Month: March 2010

The importance of personal revelation

In Section 19 the Lord explains what the words “endless torment” and “eternal damnation” mean.  They are words of art, and are essentially proper nouns referring to God’s punishment.  (See D&C 19: 4-12.)
 
This is an enormous help in understanding the scriptures generally. Words are chosen carefully, and the Lord is deliberate in how He puts a message across.  Things may not mean what we initially think they mean.
 
The scriptures are designed to reveal and conceal.  They are able to reveal even very hidden and mysterious things to the understanding of mankind when we understand what is being discussed.  Until the reader has been prepared for this understanding, reading the messages will not necessarily result in greater insight.
 
It is almost as if you have to know the answer first, or have it revealed to you.  Then, while in possession of the truth, you can see that prophets and seers have been speaking about these matters since the beginning of time.
 
How often do we reflect on Christ’s “opening the scriptures” to His followers?  This is something that ought to make us all think about how little understanding we obtain without first receiving light and truth from Him.  Once again it points to the absolute necessity of personal revelation.

Heroes

I’ve been reflecting on the frailty of the human experience.  We are buffeted and torn from the time of birth, tempted and beckoned to choose poorly, subject to hunger, fatigue and loneliness. The wonder is not that we see so much failure and frustration in mankind.  Rather the wonder is that we see occasionally such heroic lives that shine like a brilliant star while lived among us.
 
The Deseret News had an article and pictures of the young Utah lives cut short by service in the military.  For the families of these valiant men and women who died for our country’s interests, the loss will be lifelong.  They will hardly take a breath from the day of their son or daughter’s death that the memory of their child does not stay with them.
 
I don’t think we do enough to express our collective gratitude for those who have lost their lives for others.  Whether they are in the military, police service, firemen or others who die trying to render noble service for the rest of us, we owe a debt of gratitude to these families. 

Priesthood

The Priesthood is separate from the church. For example, when someone is excommunicated they are told to stop using their priestly authority. When they are re-baptized they are never re-ordained. They are simply given authorization to now begin using their authority again.



We do not re-ordain someone when they are re-baptized because re-ordination is unnecessary. They held priestly authority even while they were not a member of the church.


Priesthood preceded the church and is the basis upon which it was organized. It will last beyond the church, at least in the final, Patriarchal form. That priesthood will endure into eternity, for it is the basis upon which the eternal family is predicated. The eternal family is the government of God, not the church. After this life, the church will come to an end. But the family, as a form of government, and priesthood of a Patriarch and Matriarch, presiding as a king and queen, priest and priestess, will endure.

On a scale of 1 to 10

I’ve figured out part of the problem I have in discussing Mormon issues with others. Oftentimes there is a disconnect between how important the two parties view the subject being discussed. To illustrate the point, I’m proposing a completely arbitrary method of ranking an issue on a 10 point scale of ascending importance as follows:

1. Completely meaningless
2. Trivial
3. Relevant
4. Somewhat significant
5. Significant
6. Very significant
7. Important
8. Very important
9. Critical
10. Essential to salvation

When I think a subject is “1” and someone else thinks it is “10” then naturally I don’t care about the point. They think I must be convinced of the point or I am going to forfeit salvation itself.  When that is the case, we don’t connect very well. If we do reach an agreement, I don’t think the agreement amounts to much.  They on the other hand, think they’ve won a major point, or provided a valuable service.  I would likely be bored with the discussion, and since I didn’t value the subject’s importance would probably offend the other party by my disinterest.

On the other hand, views change.  At one point I am convinced that some behavior or conduct is either 9 or 10, only to later realize that it is more likely a 3 or 4.  That change in attitude may be due to nothing more than living longer, getting more experience and developing a little humility about life and its challenges.

I think that a lot of discussions, disagreements and strong arguments are rooted in an assignment of different levels of importance to the subject.

For example, when I was an Elder’s Quorum President, Home Teaching by Quorum members was something between an 8 and 10.  I’m not an Elder’s Quorum President any longer, and I go home teach my families because I really care about them.  I like them.  I want to be with them.  I find them interesting.  I’ve been 100% for many months and, if I miss at all, it is due to either their absence during the month or mine.  But I try to keep in close touch, not because of some “assignment” but because I like them.  If I were to assign a level of importance to home teaching now, based on the scale above, I would candidly give it a 5 or 6.

There are people who believe the center piece of the relief society room during a lesson is a 10.  I don’t relate well to that.   And there are those who think President Monson’s General Conference Addresses are a 1. I don’t relate well to that, either.

Before a discussion begins about gospel subjects, I think it is always helpful to first find out how important the subject is to the person with whom you are speaking.

A public service

My youngest daughter plays on a 10-and-under boy’s super league baseball team.  They played in a tournament this week.  In the first three games she was hit by pitches in every game.  In one, the bases were loaded and her hit-by-pitch walk scored an RBI.  I told her she had “RBI’d” a run and I was proud of her.  She thought about it a while and asked, “What does RBI mean?”  I said, “Run batted in.”  She replied, it should mean “Run by injury.”

In the last game she hit a single and RBI’d 2 runs. 


I noticed that the moms for the opposing teams all rooted for her when she was up to bat.  The dads, however, were horrified that a girl was competing with their sons.  I think she’s doing a public service.

Stake Conference

Stake Conference weekend!  That means that I’ll be helping to minimize the crowds in the parking lot at the Stake Center by leaving my car at home.  I’ll also help out with the crowded seating problems at the Stake Center by leaving some seats open.  I know it is a sacrifice to do this, but it’s one I’m willing to make. 

It’s the equinox.  I’m going to do something memorable. 


Witch of Endor

King Saul lost his counselor-prophet when he died of old age. (1 Sam 25:1)  Saul’s unstable conduct and unfaithful behavior precluded him from getting an answer from the Lord. “And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” (1 Sam. 28:6)  So Saul went to visit a woman who could conjure the dead. Saul had the woman conjure the deceased Samuel.

Saul had prohibited conjuring as a matter of law within the kingdom. (1 Sam. 28:3) So think about what he’s doing: 

– it’s illegal to go see a conjurer, so he’s breaking his own law.
– he goes to see the witch of Endor in order to get access to the dead prophet.
– so are we to trust the witch? or are we to trust the spirit that the witch conjures to be reliably Samuel?

Life really gets complicated for the superstitious and foolish.

Prophets and entropy

I have been struck by how much of the message which Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi both deliver have previously been the subject of Nephi’s prophecies.  Almost every bit of Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi’s messages are first included within Nephi’s message.  It is possible that both of these later Book of Mormon prophets were “restoring” to new generations the message originally taught by Nephi which had fallen into neglect.

The entire message of Joseph Smith was to restore what had been here before and become lost.  The work of scholar Margaret Barker suggests that Jesus Christ was restoring First Temple theology and earlier lost traditions.  

If the gospel was originally preached to Adam (and I think it was) then every prophet from that day until now has simply been restoring what was once here. Prophets fight the law of entropy.  Mankind keep losing truths and prophets keep bringing them back.  

One of the great “signs” that there is a true prophet on the earth is the restoration by them of truths which have fallen into disuse or neglect.  True prophets are at war with entropy and decay.  

Continual worship

After Christ’s resurrection, when He had ministered to His disciples, and proven that it was He who had been crucified, Luke makes this interesting observation: “And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” (Luke 24:52-53

First, it is interesting because Christ had fulfilled the Law of Moses.  Therefore, the rites of the temple of Herod were no longer necessary.  Yet Christ’s disciples returned to the temple “continually” to worship Him.  Second, the temple was under the control of those who conspired to kill the Lord.  Despite this, Christ’s disciples were “continually” in the temple.  

True worship by a true disciple is never impaired by the circumstances. We should not allow anything to distract us from our own “praising and blessing God.” If it can be done in the temple of Herod after the crucifixion of Christ, it can be done today. 

Satan fell from heaven

Satan was not thrown out of heaven until after this earth was created.  Jesus remarked, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” (Luke 10:18) Similarly, John’s revelation records that Satan “which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9) From this we know that Satan was not cast out until after the creation of this earth had prepared a place into which Satan could be cast. 

Several of the astronauts who walked on the moon during the Apollo project reported having deeply spiritual experiences when they left the earth.  One of them became a full-time minister.  

C.S. Lewis wrote a science fiction trilogy in which the first volume titled “Out of the Silent Planet” made this earth isolated from the heavenly chorus because of its wickedness. 


“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.  Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea: for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12)

Dumbing down?

I had a friend suggest to me that the Lord was requiring the church to “dumb down” the curriculum. I absolutely reject that idea. It’s just preposterous. The Lord always offers light and truth to any who come to Him. It is men who turn away from what is offered.

Weekend movie

I watched a new DVD we bought from Deseret Book titled “One Good Man.”

If it was satire or intended as irony then it was quite good. If it was just a straight up drama then I hated it. Since it was an LDS product, and sold at Deseret Book, I assume it wasn’t meant as irony or satire.

It offended me because the lead character was called to be a Bishop. This makes the hero a church leader. The hero treats one of his ward members as disposable, but goes out of his way for non-members and widows. It resulted in the inactivity of an entire family whose sole outreach by the bishop was to go Christmas caroling with his family on their porch. While there, he tells the wife that he, “hadn’t seen them in church lately.”

It was depressing. As irony it shows how a “good” man can’t always do good. Life is riddled with conflicts and unintended harm. So I like it as irony.

How I study the scriptures

I was asked about how I study.  It was a good enough question I thought I ought to address it here.

First, I spent over 20 years teaching Gospel Doctrine weekly.  To prepare for a class I would read the assigned scriptures on Sunday evening.  Beginning Monday I would research in commentaries what others had said about the passages in the assigned lesson.  Then before going to bed I would re-read the scriptures for the next lesson.

I would continue this process daily until Thursday.  Beginning Thursday I would start to outline what I intended to cover in the lesson on Sunday.

Throughout the week I would listen to the relevant scriptures for the next lesson on tape/CD whenever I was in my car.  So on the way to and from work I would listen and re-listen to the scriptures.

On Saturday I would pray then put a final lesson plan together. It took about 10 hours a week for me to prepare a 50 minute lesson. 

In all the time I taught I never repeated a lesson.  I tried to go deeper and deeper into the meaning of the material every time I taught it.

Today with that background I read books and scriptures daily.  However, I take what I learn back into my scriptures and add cross-references or margin notes to make scriptural passages more meaningful for me.  My scriptures have very little underlining and no coloring, but there are many notes and cross-references in them.

I try to tie any new concept I learn, no matter the source, back into the scriptures.   Lately I have also taken to using an electronic version of the scriptures to help locate material or passages which relate to a topic.

Twelve Oxen

The Temple of Solomon had a “sea” for washings of the priests.  The description of that “sea” is found in 1 Kings 7: 23-26Significantly the “sea” sat upon the backs of twelve oxen. (verse 25.)  Three were facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. 

In the time of the First Temple, these twelve oxen foreshadowed the scattering of Israel to the four corners of the earth.  The destruction of the First Temple completed the scattering, which began at the death of Solomon, who was responsible the construction of the First Temple.  When he died, the kingdom was divided north and south.  The northern kingdom contained ten tribes, which would be taken into Assyrian captivity at about 725 b.c., and then be lost to history as they scattered northward.  The remaining two tribes of the south were taken captive by Babylon at 600 b.c., and then a “remnant” returned.  They were finally dispossessed of their land at 70 a.d. by the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, and scattered throughout the Roman Empire.

We also build fonts in Temples with twelve oxen bearing the font of water used for baptisms for the dead.  These twelve oxen are also divided into groups of three facing north, west, south and east.  Now, however, the oxen signify the gathering of scattered Israel.  They also signify by their number, three, the concept of presidency or organization under restored priestly authority.  The circle of twelve also are a symbol of restored, reorganized Israel in the latter-days to once again exist as a united people upon the earth.

Nicodemus

When Christ taught publicly and could be heard daily, there was no need to approach Him at night in private.  However, Nicodemus, a Pharisee member of the Sanhedrin, came to Jesus to examine Him “by night” without his peers knowing that he was making this contact.  Christ knew the heart of Nicodemus, and put the matter squarely to him:
 
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (John 3: 3.)
 
The assertion made here is: 
 
“Verily, verily”–meaning that Christ was capable of announcing truth.
 
“I say unto thee”–meaning that Christ was capable of making commandments, establishing conditions, announcing the requirements for salvation.  Indeed, Christ was putting Himself into the position of Moses, becoming a lawgiver.
 
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.” –meaning that if Nicodemus intended to see heaven, Christ was declaring the condition for entry.  Becoming a new creature was essential.  Without newness, new birth, a new approach to life, all things which Nicodemus followed would lead away from the kingdom of heaven.

Nicodemus responded: “How can a man be born again when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into the mother’s womb, and be born? ” (John 3: 4.)
 

This isn’t a rhetorical or meaningless question, nor does it announce ignorance.  Nicodemus is testing Christ.  If this is a new lawgiver, and possessed the capacity to announce conditions for entry into heaven, then He needs to explain His meaning.  This is a Pharisee Rabbi, asking a young, new Rabbi to set the matter plainly.

Christ responded: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3: 5-8.)


Now it is put plainly:
 
Born as a new man, by water (baptism) and Spirit (receive Holy Ghost) is required to “enter into the kingdom of God.”  Without receiving these new ordinances from the new officiators (John the Baptist and Christ), the old ordinances will no longer be accepted.  This is a call to Nicodemus to receive the new prophets then preaching. Without accepting these new prophets, he could not enter into God’s kingdom.
 
Flesh is just flesh. What is required to be able to go where God is will require every person to receive a new Spirit, new life, and become connected with heaven.  
 
Heaven is unruly, unpredictable and blows without predictability.  The Spirit is unruly, requiring things which men do not anticipate.  It takes you places you have not been before.  You cannot just sit within the councils of the Sanhedrin and reason with men’s understanding.  You must become inspired by a higher source.  You must accept that new direction from above, or you will never enter into God’s kingdom.

Brilliant.  Christ taught the teacher.  Now the matter is put to him: Will he receive a new life, and leave the old one?  Will he become born again.

How hard it must have been for a man in Nicodemus’ position to approach Christ.  The fact he came at night testifies to the discomfort of his circumstances.  Yet Christ, in patience, told him how to receive eternal life.

What a revealing encounter.  We are the richer in our understanding for it having occurred.