Conference on Chiasmus

Yvonne Bent has been researching sacred geometry for over ten years. As a result of her research, she submitted an art project that was displayed in the Church’s 8th International Art contest at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City. A photo of her work was in the Ensign magazine, as well.

Added to her study of the Articles of Faith and sacred geometry, a milestone connection was made to demonstrate the same pattern as we see in the Hebrew literary style called chiasmus appearing in other fields and even in nature itself.

Yvonne Bent has organized a conference on May 15, 2010 at the Rose Wagner Auditorium in downtown Salt Lake City to have various presenters address conference attendees on the widespread sacred patternism, including chiasmus. She invited me to speak, and I will be among those who will participate in the program.

The conference will consist of lectures from persons who have discovered remarkable chiastic patterns in art, literature, architecture, science and math. In the evening there will be a concert to demonstrate the chiasm pattern in music.

I do not yet have the final information about the event, but thought I’d put this brief announcement on the blog for those who may be interested.

His Words are Commandments

A great resource for understanding how to gain eternal life is found in D&C 1: 38. The Lord’s word is law. What He says will not return void. It will all be fulfilled.

Immediately following his father’s death, Moroni writes concerning the plates his father had made, which he was then completing. He recorded that the plates are “of no worth” in an economic sense, because of the Lord’s “commandment.” (Mormon 8: 14.) He says the Lord had spoken the words: “no one shall have them to get gain.” (Id.) This means that since the Lord had spoken that the gold plates could not be obtained for economic gain, this meant the Lord had “commanded” that the plates could not give a person any economic gain. The only gain to be had was “of great worth” to the soul.

Moroni equates the Lord’s remark on the plates’ lack of economic value to a “commandment.” This is exactly how it works. This is what D&C 1: 38 is affirming, as well: “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”

Salvation consists in getting the word of the Lord spoken to you as a promise of eternal life. When you obtain that word, it cannot be broken. It becomes a “commandment” of the Lord’s which cannot fail. This is the kind of commandment we should seek.

I’ve tried to answer questions about “commandments” and I’ve tried to discuss the subject more fully in The Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil. Instead of focusing on a list of things to do or not do, I would commend to you the idea of getting from the Lord those words which will assure you eternal life. Not His words spoken to others found in scripture, but words spoken by Him to you. If you obtain this from Him, then you have a sure promise, though the heavens and earth pass away. This more sure word guarantees you, by covenant from Him whose words cannot fail, that you will be granted life with Him.

The Sacrifice

Abraham’s great test in sacrificing his son Isaac was all the more difficult when you consider he was nearly sacrificed when he was younger, by his father, on an altar, in a false religious practice. When the true God whom he worshiped asked him to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, Abraham was put in the exact position he knew from his own past experience to be evil.

Despite this, Abraham complied.

Then God Himself provided a sacrifice. (Gen. 22: 8.)

Not the ram found in the thicket on that day, but a living Son, later– in a direct corollary to what had first been asked of Abraham.

Many have stood back in amazement and considered the task given to Abraham to be outrageous, inexplicable and offensive. It was. But it was designed to make us realize how outrageous, inexplicable and offensive the sacrifice of God’s Only Begotten was on our behalf. Abraham was one of the few men whose experience allowed him to identify with God the Father.

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.”

Trials

On Friday Marie Osmond’s son died in LA of an apparent suicide. My heart goes out to her. Some trials in life are not meant to be understood, but only to be endured. The suffering from unexplainable ordeals can bring us closer to the Lord, who alone can comfort us in such extremities.

In Chile there are over 200 dead and many missing. There is a race to rescue about 100 people trapped in a building. Aftershocks and injuries threaten those who are trapped.

There are no magic words to console those who endure tests in mortality. But we do have the promise from Him whose word is law and cannot return to Him unfulfilled: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Rev. 7: 17.) If God intends to do this in the final day, the only God-like conduct we can imitate is to lessen the burdens felt by those with a sense of loss today.

Trials

In Chile there are over 200 dead and many missing. There is a race to rescue about 100 people trapped in a building. Aftershocks and injuries threaten those who are trapped.

Missionaries in Chile

According to this morning’s Deseret News, all LDS missionaries in the affected areas of Chile are safe and accounted for. My wife suggested that there are readers outside Utah who may want news like that put onto the blog.

Becoming One

The idea of being “one” (as Christ put it in His great Intercessory Prayer in John 17: 20-23) has been oftentimes misunderstood and the source of abuse. There should be nothing compulsory about this process. “Oneness” is a byproduct, and not an end. When we seek it as an end, then we have missed the opportunity to achieve it.

Believing “oneness” is achieved by making people think alike, look alike, be alike, or behave alike is so wrongheaded as to be Satanic. The ideal expressed by Christ as He prayed to the Father was that we should each attempt, in our limited capacities, to be more like Christ. The closer we approach that ideal, the more we become “one” as a byproduct. Merely giving a list of behavior as the way to “oneness” is not only foolish, but it is impossible. It must come from within, and cannot come from without.

Paul’s 14th Chapter of Romans is actually the only way in which “oneness” can be attained. Let everyone decide what they believe will make them closer to Christ, and allow them the freedom to follow that path. Let all others refrain from judging the behavior of others. Whether they “eateth herbs” or “eateth meat” let each be free to do what they believe to be right before God. “Judge not him that eateth: for God hath received him.” Let everyone do what in their own heart they believe is right before God, because God will respect anything done on His behalf. And let everyone else refrain from judging these honest efforts, but bear with one another.

This will give rise to widely diverse behavior. but will result in an absolute uniformity of intent. Everyone should be free to do what they believe God is asking them to do. And everyone should also respect the honest efforts of others.

Over time, perhaps over generations, behavior will grow closer as a result of the purity of the underlying intent. Not because someone is compelling uniformity, but because light and truth will eventually bring harmony.

Being “one” just as building Zion cannot be a goal in itself. It is always a byproduct of the kind of people which changed hearts produce.

In a private conversation with someone a few years ago he commented that he wished the definition of “Mormonism” would be changed. He thought that anyone who was willing to accept the ordinances of the Church ought to be regarded as being Mormon, no matter what else they may differ on. I’ve thought about his comment for years now. I’m inclined to see a great deal of wisdom in that idea. I’ve grown to see that those comments echo the earlier writings of the Apostle Paul.

Elder Oaks at Harvard

Elder Oaks spoke to law and divinity students at Harvard this week. The talk was recorded and may be broadcast between General Conference sessions. He spoke for about 45 minutes then took questions. Among the comments he made was that neither the Church nor Evangelicals would identify Mormons as Evangelicals. He also noted the hostility of higher education to religious values and beliefs, despite the widespread religious convictions of Americans.

A Tennesse Ward and the Lord

I have a friend in Tennessee who emailed me this week about a Latter-day Saint congregation he visited a few Sunday’s ago. The congregation was of mixed races, and the meetings were louder, more animated and lively than the “typical” ward. He quite enjoyed it. His description of the visit made me long for the mission field again. In the mission field there are widely divergent congregations. But the Wasatch Front is far different in texture and tone than anywhere else. I think there are people here who believe a stoic face is required to be reverent.

My impression of the mortal Lord is that He was gregarious, lively, filled with life, and given to smiling often. He surely was challenged by serious men involved in conspiracies to have Him killed, and for them His responses were serious. But He was filled with life, and love and humor. His many analogies drew from the common man’s experience to teach with simplicity the deepest of ideas. I think He would have fit into the Tennessee ward my friend told me about.

I think when the scriptures note “He wept” it was because His normal demeanor was so upbeat, so positive and hope-filled that weeping stood out by contrast.

I’ve only sensed that I genuinely offended Him once. All other errors and mistakes have merely “bemused” Him, even though I have felt terrible from my end. He is a patient Teacher. Who knows exactly when you are ready and then how best to teach.

Argument

I’ve never won an argument with the Lord.

The Telestrial

Here’s a troubling thought to ponder: The Telestrial are those who have received and bear testimony of their faith in prophets, such as Paul, John, Moses, Elias, Isaiah, Enoch, and Joseph Smith, but who “received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus.” (See D&C 76: 98-102.)

Security therefore lies not in following men, even men identified in the verses who are true prophets, but only in following Christ and receiving His Gospel and testimony. What an absolutely uniform, individual obligation the Gospel imposes upon everyone.

Popularity or Persecution?

A recent trend with Latter-day Saint scholars has been the publishing of several books that try to make Mormonism seem like Protestant Evangelicalism. I do not believe the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is much akin to anything in Historic Christianity, and thankfully very different from Protestant Evangelicals. It is instead a return of Primitive Christianity as found in the New Testament. That is quite a different thing than what Historic Christianity has become, and almost altogether alien to Evangelicalism.

I believe the Church will advance only by acknowledging the differences, explaining them and showing what great things Historic Christianity has lost. Unless we have something different and important to offer, there is no reason for anyone to become a Latter-day Saint.

The opening statement of Christ to Joseph Smith in the First Vision ought to be the point we most emphasize. It was the many defects with Historic Christianity and its creeds which provoked the Lord to open the heavens again and start this great, final work. When we neglect that message, and try to seem like another brand of Protestantism we are neglecting the only reason for our Church’s existence.

I know it is not up to me. And I do not challenge the right of the leaders, whom I sustain, to make decisions. But, if I could make a scourge of ropes and drive the social scientists out of the Church Office Building, I would. I think opinion polling and focus group results are worse than meaningless, they are misleading. It is an exercise in followship, not in leadership. If you see a trend through polling, and jump in front of it, that does not make you a leader. It makes you a clever follower.

I suppose this post is nothing more than proof of my tendency to err in judgment. But it is an honest and well meaning error which isn’t being tried by the Church at present. When it was tried, in the early years, the newspapers railed against us, editorial cartoons mocked us, mobs persecuted us, and in turn the Church grew in numbers so dramatic that a single set of missionaries sent to England baptized nearly 7,000 converts. The distinction caused by the persecution was valuable. Certainly not in a public relations sense, but very much in a “harvesting of souls” sense.

Sharp distinctions give the disinterested a reason to consider our message. Persecution attracts the honest who want to know why the persecution is happening. Joseph believed, and history has proven that persecution is the heritage of the righteous. Its absence may not really be a good thing. The cost of trying to avoid it is at the expense of forward progress. This is evidenced by the decrease in convert baptisms we see at present.

I have never seen any statement in scripture affirming that becoming popular in the eyes of the world was good or desirable. On the contrary, I see the Book of Mormon listing that as one of the great evils. (See e.g., 1 Ne. 22: 23.)