John 8:3-5 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This is one of my favorite stories in the New Testament. At this point in time, while the law of Moses hasn't changed, the Romans had pronounced laws prohibiting the Jews from imposing capital punishment for spiritual crimes. i.e. if an individual had committed a crime under Roman law, they should be tried in Roman courts, but if they did something that the Romans thought was just fine, e.g. adultery, the Jews were not allowed to impose a capital punishment for that.
So, when the scribes and pharisees show up with this woman, they're not actually looking to stone her. They're looking to tell the Romans that Christ advocates murder or to tell the Jews that Christ hates the Mosaic Law. Lose, lose for him. So what does he say? He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. He says, I support unbiased judgement, which none of you are.
But here's the thing that earns this story a spot on this forum: He is unbiased judgement. He gave the law to Moses. It's not Moses's law, it's Jehovah's law, and Christ clearly tells the Jews that he is Jehovah. He, personally said, "stone adulteresses." Then, here, with this group, he says, I support unbiased judgement, which none of you are. He didn't tell them at this point in time, he was that unbiased judge, but we, luckily, know that. So why didn't he then pick up a stone and righteously impose the consequences of the law on her?
Was it, perhaps, an insight into the importance of obeying the law of the land? He supported obedience to legal systems, with his, Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's commentary on taxation. If that was part of his intent, it should give us guidance on how we should treat those who do things we consider to be morally wrong that are not prohibited by the law. It clearly does not justify the unethical/immoral action, but it may indicate that we should support the legal system under which we live.
The most interesting thing to me is that the situation (broken law, accusation, imposition of penalty) did not end here. The consequence for adultery was imposed, the penalty paid. Christ paid it. On the cross, and in the garden. It is his right, as the willing surrogate for her punishment to decide whether she needs to also suffer. And of course he tells her to stop. I think this is a pretty important lesson: Christ does believe in consequences. He does support the law, but he has the right to decide when the full consequences of a broken law need to fall on his back alone, and when, through lack of contrition, those penalties need to be paid twice, once by him and once by the transgressor. It really is such a sad waste when we force Christ to allow us to suffer for our own sins when he has already done so for us.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Aaronic Priesthood Manual 3, Lesson 40: Doing Missionary Work
Alma 17: 6 Having refused the kingdom which their father was desirous to confer upon them, and also this was the minds of the people...This has always been something I have found to be an interesting conundrum: what is our obligation to be/do large things when we are capable of being/doing large things? In this specific example, any one of these four sons could have been an amazing king. And while it's true that they brought many people to the knowledge of the truth, I don't see anything in the stories that would imply that those people couldn't have been brought to the truth by three of Mosiah's four sons, while the other stayed and became King. Alma only lasted as chief judge for all of nine years before the "freedom" they had granted the people blew up in his face and he had to quit to focus on preaching the word. What if they had had a strong king, who could have imposed a state religion on the people and a High Priest who could dedicate all of his time to preaching the word of God, and three sons of Mosiah who could have made an amazing 14 year missionary journey to the Lamanites? Wouldn't that have been a better use of at least one of the sons' time? They could conceivably had that king all the way through the book of Alma, and then had a great chance that his son, raised as he would have been, in the company of people like his father, Alma, the great missionary uncles he would have had, Moroni, and Heleman, would have been likely to be a solid, upright man, who could have taken them nearly to Christ's time.
So was the decision to decline the throne in favor of personal desires, however noble, the right decision?
Alma 17:11 Show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. I have a note in my scriptures that Anatoliy Frolov didn't want to learn about the gospel but when we helped him by translating his paper, he saw our example and wanted to know more. Anatoliy was the first person who got baptized in consequence of my teaching while I was on my mission. He was an amazing man, and was wonderful to teach. I was with Elder Staples in Novo-Darnitsya at the time.
Alma 26:27 and when our hearts were depressed, and we wer about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto you success. In Voskresenskiy, when I was teaching a family that I thought was perfect, and they told me that they liked everything we were saying, but they also liked their own church, and their friends were there, and they didn't see why they ought to change, I left their house so low that I was questioning why I had even come on my mission, and why we bothered to teach people the gospel at all, if the Lord, in his mercy, could just baptize them after they died anyway. We were walking to a bus stop, and I was praying, crying out inside, for God to help me understand, and I felt an amazing bolt of lightning and felt, "the Gospel is true because we have living prophets" and I was filled with such a joy that I could not contain it. I started running around, shouting for joy, throwing my bag into the air, and when my companion looked at me like I was a crazy person, I told him, "the gospel is true because we have living prophets." He said something like, "Duh." but also became enthusiastic and threw my bag a time or two. It's not new doctrine, and it's not intensely personal, but it was revelatory, and it was a message sent by God to me at a time when I needed to feel an outpouring of the spirit and it buoyed me up.
So was the decision to decline the throne in favor of personal desires, however noble, the right decision?
Alma 17:11 Show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. I have a note in my scriptures that Anatoliy Frolov didn't want to learn about the gospel but when we helped him by translating his paper, he saw our example and wanted to know more. Anatoliy was the first person who got baptized in consequence of my teaching while I was on my mission. He was an amazing man, and was wonderful to teach. I was with Elder Staples in Novo-Darnitsya at the time.
Alma 26:27 and when our hearts were depressed, and we wer about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto you success. In Voskresenskiy, when I was teaching a family that I thought was perfect, and they told me that they liked everything we were saying, but they also liked their own church, and their friends were there, and they didn't see why they ought to change, I left their house so low that I was questioning why I had even come on my mission, and why we bothered to teach people the gospel at all, if the Lord, in his mercy, could just baptize them after they died anyway. We were walking to a bus stop, and I was praying, crying out inside, for God to help me understand, and I felt an amazing bolt of lightning and felt, "the Gospel is true because we have living prophets" and I was filled with such a joy that I could not contain it. I started running around, shouting for joy, throwing my bag into the air, and when my companion looked at me like I was a crazy person, I told him, "the gospel is true because we have living prophets." He said something like, "Duh." but also became enthusiastic and threw my bag a time or two. It's not new doctrine, and it's not intensely personal, but it was revelatory, and it was a message sent by God to me at a time when I needed to feel an outpouring of the spirit and it buoyed me up.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sunday School Lesson 43: A Chosen Generation
First Peter is believed to have been written while Peter was the bishop of either Rome or Antioch. He was bishop of Antioch for 7 years and Bishop of Rome for 25 years, and died in 64-67 AD. I'm not sure I go for that timeline, because it doesn't leave much time for him to live in Jerusalem, and interact with Paul throughout Acts and some of Paul's epistles. Plus, that's a 32 year window for this epistle, which is almost as long as he lived after Christ was resurrected, so it's about as specific as saying we have no idea when he wrote it, except it probably wasn't while he was in Jerusalem. Lame.
1 Peter 1: 1 To the strangers scattered throughout ... Strangers is from the greek (διασπορᾶς diasporas), and meant scattered. It's interesting to me because a community of Ukrainians living outside of Ukraine (who try to maintain Ukrainian culture) is called a diaspora, and that's the only place I had heard it, but the dictionary has it only as a collection of Jews living outside Israel. The content in the rest of the epistle doesn't sound like it's written to Jews, though, diaspora in the opening or not.
1:6 Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Couple of things to note here: Paul spoke of Moses's choice to leave Pharaoh's court using the same season reference, By faith Moses...refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.(Heb. 11:24-25) A season obviously means your mortal life, which gives a bit of an indication about the scale of time you must start to think on as a prophet. I'm still young enough to remember a time when a month seemed interminable, the summer seemed like a lifetime, and the school year seemed like an eternity. Recently, however, it has started to feel like the seasons are come and gone before you have time to realize they are fully arrived. Paul and Peter here, both speak of life that same way. Moses was in the wilderness with the Israelites for forty years and Paul here casually dismisses it as, oh, that was just a season.
The second thing I noticed is the grammatically excludable if need be statement. This statement is actually omitted from some translations of the Bible. Albert Barnes says that Peter was just being tactful by saying, if need be, and that he more accurately meant, because you need it. I often agree with Barnes, and certainly think that most or all of us have something to be gained through trials and humility.
1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love. This was a completely different statement back then, coming from Peter. He not only had seen Christ, but had worked with him daily during his ministry. At a family reunion once, I was up on a deck that came off the second floor of the house, sitting with my grandfather and grandmother, looking down at the majority of their eight living children, all with spouses, their 50-some-odd grandchildren, most with spouses, and the hundred or so great grandchildren. My grandfather and grandmother were looking at those people with different eyes than I was, and as we talked about what it meant for them to see all those people, returning that year to honor them, I had a hint of something eternal that I can't really describe. I wonder if Peter had a similar thought as he wrote this letter to the uncounted saints who, through his and others' efforts were honoring Christ daily.
1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. This statement was originally given in Leviticus 11, again in 19, and again in 20. It is probably one of my favorite injunctions in scripture. At the time it was given, the alternatives to Jehovah were bloodthirsty, lustful, immoral creations of stone and wood that embodied most of the worst behaviors of man, think of Molech or Baal. By the time of the Christians and in this part of the world, people were worshiping the greek and roman pantheons. Zeus was the father of the gods and was constantly coming down to earth to exaltedly lie with normal women. His wife, rather than punish him, would, in deified jealous rage, punish the woman who had succumbed to her husband's immortal seduction. And so on. It was (and is) commonly accepted that people do and act like the gods they worship, choosing them, perhaps in part, because they can identify with that deity. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:5) Heavenly Father was different from the gods of the day because he said, I am holy, so you should be holy. This is a really important thing to recognize in ourselves--we will practice and aspire to the behaviors and virtues of the being we worship and pray to. Our God is a God of holiness, cleanliness, obedience, truth, love, grace, and so on. If we really believe in him, we will seek to live in the pattern he has set for us.
1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Just had to note the explicit reference to an existence in God's presence before the physical creation of the world. And, lest any think this applies to Christ only, He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) Both Christ and we existed in a place where God could foreordain and choose us prior to the creation of the world.
1 Peter 1: 1 To the strangers scattered throughout ... Strangers is from the greek (διασπορᾶς diasporas), and meant scattered. It's interesting to me because a community of Ukrainians living outside of Ukraine (who try to maintain Ukrainian culture) is called a diaspora, and that's the only place I had heard it, but the dictionary has it only as a collection of Jews living outside Israel. The content in the rest of the epistle doesn't sound like it's written to Jews, though, diaspora in the opening or not.
1:6 Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Couple of things to note here: Paul spoke of Moses's choice to leave Pharaoh's court using the same season reference, By faith Moses...refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.(Heb. 11:24-25) A season obviously means your mortal life, which gives a bit of an indication about the scale of time you must start to think on as a prophet. I'm still young enough to remember a time when a month seemed interminable, the summer seemed like a lifetime, and the school year seemed like an eternity. Recently, however, it has started to feel like the seasons are come and gone before you have time to realize they are fully arrived. Paul and Peter here, both speak of life that same way. Moses was in the wilderness with the Israelites for forty years and Paul here casually dismisses it as, oh, that was just a season.
The second thing I noticed is the grammatically excludable if need be statement. This statement is actually omitted from some translations of the Bible. Albert Barnes says that Peter was just being tactful by saying, if need be, and that he more accurately meant, because you need it. I often agree with Barnes, and certainly think that most or all of us have something to be gained through trials and humility.
1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love. This was a completely different statement back then, coming from Peter. He not only had seen Christ, but had worked with him daily during his ministry. At a family reunion once, I was up on a deck that came off the second floor of the house, sitting with my grandfather and grandmother, looking down at the majority of their eight living children, all with spouses, their 50-some-odd grandchildren, most with spouses, and the hundred or so great grandchildren. My grandfather and grandmother were looking at those people with different eyes than I was, and as we talked about what it meant for them to see all those people, returning that year to honor them, I had a hint of something eternal that I can't really describe. I wonder if Peter had a similar thought as he wrote this letter to the uncounted saints who, through his and others' efforts were honoring Christ daily.
1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. This statement was originally given in Leviticus 11, again in 19, and again in 20. It is probably one of my favorite injunctions in scripture. At the time it was given, the alternatives to Jehovah were bloodthirsty, lustful, immoral creations of stone and wood that embodied most of the worst behaviors of man, think of Molech or Baal. By the time of the Christians and in this part of the world, people were worshiping the greek and roman pantheons. Zeus was the father of the gods and was constantly coming down to earth to exaltedly lie with normal women. His wife, rather than punish him, would, in deified jealous rage, punish the woman who had succumbed to her husband's immortal seduction. And so on. It was (and is) commonly accepted that people do and act like the gods they worship, choosing them, perhaps in part, because they can identify with that deity. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:5) Heavenly Father was different from the gods of the day because he said, I am holy, so you should be holy. This is a really important thing to recognize in ourselves--we will practice and aspire to the behaviors and virtues of the being we worship and pray to. Our God is a God of holiness, cleanliness, obedience, truth, love, grace, and so on. If we really believe in him, we will seek to live in the pattern he has set for us.
1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Just had to note the explicit reference to an existence in God's presence before the physical creation of the world. And, lest any think this applies to Christ only, He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) Both Christ and we existed in a place where God could foreordain and choose us prior to the creation of the world.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
2 Nephi 26
2 Nephi 26:4-5 Wherefore, All those who are proud, and that do wickedly, the day cometh that shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, for they shall be as stubble. And they that kill the prophets, and the saints, the depths of the earth shall swallow them up, saith the Lord of Hosts; and mountains shall cover them, and whirlwinds shall carry them away, and buildings shall fall upon them and crush them to pieces and grind them to powder. This is a little odd. The reality is, the vast majority of those who actually kill a prophet also die, after living full lives; and really, not many people go around killing saints anymore. So, does it mean, that in the millennial day, those who would have qualified as participants in such a group will suffer this? Or is it referencing judgment day? An Angel will stand there with a bull-horn yelling, "all right, everybody who killed a prophet, come stand by this mountain! Saint-killers on the left, by the falling building, and the rest of you, grab your stubble suit and head to the fire!" It seems kind of lame. Words like this have been passed around to and by people who have actually lost loved ones, who want to know that the perps will be caught and punished, but if they just get the same allegorical Hell that the rest of us get for normal failings, then it becomes small comfort in the moment. Of course they should all be fine with it in the end, at judgment day itself, when their perspective should be changed and their nature (if they are saved) should actually regret that any soul should suffer.
In that vein, what is it about our existence here that makes it so hard for us to have that perspective? Obviously there are people who have it, e.g. the sons of Mosiah, some of the prophets, but there are some notably righteous people who clearly lack it, e.g Jonah (he was upset when the Lord didn't follow through on the destruction of Ninevah, even though they repented), Elisha (he had the she-bears rip up those kids for calling him baldy). Something about us feels a need for immediate and physical punishment of injustice. I have it, myself. I wonder if I need to evaluate that further, but I'm out of time.
In that vein, what is it about our existence here that makes it so hard for us to have that perspective? Obviously there are people who have it, e.g. the sons of Mosiah, some of the prophets, but there are some notably righteous people who clearly lack it, e.g Jonah (he was upset when the Lord didn't follow through on the destruction of Ninevah, even though they repented), Elisha (he had the she-bears rip up those kids for calling him baldy). Something about us feels a need for immediate and physical punishment of injustice. I have it, myself. I wonder if I need to evaluate that further, but I'm out of time.
Friday, August 12, 2011
2 Nephi 25
2 Nephi 25:1-2 Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand...For I have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness and their doings were doings of abomination. When Christ came, the Jews had a hard time believing that he was the anointed Messiah, but the Nephites did not have the same trouble. From this scripture, it would appear that the Nephite acceptance of Christ could have been the result of a deliberate and calculated move on Nephi's part to wean them off the Jewish way of thinking.
25:4 The words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless, they are plain unto all those that have the spirit of prophesy. Nice (not very subtle) dig, Nephi. Oh, you don't get it? Well, smart people do. We know the testimony of Christ is the spirit of prophesy, so Isaiah should be plain as day to anybody who has a testimony of Christ. But it isn't. I wondery why. Part of it is definitely going to be context, and background. Joseph Smith said something fairly similar about the book of Revelation, and I think that can enlighten us a little. There's an entire section of the Doctrine and Covenants that is simply a question and answer session with the Lord about what do certain parts of the book of Revelation mean. This conversation undoubtedly took place before he said the book was plain as day and easy to understand, and maybe that's what Nephi means. Isaiah is plain as day and easy to understand after you have the opportunity to have a Q&A session with the Lord about it.
25:4 The words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless, they are plain unto all those that have the spirit of prophesy. Nice (not very subtle) dig, Nephi. Oh, you don't get it? Well, smart people do. We know the testimony of Christ is the spirit of prophesy, so Isaiah should be plain as day to anybody who has a testimony of Christ. But it isn't. I wondery why. Part of it is definitely going to be context, and background. Joseph Smith said something fairly similar about the book of Revelation, and I think that can enlighten us a little. There's an entire section of the Doctrine and Covenants that is simply a question and answer session with the Lord about what do certain parts of the book of Revelation mean. This conversation undoubtedly took place before he said the book was plain as day and easy to understand, and maybe that's what Nephi means. Isaiah is plain as day and easy to understand after you have the opportunity to have a Q&A session with the Lord about it.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
2 Nephi 24
There is an interesting shift that happens around verse five, before which, the subjects are the actual nation of Israel and Babylon, speaking of the eventual return of Israel to their lands of promise and the demise of Babylon, thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: How hath the oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased! and if you are not paying attention, the subsequent verses may seem to apply but by the time you get to verse 12, you'll note that the person being addressed is no longer the King of Babylon, but Lucifer. There are a number of things that will happen:
The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked staff clearly symbolizing power or authority,
He that smote the people ... is persecuted
the whole earth is at rest and a comment that the trees are rejoicing, perhaps indicating that in the millenial day, we will be better resource managers
Hell from beneath is moved to meet thee
[His] pomp is brought down to the grave - Lucifer will be cast out of the earth, and the denizens there will say, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! and that's when you realize that even though the chapter started out talking about the King of Babylon, it switched to speaking about Luciferin the middle.
24:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to teh ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou has said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Just as Isaiah sometimes speaks messianically, here he uses the king of Babylon to typify Lucifer. I like these verses because they are nearly identical to the verses in the book of Isaiah, and are one of the places in the Bible where you have reasonably clear support for our version of the pre-earth life, with the council in heaven and Lucifer, a son of the morning, existing in heaven, in God's presence, aspiring to ascend to the throne of God, and being cast out for his hubris until the residents of hell ask him, art thou become weak as we?
The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked staff clearly symbolizing power or authority,
He that smote the people ... is persecuted
the whole earth is at rest and a comment that the trees are rejoicing, perhaps indicating that in the millenial day, we will be better resource managers
Hell from beneath is moved to meet thee
[His] pomp is brought down to the grave - Lucifer will be cast out of the earth, and the denizens there will say, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! and that's when you realize that even though the chapter started out talking about the King of Babylon, it switched to speaking about Luciferin the middle.
24:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to teh ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou has said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Just as Isaiah sometimes speaks messianically, here he uses the king of Babylon to typify Lucifer. I like these verses because they are nearly identical to the verses in the book of Isaiah, and are one of the places in the Bible where you have reasonably clear support for our version of the pre-earth life, with the council in heaven and Lucifer, a son of the morning, existing in heaven, in God's presence, aspiring to ascend to the throne of God, and being cast out for his hubris until the residents of hell ask him, art thou become weak as we?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
2 Nephi 23
2 Nephi 23:9-10 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; and the sun shall be darkened in his going forth and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. Couple of quick thoughts here: a day that is cruel and fierce to lay the land desolate and destroy the sinners. So will the righteous also suffer? The way I read it, I have to say this seems to imply yes. There are others that don't seem to imply that the righteous will suffer, but I can't think of them right now. The celestial bodies being darkened may refer to them being obscured by dark clouds from a storm or ash clouds from volcanic eruptions, or perhaps as a byproduct of a war fought with terrible weapons.
23:11 I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. Does this mean that they wicked men will still be alive while all these calamities are being poured out? I sure hope so, or the rest of the world is bearing the brunt of their temporal punishment. But that's the crux of it, isn't it? Does what happens to us temporally count as a punishment? Remembering that the goal of life is to gain a body and learn obedience through faith, is there any trial here that is not a blessing? Any calamity that does not allow us to demonstrate our commitment to God? It is interesting that it goes on to talk about how rare a man will be, implying that of the people who get burned up will be more likely to be men than women.
23:15-16 Every one that is proud shall be thrust through; yea, and every on that is joined to the wicked shall fall by the sword. Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives revished. So at least some of the wicked will die, while others will watch terrible things happen to their families. I hope that those terrible things don't happen to my familiy, whether I qualify for destruction or not. That would be an awful thing to have to see.
23:21-22 But wild bests of the desert shall lie there...and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild bests of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces. HAH! Biblical proof of Satyrs and Dragons. After Babylon is destroyed, mythical creatures will show up there and we can go see them.
23:22 For I will be merciful unto my people, but The wicked shall perish. I do like the almost subtle reminder that the Lord will not treat his covenant people the same as he treats the wicked. The only problem is that the Lord is often talking about eternal destruction when we tend to focus on physical destruction. He may mean that he'll destroy them by sending them to Hell and his merciful treatment of his people is forgiving their sins and allowing them to join him in Heaven, and whatever happens to them while they are alive is not worth mentioning, for the reasons I gave above. Whichever it is, I still hope none of the terrible things discussed in this chapter happen to my family, and I hope that if they do, I will have the Lord's help in keeping an eternal perspective.
Marshall told me about a fellow who had spoken in church a few weeks ago whose 18 month old daughter had drowned and he was crying tears of gratitude that he was able to be a part of her life for those 18 months. From an eternal perspective, what matters is that she had a chance to come to earth, gain a physical body, and return to God in Heaven, and to her parents, it is an opportunity to understand (very slightly) some of the pain that Christ suffered for us as he took our sins and iniquities and infirmities upon himself. But I'm sure it's not easy and hope that I don't have to go through it.
23:11 I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. Does this mean that they wicked men will still be alive while all these calamities are being poured out? I sure hope so, or the rest of the world is bearing the brunt of their temporal punishment. But that's the crux of it, isn't it? Does what happens to us temporally count as a punishment? Remembering that the goal of life is to gain a body and learn obedience through faith, is there any trial here that is not a blessing? Any calamity that does not allow us to demonstrate our commitment to God? It is interesting that it goes on to talk about how rare a man will be, implying that of the people who get burned up will be more likely to be men than women.
23:15-16 Every one that is proud shall be thrust through; yea, and every on that is joined to the wicked shall fall by the sword. Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives revished. So at least some of the wicked will die, while others will watch terrible things happen to their families. I hope that those terrible things don't happen to my familiy, whether I qualify for destruction or not. That would be an awful thing to have to see.
23:21-22 But wild bests of the desert shall lie there...and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild bests of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces. HAH! Biblical proof of Satyrs and Dragons. After Babylon is destroyed, mythical creatures will show up there and we can go see them.
23:22 For I will be merciful unto my people, but The wicked shall perish. I do like the almost subtle reminder that the Lord will not treat his covenant people the same as he treats the wicked. The only problem is that the Lord is often talking about eternal destruction when we tend to focus on physical destruction. He may mean that he'll destroy them by sending them to Hell and his merciful treatment of his people is forgiving their sins and allowing them to join him in Heaven, and whatever happens to them while they are alive is not worth mentioning, for the reasons I gave above. Whichever it is, I still hope none of the terrible things discussed in this chapter happen to my family, and I hope that if they do, I will have the Lord's help in keeping an eternal perspective.
Marshall told me about a fellow who had spoken in church a few weeks ago whose 18 month old daughter had drowned and he was crying tears of gratitude that he was able to be a part of her life for those 18 months. From an eternal perspective, what matters is that she had a chance to come to earth, gain a physical body, and return to God in Heaven, and to her parents, it is an opportunity to understand (very slightly) some of the pain that Christ suffered for us as he took our sins and iniquities and infirmities upon himself. But I'm sure it's not easy and hope that I don't have to go through it.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Matt 7:21-23
Matt 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
This scripture makes me think of networking at work. We often get frustrated that the people who get promoted aren't always those we think are most exemplary, or the best qualified, they're often the one who has a personal relationship with the hiring manager. There's even the oft-repeated "it's not what you know, it's who you know." And in the professional workplace, this is often viewed as a flaw in the system. The best and brightest doesn't necessarily advance because he may not be personally familiar with the person doing the hiring.
In the gospel, it's the same way, apparently. Here you have a group of people who are essentially proclaiming that they have done the work, but Christ replies, "I never knew you."
Flip over to Matt 25, to the parable of the ten virgins. Five brought oil in addition to what they could hold in their lamps, and five brought no oil so that when the party approached, those who had not were compelled to run try to purchase, and when they returned, did Christ admonish them for what they had done? No. He said simply, I know you not. And wouldn't let them in to the party.
Alma touches on this theme in Mosiah 26, where he reminds us that we must know the name by which we are called, and the voice of the Good Shepherd. Those who do not know him are told, Then will I confess unto them that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire...
The two obvious traps that I see associated with our attempts to know Christ are knowing about Christ, and believing that works can be a substitute for knowing him.
Knowing about Christ is probably the easiest to do. When Christ talked about those who had visited him in prison, fed him when they saw him hungry, clothed him when they saw him naked, he was talking to a group of people who knew about him. Those who failed to recognize him in the poor, the meek, and the lowly did so not because they didn't know about him, but because they didn't know him.
I want to be clear: learning about Christ is a good and necessary part of our spiritual development, but it is no substitute for coming to know Christ. We should be doing both.
The second challenge is somewhat harder, but Christ was quite clear that it was possible--that of performing actions that are good without knowing Christ. In the scripture that started this off, the sinners said, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and Christ did not deny that they had indeed done many wonderful works, but he says, I never knew you. This is the failing of a hypocritical generation, and he was definitely speaking to his target audience at the time, who were known for their hypocrisy, but are we any better? As we go to church on Sunday, and perform our callings, and having family prayers, and all the myriad other things we do, are we filled with the love of God? Or are we aware that our neighbors are watching us and we want them to believe that we're good people? Are we convinced that doing our home teaching is ministering unto the Savior as he lies naked, hungry, or thirsty? Or is it something we do because it's awkward to tell the Elders' Quorum President that we haven't done it again this month?
I am not going to go through all the motivations we might have for performing acts that are motivated by the wrong reason, but it is possible.
The lucky thing about both of these flaws is that they both have a strong tendency to build you to the point where you might have started out simply learning about Jesus and end up coming to know him, and you might start out doing the works of Christ for the wrong motivations and the promise does exist that through action, you can come to know that they are of God, and your motivations can change. I have a hard time believing that one could go for long persisting in daily scripture study, daily prayer, temple attendance, and serving actively in the church without progressing past learning about Christ and rote performance of actions.
On the flipside, I also think it is possible to build a house on that foundation, and once the walls are up, through neglect of the less public portions of service and more personal obligations of study and prayer, quietly and slowly dig that foundation out from under the house while presenting to all the world a facade that slowly becomes more and more unstable.
And that, for me, is one of the most important lessons in this whole discussion: You can not look at someone and have any understanding of where they are at spiritually based on anything you can see because it is possible for someone who knows Christ intimately to give you nothing different to observe than someone who does not. The motivations are in the heart, and as Paul said, Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels...though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains...and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. All those things are possible without allowing them to create within you the saving grace that means that you know Christ. When it comes time to be judged, Christ will either know you or he will not know you, and your works and knowledge will profit you nothing if you do not know him.
This scripture makes me think of networking at work. We often get frustrated that the people who get promoted aren't always those we think are most exemplary, or the best qualified, they're often the one who has a personal relationship with the hiring manager. There's even the oft-repeated "it's not what you know, it's who you know." And in the professional workplace, this is often viewed as a flaw in the system. The best and brightest doesn't necessarily advance because he may not be personally familiar with the person doing the hiring.
In the gospel, it's the same way, apparently. Here you have a group of people who are essentially proclaiming that they have done the work, but Christ replies, "I never knew you."
Flip over to Matt 25, to the parable of the ten virgins. Five brought oil in addition to what they could hold in their lamps, and five brought no oil so that when the party approached, those who had not were compelled to run try to purchase, and when they returned, did Christ admonish them for what they had done? No. He said simply, I know you not. And wouldn't let them in to the party.
Alma touches on this theme in Mosiah 26, where he reminds us that we must know the name by which we are called, and the voice of the Good Shepherd. Those who do not know him are told, Then will I confess unto them that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire...
The two obvious traps that I see associated with our attempts to know Christ are knowing about Christ, and believing that works can be a substitute for knowing him.
Knowing about Christ is probably the easiest to do. When Christ talked about those who had visited him in prison, fed him when they saw him hungry, clothed him when they saw him naked, he was talking to a group of people who knew about him. Those who failed to recognize him in the poor, the meek, and the lowly did so not because they didn't know about him, but because they didn't know him.
I want to be clear: learning about Christ is a good and necessary part of our spiritual development, but it is no substitute for coming to know Christ. We should be doing both.
The second challenge is somewhat harder, but Christ was quite clear that it was possible--that of performing actions that are good without knowing Christ. In the scripture that started this off, the sinners said, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and Christ did not deny that they had indeed done many wonderful works, but he says, I never knew you. This is the failing of a hypocritical generation, and he was definitely speaking to his target audience at the time, who were known for their hypocrisy, but are we any better? As we go to church on Sunday, and perform our callings, and having family prayers, and all the myriad other things we do, are we filled with the love of God? Or are we aware that our neighbors are watching us and we want them to believe that we're good people? Are we convinced that doing our home teaching is ministering unto the Savior as he lies naked, hungry, or thirsty? Or is it something we do because it's awkward to tell the Elders' Quorum President that we haven't done it again this month?
I am not going to go through all the motivations we might have for performing acts that are motivated by the wrong reason, but it is possible.
The lucky thing about both of these flaws is that they both have a strong tendency to build you to the point where you might have started out simply learning about Jesus and end up coming to know him, and you might start out doing the works of Christ for the wrong motivations and the promise does exist that through action, you can come to know that they are of God, and your motivations can change. I have a hard time believing that one could go for long persisting in daily scripture study, daily prayer, temple attendance, and serving actively in the church without progressing past learning about Christ and rote performance of actions.
On the flipside, I also think it is possible to build a house on that foundation, and once the walls are up, through neglect of the less public portions of service and more personal obligations of study and prayer, quietly and slowly dig that foundation out from under the house while presenting to all the world a facade that slowly becomes more and more unstable.
And that, for me, is one of the most important lessons in this whole discussion: You can not look at someone and have any understanding of where they are at spiritually based on anything you can see because it is possible for someone who knows Christ intimately to give you nothing different to observe than someone who does not. The motivations are in the heart, and as Paul said, Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels...though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains...and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. All those things are possible without allowing them to create within you the saving grace that means that you know Christ. When it comes time to be judged, Christ will either know you or he will not know you, and your works and knowledge will profit you nothing if you do not know him.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Doctrine & Covenants 20 (Part II)
D&C 20:38-45 An Apostle is an Elder, and it is his calling to baptize; and to ordain other elders, priests, teachers, and deacons; and to administer bread and wine...and to confirm thos who are baptized into the church...and to teach, expound, exhort, baptize and watch over the church...and to take the lead in all meetings. The Elders are to conduct the meetings as they are led by the Holy Ghost, according to the commandments and revelations of God. Fairly straightforward, except that it gives a lot of the responsibilities that I associate with the Priests to the Elders. Specifically, baptizing, ordaining other priests, teachers, and deacons, and blessing the sacrament all belongs to priests. When it lists the duties of the priests in verses 46-52, he gets those, but they are moderated with the line, but when there is an elder present, he is only to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize. And visit the house of each member...[and]...assist the elder if occasion requires.
20:53 The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them. (Emphasis added). so the teacher's duty is to actually be with the church, as though the others will not be, either because of duty, or by virtue of his calling, he will not feel as close to the balance of the members. In some ways, I am like this at work, that is, the team might feel more comfortable approaching one of the managers who report to me than to me, considering them more of a peer than I am.
20:61 The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months. I assume that general conference counts as half of this and Stake Conference is the other half.
20:68 The elders or priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning the church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the elders so that all things may be done in order. Last week, the Elders' Quorum President read an excerpt from the Church Handbook of Instructions, Although the sacrament is for Church members, the bishopric should not announce that it will be passed to members only, and nothing should be done to prevent nonmembers from partaking of it. Is the second in conflict with the first? I went to Mass a couple of times as a teenager with a girl I was dating. Her parents were quite helpful to me as they talked about what to expect and made it clear that I would not be alone in abstaining from participation in the Eucharist, even among a congregation of Catholics, and were able to suggest (without being offensive) that I probably ought not participate in that portion of the service. I think that is what our own members (and missionaries) may need to do. Prepare anyone who comes to church with them for the experience and have the conversation about what the sacrament means to them and to the church as a whole prior to shoving a tray full of bread or water in their face 15 minutes into the meeting.
20:53 The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them. (Emphasis added). so the teacher's duty is to actually be with the church, as though the others will not be, either because of duty, or by virtue of his calling, he will not feel as close to the balance of the members. In some ways, I am like this at work, that is, the team might feel more comfortable approaching one of the managers who report to me than to me, considering them more of a peer than I am.
20:61 The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months. I assume that general conference counts as half of this and Stake Conference is the other half.
20:68 The elders or priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning the church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the elders so that all things may be done in order. Last week, the Elders' Quorum President read an excerpt from the Church Handbook of Instructions, Although the sacrament is for Church members, the bishopric should not announce that it will be passed to members only, and nothing should be done to prevent nonmembers from partaking of it. Is the second in conflict with the first? I went to Mass a couple of times as a teenager with a girl I was dating. Her parents were quite helpful to me as they talked about what to expect and made it clear that I would not be alone in abstaining from participation in the Eucharist, even among a congregation of Catholics, and were able to suggest (without being offensive) that I probably ought not participate in that portion of the service. I think that is what our own members (and missionaries) may need to do. Prepare anyone who comes to church with them for the experience and have the conversation about what the sacrament means to them and to the church as a whole prior to shoving a tray full of bread or water in their face 15 minutes into the meeting.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Doctrine & Covenants 20
Elder Uchtdorf told us to read several sections in the Doctrine and Covenants on the priesthood so we'll be taking a brief hiatus from our normal exploration of the Book of Mormon while we do as he asked.
D&C 20:1 The rise of the church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the comin gof our lord an dsavior Jesus Christ in the flesh. James E. Talmage says in Jesus the Christ that "We believe that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, April 6, BC 1" and he explains his reasoning by citing the fact that there is not general consensus among biblical scholars about a date, and quoting this verse in D&C 20, "In which the day is made without qualification the completion of the one thousand eight hundred and thirtieth year." There is no concensus among biblical scholars (concensus is lacking among both LDS and non-LDS scholars). Talmage references Dr. Charles F. Deems' book, The Light of Nations and quotes, "the birth of our Lord is placed in BC 1 by Pearson and Hug; BC 2 by Scalinger; BC 3 by Baronius and Paulus; BC 4 by Bengel, Wieseler, and Greswell; BC 5 by Usher and Petavius; BC 6 by Strong, Luvin, and Clark; BC 7 by Ideler and Sanclemente."
This one is interesting because according to Josephus, a non-christian Jewish historian who wrote at this time, King Herod (the one who killed all the babies because he was afraid of Jesus's impact on his dynasty) died in BC 4, making it difficult for him to have killed anybody after that. (Josephus records an eclipse of the moon shortly before Herod's death, which astronomers date to March 12 or 13 of 4 BC) Our current calendar is based on the research of a fellow named Dionysius Exiguus who worked it out in 532 AD based on the date of the founding of Rome.
There's one other monkey wrench to throw in there: the Census of Quirinius was taken in 6 AD, and is the only one close to this time. If that census was taken in 6, and Herod died in 4, I like 6 but I'm certainly nothing like a scholar, and I'm sure there are whole books dedicated to this that talk about way more than I'm finding.
In counterpoint to James E. Talmage (as they usually seem to find themselves), Bruce R. McConkie wrote "We do not believe it is possible with the present state of our knowledge-including that which is known both in and out of the Church-to state with finality when the natal day fo the Lord Jesus actually occurred." (McConkie, 1:394, n.2)
The significance of the implication that the ,day is April 6 is meaningful for LDS church history. On April 6, the prophet Joseph Smith restored the church (1830), The cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated (1853), the St. George temple was dedicated (1877), The Salt Lake Temple wa dedicated (1893). But, I'd bet you could find three or four meaningful events on pretty much any date you picked if you're looking that granularly.
D&C 20:1 The rise of the church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the comin gof our lord an dsavior Jesus Christ in the flesh. James E. Talmage says in Jesus the Christ that "We believe that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, April 6, BC 1" and he explains his reasoning by citing the fact that there is not general consensus among biblical scholars about a date, and quoting this verse in D&C 20, "In which the day is made without qualification the completion of the one thousand eight hundred and thirtieth year." There is no concensus among biblical scholars (concensus is lacking among both LDS and non-LDS scholars). Talmage references Dr. Charles F. Deems' book, The Light of Nations and quotes, "the birth of our Lord is placed in BC 1 by Pearson and Hug; BC 2 by Scalinger; BC 3 by Baronius and Paulus; BC 4 by Bengel, Wieseler, and Greswell; BC 5 by Usher and Petavius; BC 6 by Strong, Luvin, and Clark; BC 7 by Ideler and Sanclemente."
This one is interesting because according to Josephus, a non-christian Jewish historian who wrote at this time, King Herod (the one who killed all the babies because he was afraid of Jesus's impact on his dynasty) died in BC 4, making it difficult for him to have killed anybody after that. (Josephus records an eclipse of the moon shortly before Herod's death, which astronomers date to March 12 or 13 of 4 BC) Our current calendar is based on the research of a fellow named Dionysius Exiguus who worked it out in 532 AD based on the date of the founding of Rome.
There's one other monkey wrench to throw in there: the Census of Quirinius was taken in 6 AD, and is the only one close to this time. If that census was taken in 6, and Herod died in 4, I like 6 but I'm certainly nothing like a scholar, and I'm sure there are whole books dedicated to this that talk about way more than I'm finding.
In counterpoint to James E. Talmage (as they usually seem to find themselves), Bruce R. McConkie wrote "We do not believe it is possible with the present state of our knowledge-including that which is known both in and out of the Church-to state with finality when the natal day fo the Lord Jesus actually occurred." (McConkie, 1:394, n.2)
The significance of the implication that the ,day is April 6 is meaningful for LDS church history. On April 6, the prophet Joseph Smith restored the church (1830), The cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated (1853), the St. George temple was dedicated (1877), The Salt Lake Temple wa dedicated (1893). But, I'd bet you could find three or four meaningful events on pretty much any date you picked if you're looking that granularly.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
2 Nephi 21
2 Nephi 21:6-8 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Isaiah is using animals here as an allegory for people, indicated by the preceding verses about judging the poor and the meek. The animals represented are of two classes, the one, by nature, defenseless and the other, predatory and seemingly designed to prey on the first. The theme of judging righteously, in a way that does not inappropriately punish the poor is common throughout the Old Testament, indicating that it was as great a problem 3,000 years ago as it is today, where people who can afford to are not punished by the law to the same degree as those who can not afford to buy their way out.
Can we also understand from these verses that in the millennial day, these types of animals will also literally change their nature and cease to prey on one another? Sickness, death, corruption all entered the world by virtue of the fall, and the world started to bring forth thistles, thorns, briars and noxious weeds instead of fruits and flowers, but how much of that was already there, just not in the Garden of Eden? And if you take away a leopard's deadly grace, what is its purpose? If it doesn't need to run to eat, why would it do so? Would God make a creature so marvelously suited to pursuit and then change it in its paradisiacal state to be mild-mannered? Although, to that point, mankind seems uniquely adapted to violence and we are certainly hoping that will go away when Christ comes.
Can we also understand from these verses that in the millennial day, these types of animals will also literally change their nature and cease to prey on one another? Sickness, death, corruption all entered the world by virtue of the fall, and the world started to bring forth thistles, thorns, briars and noxious weeds instead of fruits and flowers, but how much of that was already there, just not in the Garden of Eden? And if you take away a leopard's deadly grace, what is its purpose? If it doesn't need to run to eat, why would it do so? Would God make a creature so marvelously suited to pursuit and then change it in its paradisiacal state to be mild-mannered? Although, to that point, mankind seems uniquely adapted to violence and we are certainly hoping that will go away when Christ comes.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
2 Nephi 20
2 Nephi 20:5-6 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger...I will send him against a hypocritical nation. We already know that the Lord has a history of using what might be considered wicked nations to punish what are supposed to be his righteous/covenant nations. So which nations does he use today and does the United States qualify as one of his covenant nations? This land is supposed to be choice above all other lands, free from kings, and a place of freedom as long as the inhabitants of the land worship Jesus Christ, but does that mean that we are also eligible for being scourged by wicked nations when we forget Christ? And what is the danger inherent in winning against those wicked nations on our own terms and by our own might rather than looking to the Lord and repenting? King Noah's people drove back the Lamanites and celebrated their own might only to be brought into bondage a couple of years later.
20:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hat performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem (that is, after the Lord will have allowed Assyria to destroy Jerusalem), I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks for he saith: By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things. Wow. poor guy. He gets used and then punished for not recognizing that he is being used. Still, he was a wicked fellow, but oddly, it's not saying that he will be punished for being wicked, but that he is being punished for thinking that by his own strength he had been able to overcome the Lord's covenant people. But what non-believer anywhere would think, "A god I don't believe in is going to help me whup up on the people who do believe in him"? It seems like that may be a somewhat unreasonable expectation.
20:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hat performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem (that is, after the Lord will have allowed Assyria to destroy Jerusalem), I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks for he saith: By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things. Wow. poor guy. He gets used and then punished for not recognizing that he is being used. Still, he was a wicked fellow, but oddly, it's not saying that he will be punished for being wicked, but that he is being punished for thinking that by his own strength he had been able to overcome the Lord's covenant people. But what non-believer anywhere would think, "A god I don't believe in is going to help me whup up on the people who do believe in him"? It seems like that may be a somewhat unreasonable expectation.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
2 Nephi 19 (Isaiah 9)
2 Nephi 9:2,4 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light;...For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor. I often think that it's no wonder the Jews didn't accept Christ's assertion that this was him. He gave them the freedom that comes from knowing that earthly things pass away, rather than the freedom that comes from destroying their earthly oppressors, i.e. Rome.
9:11-12 Therefore the Lord shall...join his enemies together...and they shall devour israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. The imagery of the Lord, full of righteous anger, allowing the consequences of sin to punish his covenant people, but standing there, with his hand stretched out to rescue them if they will just reach out to him is rampant throughout the Old Testament and it is some of my favorite sources of understanding the nature of God. I think about my own self and my kids--when they are being bad and I'm punishing them, am I able to stand there with my hand out, ready for their sincere contrition? Through the rest of the chapter, this message is repeated several times, each time after he explains what they are doing wrong and what consequences of that they will be forced to endure, but he wants to make it clear that he is ready to forgive as soon as they are ready to repent.
9:11-12 Therefore the Lord shall...join his enemies together...and they shall devour israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. The imagery of the Lord, full of righteous anger, allowing the consequences of sin to punish his covenant people, but standing there, with his hand stretched out to rescue them if they will just reach out to him is rampant throughout the Old Testament and it is some of my favorite sources of understanding the nature of God. I think about my own self and my kids--when they are being bad and I'm punishing them, am I able to stand there with my hand out, ready for their sincere contrition? Through the rest of the chapter, this message is repeated several times, each time after he explains what they are doing wrong and what consequences of that they will be forced to endure, but he wants to make it clear that he is ready to forgive as soon as they are ready to repent.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2 Nephi 9 (Part V)
Some references to being poor/rich:
2 Nephi 9:30 Wo unto the rich, who are rich as to things of the world. For because they are rich, they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure shall perish with them also.
Genesis 13:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Exodus 23:3 Neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause.
Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord.
1 Samuel 2:6 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
Psalms 10:2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Proverbs 13:7,11 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath n othing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches...Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall behonoured.
Proverbs 14:23-24 In all labour there is profit: but the talk of their lips tendeth only to penury. The crown of the wise is their riches: but eh foolishness of fools is folly.
Proverbs 28:6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent...He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
Proverbs 30:8-9 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
There really are too many to list. I've blown through my time today reading references that all seem to imply that hard work is required by the Lord and results in prosperity, which is acceptable. Treating the poor badly is never acceptable. Being poor is only acceptable if you are not lazy, don't steal, and don't blame God for it. The rich often despise the poor, which is not ok. If the poor are wise, they are still treated badly, and we should all shut our mouths until we're sure it's the right time to talk. To summarize, I would say, God made us all, being rich caries its own special challenges, which it seems are more likely to prevent you from getting into heaven than the challenges associated with being poor, but there is clearly an obligation to work diligently to get yourself out of poverty if you are poor. When you do so, you can't treat the other poor (whether they are there because of laziness or not) badly, but must remember to treat them generously.
2 Nephi 9:30 Wo unto the rich, who are rich as to things of the world. For because they are rich, they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure shall perish with them also.
Genesis 13:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Exodus 23:3 Neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause.
Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord.
1 Samuel 2:6 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
Psalms 10:2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Proverbs 13:7,11 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath n othing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches...Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall behonoured.
Proverbs 14:23-24 In all labour there is profit: but the talk of their lips tendeth only to penury. The crown of the wise is their riches: but eh foolishness of fools is folly.
Proverbs 28:6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent...He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
Proverbs 30:8-9 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
There really are too many to list. I've blown through my time today reading references that all seem to imply that hard work is required by the Lord and results in prosperity, which is acceptable. Treating the poor badly is never acceptable. Being poor is only acceptable if you are not lazy, don't steal, and don't blame God for it. The rich often despise the poor, which is not ok. If the poor are wise, they are still treated badly, and we should all shut our mouths until we're sure it's the right time to talk. To summarize, I would say, God made us all, being rich caries its own special challenges, which it seems are more likely to prevent you from getting into heaven than the challenges associated with being poor, but there is clearly an obligation to work diligently to get yourself out of poverty if you are poor. When you do so, you can't treat the other poor (whether they are there because of laziness or not) badly, but must remember to treat them generously.
Friday, February 18, 2011
2 Nephi 9 (Part IV)
2 Nephi 9:21 For behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. Jacob says, every living creature and then goes on casually enumerating who/what that includes. His list comprises only humans. For Jacob, every creature means every human. I bring this up because I have not quite come to a solid understanding in my own mind about what was happening with all the plants and animals during the 6 days of creation and the time subsequent to creation before the fall. Lehi told Jacon in 2 Nephi 2:22 if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. Was Lehi also speaking specifically of Humans? Bruce R. McKonkie said that there was no growth, offspring, or death in anything, plant, animal, or human prior to the fall of Adam, and that he brought death upon those things by his choice as well. I'm pretty sure he uses the 2 Nephi 2 reference as his justification. Given the context of 2 Nephi 9:21, did Lehi mean only humans? It's reasonable to assume that Jacob would learn to speak of things in the way he did from listening to his father speak of them. We do read in scripture that the plants grew and the animals were commanded to reproduce, but Adam and Eve were also commanded to reproduce and didn't do so until they were mortal. In a book by Skousen called The First Thousand Years, he asserts that Adam was unique from the plants and animals on this earth in that Adam was created of the substance of the earth while the plants and animals were brought here from another source.
The reference in Moses 3, where it says, man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also is a little more enigmatic, but the chapter goes on to a completely different chronology of creation than the one we get in Genesis, Abraham, and the temple, i.e. Adam is created first, then the Garden of Eden with its two trees, then the animals are created, (out of the ground, I might add) and then Eve comes. Moses covers it up by saying, the Lord God created all things...spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. But he goes on to say that the reason he did that was because he had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth, which I find to be an extremely odd justification for not creating things in the same order as the rest of scripture says.
The reference in Moses 3, where it says, man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also is a little more enigmatic, but the chapter goes on to a completely different chronology of creation than the one we get in Genesis, Abraham, and the temple, i.e. Adam is created first, then the Garden of Eden with its two trees, then the animals are created, (out of the ground, I might add) and then Eve comes. Moses covers it up by saying, the Lord God created all things...spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. But he goes on to say that the reason he did that was because he had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth, which I find to be an extremely odd justification for not creating things in the same order as the rest of scripture says.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
2 Nephi 9 (III)
2 Nephi 9:14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness. It's interesting that one of the first things that Adam and Eve noticed (or had pointed out to them) after partaking of the fruit was their nakedness. Here, it is used as another example of our how we (when sinning) are different from God. Additionally, as we purify ourselves, we are clothed in purity. Is it a purity or nothing question when dressing?
In the scriptures, when someone realizes that he has done somethign to incur the wrath of God, they often rend their clothes. Could the symbolism here be driving at a return to the shameful nakedness of Adam and Eve in the garden after they had eaten and before God made them the coats of skins when they were cast out?
In the scriptures, when someone realizes that he has done somethign to incur the wrath of God, they often rend their clothes. Could the symbolism here be driving at a return to the shameful nakedness of Adam and Eve in the garden after they had eaten and before God made them the coats of skins when they were cast out?
Friday, February 11, 2011
2 Nephi 9 (part II)
2 Nephi 9:6 For as death hath passed upon all men...there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall. It seems that this is saying that the resurrection needs to be performed/brought about by a man, i.e. someone who was subject to the fall. Which coincides with all the terrible things that Christ had to suffer because of the fact that he was God operating within the limitations of humanity, but why? Is this an eternal principle that you have to dig yourself out of your own holes? Except it seems so broad--since a human ate the fruit and brought the fall, a human has to perform the atonement for all humans. Jacob speaks about that as though it's a given. He focuses on the mercy of the plan, and our eventual rise from death, but to me, the part that is fascinating is that we (humanity) are responsible for our own redemption from physical and spiritual death. Paul said, For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Cor 15:21-22) In reading that, I've always focused on Adam causing death and God causing the resurrection (v. 22), but it's clear that Christ in this context is considered a man, not God, focusing on his mortal mother, not his celestial father.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
2 Nephi 9
2 Nephi 9:2 When they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise. There seems to be a really big fixation with promised lands and lands for inheritance throughout scripture. It's one of the pillars of the Abrahamic Covenant--specific lands were covenanted to be given to him and his posterity as part of his deal with God. It was reiterated with Isaac (and very notably refuted with Ishmael when Abraham asked if it could be through him), and was again confirmed with Jacob. But why was it so important that you have land (and more particularly, specific lands) when Christ comes? We know that the earth will be renewed and become the Celestial Kingdom after the Millennial reign of Christ, and perhaps the deed transfers and the covenant of land is actually a ticket to the Celestial kingdom.
But the people in scripture seem to have a fixation on the land of their fathers. Zeniff and his people with the land of Lehi-Nephi, the Jews throughout the Old Testament. And it seems to be supported by the Lord, in that he tells people to go take certain lands away from others because he has given them to them. It's the kind of thing that really wouldn't go over well today: "Hey, I've given you Phoenix. Go kill the people who are currently living there and move into their houses." But the fact that they didn't have to build the houses, plant the crops, dig the wells, etc. was a major part of the deal with inheriting the land of Israel when Joshua led them across the Jordan river after the Exodus. Will this happen again if we start expanding outward to new planets? I could easily envision the whole Old Testament being acted out on a cosmic scale a couple of hundred years from now.
But the people in scripture seem to have a fixation on the land of their fathers. Zeniff and his people with the land of Lehi-Nephi, the Jews throughout the Old Testament. And it seems to be supported by the Lord, in that he tells people to go take certain lands away from others because he has given them to them. It's the kind of thing that really wouldn't go over well today: "Hey, I've given you Phoenix. Go kill the people who are currently living there and move into their houses." But the fact that they didn't have to build the houses, plant the crops, dig the wells, etc. was a major part of the deal with inheriting the land of Israel when Joshua led them across the Jordan river after the Exodus. Will this happen again if we start expanding outward to new planets? I could easily envision the whole Old Testament being acted out on a cosmic scale a couple of hundred years from now.
Friday, February 4, 2011
2 Nephi 8
2 Nephi 8:12 Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass? According to the Bible Dictionary, the title Son of Man was something that Christ used about 80 times when speaking of himself but was never used by anyone else when speaking about him while he was alive. In the Old Testament, it was used frequently but appears to refer to pretty much anyone the writer wants it to, but never to Jehovah. Bruce R. McConkie postulates that Christ used it about himself as an expression of humility or lowliness. In any case, as this chapter is Nephi, quoting Isaiah, both of whom were Old Testament time period, it clearly does not refer to Christ as someone who is more familiar with the New might assume.
8:17-20 Awake, Awake, stand up, O Jerusalem...thou has drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out--And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up. Here's an interesting illustration - Jerusalem needs to awake and arise but struggles because none of her sons are around to hold her hand. Who are her sons? Who has she brought up? My first thought was that perhaps Christianity is one of the sons of Judaism, springing as it did from Jerusalem and spreading to the western world. If so, what is our obligation to the state of Israel? Could that be why the state of Israel is consistently supported by the western world despite the clearly superior claims that the Palestinians have to the land?
However, the scripture goes on to list two different sons, which makes me wonder who the other sons could be even more, and pokes holes in my first thought pretty effectively. These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee--thy desolation and destruction, and the fame and the sword--and by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. So one son is desolation and destruction, and the other is famine and the sword.
This puts a different spin on who the sons might be. It implies that another son might be happiness and contentment, or increase and prosperity, or righteousness and blessing. But the only two that stuck around are full of fury and represent the rebuke of God, taking us back to an earlier discussion where we questioned whether the things that happened to the Jews after they were scattered among all nations were the continuing punishment of God or whether they were simply the natural consequences of that scattering, mingled with the agency of man, and could potentially have been different. I do not want to revisit that except to mention verse 22, which says, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over--and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over. To me that indicates that the treatment of the Jews post scattering is something the Lord is clearly viewing as an offense, which he will punish.
I want to focus on the other sons. It says of all the sons she hath brought up, these two sons are come unto thee. and Thy sons have fainted, save these two. Applying this to us, indicates that we have the opportunity and ability to bring up a variety of children which can represent our lifestyle. Since these two sons are the only ones to stick around, and they represent the rebuke of the Lord, perhaps they were preceded by the sons Pride and Wickedness. If we want the sons that stick around to be Peace and Happiness, perhaps we need to focus on raising the sons Patience and Gratitude. If we want Success and Prosperity, we probably want to focus our efforts on Work and Frugality. It seems that if we want the lasting children to be Blessings and Peace, our overall focus needs to be on Righteousness so that those children can represent the Blessings of the Lord instead of the Rebuke.
8:17-20 Awake, Awake, stand up, O Jerusalem...thou has drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out--And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up. Here's an interesting illustration - Jerusalem needs to awake and arise but struggles because none of her sons are around to hold her hand. Who are her sons? Who has she brought up? My first thought was that perhaps Christianity is one of the sons of Judaism, springing as it did from Jerusalem and spreading to the western world. If so, what is our obligation to the state of Israel? Could that be why the state of Israel is consistently supported by the western world despite the clearly superior claims that the Palestinians have to the land?
However, the scripture goes on to list two different sons, which makes me wonder who the other sons could be even more, and pokes holes in my first thought pretty effectively. These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee--thy desolation and destruction, and the fame and the sword--and by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. So one son is desolation and destruction, and the other is famine and the sword.
This puts a different spin on who the sons might be. It implies that another son might be happiness and contentment, or increase and prosperity, or righteousness and blessing. But the only two that stuck around are full of fury and represent the rebuke of God, taking us back to an earlier discussion where we questioned whether the things that happened to the Jews after they were scattered among all nations were the continuing punishment of God or whether they were simply the natural consequences of that scattering, mingled with the agency of man, and could potentially have been different. I do not want to revisit that except to mention verse 22, which says, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over--and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over. To me that indicates that the treatment of the Jews post scattering is something the Lord is clearly viewing as an offense, which he will punish.
I want to focus on the other sons. It says of all the sons she hath brought up, these two sons are come unto thee. and Thy sons have fainted, save these two. Applying this to us, indicates that we have the opportunity and ability to bring up a variety of children which can represent our lifestyle. Since these two sons are the only ones to stick around, and they represent the rebuke of the Lord, perhaps they were preceded by the sons Pride and Wickedness. If we want the sons that stick around to be Peace and Happiness, perhaps we need to focus on raising the sons Patience and Gratitude. If we want Success and Prosperity, we probably want to focus our efforts on Work and Frugality. It seems that if we want the lasting children to be Blessings and Peace, our overall focus needs to be on Righteousness so that those children can represent the Blessings of the Lord instead of the Rebuke.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
2 Nephi 7
2 Nephi 7:4,8 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should learn how to speak a word in season unto thee...And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contend with me?...Let him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth. This is an interesting thought, that either Isaiah or Christ (Isaiah could be speaking messianically at this point--several of the scriptures in between 4 and 8 are clearly references to Christ I gave my back to the smiter, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back etc, although both of those verses could also be applied to Isaiah), one of them is basically saying, bring it on and I will destroy you with words. There is a verse somewhere in the old testament that says, He strengthens my arms to war that a bow of bronze is broken by my hands (or something similar). That one implies physical strength while this reference is clearly talking about rhetoric.
7:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkess and hath no light? This is a great question: who loves the lord while walking in darkness? No one. You either love the Lord or you walk in darkness because if you love him, you keep his commandments, which means no walking in darkness.
2 Nephi 8:6-8 This one will take a minute to explain; Isaiah says, everybody on the whole earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner and then says that God's people should fear not the reproach of men because the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them up like wool but he just said that would happen to everybody! So he starts off by saying, everybody's gonna die, so don't be afraid of the wicked people, because they're going to die. But what? so are you, which we know, but what how is the fact that the wicked die supposed to change your mindset about their actions toward you? Perhaps it is supposed to remind you that there is no need for petty vengeance or anger at physical actions because eventually that person will die and then you'll both get what you deserve.
7:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkess and hath no light? This is a great question: who loves the lord while walking in darkness? No one. You either love the Lord or you walk in darkness because if you love him, you keep his commandments, which means no walking in darkness.
2 Nephi 8:6-8 This one will take a minute to explain; Isaiah says, everybody on the whole earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner and then says that God's people should fear not the reproach of men because the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them up like wool but he just said that would happen to everybody! So he starts off by saying, everybody's gonna die, so don't be afraid of the wicked people, because they're going to die. But what? so are you, which we know, but what how is the fact that the wicked die supposed to change your mindset about their actions toward you? Perhaps it is supposed to remind you that there is no need for petty vengeance or anger at physical actions because eventually that person will die and then you'll both get what you deserve.
Friday, January 28, 2011
2 Nephi 6
2 Nephi 6:4 And they are the words which my brother has desired that I should speak unto you. Was Jacob here, trying to bolster his authority or add weight to his words by saying, "Nephi also thinks this is important"? Or was he saying it in the way a high councilor says, "This is what the Stake Presidency has asked me to focus on"?
6:5 They may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel." This is interesting: he doesn't say they are actually about you because you are of the house of Israel, bur they can be likened unto you. Am I misunderstanding what he means by liken? Probably. Except he then goes on to talk about the scattering and returning of the Jewish nation, still inhabiting the area known as Israel.
Additionally, how many of the prophesies regarding the children of Israel are actually, as we are also (either through literal descent or adoption) of the house of Israel?
6:9 They should return again...and...the Holy One of Israel should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; This just made me think and question when the kings should be the nursing mothers and fathers. I had always read that to be a prophesy focused on the second coming and the literal gathering of Israel, not the return of the tribe of Judah from Babylonian captivity, as this seems to be saying. If I'm understanding Jacob's commentary, he's saying that they get scattered, and then they return (with kings and queens as nursing parents), and then Christ appears to them and they get smitten and afflicted.
6:10 And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted. Were the jews persecuted for thousands of years because they crucified Christ? Was their treatment throughout Europe throughout the dark ages a punishment from God or natural animosity toward foreign businessmen? Is there any chance that this scripture is saying that the Holocaust was a punishment for two thousand year old choices? I think not. I think the scattering that occurred for hundreds of years may be attributed to that, but I think that he prophesy is focused on "scattered" and "gathered." What happens in between isn't part of the punishment.
6:13 For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. This is interesting, because currently the Jews say that Jesus was not the Messiah because he failed to fulfill some of Isaiah's prophecies - a very valid argument - and so they are still waiting for someone who will meet the criteria and prove himself to be the promised Messiah. We (conveniently) accept Jesus as the Christ, despite those unfulfilled prophecies, by saying that he'll fulfill the rest the next time he shows up. If I were looking for a man behind the curtain, I would start pointing.
6:5 They may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel." This is interesting: he doesn't say they are actually about you because you are of the house of Israel, bur they can be likened unto you. Am I misunderstanding what he means by liken? Probably. Except he then goes on to talk about the scattering and returning of the Jewish nation, still inhabiting the area known as Israel.
Additionally, how many of the prophesies regarding the children of Israel are actually, as we are also (either through literal descent or adoption) of the house of Israel?
6:9 They should return again...and...the Holy One of Israel should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; This just made me think and question when the kings should be the nursing mothers and fathers. I had always read that to be a prophesy focused on the second coming and the literal gathering of Israel, not the return of the tribe of Judah from Babylonian captivity, as this seems to be saying. If I'm understanding Jacob's commentary, he's saying that they get scattered, and then they return (with kings and queens as nursing parents), and then Christ appears to them and they get smitten and afflicted.
6:10 And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted. Were the jews persecuted for thousands of years because they crucified Christ? Was their treatment throughout Europe throughout the dark ages a punishment from God or natural animosity toward foreign businessmen? Is there any chance that this scripture is saying that the Holocaust was a punishment for two thousand year old choices? I think not. I think the scattering that occurred for hundreds of years may be attributed to that, but I think that he prophesy is focused on "scattered" and "gathered." What happens in between isn't part of the punishment.
6:13 For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. This is interesting, because currently the Jews say that Jesus was not the Messiah because he failed to fulfill some of Isaiah's prophecies - a very valid argument - and so they are still waiting for someone who will meet the criteria and prove himself to be the promised Messiah. We (conveniently) accept Jesus as the Christ, despite those unfulfilled prophecies, by saying that he'll fulfill the rest the next time he shows up. If I were looking for a man behind the curtain, I would start pointing.
Friday, January 21, 2011
1 Nephi 5
1 Niphi 5:5 I should depart from them and flee into the wilderness. Did they sneak off in the middle of the night? or were things not quite to that point? perhaps he actually went to them and said, "Hey, guys, I'm thinking about taking off. I can tell I'm not really wanted around here, so I'll just go." I doubt it - or he'd never have gotten away with the plates of brass, sword of laban, and all the rest of the people. If Laman and Lemuel were actually power-hungry, they wouldn't want to lose any of their subjects.
5: 6 I did take my family...Zoram...Sam...Jacob and Joseph...my sisters and all those who would go with me. This is the part that makes the sneak off look less likely. He took all these people and their families, leaving Laman and Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and their families, minus anybody from those families who wanted to go with him.
Unless they had moved in with some indigenous peoples, there wasn't really a whole lot of people who stayed behind. And how would you give everyone the option if you kept it a secret? So it may well have been a real slap in the face to Laman and Lemuel to go from, "we're going to kill Nephi" to standing on the playground like two team captains, only you don't pick which players are on your team, the players pick and the captain with the most team members wins. Nephi clearly won in this case. It makes the traditions handed down to Lamoni about the Nephites a little more believable - it makes sense that they would have told the few who remained with them that Nephi had lied, stolen stuff that was rightfully theirs, and perpetuated that until Ammon's time.
5:14 Nephi did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords. Has anyone found steel swords in the Americas? How does a society go from great steel swords to sticks with rocks in the sides?
5: 6 I did take my family...Zoram...Sam...Jacob and Joseph...my sisters and all those who would go with me. This is the part that makes the sneak off look less likely. He took all these people and their families, leaving Laman and Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and their families, minus anybody from those families who wanted to go with him.
Unless they had moved in with some indigenous peoples, there wasn't really a whole lot of people who stayed behind. And how would you give everyone the option if you kept it a secret? So it may well have been a real slap in the face to Laman and Lemuel to go from, "we're going to kill Nephi" to standing on the playground like two team captains, only you don't pick which players are on your team, the players pick and the captain with the most team members wins. Nephi clearly won in this case. It makes the traditions handed down to Lamoni about the Nephites a little more believable - it makes sense that they would have told the few who remained with them that Nephi had lied, stolen stuff that was rightfully theirs, and perpetuated that until Ammon's time.
5:14 Nephi did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords. Has anyone found steel swords in the Americas? How does a society go from great steel swords to sticks with rocks in the sides?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
1 Nephi 4 (Part II)
Nephi's psalm follows the following format:
Testimony of Scripture
Shame
Affirmation of faith
Recital of blessings
Affirmation of personal effort
Recital of blessings
Sorrow for vaguely specific sins (in the form of questioning why would I do that)
Injunction to self to cease sinning
Request that the Lord bless anew
Testimony
How would mine go, following the same format?
The stories of the prophets have always spoken to me; I read about their experiences and feel inspired and motivated, particularly the prophet Elijah. His trials as a man alone, deprived of human companionship, and more particularly not having others of his nature and familiarity with the scriptures, the spirit, and God make me sad for him.
He had the kind of faith that it must take a lifetime to attain; he called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in the midst of his enemies. When he was alone on the mountain, he remained faithful.
Why do I find that my moments of greatest weakness come when I am alone? When I do not have others around me to help me make the right choice, I am weak. I act like I am strong but I fail and sin, knowing full well that it is so.
And yet I know that God loves me. I feel his love, and have felt his love throughout my life. He has guided my choices, he has given me both spiritual light and worldly success. I have been spared from suffering and pain and have been greatly blessed, both materially and spiritually. Even in times when I feel like a failure I have felt the presence of his spirit and its overpowering affirmation that my life is following a course that God approves of.
I have found joy in my family, and have felt the wonder of creation through the miracle of my children's births. I have seen the power of God in their eyes and in their souls. I have been guided in the choices I have made and have often acted without knowing the blessing until after. I have felt the spirit so powerfully that I can stand and say I KNOW that God loves me. I know he blesses me. I know that his love extends to all who serve him, and also to those who fail.
And why do I fall? Why am I the one who knows by personal experience that God loves even the fallen? Why do I neglect the many blessings that God has given me to seek other paths? Why am I unable to live up to the standards that my family deserves? Why do I feel anger at my family? Why do I lack patience? Why does my focus leave the circle of my home for personal interests that have no place therein? How do I forget the feelings of joy the spirit brings?
Find strength, oh my soul! Remember the spirit is more powerful than the flesh! Tame thy body to do the will of the Lord. I will no longer droop in sin. I will exercise the self discipline to love and serve my family and the Lord with full purpose of heart. Keep bright in memory the feelings of the spirit and strive to experience new spiritual events regularly. Love my wife with my whole soul, and leave no room for anger, frustration, or impatience. Love my children and exercise restraint in discipline and release the bowels of my love toward them. Repent of my sins and seek the Lord early. I will arise from my bed in the dark hours of morning to seek his face in his holy temple. Oh my soul, find strength! Find courage!
O Lord, wilt thou forgive me of my failings? Wilt thou instill in me an unfailing desire to tread in thy ways? Wilt thou rebuke the devourer for my sake and for thy name's sake? Bless my soul with the strength of Elijah that in my solitude I may seek thy face and in public I may exhibit courage undeniable. Wilt thou empower my soul with courage and strength, discipline and control that I may overcome the failings of my flesh and the weaknesses which beset me? O Lord, I thank thee for thy loving guidance and kindness and everlasating mercy and patience and the powerful influence of thy spirit which has overshadowed my life and blessed my actions, often unbeknownst to me. Thy hand hath guided my life and my course hath followed thy path. I have seen the power of thy love and desire to always dwell in thy holy house. Make of my home a haven on earth wherein my children may dwell in love and learning and the power and glory of the Lord. Bless my children with strenght and power. Bless the with a sure knowledge of thy love and thy long-suffering towards them, and towards me, worthless creature that I am. Give them confidence toward thee, that their self worth be not defined by the vagaries of unfaithful friends whose standards are not thine. Give them friends who will uplift and encourage them in the paths of righteousness and make of them such friends for others. Bless their eyes and their hearts to see the good and to avoid the evil. Bless me that I will be an example to them.
For I know indeed that thou sentest them to me and that my life is thine to do with as thou wilt. I know that the blessings in my life are thine as well, and I render to thee the sacrifice of my soul. I ask thee to distil thy spirit upon my soul and to give me strength to overcome the flesh. The sacrifice of thy son makes possible this prayer unto thee and I thank thee for evermore for the atoning blood of thy son, whose love and compassion and mercy make possible my repentance and through whose sacrifice I am able to feel the spirit and rejoice despite my sins. Bless me, o Lord; I will praise thy name forever, Amen.
Testimony of Scripture
Shame
Affirmation of faith
Recital of blessings
Affirmation of personal effort
Recital of blessings
Sorrow for vaguely specific sins (in the form of questioning why would I do that)
Injunction to self to cease sinning
Request that the Lord bless anew
Testimony
How would mine go, following the same format?
The stories of the prophets have always spoken to me; I read about their experiences and feel inspired and motivated, particularly the prophet Elijah. His trials as a man alone, deprived of human companionship, and more particularly not having others of his nature and familiarity with the scriptures, the spirit, and God make me sad for him.
He had the kind of faith that it must take a lifetime to attain; he called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in the midst of his enemies. When he was alone on the mountain, he remained faithful.
Why do I find that my moments of greatest weakness come when I am alone? When I do not have others around me to help me make the right choice, I am weak. I act like I am strong but I fail and sin, knowing full well that it is so.
And yet I know that God loves me. I feel his love, and have felt his love throughout my life. He has guided my choices, he has given me both spiritual light and worldly success. I have been spared from suffering and pain and have been greatly blessed, both materially and spiritually. Even in times when I feel like a failure I have felt the presence of his spirit and its overpowering affirmation that my life is following a course that God approves of.
I have found joy in my family, and have felt the wonder of creation through the miracle of my children's births. I have seen the power of God in their eyes and in their souls. I have been guided in the choices I have made and have often acted without knowing the blessing until after. I have felt the spirit so powerfully that I can stand and say I KNOW that God loves me. I know he blesses me. I know that his love extends to all who serve him, and also to those who fail.
And why do I fall? Why am I the one who knows by personal experience that God loves even the fallen? Why do I neglect the many blessings that God has given me to seek other paths? Why am I unable to live up to the standards that my family deserves? Why do I feel anger at my family? Why do I lack patience? Why does my focus leave the circle of my home for personal interests that have no place therein? How do I forget the feelings of joy the spirit brings?
Find strength, oh my soul! Remember the spirit is more powerful than the flesh! Tame thy body to do the will of the Lord. I will no longer droop in sin. I will exercise the self discipline to love and serve my family and the Lord with full purpose of heart. Keep bright in memory the feelings of the spirit and strive to experience new spiritual events regularly. Love my wife with my whole soul, and leave no room for anger, frustration, or impatience. Love my children and exercise restraint in discipline and release the bowels of my love toward them. Repent of my sins and seek the Lord early. I will arise from my bed in the dark hours of morning to seek his face in his holy temple. Oh my soul, find strength! Find courage!
O Lord, wilt thou forgive me of my failings? Wilt thou instill in me an unfailing desire to tread in thy ways? Wilt thou rebuke the devourer for my sake and for thy name's sake? Bless my soul with the strength of Elijah that in my solitude I may seek thy face and in public I may exhibit courage undeniable. Wilt thou empower my soul with courage and strength, discipline and control that I may overcome the failings of my flesh and the weaknesses which beset me? O Lord, I thank thee for thy loving guidance and kindness and everlasating mercy and patience and the powerful influence of thy spirit which has overshadowed my life and blessed my actions, often unbeknownst to me. Thy hand hath guided my life and my course hath followed thy path. I have seen the power of thy love and desire to always dwell in thy holy house. Make of my home a haven on earth wherein my children may dwell in love and learning and the power and glory of the Lord. Bless my children with strenght and power. Bless the with a sure knowledge of thy love and thy long-suffering towards them, and towards me, worthless creature that I am. Give them confidence toward thee, that their self worth be not defined by the vagaries of unfaithful friends whose standards are not thine. Give them friends who will uplift and encourage them in the paths of righteousness and make of them such friends for others. Bless their eyes and their hearts to see the good and to avoid the evil. Bless me that I will be an example to them.
For I know indeed that thou sentest them to me and that my life is thine to do with as thou wilt. I know that the blessings in my life are thine as well, and I render to thee the sacrifice of my soul. I ask thee to distil thy spirit upon my soul and to give me strength to overcome the flesh. The sacrifice of thy son makes possible this prayer unto thee and I thank thee for evermore for the atoning blood of thy son, whose love and compassion and mercy make possible my repentance and through whose sacrifice I am able to feel the spirit and rejoice despite my sins. Bless me, o Lord; I will praise thy name forever, Amen.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
1 Nephi 4
1 Ne 4:2 And the prophesies which he wrote, there are not many greater. Speaking of Joseph, who was taken into Egypt. What makes prophesy "great"? I suppose it could be the number of people it impacts. It could also be the level of involvement with Christ, although if that's the criterion, the prophesies he is referencing probably don't meet it - they're supposed to be about his seed. Maybe he just meant they were pretty specific to him and he mean that there were not many that more specifically involved him.
4:5 For Behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will no depart from it. This one has always bothered me a little. For one thing, it places blame for children's behavior entirely on teh parents and their parenting. For another, if you had to pick the best parent ever, who would it be? Lehi? Apparently not: he had two kids fall away while he was still alive. Abraham? Ishmael didn't turn out so well, did he? Joseph? Maybe, but I'd put my money on Heavenly Father himself as the paragon of fatherhood. I think it is fair to say that he brought up his spirit children in the way [they] should go and yet one third of them decided to depart from it.
Also, Lehi here is ignoring his own failures as as parent when he makes this affirmation. If it is true that he knows it, then it implies that he did not bring up Laman and Lemuel in the way they shoal go and if it is not true, then why is he taking the cursing from Laman and Lemuel's kids and putting it on Laman and Lemuel? He's the one who should get the curse. Either it's not true or he should be cursing himself and apologizing to L&L, not adding to their cursing. My vote is not true.
4:5 For Behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will no depart from it. This one has always bothered me a little. For one thing, it places blame for children's behavior entirely on teh parents and their parenting. For another, if you had to pick the best parent ever, who would it be? Lehi? Apparently not: he had two kids fall away while he was still alive. Abraham? Ishmael didn't turn out so well, did he? Joseph? Maybe, but I'd put my money on Heavenly Father himself as the paragon of fatherhood. I think it is fair to say that he brought up his spirit children in the way [they] should go and yet one third of them decided to depart from it.
Also, Lehi here is ignoring his own failures as as parent when he makes this affirmation. If it is true that he knows it, then it implies that he did not bring up Laman and Lemuel in the way they shoal go and if it is not true, then why is he taking the cursing from Laman and Lemuel's kids and putting it on Laman and Lemuel? He's the one who should get the curse. Either it's not true or he should be cursing himself and apologizing to L&L, not adding to their cursing. My vote is not true.
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