Tag: submissive

Mosiah 3: 19

The angel asserts that “the natural man is an enemy to God.” (Mosiah 3: 19.) Why is that so?

What is it about the natural state of man that, when a little child he is saved and anyone who thinks otherwise is in the gall of bitterness and offending God, but when grown is “an enemy to God?” How can these two statements at the opposite ends of the spectrum come from the same angel in the same message?

How does man become, in his “natural” state an enemy to God? What is it about this environment and the natural progression into adulthood that, as man becomes tempted he also becomes alienated from God? What forces contribute to this alienation?
-Hunger?
-Fatigue?
-Boredom?
-Puberty?
-Emotional insecurities?
-Abuse by others?
-Ignorance?

Is it inevitable that all develop into a condition where they are not only distant from God, but an “enemy to God?” How does that happen? What is going on here that you fall to this state? Is it “natural” for you to go through that?

If you are going to become by nature alienated from God, then how can you be certain you are not in your “natural” state as you go about practicing your religion? What is there about religion itself which appeals to the “natural” man? How does religion contribute to:
-Pride?
-Anger?
-Judgment?
-Hatred?
-Abuse of others?
-Calling that which is good evil?
-Arrogance?
-Killing the messengers, and even the Son of God?

It is inevitable that the “natural” man who is religious is no better than the “natural” man who is irreligious? Can a man be both “an enemy to God” and devoted to some religion? Are not all the prophets of the past killed by those who were religous? Even the mob that killed Joseph was led by lay ministers. How can you ever be certain your own “devotion” is not, in fact, the faith of an “enemy to God?”

How can any person avoid this catastrophe? What does the angel recommend to King Benjamin?

-“yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” (Mosiah 3: 19.)
The word “yield” seems weak. The force of the Spirit is to invite, to request or to petition you. You are free to reject, to resist, and to refuse.

-“become a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Id.)
The idea of “becoming” something suggests change. And how does one go about changing “through the atonement of Christ?” What does one have to do to acquire this change? How is the Holy Spirit and taking advantage of the atonement of Christ related to one another?

-“becometh as a little child”
How is this done? I’ll not repeat the chapter on this from The Second Comforter, but will only remind you that it requires something more than passivity. It requires the relentless search, as children do, for undertsanding and knowledge. It requires curiosity and pursuit of truth, as little children do.

-“submissive”
To who? Men? Your peers? Your political, social, cultural, religious, or educational leaders? Or submissive to “the Holy Spirit” which only “entices” and never controls? If you submit to the arm of flesh, even the arm of a good man, are you really “submissive” in the sense spoken of here by the angel?

-“meek”
In the sense explained in Beloved Enos.

-“humble”
As between you and heaven, not as between you and the world. Indeed, since conflict with the world is inevitable if you follow the Lord, then humility is reckoned from a different vantage point. You will appear to the world to be rebellious, discordant, unruly, and difficult. That is because a citizen of heaven is not well fitted to this fallen world. Humility is directed toward the Lord, not your fellow man.

-“patient”
Because this world has little use for the truth, and will test and try you at every turn. It will fight you long enough to prove whether you are faithful in all things. Then some few will join in the struggle and also become a fellow citizen of a higher world.

-“full of love”
Not because of your own capacity, but because by submitting to the Holy Spirit you are able to borrow this as a gift through the atonement of Christ. Just like the angel explained.

-“willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him”
It is the Lord’s work to bring about salvation and exaltation. (Moses 1: 39.) To refine you, the Lord will “inflict” a great deal upon you. He knows when you are ready, when you are proven. You have no idea. You submit, and in the process you learn what you are capable of. Until you submit to all He sees, in His wisdom alone to inflict upon you, you remain an unfinished son or daughter. When you cry out from agony and uncertainty and you hear nothing but the patient silence of heaven, you must endure it, just as Joseph in Liberty Jail. (D&C 121: 1-3.) When your cup is filled and you think you cannot endure more, He will decide if the ordeal continues. He will remind you of His suffering. (D&C 122: 8.) You will learn from your own suffering to appreciate His.

-“even as a child doeth submit to his father.”
If you want to be His child, you allow Him to act the role of your Father. It is His right to punish, instruct, inflict you. It is acceptance of His Fatherhood over you to submit and not question His right to do what you cannot see any need for you to endure. He is preparing you for something so much greater than what you are now, that you cannot recieve the blessings unless you are enlarged. How can He “add upon” you without stretching, even breaking you? How can you grow without pain?

How foolish is our impatience? How small our irritations! How unequal His blessings to our gratitude! When He works with us, we resent Him. When He corrects us, we resist Him. When He tries us, we cry out: It is unfair!

The Son of Man hath descended below it all, art thou greater than He?

The “natural man is an enemy to God” and you must overcome that. You proud, arrogant, weak, insecure, devoted and pretentious “Saints.” You must change. Or you remain God’s enemy. …At least if the angel who spoke with King Benjamin knew what he was talking about.

2 Nephi 28: 10-12

 
“And the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them. Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted.  Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.”
 
Why does this mention the “blood of the saints?” What does it mean for their “blood to cry from the ground?” I’ve discussed this before, speaking of the earth’s own spirit.
 
What does “all” include? Even us? If “they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted” includes us, what does that mean? How could we also be “out of the way?” Is Nephi right? What about Wilford Woodruff’s claim that we would never be led astray? Can someone who promises to not lead you astray then lead you astray? How solid a guarantee does any man offer to you?
 
What does it mean to “have become corrupted?” Can a church be “true” and still be “corrupted?” (D&C 84: 53-58.)
 
What “pride” can religion impose upon people who believe false traditions? Does your faith make you “proud” to belong?  Do you think it makes you better than others? Do you believe you’re saved while others will be damned, because they don’t share your faith? Does that make you lose sleep at night, and want to cry out to save them–or to relax and enjoy your security?
 
What does it mean that the faiths are “all out of the way?” Is there only one “way?” If so, how would you recognize the right “way” from the wrong one?
 
Who are “false teachers” that teach “false doctrine?” Does “false” include omission of important truths? If one teaches truths about Christ, but does not teach you how to return to His presence, is the teacher “false?” What would qualify someone to be “true” and teach the right “way?” How would you distinguish between true and false teachers? Between true and false doctrine?
 
How can “false teachers” corrupt a church?  Can they corrupt any church?  Even ours?

Why does becoming “puffed up” and “pride” follow false teachings? What is it about false religion that brings pride to its followers? How does false security caused by corrupt doctrine lead to “pride?”


What would the opposite religious attitude be for “pride?”  Would humility, a broken heart and a contrite spirit be different than “pride?” What kind of teaching would cause a listener to become contrite, humble, meek and submissive?  What kind of teaching would defeat pride and break a person’s heart? Can you have both? Can you be “humble” and “broken hearted” and also be proud of your religion? If you cannot, then can you think deeply about your faith, your meetings, your conferences, your private as well as public conversations and ask yourself if the teachers to whom you listen lead you to pride? Lead you to humility? Lead you to contrition and repentance?

 
Who is Nephi describing? Is it possible it could apply to us along with all other organized faiths?
 
I have often heard my fellow-Saint speak of the sense of pride the Conference Center gives them. It is a great, spacious and technologically advanced center. I’ve thought the ceiling of that building looks somewhat like that very successful evangelist Joel Osteen’s amazing church. I’ve wondered if the architectural firm took hints from other successful mega-churches when designing the Conference Center.  Have you noticed how the dimmed lights and the magnified images, magnified voices and focus upon the great pulpit is designed to use all the modern audio-visual technology to create heroic images within the building for the audience? It is a technical marvel. Really state of the art. It is hard for me not to take some pride in it all. Anyone who wonders if our church is respectable, successful, powerful or advanced, who visits the facility will no doubt leave with the conclusion that, despite our humble origins, we certainly have made a success in the world for ourselves. It is a story of overcoming and prospering. 

If those whose bloodstained footprints covered our westward migration could see what we’ve become, I wonder what delight (or disappointment) they would feel. Would they have any mixed emotions at seeing this monument in granite, glass, brass and walnut? The third-of-a-billion dollars we spent on it produced a landmark of splendor for the ages.  Poor Joseph had only an open air bowery to use. Adam, too, used the open plains of Adam-Ondi-Ahman to meet. We are, of course, blessed with more resources to use as part of our “worship.”