("Temple" throughout this post refers to the Temple of Solomon or Tabernacle of Moses, not to modern LDS Temples).
In a previous post, I described the presence of what I call "allegorical Temple imagery" in the Book of Mormon. Various segments of the text symbolically connect images or vignettes from an author's life or experiences or teachings to evoke elements of the Old Temple or Tabernacle. This gives the text two layers: an overt, obvious one, and an allegorical one that refers to the various stations of the Tabernacle or Temple of Solomon. It sounds complicated, but once it is explained, it is easily grasped.
The basic concept is that some sections of scripture have multiple layers of meaning. The first layer is the obvious, literal one. But the imagery in this overt layer creates a symbolic layer beneath it—imagery that evokes the Tabernacle or Temple of Solomon. (For instance, fire might refer to the Atlar of Sacrifice; water to the Brazen Sea.)
The Torah
Moses wrote the Torah or "the Law," the first five books in the Bible. I believe that each of these books corresponds to, allegorically alludes to, a specific piece of furniture in the Old Temple or Tabernacle in the wilderness.
Genesis as the Brazen Sea
The first book, Genesis, contains accounts of the creation, mentioning "waters" and "the great deep." All things, humans included, are commanded to reproduce. Genesis tells us who begot whom. It tells of the destruction and death, and rebirth of the world associated with the flood, and Noah's family. The family histories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their wives are outlined, leading to the formation of the the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Abraham's servant first meets Isaac's wife, Rebekah, at a well with livestock. Jacob meets Rachel at a well, also with livestock. Joseph is described as a fruitful bough over a well. Taken separately, these things are simply a list of the major themes and events recorded in Genesis. But I believe their inclusion and emphasis was deliberate, because each of these things was meant to evoke a specific image beyond itself—each is a veiled reference to the Brazen Sea.
The ordinance of baptism represents birth, bath, burial and resurrection. The Font represents the womb, too. In Genesis, the earth is "born," followed by all life, and then humans. All are commanded to procreate. The earth is cleansed (buried) in the flood, and the survivors ride out the disaster inside an ark, a kind of coffin. They emerge as life is reborn. Genealogies include accounts of miraculous births, with stories of women bearing children.
Genesis records the creation of the House of Israel, the Twelve Tribes; there are twelve brazen ox sculptures at the base of the Font.
I believe Moses did this deliberately. Are there elements from other parts of the Temple in Genesis? Yes—there are mentions of altars and sacrifice, Joseph stores immeasurable grain to save Egypt, and so on. Can Genesis contain these other elements and still pertain primarily to the Laver or Brazen Sea? Yes. How? Sequence, the order of presentation, and emphasis. There may be water in other parts of the scriptures than Genesis, but a Flood that engulfs the whole world puts more emphasis on Genesis as a representation of the Font.
Exodus as the Altar of Sacrifice
The next book in the Torah is Exodus. Its imagery links it symbolically to the Altar of Sacrifice.
The Israelites begin the story by losing their firstborn sons in a slaughter. Moses is spared, and pulled from the water (sacrifices were ceremonially washed before they were killed) to become a prince. He becomes a shepherd (think sacrificial lamb), sees a burning bush atop a mountain (always a symbol of the Temple in scriptures), and is sent to free the children of Israel from Egypt. (Firstborn sons were to be atoned for at the Temple with the sacrifice of a lamb, or two doves if the family was poor, as with Jesus in Luke.) The Nile is turned to blood. Plagues fail to secure freedom for the Israelites, until God kills the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. The Israelites are spared because the blood of the Paschal Lamb is spread on the lintels and doorposts of their homes (blood was sprinkled on the four corners of the Altar). Burning fire protects Israel as the Twelve Tribes descend into the Red Sea. They go from killing sheep (Altar), to crossing the Red Sea (Laver), to the base of Mount Horeb, Sinai (the structure of the Old Temple). Moses enters Sinai (like the High Priest entering the Temple alone), and returns to find Israel worshiping a metal cow (a Font reference).
There are many references to other parts of the Old Temple in Exodus—manna could be Shewbread, etc. But the sequence that takes us from Laver to Altar continues in the Moses' next book, his allegorical Table of Shewbread.
Leviticus as the Table of Shewbread
The Book of Leviticus may seem like a jumble of rules and regulations by which Israel was supposed to live, the minutiae of the Law of Moses for which many modern Christians hold self-righteous contempt. How does this strange rule book evoke the Table of Shewbread? The Table was set like a modern kitchen table, only with ornate gold and silver vessels. The defining items on the Table were the twelve loaves of shewbread, one for each tribe of Israel. That means a place at the Table for everyone in Israel. It was a place for eating a spiritual meal, highly symbolic (this should strike a cord with Latter-day Saints who gather around the sacrament every Sunday).
Leviticus reads like a cookbook. Throughout it, interspersed with instructions about getting along with each other, are hundreds of references to food, smell, consumption (fire from heaven consumes offerings), cooking, preparation of food, kosher dietary guidelines, instructions for making acceptable sacrifices (more cooking, since many sacrifices were eaten afterward), and prohibitions for priest to imbibe wine. Food references crowd the pages of Leviticus. Chapter 21 even details how the Shewbread is to be offered, and lists the qualifications of anyone who touches or eats it. The "feasts of the Lord" (Lev. 23:6), including Passover, are set established by the Lord in the Hebrew calendar. Tithing of crops, flocks, and herds (all food) are commanded.
Numbers as the Menorah
I was once told that reading the Book of Numbers would cure insomnia. Perhaps readers would open their eyes wider if they were looking for symbols that evoke the Menorah. The Menorah represents the Tree of Life, and so a procreative theme undergirds Numbers.
Moses takes a census of the males old enough to go to battle (the Tree of Life was protected by cherubim and a flaming sword; hormones that enable procreation also amplify aggression). Laws of sexual purity are presented. Light is also prominent, as in the priestly blessing: "The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Num. 6:25-26). A cloud rests on the Tabernacle by day, and a pillar of fire by night. Fire from the Lord consumes rebels. (Fire, light and darkness, day and night, are all motifs connected to the Menorah.) Aaron's rod blossoms and yields almonds in chapter 17 (filigree images of almonds decorated the branches of the Menorah). A brazen serpent is lifted up on a rod to heal the people bitten by fiery flying serpents (the Menorah, or Tree of Life, is associated with death, mortality, and a subtle snake in Eden). Balaam prophesies of the Messiah, The Anointed One (olive oil was used to anoint, and was the only fuel source for the Menorah's seven lamps).
Deuteronomy as the Altar of Incense
The Altar of Incense was where the priest burned sweet incense and prayed, morning and evening, for Israel. He interceded on their behalf, and as we read in Luke. Though the priest was isolated in the Temple, others participated in the prayer outside.
Moses recounts his interface with God: "I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount..." (Deut. 5:5). Moses pled and interceded for Israel the way the priest did in the daily prayers at the Altar of Incense. In Deuteronomy, Moses turns from omniscient third person narrator to first person narrator, facing Israel toe to toe and shaking their shoulders, begging them to obey the Lord.
The fire and cloud are mentioned again in Deuteronomy 1, as well as speaking with the Lord in Mount Horeb. Moses sees the promised land, yet is denied entry, but he charges Joshua. (The priest stood before the Veil when he made the daily prayers with incense, by the entrance to the Holy of Holies, but only the High Priest could enter.) "And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth" (Deut. 5:24). Sounds like the Altar of Incense.
They will be healed (Deut. 7:15) (a common thing to pray for). In chapter 27, they are commanded to build an altar. As they pass over the river Jordan (Deut. 27), conditions and covenants regarding blessings and cursings (promises of obedience) are made by all the people. They accept each curse for disobedience by shouting AMEN twelve times as the priests recite the rules (a common benediction for a group at the end of a prayer). Moses pronounces temporal and spiritual blessings (almost a patriarchal blessing) for each tribe. Then Moses disappears from Israel.
Joshua as the Ark
I wonder if Joshua knew what Moses was doing with the composition of each book of the Torah, because his book begins with the Israelites carrying the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan. The river parts to allow Israel across on dry ground. (I believe this symbolizes parting the Veil and the entry of the High Priest into the Holy of Holies, where the Ark was later housed.) Joshua records dividing Palestine into lands of inheritance for each tribe (this probably represents being blessed after entering the Holy of Holies). In chapter 22, they set up a special altar as a monument near Jordan. No sacrifices or burnt offerings are to be made upon it. (This is a good description of the Ark—an altar, but nothing is sacrificed or burned there.) Phineas the priest then says, "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us..." (Joshua 22:31). (The presence of God was found in the Holy of Holies.) In chapter 24, Joseph's bones brought from Egypt are buried in Shechem. (The name "Ark" comes from a word meaning "sarcophagus.")
A Binding Tie
Nephi wove his life stories and teachings into images evoking the pattern, the floor plan, of the Temple of Solomon. Moses apparently did the same thing on a larger scale with Torah and Tabernacle. Though each book of the Torah contains elements that can (and should) be construed as references to all the articles of Temple furniture, I see each book as primarily belonging to a specific item. Genesis to the Laver, Font, or Brazen Sea; Exodus to the Altar of Sacrifice; Leviticus to the Table of Shewbread; Numbers to the Menorah; Deuteronomy to the Altar of Incense; and probably Joshua to the Holy of Holies.
Rather than ask why any author of scripture would take the time or trouble to use allegorical Temple imagery, I will simply note that this is more strong evidence that the Book of Mormon is what it purports to be—companion scripture with the Bible. This device is found throughout the Bible and Book of Mormon, like strands of the same golden thread in two separate tapestries. Common style indicates common authorship, and this pattern is in both books. The Torah and Book of Mormon share a common source, divine inspiration.
Whether by plainness or through symbols, each points us to Christ, to faith, to repentance, and to the Temple.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
The Matriarch's Line
Direct scriptural quotations from Mother Eve are few and precious. Sparse quotes from Eve do not signify her unimportance; rather, I think the authors of scripture were conforming their narratives to a pre-established template in which a matriarch makes a brief observation about herself, God, and her children, and their interrelationship. Three mothers make such parallel statements in scripture. The similarities between them seem too marked to be accidental.
Eve
Brigham Young taught that when the mouth is open, the mind is on parade. Words from Eve in the scriptures give us a glimpse into her heart and mind. In Moses 5:11, we hear her own voice, not someone talking to her, or about her: “And Eve, [Adam’s] wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.”
The first thing that strikes me as I read this quote is her use of plural pronouns. With Adam (in verse 10), it is “I” and “my;” with Eve it is “we” and “our.” She concurs with his sentiments, but in an inclusive way. It is also strange to my Latter-day Saint ears to hear them rejoice about transgression. The Eden narrative seems simple on its face, but the more one studies it, the more cognitive complexity it requires of us. Transgression a necessary element of the plan? Putting the forbidden fruit in the garden? Letting Satan tempt childish, innocent beings? It baffles the mind. What was the Lord up to? Surely (and thankfully) His thoughts are higher than ours.
But Eve is not celebrating sin; she speaks of the joy of redemption and eternal life God gives the obedient. It seems almost as if she is implying that the Lord gave them two contradictory commandments, and they had to break one initially (don’t eat the forbidden fruit) to keep the other fully (have children). Why else would she exult about joy through obedience and transgression in the same breath? She also speaks of acquiring the ability to discern good from evil.
Perhaps most dear to her heart, the very first outcome of the Fall she mentions, is “seed,” her children.
Her emotional valence in this brief quote is joy and exultation. She is glad; she has kids; she has wisdom; she rejoices in redemption and eventual exaltation; she notes her part in the plan, being “obedient.” These are some basic elements of Eve’s mind and heart we can derive from this precious, brief statement.
Sariah
Sariah, the wife of Lehi, also gets precious little airtime in the scriptures. Her brief statements center around the same themes as Eve’s.
In 1Ne. 5:2, she tells her husband, “Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.” This is reminiscent of Adam’s and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden. Lehi and Sariah are driven from their comfortable, richly furnished home on pain of death; Adam and Eve are driven from the garden, knowing their expulsion included a death sentence. Both couples take the bare minimum of essentials with them into their respective wildernesses.
She is anxious about her sons, but Sariah ultimately rejoices in verse 8: “And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee in to the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.”
She is glad like Eve; she speaks of her children like Eve; she speaks of newly acquired knowledge like Eve; she rejoices in the Lord’s power to redeem and deliver; she notes the importance of being obedient to the Lord’s commandments. 1Ne. 5:8 parallels Moses 5:11.
The Earth
A third (and highly unlikely) matriarch makes a statement too similar to Eve’s to be mere coincidence. The earth itself speaks in a vision of Enoch. The following verse stretches the imagination: “And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?” (Moses 7:48). This is not a direct command to alter behavior; it is an oblique plea, a “hint” to us.First, a few explanatory notes.
How can the earth speak? Is this literal? I believe it is. There seems to be abundant evidence in the scriptures that everything, even things we typically think of as unconscious, unaware, and inanimate, truly have a measure of consciousness, awareness, and intelligence in them, the power to respond to God’s instructions.
Many consider the Pearl of Great Price to be an interesting, yet non-essential scripture, a kind of freakish curiosity in the standard works meant to keep intellectuals occupied. Who would be surprised that it would speak of exotic things, e.g. sentient lumps of matter? They prefer the plain and precious Book of Mormon. No challenging ideas there. There is nothing superfluous in the Book of Mormon, no planets talking or Adam being baptized or giants or other oddities like that. And yet it also teaches plainly that matter obeys God.
In Helaman 12:7-26, Mormon laments the nothingness of man. “O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.” Why are we lower than dirt? “For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of the great and everlasting God...Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.” Verse 13 makes it plain that the matter is actually comprehending and complying: “Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved. Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done...if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done...if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done” (Hel. 12:7-17). The Lord calls the things in these verses “thou” (hey, you!) and instructs them as to what to do. The Lord speaks to humans using the same word—thou—in verses 20 and 21.
This concept of inanimate things obeying commands is abundant. The sun and moon obey Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14); Nephi tells his brothers that, with God’s permission, he could tell water to become dirt (1Ne. 17:50); the Lord tells a later Nephi that temples and mountains will crumble and move at his command (Hel. 10:8-9); Jacob says that in the name of Jesus, trees, mountains, and seas obey him, and that God commands the earth and the things on its face (Jacob 4:6, 9); waters obey Moses as if he was God (Moses 1:25).
Unlike Eve, the earth is lamenting, but it is still focused on its kids; it anticipates redemption and eventual exaltation for itself and its children; it notes its part in the plan, and cites the promises of God. Eve and Sariah get one solid verse and a few fragments elsewhere; this mother has only one verse. Like the rest of us, whatever consciousness the earth has is ultimately celestial in origin, and will not be satisfied until it returns home to its native environment. The earth, like Eve and Sariah, has been kicked out of its native land, and must wander and die in the wilderness.
The parallels between these three verses are part of a pattern, and this is an important line. Enoch, Moses, and Nephi seem to be depending on a recipe for scriptural composition in their accounts: Each speaker is a matriarch. The emotional state of each is discussed. Each one speaks of her part in the larger plan of salvation. Each notes the importance of obedience. Each one speaks of acquired knowledge, or testimony, about the Lord’s mercy. Each one has intense feelings, joy or pain, regarding their offspring. And each quote is brief.
Lessons
Elder Oaks encouraged us to include a “therefore what?” in our talks—these ideas may be true, but what’s the point? What can we learn from this? There are direct instructions in scripture (like the Decalogue). But there are general principles that can be gleaned from scripture, even without overt commands.
Sariah exemplifies great faith with her willingness to follow the current prophet (even if he happens to be her husband). She echoes Nephi’s statement that when the Lord commands, He prepares a way to accomplish what He commands.
Eve talks of “our” and “we,” and “all the obedient.” Joy is incomplete until it is shared. She is able to rejoice despite their fallen circumstances, because she knows the eventual solution for death and sin—the “joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” She finds happiness in dreary surroundings with her faith, her bright anticipation of a better world. She knew the Savior would redeem us from the Fall.
Jesus’ ministry included the performance of miracles. While these miracles blessed individuals, they also foreshadowed the eventual reversal of the Fall. Death, disease, pain, laboring for food, were all physical consequences of Adam and Eve’s choice in the Garden, and Jesus’ miracles alleviated these physical burdens, if only in isolated circumstances for a few individuals. They demonstrated His power to restore the earth to its paradisaical glory. He also removed spiritual problems. Sin, misery, harassment by Satan, and separation from God were spiritual consequences of the Fall. Jesus told the paralytic his sins were forgiven (spiritual) before He commanded him to arise and walk (physical) (see Mark 2:1-12). Eve rejoiced that sin and physical ailments would one day be permanently and universally healed by the Savior.
What can we learn from the earth’s statement? It seems to be pleading for the annihilation of the human race itself, and Enoch knew the flood was coming. But Enoch interceded, begged, on behalf of the human family and the earth. Out of the interchange between the earth, Enoch, and God, a decision was reached. The solution to the problem was 1. The Lord would stay the floods and “call upon” us to repent; 2. The Messiah would be a descendant of Enoch and Noah, and He would eventually cleanse the earth. Humanity would be spared for a while. Before the destruction at the Second Coming, the Restoration would provide the world with the opportunity to hear the gospel and repent. Then the millennial reign of the Savior would bring peace to the earth, and to those who were saved.
When something is repeated in the scriptures, it must be important. These verses show us three witnesses for God. Ultimately, these three mothers teach us about joy—joy that comes when we obey God and trust His plan.
Eve
Brigham Young taught that when the mouth is open, the mind is on parade. Words from Eve in the scriptures give us a glimpse into her heart and mind. In Moses 5:11, we hear her own voice, not someone talking to her, or about her: “And Eve, [Adam’s] wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.”
The first thing that strikes me as I read this quote is her use of plural pronouns. With Adam (in verse 10), it is “I” and “my;” with Eve it is “we” and “our.” She concurs with his sentiments, but in an inclusive way. It is also strange to my Latter-day Saint ears to hear them rejoice about transgression. The Eden narrative seems simple on its face, but the more one studies it, the more cognitive complexity it requires of us. Transgression a necessary element of the plan? Putting the forbidden fruit in the garden? Letting Satan tempt childish, innocent beings? It baffles the mind. What was the Lord up to? Surely (and thankfully) His thoughts are higher than ours.
But Eve is not celebrating sin; she speaks of the joy of redemption and eternal life God gives the obedient. It seems almost as if she is implying that the Lord gave them two contradictory commandments, and they had to break one initially (don’t eat the forbidden fruit) to keep the other fully (have children). Why else would she exult about joy through obedience and transgression in the same breath? She also speaks of acquiring the ability to discern good from evil.
Perhaps most dear to her heart, the very first outcome of the Fall she mentions, is “seed,” her children.
Her emotional valence in this brief quote is joy and exultation. She is glad; she has kids; she has wisdom; she rejoices in redemption and eventual exaltation; she notes her part in the plan, being “obedient.” These are some basic elements of Eve’s mind and heart we can derive from this precious, brief statement.
Sariah
Sariah, the wife of Lehi, also gets precious little airtime in the scriptures. Her brief statements center around the same themes as Eve’s.
In 1Ne. 5:2, she tells her husband, “Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.” This is reminiscent of Adam’s and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden. Lehi and Sariah are driven from their comfortable, richly furnished home on pain of death; Adam and Eve are driven from the garden, knowing their expulsion included a death sentence. Both couples take the bare minimum of essentials with them into their respective wildernesses.
She is anxious about her sons, but Sariah ultimately rejoices in verse 8: “And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee in to the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.”
She is glad like Eve; she speaks of her children like Eve; she speaks of newly acquired knowledge like Eve; she rejoices in the Lord’s power to redeem and deliver; she notes the importance of being obedient to the Lord’s commandments. 1Ne. 5:8 parallels Moses 5:11.
The Earth
A third (and highly unlikely) matriarch makes a statement too similar to Eve’s to be mere coincidence. The earth itself speaks in a vision of Enoch. The following verse stretches the imagination: “And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?” (Moses 7:48). This is not a direct command to alter behavior; it is an oblique plea, a “hint” to us.First, a few explanatory notes.
How can the earth speak? Is this literal? I believe it is. There seems to be abundant evidence in the scriptures that everything, even things we typically think of as unconscious, unaware, and inanimate, truly have a measure of consciousness, awareness, and intelligence in them, the power to respond to God’s instructions.
Many consider the Pearl of Great Price to be an interesting, yet non-essential scripture, a kind of freakish curiosity in the standard works meant to keep intellectuals occupied. Who would be surprised that it would speak of exotic things, e.g. sentient lumps of matter? They prefer the plain and precious Book of Mormon. No challenging ideas there. There is nothing superfluous in the Book of Mormon, no planets talking or Adam being baptized or giants or other oddities like that. And yet it also teaches plainly that matter obeys God.
In Helaman 12:7-26, Mormon laments the nothingness of man. “O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.” Why are we lower than dirt? “For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of the great and everlasting God...Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.” Verse 13 makes it plain that the matter is actually comprehending and complying: “Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved. Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done...if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done...if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done” (Hel. 12:7-17). The Lord calls the things in these verses “thou” (hey, you!) and instructs them as to what to do. The Lord speaks to humans using the same word—thou—in verses 20 and 21.
This concept of inanimate things obeying commands is abundant. The sun and moon obey Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14); Nephi tells his brothers that, with God’s permission, he could tell water to become dirt (1Ne. 17:50); the Lord tells a later Nephi that temples and mountains will crumble and move at his command (Hel. 10:8-9); Jacob says that in the name of Jesus, trees, mountains, and seas obey him, and that God commands the earth and the things on its face (Jacob 4:6, 9); waters obey Moses as if he was God (Moses 1:25).
Unlike Eve, the earth is lamenting, but it is still focused on its kids; it anticipates redemption and eventual exaltation for itself and its children; it notes its part in the plan, and cites the promises of God. Eve and Sariah get one solid verse and a few fragments elsewhere; this mother has only one verse. Like the rest of us, whatever consciousness the earth has is ultimately celestial in origin, and will not be satisfied until it returns home to its native environment. The earth, like Eve and Sariah, has been kicked out of its native land, and must wander and die in the wilderness.
The parallels between these three verses are part of a pattern, and this is an important line. Enoch, Moses, and Nephi seem to be depending on a recipe for scriptural composition in their accounts: Each speaker is a matriarch. The emotional state of each is discussed. Each one speaks of her part in the larger plan of salvation. Each notes the importance of obedience. Each one speaks of acquired knowledge, or testimony, about the Lord’s mercy. Each one has intense feelings, joy or pain, regarding their offspring. And each quote is brief.
Lessons
Elder Oaks encouraged us to include a “therefore what?” in our talks—these ideas may be true, but what’s the point? What can we learn from this? There are direct instructions in scripture (like the Decalogue). But there are general principles that can be gleaned from scripture, even without overt commands.
Sariah exemplifies great faith with her willingness to follow the current prophet (even if he happens to be her husband). She echoes Nephi’s statement that when the Lord commands, He prepares a way to accomplish what He commands.
Eve talks of “our” and “we,” and “all the obedient.” Joy is incomplete until it is shared. She is able to rejoice despite their fallen circumstances, because she knows the eventual solution for death and sin—the “joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” She finds happiness in dreary surroundings with her faith, her bright anticipation of a better world. She knew the Savior would redeem us from the Fall.
Jesus’ ministry included the performance of miracles. While these miracles blessed individuals, they also foreshadowed the eventual reversal of the Fall. Death, disease, pain, laboring for food, were all physical consequences of Adam and Eve’s choice in the Garden, and Jesus’ miracles alleviated these physical burdens, if only in isolated circumstances for a few individuals. They demonstrated His power to restore the earth to its paradisaical glory. He also removed spiritual problems. Sin, misery, harassment by Satan, and separation from God were spiritual consequences of the Fall. Jesus told the paralytic his sins were forgiven (spiritual) before He commanded him to arise and walk (physical) (see Mark 2:1-12). Eve rejoiced that sin and physical ailments would one day be permanently and universally healed by the Savior.
What can we learn from the earth’s statement? It seems to be pleading for the annihilation of the human race itself, and Enoch knew the flood was coming. But Enoch interceded, begged, on behalf of the human family and the earth. Out of the interchange between the earth, Enoch, and God, a decision was reached. The solution to the problem was 1. The Lord would stay the floods and “call upon” us to repent; 2. The Messiah would be a descendant of Enoch and Noah, and He would eventually cleanse the earth. Humanity would be spared for a while. Before the destruction at the Second Coming, the Restoration would provide the world with the opportunity to hear the gospel and repent. Then the millennial reign of the Savior would bring peace to the earth, and to those who were saved.
When something is repeated in the scriptures, it must be important. These verses show us three witnesses for God. Ultimately, these three mothers teach us about joy—joy that comes when we obey God and trust His plan.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Willing
As a missionary, I was taught to concentrate the majority of my efforts on methods that were "more effective," and spend less time on those that are "less effective." Knocking on doors is a less effective way of finding people to teach, though it can work. Asking for, and receiving, referrals from members is a more effective way of finding people to teach.
If we are commanded to meet together once a week to partake of the sacrament, this ordinance must be a "more effective" way of bringing about our immortality and eternal life, or why else do it so often?
Repetition is a double-edged sword—it can help us remember, or render what we repeat meaningless. Asking questions about the ordinance of the sacrament can undo the mechanical or perfunctory observance of this ordinance we slip into, and deepen our understanding. I found a note on the ground years ago, apparently passed between two members who were partaking of the sacrament. The note essentially asked why the promised blessing with the bread is that we "may always have his Spirit to be with [us]," while the promise with the water is simply that we "may have his Spirit to be with [us]."
That is a great question to answer later, and elsewhere.
I want to point out here that everything we commit to in the sacrament has a matching action by Jesus Christ. In the prayer on the bread, we signify our willingness to do three things:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to (1) take upon them the name of thy Son, and (2) always remember him and (3) keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."
There is a difference between being willing to do something, and committing or promising to do something. In the prayer on the water, we actually promise to do something:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."
Elder Bednar surprised the many when he pointed out that we do not actually take the name of Christ upon ourselves when we partake of the sacrament; that happens in the Temple. Rather, we demonstrate by partaking of the sacrament that we are willing to take his name upon ourselves.
There is a corresponding act on His part as well. When we take the name of Christ upon ourselves, we become eligible to inherit everything He merited—"all that my Father hath" (D&C 84:38). He took our names, in other words, our reputations and guilt, upon Himself when He suffered and died for our sins. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5).
We witness that we will always remember Him. Jesus speaks through Isaiah, and tells us, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me" (Isa. 49:15-16). He constantly remembers us.
We show our willingness to keep His commandments which He has given to us. You might suppose this is surely a one way street. But John records what Jesus taught at the very first sacrament meeting—the last supper: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14). God will give us any good thing we ask of Him.
Jesus has done, or will actually do, everything for us that He asks us to do for Him. The sacrament prayers commit us to be willing to do certain things; Jesus will actually do them for us when we qualify to receive them.
As far as contractual language goes, a lawyer might tell you that the use of the word "willing" in the prayer on the bread makes the conditions of this contract as open as a sieve. If behavior were the main focus of the covenant, this would be true. When we sign mortal contracts, they pertain mainly to commitments to act, to do certain things, or face penalties. The banker does not care whether you submit your cash joyfully or grudgingly, as long as you pay your debt by the deadline.
But the word "willing" in the prayer on the bread shifts the focus from our behavior to our attitude—are we willing to do those things? "Willing" has few synonyms. "Ready," "eager," "prepared," "voluntary," "disposed," "consenting," "inclined," all strike near the meaning of the word, but do not quite capture its essence. "...with cheerful readiness" is a summary description, not a synonym. Why are we granted to "always have" the Spirit with us for merely being eager, ready, for wanting to serve?
Consider the contrast between Nephi on the one hand, and Laman and Lemuel on the other. Laman and Lemuel's behavior eventually aligned with what they were asked to do, though they had to be electrocuted like lab rats to elicit the proper response. They left their home at Jerusalem, went back for the plates, went back for the daughters of Ishmael, crossed the desert, helped Nephi build a boat, crossed the ocean, and finally arrived at the promised land. Nephi also did all those things. Why do we think of Laman and Lemuel as scoundrels? Because they were unwilling participants. They rebelled, but we all do that—we all misbehave at some point, and hopefully correct our course in the end. But Laman and Lemuel were internally rebellious in the end, the opposite of willing. They moaned and complained the whole way, dragging their feet and doubting. Nephi chided them for being "hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds" (1Ne. 7:8).
Their internal state disqualified them from enjoying the Spirit, even though they ultimately obeyed all the orders they received. We often quote 1Ne. 3:7, and rightly so. We can expect divine assistance to accomplish what He commands us to do. But we often neglect 1Ne. 3:6: "Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured." Attitude counts big with the Lord.
The more I learn, the more it seems that the external world is basically already how God wants it, the way He created it. Repentance does involve trying to change this outer world, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of what we are supposed to be changing is internal—our hearts and minds, our attitudes. It is the internal mess that is our primary responsibility.
That is not to say behavior is unimportant. All sins will impede spiritual progress. But there is a difference between tripping over our shoelaces and open rebellion. We may be out of the open rebellion phase of breaking the Ten Commandments, but what about that middle phase? Our imperfect minds and weak bodies are always obstacles to perfect observance of commandments, even when we try.
The Gospel seems to accommodate our inevitable stumbling with provision made for our weakness. When the best we can do falls short, if we are willing we can still "always" enjoy having "his Spirit" to be with us.
If we are commanded to meet together once a week to partake of the sacrament, this ordinance must be a "more effective" way of bringing about our immortality and eternal life, or why else do it so often?
Repetition is a double-edged sword—it can help us remember, or render what we repeat meaningless. Asking questions about the ordinance of the sacrament can undo the mechanical or perfunctory observance of this ordinance we slip into, and deepen our understanding. I found a note on the ground years ago, apparently passed between two members who were partaking of the sacrament. The note essentially asked why the promised blessing with the bread is that we "may always have his Spirit to be with [us]," while the promise with the water is simply that we "may have his Spirit to be with [us]."
That is a great question to answer later, and elsewhere.
I want to point out here that everything we commit to in the sacrament has a matching action by Jesus Christ. In the prayer on the bread, we signify our willingness to do three things:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to (1) take upon them the name of thy Son, and (2) always remember him and (3) keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."
There is a difference between being willing to do something, and committing or promising to do something. In the prayer on the water, we actually promise to do something:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."
Elder Bednar surprised the many when he pointed out that we do not actually take the name of Christ upon ourselves when we partake of the sacrament; that happens in the Temple. Rather, we demonstrate by partaking of the sacrament that we are willing to take his name upon ourselves.
There is a corresponding act on His part as well. When we take the name of Christ upon ourselves, we become eligible to inherit everything He merited—"all that my Father hath" (D&C 84:38). He took our names, in other words, our reputations and guilt, upon Himself when He suffered and died for our sins. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5).
We witness that we will always remember Him. Jesus speaks through Isaiah, and tells us, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me" (Isa. 49:15-16). He constantly remembers us.
We show our willingness to keep His commandments which He has given to us. You might suppose this is surely a one way street. But John records what Jesus taught at the very first sacrament meeting—the last supper: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14). God will give us any good thing we ask of Him.
Jesus has done, or will actually do, everything for us that He asks us to do for Him. The sacrament prayers commit us to be willing to do certain things; Jesus will actually do them for us when we qualify to receive them.
As far as contractual language goes, a lawyer might tell you that the use of the word "willing" in the prayer on the bread makes the conditions of this contract as open as a sieve. If behavior were the main focus of the covenant, this would be true. When we sign mortal contracts, they pertain mainly to commitments to act, to do certain things, or face penalties. The banker does not care whether you submit your cash joyfully or grudgingly, as long as you pay your debt by the deadline.
But the word "willing" in the prayer on the bread shifts the focus from our behavior to our attitude—are we willing to do those things? "Willing" has few synonyms. "Ready," "eager," "prepared," "voluntary," "disposed," "consenting," "inclined," all strike near the meaning of the word, but do not quite capture its essence. "...with cheerful readiness" is a summary description, not a synonym. Why are we granted to "always have" the Spirit with us for merely being eager, ready, for wanting to serve?
Consider the contrast between Nephi on the one hand, and Laman and Lemuel on the other. Laman and Lemuel's behavior eventually aligned with what they were asked to do, though they had to be electrocuted like lab rats to elicit the proper response. They left their home at Jerusalem, went back for the plates, went back for the daughters of Ishmael, crossed the desert, helped Nephi build a boat, crossed the ocean, and finally arrived at the promised land. Nephi also did all those things. Why do we think of Laman and Lemuel as scoundrels? Because they were unwilling participants. They rebelled, but we all do that—we all misbehave at some point, and hopefully correct our course in the end. But Laman and Lemuel were internally rebellious in the end, the opposite of willing. They moaned and complained the whole way, dragging their feet and doubting. Nephi chided them for being "hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds" (1Ne. 7:8).
Their internal state disqualified them from enjoying the Spirit, even though they ultimately obeyed all the orders they received. We often quote 1Ne. 3:7, and rightly so. We can expect divine assistance to accomplish what He commands us to do. But we often neglect 1Ne. 3:6: "Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured." Attitude counts big with the Lord.
The more I learn, the more it seems that the external world is basically already how God wants it, the way He created it. Repentance does involve trying to change this outer world, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of what we are supposed to be changing is internal—our hearts and minds, our attitudes. It is the internal mess that is our primary responsibility.
That is not to say behavior is unimportant. All sins will impede spiritual progress. But there is a difference between tripping over our shoelaces and open rebellion. We may be out of the open rebellion phase of breaking the Ten Commandments, but what about that middle phase? Our imperfect minds and weak bodies are always obstacles to perfect observance of commandments, even when we try.
The Gospel seems to accommodate our inevitable stumbling with provision made for our weakness. When the best we can do falls short, if we are willing we can still "always" enjoy having "his Spirit" to be with us.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Modesty
Modesty would be irrelevant if each world had only one inhabitant. The concept of modesty exists because we do not live on our own private planet. Any good definition of modesty must depend on the reality of relationships, the inevitable effect we have on each other.
Latter-day Saints are taught to be modest. Nascent solipsism in modern U.S. culture often influences North American Latter-day Saint thinking and behavior. In the prevailing culture, all questions revolve around the focal point of self—what's in it for me, how will it affect me, my, mine, etc. Hardly any attention is given to possible effects on others. We seem to join Cain in his cynical quip, "Am I my brother's keeper?" I believe such thinking has influenced LDS notions about the principle of modesty. As though we keep commandments only for our own benefit. Nevertheless, being modest benefits us as well as others.
The following definition of modest is from the Dress and Appearance section of the 2011 For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet:
"Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval.
"Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change.
"Show respect for the Lord and yourself by dressing appropriately for Church meetings and activities. This is especially important when attending sacrament services. Young men should dress with dignity when officiating in the ordinance of the sacrament.
"If you are not sure what is appropriate to wear, study the words of the prophets, pray for guidance, and ask your parents or leaders for help. Your dress and appearance now will help you prepare for the time when you will go to the temple to make sacred covenants with God. Ask yourself, 'Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?'"
The precise definition of "modesty" is not so easy to pin down. There is wiggle room for interpretation. If there were numerous exact rules, and modesty police, we would be carrying measuring tapes and yardsticks around with us everywhere like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. We would become the army of "prudes" President Hinckley wanted to avoid creating.
While definitions of immodesty vary from person to person, if we choose to define modesty in terms of "how does this affect me?" without considering "how will this affect others?" we are missing the point of modesty—that we share this world, and do have some responsibility for our effect on other people. Here is my current personal definition of modesty:
To be modest means modifying one's attitude, actions, dress, and language in the attempt to have the best possible effect on the spiritual well being of other people.
"Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:12-13). The ways we talk, act, dress, and our attitudes, do not force anyone to do anything. But they are looming advertisements for others to think, feel, and act. What are we inviting others to do?
My definition of modesty says nothing about skirt length, etc. It presupposes a certain degree of wisdom in us. "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward" (D&C 58:26). When we are obedient, true to the light we possess, we can receive more; we will be blessed "with commandments not a few" (D&C 59:4).
Specific descriptions of how to dress modestly are found only in a publication addressed to the youth. We lack this knowledge until it is taught.
What level of responsibility will we be held to for the thoughts and resulting actions of others we influence here in mortality? It is possible to do everything right and still elicit unintended or undesirable responses from others. (It is also possible to try to pull others in the wrong direction and fail.) Scriptural verbs such as "invite," "entice," and "persuade" all imply agency in one party, and non-compulsory salesmanship in the other. They make it clear that we are to do the best we can to have a positive impact, but that others are ultimately responsible for their thoughts, choices, and acts. If we do our part and are modest, we are absolved of our responsibility.
It is possible to be immodest unwittingly. The Lord surely approaches such things with mercy and compassion and understanding, and so should we. My use of the word "attempt" in my definition was deliberate.
I was told a story about an American dignitary who visited another continent. When standing before an audience, he put his thumbs and forefingers together in circles, raised his arms, and made the "OK" signal to his audience. But it was considered an obscene gesture in that country, and they chased him out of town. I imagine our responsibility in the final judgment with regard to modesty, and our overall effect on others, will deal largely with our intent instead of the reactions we elicited.
While modern prophets have implored the youth to dress and act modestly (sometimes to no avail), direct commands in the scriptures—"thou shalt dress modestly"—are almost nonexistent. Paul expresses a wish that women would dress modestly (1Tim. 2:9). Adam and Eve are given modest clothes to cover themselves. But instead of direct commands and detailed regulations, the scriptures often teach about modesty via sad narrative warnings about the dangers of dressing and acting immodestly.
The story of the daughter of Jared is among these sad tales. She was a prototype of the liberated modern woman—cunning, intelligent, ambitious, ruthless, and physically attractive. Not fettered by the clunky, outdated social codes of the 1950s (the story is over three thousand years old), she devised a plan to restore her dethroned father to power:
"Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father. Now the daughter of Jared was exceedingly fair. And it came to pass that she did talk with her father, and said unto him: Whereby hath my father so much sorrow? Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep? Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory? And now, therefore, let my father send for Akish, the son of Kimnor; and behold, I am fair, and I will dance before him, and I will please him, that he will desire me to wife; wherefore if he shall desire of thee that ye shall give unto him me to wife, then shall ye say: I will give her if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king" (Ether 8:8-10).
Seems she was also immodest in speech, a braggart.
Her plan succeeded at first, but then backfired when her husband grew jealous of her father, and had him killed, too. After Akish ascended to the throne, he became afraid that his son would try to dethrone him, and had him killed also. His remaining sons fought a war against him. There is no epilogue for Mrs. Akish, the daughter of King Jared, but I imagine even her callous heart could not help but be wrenched by the sight of her immediate family soaked in each others' blood. Her aspirations went up like a firework, enjoyed one glorious moment, and disappeared with a loud bang in a cloud of smoke.
There are accounts of modesty, too. Contrast the tragic narrative above with the story of Rebekah.
Abraham sends his servant out to look for a wife for Isaac. He causes his servant to swear not to bring an idolatrous Canaanite woman back from his wife-hunting trip. The servant arrives at a city:
"And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master."
This was no small thing. A herd of camels just finishing a trip would require hundreds of gallons of water. I am told a flight of stairs had to be traversed in order to reach water in this particular well. This would be like asking a stranger today to wash your dirty RV after a long road trip. A woman who performed this task would need athletic ability, as well as altruism and humility. Rebekah would have been a mess of mud after watering those animals.
"And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out...with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels" (Gen. 24:11-20).
While the account says nothing of her clothes during her initial encounter with Abraham's servant, it does say something later on. The servant brings Rebekah home to Isaac, she sees him in the distance, and "therefore she took a veil, and covered herself" (Gen. 24:65). At her home the servant told her of Abraham's wealth, and that Isaac was to inherit it, and puts expensive jewelry on her as tokens thereof. But she was already part of a wealthy household (big enough to corral a caravan of camels and provide food and lodging for the travelers). Far from ambitions of power, wealth, prestige, and ease, her actions identify her as willing to serve others. Can you imagine the shrewd daughter of Jared volunteering to join a bucket brigade and hauling hundreds of gallons of water to slop camels for a complete stranger? Rebekah's external modesty is matched by her internal virtues.
She also manifests great courage and faith. Instead of hand-picking her future husband, she simply believes that the sign given to the servant by God was correct, and agrees to leave her home forever to marry a man she has never even met.
The ripples of her choices and actions are still expanding today. We are living in their wake.
The scriptures abound in stories of modesty and immodesty, and they trace the outcomes of those choices. They teach correct principles, and we are expected to be wise enough to govern ourselves.
Latter-day Saints are taught to be modest. Nascent solipsism in modern U.S. culture often influences North American Latter-day Saint thinking and behavior. In the prevailing culture, all questions revolve around the focal point of self—what's in it for me, how will it affect me, my, mine, etc. Hardly any attention is given to possible effects on others. We seem to join Cain in his cynical quip, "Am I my brother's keeper?" I believe such thinking has influenced LDS notions about the principle of modesty. As though we keep commandments only for our own benefit. Nevertheless, being modest benefits us as well as others.
The following definition of modest is from the Dress and Appearance section of the 2011 For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet:
"Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval.
"Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change.
"Show respect for the Lord and yourself by dressing appropriately for Church meetings and activities. This is especially important when attending sacrament services. Young men should dress with dignity when officiating in the ordinance of the sacrament.
"If you are not sure what is appropriate to wear, study the words of the prophets, pray for guidance, and ask your parents or leaders for help. Your dress and appearance now will help you prepare for the time when you will go to the temple to make sacred covenants with God. Ask yourself, 'Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?'"
The precise definition of "modesty" is not so easy to pin down. There is wiggle room for interpretation. If there were numerous exact rules, and modesty police, we would be carrying measuring tapes and yardsticks around with us everywhere like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. We would become the army of "prudes" President Hinckley wanted to avoid creating.
While definitions of immodesty vary from person to person, if we choose to define modesty in terms of "how does this affect me?" without considering "how will this affect others?" we are missing the point of modesty—that we share this world, and do have some responsibility for our effect on other people. Here is my current personal definition of modesty:
To be modest means modifying one's attitude, actions, dress, and language in the attempt to have the best possible effect on the spiritual well being of other people.
"Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:12-13). The ways we talk, act, dress, and our attitudes, do not force anyone to do anything. But they are looming advertisements for others to think, feel, and act. What are we inviting others to do?
My definition of modesty says nothing about skirt length, etc. It presupposes a certain degree of wisdom in us. "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward" (D&C 58:26). When we are obedient, true to the light we possess, we can receive more; we will be blessed "with commandments not a few" (D&C 59:4).
Specific descriptions of how to dress modestly are found only in a publication addressed to the youth. We lack this knowledge until it is taught.
What level of responsibility will we be held to for the thoughts and resulting actions of others we influence here in mortality? It is possible to do everything right and still elicit unintended or undesirable responses from others. (It is also possible to try to pull others in the wrong direction and fail.) Scriptural verbs such as "invite," "entice," and "persuade" all imply agency in one party, and non-compulsory salesmanship in the other. They make it clear that we are to do the best we can to have a positive impact, but that others are ultimately responsible for their thoughts, choices, and acts. If we do our part and are modest, we are absolved of our responsibility.
It is possible to be immodest unwittingly. The Lord surely approaches such things with mercy and compassion and understanding, and so should we. My use of the word "attempt" in my definition was deliberate.
I was told a story about an American dignitary who visited another continent. When standing before an audience, he put his thumbs and forefingers together in circles, raised his arms, and made the "OK" signal to his audience. But it was considered an obscene gesture in that country, and they chased him out of town. I imagine our responsibility in the final judgment with regard to modesty, and our overall effect on others, will deal largely with our intent instead of the reactions we elicited.
While modern prophets have implored the youth to dress and act modestly (sometimes to no avail), direct commands in the scriptures—"thou shalt dress modestly"—are almost nonexistent. Paul expresses a wish that women would dress modestly (1Tim. 2:9). Adam and Eve are given modest clothes to cover themselves. But instead of direct commands and detailed regulations, the scriptures often teach about modesty via sad narrative warnings about the dangers of dressing and acting immodestly.
The story of the daughter of Jared is among these sad tales. She was a prototype of the liberated modern woman—cunning, intelligent, ambitious, ruthless, and physically attractive. Not fettered by the clunky, outdated social codes of the 1950s (the story is over three thousand years old), she devised a plan to restore her dethroned father to power:
"Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father. Now the daughter of Jared was exceedingly fair. And it came to pass that she did talk with her father, and said unto him: Whereby hath my father so much sorrow? Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep? Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory? And now, therefore, let my father send for Akish, the son of Kimnor; and behold, I am fair, and I will dance before him, and I will please him, that he will desire me to wife; wherefore if he shall desire of thee that ye shall give unto him me to wife, then shall ye say: I will give her if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king" (Ether 8:8-10).
Seems she was also immodest in speech, a braggart.
Her plan succeeded at first, but then backfired when her husband grew jealous of her father, and had him killed, too. After Akish ascended to the throne, he became afraid that his son would try to dethrone him, and had him killed also. His remaining sons fought a war against him. There is no epilogue for Mrs. Akish, the daughter of King Jared, but I imagine even her callous heart could not help but be wrenched by the sight of her immediate family soaked in each others' blood. Her aspirations went up like a firework, enjoyed one glorious moment, and disappeared with a loud bang in a cloud of smoke.
There are accounts of modesty, too. Contrast the tragic narrative above with the story of Rebekah.
Abraham sends his servant out to look for a wife for Isaac. He causes his servant to swear not to bring an idolatrous Canaanite woman back from his wife-hunting trip. The servant arrives at a city:
"And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master."
This was no small thing. A herd of camels just finishing a trip would require hundreds of gallons of water. I am told a flight of stairs had to be traversed in order to reach water in this particular well. This would be like asking a stranger today to wash your dirty RV after a long road trip. A woman who performed this task would need athletic ability, as well as altruism and humility. Rebekah would have been a mess of mud after watering those animals.
"And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out...with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels" (Gen. 24:11-20).
While the account says nothing of her clothes during her initial encounter with Abraham's servant, it does say something later on. The servant brings Rebekah home to Isaac, she sees him in the distance, and "therefore she took a veil, and covered herself" (Gen. 24:65). At her home the servant told her of Abraham's wealth, and that Isaac was to inherit it, and puts expensive jewelry on her as tokens thereof. But she was already part of a wealthy household (big enough to corral a caravan of camels and provide food and lodging for the travelers). Far from ambitions of power, wealth, prestige, and ease, her actions identify her as willing to serve others. Can you imagine the shrewd daughter of Jared volunteering to join a bucket brigade and hauling hundreds of gallons of water to slop camels for a complete stranger? Rebekah's external modesty is matched by her internal virtues.
She also manifests great courage and faith. Instead of hand-picking her future husband, she simply believes that the sign given to the servant by God was correct, and agrees to leave her home forever to marry a man she has never even met.
The ripples of her choices and actions are still expanding today. We are living in their wake.
The scriptures abound in stories of modesty and immodesty, and they trace the outcomes of those choices. They teach correct principles, and we are expected to be wise enough to govern ourselves.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Investment and Value
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.
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.
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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