Month: March 2010

Cool Change


I think Cool Change was Little River Band’s greatest song.  I found this video on YouTube which couples the song with video of swimming dolphins and whales. 

These are mammals in the video.  They are warm blooded and breathe air. Because they must breathe they are required to return to the surface.  But in the video they seem to be playing, jumping, enjoying the jump into the heavens and out of the waters where they live.  One of the dolphins leaps and twists like one of the Olympic events we just finished watching.

The upward leap seemed a symbol to me of what all life here was intended to do: reach up joyfully to that God who gave us life.  Hope you enjoy the video and song as much as I did as I watched it with a daughter last night.

Keep the Commandments

I was asked about a list of “commandments” to keep.  The person was sincerely trying to keep the commandments, but lacked a comprehensive list of them.

It is not possible to list all commandments.  In one sense there are only two:  Love God.  Love you fellow man.  All others are extensions of those.

If you love God you will do what He asks of you.  Whenever something comes to your attention He would have you do, you do it.  For example, Christ was baptized and said to “Follow Him.”  So because of your love of God, you follow Him.

But Christ also showed repeatedly, that the second commandment was greater than the rules.  Keeping the Sabbath day holy, for example, was subordinate to loving and freeing His fellow man.  He freed men from sin on the Sabbath by forgiving sins.  He freed them from physical injury or disease by healing on the Sabbath.  Both were considered work, and therefore an offense to the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Your individual path back to God will begin with following the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  At some point, however, you will find that individual service and obedience to God’s will for you will create disharmony between you and others.  Can’t be avoided.  If you’re following Christ, you will find the same things He found.  Helping someone in need will take you away from Church meetings on occasion.  You can’t make a list and keep it, because as soon as you do the list will interfere with loving God and loving your fellow man.

So the whole matter can be reduced to this:  Follow Christ, receive the ordinances, accept the Holy Ghost, who will teach you all things you must do.  Any list beyond that will inevitably result in conflicts and contradictions. 

Elder Oaks

My wife also suggested I add something about Elder Oaks’ talk at Harvard, since some readers may not have access to the information:
 
When discussing our beliefs he explained that personal revelation is fundamental to Mormon beliefs.  “some wonder how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accept a modern prophet’s teachings to guide their personal lives, something that is unusual in most religious traditions.  Our answer to the charge that Latter-day Saints follow their leaders out of ‘blind obedience’ is this same personal revelation.  We respect our leaders and presume inspiration in their leadership of the church and in their teachings.  but we are all privileged and encouraged to confirm their teachings by prayerfully seeking and receiving revelatory conformation directly from God.”
 
When asked by a Divinity School student why Joseph Smith was any more reliable than Mary Baker Eddy, he responded: “If you want to know go to the ultimate source.  The answer to that question can only come from God himself.  That’s what I encourage anyone who asks me about it.  I can’t promise when it will happen with anyone, but I can promise it will happen.”