughout the ages as dispensations have come to an end. Does the simple formula outlined by the Savior above exclude love and other things found in the scriptures?
I think that many things are subcategories found under headings of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Faith in Christ leads to hope and charity; love is not missing. What about other principles? Ammon explains what we need to do in order to learn the deeper things: "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed..." (Alma 26:22). Excel at repentance and faith, and you will learn the other things because you are ready for them. To learn deep things and mysteries without having a firm foundation is like building the top of the pyramid without the base. There is nothing for the pinnacle to rest on.
Jacob 4:14: "But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble."
I hope that as we explore the fulness of the restored gospel, we do not neglect the basics. I also hope that we do not fool ourselves into thinking that we have successfully mastered them. Who has perfect faith in Christ? Who no longer needs to repent? Who keeps their baptismal covenants perfectly? Has anyone ever received the Holy Ghost fully? These are life-long pursuits, not items on a checklist. Jesus said, "...the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me." This instruction is comprehensively inclusive across space and time, touching everyone.
I remember a recent Elders' quorum meeting. The teacher asked us to pause near the end of the lesson, and meditate for a few moments about what each member of the quorum needed to eliminate or improve in our personal lives. During those few seconds of silence, I felt the Spirit more profoundly than I have in a long time. It was a divine stamp of approval on what transpired. Contemplating repentance was what we were supposed to be doing.
Really?
What is "the gospel?" It has become a catch-all phrase in the Church. Anything related to scriptures, Church history, is generically referred to as "the gospel." This is not the way Jesus characterized it.
I turned to the girl I was sitting next to, and asked to borrow her scriptures. I looked up 3Ne. 11 quietly, not wanting to push the issue. I did not read it to the class; Jesus first tells the people not to argue about the scriptures, as they have previously. Jesus then lays down the law, and teaches the people what His doctrine actually is:
"Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them" (verses 31-40).
There it is, in all its simplicity. Believe in Christ, repent, be baptized, be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost. This is the way God has ordained for us to find access to the Atonement of Christ. This is also what has been lost through the apostasy, and obscured throughout the ages as dispensations have come to an end. Does the simple formula outlined by the Savior above exclude love and other things found in the scriptures?
I think that many things are subcategories found under headings of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Faith in Christ leads to hope and charity; love is not missing. What about other principles? Ammon explains what we need to do in order to learn the deeper things: "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed..." (Alma 26:22). Excel at repentance and faith, and you will learn the other things because you are ready for them. To learn deep things and mysteries without having a firm foundation is like building the top of the pyramid without the base. There is nothing for the pinnacle to rest on.
Jacob 4:14: "But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble."
I hope that as we explore the fulness of the restored gospel, we do not neglect the basics. I also hope that we do not fool ourselves into thinking that we have successfully mastered them. Who has perfect faith in Christ? Who no longer needs to repent? Who keeps their baptismal covenants perfectly? Has anyone ever received the Holy Ghost fully? These are life-long pursuits, not items on a checklist. Jesus said, "...the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me." This instruction is comprehensively inclusive across space and time, touching everyone.
I remember a recent Elders' quorum meeting. The teacher asked us to pause near the end of the lesson, and meditate for a few moments about what each member of the quorum needed to eliminate or improve in our personal lives. During those few seconds of silence, I felt the Spirit more profoundly than I have in a long time. It was a divine stamp of approval on what transpired. Contemplating repentance was what we were supposed to be doing.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
What Can We Learn From the Old Temple: The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant was the central, perhaps most important, piece of furniture in the entire Old Temple. David wanted to build the Temple specifically so that the Ark would have some place to rest. Little wonder—either the lid or the front of the Ark was referred to as the “mercy seat,” literally the throne of Jehovah on earth. The Holy of Holies, the most sacred space in the Temple, was the resting place for the Ark. It was flanked by two giant golden statues of angels whose wingtips touched each other above and behind the Ark, and touched the right and left walls of the Holy of Holies. This meant that each one had a wingspan of ten feet, since the space inside the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple was about twenty feet wide, twenty feet tall, and twenty feet deep, a perfect hollow cube shape. On the lid of the Ark were two golden cherubim, and Jehovah would meet the high priest between them, once a year, on the day of Atonement.
“Ark” means coffin. The Ark was a rectangular box with loops on the sides for poles that served as handles for transport. No one but the priests were allowed to handle or move the Ark. Once, when the Ark was being transported, it began to tip, and a man who was not a priest stretched out his hand to steady it. God smote him, and he died. This is where we get the phrase, “steadying the Ark”—someone putting their nose in a situation to exert influence when they have no business or authority in it.
Getting to Heaven
Reaching the Holy of Holies was the culmination of all the rites of the Temple, and it happened only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. It seems strange that the celestial portion of the Old Temple would be completely dark, but darkness is not always negative. During the day, we grovel and sweat in the heat of the sun, toiling away with our faces to the ground, minding worldly concerns. The courtyard of the Temple reflects this. At night, our gaze turns heavenward, and we witness God’s handiwork (and even God Himself according to D&C 88:45-47). The Israelites in Egypt would have worked all day long, and only found relief from enforced drudgery when night came. (I wonder if this is partly why Jews begin Sabbath observance at sundown.) At the dedication of the Old Temple, we hear Solomon say, "...The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever" (1Kings 8:12). The light source was Jehovah himself.
To enter heaven is to enter the presence of an innumerable company of heavenly beings, the Church of the Firstborn. The cherubim on the Veil, the Ark, and in the Holy of Holies, reflect the notion of that homecoming. While many things are promised to the faithful, I am convinced that to be in the presence of Jesus Christ is the main reward itself. "...I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance...I will visit you with the joy of my countenance...the lord of the field...tarried with him all that hour, and he was made glad with the light of the countenance of his lord." (D&C 88:52, 53, 56). Ten of the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem chose to come quickly into the presence of their Lord when they died, while only John remained as a translated being. Nine of the New World apostles also wanted to go quickly to His presence. We think of other things, immortality, health, knowledge, family relationships, as the great gifts of heaven, but leave the greatest one off our recited lists when we dream of our mansions above.
Face to Face
Paul says that one day we will see as we are seen, and know as we are known (1Cor. 13:12). "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him" (D&C 88:49). We will see the Lord as He sees us, and that sounds to me like getting a view from the edge of the Grand Canyon—astonishing vastness. What is the the inner essence of a person? One day we will be privileged to find out. Joseph Smith said, "You don't know me. You never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it. I shall never undertake it. I don't blame anyone for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I could not have believed it myself...When I am called by the trump of the archangel and weighed in the balance, you will all know me then.” Who knows what discoveries lie ahead for us? This statement is a tantalizing glimpse.
Marriage at an Altar
If rectangular shapes signify altars in the Temple, then the Ark itself is an altar. Jesus is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” The Temple begins with one Altar symbolizing Jesus’ sacrifice, and ends with another altar, a meeting place for Him to meet the world. The two symmetrical cherubim on top of the lid evoke the image of a man and a woman kneeling at an altar.
Just as the Temple begins and ends with altars, the cycle of generations begins and ends with marriage. Man and woman have children, children grow up, and they marry and begin the process over again. D&C 132 mentions "eternal lives." Those who are exalted will beget an infinite number of children in eternity. Promises made to Abraham were of infinite posterity, and the things he needed to care for them all: promised lands, property, and priesthood. You need real estate for children to live on, especially if they will be innumerable. (The phrase, “worlds without number” suddenly makes sense in this light.) You also need materials like food and clothing to care for them, and Abraham was given treasures and flocks by Pharaoh himself. Children grow up, get married, and start having their own kids; Abraham needed the sealing keys, the priesthood, in order to secure their ability to take care of their own children in time and in eternity, and to bind them to himself. The priesthood is the power through which the worlds are and were created; infinite lands and material for Abraham’s infinite posterity.
If you do not have an eternal increase of children, you do not need “all [the] father hath.” It takes great powers, property, and possessions to preside over an infinity of children; to be separate and single for eternity does not. (It takes great virtues, like patience and mercy and forgiveness, also.) Lehi traded his comfortable home in Jerusalem for two continents. Adam and Eve were given this entire planet as a wedding present. These are not just throw-away gifts; they are investments by the Lord in us, and we are to use them to procreate, to multiply our talents. Those who do not multiply their talents will lose them. During an average lifespan, the peak of human ability to procreate also coincides with the time when the body reaches its greatest health, strength, and energy. We can waste that energy pursuing worldly red herrings (O, they are abundant! Such dignified looking games and toys), or we can use that energy to chase kids around the house, drive them to school, change diapers, carry babies, feed them at 2 a.m., attend soccer games, etc. We can help in the Lord’s work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, or we can be consumed by a short-term hobby that excludes family, like money, travel, academics, or politics. The choice is ours, and we show God what we really want eternally by our choices here on earth. Taking care of children here must resemble raising children in heaven, or it would not be a fair test. One thing we know for certain: Jesus taught us that God’s preferred name, the one we are to address Him by, is Father. We will need the power to think of billions of things at once when we have billions of kids of our own to care for and listen to. There is no such place as a heaven where family is not central. Every other option is a step backward, a cut below. D&C 132:17 is painful to read. “Separately and singley” are the coldest, prickliest words in all scripture.
Marriages are performed at altars. An altar is a place of sacrifice, not an ATM. We make certain promises there with God, and He makes promises in return. Read the promises in D&C 132:19-20. Could a mortal provide those blessings? Could a mortal apply appropriate justice when covenants are broken? I do not believe we make promises to other mortals in Temples, even marriage.
It is tempting to look for finish lines where there are none, and the Temple presents us with at least the hope that we will one day "enter into the rest of the Lord." It is reassuring to note that the earthly equivalent of a bar of judgement, where prisoners are arraigned for trial, is called the mercy seat. Still, the thought of meeting God scares anyone with any intelligence at all. Alma and Amulek were right: This life is the time to prepare to meet God. Intimidating as it may seem, that interview WILL take place, ready or not. As President Monson has often reminded us, "When the time for performance arrives, the time for preparation is past."
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
What Can We Learn From the Old Temple? The Veil
Heb. 10:20 talks about the Old Temple, and equates the Veil with the flesh of Christ. This is an interesting designation. In this life, our flesh acts as a veil, keeping us from seeing in many ways. It impairs judgment—the mists of darkness in Lehi’s dream were the temptations of the devil. He gets his power over us through our bodies. In John 9, Jesus makes clay from dirt and spit, and anoints the eyes of a blind man. He tells the man to wash his eyes in a certain pool and "came seeing." Enoch anointed his eyes with mud and washed them at the Lord's instruction, and became a seer. I believe that in these scenarios, dirt represents matter, and liquid represents the spirit. Just as water and mud make living clay, spirit and matter combined create living beings. But the mud obscures our vision. Washing the mud off with a great amount of water, i.e. baptism of the Spirit, removes the obstacle and lets us see through the eyes of the Lord. Enoch became a seer; he saw into the spirit world.
An Unseen World
The Veil of the Old Temple was embroidered with images of cherubim, or angels. There is an unseen world that affects our physical world the way wind drives a sailing ship. The invisible and intangible greatly affects the visible and tangible.
We are inclined to see the heavier things around us as being of greater import and influence than lighter things, but Calum Coates has pointed out that the hierarchy is reversed. Energy (wispy and intangible) from the sun heats the atmosphere, which blows on the water, which churns incessantly against the hard rocks of the shore and breaks them into sand. Who is the boss here? Gravity, the weakest of the known forces, ultimately overcomes everything, swallowing whole planets and stars into massive black holes, inescapable even for light when it comes too close. Truth, zero-dimensional and weightless, is the hinge on which everything in heaven turns. If something is true or correct, and we rebel at it, we immediately receive less spiritual light (see D&C 88). Truth is a knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they really will be. Faith cannot be genuine unless it is exercised in regard to something unseen AND true (Alma 32:21). There are many things seen and true, many things unseen and false, a few illusions seen and false, and a horde of unseen fictional falsehoods. But to believe in any of them does not constitute genuine faith. Jesus said “I am…the truth.” The veil is what adds the element of "unseen" to our mortal probation. "For now we see through a glass (veil), darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith..." (1Cor. 13:12).
Wispy Flesh, Firm Spirit
The body is a wonderful servant, my mission president taught me, but a horrible master. Indeed, when the body is in control of the spirit, it is like a horse trying to ride a human. Neither of them can get anywhere; neither benefits from the other’s strengths. Horses can run fast and carry heavy loads, while humans can think clearly and plan ahead. When spirit rules matter, joy is the result; when the spirit surrenders its job of being the boss to the body, death and misery result. The body wants to overeat, oversleep, exact revenge, steal, take the easy route, have sex on a whim, and other shortsighted behaviors. Food, sleep, justice, property, efficiency, sexuality, etc., are not evil in themselves, but need proper timing and restraint to keep them productive rather than destructive. “Bridle your passions” does not mean shoot the horse. It means use it properly.
Margaret Barker described Lehi’s Jerusalem as a place where two forces were competing, and one swallowed up and dissolved the other. The first force was the Aaronic priests, with their outward ceremonies, a focus on Moses and the carnal commandments, rule books, regulations, proscriptions, etc. The second force was Melchizedek priests, who focused on the writings of Enoch and the influence, ancient and modern, of angels. How inconvenient for the first group to have unseen beings and current revelations interfering with their interpretations of scripture. How indispensable for the second group to have current communication from heaven and divine assistance. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church because it belongs to Christ, but it is a living Church because it has the Holy Spirit. Joseph Smith cited that as the main difference between our faith and all others.
Necessitating Faith
The veil over our eyes and memories serves an important function in the plan of salvation. It makes us less accountable for our sins because we are acting on faith, in the dark as it were, rather than with perfect knowledge. This allows us to exercise greater faith when we are doing what is right, and keeps us from being fully accountable when we are doing the wrong thing. As to when this veil over our premortal memories will be removed, I can only speculate, but it seems to be after the resurrection when full restoration of memory will happen. Till then, the game is still on, the test is still being administered. Alma 32:17-19: "Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it. And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?" To accept the gospel with full memory of premortal realm and events would be no test at all. So I believe that the veil is still over our minds, even after we die. But that is my conjecture based on scriptural accounts, not the result of experience.
The veil is permeable rather than opaque. It is a barrier, but one through which information and assistance can pass in both directions. When we work in the Temple on behalf of our ancestors, we are saviors on mount Zion, and we empower them. They in turn are then able to help us. Priesthood means power to gather posterity, and I assume that means on either side of the veil.
Ministering Angels
The Veil in the Old Temple was decorated, embroidered, with images of cherubim, or angels.
Nephi was borne up into an exceedingly high mountain on the wings of the Spirit. This imagery evokes the Veil of the Old Temple very well. The Temple was atop a mountain, and the Holy of Holies, separated from the rest of the Temple by the Veil, was both literally and figuratively the top of the mountain, the place where one communed with God. Whether a staircase led to the Veil or not, one was moving upward when approaching it. In 1Ne. 11-14, an angel gives Nephi a grand vision of the future, which is now our history and our future. He was forbidden to write more, and refers us to Isaiah and John to get the fuller account of what he was privileged to see. Isaiah and John both talk about angelic administrations they received in connection with their visions. The entire Book of Revelation is an account of an angel guiding John through a vision of world history (just like Nephi), including the Second Coming.
This story of Elisha incorporates many familiar elements: "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha" (2Kings 6:15-18). A messenger of God helps one young man sees through the veil; a group of wicked people is smitten with blindness. Just because you can see something does not mean it is reliable; just because you cannot see something does not diminish its power. Elisha relied on the unseen army and escaped the visible one.
God introduced Himself personally to Joseph Smith in the first vision, but thereafter it was typically angelic messengers who instructed him. In the Old Temple, the priest prayed at the Altar of Incense before the Veil with its cherubim. Joseph prayed to dedicate the Kirtland Temple in D&C 109, and the Lord appears in D&C 110 to accept it. Accompanying the Lord were angelic messengers who restore keys, including Moses and Elijah.
Isaiah 6 records Isaiah’s prophetic calling. Whether the events were literal or part of a vision he witnessed, the imagery is saturated with Old Temple symbolism. It takes place in the Temple, and there is smoke everywhere. He sees the Lord, but feels unworthy, being a man of unclean lips. An angel intercedes on his behalf, taking a live coal from the Altar and placing it on his lips. He is then worthy to accept his calling as a preacher and a prophet. Angels, live coals, altars, are all found in the Old Temple.
When Abraham was about to be sacrificed, an angel saved his life. An angel also saved Isaac’s life when Abraham was about to sacrifice him as well. Metatron was the name of the angel who interrupted both sacrifices, according to extra-scriptural accounts. This Metatron was Enoch in mortality. The Lord had promised to call on the inhabitants of the earth and show them mercy because of Enoch’s special pleading for Noah and his descendants. "...Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord, saying: I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods. And the Lord could not withhold; and he covenanted with Enoch, and sware unto him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; that he would call upon the children of Noah; And he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand..." (Moses 7:50-52). We are doubly indebted to Enoch's pleading and intercession for our very survival.
In Gethsemane, when Jesus’ disciples were asleep, He prayed for relief, and an angel came, strengthening Him.
Sentinels and Ushers
The cherubim on the Veil, as well as the two giant pillars at the door of the Temple, invoke images of sentinels, guardians who bar the way. We must be qualified before we can proceed any further. But they are also ushers, who give us the keys we need in order to proceed further. Jesus taught that the Spirit would “teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance.” This is more than semantic information; we can be endowed with keys to breech barriers between ourselves and God. How to act, what to say, whom to listen to. “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 88:63). “Angels speak the words of Christ...by the power of the Holy Ghost,” says Nephi (2Ne. 32:3).
The Veil in the Old Temple was only approached once a year, by one man, on the Day of Atonement. (By contrast, we enter the celestial areas of modern Temples daily.) The Veil was a point of interface, and the high priest was required to speak the forbidden name of God before he was admitted into the Holy of Holies. He would first put a pan filled with burning stones of incense through the Veil, and enter after the room was filled with the smoke. The Holy of Holies was without windows, and completely dark, unless the Lord Himself was there as the light source.
All these elements are reflected in the meeting between the Lord and the Brother of Jared atop the mountain. Jared goes up the mountain with man-made stones to get a light source for otherwise darkened vessels without windows. The Lord speaks to him in a cloud. The man-made stones are glowing by the middle of the account. The Brother of Jared sees the finger of the Lord through the veil, and gets new information about the Lord: He is in the form of a man. The Brother of Jared has a dialogue with the Lord, after which the Lord reveals Himself in entirety to him.
The Veil...Beginning to Burst
"...all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places; And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together." (D&C 101:22-23). "And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled..." (D&C 88:95).
Enoch and his Zion will come down from heaven, and Zion below will be caught up to meet them: "...And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest." (Moses 7:62-64). Enoch and his people will repeat the salvation of Abraham and Isaac at the Second Coming.
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