Alma 34:33-"Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end."
This commandment has always been one of the most condemning, worrisome, and thought-provoking for me. I always feel like I am putting off changes that I should make in my actions or character. I don't feel like I am in the minority, especially in my age bracket, when I say that I would consider myself a procrastinator at times. So how does the Lord help us avoid this eternal spiritual procrastination? Having just passed through a momentous milestone in my life with the birth of my first child, I realized how significant these are in helping me avoid procrastination. Although we don't encourage missionaries repenting right before they go on a mission, the alternative is infinitely worse. We don't believe in deathbed repentance but we do believe in bed-rest repentance. In other words, the realization that I was shortly going to be a father, and therefore in charge of teaching my son, helped me make corrections to my life faster than I would have otherwise. The same can be said about when I was about to get married and when I was called to be an Elder's Quorum President. Is there any doubt why the Lord wants us to get married and have children? Nothing could help us improve on our pride, selfishness, temper, virtue, and work ethic. I am grateful that the Lord has given us life-changing events so that we do not sleepwalk through life and procrastinate until "cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Ignorance...(follow up)
So this post is about the tender mercy connected to my last post. My most recent post on D&C 131:5-6 was something that I realized over two weeks ago in Gospel Doctrine class. I wanted to share it with the class but somebody else was called on, so I used my blog as the venue. However, I forgot to post about it numerous times. I kept putting it off and whenever I thought of it I had something else to do. I hardly ever do posts during the week and never during the day. The fact that I made this post around 4:30 PM when I had my Teachings of Joseph Smith class at 5 PM was very abnormal. In hindsight though, it was a tender mercy.
Although this was a principle that I never had heard anyone else teach, my teacher taught this exact same truth in almost identical terms (giving the same interpretation to the same verses). What are the odds that my teacher would teach this principle minutes after I finally posted about it? Very low. But in order for this not to be a simple coincidence there has to be a further lesson that can be learned from this occurrence. I believe it was a chance for me to hone my ability to recognize the Spirit. It was an opportunity for me to think something through and discern the truth behind what I received. Everyone knows that successfully teaching yourself something (or in religious terms, learning by the Spirit) is much more gratifying and rewarding than having someone spoon feed you the answers. I am very grateful the Lord prompted me to make that post before hearing someone else teach it. This allowed me to strengthen my confidence in receiving personal revelation. This encompasses the main purpose of my blog.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Ignorance is not bliss
D&C 131:5-6 "5. The more sure word of prophecy means a man's knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood. 6. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance."
The verse in bold is an often quoted scripture. The Bible Dictionary teaches us under Parables that there is only one correct interpretation of a scripture (the meaning intended by the author) while there are several applications that depend upon circumstances. I believe the verse in bold is often applied to correct principles but rarely is the true interpretation of the original meaning mentioned. This is usually the case because people only quote verse 6 and don't realize that verse 5 gives us the real context for the meaning of verse 6.
The two most common applications of verse 6 are: knowledge is essential for salvation and we must be introduced to the gospel before we can be saved. Obviously both of these are true. The first application is deduced from the following logic: God is omniscient, we are to be Gods, so we must gain knowledge, "and if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." The second application comes from us knowing that every soul will have the opportunity to accept the gospel whether in this life or in the following.
Although these are good applications of this verse, verse 5 shows clearly that the knowledge that we need for salvation is really the more sure word of prophecy. In other words, we must know that we are sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood. To me this is saying that we all need to know where we stand before the Lord. We have the right, via the Priesthood, to know where we stand. Through personal revelation and the Holy Ghost we may know whether or not our actions, desires, thoughts, words, and beliefs are in line with God's. This is synonymous with being ratified by the Holy Spirit of Promise (which D&C 76:53 says is essential for exaltation). So it should not be a guessing game when we come to the end of our life whether or not we will be saved. We can and need to know right now that we will be saved in the hereafter. So the next time a born-again Christian asks us, "have you been saved?" we should be able to answer in the affirmative. This is the ignorance we need to avoid.
The verse in bold is an often quoted scripture. The Bible Dictionary teaches us under Parables that there is only one correct interpretation of a scripture (the meaning intended by the author) while there are several applications that depend upon circumstances. I believe the verse in bold is often applied to correct principles but rarely is the true interpretation of the original meaning mentioned. This is usually the case because people only quote verse 6 and don't realize that verse 5 gives us the real context for the meaning of verse 6.
The two most common applications of verse 6 are: knowledge is essential for salvation and we must be introduced to the gospel before we can be saved. Obviously both of these are true. The first application is deduced from the following logic: God is omniscient, we are to be Gods, so we must gain knowledge, "and if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." The second application comes from us knowing that every soul will have the opportunity to accept the gospel whether in this life or in the following.
Although these are good applications of this verse, verse 5 shows clearly that the knowledge that we need for salvation is really the more sure word of prophecy. In other words, we must know that we are sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood. To me this is saying that we all need to know where we stand before the Lord. We have the right, via the Priesthood, to know where we stand. Through personal revelation and the Holy Ghost we may know whether or not our actions, desires, thoughts, words, and beliefs are in line with God's. This is synonymous with being ratified by the Holy Spirit of Promise (which D&C 76:53 says is essential for exaltation). So it should not be a guessing game when we come to the end of our life whether or not we will be saved. We can and need to know right now that we will be saved in the hereafter. So the next time a born-again Christian asks us, "have you been saved?" we should be able to answer in the affirmative. This is the ignorance we need to avoid.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Ark-Steadiers
D&C 85:8-"While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death."
This verse has reference to a story found in the old testament (2 Samuel 6:6-7) when God smote Uzzah because "Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it."
I have heard several explanations of this story but none impacted me as much as that found in the D&C student manual for this verse. It reads:
"However well-meaning Uzzah's intentions, he had no faith in God's power. He assumed that the ark was in danger, forgetting that it was the physical symbol of the God who has all power. We cannot presume to save God and his kingdom through our own efforts.
"Uzzah was therefore a type of all who with good intentions, humanly speaking, yet with unsanctified minds, interfere in the affairs of the kingdom of God, from the notion that they are in danger, and with the hope of saving them.
"The Lord does not need the help of men to defend his kingdom. Yet even today there are those who fear the ark is tottering and presume to steady its course. There are those who are sure that women are not being treated fairly in the Church or those who would change the established doctrines of the Church. These are ark-steadiers. The best intentions do not justify such interference with the Lord's plan.
"The ark of God does not need steadying, especially by incompetent men without revelation."
I feel like if we understood this principle we would be much less likely to appose the Church's official position on controversial matters. It doesn't matter if we disagree cognitively with the Church's stance, it is not in our jurisdiction to try and step in and change the Church's position. If that is supposed to happen it will come through the proper chain of authority and in the proper time.
Let's look at a recent past example. Before the revelation now known as Official Declaration-2, there were many people (from within and outside of the Church) that were pressuring the Church into removing its practice of withholding the priesthood from certain races. These people were ark-steadiers. They thought that the Church was being shaken and they needed to step in and take hold of the matter. However, it was not their decision to make. Even though the Church eventually changed their practice, does that mean that those ark-steadiers were justified in their disagreement with the Church? No. The same goes for gay-marriage. Even if the Church were to change its position, that would not justify certain members opposing and preaching against this teaching.
This verse has reference to a story found in the old testament (2 Samuel 6:6-7) when God smote Uzzah because "Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it."
I have heard several explanations of this story but none impacted me as much as that found in the D&C student manual for this verse. It reads:
"However well-meaning Uzzah's intentions, he had no faith in God's power. He assumed that the ark was in danger, forgetting that it was the physical symbol of the God who has all power. We cannot presume to save God and his kingdom through our own efforts.
"Uzzah was therefore a type of all who with good intentions, humanly speaking, yet with unsanctified minds, interfere in the affairs of the kingdom of God, from the notion that they are in danger, and with the hope of saving them.
"The Lord does not need the help of men to defend his kingdom. Yet even today there are those who fear the ark is tottering and presume to steady its course. There are those who are sure that women are not being treated fairly in the Church or those who would change the established doctrines of the Church. These are ark-steadiers. The best intentions do not justify such interference with the Lord's plan.
"The ark of God does not need steadying, especially by incompetent men without revelation."
I feel like if we understood this principle we would be much less likely to appose the Church's official position on controversial matters. It doesn't matter if we disagree cognitively with the Church's stance, it is not in our jurisdiction to try and step in and change the Church's position. If that is supposed to happen it will come through the proper chain of authority and in the proper time.
Let's look at a recent past example. Before the revelation now known as Official Declaration-2, there were many people (from within and outside of the Church) that were pressuring the Church into removing its practice of withholding the priesthood from certain races. These people were ark-steadiers. They thought that the Church was being shaken and they needed to step in and take hold of the matter. However, it was not their decision to make. Even though the Church eventually changed their practice, does that mean that those ark-steadiers were justified in their disagreement with the Church? No. The same goes for gay-marriage. Even if the Church were to change its position, that would not justify certain members opposing and preaching against this teaching.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Just Men Made Perfect
D&C 76:69- "These [celestial beings] are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood."
D&C 76:75- "These [terrestrial beings] are they who are honorable men of the earth"
First I would like to say that D&C 76 is potentially the most important revelation ever given. It needs to be studied numerous times throughout our lives. This last time studying it for my D&C class opened my eyes and really helped me feel the love of God. I thought I understood it before, but this most recent time through I realized how much to the plan of salvation that I still didn't comprehend (and still don't fully).
These two verses really hit home. They teach me that as a member of the Church I shouldn't think that I am better than people outside the Church, especially faithful members of other religions. I shouldn't think that I am smarter, more righteous, more charitable, more loving, more Christian, or even more Christlike. These verses show that those that become celestial and terrestrial are both good, just, honorable, loving people. I repeat, we as members of the true Church are no better than Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Muslims, etc when it comes to our faithfulness, service, and love for God. The difference between celestial and terrestrial is not in our works but rather in how the Lord works in us. The difference is the new and everlasting covenant which allows us to access not only the redemptive power of the atonement but the enabling power. In other words, it is Christ's atonement that exalts us to celestial status because we allowed Him to perfect us by "keeping our covenants". I think this realization will help me better respect people of other faiths. Also, although I am full of flaws, the covenants I have made, specifically in the temple, allow me to access the perfect atonement which brings exaltation.
D&C 76:75- "These [terrestrial beings] are they who are honorable men of the earth"
First I would like to say that D&C 76 is potentially the most important revelation ever given. It needs to be studied numerous times throughout our lives. This last time studying it for my D&C class opened my eyes and really helped me feel the love of God. I thought I understood it before, but this most recent time through I realized how much to the plan of salvation that I still didn't comprehend (and still don't fully).
These two verses really hit home. They teach me that as a member of the Church I shouldn't think that I am better than people outside the Church, especially faithful members of other religions. I shouldn't think that I am smarter, more righteous, more charitable, more loving, more Christian, or even more Christlike. These verses show that those that become celestial and terrestrial are both good, just, honorable, loving people. I repeat, we as members of the true Church are no better than Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Muslims, etc when it comes to our faithfulness, service, and love for God. The difference between celestial and terrestrial is not in our works but rather in how the Lord works in us. The difference is the new and everlasting covenant which allows us to access not only the redemptive power of the atonement but the enabling power. In other words, it is Christ's atonement that exalts us to celestial status because we allowed Him to perfect us by "keeping our covenants". I think this realization will help me better respect people of other faiths. Also, although I am full of flaws, the covenants I have made, specifically in the temple, allow me to access the perfect atonement which brings exaltation.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Celestial Consecration
2 Philippians 2:6 - "who [Christ] thought it not robbery to be equal with God"
Romans 8:17 - "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"
D&C 78:6 - "if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things"
D&C 84:38 - "he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him"
My goal in this post is not to explain the law of consecration. See Elder Neal A Maxwell's talks "Swallowed up in the will of the Father" and "Consecrate thy performance" for an understanding of what the law of consecration really means. Suffice it to say for now that the law of consecration is a celestial law that is necessary for our exaltation.
I want to focus on the purpose of the law of consecration. The question was once posed: how is it possible for all of us to have all that the Father hath without diminishing His glory or reducing His power? The answer is the law of consecration. The law of consecration is the way that we can all possess all that the Father hath. Gods practice the law of consecration. In Smith and Sjodahl's commentary on the Doctrine & Covenants they wrote, "In celestial glory there is perfect equality. D&C 76:95, 'he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.' But if they have not practiced equality here, they are not prepared to live under that law there." Remember, Elder Marion G Romney said, "The basic principle and the justification for the law of consecration 'is that everything we have belongs to the Lord.'" So it is in this life, so it will be in the life to come. The law of consecration is the means whereby we prove that we can be trusted with "all that the Father hath". For how could the Father entrust us with everything if there was a chance we might "run away" with it? If the Lord can not trust us with the "few" earthly things (few compared to what He has), how can He possibly trust us with all of the heavenly things?
From these questions it seems clear to me that the law of consecration is central to the gospel. It is essential to the plan of salvation. It is a key to unlock the "mysteries of godliness". No Latter-day Saint should be able to rest easy thinking that the law of consecration has been done away with and need not be studied. The saints failed to live this law when the Lord provided a clear blue print of the United Order. We all have a great necessity to understand the law of consecration better and find out how we can live it in our lives today.
Romans 8:17 - "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"
D&C 78:6 - "if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things"
D&C 84:38 - "he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him"
My goal in this post is not to explain the law of consecration. See Elder Neal A Maxwell's talks "Swallowed up in the will of the Father" and "Consecrate thy performance" for an understanding of what the law of consecration really means. Suffice it to say for now that the law of consecration is a celestial law that is necessary for our exaltation.
I want to focus on the purpose of the law of consecration. The question was once posed: how is it possible for all of us to have all that the Father hath without diminishing His glory or reducing His power? The answer is the law of consecration. The law of consecration is the way that we can all possess all that the Father hath. Gods practice the law of consecration. In Smith and Sjodahl's commentary on the Doctrine & Covenants they wrote, "In celestial glory there is perfect equality. D&C 76:95, 'he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.' But if they have not practiced equality here, they are not prepared to live under that law there." Remember, Elder Marion G Romney said, "The basic principle and the justification for the law of consecration 'is that everything we have belongs to the Lord.'" So it is in this life, so it will be in the life to come. The law of consecration is the means whereby we prove that we can be trusted with "all that the Father hath". For how could the Father entrust us with everything if there was a chance we might "run away" with it? If the Lord can not trust us with the "few" earthly things (few compared to what He has), how can He possibly trust us with all of the heavenly things?
From these questions it seems clear to me that the law of consecration is central to the gospel. It is essential to the plan of salvation. It is a key to unlock the "mysteries of godliness". No Latter-day Saint should be able to rest easy thinking that the law of consecration has been done away with and need not be studied. The saints failed to live this law when the Lord provided a clear blue print of the United Order. We all have a great necessity to understand the law of consecration better and find out how we can live it in our lives today.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Noise in Spirituality
Matthew 5:48-"Be ye therefore perfect"
President Lorenzo Snow : "Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. Thus continue to be a little better day by day."
I love President Snow's explanation of the Lord's command for us to be perfect. I definitely agree with the principle, but I do believe the wording can still be a little too disappointing for me. I think the phrase "day by day" is still a little too immediate. At least for me personally, I believe that when I compare today and yesterday, too often I could say that today I am not as good as I was yesterday. I feel like it helps me to zoom out a little bit more, to be a little better month by month, or better this year than you were last year.
I feel like my view point is best understood as an analogy with data analysis. When analyzing data, often you are looking for trends. These trends are best seen when taking the entire data set as a whole into consideration. "Noise" is what you call the random up and down scatter when you look too closely at a specific range of data. I feel like sometimes I am analyzing my life data but I am only seeing the noise. Below is a zoomed in plot of data that is clearly too oscillatory to determine if it is going upwards, downwards or staying the same. I compare this to how often in our lives we see ourselves on too narrow of a perspective so we might say "well yesterday was better than the day before but today is worse...who knows if I'm getting better?!"
If I can only remember how I have been for the past few days, weeks, months, however long I will usually see a lot of up and down moments and I might be tempted to say that I haven't made any progress. In fact, sometimes you may even see a trend that looks like a gradual decline. This is where we need to have our eternal perspective and realize that if we continue to trust in the Lord, we will eventually see an exponential growth. Below is a zoomed out picture of the exact same data from which the previous graph was extracted. It's pretty clear where this data is heading b/c we have zoomed out and we can see ourselves the way God sees us.
I don't know how high up on this curve we will be before we die, perhaps it will still be hard to look back and discern much progress. But I do know that all blessings given unto us will eventually be ours if we endure to the end thanks to the enabling power of Christ's Atonement.
President Lorenzo Snow : "Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. Thus continue to be a little better day by day."
I love President Snow's explanation of the Lord's command for us to be perfect. I definitely agree with the principle, but I do believe the wording can still be a little too disappointing for me. I think the phrase "day by day" is still a little too immediate. At least for me personally, I believe that when I compare today and yesterday, too often I could say that today I am not as good as I was yesterday. I feel like it helps me to zoom out a little bit more, to be a little better month by month, or better this year than you were last year.
I feel like my view point is best understood as an analogy with data analysis. When analyzing data, often you are looking for trends. These trends are best seen when taking the entire data set as a whole into consideration. "Noise" is what you call the random up and down scatter when you look too closely at a specific range of data. I feel like sometimes I am analyzing my life data but I am only seeing the noise. Below is a zoomed in plot of data that is clearly too oscillatory to determine if it is going upwards, downwards or staying the same. I compare this to how often in our lives we see ourselves on too narrow of a perspective so we might say "well yesterday was better than the day before but today is worse...who knows if I'm getting better?!"
I don't know how high up on this curve we will be before we die, perhaps it will still be hard to look back and discern much progress. But I do know that all blessings given unto us will eventually be ours if we endure to the end thanks to the enabling power of Christ's Atonement.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Commandments & The Holy Ghost
D&C 88:22 "For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory."
Was there ever a more daunting scripture? Knowing that "the natural man is an enemy to God", how can any of us stand a chance? Fortunately, we have a fighting chance thanks to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all remember the problematic beginning of Mosiah 3:19 (natural man being an enemy to God) but sometimes we forget the solution that is also provided. "Unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit." President Lorenzo Snow expounded on this point:
"It would be simply foolish indeed to expect the Latter-day Saints in these days to comply with the celestial law, with the law that proceeds from God, and with his designs to elevate the people into his presence, except they were sustained by a supernatural [heavenly] power. The gospel promises the gift of the Holy Ghost."
What a relief! We cannot abide a celestial glory without abiding a celestial law, but we can't abide a celestial law without heavenly power. How grateful we must be for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Eternal life is the greatest of the gifts of God, but we would not be able to abide eternal life if it wasn't for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
That being said, we still must live righteously to avoid offending the Spirit. So in that sense, it is a cyclic progressive process, spiraling upward. We receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost so that we can live better, and we live the commandments so that we can keep the Spirit, and we need the Spirit to be able to abide the celestial law. I love how Boyd K Packer puts it, "No wonder that the Word of Wisdom was revealed to us, for how could the drunkard or the addict feel such a voice?" (speaking of the Holy Ghost).
This really helps me see the purpose of the commandments and their connection with the Holy Ghost. Remember, no commandments are temporal, they are all spiritual. But how can that be so? Doesn't the Word of Wisdom have to do with substances? Tithing with money? The Sabbath Day with activities? Law of Chastity with moral boundaries? They are all spiritual because they are all intended to help us enjoy the promptings of the Spirit which are necessary for us to receive the revelation required for our salvation. (Joseph Smith- "Salvation cannot come without revelation.") As President Snow said, "there is a certain blessing connected only with obedience to the gospel, that is the gift of the Holy Ghost. We need assistance. Then we will always be able to do right." In other words, the commandments are given so we can have the Spirit to help us abide a celestial glory. Sadly, sometimes we think the commandments are restrictive and we go through life not enjoying the company of the Holy Ghost. This is "simply foolish indeed."
Was there ever a more daunting scripture? Knowing that "the natural man is an enemy to God", how can any of us stand a chance? Fortunately, we have a fighting chance thanks to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all remember the problematic beginning of Mosiah 3:19 (natural man being an enemy to God) but sometimes we forget the solution that is also provided. "Unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit." President Lorenzo Snow expounded on this point:
"It would be simply foolish indeed to expect the Latter-day Saints in these days to comply with the celestial law, with the law that proceeds from God, and with his designs to elevate the people into his presence, except they were sustained by a supernatural [heavenly] power. The gospel promises the gift of the Holy Ghost."
What a relief! We cannot abide a celestial glory without abiding a celestial law, but we can't abide a celestial law without heavenly power. How grateful we must be for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Eternal life is the greatest of the gifts of God, but we would not be able to abide eternal life if it wasn't for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
That being said, we still must live righteously to avoid offending the Spirit. So in that sense, it is a cyclic progressive process, spiraling upward. We receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost so that we can live better, and we live the commandments so that we can keep the Spirit, and we need the Spirit to be able to abide the celestial law. I love how Boyd K Packer puts it, "No wonder that the Word of Wisdom was revealed to us, for how could the drunkard or the addict feel such a voice?" (speaking of the Holy Ghost).
This really helps me see the purpose of the commandments and their connection with the Holy Ghost. Remember, no commandments are temporal, they are all spiritual. But how can that be so? Doesn't the Word of Wisdom have to do with substances? Tithing with money? The Sabbath Day with activities? Law of Chastity with moral boundaries? They are all spiritual because they are all intended to help us enjoy the promptings of the Spirit which are necessary for us to receive the revelation required for our salvation. (Joseph Smith- "Salvation cannot come without revelation.") As President Snow said, "there is a certain blessing connected only with obedience to the gospel, that is the gift of the Holy Ghost. We need assistance. Then we will always be able to do right." In other words, the commandments are given so we can have the Spirit to help us abide a celestial glory. Sadly, sometimes we think the commandments are restrictive and we go through life not enjoying the company of the Holy Ghost. This is "simply foolish indeed."
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A Further Witness
D&C 6:22-24 "if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? ... you have received a witness"
The principle found in this verse will change your life. Although I always had a hunch that there was such a principle, discovering it so clearly here has opened my eyes and brought joy to my soul. The principle is: when you desire a further witness, the Lord will often refer you back to a previous witness.
Notice that when Oliver Cowdery desired a "further witness" the Lord reminded him of a previous occasion when Oliver had received a witness. In other words, the further witness the Lord provided was not a "new witness" but a "reminder witness". Maybe this is really why the most important word in the Book of Mormon is "remember".
Why is this such a powerful principle? For me personally, this is an extremely important revelation. Years ago, I received a powerful and overwhelming answer that the Book of Mormon is true. However, now, whenever I read the Book of Mormon and I come to Moroni's promise, I think about what President Hinckley promised: "Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts ... the Spirit of the Lord". With this promise in mind, sometimes I catch myself doing what Oliver Cowdery did, namely, I ask myself "well, I know I received a miraculous answer years ago, but I would really like a further witness today." This is good, but I must recognize that my answer may come exactly as it did to Oliver Cowdery. "Cast your mind upon the morning in Guatemala that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of the Book of Mormon." My further witness of the Book of Mormon is often the Spirit reminding me of the witness I already received. Because really, what greater witness can I have than from God? Although this applies to everyone, I think it can provide great comfort to return missionaries because they have had so many witnesses in such a short time period and they may be desiring a further witness. Sometimes we must recognize that our further witness will be a sweet tender memory of our previous witness.
(Notice how Moroni's promise is for when you first receive these things, and President Hinckley's is for every time-the first inclusive. I call these the two great challenges from the Book of Mormon - i.e. don't know the truth by the Holy Ghost just once, but every time.)
The principle found in this verse will change your life. Although I always had a hunch that there was such a principle, discovering it so clearly here has opened my eyes and brought joy to my soul. The principle is: when you desire a further witness, the Lord will often refer you back to a previous witness.
Notice that when Oliver Cowdery desired a "further witness" the Lord reminded him of a previous occasion when Oliver had received a witness. In other words, the further witness the Lord provided was not a "new witness" but a "reminder witness". Maybe this is really why the most important word in the Book of Mormon is "remember".
Why is this such a powerful principle? For me personally, this is an extremely important revelation. Years ago, I received a powerful and overwhelming answer that the Book of Mormon is true. However, now, whenever I read the Book of Mormon and I come to Moroni's promise, I think about what President Hinckley promised: "Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts ... the Spirit of the Lord". With this promise in mind, sometimes I catch myself doing what Oliver Cowdery did, namely, I ask myself "well, I know I received a miraculous answer years ago, but I would really like a further witness today." This is good, but I must recognize that my answer may come exactly as it did to Oliver Cowdery. "Cast your mind upon the morning in Guatemala that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of the Book of Mormon." My further witness of the Book of Mormon is often the Spirit reminding me of the witness I already received. Because really, what greater witness can I have than from God? Although this applies to everyone, I think it can provide great comfort to return missionaries because they have had so many witnesses in such a short time period and they may be desiring a further witness. Sometimes we must recognize that our further witness will be a sweet tender memory of our previous witness.
(Notice how Moroni's promise is for when you first receive these things, and President Hinckley's is for every time-the first inclusive. I call these the two great challenges from the Book of Mormon - i.e. don't know the truth by the Holy Ghost just once, but every time.)
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Saved by Grace=Christians or Paulians?
2 Peter 3:16- "As also in all his [Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things [that the longsuffering of the Lord is salvation]; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction"
The portions added in brackets come directly from the preceding verse (15) and help explain what Peter is referring to.
I find it quite interesting that one of the leading arguments by other Christians for why LDS-Christians are in fact not Christian is because "they do not believe in salvation by grace alone". First off, we do believe in salvation by grace alone, but we interpret that phrase differently. We believe it is "alone" in the sense that we have no saving power in and of ourselves, but we do not believe it means that we are not required to do anything to be saved. That disagreement in interpretation being put aside for the moment, I find it very ironic that the whole grounds for this limitation of our Christian candidacy is based upon a doctrine that CHRIST never himself even came close to talking about. Christ never once referred to grace or salvation by grace. No, not once. In fact most of his teachings were on the side of "Not every one that saith unto me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
So I ask myself, how is this what determines someone being Christian? In fact, in Acts 11 we find the verse that says that for the first time they were known as "Christians", but the first example of "saved by grace" (at least in the book of Acts) is Acts 15. So it appears that it was a doctrine that was not emphasized heavily until after Saul's (Paul's) conversion. Yes, obviously, it occurred numerous times in Paul's teachings which comprises a large portion of the New Testament. But remember what Peter said previously, Paul's teachings about salvation are hard to understand and are thus wrested, or misinterpreted. So the fact that "Christians" today use this as the measuring stick for Christianity is a misnomer, it should be the measure for Paulianity. For me, this is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 1 when he said, "every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" It sounds like to me what most "Christians" are today is truly those that say "I am of Paul" because they covet Paul's teachings more than Christ's. This is why the Lord explained in D&C 76 that "the glory of the telestial is one, For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. But received not the gospel [in its fullness], neither the testimony of Jesus [the Book of Mormon, possibly], neither the prophets [modern day ones], neither the everlasting covenant [all of the ordinances and covenants through the Priesthood]. These are all they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn [but insist to stay in their own churches]." It seems clear to me that those who profess this form of saved by grace are whom these verses are speaking of.
Let it be noted, for us in the LDS-Church this is no problem because we believe that apostles and prophets speak for the Savior and thus what Paul taught is what the Lord wanted him to teach. Therefore, for us we can acknowledge what Paul taught is true but misunderstood often (as Peter said) and so we can rely on modern prophets to clarify Paul's teachings, a luxury other religions don't count on. Let me reiterate, "saved by grace" is a true doctrine, but the point here is that it was not taught during Christ's ministry and so it is hypocritical of other religions to say that it determines what makes a Christian. They truly are relying on what Paul taught but misinterpreting it. Where we can believe what Paul taught but rely on what the apostles say today to keep us from "wresting" Paul's teachings.
In addition, the following quote from Martin Luther is an example: "A man who imagines to arrive at grace by doing all that he is able to do, adds sins to sin, and is doubly guilty". Although Martin Luther was a very important figure in the reformation which was essential to the restoration, it is clear that his teachings are a cause of this confusion. Martin Luther was trying to emphasize predestination, a doctrine that many churches today don't maintain anymore, but somehow this portion of his predetermined salvation sneaked through the cracks and was retained by the majority of Christian religions. It appears to me that 2 Nephi 25:23 was written specifically to counteract this Lutheran teaching (we can add those that say "I am of Luther" to the list in D&C 76 and 1 Corinthians 1). Someday Martin Luther will have to accept that "it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do".
The portions added in brackets come directly from the preceding verse (15) and help explain what Peter is referring to.
I find it quite interesting that one of the leading arguments by other Christians for why LDS-Christians are in fact not Christian is because "they do not believe in salvation by grace alone". First off, we do believe in salvation by grace alone, but we interpret that phrase differently. We believe it is "alone" in the sense that we have no saving power in and of ourselves, but we do not believe it means that we are not required to do anything to be saved. That disagreement in interpretation being put aside for the moment, I find it very ironic that the whole grounds for this limitation of our Christian candidacy is based upon a doctrine that CHRIST never himself even came close to talking about. Christ never once referred to grace or salvation by grace. No, not once. In fact most of his teachings were on the side of "Not every one that saith unto me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
So I ask myself, how is this what determines someone being Christian? In fact, in Acts 11 we find the verse that says that for the first time they were known as "Christians", but the first example of "saved by grace" (at least in the book of Acts) is Acts 15. So it appears that it was a doctrine that was not emphasized heavily until after Saul's (Paul's) conversion. Yes, obviously, it occurred numerous times in Paul's teachings which comprises a large portion of the New Testament. But remember what Peter said previously, Paul's teachings about salvation are hard to understand and are thus wrested, or misinterpreted. So the fact that "Christians" today use this as the measuring stick for Christianity is a misnomer, it should be the measure for Paulianity. For me, this is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 1 when he said, "every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" It sounds like to me what most "Christians" are today is truly those that say "I am of Paul" because they covet Paul's teachings more than Christ's. This is why the Lord explained in D&C 76 that "the glory of the telestial is one, For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. But received not the gospel [in its fullness], neither the testimony of Jesus [the Book of Mormon, possibly], neither the prophets [modern day ones], neither the everlasting covenant [all of the ordinances and covenants through the Priesthood]. These are all they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn [but insist to stay in their own churches]." It seems clear to me that those who profess this form of saved by grace are whom these verses are speaking of.
Let it be noted, for us in the LDS-Church this is no problem because we believe that apostles and prophets speak for the Savior and thus what Paul taught is what the Lord wanted him to teach. Therefore, for us we can acknowledge what Paul taught is true but misunderstood often (as Peter said) and so we can rely on modern prophets to clarify Paul's teachings, a luxury other religions don't count on. Let me reiterate, "saved by grace" is a true doctrine, but the point here is that it was not taught during Christ's ministry and so it is hypocritical of other religions to say that it determines what makes a Christian. They truly are relying on what Paul taught but misinterpreting it. Where we can believe what Paul taught but rely on what the apostles say today to keep us from "wresting" Paul's teachings.
In addition, the following quote from Martin Luther is an example: "A man who imagines to arrive at grace by doing all that he is able to do, adds sins to sin, and is doubly guilty". Although Martin Luther was a very important figure in the reformation which was essential to the restoration, it is clear that his teachings are a cause of this confusion. Martin Luther was trying to emphasize predestination, a doctrine that many churches today don't maintain anymore, but somehow this portion of his predetermined salvation sneaked through the cracks and was retained by the majority of Christian religions. It appears to me that 2 Nephi 25:23 was written specifically to counteract this Lutheran teaching (we can add those that say "I am of Luther" to the list in D&C 76 and 1 Corinthians 1). Someday Martin Luther will have to accept that "it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do".
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Follow-up on Advocacy/Merits of Christ post
Moroni 7:27-28- "to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men; for he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men"
Here we have further demonstration that because of the merits of Christ he has claim upon the rights of mercy from the Father. And he can apply this to whomever he wishes, and the people he claimeth are those that have faith in him. Therefore, he is our advocate. Andrew Skinner explained this verses: "This phrase refers to the Savior's right and ability to decide who receives the full benefits of the Atonement, including forgiveness of sin, and who does not. (He then quotes D&C 45:3-5)."
Further support of this logic comes from Orson F Whitney: "All men rewarded according to their works- saved according to their works, according to the desire of their Father." I really like the usage of the word "according". We know that there are different degrees of salvation just as there are different degrees of good works and men's obedience to law. So it makes sense to me to say that "we are saved by grace, according to our works". This goes well with the advocacy idea. What saves us? Solely the grace and merits of Christ. He is the one that is able to satisfy justice and take claim on mercy from the Father. But, since he asks certain things of us, we are saved according to our works, which is what the scriptures call being judged of our works. At first the Savior acts as our advocate and then he acts as our judge.
The more I think about this format the less I like the phrase "do your best and Christ will make up the rest". Brad Wilcox does his best to derail this train of thought. It is really "do your best and Christ has already payed for everything." As Brad explains, we are not paying Christ back (because he alone satisfied justice) we are simply paying him the amount he has asked of us which in no way adds up or contributes to how much he payed (remember the parable of the piano teacher).
Here we have further demonstration that because of the merits of Christ he has claim upon the rights of mercy from the Father. And he can apply this to whomever he wishes, and the people he claimeth are those that have faith in him. Therefore, he is our advocate. Andrew Skinner explained this verses: "This phrase refers to the Savior's right and ability to decide who receives the full benefits of the Atonement, including forgiveness of sin, and who does not. (He then quotes D&C 45:3-5)."
Further support of this logic comes from Orson F Whitney: "All men rewarded according to their works- saved according to their works, according to the desire of their Father." I really like the usage of the word "according". We know that there are different degrees of salvation just as there are different degrees of good works and men's obedience to law. So it makes sense to me to say that "we are saved by grace, according to our works". This goes well with the advocacy idea. What saves us? Solely the grace and merits of Christ. He is the one that is able to satisfy justice and take claim on mercy from the Father. But, since he asks certain things of us, we are saved according to our works, which is what the scriptures call being judged of our works. At first the Savior acts as our advocate and then he acts as our judge.
The more I think about this format the less I like the phrase "do your best and Christ will make up the rest". Brad Wilcox does his best to derail this train of thought. It is really "do your best and Christ has already payed for everything." As Brad explains, we are not paying Christ back (because he alone satisfied justice) we are simply paying him the amount he has asked of us which in no way adds up or contributes to how much he payed (remember the parable of the piano teacher).
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