In the United Kingdom and several of its Commonwealth countries like Australia and New Zealand, the day after Christmas is Boxing Day. Nothing to do with the fighting sport, it refers to the 19th-century tradition of boxes containing gifts from employers to workers, or the gifts for the poor from the alms boxes in churches.
Happy Boxing Day!
We have noted before, with Ralph Waldo Emerson, that: "Rings and jewels are not gifts but apologies for gifts; the only true gift is a portion of thyself."
We suppose that the great example in this is the Christ, who gave Himself, a ransom that we might repent and live.
If we stop and think about it, we first must receive something before we can give anything. That is why these carol words are meaningful, "Where meek souls will receive Him, still / The dear Christ enters in." Then, having received the Christ and His gift, we are changed persons, never the same, starting to be transformed into His image. And the "portion of thyself" that we then give contains a little bit of the Christ.
It is a clear lesson, but somewhat abstract to most of us, for we think most often of gifts as tangible, physical, temporal. But there are spiritual gifts. And they count so much more. Their benefit can be ongoing and very real.
But all such gifts of the Spirit come only from above, and are for the benefit of blessing others. They cannot be placed under a tree and they cannot be retained. They must be passed on, given away, used to bless, lift, teach and edify.
But if our hands and hearts and minds are already full---of lesser things---we forfeit the receipt of the spiritual gifts which could so bless those who need our spiritual ministration. In these things we are sometimes poor indeed.
To summarize: C.S. Lewis observed, "God gives His gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them. A man whose hands are full of parcels can't receive a gift."
What a profound Christmas and Christian principle! . . . Think of it in the context of this further insight from Lewis: "If and when a horror turns up you will then be given Grace to help you. I don't think one is usually given it in advance. 'Give us our daily bread' (not an annuity for life) is applicable to spiritual gifts too; the little daily support for the daily trial. Life has to be taken day by day and hour by hour."
We must be ready to receive it at the time of the giving, or it may pass us by. This is a hallmark of the spiritual life: to live with our cupped hands and hearts facing up toward heaven.
Happy Boxing (Receiving) Day . . . !
Steve
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sabbathought: What is "The First Noel" all about?
Many times to get to the root of important doctrine we must first find the root of key words. "Noel" is such a word. If we go root-deep into its meaning it will yield rich fruits, and will bring together in one many gospel truths found in the Sabbathoughts this year. Vade mecum (Go with me):
John Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins [1990] is a treasure trove for this kind of search. He sends us to "native" as the root word of Noel: Native is one of a large family of words from the Latin verb nasci, to "be born" . . . a descendant of the base gen--, gn-- to "produce", which also gives us gene, general, generate, genesis, and so forth.
The past participle stem of nasci gives us nat-- to lead us into natal (as in pre-natal, post-natal), nature, natural, native, nativity. From this same root we get nascent, cognate, nation, naive (as in "born yesterday", explains Ayto!), pregnant, renaissance, innate, and noel. Also, the name Natalie . . . .
All have to do with birth or natural-born condition. This has perhaps been a little heavy, a bit of a scholarly chase, but we can train ourselves to see a pattern in all of it, to synthesize, to bring it all together in one, to see at-one-ment in it all.
To go a little further:
Latter-day Saints are familiar with this phrase from the angel to king Benjamin: "For the natural man is an enemy to God . . . ." Notice, not an enemy of God, but an enemy to God. That is significant. Man in his natural state---lost, fallen, carnal, sensual, devilish, without God in the world---is in a state that is inimical to God.
This from Alma clarifies and explains: "All men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness."
This state is a problem deep and real. But it is deliberate and purposeful. It opens the way for a redeemer, without Whom all is lost. Thus we arrive at Christmas, at the Christmas Story.
"The hopes and fears / Of all the years / Are met in thee tonight", O little town of Bethlehem, in the Birth of thy little Child. We could use the same words in connection with the Garden of Gethsemane thirty-three years later.
What hopes? What fears? Well, the hope of eternal life, the hope of rescue and salvation from the grim conditions of this fallen, miserable world. (We are not being gloomy or negative, we describe things as they really are.) What fears? The dominant fear that . . . well, what if He does not show up? Or, having shown up, what if He does not come through, and shrinks from the task of the awful Atonement? What if He says, "Father, remove from me this cup"?
But He did show up. And He did come through. He stayed true to His mission. He lost Himself in the mortal necessity of mankind's hopes and fears. And at such terrible cost. When we speak of God's life we say "eternal life." When we speak of a God suffering---unto the shedding of His blood---we speak of "eternal suffering" or "endless suffering." It is too astonishing to grasp fully.
From Brother Robert J. Matthews: "In my opinion, the kind of faith necessary for salvation, the kind of faith spoken of in the Lectures on Faith, cannot be achieved if one views Jesus Christ and His excruciating atonement, bleeding at every pore, as simply an act of major convenience.
"As I read the Book of Mormon I get the message that the effects of the Fall on mankind are so severe and dominating, coupled with our own sins, that unless we are redeemed by One more powerful than all mankind combined, we will not be redeemed at all. The power of self-redemption is not in fallen man.
"I believe that saving faith requires that a person be completely convinced that he is entirely dependent upon Jesus Christ, and Him only, for every shred of salvation. Without Him all is lost. The slightest reservation about the absolute necessity of Christ's atonement is injurious to one's spiritual health, and one's perfect faith and knowledge. I see no compromise on this point. Our relation to Christ is crucial, not casual. It is a necessity, not an option" (BYU, 1989).
So, The First Noel . . . Nativity, natural man, the native needs mankind has through the Fall . . . the Birth, the necessary rebirth, the hopes and fears of all the years met in little Bethlehem and in this birth of Christ in the meridian, the hinge, the fulcrum of time. And we move from B.C. to A.D. in the way we count the years, as a small, often unnoticed, tribute to Him.
How silently, how silently / The wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts / The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming; / But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still / The dear Christ enters in.
And thus we see our job, our gift to Him at Christmas: to "receive Him." To take Him so deep into our souls that He comes out in our walk and talk.
I see it as no accident that in our LDS hymnbook the sacrament hymns are immediately followed by the Easter hymns, and then straightaway by a dozen or so Christmas hymns, and then by a trio of New Year hymns. Synthesize all of this together and we have our true context as Saints of the Last Days.
I for one affirm these things to be deep and marvelous and life-giving in their truth.
God bless us all at this Special Season.
Steve
John Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins [1990] is a treasure trove for this kind of search. He sends us to "native" as the root word of Noel: Native is one of a large family of words from the Latin verb nasci, to "be born" . . . a descendant of the base gen--, gn-- to "produce", which also gives us gene, general, generate, genesis, and so forth.
The past participle stem of nasci gives us nat-- to lead us into natal (as in pre-natal, post-natal), nature, natural, native, nativity. From this same root we get nascent, cognate, nation, naive (as in "born yesterday", explains Ayto!), pregnant, renaissance, innate, and noel. Also, the name Natalie . . . .
All have to do with birth or natural-born condition. This has perhaps been a little heavy, a bit of a scholarly chase, but we can train ourselves to see a pattern in all of it, to synthesize, to bring it all together in one, to see at-one-ment in it all.
To go a little further:
Latter-day Saints are familiar with this phrase from the angel to king Benjamin: "For the natural man is an enemy to God . . . ." Notice, not an enemy of God, but an enemy to God. That is significant. Man in his natural state---lost, fallen, carnal, sensual, devilish, without God in the world---is in a state that is inimical to God.
This from Alma clarifies and explains: "All men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness."
This state is a problem deep and real. But it is deliberate and purposeful. It opens the way for a redeemer, without Whom all is lost. Thus we arrive at Christmas, at the Christmas Story.
"The hopes and fears / Of all the years / Are met in thee tonight", O little town of Bethlehem, in the Birth of thy little Child. We could use the same words in connection with the Garden of Gethsemane thirty-three years later.
What hopes? What fears? Well, the hope of eternal life, the hope of rescue and salvation from the grim conditions of this fallen, miserable world. (We are not being gloomy or negative, we describe things as they really are.) What fears? The dominant fear that . . . well, what if He does not show up? Or, having shown up, what if He does not come through, and shrinks from the task of the awful Atonement? What if He says, "Father, remove from me this cup"?
But He did show up. And He did come through. He stayed true to His mission. He lost Himself in the mortal necessity of mankind's hopes and fears. And at such terrible cost. When we speak of God's life we say "eternal life." When we speak of a God suffering---unto the shedding of His blood---we speak of "eternal suffering" or "endless suffering." It is too astonishing to grasp fully.
From Brother Robert J. Matthews: "In my opinion, the kind of faith necessary for salvation, the kind of faith spoken of in the Lectures on Faith, cannot be achieved if one views Jesus Christ and His excruciating atonement, bleeding at every pore, as simply an act of major convenience.
"As I read the Book of Mormon I get the message that the effects of the Fall on mankind are so severe and dominating, coupled with our own sins, that unless we are redeemed by One more powerful than all mankind combined, we will not be redeemed at all. The power of self-redemption is not in fallen man.
"I believe that saving faith requires that a person be completely convinced that he is entirely dependent upon Jesus Christ, and Him only, for every shred of salvation. Without Him all is lost. The slightest reservation about the absolute necessity of Christ's atonement is injurious to one's spiritual health, and one's perfect faith and knowledge. I see no compromise on this point. Our relation to Christ is crucial, not casual. It is a necessity, not an option" (BYU, 1989).
So, The First Noel . . . Nativity, natural man, the native needs mankind has through the Fall . . . the Birth, the necessary rebirth, the hopes and fears of all the years met in little Bethlehem and in this birth of Christ in the meridian, the hinge, the fulcrum of time. And we move from B.C. to A.D. in the way we count the years, as a small, often unnoticed, tribute to Him.
How silently, how silently / The wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts / The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming; / But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still / The dear Christ enters in.
And thus we see our job, our gift to Him at Christmas: to "receive Him." To take Him so deep into our souls that He comes out in our walk and talk.
I see it as no accident that in our LDS hymnbook the sacrament hymns are immediately followed by the Easter hymns, and then straightaway by a dozen or so Christmas hymns, and then by a trio of New Year hymns. Synthesize all of this together and we have our true context as Saints of the Last Days.
I for one affirm these things to be deep and marvelous and life-giving in their truth.
God bless us all at this Special Season.
Steve
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Further thoughts on Number in Scripture
This is going out to just a few of you who have expressed interest in learning more. I cherish your desire to learn and will always respond to requests for "further light and knowledge" from my limited fund of understanding. Thank you for being in tune and for your trust and confidence.
As mentioned in the Sabbathought on number symbolism a few weeks ago, there is clearly something important in the subject, as confirmed by the Lord when He said "How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8) the meaning in the number details in the feedings of the 4000 and the 5000.
Noticing those words from Him quite a few years ago I began some research on the subject and here are some of the things I found. A lot of it was inspired by an old book by E.W. Bullinger called "Number in Scripture." These insights are a bit jumbled and need to be organized better for a clear picture, but they may help. The basics:
The number ONE is the number of God, of unity and primacy, and gives an insight into His nature, His works and purposes: For instance, ZION is a people who are pure in heart, who got that way through a singleness of purpose and having an eye single to the glory of God. "And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind . . . ." In this united condition the people of Zion would all get the same revelation (see D&C 8:2--3), which kept them unified and perfectly in tune.
"Do not interpretations [of dreams] belong to God?" said Joseph of Egypt. And, "the dream of Pharaoh is one" (see Genesis 40:8; 41:25--6). Joseph's words, "the dream is one" don't make much sense without this basic understanding. Luke 10:42; Ephesians 4:5--6; Moses 6:68, and a host of other passages start to spring to life when we apply this basic understanding: ONE is the number of God. It comes first. . . ! The first book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning origins, first causes, and whence genetics, generations, and so forth.
Two is the first number that can be divided and introduces the idea of opposition, of captivity, and deliverance from captivity (a close look at 2 Nephi 2:11 yields insight here). It points to the second member of the Godhead---the Son. The second book, Exodus, illustrates these concepts. See John 7:43; 9:36; D&C 6:2; 1 Kings 18:21; Matthew 6:24, and so on.
There are four perfect numbers---three (Godly perfection), seven (spiritual perfection), ten (ordinal perfection) and twelve (governmental or organizational perfection).
Three is the number of the Godhead and Their works, as illustrated in so many ways. For instance, three crosses on Calvary, three languages on the cross, three witnesses, three days in the tomb, three gardens, and so on. Leviticus centers on the priestly duties for teaching the Atonement in ancient Israel. See Genesis 6:10--17; 15:9; 18:2--8; Exodus 23:14--17; 1 Corinthians 13:13, and many more.
Four is the number of the natural world, of the city block, the gentile number: the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water---the four seasons, the four compass points. Thistles, thorns, briers, and noxious weeds came forth spontaneously after the Fall. The four corners of the earth---every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Jewish day was divided into four watches of six hours each. The book of Numbers is the fourth book! See also Ezekiel 1:4--18; Acts 11:5--6; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 5:6, 9; 6:1--8, and so on.
Five is the number of the natural world (four), plus one (God), giving us the number of grace and favor, of God's special influence in the natural world. The pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5 (!) had five porches. Bethesda means house of grace in Hebrew. The Ten Virgins were in two groups of five. David took from the stream five pebbles to slay Goliath, of which he needed only one, so who really slew the giant (symbolic of Satan, of evil, of the adversary)? Five is one of the numbers of the house of Israel, pointing to their favored status as seen in the green grass and the orderly ranks in the feeding of the 5000. Bullinger points out that the house of Israel left Egypt in the Exodus in ranks of five, a number considered evil by the Egyptians so that even today the numeral five on Egyptian timepieces is circled, in remembrance. See 1 Corinthians 14:19, and so on.
Since seven is spiritual perfection, six is one less (God-less), the number of imperfect fallen man. The number 666 in Revelation probably refers to "imperfection triplified." Divide two by three and you cannot escape the recurrence of 666666. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." Cain's genealogy is given only as far as the sixth generation.
Seven in English comes from the Hebrew sheva, meaning completeness, perfection, wholeness. It carries the idea of "to make an oath or covenant" as in Beersheba, the well of the oath. Seven days make a full week. Seven notes in the music scale. Seven colors in the spectrum. The illustrations in scripture are numerous. I once counted (in Strong's Concordance) the number of references to seven, seventh, seventy, and so on. I found about 670. In the exhaustive concordance of the triple combination I noted around 107 more in modern scripture, for a total of some 777. . . ! See Genesis 41; Leviticus 14:7--9; D&C 77:7 (!), among many other passages.
Add one (God) to the perfect seven and you have eight, the number of abundance, fatness, rebirth, regeneration, renewal. We plan to cover this in a Sabbathought soon. The word "few" in scripture often means eight. . . . But as a quality more than a quantity. Stay tuned!
Nine is the inescapable number of judgment. Multiply any number by nine and add up the digits, there is no escaping nine. There is no escaping the Judgment. How many members on the US Supreme Court? How many fig leaves on the apron? See also Luke 15:7; 17:11--17; 23:44, and so on.
Ten shows law and order: the Ten Commandments. The multiples of ten in the dimensions of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness (the only exception: the altar was three cubits square!).
The final perfect number is twelve, so eleven is one (God) short of governmental perfection and represents disorder, disarray, as in the eleven dukes of Edom or Esau, as compared with the twelve sons or princes of Esau's brother, Israel. See Genesis 36; 37:9; Matthew 28:16; Acts 2:14.
Twelve's perfection in organization is easily seen in the Twelve Tribes and in the recurrence of twelve in priesthood government in the Church today.
Some miscellaneous examples: forty (4 x 10) is the number of probation or testing, as seen in forty days and forty nights of fasting, Israel's forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, and so on. The Salt Lake temple took exactly forty years to build from start to dedication.
Two hundred is the number of insufficiency, as in "two hundred pennyworth of bread" (Mark 6:37) was not enough to feed the 4000 in the view of the disciples.
There is more. Gematria refers to the number value of words and is a constant and consistent witness and teaching device that was known to the ancients. It all points in one direction, for one thing is needful. It all points to Him, the Messiah.
God bless. Hope this may be helpful and perhaps useful. Let me know if you get this OK.
More later.
Steve
As mentioned in the Sabbathought on number symbolism a few weeks ago, there is clearly something important in the subject, as confirmed by the Lord when He said "How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8) the meaning in the number details in the feedings of the 4000 and the 5000.
Noticing those words from Him quite a few years ago I began some research on the subject and here are some of the things I found. A lot of it was inspired by an old book by E.W. Bullinger called "Number in Scripture." These insights are a bit jumbled and need to be organized better for a clear picture, but they may help. The basics:
The number ONE is the number of God, of unity and primacy, and gives an insight into His nature, His works and purposes: For instance, ZION is a people who are pure in heart, who got that way through a singleness of purpose and having an eye single to the glory of God. "And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind . . . ." In this united condition the people of Zion would all get the same revelation (see D&C 8:2--3), which kept them unified and perfectly in tune.
"Do not interpretations [of dreams] belong to God?" said Joseph of Egypt. And, "the dream of Pharaoh is one" (see Genesis 40:8; 41:25--6). Joseph's words, "the dream is one" don't make much sense without this basic understanding. Luke 10:42; Ephesians 4:5--6; Moses 6:68, and a host of other passages start to spring to life when we apply this basic understanding: ONE is the number of God. It comes first. . . ! The first book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning origins, first causes, and whence genetics, generations, and so forth.
Two is the first number that can be divided and introduces the idea of opposition, of captivity, and deliverance from captivity (a close look at 2 Nephi 2:11 yields insight here). It points to the second member of the Godhead---the Son. The second book, Exodus, illustrates these concepts. See John 7:43; 9:36; D&C 6:2; 1 Kings 18:21; Matthew 6:24, and so on.
There are four perfect numbers---three (Godly perfection), seven (spiritual perfection), ten (ordinal perfection) and twelve (governmental or organizational perfection).
Three is the number of the Godhead and Their works, as illustrated in so many ways. For instance, three crosses on Calvary, three languages on the cross, three witnesses, three days in the tomb, three gardens, and so on. Leviticus centers on the priestly duties for teaching the Atonement in ancient Israel. See Genesis 6:10--17; 15:9; 18:2--8; Exodus 23:14--17; 1 Corinthians 13:13, and many more.
Four is the number of the natural world, of the city block, the gentile number: the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water---the four seasons, the four compass points. Thistles, thorns, briers, and noxious weeds came forth spontaneously after the Fall. The four corners of the earth---every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Jewish day was divided into four watches of six hours each. The book of Numbers is the fourth book! See also Ezekiel 1:4--18; Acts 11:5--6; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 5:6, 9; 6:1--8, and so on.
Five is the number of the natural world (four), plus one (God), giving us the number of grace and favor, of God's special influence in the natural world. The pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5 (!) had five porches. Bethesda means house of grace in Hebrew. The Ten Virgins were in two groups of five. David took from the stream five pebbles to slay Goliath, of which he needed only one, so who really slew the giant (symbolic of Satan, of evil, of the adversary)? Five is one of the numbers of the house of Israel, pointing to their favored status as seen in the green grass and the orderly ranks in the feeding of the 5000. Bullinger points out that the house of Israel left Egypt in the Exodus in ranks of five, a number considered evil by the Egyptians so that even today the numeral five on Egyptian timepieces is circled, in remembrance. See 1 Corinthians 14:19, and so on.
Since seven is spiritual perfection, six is one less (God-less), the number of imperfect fallen man. The number 666 in Revelation probably refers to "imperfection triplified." Divide two by three and you cannot escape the recurrence of 666666. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." Cain's genealogy is given only as far as the sixth generation.
Seven in English comes from the Hebrew sheva, meaning completeness, perfection, wholeness. It carries the idea of "to make an oath or covenant" as in Beersheba, the well of the oath. Seven days make a full week. Seven notes in the music scale. Seven colors in the spectrum. The illustrations in scripture are numerous. I once counted (in Strong's Concordance) the number of references to seven, seventh, seventy, and so on. I found about 670. In the exhaustive concordance of the triple combination I noted around 107 more in modern scripture, for a total of some 777. . . ! See Genesis 41; Leviticus 14:7--9; D&C 77:7 (!), among many other passages.
Add one (God) to the perfect seven and you have eight, the number of abundance, fatness, rebirth, regeneration, renewal. We plan to cover this in a Sabbathought soon. The word "few" in scripture often means eight. . . . But as a quality more than a quantity. Stay tuned!
Nine is the inescapable number of judgment. Multiply any number by nine and add up the digits, there is no escaping nine. There is no escaping the Judgment. How many members on the US Supreme Court? How many fig leaves on the apron? See also Luke 15:7; 17:11--17; 23:44, and so on.
Ten shows law and order: the Ten Commandments. The multiples of ten in the dimensions of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness (the only exception: the altar was three cubits square!).
The final perfect number is twelve, so eleven is one (God) short of governmental perfection and represents disorder, disarray, as in the eleven dukes of Edom or Esau, as compared with the twelve sons or princes of Esau's brother, Israel. See Genesis 36; 37:9; Matthew 28:16; Acts 2:14.
Twelve's perfection in organization is easily seen in the Twelve Tribes and in the recurrence of twelve in priesthood government in the Church today.
Some miscellaneous examples: forty (4 x 10) is the number of probation or testing, as seen in forty days and forty nights of fasting, Israel's forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, and so on. The Salt Lake temple took exactly forty years to build from start to dedication.
Two hundred is the number of insufficiency, as in "two hundred pennyworth of bread" (Mark 6:37) was not enough to feed the 4000 in the view of the disciples.
There is more. Gematria refers to the number value of words and is a constant and consistent witness and teaching device that was known to the ancients. It all points in one direction, for one thing is needful. It all points to Him, the Messiah.
God bless. Hope this may be helpful and perhaps useful. Let me know if you get this OK.
More later.
Steve
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sabbathought: Room for Him withinn --- (Christmas II)
Before he found the restored gospel in the 1920s my Dad used to say he was interested to find a church which taught, among other things, that 1) we had lived before in a premortal existence (not in a previous incarnation, which he knew to be false), and 2) that Jesus was born in the Spring. He reasoned that shepherds watched all night over their flocks only in the lambing season.
We wrote last week of the Why of the divine birth. Let's look at the Where and When, and How the circumstances came about.
The only account in scripture of these things is some twenty verses at the start of Luke chapter 2. (The "wise men from the east" did not come to the stable for the birth, but arrived later, following a star till it came and stood over the house where the young child was.)
In Luke we find the shepherds watching over the sheep destined for sacrifice in the temple next day, for it is Passover. But first we see the setting. My wife Alison says it this way: "I think that when Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, I can imagine many crowds of people selfishly running, pushing past to get accommodation for the next few nights, as it would have been very busy with the Passover, Census and Taxes. I think natural man would have thought about himself first and not offered any help to them, hence, 'no room for them in the inns'".
As Alison and I have discussed these events we have agreed that the setting should be consistent with the condescension of Jesus in coming down to this lowly estate (see 1 Nephi 11:14--26). Also the doctrine that the "Son of Man hath descended below" all things (see D&C 122:8), that He might rise above all things. Alison's description is consistent with these gospel truths. It is the Prophet Joseph who adds an "s" on inn: " . . . there was no room for them in the inns", suggesting that they were turned away more than once, and she heavy with Child, which would be plain to see and hard to ignore, but possible. . . .
President Monson spoke of these things in December 2008: We have room for fun and games and food and frolic and gifts for each other, but we seem to have no room for Him, said the prophet. We want to highlight this point, thus our title today, "Room for Him withinn". The spelling is intentional, as a mnemonic device.
The stable scene: Alison says, "After the Savior was born amongst all the cattle litter and probably nosy onlookers, as there would have been no privacy (could this point towards another open shame in 33 years?), Joseph would have 'lifted up' the newborn Babe into the feeding trough, lifted up at birth and lifted up for death. The manger means in French, a place to eat, referring to the Savior as 'the bread of life'." We ought to note too that Bethlehem means "house of bread or flesh".
The "stable" was merely the central place in a courtyard where baggage and animals were kept so that the owners could keep an eye on them from the surrounding alcoves where they slept. Far from being a private cave or secluded spot, it would have been very public. Thus Jesus was born in the lowest of circumstances, among the litter and odors left by the animals, and for all to see.
Back to the shepherds. The angel gave them a specific sign, "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Alison adds, "The swaddling clothes were probably strips of cloth which had the family (house of David) emblems, maybe sewn into them. . . . I think these strips of cloth were a positive sign that a King had been born, as told by the angel, and this is what the shepherd-prophets were seeking.
"I think they might have known or come to know (certainly all the wise men) that the promised Messiah/baby Jesus was of royal lineage through both His mortal parents back to King David. (The Savior is also known as David [Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23--4; 37:24--5], which name means 'Beloved'.) Also, there was probably not any other newborn babe lying in a cattle-feeding trough.
"The pieces of cloth were wrapped securely and indicated a strait, narrow, restricted, undeterred life, which was born to do the will of His Father, 'I must be about my Father's business' (see also His words in Luke 12:50)".
Elder Russell M. Nelson points out that only one word is needed in the Greek text for the five words: "wrapped him in swaddling clothes." The Greek word is "sparganoo" and carries the idea of strap or wrap tightly, straiten. We get the word spasm from this Greek word, so we see He was wrapped tightly to prevent "spasmodic contraction."
In the Book of Jasher is found an account of the sacrifice of Isaac, himself a great prototype of the Christ. The account speaks of Isaac, as an adult, fully aware of the impending sacrifice and of its significance, asking his father Abraham to bind his hands and feet so that he would not tremble, and thus defile the sacrifice! . . . Echoes . . . .
Alison concludes: "I think there is no question that all these signs point to the fact that our Savior was rejected before His birth and would be ever after. There was no room for Him in the inns and still today there is no room with-inn men's hearts."
As Alison said, so little is written down, therefore we must have the Holy Ghost to help us fill in between the lines. Good, good insights!
Do you sense that the story goes deeper than we first thought? It is not only our privilege and right to plumb the depths of this Holy Story, but it is our obligation to do so, "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins", sins that are occasioned by the natural, fallen state we are all subjected to here below. Jesus Christ came to "make the blessings flow, / Far as the curse was found", meaning the curse associated with Adam's Fall.
Shall we discuss more on this theme next week? Let me know if it is of interest to you to do so.
Let us make room for Him withinn. . . .
Steve
We wrote last week of the Why of the divine birth. Let's look at the Where and When, and How the circumstances came about.
The only account in scripture of these things is some twenty verses at the start of Luke chapter 2. (The "wise men from the east" did not come to the stable for the birth, but arrived later, following a star till it came and stood over the house where the young child was.)
In Luke we find the shepherds watching over the sheep destined for sacrifice in the temple next day, for it is Passover. But first we see the setting. My wife Alison says it this way: "I think that when Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, I can imagine many crowds of people selfishly running, pushing past to get accommodation for the next few nights, as it would have been very busy with the Passover, Census and Taxes. I think natural man would have thought about himself first and not offered any help to them, hence, 'no room for them in the inns'".
As Alison and I have discussed these events we have agreed that the setting should be consistent with the condescension of Jesus in coming down to this lowly estate (see 1 Nephi 11:14--26). Also the doctrine that the "Son of Man hath descended below" all things (see D&C 122:8), that He might rise above all things. Alison's description is consistent with these gospel truths. It is the Prophet Joseph who adds an "s" on inn: " . . . there was no room for them in the inns", suggesting that they were turned away more than once, and she heavy with Child, which would be plain to see and hard to ignore, but possible. . . .
President Monson spoke of these things in December 2008: We have room for fun and games and food and frolic and gifts for each other, but we seem to have no room for Him, said the prophet. We want to highlight this point, thus our title today, "Room for Him withinn". The spelling is intentional, as a mnemonic device.
The stable scene: Alison says, "After the Savior was born amongst all the cattle litter and probably nosy onlookers, as there would have been no privacy (could this point towards another open shame in 33 years?), Joseph would have 'lifted up' the newborn Babe into the feeding trough, lifted up at birth and lifted up for death. The manger means in French, a place to eat, referring to the Savior as 'the bread of life'." We ought to note too that Bethlehem means "house of bread or flesh".
The "stable" was merely the central place in a courtyard where baggage and animals were kept so that the owners could keep an eye on them from the surrounding alcoves where they slept. Far from being a private cave or secluded spot, it would have been very public. Thus Jesus was born in the lowest of circumstances, among the litter and odors left by the animals, and for all to see.
Back to the shepherds. The angel gave them a specific sign, "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Alison adds, "The swaddling clothes were probably strips of cloth which had the family (house of David) emblems, maybe sewn into them. . . . I think these strips of cloth were a positive sign that a King had been born, as told by the angel, and this is what the shepherd-prophets were seeking.
"I think they might have known or come to know (certainly all the wise men) that the promised Messiah/baby Jesus was of royal lineage through both His mortal parents back to King David. (The Savior is also known as David [Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23--4; 37:24--5], which name means 'Beloved'.) Also, there was probably not any other newborn babe lying in a cattle-feeding trough.
"The pieces of cloth were wrapped securely and indicated a strait, narrow, restricted, undeterred life, which was born to do the will of His Father, 'I must be about my Father's business' (see also His words in Luke 12:50)".
Elder Russell M. Nelson points out that only one word is needed in the Greek text for the five words: "wrapped him in swaddling clothes." The Greek word is "sparganoo" and carries the idea of strap or wrap tightly, straiten. We get the word spasm from this Greek word, so we see He was wrapped tightly to prevent "spasmodic contraction."
In the Book of Jasher is found an account of the sacrifice of Isaac, himself a great prototype of the Christ. The account speaks of Isaac, as an adult, fully aware of the impending sacrifice and of its significance, asking his father Abraham to bind his hands and feet so that he would not tremble, and thus defile the sacrifice! . . . Echoes . . . .
Alison concludes: "I think there is no question that all these signs point to the fact that our Savior was rejected before His birth and would be ever after. There was no room for Him in the inns and still today there is no room with-inn men's hearts."
As Alison said, so little is written down, therefore we must have the Holy Ghost to help us fill in between the lines. Good, good insights!
Do you sense that the story goes deeper than we first thought? It is not only our privilege and right to plumb the depths of this Holy Story, but it is our obligation to do so, "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins", sins that are occasioned by the natural, fallen state we are all subjected to here below. Jesus Christ came to "make the blessings flow, / Far as the curse was found", meaning the curse associated with Adam's Fall.
Shall we discuss more on this theme next week? Let me know if it is of interest to you to do so.
Let us make room for Him withinn. . . .
Steve
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sabbathought: The Seed of the Woman (Christmas message I)
The Christmas Story begins many eons ago in the courts of heaven when One stepped forward and said, "Here am I, send me". The One was Jehovah, the Firstborn of the Father, who was born into mortality as Jesus Christ, to be the Redeemer of all mankind.
Why was a redeemer even necessary? Because the purpose behind the plan was for mankind to become as their heavenly parents living in a fullness of joy forever. Such a result is not easily achieved. It would take a real test with real trials and real experiences. Because of their agency, many would fail and fall short of the quest. All would need a rescue from the depths of this hard experience.
Another offered himself but on his terms, easier terms, a guaranteed salvation. But such is not possible, for that would have destroyed the agency of man, and all would have been for nought.
The setting of earth life must be a veiled one, a forgetting of former glories and joys, a reduction in capacity and abilities. It would take a Fall to provide the right setting.
Thus the Creation---Fall---and subsequent Atonement become the three great doctrinal pillars of the eternal plan of our God for the salvation and joy of His children.
It is in this context that we find in Genesis chapter 3 the first earthly clue of this Redeemer, the mortal beginnings of the Christmas Story. It is in verse 15, and the key phrase is found as the Lord God curses the rebel Satan, whose scheme was rejected in the premortal council, and who has now conspired in the Garden of Eden to thwart the plan by causing the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Satan "knew not the mind of God" and that the Fall was necessary, planned, and inevitable. He thought he was frustrating the plan. Not so. The Fall was foreordained, deliberate, and preconceived as we know from the doctrine that Jesus is the Lamb prepared and "slain from [before] the foundation of the world".
In the cursing of Satan the Lord pronounces that He will put enmity [antagonism, hostility] between Satan and the woman, and between Satan's seed [followers] and her seed.
In all of the human family there is but One who can qualify as "her seed"---the seed of the woman. It is Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, of one who never knew a man before she conceived this Child. Jesus is the seed of the woman. All the rest of us are the seed of man and woman, showing that we are direct heirs of the fall of our father Adam; Jesus was not.
This is the Doctrine of Divine Sonship. It is the foundation truth of the gospel. Even the Atonement itself grows out of it. Unless Jesus is God---even the direct Son of God---conceived directly by God the Father---He could not perform the exquisite and essential atonement.
Our verse in Genesis 3 goes on to say that this seed of the woman shall bruise [crush, grind, overpower] the head of the serpent, Satan, and all the evil he stands for and sponsors.
This is the beginning of the Christmas Story. Our Christmas carols are full of this doctrine, as we shall discuss this month, as also our sacrament hymns are. It is all one story of Creation---Fall---Atonement. Because we were present in the original councils and courts on high we carry a vague memory of this story into mortality with us. This is why the human heart rejoices over the Christmas Season. The Hebrew cry, "Hosanna!"---shouted by the throngs as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey---means "Save us now!"
We all shout in our hearts, Hosanna! Save us now! O Lord. It is difficult, though possible, to smother in the human heart these instinctive feelings. The Christmas Story kindles and emblazes them anew. A regular and humble study of the sacred word of God can eventually bring the same feeling throughout the year and years of mortality.
A final thought to summarize these doctrines: it makes all the difference whether we see ourselves as mortal beings having an occasional spiritual experience, or as eternal spirits enduring a necessary mortal experience. As we sense and grasp the doctrine it becomes more and more clear that in truth we are eternal beings, struck from the spark of our God, undergoing an often painful, but deeply purposeful mortal experience. This view gives added hope to our quest to become like Him in the end.
Happy Christmas!
Steve
Why was a redeemer even necessary? Because the purpose behind the plan was for mankind to become as their heavenly parents living in a fullness of joy forever. Such a result is not easily achieved. It would take a real test with real trials and real experiences. Because of their agency, many would fail and fall short of the quest. All would need a rescue from the depths of this hard experience.
Another offered himself but on his terms, easier terms, a guaranteed salvation. But such is not possible, for that would have destroyed the agency of man, and all would have been for nought.
The setting of earth life must be a veiled one, a forgetting of former glories and joys, a reduction in capacity and abilities. It would take a Fall to provide the right setting.
Thus the Creation---Fall---and subsequent Atonement become the three great doctrinal pillars of the eternal plan of our God for the salvation and joy of His children.
It is in this context that we find in Genesis chapter 3 the first earthly clue of this Redeemer, the mortal beginnings of the Christmas Story. It is in verse 15, and the key phrase is found as the Lord God curses the rebel Satan, whose scheme was rejected in the premortal council, and who has now conspired in the Garden of Eden to thwart the plan by causing the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Satan "knew not the mind of God" and that the Fall was necessary, planned, and inevitable. He thought he was frustrating the plan. Not so. The Fall was foreordained, deliberate, and preconceived as we know from the doctrine that Jesus is the Lamb prepared and "slain from [before] the foundation of the world".
In the cursing of Satan the Lord pronounces that He will put enmity [antagonism, hostility] between Satan and the woman, and between Satan's seed [followers] and her seed.
In all of the human family there is but One who can qualify as "her seed"---the seed of the woman. It is Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, of one who never knew a man before she conceived this Child. Jesus is the seed of the woman. All the rest of us are the seed of man and woman, showing that we are direct heirs of the fall of our father Adam; Jesus was not.
This is the Doctrine of Divine Sonship. It is the foundation truth of the gospel. Even the Atonement itself grows out of it. Unless Jesus is God---even the direct Son of God---conceived directly by God the Father---He could not perform the exquisite and essential atonement.
Our verse in Genesis 3 goes on to say that this seed of the woman shall bruise [crush, grind, overpower] the head of the serpent, Satan, and all the evil he stands for and sponsors.
This is the beginning of the Christmas Story. Our Christmas carols are full of this doctrine, as we shall discuss this month, as also our sacrament hymns are. It is all one story of Creation---Fall---Atonement. Because we were present in the original councils and courts on high we carry a vague memory of this story into mortality with us. This is why the human heart rejoices over the Christmas Season. The Hebrew cry, "Hosanna!"---shouted by the throngs as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey---means "Save us now!"
We all shout in our hearts, Hosanna! Save us now! O Lord. It is difficult, though possible, to smother in the human heart these instinctive feelings. The Christmas Story kindles and emblazes them anew. A regular and humble study of the sacred word of God can eventually bring the same feeling throughout the year and years of mortality.
A final thought to summarize these doctrines: it makes all the difference whether we see ourselves as mortal beings having an occasional spiritual experience, or as eternal spirits enduring a necessary mortal experience. As we sense and grasp the doctrine it becomes more and more clear that in truth we are eternal beings, struck from the spark of our God, undergoing an often painful, but deeply purposeful mortal experience. This view gives added hope to our quest to become like Him in the end.
Happy Christmas!
Steve
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sabbathought: Number things bear record of Him
Two weeks ago we said, under the title "All things bear record of me" (see Moses 6:63), that the symbolism of number in the gospel plan in the scriptures is an evidence of the fingerprints of the Lord Jesus found throughout His creation.
His question to His disciples, "How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8:21), as He reminded them of the details in the miracles of the feeding of the five thousand and then the four thousand, shows that He expects His followers to catch something significant here. Let's explore together . . . .
The number one is the number of God, of unity and primacy. Elder McConkie taught that in Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one Lord", we find the greatest teaching moment ever devised.
After the feeding of the multitudes, the disciples and Jesus board a ship to sail across the Sea of Galilee. "Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf." So, did they have any bread or none? Well, they had one loaf with them, they had with them Him who was about to teach that He is the bread of life.
Four is the number of the natural world, of the city block, the gentile number: earth, air, fire, and water---spring, summer, autumn, winter---north, south, east, west---thistles, thorns, briers, and noxious weeds---every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
Before Jesus fed the four thousand, He had them sit on the ground. This was a gentile gathering near Decapolis (which means "ten cities"). In vivid contrast, the five thousand were told to sit down in an orderly manner upon the green grass in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
Add one to four and you have five, the number of grace or favor, one of the numbers of the house of Israel. The five thousand were an Israelite group, and were fed before the four thousand. However, the gentile congregation received the miracle with more faith than the Israelite group---a type of things to come (contrast Matthew 15:31 with John 6:26--66 for evidence of this).
When David slew Goliath he chose five smooth stones for his sling, but he needed only one.
The scriptures and the temple are full of rich and marvelous examples of all these things. We can only touch upon them here because of space limitations. If you are very keen to explore number symbolism further I would be happy to respond. We are not speaking of numerology or magic, which is the adversary's imitation, but of a sacred pattern that points us to our God.
The food provided to each group is instructive also. The four thousand were fed with seven loaves and a few small fishes. That has meaning. Some day we'll visit the idea of a "few," for it has doctrinal significance.
If we merely stay on the surface of the scriptures we shall find only gravel and dust. The divine command is that we search, treasure, and feast, and go deep below the surface where the oil and the gold lie, and where we will find our God, who is our home.
The Christmas story has many such deep and pertinent details. Would you like to explore some of them? Please let me know in the Comments section below.
God bless,
Steve
His question to His disciples, "How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8:21), as He reminded them of the details in the miracles of the feeding of the five thousand and then the four thousand, shows that He expects His followers to catch something significant here. Let's explore together . . . .
The number one is the number of God, of unity and primacy. Elder McConkie taught that in Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one Lord", we find the greatest teaching moment ever devised.
After the feeding of the multitudes, the disciples and Jesus board a ship to sail across the Sea of Galilee. "Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf." So, did they have any bread or none? Well, they had one loaf with them, they had with them Him who was about to teach that He is the bread of life.
Four is the number of the natural world, of the city block, the gentile number: earth, air, fire, and water---spring, summer, autumn, winter---north, south, east, west---thistles, thorns, briers, and noxious weeds---every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
Before Jesus fed the four thousand, He had them sit on the ground. This was a gentile gathering near Decapolis (which means "ten cities"). In vivid contrast, the five thousand were told to sit down in an orderly manner upon the green grass in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
Add one to four and you have five, the number of grace or favor, one of the numbers of the house of Israel. The five thousand were an Israelite group, and were fed before the four thousand. However, the gentile congregation received the miracle with more faith than the Israelite group---a type of things to come (contrast Matthew 15:31 with John 6:26--66 for evidence of this).
When David slew Goliath he chose five smooth stones for his sling, but he needed only one.
The scriptures and the temple are full of rich and marvelous examples of all these things. We can only touch upon them here because of space limitations. If you are very keen to explore number symbolism further I would be happy to respond. We are not speaking of numerology or magic, which is the adversary's imitation, but of a sacred pattern that points us to our God.
The food provided to each group is instructive also. The four thousand were fed with seven loaves and a few small fishes. That has meaning. Some day we'll visit the idea of a "few," for it has doctrinal significance.
If we merely stay on the surface of the scriptures we shall find only gravel and dust. The divine command is that we search, treasure, and feast, and go deep below the surface where the oil and the gold lie, and where we will find our God, who is our home.
The Christmas story has many such deep and pertinent details. Would you like to explore some of them? Please let me know in the Comments section below.
God bless,
Steve
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sabbathought: "All things bear record of me"
The first World War---"the Great War", the war to end wars, as it was called---ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. We rightly commemorate it still each year, and those who gave their lives in all wars. Next year it will be the 11th hour of 11/11/11.
Is there symbolism at work here? There is certainly an obvious symmetry.
Does the repeated use of numbers in scripture hold symbolic and instructive meaning for us? It appears so from this exchange in Mark chapter 8:
"Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
"And he [Jesus] charged them . . . [to] beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of . . . Herod.
"And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
"And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?"
He is chastizing them for not understanding. Clearly, all of this means something; they don't get it, and Jesus is going to show them that they should. . . . He has just fed the four thousand (after telling them to sit down on the ground), with seven loaves and a few small fishes. . . .
Some days earlier (see Mark 6) He had fed the five thousand, after having them sit down in an orderly manner upon the green grass, in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. This time the miraculous meal came through five loaves and two fishes.
Why the differences? What does it all mean? It means something to Jesus, as we can plainly see from His comments, and He wants His disciples---including us---to understand the meaning. He continues:
"When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments [crumbs] took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
"And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up [did you gather]? And they said, Seven.
"And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?"
Clearly something of significance is going on here. Something that is self-evident and that the Lord expects His followers to catch. What is it? As Philip said to the Ethiopian servant in Acts chapter 8 as the servant studied Isaiah, "Understandest thou what thou readest?"
The servant's reply is our reply, "How can I, except some man should guide me?"
Like our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, we are all teachers; we are all expected to guide those who do not understand---in Sunday School classes, in priesthood meeting, in auxiliary meetings, in missionary work, in our families---in every circumstance, we are to imitate the Master Teacher and help to bring others to understanding. Do you accept and believe this? If it is important to the Savior it should be important to us.
To a Jewish elder, one who was a ruler in the Sanhedrin no less, Jesus said, in the middle of a vital discussion on how natural, fallen man can be born again, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" He expects His followers to come to know what He knows. He wants us to be one with Him and the Father in all things.
So, what do you think? Is it worth pursuing the number symbolism in the feeding of the two separate congregations? Is there great meaning there for us, do you suppose?
Please let me know if you have interest in understanding this wonderful illustration of the way our Lord thinks. If you do, let's pursue it. It is a marvelous insight. All of this with a view to our upcoming study of the New Testament in 2011.
I don't yet know all things, in fact I really only know one thing, but I try to know it superbly well, for "one thing is needful" (see Luke 10:42). Let's ignite the fires of learning in the things of God and explore this rich legacy of knowledge we have been given. "For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift" (D&C 88:33).
Warm regards,
Steve
Is there symbolism at work here? There is certainly an obvious symmetry.
Does the repeated use of numbers in scripture hold symbolic and instructive meaning for us? It appears so from this exchange in Mark chapter 8:
"Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
"And he [Jesus] charged them . . . [to] beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of . . . Herod.
"And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
"And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?"
He is chastizing them for not understanding. Clearly, all of this means something; they don't get it, and Jesus is going to show them that they should. . . . He has just fed the four thousand (after telling them to sit down on the ground), with seven loaves and a few small fishes. . . .
Some days earlier (see Mark 6) He had fed the five thousand, after having them sit down in an orderly manner upon the green grass, in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. This time the miraculous meal came through five loaves and two fishes.
Why the differences? What does it all mean? It means something to Jesus, as we can plainly see from His comments, and He wants His disciples---including us---to understand the meaning. He continues:
"When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments [crumbs] took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
"And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up [did you gather]? And they said, Seven.
"And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?"
Clearly something of significance is going on here. Something that is self-evident and that the Lord expects His followers to catch. What is it? As Philip said to the Ethiopian servant in Acts chapter 8 as the servant studied Isaiah, "Understandest thou what thou readest?"
The servant's reply is our reply, "How can I, except some man should guide me?"
Like our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, we are all teachers; we are all expected to guide those who do not understand---in Sunday School classes, in priesthood meeting, in auxiliary meetings, in missionary work, in our families---in every circumstance, we are to imitate the Master Teacher and help to bring others to understanding. Do you accept and believe this? If it is important to the Savior it should be important to us.
To a Jewish elder, one who was a ruler in the Sanhedrin no less, Jesus said, in the middle of a vital discussion on how natural, fallen man can be born again, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" He expects His followers to come to know what He knows. He wants us to be one with Him and the Father in all things.
So, what do you think? Is it worth pursuing the number symbolism in the feeding of the two separate congregations? Is there great meaning there for us, do you suppose?
Please let me know if you have interest in understanding this wonderful illustration of the way our Lord thinks. If you do, let's pursue it. It is a marvelous insight. All of this with a view to our upcoming study of the New Testament in 2011.
I don't yet know all things, in fact I really only know one thing, but I try to know it superbly well, for "one thing is needful" (see Luke 10:42). Let's ignite the fires of learning in the things of God and explore this rich legacy of knowledge we have been given. "For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift" (D&C 88:33).
Warm regards,
Steve
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sabbathought:: "Truth, Lord: yet . . . ."
In John chapter 2 we find the first miracle (see verse 11) of Jesus' ministry, at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. It is the changing of water into wine. (Reflect with me that the first sign the Lord provided through Moses in Egypt was the turning of the Nile waters into blood. The final convincing sign was the death of the firstborn son. Do you see the stark parallels? The Lord teaches in this way, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.)
Some have supposed this was Jesus' own marriage feast, but it was the custom for the wedding to take place at the home town of the groom, so this would likely have been one of Jesus' half sisters (see Matthew 13:55--6) marrying a boy from Cana. This view is strengthened by the fact that their mother Mary seems to be in charge of the feast, the hostess.
Joseph Smith's translation of verse 4 is smoothed from a "rough thing" into a more sensible form. Instead of Jesus saying to His mother, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come", Joseph renders it, "Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come." This version of the account is confirmed in the next verse in the Bible when Mary says "unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
And Jesus then turns some 150 gallons of water into not just wine, but the best wine (v. 10), a miracle indeed as Jesus circumvented the usual fermentation period required for the best wine.
As we take a few moments to study this together, does it not cause your heart to burn within you (see Luke 24:32) at the purity and the glory of the story---His story or Gospel? Are you eager, as I am, to study the New Testament in Sunday School in 2011?
Did Jesus and His disciples (John 2:2) drink wine? Was it just grape juice or did it have a "kick" to it? Did they avoid pork, in conformity with the Law of Moses? In our day, we can eat pork but we expressly avoid the wine with a kick to it for the reasons given in D&C 89:4--6. There is wisdom in all of this, even a Word of Wisdom.
The instances of Jesus speaking "rough things" to His enemies---the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers---are legion and are legend. They wanted His destruction because He was a threat to their priestcraft and they wanted no part of His gospel message of repentance and humility and obedience.
But Jesus' total singleness of purpose---to bring glory and obedience to His Father's will---shows us incidents of somewhat "rough things" even to His close associates, His family, and the lowly.
When Peter adamantly insisted that Jesus not go to Jerusalem and suffer and die at the hands of wicked men, as He had prophesied, the Lord said "unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:21--23). To Peter, these words. . . ! His chief Apostle and close friend. . . !
It's as if He was saying, "I don't want to do it either for the personal agonies involved (see Luke 12:50 [49--53]; 22:42), but I must do the will of the Father and be faithful to my mission, which you do not understand."
When His mother and family members came to speak with Him, He took the occasion to refocus His hearers from His earthly mother and family to His Heavenly Father and the family of Saints who become such by obedience to His gospel plan (see Matthew 12:46--50). To us, this would perhaps appear a "rough thing" and we might try to explain it away, but His mother would have understood (see Luke 2:51).
When a woman of Canaan came seeking an urgent blessing for her daughter, He "answered her not a word." As she persisted, He explained that He was sent only "unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Such a rough response would bring today charges of nationalism and other politically correct reactions.
He continued to explain to her that, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs [meaning to Gentiles]". Rough things indeed, for this poor woman and her suffering daughter! But note how this scene plays out: the woman persists, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." I can never read that without my soul and my emotions saluting this woman. . . !
"Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" (Matthew 15:22--28).
She passed the test of faith. She extracted a blessing from Him---despite the reasons to the contrary---and we find a salutary lesson for us. Far from Jesus going out of His way to bless the needy, He often would ignore them until they showed the faith necessary to bring the blessing (see also Matthew 9:27--31 and Luke 18:35--43 among many examples). Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. Why would He ever act otherwise?
Is this a different Lord and Savior than the one we think we know, as Elder Bednar intimated to the English Saints last Autumn? There are many other examples, but they will not yield to a casual study, only to those with a sincere searching heart and real intent. These things are true and faithful.
God bless.
Steve
Some have supposed this was Jesus' own marriage feast, but it was the custom for the wedding to take place at the home town of the groom, so this would likely have been one of Jesus' half sisters (see Matthew 13:55--6) marrying a boy from Cana. This view is strengthened by the fact that their mother Mary seems to be in charge of the feast, the hostess.
Joseph Smith's translation of verse 4 is smoothed from a "rough thing" into a more sensible form. Instead of Jesus saying to His mother, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come", Joseph renders it, "Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come." This version of the account is confirmed in the next verse in the Bible when Mary says "unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
And Jesus then turns some 150 gallons of water into not just wine, but the best wine (v. 10), a miracle indeed as Jesus circumvented the usual fermentation period required for the best wine.
As we take a few moments to study this together, does it not cause your heart to burn within you (see Luke 24:32) at the purity and the glory of the story---His story or Gospel? Are you eager, as I am, to study the New Testament in Sunday School in 2011?
Did Jesus and His disciples (John 2:2) drink wine? Was it just grape juice or did it have a "kick" to it? Did they avoid pork, in conformity with the Law of Moses? In our day, we can eat pork but we expressly avoid the wine with a kick to it for the reasons given in D&C 89:4--6. There is wisdom in all of this, even a Word of Wisdom.
The instances of Jesus speaking "rough things" to His enemies---the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers---are legion and are legend. They wanted His destruction because He was a threat to their priestcraft and they wanted no part of His gospel message of repentance and humility and obedience.
But Jesus' total singleness of purpose---to bring glory and obedience to His Father's will---shows us incidents of somewhat "rough things" even to His close associates, His family, and the lowly.
When Peter adamantly insisted that Jesus not go to Jerusalem and suffer and die at the hands of wicked men, as He had prophesied, the Lord said "unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:21--23). To Peter, these words. . . ! His chief Apostle and close friend. . . !
It's as if He was saying, "I don't want to do it either for the personal agonies involved (see Luke 12:50 [49--53]; 22:42), but I must do the will of the Father and be faithful to my mission, which you do not understand."
When His mother and family members came to speak with Him, He took the occasion to refocus His hearers from His earthly mother and family to His Heavenly Father and the family of Saints who become such by obedience to His gospel plan (see Matthew 12:46--50). To us, this would perhaps appear a "rough thing" and we might try to explain it away, but His mother would have understood (see Luke 2:51).
When a woman of Canaan came seeking an urgent blessing for her daughter, He "answered her not a word." As she persisted, He explained that He was sent only "unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Such a rough response would bring today charges of nationalism and other politically correct reactions.
He continued to explain to her that, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs [meaning to Gentiles]". Rough things indeed, for this poor woman and her suffering daughter! But note how this scene plays out: the woman persists, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." I can never read that without my soul and my emotions saluting this woman. . . !
"Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" (Matthew 15:22--28).
She passed the test of faith. She extracted a blessing from Him---despite the reasons to the contrary---and we find a salutary lesson for us. Far from Jesus going out of His way to bless the needy, He often would ignore them until they showed the faith necessary to bring the blessing (see also Matthew 9:27--31 and Luke 18:35--43 among many examples). Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. Why would He ever act otherwise?
Is this a different Lord and Savior than the one we think we know, as Elder Bednar intimated to the English Saints last Autumn? There are many other examples, but they will not yield to a casual study, only to those with a sincere searching heart and real intent. These things are true and faithful.
God bless.
Steve
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sabbathought: " . . . tell that fox . . . ."
Aware that Sunday is Hallowe'en, and having a few spare moments, I thought I would thwart the gremlins that might try to sabotage this message and send it out on Friday . . . !
Last week we tried to be as bold as the Prophet Joseph and Elder David Bednar of the Twelve in starting to show from the "Five Gospels" that the Lord Jesus is a much different character than the Person we hear of second hand. It takes a serious and sustained study of the scriptures to find Him. Otherwise He remains unknown and unappreciated by us.
Speaking to His Apostles on the Mount of Olives just days before His Atonement, Jesus warned them---and us who would see His words many centuries later---of "false Christs" in the last days who would "deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant" (think of the temple), if those elect are not careful and vigilant and wise.
A suspicious-looking individual with a beard and strange garb claiming to be the Christ would not deceive any but the very gullible, and certainly not "the very elect." No, He was warning of false doctrine about Christ, of a distorted image of Christ, as Isaiah had prophesied (52:14; see 3 Nephi 20:11--22:17). A false idea of Christ is a false Christ. Likewise, a false idea of His servants the prophets, is a false prophet. Joseph Smith illustrated this:
"Some of the [early members of the Church] thought I was not a very meek Prophet; so I told them: 'I am meek and lowly in heart,' and will personify Jesus for a moment, to illustrate the principle, and cried out with a loud voice, 'Woe unto you, ye doctors; woe unto you, ye lawyers; woe unto you, ye scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites!'"
Then Joseph concluded, "But you cannot find the place where I ever went that I found fault with their food, their drink, their house, their lodgings; no, never; and this is what is meant by the meekness and lowliness of Jesus" (Teachings, page 270).
Showing their own lack of understanding and maturity, and demonstrating how a false idea of Christ had been absorbed by them from the world, my teenage seminary students often would question the Savior's propriety in cleansing the temple at the start of His ministry and again at the end. "I always thought He was perfect," they said disappointedly, "I guess He wasn't, huh? . . . He was rude." These were their words and feelings about Him.
These illustrations start to explain why we have undertaken to address this issue as we anticipate a deep and wonderful study in Sunday School of the New Testament beginning in a couple of months.
Further, as Robert J. Matthews has pointed out, "There is not a single case in the four Gospel records that represents Jesus as impatient, critical, or unkind to people"---now, again notice . . . ! Just as we showed last week, some of us are prone to place a period or full stop at the end of these words, or even an exclamation mark. But Brother Matthews continues:
" . . . Jesus as impatient, critical, or unkind to people who were repentant, teachable, and willing to change their lives." Brother Matthews goes on to describe Jesus' compassion and open support and charity to the humble. Then this:
"But He was a terror to the workers of iniquity and those who were self-righteous, deceptive, or hypocritical. In dealing with the repentant, He was kind, gentle, yet firm---the promised Messiah. To the proud, the haughty, and the arrogant, He was absolutely indomitable and irrepressible and a threat to their craftiness" (Selected Writings [1999], page 241, emphasis added).
Also, from the Prophet: "Our heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive; and, at the same time, is more terrible to the workers of iniquity, more awful in the executions of His punishments, and more ready to detect every false way, than we are apt to suppose Him to be. He will be inquired of by His children" (Teachings, page 257).
In His teachings and interactions with people in the four Gospels Jesus often offended His hearers. These are the "rough things" Joseph spoke of that we highlighted last week. From the above statements and insights, now we know why He offended them. The issue is simple: meekness, mildness, humility, teachableness, true repentance on the part of His hearers, these are what determined whether they saw and heard the Lamb or the Lion. He is both. We ourselves determine which aspect of Him and His teachings will prevail with us and judge us.
The word "offended" in reference to His teachings is found fourteen times in the four Gospels. The Greek word is "skandalizo" . . . .
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6:17; Alma 31:5; D&C 6:2; 11:2; and the rest) is a weapon of defense, but also a weapon of offense, for as Elder Bruce R. McConkie has observed, "It is not possible to teach the gospel without offending somebody."
In our anxiety to be tolerant, loving, and to avoid giving offense at all costs we tend to dilute the message of the gospel from a gospel of repentance and mercy to a gospel of love alone. We imitate the world instead of the holy men He has sent. It does not work that way. . . . It is a false idea of the gospel; it is a false Christ.
There is much more to say on this.
When "certain of the Pharisees" came to Him ostensibly to warn Him to leave Jerusalem for His safety, "for Herod will kill thee," His response was, "Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected" (Luke 13:31--2; see to the end of the chapter, especially the JST footnotes). Should He not be more respectful of civic authority, more politically correct, less "rude"? "Go ye, and tell that fox" says much. He is fearlessly rendering unto Caesar . . . .
Family and friends, unless we pay a price to search these things diligently in the scriptural record itself, we shall, by default, have a distorted image of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the clear message of the prophets, of those with the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, the message of those who know Him. I want so much to be one of them, to be one with them and with Him.
More later on this.
Have a glorious Autumn weekend.
Steve
Last week we tried to be as bold as the Prophet Joseph and Elder David Bednar of the Twelve in starting to show from the "Five Gospels" that the Lord Jesus is a much different character than the Person we hear of second hand. It takes a serious and sustained study of the scriptures to find Him. Otherwise He remains unknown and unappreciated by us.
Speaking to His Apostles on the Mount of Olives just days before His Atonement, Jesus warned them---and us who would see His words many centuries later---of "false Christs" in the last days who would "deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant" (think of the temple), if those elect are not careful and vigilant and wise.
A suspicious-looking individual with a beard and strange garb claiming to be the Christ would not deceive any but the very gullible, and certainly not "the very elect." No, He was warning of false doctrine about Christ, of a distorted image of Christ, as Isaiah had prophesied (52:14; see 3 Nephi 20:11--22:17). A false idea of Christ is a false Christ. Likewise, a false idea of His servants the prophets, is a false prophet. Joseph Smith illustrated this:
"Some of the [early members of the Church] thought I was not a very meek Prophet; so I told them: 'I am meek and lowly in heart,' and will personify Jesus for a moment, to illustrate the principle, and cried out with a loud voice, 'Woe unto you, ye doctors; woe unto you, ye lawyers; woe unto you, ye scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites!'"
Then Joseph concluded, "But you cannot find the place where I ever went that I found fault with their food, their drink, their house, their lodgings; no, never; and this is what is meant by the meekness and lowliness of Jesus" (Teachings, page 270).
Showing their own lack of understanding and maturity, and demonstrating how a false idea of Christ had been absorbed by them from the world, my teenage seminary students often would question the Savior's propriety in cleansing the temple at the start of His ministry and again at the end. "I always thought He was perfect," they said disappointedly, "I guess He wasn't, huh? . . . He was rude." These were their words and feelings about Him.
These illustrations start to explain why we have undertaken to address this issue as we anticipate a deep and wonderful study in Sunday School of the New Testament beginning in a couple of months.
Further, as Robert J. Matthews has pointed out, "There is not a single case in the four Gospel records that represents Jesus as impatient, critical, or unkind to people"---now, again notice . . . ! Just as we showed last week, some of us are prone to place a period or full stop at the end of these words, or even an exclamation mark. But Brother Matthews continues:
" . . . Jesus as impatient, critical, or unkind to people who were repentant, teachable, and willing to change their lives." Brother Matthews goes on to describe Jesus' compassion and open support and charity to the humble. Then this:
"But He was a terror to the workers of iniquity and those who were self-righteous, deceptive, or hypocritical. In dealing with the repentant, He was kind, gentle, yet firm---the promised Messiah. To the proud, the haughty, and the arrogant, He was absolutely indomitable and irrepressible and a threat to their craftiness" (Selected Writings [1999], page 241, emphasis added).
Also, from the Prophet: "Our heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive; and, at the same time, is more terrible to the workers of iniquity, more awful in the executions of His punishments, and more ready to detect every false way, than we are apt to suppose Him to be. He will be inquired of by His children" (Teachings, page 257).
In His teachings and interactions with people in the four Gospels Jesus often offended His hearers. These are the "rough things" Joseph spoke of that we highlighted last week. From the above statements and insights, now we know why He offended them. The issue is simple: meekness, mildness, humility, teachableness, true repentance on the part of His hearers, these are what determined whether they saw and heard the Lamb or the Lion. He is both. We ourselves determine which aspect of Him and His teachings will prevail with us and judge us.
The word "offended" in reference to His teachings is found fourteen times in the four Gospels. The Greek word is "skandalizo" . . . .
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6:17; Alma 31:5; D&C 6:2; 11:2; and the rest) is a weapon of defense, but also a weapon of offense, for as Elder Bruce R. McConkie has observed, "It is not possible to teach the gospel without offending somebody."
In our anxiety to be tolerant, loving, and to avoid giving offense at all costs we tend to dilute the message of the gospel from a gospel of repentance and mercy to a gospel of love alone. We imitate the world instead of the holy men He has sent. It does not work that way. . . . It is a false idea of the gospel; it is a false Christ.
There is much more to say on this.
When "certain of the Pharisees" came to Him ostensibly to warn Him to leave Jerusalem for His safety, "for Herod will kill thee," His response was, "Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected" (Luke 13:31--2; see to the end of the chapter, especially the JST footnotes). Should He not be more respectful of civic authority, more politically correct, less "rude"? "Go ye, and tell that fox" says much. He is fearlessly rendering unto Caesar . . . .
Family and friends, unless we pay a price to search these things diligently in the scriptural record itself, we shall, by default, have a distorted image of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the clear message of the prophets, of those with the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, the message of those who know Him. I want so much to be one of them, to be one with them and with Him.
More later on this.
Have a glorious Autumn weekend.
Steve
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sabbathought: " . . . reject Him for being so rough"
Last year in England Elder David A. Bednar of the Twelve urged the Saints to study "carefully the Five Gospels", as he put it, meaning Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and 3 Nephi.
Elder Bednar promised that if the Saints would study and search (not just read) these five books of scripture diligently and carefully, they would find a very different Jesus than the one they think they know.
Such a serious study, if undertaken with the full intent of finding the true Son of God, not the one the world speaks of but the One revealed from heaven in this last dispensation, would reveal quite a few surprises.
The greatest revealer of Christ the world has ever known is the Prophet Joseph Smith working through the Holy Ghost. Joseph knows much on the subject, for he knew Him.
Note these teachings of the Prophet: "If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses."
Joseph continued, " . . . for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going from Him and drawing towards the devil [there is no middle ground]. Yes, I am standing in the midst of all kinds of people.
"Search your hearts, and see if you are like God. I have searched mine, and feel to repent of all my sins" (Teachings, page 216).
Joseph's nephew, President Joseph F. Smith, taught: "Unless we do become like Him we will never be permitted to dwell with Him" (Gospel Doctrine, page 276).
Becoming like God is the whole purpose of the Gospel. It can only be accomplished through righteousness and strict observance of sacred covenants. Then the Holy Ghost can testify and sanctify and purify and justify us before God with a mighty change of our basic nature. Deep repentance, as we can see from Joseph above, is key in this process. The devil teaches that we do not need to repent. He lies.
The Prophet further said that the path to happiness, to being like God our Father, the happiest of men, is "virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. But we cannot keep all the commandments," continued Joseph . . . now, how would you finish that sentence? Some of us finish it by putting a period, a full stop there! And who do you suppose inspires that? See Joseph's statement above about the enemy of our souls.
Joseph finished that sentence thus: "But we cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them" (see Teachings, pages 255--6). Be honest. That sounds like a daunting task, and we would rather believe that the Lord will accept us as we are. . . . Not so. But there is help in this holy pursuit! Help that makes it a joy and a delight! The scriptures are central to this, but only if we respect them and pay close attention to them. The enemy is pleased if he can keep us separated a good distance from a serious study of the scriptures.
One more thought from Joseph: "I desire the learning and wisdom of heaven alone [not the world's wisdom; Joseph, an untutored farm boy, was a student of the scriptures; he delighted in them]. I have not the least idea," he continued, "if Christ should come to earth and preach such rough things as He preached to the Jews, but that this generation would reject Him for being so rough" (Teachings, page 307).
"Rough things"! From the Lamb of God! No, it cannot be . . . ! Surely!
We are out of space here, so we'll pursue this next week. Allow me to show you some examples of the "rough things" Jesus taught, in the "Five Gospels", next week. . . . Can you think of any?
God bless us all.
Steve
Elder Bednar promised that if the Saints would study and search (not just read) these five books of scripture diligently and carefully, they would find a very different Jesus than the one they think they know.
Such a serious study, if undertaken with the full intent of finding the true Son of God, not the one the world speaks of but the One revealed from heaven in this last dispensation, would reveal quite a few surprises.
The greatest revealer of Christ the world has ever known is the Prophet Joseph Smith working through the Holy Ghost. Joseph knows much on the subject, for he knew Him.
Note these teachings of the Prophet: "If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses."
Joseph continued, " . . . for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going from Him and drawing towards the devil [there is no middle ground]. Yes, I am standing in the midst of all kinds of people.
"Search your hearts, and see if you are like God. I have searched mine, and feel to repent of all my sins" (Teachings, page 216).
Joseph's nephew, President Joseph F. Smith, taught: "Unless we do become like Him we will never be permitted to dwell with Him" (Gospel Doctrine, page 276).
Becoming like God is the whole purpose of the Gospel. It can only be accomplished through righteousness and strict observance of sacred covenants. Then the Holy Ghost can testify and sanctify and purify and justify us before God with a mighty change of our basic nature. Deep repentance, as we can see from Joseph above, is key in this process. The devil teaches that we do not need to repent. He lies.
The Prophet further said that the path to happiness, to being like God our Father, the happiest of men, is "virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. But we cannot keep all the commandments," continued Joseph . . . now, how would you finish that sentence? Some of us finish it by putting a period, a full stop there! And who do you suppose inspires that? See Joseph's statement above about the enemy of our souls.
Joseph finished that sentence thus: "But we cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them" (see Teachings, pages 255--6). Be honest. That sounds like a daunting task, and we would rather believe that the Lord will accept us as we are. . . . Not so. But there is help in this holy pursuit! Help that makes it a joy and a delight! The scriptures are central to this, but only if we respect them and pay close attention to them. The enemy is pleased if he can keep us separated a good distance from a serious study of the scriptures.
One more thought from Joseph: "I desire the learning and wisdom of heaven alone [not the world's wisdom; Joseph, an untutored farm boy, was a student of the scriptures; he delighted in them]. I have not the least idea," he continued, "if Christ should come to earth and preach such rough things as He preached to the Jews, but that this generation would reject Him for being so rough" (Teachings, page 307).
"Rough things"! From the Lamb of God! No, it cannot be . . . ! Surely!
We are out of space here, so we'll pursue this next week. Allow me to show you some examples of the "rough things" Jesus taught, in the "Five Gospels", next week. . . . Can you think of any?
God bless us all.
Steve
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sabbathought: "If only you Mormons were Christians"
On his way to a Church assignment by plane, Elder Jack H. Goaslind of the Seventy had the following experience, which he related at a stake conference some years ago.
In conversation with the passenger sat next to him, the businessman soon found out that Elder Goaslind was a Latter-day Saint.
"I have great respect for you Mormons," said the businessman, "I'm really impressed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; I see your young men in every city where I do business---clean-cut, wholesome young men---your emphasis on family, your welfare program, everything about you is just so very commendable. You know, if only you Mormons were Christians you'd really have something going for you."
How would you respond if you were Elder Goaslind in this situation?
After a few moments, Elder Goaslind said, "I want you to read a book."
"Oh, your Book of --- erm --- Book of Mormons? Thanks, but no thanks, I've already read it. But I am very impressed with you as a people. And, if only you were Christians, well . . . ."
"Well if you won't read the book again, would you mind if I read just one verse to you?" The man glanced around, saw that he was somewhat trapped, and said, "OK, go ahead."
Elder Goaslind read, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
There was no response from the man. After a pause, Elder Goaslind, though he had said " just one verse" thought there was nothing to be lost, skipped a verse, and read: "And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked people; wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot misunderstand." (Think how bold this is, to read these words to the man 30,000 feet up and in light of their conversation.) Elder Goaslind continued:
"And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way[bold indeed!]; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law."
The businessman was deep in thought. He said nothing. Elder Goaslind shared one more verse, "And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."
Elder Goaslind closed the book. The man still said nothing for a while, then spoke: "Where can I get a copy of that book?"
"I just happen to have another one in my briefcase."
Now think about it, you Latter-day Saints. The man had seen and heard much of the Church. He even claimed to have already read the Book of Mormon. But in it all he had missed the point entirely of who we "Mormons" are. This should not surprise us, for Latter-day Saints most often miss the point entirely of who we are! Our testimony meetings affirm the truth of that, for rarely in them do we "talk of Christ, . . . rejoice in Christ, . . . preach of Christ . . ." and so forth.
That businessman ended up joining the Church and, at the time Elder Goaslind relayed the incident, was serving as a high priests group leader in California.
All of which begs the question, If you as a Latter-day Saint Christian were arrested for your public testimony of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
God bless. Please leave a comment so I'll know if you catch the point.
Thanks.
Steve
In conversation with the passenger sat next to him, the businessman soon found out that Elder Goaslind was a Latter-day Saint.
"I have great respect for you Mormons," said the businessman, "I'm really impressed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; I see your young men in every city where I do business---clean-cut, wholesome young men---your emphasis on family, your welfare program, everything about you is just so very commendable. You know, if only you Mormons were Christians you'd really have something going for you."
How would you respond if you were Elder Goaslind in this situation?
After a few moments, Elder Goaslind said, "I want you to read a book."
"Oh, your Book of --- erm --- Book of Mormons? Thanks, but no thanks, I've already read it. But I am very impressed with you as a people. And, if only you were Christians, well . . . ."
"Well if you won't read the book again, would you mind if I read just one verse to you?" The man glanced around, saw that he was somewhat trapped, and said, "OK, go ahead."
Elder Goaslind read, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
There was no response from the man. After a pause, Elder Goaslind, though he had said " just one verse" thought there was nothing to be lost, skipped a verse, and read: "And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked people; wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot misunderstand." (Think how bold this is, to read these words to the man 30,000 feet up and in light of their conversation.) Elder Goaslind continued:
"And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way[bold indeed!]; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law."
The businessman was deep in thought. He said nothing. Elder Goaslind shared one more verse, "And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."
Elder Goaslind closed the book. The man still said nothing for a while, then spoke: "Where can I get a copy of that book?"
"I just happen to have another one in my briefcase."
Now think about it, you Latter-day Saints. The man had seen and heard much of the Church. He even claimed to have already read the Book of Mormon. But in it all he had missed the point entirely of who we "Mormons" are. This should not surprise us, for Latter-day Saints most often miss the point entirely of who we are! Our testimony meetings affirm the truth of that, for rarely in them do we "talk of Christ, . . . rejoice in Christ, . . . preach of Christ . . ." and so forth.
That businessman ended up joining the Church and, at the time Elder Goaslind relayed the incident, was serving as a high priests group leader in California.
All of which begs the question, If you as a Latter-day Saint Christian were arrested for your public testimony of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
God bless. Please leave a comment so I'll know if you catch the point.
Thanks.
Steve
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sabbathought: The Happiest of Men
Rodney Turner, longtime teacher of religion at Brigham Young University, set me thinking with these observations some years ago on the nature of God:
The Father---the happiest of men---endowed His Beloved Son with a "fulness of joy" (3 Nephi 28:10). He is in the business of "happifying" His children by sharing His own nature with them. Heber C. Kimball remarked: "I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is---the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, 'I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.' That arises from the perfection of His attributes; He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful Man" [JD 4:222].
Brother Turner continues: Our individual capacity for happiness was first developed in the premortal estate. It was there that we learned the rudiments of joy from the Gods set over us. As we partook of their spirit, we experienced a measure of the happiness righteousness produces. In this world of oppositions, joy is veiled; it cannot be experienced in its fullness---a fullness of joy comes only with resurrection. (See D&C 93:33; 101:36.)
But, from time to time we can---like Elder Kimball---partake of the joy of the Spirit. Indeed, we not only have the opportunity, but the obligation, to do so. A perpetually unhappy Saint is an oxymoron, a self-contradiction. President Spencer W. Kimball remarked: "If you are not happy today, you may never be happy" [TSWK, p. 173].
"Happiness," said the Prophet Joseph, "is the object and design of our existence" [TPJS, p. 255]. Righteousness alone can bring it to pass. To the degree that each of us acquires the divine nature, we will enter into "the joy of the Lord." (See D&C 51:19.) Consequently, when all is said and done, each of us will be as happy as we have chosen to be, which is to say, we will be as one with God as we have chosen to be. . . .
Brother Turner concluded: Our gracious Father has revealed Himself through His Son, His Spirit, His prophets, and His scriptures. To that extent, we know Him, and, therefore, to that extent we know ourselves. It only remains for us to magnify that knowledge until we are perfected and glorified in it.
Thank you indeed, Brother Rodney Turner.
This message from Brother Turner reflects the purpose of our weekly sharing in these Sabbathoughts.
May God---the happiest of men, our literal and actual Father in heaven---bless us all to act upon these clear and glorious matters of the soul.
Steve
The Father---the happiest of men---endowed His Beloved Son with a "fulness of joy" (3 Nephi 28:10). He is in the business of "happifying" His children by sharing His own nature with them. Heber C. Kimball remarked: "I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is---the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, 'I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.' That arises from the perfection of His attributes; He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful Man" [JD 4:222].
Brother Turner continues: Our individual capacity for happiness was first developed in the premortal estate. It was there that we learned the rudiments of joy from the Gods set over us. As we partook of their spirit, we experienced a measure of the happiness righteousness produces. In this world of oppositions, joy is veiled; it cannot be experienced in its fullness---a fullness of joy comes only with resurrection. (See D&C 93:33; 101:36.)
But, from time to time we can---like Elder Kimball---partake of the joy of the Spirit. Indeed, we not only have the opportunity, but the obligation, to do so. A perpetually unhappy Saint is an oxymoron, a self-contradiction. President Spencer W. Kimball remarked: "If you are not happy today, you may never be happy" [TSWK, p. 173].
"Happiness," said the Prophet Joseph, "is the object and design of our existence" [TPJS, p. 255]. Righteousness alone can bring it to pass. To the degree that each of us acquires the divine nature, we will enter into "the joy of the Lord." (See D&C 51:19.) Consequently, when all is said and done, each of us will be as happy as we have chosen to be, which is to say, we will be as one with God as we have chosen to be. . . .
Brother Turner concluded: Our gracious Father has revealed Himself through His Son, His Spirit, His prophets, and His scriptures. To that extent, we know Him, and, therefore, to that extent we know ourselves. It only remains for us to magnify that knowledge until we are perfected and glorified in it.
Thank you indeed, Brother Rodney Turner.
This message from Brother Turner reflects the purpose of our weekly sharing in these Sabbathoughts.
May God---the happiest of men, our literal and actual Father in heaven---bless us all to act upon these clear and glorious matters of the soul.
Steve
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sabbathought: "even if I stand alone in it"
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "It is our duty to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good, and unpopular that which is unsound" (HC 5:286). The context of this trenchant remark was Joseph's wish to speak on "political economy" in 1843, as he contemplated running for the Presidency of the United States. He was martyred in June 1844.
The statement is good counsel for us as we look at the political climate of our country and with a pivotal November election in the USA. But surely this has application too for our defense of spiritual principle as well as the ethical and political. It is a companion to what we discussed recently on being defenders of the faith.
More to this point is the following from the Prophet: "The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it" (Teachings, p. 332, emphasis added).
Of course, the implication in both of these statements from Joseph is the assumption that we have the knowledge and wisdom to discern clearly between what is sound and unsound, between a true principle and a false one, between truth and error. This is why the Lord and His representative servants constantly urge an ongoing study of the gospel as found in the scriptures and words of living prophets. We must be able to draw from a deep well of understanding rather than shallow personal opinion. "No man's opinion is worth a straw," said Brigham Young. It is the opinions of heaven that we seek, otherwise we'll be deceived by the sophistry of the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture.
President Monson has emphasized this same theme of boldness in the defense and maintenance of truth many times in his ministry, most recently in October 2008 general conference: "President John Taylor warned us, ' If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved had you done your duty.'" A sobering and incisive challenge from the third President of the Church (1877--87), which President Monson repeated in April general conference two weeks ago in the priesthood session. Then the living prophet continued:
"And who of us can afford to be responsible for the delay of eternal life of a human soul? If great joy is the reward of saving one soul, then how terrible must be the remorse of those whose timid efforts have allowed a child of God to go unwarned or unaided so that he has to wait till a dependable servant of God comes along" (Nov. 2008 Ensign, p. 62).
Note that President Monson is not just speaking of a soul's temporal needs or physical welfare, he is speaking of eternal life, of warnings, of teaching and saving souls, and of bold not timid efforts, of being dependable servants of God. These are incisive words.
At many funerals it is common to hear praise of the deceased as such a kind and loving soul that he or she did not have an enemy in the world. But in the battle for the souls of mankind, is this truly a virtue?
You have no enemies, you say?
Alas! my friend, the boast is poor---
He who has mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure,
Must have made foes! If you have none,
Small is the work that you have done;
You've hit no traitor on the hip;
You've dashed no cup from perjured lip;
You've never turned the wrong to right---
You've been a coward in the fight!
Charles Mackay
For those of us who may doubt that we are in a battle for the souls of men that requires courage and bold action and faithful testimony, just flip through our hymn book and note the number of hymns on battle and preparedness and duty and "defending truth and right."
Of course, we are to "use boldness, but not overbearance" (Alma 38:12); we are not advocating being awkward or captious over the lesser things, or annoying people without warrant. This is not the intent of Joseph's and President Monson's counsel. But be bold we must, if we are to stand for the truth in any kind of effective way. There is an ongoing need to be "sweetly bold" (in Neal A. Maxwell's phrase), both in spiritual and civil matters.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, "No compromise with error," and the ministry of this war horse reflected this in some courageous ways, as a member of the Eisenhower cabinet, and as one of the Lord's anointed. He once said to a colleague before a certain general conference address, "I'm going to catch it on this one." Fact is, it's not possible to teach the gospel without offending somebody. Let's hope the only ones offended are Satan's minions in the nether regions.
I want to be bold and true, and right before the Lord, even if I stand alone in it. You too?
Please give your comments on this one. Thanks to all who have written with such positive feedback in the past.
Steve
The statement is good counsel for us as we look at the political climate of our country and with a pivotal November election in the USA. But surely this has application too for our defense of spiritual principle as well as the ethical and political. It is a companion to what we discussed recently on being defenders of the faith.
More to this point is the following from the Prophet: "The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it" (Teachings, p. 332, emphasis added).
Of course, the implication in both of these statements from Joseph is the assumption that we have the knowledge and wisdom to discern clearly between what is sound and unsound, between a true principle and a false one, between truth and error. This is why the Lord and His representative servants constantly urge an ongoing study of the gospel as found in the scriptures and words of living prophets. We must be able to draw from a deep well of understanding rather than shallow personal opinion. "No man's opinion is worth a straw," said Brigham Young. It is the opinions of heaven that we seek, otherwise we'll be deceived by the sophistry of the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture.
President Monson has emphasized this same theme of boldness in the defense and maintenance of truth many times in his ministry, most recently in October 2008 general conference: "President John Taylor warned us, ' If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved had you done your duty.'" A sobering and incisive challenge from the third President of the Church (1877--87), which President Monson repeated in April general conference two weeks ago in the priesthood session. Then the living prophet continued:
"And who of us can afford to be responsible for the delay of eternal life of a human soul? If great joy is the reward of saving one soul, then how terrible must be the remorse of those whose timid efforts have allowed a child of God to go unwarned or unaided so that he has to wait till a dependable servant of God comes along" (Nov. 2008 Ensign, p. 62).
Note that President Monson is not just speaking of a soul's temporal needs or physical welfare, he is speaking of eternal life, of warnings, of teaching and saving souls, and of bold not timid efforts, of being dependable servants of God. These are incisive words.
At many funerals it is common to hear praise of the deceased as such a kind and loving soul that he or she did not have an enemy in the world. But in the battle for the souls of mankind, is this truly a virtue?
You have no enemies, you say?
Alas! my friend, the boast is poor---
He who has mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure,
Must have made foes! If you have none,
Small is the work that you have done;
You've hit no traitor on the hip;
You've dashed no cup from perjured lip;
You've never turned the wrong to right---
You've been a coward in the fight!
Charles Mackay
For those of us who may doubt that we are in a battle for the souls of men that requires courage and bold action and faithful testimony, just flip through our hymn book and note the number of hymns on battle and preparedness and duty and "defending truth and right."
Of course, we are to "use boldness, but not overbearance" (Alma 38:12); we are not advocating being awkward or captious over the lesser things, or annoying people without warrant. This is not the intent of Joseph's and President Monson's counsel. But be bold we must, if we are to stand for the truth in any kind of effective way. There is an ongoing need to be "sweetly bold" (in Neal A. Maxwell's phrase), both in spiritual and civil matters.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, "No compromise with error," and the ministry of this war horse reflected this in some courageous ways, as a member of the Eisenhower cabinet, and as one of the Lord's anointed. He once said to a colleague before a certain general conference address, "I'm going to catch it on this one." Fact is, it's not possible to teach the gospel without offending somebody. Let's hope the only ones offended are Satan's minions in the nether regions.
I want to be bold and true, and right before the Lord, even if I stand alone in it. You too?
Please give your comments on this one. Thanks to all who have written with such positive feedback in the past.
Steve
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sabbathought: Mortality is school, not vacation.
Yesterday was Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar. I was impressed to note that Avram Grant, Israeli manager of West Ham United, was not present at the match to see his team pick up their first point of the football (soccer) season at Stoke City. He had more important things to do on Yom Kippur.
For a Latter-day Saint the privilege to partake of the sacrament and ponder Jesus Christ's great Atonement can make each Sabbath day a Day of Atonement. The sacrament is the high point of the sacrament meeting and, if we know the gospel, of the holy day itself.
As a boy growing up I often heard my mother tell of a village in England where once a year the villagers would bring along to the parish church a brief anonymous note describing the hardships they were enduring at the time. The notes were collected together and each person took away a different one. Each person always expressed the feeling that they were glad they had their own difficulties, not those of their neighbors.
This came to mind when I saw this week a past reminder from President Gordon B. Hinckley to show kindness to those we meet, no matter how burdened down we feel, for each person is carrying a heavier burden than we are.
There is divine purpose in all of our hardships and sufferings. Mortality is school, not vacation. Joseph Smith translated Hebrews 11:40 as follows: "God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect."
(That is the plan in a nutshell, always remembering the Atonement was performed to cover all of these things. The word Kippur (Atonement) comes from the Hebrew "kaphar," meaning cover, placate, cancel, cleanse, reconcile. Some of the effects of the Fall we inherited from our first parents, like physical death, are covered automatically by the Atonement. The more vital things are covered contingent on our obedience. Dying is not the worst thing that can happen to us.)
In the next chapter of Hebrews Paul urges the Saints to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (12:1). Paul has been to the Olympic track in Athens and understands that runners must stay in the assigned lane for the race. Each of us has a customized course or race or curriculum designed by a loving Father to teach us, through enduring life's experiences, how to become like Him. The lane for each of us is strait and narrow. We must stay in it and at it.
It is worth our time to ponder closely the next few verses and to note how a loving Father stays true to the predesigned curriculum for each of us, with its attendant trials and sufferings. Note that Father's approach is an act of loyalty to, and love for, our best selves: "Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord . . . For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (verses 5--6).
We can see this principle clearly in Job's sufferings. The lesson should now be clear to us. This is mortality. It is school, not vacation. The Lord's chastening of the house of Israel in Hosea shows the same principle at work.
Orson F. Whitney summarized this doctrine in a beautiful way in 1918:
"When we want counsel and comfort, we do not go to children, nor to those who know nothing but pleasure and self-gratification. We go to men and women of thought and sympathy, men and women who have suffered themselves and can give us the comfort that we need. Is not this God's purpose in causing his children to suffer? He wants them to become more like himself. God has suffered far more than man ever did or ever will, and is therefore the great source of sympathy and consolation.
"There is always a blessing in sorrow and humiliation. They who escape these things are not the fortunate ones. 'Whom God loveth he chasteneth.' . . . Flowers shed most of their perfume when they are crushed. Men and women have to suffer just so much in order to bring out the best that is in them" (IE, Nov. 1918).
May you have a lovely Sabbath day, in the consoling knowledge of these vital things.
God bless.
Steve
For a Latter-day Saint the privilege to partake of the sacrament and ponder Jesus Christ's great Atonement can make each Sabbath day a Day of Atonement. The sacrament is the high point of the sacrament meeting and, if we know the gospel, of the holy day itself.
As a boy growing up I often heard my mother tell of a village in England where once a year the villagers would bring along to the parish church a brief anonymous note describing the hardships they were enduring at the time. The notes were collected together and each person took away a different one. Each person always expressed the feeling that they were glad they had their own difficulties, not those of their neighbors.
This came to mind when I saw this week a past reminder from President Gordon B. Hinckley to show kindness to those we meet, no matter how burdened down we feel, for each person is carrying a heavier burden than we are.
There is divine purpose in all of our hardships and sufferings. Mortality is school, not vacation. Joseph Smith translated Hebrews 11:40 as follows: "God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect."
(That is the plan in a nutshell, always remembering the Atonement was performed to cover all of these things. The word Kippur (Atonement) comes from the Hebrew "kaphar," meaning cover, placate, cancel, cleanse, reconcile. Some of the effects of the Fall we inherited from our first parents, like physical death, are covered automatically by the Atonement. The more vital things are covered contingent on our obedience. Dying is not the worst thing that can happen to us.)
In the next chapter of Hebrews Paul urges the Saints to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (12:1). Paul has been to the Olympic track in Athens and understands that runners must stay in the assigned lane for the race. Each of us has a customized course or race or curriculum designed by a loving Father to teach us, through enduring life's experiences, how to become like Him. The lane for each of us is strait and narrow. We must stay in it and at it.
It is worth our time to ponder closely the next few verses and to note how a loving Father stays true to the predesigned curriculum for each of us, with its attendant trials and sufferings. Note that Father's approach is an act of loyalty to, and love for, our best selves: "Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord . . . For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (verses 5--6).
We can see this principle clearly in Job's sufferings. The lesson should now be clear to us. This is mortality. It is school, not vacation. The Lord's chastening of the house of Israel in Hosea shows the same principle at work.
Orson F. Whitney summarized this doctrine in a beautiful way in 1918:
"When we want counsel and comfort, we do not go to children, nor to those who know nothing but pleasure and self-gratification. We go to men and women of thought and sympathy, men and women who have suffered themselves and can give us the comfort that we need. Is not this God's purpose in causing his children to suffer? He wants them to become more like himself. God has suffered far more than man ever did or ever will, and is therefore the great source of sympathy and consolation.
"There is always a blessing in sorrow and humiliation. They who escape these things are not the fortunate ones. 'Whom God loveth he chasteneth.' . . . Flowers shed most of their perfume when they are crushed. Men and women have to suffer just so much in order to bring out the best that is in them" (IE, Nov. 1918).
May you have a lovely Sabbath day, in the consoling knowledge of these vital things.
God bless.
Steve
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sabbathought: "You cannot pray cream and live skimmed milk."
We have spoken a lot about revelation lately. Revelation comes as we seek and ask in faith. One of the symbolic meanings of the Star of David is the triangle pointing upward, representing prayer, and the superimposed triangle pointing down, symbolizing revelation.
Most of the revelations the Prophet Joseph Smith received were in answer to questions. The process began with his translation by the power of God of the plates, which resulted in the Book of Mormon. As Joseph translated and saw baptism repeatedly spoken of on the plates, he asked the Lord on 15 May 1829 about baptism. The answer came immediately in the form of John the Baptist restoring the keys of baptism contained in the Aaronic priesthood, John being somewhat of a specialist in baptism and the last legal holder of those keys (see D&C 13: 84:26--28).
Next, the Lord commanded Joseph to translate the Bible. Further questions came, and the revelations now found in the Doctrine and Covenants were the result of Joseph's asking. In this process we see Joseph not just asking for help, but inquisitively asking about the Lord's work. It is a key to our relationship with our God, for what is required of us here below is a searching after God's purposes and plans, not just obedience to His revealed will.
On one occasion, Joseph and his family had only some johnnycake to eat. In blessing the food Joseph said, "O Lord, we thank Thee for this johnnycake and ask Thee to send us something better." That was a telegram prayer. Within an hour or two there was a knock at the door and a friend stood there with a sack of flour and a large ham. "See, Emma," said Joseph, "I knew the Lord would answer our need!"
Another time in a cottage meeting Joseph prayed with the kneeling group in a prayer that was so long and detailed that people stood up to rest and then knelt down again. Joseph knew how to pray, through practice. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ because of Joseph's prayer in the grove as a young teen.
The mighty Atonement itself was accomplished in a prayer, in a garden. Jesus prayed always.
Distractedly watching an excerpt from the film "Patton" recently, I was struck as the general quoted in his prayer most of Psalm 63 in a small church the night before an important battle. The LDS Bible Dictionary tells us that "David's Psalms, and the Psalms generally, breathe the highest spirit of prayer. The nation that possessed them must have been rich in teachers and examples of prayer."
The entry goes on to say, "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. (Matt. 7:7--11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship.
"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work." This reminds us that Harold B. Lee once taught, "Unless you are in a fit of desperation, your prayers don't have much suction" to draw down a blessing from heaven.
It goes on to speak of praying in Christ's name and how this is done (beyond merely closing the prayer in His name), and then this:
"Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ's name at all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man's heart" (pages 752--3). This is very instructive and sobering to me.
It was Howard W. Hunter who taught, "You cannot pray cream and live skimmed milk." The measure of our righteous standing before the Lord will largely be the measure of the relationship we have with Him as spoken of above, and will be a key factor in our prayers and their answers.
As the Lord said to the Brother of Jared, "And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me" (the last sentence of Ether chapter 1).
May this bless our lives, particularly as we go to the "house of prayer" each Sabbath day to offer up our sacraments upon His holy day (see D&C 59:9).
Steve
P.S. An invitation: How would you answer this question in as few words as possible: What is the gospel? Please, either post a comment in response or send me an e-mail by reply, and we'll visit this subject soon. Thanks.
Most of the revelations the Prophet Joseph Smith received were in answer to questions. The process began with his translation by the power of God of the plates, which resulted in the Book of Mormon. As Joseph translated and saw baptism repeatedly spoken of on the plates, he asked the Lord on 15 May 1829 about baptism. The answer came immediately in the form of John the Baptist restoring the keys of baptism contained in the Aaronic priesthood, John being somewhat of a specialist in baptism and the last legal holder of those keys (see D&C 13: 84:26--28).
Next, the Lord commanded Joseph to translate the Bible. Further questions came, and the revelations now found in the Doctrine and Covenants were the result of Joseph's asking. In this process we see Joseph not just asking for help, but inquisitively asking about the Lord's work. It is a key to our relationship with our God, for what is required of us here below is a searching after God's purposes and plans, not just obedience to His revealed will.
On one occasion, Joseph and his family had only some johnnycake to eat. In blessing the food Joseph said, "O Lord, we thank Thee for this johnnycake and ask Thee to send us something better." That was a telegram prayer. Within an hour or two there was a knock at the door and a friend stood there with a sack of flour and a large ham. "See, Emma," said Joseph, "I knew the Lord would answer our need!"
Another time in a cottage meeting Joseph prayed with the kneeling group in a prayer that was so long and detailed that people stood up to rest and then knelt down again. Joseph knew how to pray, through practice. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ because of Joseph's prayer in the grove as a young teen.
The mighty Atonement itself was accomplished in a prayer, in a garden. Jesus prayed always.
Distractedly watching an excerpt from the film "Patton" recently, I was struck as the general quoted in his prayer most of Psalm 63 in a small church the night before an important battle. The LDS Bible Dictionary tells us that "David's Psalms, and the Psalms generally, breathe the highest spirit of prayer. The nation that possessed them must have been rich in teachers and examples of prayer."
The entry goes on to say, "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. (Matt. 7:7--11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship.
"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work." This reminds us that Harold B. Lee once taught, "Unless you are in a fit of desperation, your prayers don't have much suction" to draw down a blessing from heaven.
It goes on to speak of praying in Christ's name and how this is done (beyond merely closing the prayer in His name), and then this:
"Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ's name at all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man's heart" (pages 752--3). This is very instructive and sobering to me.
It was Howard W. Hunter who taught, "You cannot pray cream and live skimmed milk." The measure of our righteous standing before the Lord will largely be the measure of the relationship we have with Him as spoken of above, and will be a key factor in our prayers and their answers.
As the Lord said to the Brother of Jared, "And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me" (the last sentence of Ether chapter 1).
May this bless our lives, particularly as we go to the "house of prayer" each Sabbath day to offer up our sacraments upon His holy day (see D&C 59:9).
Steve
P.S. An invitation: How would you answer this question in as few words as possible: What is the gospel? Please, either post a comment in response or send me an e-mail by reply, and we'll visit this subject soon. Thanks.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sabbathought: Defenders of the faith
Thank you for your comments and e-mailed insights and questions on testimonies. Some of you now wonder, What is a testimony? Along with our question, What is the gospel? All of this so that you can be more purposeful and show integrity that will please the Lord. It has caused me some deep reflecting this past week.
I have come to feel strongly that a testimony is what you know because of how you feel because of what you do. Simply stated, a "thin" testimony shows that we do not know much, and that we are still some distance from knowing Him, and from eternal life, which is to know "the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom" God has sent (John 17:3).
It was plain in last week's thought that such knowledge starts in the scriptures---that is why we urge investigators to study the Book of Mormon---and requires serious daily and sustained attention. All so that we can be competent witnesses in bearing testimony of Him.
Is this important?
In a court of law, if we are called upon to be witnesses, just as the Twelve are "special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world" (see D&C 107:23, 26), we are under obligation to testify of what we know, of "the truth, . . . so help me God." Of what, or of Whom are we to testify? And are we witnesses for the prosecution or for the defense?
It is clear to me that we are called as witnesses for the defense (forgive the American spelling, you in the UK). Elder Harold B. Lee taught that the word "elder" means "defender of the faith." He also taught, in 1971, "When I was a missionary [in the 1920s], our greatest responsibility was to defend the great truth that the Prophet Joseph Smith was divinely called and inspired and that the Book of Mormon was indeed the word of God. But even at that time there were the unmistakable evidences that there was coming into the religious world actually a question about the Bible and about the divine calling of the Master himself.
"Now, fifty years later, our greatest responsibility and anxiety is to defend the divine mission of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, for all about us, even among those who claim to be professors of the Christian faith, are those not willing to stand squarely in defense of the great truth that our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, was indeed the Son of God" (quoted in Selected Writings of Robert J. Matthews [1999], p. 32). . . . A false idea of Christ is a false Christ (see Joseph Smith---Matthew 1:22--23, 37).
Today there are obvious sounds of battle in society between the forces of error and evil and the side of right and truth. The enemy is subtle, to the extent that even "the humble followers of Christ . . . are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14). Often those precepts of men are mingled with scripture and are very well received among this people.
Unless "this people" adhere to their covenants, and repent and become familiar with "the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon" (see D&C 84:54--57), their witness of the Truth will be thin and found wanting.
Is such a firm witness necessary only by our missionaries to the world? Or is it needful among the Saints, in our classes and meetings and public testimonies? The ethics found in secular humanism, the ideas of the world like the "unconditional love of God" are not the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the precepts of men.
Twenty-eight years ago next month (how time flies!) Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke in general conference of the new scriptures that had recently come forth in the Church. He said: "The older generation has been raised without them, but there is another generation growing up. The revelations will be opened to them as to no other in the history of the world. Into their hands now are placed the sticks of Joseph and of Judah. They will develop a gospel scholarship beyond that which their forebears could achieve. They will have the testimony that Jesus is the Christ and be competent to proclaim Him and to defend Him" (Oct. 1982 general conference emphasis added).
What would you have said if called upon to bear witness at the sham trials of Jesus before Annas, Caiaphas, and Pilate? Would you have been a competent witness for the defense of the Lord? "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, . . . that our children may know . . . ." (2 Nephi 25:26).
We are involved in the greatest work in history. May God grant us the clear vision to see our way to bear off our part of the work triumphant.
God bless us all to this end.
Steve
I have come to feel strongly that a testimony is what you know because of how you feel because of what you do. Simply stated, a "thin" testimony shows that we do not know much, and that we are still some distance from knowing Him, and from eternal life, which is to know "the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom" God has sent (John 17:3).
It was plain in last week's thought that such knowledge starts in the scriptures---that is why we urge investigators to study the Book of Mormon---and requires serious daily and sustained attention. All so that we can be competent witnesses in bearing testimony of Him.
Is this important?
In a court of law, if we are called upon to be witnesses, just as the Twelve are "special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world" (see D&C 107:23, 26), we are under obligation to testify of what we know, of "the truth, . . . so help me God." Of what, or of Whom are we to testify? And are we witnesses for the prosecution or for the defense?
It is clear to me that we are called as witnesses for the defense (forgive the American spelling, you in the UK). Elder Harold B. Lee taught that the word "elder" means "defender of the faith." He also taught, in 1971, "When I was a missionary [in the 1920s], our greatest responsibility was to defend the great truth that the Prophet Joseph Smith was divinely called and inspired and that the Book of Mormon was indeed the word of God. But even at that time there were the unmistakable evidences that there was coming into the religious world actually a question about the Bible and about the divine calling of the Master himself.
"Now, fifty years later, our greatest responsibility and anxiety is to defend the divine mission of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, for all about us, even among those who claim to be professors of the Christian faith, are those not willing to stand squarely in defense of the great truth that our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, was indeed the Son of God" (quoted in Selected Writings of Robert J. Matthews [1999], p. 32). . . . A false idea of Christ is a false Christ (see Joseph Smith---Matthew 1:22--23, 37).
Today there are obvious sounds of battle in society between the forces of error and evil and the side of right and truth. The enemy is subtle, to the extent that even "the humble followers of Christ . . . are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14). Often those precepts of men are mingled with scripture and are very well received among this people.
Unless "this people" adhere to their covenants, and repent and become familiar with "the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon" (see D&C 84:54--57), their witness of the Truth will be thin and found wanting.
Is such a firm witness necessary only by our missionaries to the world? Or is it needful among the Saints, in our classes and meetings and public testimonies? The ethics found in secular humanism, the ideas of the world like the "unconditional love of God" are not the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the precepts of men.
Twenty-eight years ago next month (how time flies!) Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke in general conference of the new scriptures that had recently come forth in the Church. He said: "The older generation has been raised without them, but there is another generation growing up. The revelations will be opened to them as to no other in the history of the world. Into their hands now are placed the sticks of Joseph and of Judah. They will develop a gospel scholarship beyond that which their forebears could achieve. They will have the testimony that Jesus is the Christ and be competent to proclaim Him and to defend Him" (Oct. 1982 general conference emphasis added).
What would you have said if called upon to bear witness at the sham trials of Jesus before Annas, Caiaphas, and Pilate? Would you have been a competent witness for the defense of the Lord? "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, . . . that our children may know . . . ." (2 Nephi 25:26).
We are involved in the greatest work in history. May God grant us the clear vision to see our way to bear off our part of the work triumphant.
God bless us all to this end.
Steve
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sabbathought: The best-kept secret in the Church
Next Sunday (September 5th) is Fast and Testimony Sunday, when the only speakers in sacrament meetings throughout the Church are those who are prompted to stand and bear testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.
Most members stand and affirm that they know the Church is true. It is. The Church and all it stands for is from on high and is true; it is the Church of Jesus Christ, restored by Him and by angels sent by Him to reveal keys to organize and take forward the work of the kingdom prior to His Second Coming.
In a real sense we the members are the Church, since it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this sense, the Church is true to the extent that we are true . . . true to our covenants and to Him.
More appropriately, a testimony will affirm that the restored Gospel is true and that its sweet, life-changing effect in our lives has confirmed it to be so. This kind of testimony will necessarily focus on the Savior whose Gospel it is, and on His atoning sacrifice which provides the power for such change and joy, as we confess Him as the source of our survival and comfort and growth amid the trials and difficulties of life.
But most often our public testimonies go off in a different direction than any of this, centered on relatively trivial matters and barely mentioning Him except in closing. We often bear thin testimonies indeed, for we are caught up in the thick of thin things, as President Monson said in April general conference. Consider a few enlightening statements in this area:
"If we are not reading the scriptures daily, our testimonies are growing thinner, our spirituality is not increasing in depth" (Harold B. Lee). . . . We shall hear a lot of thin testimonies next Sunday. Reading the scriptures is not yet the daily habit of most of us. We tend to avoid them.
Hugh B. Brown hits the nail on the head with this statement:
"I am impressed with the testimony of the man [or woman] who can stand and say he knows the Gospel is true, but what I would like to ask is, 'But sir, do you know the Gospel?' I say it is one thing to know the Gospel is true and another to know what the Gospel is.
"Mere testimony may be gained with but perfunctory knowledge of the Church and its teachings as evidenced by the hundreds [now tens of thousands] who are now coming into the Church with but bare acquaintanceship. But to retain testimony and to be of service in building up the Lord's kingdom requires a serious study of the Gospel and a knowing of what it is."
All of this begs the question, So what is the Gospel? What is it we need to know "to be of service" in the kingdom beyond a mere social gospel? And how do we retain, then boost, and grow in that principle of light and truth? Is it possible that the enemy is more interested in keeping us separated from the scriptures, and from the Spirit that can emanate from a serious study of them, than we realize?
Recall that in the war in heaven we fought under Michael against this enemy, Lucifer, and we prevailed there. How did we prevail? "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death" (Revelation 12:11, Joseph Smith Translation).
We cannot prevail here in mortality with thinner testimonies. We battle here "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). Paul goes on to write in verse 17 that our chief weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
So, what is the "word of God"? What is the Gospel, even the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is it that will give us and our families power over the adversary and win the battle?
For many of us the restored Gospel is the best-kept secret in the Church. We focus our attention on lesser things, on trivia, on ethics and the social gospel, and the power in the restored Gospel goes unknown and unclaimed because we neglect the weighty matters that "cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring forth" (see D&C 135:6).
Can we pursue this question together again? Are you keenly interested to discuss what is the Gospel?
Again your comments and insights are valuable. Please leave one in the Comments box below so that all may be edified.
Be of good cheer, and have a lovely Sabbath.
Steve
Most members stand and affirm that they know the Church is true. It is. The Church and all it stands for is from on high and is true; it is the Church of Jesus Christ, restored by Him and by angels sent by Him to reveal keys to organize and take forward the work of the kingdom prior to His Second Coming.
In a real sense we the members are the Church, since it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this sense, the Church is true to the extent that we are true . . . true to our covenants and to Him.
More appropriately, a testimony will affirm that the restored Gospel is true and that its sweet, life-changing effect in our lives has confirmed it to be so. This kind of testimony will necessarily focus on the Savior whose Gospel it is, and on His atoning sacrifice which provides the power for such change and joy, as we confess Him as the source of our survival and comfort and growth amid the trials and difficulties of life.
But most often our public testimonies go off in a different direction than any of this, centered on relatively trivial matters and barely mentioning Him except in closing. We often bear thin testimonies indeed, for we are caught up in the thick of thin things, as President Monson said in April general conference. Consider a few enlightening statements in this area:
"If we are not reading the scriptures daily, our testimonies are growing thinner, our spirituality is not increasing in depth" (Harold B. Lee). . . . We shall hear a lot of thin testimonies next Sunday. Reading the scriptures is not yet the daily habit of most of us. We tend to avoid them.
Hugh B. Brown hits the nail on the head with this statement:
"I am impressed with the testimony of the man [or woman] who can stand and say he knows the Gospel is true, but what I would like to ask is, 'But sir, do you know the Gospel?' I say it is one thing to know the Gospel is true and another to know what the Gospel is.
"Mere testimony may be gained with but perfunctory knowledge of the Church and its teachings as evidenced by the hundreds [now tens of thousands] who are now coming into the Church with but bare acquaintanceship. But to retain testimony and to be of service in building up the Lord's kingdom requires a serious study of the Gospel and a knowing of what it is."
All of this begs the question, So what is the Gospel? What is it we need to know "to be of service" in the kingdom beyond a mere social gospel? And how do we retain, then boost, and grow in that principle of light and truth? Is it possible that the enemy is more interested in keeping us separated from the scriptures, and from the Spirit that can emanate from a serious study of them, than we realize?
Recall that in the war in heaven we fought under Michael against this enemy, Lucifer, and we prevailed there. How did we prevail? "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death" (Revelation 12:11, Joseph Smith Translation).
We cannot prevail here in mortality with thinner testimonies. We battle here "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). Paul goes on to write in verse 17 that our chief weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
So, what is the "word of God"? What is the Gospel, even the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is it that will give us and our families power over the adversary and win the battle?
For many of us the restored Gospel is the best-kept secret in the Church. We focus our attention on lesser things, on trivia, on ethics and the social gospel, and the power in the restored Gospel goes unknown and unclaimed because we neglect the weighty matters that "cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring forth" (see D&C 135:6).
Can we pursue this question together again? Are you keenly interested to discuss what is the Gospel?
Again your comments and insights are valuable. Please leave one in the Comments box below so that all may be edified.
Be of good cheer, and have a lovely Sabbath.
Steve
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sabbathought: Ordinary pebbles
A traveler in a strange land had lost his way. He saw at the side of the road an old man, so he asked for directions. The old man told the traveler how to get to his destination and added this: When you come to the river, fill your pockets with whatever you see lying around; if you do so, by nightfall you'll be both glad and sad.
This made little sense to the traveler, but he thanked the old man and continued on his way. Sure enough, at midday with the sun high in the sky he came to a river. Remembering the urging of the old man, he looked around to see what it was he was to fill his pockets with. All he could see were ordinary pebbles, bleached and scorched in the sun. He stooped down and thrust a handful of pebbles into his pocket and continued on his way.
At nightfall he lay down to rest but could not get comfortable for the pebbles in his pocket, so he sat up to take them out. And there in the moonlight he saw that the ordinary pebbles had changed into precious stones---gems and jewels. And he was glad.
Then he became sad that he had not filled both pockets full, . . . and his backpack, . . . and his socks. . . !
What has this to do with us? What is the application for our journey in this strange land of mortality?
President Gordon B. Hinckley some years ago urged, "If I were a bishop or stake president today, what would I do? I think that I would try to put my major efforts into building the spirituality of the people. I would work as hard as I knew how to work in building their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in God our Eternal Father, in the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of this work and what it means and what it is all about.
"I would encourage my people to read the scriptures, to read the Book of Mormon, to read the New Testament. I would urge them with all the capacity I have to read quietly and thoughtfully and introspectively, if you please. I would urge them to read the 'Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith'" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 608).
Think of Naaman the leper being told by a prophet of God to bathe in the River Jordan seven times (2 Kings 5). Ordinary river . . . ordinary pebbles . . . ordinary advice and counsel.
Many years ago the elders quorum president in our ward said to me, "You are always urging scripture study. . . . I'm not even living up to everything I already know without adding more to the list of what I should be doing."
I was a little taken aback. I said, "Rob, is that how you see the scriptures, as a burden? Have you ever considered that there may be something in them that will give you the courage and help and inspiration to see a way to do what you should be doing?" He confessed he had never looked at it that way. That brief exchange changed his life.
President Ezra Taft Benson urged us to see the scriptures as a marvelous privilege and a blessing, not as a burden laid upon us by the Lord. Your answers are in them, he urged.
President Hinckley said, "Reading the scriptures is not for me the work of scholarship, but rather a love affair with the work of the Lord."
When I taught my seminary students I would urge them to fill their pockets full of the ordinary pebbles they found in the scriptures, with the promise that they would change into precious gems of testimony and help when nightfall came. It is so for all of us.
Is this helpful? Is it important? Is it urgent? Look back on the number of times we see this ordinary pebble in today's Sabbathought: the word "urge".
The scriptures use the word "betimes", and we most often think of that word as meaning "sometimes". It actually means "before it is too late" (see Webster's [1828]).
Hope you have a lovely Sabbath.
Steve
This made little sense to the traveler, but he thanked the old man and continued on his way. Sure enough, at midday with the sun high in the sky he came to a river. Remembering the urging of the old man, he looked around to see what it was he was to fill his pockets with. All he could see were ordinary pebbles, bleached and scorched in the sun. He stooped down and thrust a handful of pebbles into his pocket and continued on his way.
At nightfall he lay down to rest but could not get comfortable for the pebbles in his pocket, so he sat up to take them out. And there in the moonlight he saw that the ordinary pebbles had changed into precious stones---gems and jewels. And he was glad.
Then he became sad that he had not filled both pockets full, . . . and his backpack, . . . and his socks. . . !
What has this to do with us? What is the application for our journey in this strange land of mortality?
President Gordon B. Hinckley some years ago urged, "If I were a bishop or stake president today, what would I do? I think that I would try to put my major efforts into building the spirituality of the people. I would work as hard as I knew how to work in building their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in God our Eternal Father, in the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of this work and what it means and what it is all about.
"I would encourage my people to read the scriptures, to read the Book of Mormon, to read the New Testament. I would urge them with all the capacity I have to read quietly and thoughtfully and introspectively, if you please. I would urge them to read the 'Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith'" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 608).
Think of Naaman the leper being told by a prophet of God to bathe in the River Jordan seven times (2 Kings 5). Ordinary river . . . ordinary pebbles . . . ordinary advice and counsel.
Many years ago the elders quorum president in our ward said to me, "You are always urging scripture study. . . . I'm not even living up to everything I already know without adding more to the list of what I should be doing."
I was a little taken aback. I said, "Rob, is that how you see the scriptures, as a burden? Have you ever considered that there may be something in them that will give you the courage and help and inspiration to see a way to do what you should be doing?" He confessed he had never looked at it that way. That brief exchange changed his life.
President Ezra Taft Benson urged us to see the scriptures as a marvelous privilege and a blessing, not as a burden laid upon us by the Lord. Your answers are in them, he urged.
President Hinckley said, "Reading the scriptures is not for me the work of scholarship, but rather a love affair with the work of the Lord."
When I taught my seminary students I would urge them to fill their pockets full of the ordinary pebbles they found in the scriptures, with the promise that they would change into precious gems of testimony and help when nightfall came. It is so for all of us.
Is this helpful? Is it important? Is it urgent? Look back on the number of times we see this ordinary pebble in today's Sabbathought: the word "urge".
The scriptures use the word "betimes", and we most often think of that word as meaning "sometimes". It actually means "before it is too late" (see Webster's [1828]).
Hope you have a lovely Sabbath.
Steve
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sabbathought: As the worm knows, without revelation all is guesswork
Last week we saw in this terse sentence from the LDS Bible Dictionary the absolute need for revelation from God to man: "Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion" (page 762).
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the area of man's origin.
Natural man, unaided and unhampered by light from heaven, has come up with the notion that mankind's origins were in primordial swamps, that man has risen and progressed from this beginning to his present enlightened and advanced state, never to return to the swamps. This idea exalts man in the minds of some, and makes him more noble and great. Some variation of it is the official teaching on the subject in schools throughout the land.
The truth of man's origins is the exact opposite of this theory. Revelation "from God, who is our home" (Wordsworth) shows that in fact man has fallen from the presence of the Gods, in contrast to his having risen from the swamps. The two views could not be more opposite.
Ironically, it is this latter view that truly exalts man, that teaches him his glorious potential to become as the Gods from whence he came. Earth life is the lowest point of mankind's existence.
Another illustration of man's vital need for revelation, for insight and guidance from a Higher Source: One of the papyrus documents in the Dead Sea Scrolls was found to have a hole in it when the scholars opened it up to translate. A tiny worm had found the papyrus tasty enough to eat a hole through the scroll at crucial points in the narrative (the folded papyrus had holes at various places from the worm's feast).
The scholars were left with no option but to guess from the context of the surrounding writing the words that would best fit in the damaged portions. Some time later they found another document of the same narrative, this one with no worm holes. They compared the two documents. How many times do you suppose the scholars, the experts, had made an accurate guess at the text when compared with the pristine version of the same narrative?
Exactly zero.
We are not saying that the archeologists and scholars should have sought revelation on the translation. We are simply using the incident as an illustration of the need for the real story from the source. Otherwise, as the scholars found, "all is guesswork, darkness, and confusion."
Natural man's best guess on the things of eternity will be hopelessly inadequate without revelation from the Source.
Who can receive such revelation, and how does it come? It may be well to explore this later.
Thanks to all of you who replied to the request for feedback on the Sabbathoughts.
More later. God bless.
Steve
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the area of man's origin.
Natural man, unaided and unhampered by light from heaven, has come up with the notion that mankind's origins were in primordial swamps, that man has risen and progressed from this beginning to his present enlightened and advanced state, never to return to the swamps. This idea exalts man in the minds of some, and makes him more noble and great. Some variation of it is the official teaching on the subject in schools throughout the land.
The truth of man's origins is the exact opposite of this theory. Revelation "from God, who is our home" (Wordsworth) shows that in fact man has fallen from the presence of the Gods, in contrast to his having risen from the swamps. The two views could not be more opposite.
Ironically, it is this latter view that truly exalts man, that teaches him his glorious potential to become as the Gods from whence he came. Earth life is the lowest point of mankind's existence.
Another illustration of man's vital need for revelation, for insight and guidance from a Higher Source: One of the papyrus documents in the Dead Sea Scrolls was found to have a hole in it when the scholars opened it up to translate. A tiny worm had found the papyrus tasty enough to eat a hole through the scroll at crucial points in the narrative (the folded papyrus had holes at various places from the worm's feast).
The scholars were left with no option but to guess from the context of the surrounding writing the words that would best fit in the damaged portions. Some time later they found another document of the same narrative, this one with no worm holes. They compared the two documents. How many times do you suppose the scholars, the experts, had made an accurate guess at the text when compared with the pristine version of the same narrative?
Exactly zero.
We are not saying that the archeologists and scholars should have sought revelation on the translation. We are simply using the incident as an illustration of the need for the real story from the source. Otherwise, as the scholars found, "all is guesswork, darkness, and confusion."
Natural man's best guess on the things of eternity will be hopelessly inadequate without revelation from the Source.
Who can receive such revelation, and how does it come? It may be well to explore this later.
Thanks to all of you who replied to the request for feedback on the Sabbathoughts.
More later. God bless.
Steve
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Sabbathought: Our first priority
In a funeral sermon for his close friend Ephraim Marks in April 1842, the Prophet, even though he felt the occasion was "a very solemn and awful time", so filled with grief was he, taught, "Our affections should be placed upon God and His work, more intensely than upon our fellow beings" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 215--6).
Truly this counsel echoes the first and great commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, might, mind, strength, and soul. The second is like unto it, but it is a serious oversight to get the order of these two great commandments mixed up.
When Elder Boyd K. Packer was called by Harold B. Lee to head up the work of the Church Educational System in the early 1960s, he was counseled by Elder Lee to be sure he faced the Presiding Brethren and the Lord, not the teachers, students, and administrators in the system. This is an illustration of the same principle the Prophet Joseph was urging.
What then is the work of God upon which we are to place our affections and energies? We are all clear that "this is my work and my glory," as the Lord said to Moses, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).
How do we make sure our work in the kingdom is consistent with and supportive of this grand purpose and objective? The scriptures make clear that "it must needs be done in mine own way" (Doctrine and Covenants 104:16), "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).
How do we ensure we conform to the Lord's ways of doing His work? Remember what Paul taught, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14), and "natural man" is the default condition of all mankind from day to day unless we consciously seek the Spirit of God daily.
Therefore, the only answer to these compelling questions is revelation, personal revelation to our spirits through the Holy Spirit. Consider with me the wisdom of these words from the LDS Bible Dictionary on "Revelation" (page 762): "Divine revelation is one of the grandest concepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for without it, man could not know of the things of God and could not be saved with any degree of salvation in the eternities. . . . The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation is the principle of salvation. . . . 'The Holy Ghost is a revelator,' said Joseph Smith, and 'no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations' (HC 6:58). Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion" (emphasis added).
Again we say, such revelation is not automatic with the gift of the Holy Ghost; it must be sought and nurtured in hungering and thirsting after righteousness (see 3 Nephi 12:6).
A final thought: the house of the Lord---the temple---is a house of prayer and of revelation. "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths" (Isaiah 2:3, emphasis added).
In these ways our affections will be firmly placed upon God and His work more intensely and appropriately than on any other thing or person or place.
"When your priorities are out of order, you lose power" (Elder Gene R. Cook).
Please---leave a comment to let me know you have come this far with me. Thanks.
Steve
Truly this counsel echoes the first and great commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, might, mind, strength, and soul. The second is like unto it, but it is a serious oversight to get the order of these two great commandments mixed up.
When Elder Boyd K. Packer was called by Harold B. Lee to head up the work of the Church Educational System in the early 1960s, he was counseled by Elder Lee to be sure he faced the Presiding Brethren and the Lord, not the teachers, students, and administrators in the system. This is an illustration of the same principle the Prophet Joseph was urging.
What then is the work of God upon which we are to place our affections and energies? We are all clear that "this is my work and my glory," as the Lord said to Moses, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).
How do we make sure our work in the kingdom is consistent with and supportive of this grand purpose and objective? The scriptures make clear that "it must needs be done in mine own way" (Doctrine and Covenants 104:16), "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).
How do we ensure we conform to the Lord's ways of doing His work? Remember what Paul taught, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14), and "natural man" is the default condition of all mankind from day to day unless we consciously seek the Spirit of God daily.
Therefore, the only answer to these compelling questions is revelation, personal revelation to our spirits through the Holy Spirit. Consider with me the wisdom of these words from the LDS Bible Dictionary on "Revelation" (page 762): "Divine revelation is one of the grandest concepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for without it, man could not know of the things of God and could not be saved with any degree of salvation in the eternities. . . . The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation is the principle of salvation. . . . 'The Holy Ghost is a revelator,' said Joseph Smith, and 'no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations' (HC 6:58). Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion" (emphasis added).
Again we say, such revelation is not automatic with the gift of the Holy Ghost; it must be sought and nurtured in hungering and thirsting after righteousness (see 3 Nephi 12:6).
A final thought: the house of the Lord---the temple---is a house of prayer and of revelation. "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths" (Isaiah 2:3, emphasis added).
In these ways our affections will be firmly placed upon God and His work more intensely and appropriately than on any other thing or person or place.
"When your priorities are out of order, you lose power" (Elder Gene R. Cook).
Please---leave a comment to let me know you have come this far with me. Thanks.
Steve
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sabbathought : God is a Person, not just an idea or a concept
We spoke some weeks ago---and it has been a regular theme or thread in all these Sabbathoughts---that unless we become like God we will never be permitted to dwell with Him. That is the central idea of all true religion, and the Sabbath Day is the time when we yield to His ways and learn of Him (see Isaiah 58:13--14), not just in our Sunday meetings but at home too.
What is God like? We need to know or we shall not be able to be like Him. "And this is life eternal [God's life, living with Him and like Him], that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent" (John 17:3).
If there is one thing the devil would want to distort it is the true concept of God and what He is like. The Savior warned of false Christs in the last days, and a false idea of Christ is a false Christ (see Joseph Smith---Matthew 1:22, 37). Even the elect according to the covenant may be deceived by these false ideas, He said, but "whoso treasureth up my word shall not be deceived".
Truly, Jesus Christ, who is God, the Son of the Father, is the Lamb of God; and He is the Lion of Judah. He is Justice, and He is Mercy; He is the Prince of Peace, and He is the God of battles. There is no contradiction in all of this. We do Him and ourselves a great disservice when we focus on only one side of His Godly nature.
Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Twelve taught: "---studying all the difficulties that face us in the world today, [it is clear] that we are really living in the last days. I believe that now and in the years to come we will need a stronger testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ than ever before. Every one of us must do as the Presidency of the Church does, and that is to treat God as a person and not as a concept or an idea of any kind. He is a person, and we need to deal with Him that way. We must realize that He has feelings, and we can offend Him or we can please Him, depending on our attitude" (1 Sept. 1983).
Many of us reject the host of scriptures that speak of the fear of God, so wrapped up are we in the love of God. When the scriptures speak of fearing God, they mean fear, as President Monson has taught. Surely we understand that "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).
But here is an interesting paradox: "Generally speaking, those who feel too sure of their salvation are farthest from it. Soren Kjerkegaard has expressed this thought in the following quaint paradox: 'If you fear, then fear not; but if you do not fear, then fear'" (Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, p. 114).
Angus M. Cannon had this vision: "I did hear a voice which said--Angus, it is your privilege to appear before the Lord and I immediately looked and beheld Him, apparently about 30 rods distant. . . . I undertook to arise and go to Him but dared not approach Him and said, 'My God! Who can appear before Him!' I imagine He would say: How have you used my name and what use have you made of my Priesthood? When I thought of my many light speeches and the manner in which I had striven to embellish my remarks, in addressing people as His servant, circumlocuting [speaking] around the truths given of Him . . . , I was unable to go to Him."
Do you have the impression we each have quite a bit of preparation ahead of us? And that it must start today? He said, "Learn of me, and listen to my words; . . . Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness? Or canst thou run about longer as a blind guide? Or canst thou be humble and meek, and conduct thyself wisely before me? Yea, come unto me thy Savior. Amen" (D&C 19:23, 39--41).
Please feel free to post your comments below.
God bless us all.
Steve
What is God like? We need to know or we shall not be able to be like Him. "And this is life eternal [God's life, living with Him and like Him], that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent" (John 17:3).
If there is one thing the devil would want to distort it is the true concept of God and what He is like. The Savior warned of false Christs in the last days, and a false idea of Christ is a false Christ (see Joseph Smith---Matthew 1:22, 37). Even the elect according to the covenant may be deceived by these false ideas, He said, but "whoso treasureth up my word shall not be deceived".
Truly, Jesus Christ, who is God, the Son of the Father, is the Lamb of God; and He is the Lion of Judah. He is Justice, and He is Mercy; He is the Prince of Peace, and He is the God of battles. There is no contradiction in all of this. We do Him and ourselves a great disservice when we focus on only one side of His Godly nature.
Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Twelve taught: "---studying all the difficulties that face us in the world today, [it is clear] that we are really living in the last days. I believe that now and in the years to come we will need a stronger testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ than ever before. Every one of us must do as the Presidency of the Church does, and that is to treat God as a person and not as a concept or an idea of any kind. He is a person, and we need to deal with Him that way. We must realize that He has feelings, and we can offend Him or we can please Him, depending on our attitude" (1 Sept. 1983).
Many of us reject the host of scriptures that speak of the fear of God, so wrapped up are we in the love of God. When the scriptures speak of fearing God, they mean fear, as President Monson has taught. Surely we understand that "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).
But here is an interesting paradox: "Generally speaking, those who feel too sure of their salvation are farthest from it. Soren Kjerkegaard has expressed this thought in the following quaint paradox: 'If you fear, then fear not; but if you do not fear, then fear'" (Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, p. 114).
Angus M. Cannon had this vision: "I did hear a voice which said--Angus, it is your privilege to appear before the Lord and I immediately looked and beheld Him, apparently about 30 rods distant. . . . I undertook to arise and go to Him but dared not approach Him and said, 'My God! Who can appear before Him!' I imagine He would say: How have you used my name and what use have you made of my Priesthood? When I thought of my many light speeches and the manner in which I had striven to embellish my remarks, in addressing people as His servant, circumlocuting [speaking] around the truths given of Him . . . , I was unable to go to Him."
Do you have the impression we each have quite a bit of preparation ahead of us? And that it must start today? He said, "Learn of me, and listen to my words; . . . Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness? Or canst thou run about longer as a blind guide? Or canst thou be humble and meek, and conduct thyself wisely before me? Yea, come unto me thy Savior. Amen" (D&C 19:23, 39--41).
Please feel free to post your comments below.
God bless us all.
Steve
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sabbathought : Imagine eating without swallowing
Edmund Burke said, "Reading without reflecting is like eating without swallowing."
Thus we see that merely reading the scriptures is not enough. But nowhere in the almost 2500 pages of scripture we have in the restored Church do we find the Savior commanding us to "read" the scriptures. Always it is feast, or search, or study, or treasure and ponder.
A quality of reflecting, of pondering, of pausing to think about what we just read, of slowing down is necessary, coupled with frequent pleading prayer: "Father in Heaven, please help me to understand what I am focusing on here. . . . Please, Father."
Most of us think there is virtue in getting to the end of the chapter, that the Lord will bless us for merely having read, for having covered the material. It doesn't work like that. It is not possible to get the Holy Ghost to help us and give the revelation we seek and need in such an approach.
Time spent on just one or two verses in depth is better than the false sense of achievement of having hurriedly finished a chapter.
Elder Boyd K. Packer taught, "Some have made a casual, an insincere effort to search the scriptures and have come away with little or nothing, which is precisely what they deserved."
Henry Ford was right when he observed, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it," for after all, "It is easier to entertain the mind than to discipline the mind" (Elder Charles A. Didier).
Surely it is a measure of our love for our Father in Heaven that we take the time to earnestly and seriously pay sustained attention to the letters He has caused to be written to guide us home to Him. Is not this a big part of "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, and strength"?
Shallow sips of the living water do not satisfy or do the job, and the wonders of His works and plan and Godly activities go unexplored and undiscovered. He deserves better than that. We need more than that. Our children deserve better.
We must, of course, "seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118). The Prophet Joseph taught, "When a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force" (Lectures on Faith 7:3).
"We study the gospel because of the sanctifying effects it has on our lives: by gospel study we learn the ways of God and can discern whether or not our lives conform to his laws. From such study comes faith" (Mark L. McConkie).
This goes way beyond "I've read a chapter of scripture and said my prayers."
Let's discipline ourselves to feast, not nibble, . . . to drink deeply, not sip, . . . and then to swallow in careful reflection, that our souls may be nourished thereby. Would you think I exaggerate or overstate the case if I maintain that our salvation depends on what we learn and gain through such a process?
Please let me have your thoughts so I can see if we are on the same page. Thanks.
Steve
Thus we see that merely reading the scriptures is not enough. But nowhere in the almost 2500 pages of scripture we have in the restored Church do we find the Savior commanding us to "read" the scriptures. Always it is feast, or search, or study, or treasure and ponder.
A quality of reflecting, of pondering, of pausing to think about what we just read, of slowing down is necessary, coupled with frequent pleading prayer: "Father in Heaven, please help me to understand what I am focusing on here. . . . Please, Father."
Most of us think there is virtue in getting to the end of the chapter, that the Lord will bless us for merely having read, for having covered the material. It doesn't work like that. It is not possible to get the Holy Ghost to help us and give the revelation we seek and need in such an approach.
Time spent on just one or two verses in depth is better than the false sense of achievement of having hurriedly finished a chapter.
Elder Boyd K. Packer taught, "Some have made a casual, an insincere effort to search the scriptures and have come away with little or nothing, which is precisely what they deserved."
Henry Ford was right when he observed, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it," for after all, "It is easier to entertain the mind than to discipline the mind" (Elder Charles A. Didier).
Surely it is a measure of our love for our Father in Heaven that we take the time to earnestly and seriously pay sustained attention to the letters He has caused to be written to guide us home to Him. Is not this a big part of "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, and strength"?
Shallow sips of the living water do not satisfy or do the job, and the wonders of His works and plan and Godly activities go unexplored and undiscovered. He deserves better than that. We need more than that. Our children deserve better.
We must, of course, "seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118). The Prophet Joseph taught, "When a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force" (Lectures on Faith 7:3).
"We study the gospel because of the sanctifying effects it has on our lives: by gospel study we learn the ways of God and can discern whether or not our lives conform to his laws. From such study comes faith" (Mark L. McConkie).
This goes way beyond "I've read a chapter of scripture and said my prayers."
Let's discipline ourselves to feast, not nibble, . . . to drink deeply, not sip, . . . and then to swallow in careful reflection, that our souls may be nourished thereby. Would you think I exaggerate or overstate the case if I maintain that our salvation depends on what we learn and gain through such a process?
Please let me have your thoughts so I can see if we are on the same page. Thanks.
Steve
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