Dan Brooks's Blog, page 22

Sticks And Stones

I served in the 25th infantry division at Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i. So did rapper Ice-T but not at the same time period. I found out a coworker of my wife did to. I found this out because my dear wife picked out a 25th ID bumper sticker out for me which her coworker saw.
He talked with her on their lunch and he was stoked at talking about the good ol days in the 25th. He then began telling a joke which my wife finished. He laughed even harder and said "that's awesome you know the joke."
My wife informed him it was not a joke, this incident actually happened. He was mortified. Here is why:
In 2003 my buddy got into a fight with a guy that was always starting fights. I saw them acting aggressive and standing toe to toe yelling as I walked around the building to go to my room.
A short time later I saw my buddy walk by me as I was heading up the stairs and noticed a six inch knife dripping with syrupy deep red blood and I knew how the fight had ended.
I raced up stairs and found this kid I hated but he didn't deserve to die and I knew he would if I didn't help.
I raced back down stairs on a panic knowing his survival was my responsibility, his life was in my hands.
I saw soldiers in another company and told them and we all raced to this mans aid.
I didn't help him but I found those who did.
After his stabbing he received medical attention. When he was released from the hospital he was given leave to collect himself. He was ok. He had no lasting injuries.
Then I heard one officer say to another "How exactly do you stab a man 17 times and not kill him? That sound like a leadership failure to me."
In relating this story I created a monster.
Because in the infantry the job discription is combat which necessitates knowing how to kill. We were all trained to kill in one strike using various methods with or without a weapon. So by infantry standards not being able to kill a man in 17 tries is a failure of sorts.
I was the one who spread this joke far and wide and all the soldiers I told thought it was the funniest joke ever!
So when my wife's coworker found out it was based on actual events he was mortified and said "I thought it was just an urban legend."
I created a monster.
I never knew the power of my own speech until then. I never felt the pain of not being able to control what I started or the impact my words had. Once it is spoken it cannot be taken back, its impact is lasting and in my case it was incredible and not exactly good.
It reminds me of another story; a man goes to his rabbi after having gossiped and spread horrible rumors about others and he asks his Rabbi for help and the Rabbi says take a pillow and toss it's feathers and the gather them back up.
The man says that's impossible and the Rabbi says "it is the same with taking back the things you've said."
It's like this if I tell you to grab a ceramic dish and throw it on the ground. It breaks. I tell you to tell the dish. "I'm sorry."
Does it go back to the way it was before? No. Does this make sense now?
I never would have learned the consequences of my actions and words had it not been for my wife's coworker.I knew but did not understand this until recently.
I am sorry. And I am sorry I cannot take it back. It's like my blog. People may not remember exactly what I said, but people will always remember how I've made them feel.
And the power of speech and blogging has been on my mind since these excommunications have happened. My words matter more than I ever realized because once it's out it is no longer something I can control even if I delete the post in question.

Velvet Rope Christianity

I have been giving thought to the way in which many Christians and many Mormons treat discipleship like a VIP lounge that only certain people are allowed into. To the exclusion of many like Mormons from the title of Christian or vice versa.
And much to my dismay my fellow Mormons are just as guilty in the "one true church " rhetoric.
Joseph Smith said we must Seek and accept truth wherever we find it. So why is it that I find in church when someone quotes something the question is not "is that true" it's "who said that?"
Shouldn't we, as he said, accept truth from wherever we find it? Do we trust more in authority and titles than in our own ability to recognize truth when we hear it?
Do we make up our own minds before assessing all verifiable evidence and then only consider that which validates our preconceived notions?
At various times I have considered myself LDS, atheist, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and thanks to the Sufi movement Muslim. But I kept studying myself into one faith after another not because I was flip flopping but because I was searching. 
I couldn't pinpoint what I was searching for other than I wasn't looking to understand an infinite God that I'm not sure I can or ever was meant to fully understand but I was searching for an experience with the Divine.
One truth I found evident in my spiritual travels is that the core as I see it in each faith I delved into was that love for God and your brothers and sisters is the essence of each faith. I saw dogmatic sticking-to-the-rules-despite-the-outcome kind of logic in play in every faith and denomination I have ever encountered.
No faith or demographic of people or political party is immune to hate, fundamentalism, dogmatism or corruption.
Just as how one man leads his life is not reflective of how another man lives his when they've both lead different lives and the only commonality is the church they go to or their political party. People share these things without being identical in their dealings or speech. One cannot rightly condemn those who belong to the same faith when one member commits a crime and another has not.
When it comes to Chritians or Muslims not all members are the same. Not all Christians own guns or bomb abortion clinics just as all Muslims are not terrorists. There are thousands who have committed these crimes but there are billions of each faith. Not all are guilty.
The reason I've brought this up is to show that not every member of the LDS faith or every mainstream Christian is actually Christlike and a true disciple based on the creeds they've supported and agreed to.
Beliefs do not make one a better person, behavior does. Jesus said His disciples would be known by the love they had one to another. Love is key. Acceptance and forgiveness, offering and accepting light, knowledge and understanding are all indicative of the ethos a true disciple will have but it is incomplete without acting on said beliefs.
One cannot be Christlike without acting like Christ.
So it's not that all Mormons are Christians and no one else is or that only Catholics are Christian. It's that those who heard Christ and truly listened and act on the love He said His disciples would be known by are Christian.
Maybe not every group is truly Christian. But anybody who acts on the Christlike love and walks the walk of Christ and follows that path can become Christian.
Discipleship is not about doctrines or creeds as much as it is the love we have one to another.
Sometimes one can be incorrect in facts and correct in love. And love for others is how I have experienced God as I had longed to do and searched far and wide, high and low until I finally followed Jesus' example as best I can. 
Everyday I get better and when I have a set back I pick myself up and keep going. Because righteousness is a path more than a just destination.
Just as a married couple can't stop trying once they've been married they still need date nights and to listen to one another one can't perform any rite that forever makes one Christian. It is a matter of following Christ's example every day as best you can and as best as you understand it.
Maybe we can't change who we've been or even who we are but through consistent action we can change who we become.
It's true not everyone is truly Christian but anyone can choose to be and act like Christ whenever they wish or whenever they're ready.

Offending God and Man

Many people spend a lot of time and energy on speaking out about what offends God.
There's a laundry list but there's also a greatest hits list of what the faithful find offensive because they believe God finds these things offensive.
And God may indeed be offended by many things but you know I think He is offended by poverty, the false Gospel of Ayn Rand, people dying of cancer because they couldn't afford treatment, the mentally ill being denied care or even life insurance because they are mentally ill, homelessness, hunger, or people being judged according to their appearance rather than the content of their character and heart.
I think God finds offense in the abuses and mistreatment or killings of His children.
I think if you call a woman a whore and sinner or killer for considering abortion then turn around and say "Those parents can't afford food and are on good stamps means they should have thought about that before having kids." That's putting people in no win situations because they are deemed sinners or worthless regardless of what they decide.
I'm not saying we have to agree with everything our brothers and sisters do but is it asking too much to love our brothers and sisters as Christ loved us? That entails compassion, understanding and forgiveness. Not because no wrong was done but because we both deserve to move on with our lives. Because all parties deserve peace.
Let's listen to Jesus for a moment.
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:32-46)

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellowbeings ye are only in the service of your God.

18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serveyou, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praisewhich your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all yourwhole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.(Mosiah 2:17-21)

I feel that God finds righteous indignation, judging harshly rather than favorably, gossiping, bullying, putting oneself above another, putting people down, snarkiness, smarminess, and things that often go over looked in favor of more popular abominations.

I believe that when God's children are hurt or mistreated God hurts;just as a parent hurts when their child is hurt. He does decide right from wrong but the right to condemn is His alone, judgment is His job not ours. God dispenses karmic justice according to His judgments and according to His time frame.

I think an introduction to a man whom Jesus drew inspiration or maybe it was the other way around. His name is Hillel and he was a sage whose life overlaps the time of Christ.

From Wikipedia Hillel (הלל) (born Babylon traditionally c. 110 BCE, died 10 CE[1] in Jerusalem) was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures inJewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Renowned within Judaism as a sage and scholar, he was the founder of the House of Hillel school forTannaïm (Sages of the Mishnah) and the founder of a dynasty of Sages who stood at the head of the Jews living in the land of Israel until roughly the fifth century of the Common Era.

He is popularly known as the author of two sayings: (1) If I am not for myself, who is for me? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, then when?"[2] and (2) the expression of the ethic of reciprocity, or "Golden Rule": "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the wholeTorah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."[3]

"As Hillel the Elder had stated, whosoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whosoever that saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."[4]

Hillel lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod and the Roman EmperorAugustus. In the Midrash compilationSifre (Deut. 357), the periods of Hillel's life are made parallel to those in the life of Moses. Both lived 120 years (Deut. 34:7), and at the age of forty Hillel went to the Land of Israel; forty years he spent in study; and the last third of his life he was the spiritual head of theJewish people. A biographical sketch can be constructed; that Hillel went to Jerusalem in the prime of his life and attained a great age. His activity of forty years likely covered the period of 30 BC to 10 AD.

Whatever is hateful to you do not do to your fellow or as Christ put it do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Jesus also said there were 2 commandments that were the greatest of all 613 commandments. 

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:36-40
And He gave us only one commandment, one single principle to guide ourselves by and that was to love everyone as He loved us when He was with us.
The several words that get translated as abomination confuse it's meaning. From Wikipedia:The term shiqquwts is translatedabomination by almost all translations of the Bible. The similar words, sheqets, and shâqats, are almost exclusively used for dietary violations.

The most often used but different Hebrew term, tōʻēḇā, is also translated as abomination in the Authorized King James Version, and sometimes in theNASB. Many modern versions of the Bible (including the NIV and NET) translate it detestable; the NABtranslates it loathsome. It is mainly used to denote idolatry; and in many other cases it refers to inherently evil[3] things such as illicit sex, lying, murder, deceit, etc.; and for unclean foods.

Another word which can signify that which is abhorred is zâ‛am. There are less used Hebrew words with a similar conveyance, as well as Greek terms for such.

Abomination! They keep using that word but I do not think it means what they think it means!

Special Occasion Christians

I posted about my bad experience being judged according to my appearance last week. But I want to share my positive experience at the Salt Lake Temple the other day.
I had only been to the Temple once a year ago so I completely forgot how to put on the ceremonial clothing. A very nice 19ish year old man tied my tie for me and helped my goofy arse get good and ready for Temple work.
Others helped too and said is was nice having me there.
My wife and I had a very spiritual and comforting experience. What struck me was how kind and compassionate people and Temple workers were. I felt not just welcomed but felt my presence was appreciated and sought after.
Wouldn't it be great if we were on as good behavior at church every Sunday? Or if we were as Christlike in our conduct and speech with everyone around us in every area of daily life?
The hands of men have built the Temple of The Lord but the hands of God made the Earth we live on. The Earth itself is a Temple. It has been sanctified by God Himself.
Why should we reserve our best for the Temple but slack off in all other areas of daily life?
I hate to think any of the absolutely wonderful people I met at the Temple only treated me so well because I was Temple worthy or a fellow member.
But Jesus offered all He met in His life that same Christlike love, forgiveness and understanding. Should we not do the same?
I know many people have horror stories about church so I want to share one from a friend.
She was disfellowshipped and every Sunday the Bishop would confront her in the foyer and remind her, publicly, that she was not to take the sacrament or offer a prayer because she was disfellowshipped. He shamed her every week until no one would sit next to her for fear of associating with "those people." 
She eventually quit attending church. It was only in the last couple of years that she has returned and has since gained a stronger testimony. How much faster and easier would her journey have been had she been treated with love rather than scorn and shame?
Last year I was in church during a talk from a man who had been excommunicated and then rejoined the church. The only reason I know he'd been excommunicated is because of the two women behind me who gossiped about him during his entire talk. Perhaps there was something he said that could have touched their hearts if they had been open to his words. 
Why are so many of us guilty of this mistreatment? Especially when we are capable of so much more, so much better.
We often are not fulfilling the one commandment Jesus gave which was to love everyone as He loved us.
We can all do better. Unless you've been translated and are reading this from beyond the veil, you have something , big or small, to work on. We all do.
But why do we reserve our Christlike love and speech for special occasions and then slack off and shame people , judge people, and treat others in ways none of us could picture Christ doing?
None of us is perfect we all have our moments of good and bad but often our bad moments are needed even essential because in those moments we can learn to be better people.
We're often not being the people Jesus knows we can be. And we're probably disappointing Mr. Rogers too. So there's that.


  

Mass Excommunications

John Dehlin and Kate Kelly are both facing excommunication for their activism and difference of opinion from the more orthodox of the bretheren. John and Kate have both helped countless members to find comfort in the church, to feel that their needs are met and to feel that they are not alone. 
There are also half a dozen bloggers I know personally who are not only facing excommunication but are not being told what they said or did wrong, they are simply being told they can either quit their blog or be exd. And some have already been excommunicated and weren't told what they did wrong.
"I do not like the old man being called up for erring in doctrine. It looks to much like the Methodists. And not like the latter-day-saints. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be kicked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled." Joseph Smith

"People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture"
by Terryl L. Givens
Wouldn't it be great if we as members were allowed the liberty of thinking and believing as we please without the threat of excommunication for it?
After all many feel that it is not enough that a man err in doctrine to prove he is bad.
I have to wonder why so many bloggers and outspoken members are all under fire. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the mass exodus of people leaving the church.
Millions of members are leaving and having their names removed. But I think part of the problem is the fact that most Mormons average in age to be very young born in the 80's and 90's yet our leaders were born in the 1920's and 30's.
So I see a big disconnect especially with regard to social issues like prop 8 or women's issues.
These liberal Mormon bloggers are symbolic of that disconnect, they are the symptom rather than the disease to be cut out of the body of the church like a cancerous tumor.
If the bretheren want to stem the tide of members leaving perhaps a bigger effort to apologize for the missteps made on their end and reconnect with the younger generations.
I don't know why these decisions were made by the church so I have to wonder.
I also wonder if these are simply the death throes of the old regime before the young more liberal generations take the reigns.
These bloggers and activists are being made an example of. It feels like a scare tactic rather than a disciplinary action.
It strikes me as odd that the Joseph Smith quote above seems contrary to the modern church reaction to dissedents however faithful they may be.
This is all speculation at this point but perhaps the bretheren will release a PR statement to clarify the reasoning behind their decisions.
Many people are having strong reactions and though we are losing what I think are great people, this trend of excommunications can't continue without exacerbating the disconnect that exists between the young general membership and our much older leaders.
These excommunications are, I believe, meant to serve as a stern warning to the rest of us but I think it will have a very different outcome. 
And that is that the guidance of our leaders is simply out of touch and maybe that these actions by the church leaders is more hurtful than helpful.
J.J.Dewey had this thought; when the claim that some are leading the flock astray crops up think of how much time it takes to convert one investigator. Now think of how many people have ever lived and how many will ever live then add a third of that number.
That's how many people satan converted to his ways befor The Lord kicked him out of heaven. But it wasn't because he was leading others astray because he had been freely doing so for eons. It was because he waged open war with The Lord.
The Lord allowed Satan to say whatever he wanted freely and openly so why are people who simply believe differently treated so differently from the way The Lord treated His dissedents? Shouldn't we emulate the ways of The Lord?
The old generation is traditional and the new is more progressive. In the next few decades our church will be a very different place. But that's just how I see it. I know I could be wrong.

Salvations Packing List

Many people feel that if they check off the boxes next to their list of all the commandments that salvation is guaranteed.  But this doesn't seem to be the case at least as far as what I've gleaned from scripture.  For example:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14

The Pharisee fasts according to the commandments, he pays his tithing but though he fulfills many of his requirements he still misses the point of the Gospel.  This is a holier-than-thou attitude that shows us that people who engage in it are using their perceived righteousness as a status symbol.  Whereas the tax collector humbled himself and repented to God for his sins.

The point of the Gospels as far as I can tell is to emulate the spirit and consciousness of Christ.  It is to love our neighbors and even our enemies as we love ourselves and to love God above all else.  The holier-than-thou attitude seeks the praises of men whereas those like the humble tax collector seek the forgiveness of God and earn His praises as Jesus praised this lowly tax collector.

Jesus speaks of the conundrum of keeping the commandments for the sake of appearances only.


27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Matthew 23:27-31

Jesus seems to be saying that when you check off boxes next to one commandment after another for the sake of appearances and praises of men that you will whither and spiritually die.  Jesus gives us another example of what He means in this scripture:


26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.  Matthew 23:26

I take this to mean that if one is internally purified by Christlike love then you will meet every commandment and fulfill the law, you will be clean from the inside out.


Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10

Going through the motions, there is no righteousness in that.  There is no righteousness in trading the raises of men for the raises of God.  But in love; there lies the key to unlocking the Christ within.

The praises of men are earned by wealth, power, strength, the fashionable status symbols and trends which change completely and overnight and are almost always contrary to God's way.

Being humble, repentant, admitting to and owning up to your mistakes whereas admitting failure, servitude to your brothers and sisters, responding to hate and contempt with love, these are the ways of The Lord and this is not an easy path, but it is God's path.

Sincerity, repentance, forgiveness and love are the keys to unlocking salvation for you and those around you in this life and the next. 

What Is Love?

Thomas S. Monson gave a talk this last conference about how love is the essence of the gospel.  It was a great talk and gives me hope that the current church policy stating that God's love is conditional may be reversed.  Here is the Sunstone article that shows that policy to be accurate.

But baby steps are still steps.

What I think is the bigger issue is the understanding of what love is and what it entails and how expansive you take it to be.

Job, one of the most famous characters in scripture loved The Lord above all else.  Even when his family was killed, his riches gone, his home destroyed and his land taken, he still loved The Lord though he had his "Why has thou forsaken me?" moment he still loved The Lord.

Jesus tells us what the greatest commandment is; Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus seems to be saying here that love is the essence of the gospel and the fulfillment of the law.  We are asked to love God as Job did. Through the highs and lows of life our love for Him should never waiver or falter. And in loving our neighbor we should love with the same intensity, with the same dedication and gusto that we love The Lord.  After all how can one love The Lord yet despise His children?

Many have said that unconditional love is not a hall pass or get out of jail free card.  But isn't it?  Isn't forgiveness intrinsically linked to love?  Here's an example of Jesus loving a sinner unconditionally:


They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:4-11

Jesus forgave her, saved her life and He refused to throw the first stone though by His own admission He was the only one qualified to do so, He didn't even condemn her He simply told her He did not condemn her and to go and sin no more.

I find that kind of love and forgiveness exceedingly rare even among His modern disciples.  Why shouldn't we forgive as much as our Savior and best exemplar did?  Why are so many of Christ's modern disciples not as loving or forgiving as the one they claim to emulate?  Possibly because the love of which Jesus speaks isn't for the faint of heart, it isn't easy much like a marriage or parenting it will be the hardest thing you will ever do but nothing will be more rewarding or enriching than the dividends of the unconditional love of which Jesus speaks.

Jesus made it look easy, and I think it comes easier to some than others which is why many may feel the need to say that God still has standards and house rules that must be followed.  Which is true but His love will not be taken away when you disappoint Him anymore than you would withhold your love from your child over them disappointing you. 

There's another passage of scripture I'm reminded of:


These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John 15:11-14

Jesus laid down His life for us and gave us all the continuing gift of The Atonement which means we may repent and draw nearer to Him.  To lay down your life for those you love is the ultimate sacrifice that can be made and He made that sacrifice for each and every  one of us so it seems to me that the least we can do is to extend the same love and forgiveness He gave to us to each other, we are all God's children after all.

We are asked by Christ to love our God with all our strength, heart and might and to love our neighbors as ourselves and even to love our enemies.  We are asked to meet hate with love rather than fight fire with fire and I believe if our definition of love is as expansive as the love Jesus had for us, then we will prevail in this life and so will those we love.

What's So Funny About Peace, Love And Understanding?

In the 181st October Conference President Monson quotes an excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article by British Rabbi Jonathan Sacks:

 “In virtually every western society in the 1960s there was a moral revolution; an abandonment of its entire traditional ethic of self-restraint. All you need, sang the Beatles, is ‘love.’ The Judeo-Christian moral code was jettisoned. In its place came: whatever works for you. The Ten Commandments were rewritten as the Ten Creative Suggestions.”

To be fair President Monson may be transposing love with free love which sullied the word for many who lived through the 60's and 70's. But the sneer with which he delivers the word love is disturbing to me given that John Lennon based that song on the principle of love which, intended or not, is reflective of Christ's teachings and the one commandment Jesus gave to us.

Because if you live according to the commandment to love others as Jesus loved us then guiding yourself by that spirit and principle you will not only cross off all other commandments but you will fulfill the law in letter and in spirit.

 Download the talk here.

The audience seems to be in agreement that this idea of love being all you need is laughable.  So many have been hurt by this mocking of the doctrine of love, so take a look at this post about the various meanings of love in the Ancient Greek the New Testament was written in.

But appearances can be deceiving, it is not that liberals have a bleeding heart, it's that those who are first to make the claim are without one themselves.  And by every definition I have ever heard, Jesus has a bleeding heart as well so I'm in good company as far as I'm concerned.

And thought the ethos of love is admirable, the lax sexual morays and over abundance of drug use and the burned out ideas and personalities of the 60's and 70's is what sullied the ethos of love for many.

Just as the hardened hearts and narrow black and white you're-either-with-me-or-against-me mentalities of the religious right has sullied and therefore profaned the name of Christ to the minds of millions of disaffected Ex-Christian and Ex-Mormons over the last few decades.

It is wrong to profane the ethos of love but it is equally sinful to sully the name of Jesus or the name of God.

But as troubling as it is to see a leader seemingly mock the doctrine of love, we can't blame "The Church" because we are the church.  President Monson's joke about love would have fallen flat if it weren't for so many people being in total unquestioning agreement.

We can't blame our society since we are that society.

But possibly mocking love is just the beginning, in 2003 Russel M. Nelson gave a talk in which he argues that God's love is conditional because the term unconditional love is found nowhere in scripture.  He is mistaken as it is found the the original Aramaic meaning of love as well as the word agape in Ancient Greek has been defined as unconditional love since antiquity and that's how it was meant when used in the gospels.  He is using his understanding of an imperfect, therefore flawed, translation.

"While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us—and certain divine blessings stemming from that love—are conditional. Before citing examples, it is well to recognize various forms of conditional expression in the scriptures."

Russel M. Nelson can't be blamed much for his mistake, it's not like he's a theologian.

Find the proof here that God's love being conditional is now church policy.

God much like any parent has house rules, so he has needs that must be met for any of us the be prepared for what comes next but His love isn't conditional.  Any parent knows what unconditional love is, we all have that for our children.  We don't say bring home straight A's or I wont love you anymore.  God's love is infinite, rich, mystical and so much more perfected than our own.  I refuse to believe my unconditional love for my children is superior to God's "conditional" love for us.

I guess what shocks me most, and what I find most disturbing is that God's love is now conditional-in direct opposition to what is written in ancient scripture.  Or that it is worthy of mockery and laughter.  How far must we have fallen if our culture laughs at the ethos of love?

Jesus was a bleeding heart-be more like Him, be the love you need the most and others will follow your lead.

Perhaps it's time to open a dialogue with our leaders that would change minds and soften hearts.  If we want love we must be loving, if we want mercy we must be merciful, if we want to be given the benefit of the doubt we must judge favorably.  We ask these things of our leaders but we must be willing to accept and forgive them their mistakes as well.

I'm not out to lynch our leadership, but I think the concept of conditional love and mockery of it must be discussed in order to learn what direction they are truly attempting to undertake.

For Appearances Sake

Jesus has some different ideas on righteous practices and sensibilities than most people have today.

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus is saying that when choosing between showing off your good deeds or doing them in secret doing them in secret is better.

Jesus intends that His disciples pray to God and keep their prayer between God and themselves.
Jesus seeks to avoid people using their piety as status symbols which seems to be a very common practice these days.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Matthew 6:5-8

The sense I get is that those who use their piety as status symbols do so not for the sake of doing good, not for the sake of fufilling God's will, but for the adoration of men.

This adoration of men is false righteousness. These people are brown nosing not drawing nearer to The Lord.

Do you do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, because it needs to be done, and pay no mind to seeking reward or avoiding punishment?

That is a tell take sign of true righteousness.

Jesus said it's not what goes into our mouth that defiles us but it's what comes out that defiles us.

The quality and substance of our words are determined by the content of our hearts. But it is also true that good fruit comes only from good trees and bad fruit comes from evil trees.

So we shall be known by our fruits, the impact of our words and our actions determine our eternal fate.

And we will only get there if that's what we seek. If we are caught up in appearances we will be playing games for adoration rather than doing The Lords work which is what we were sent here to do.

Judge Not According To Appearances

When my wife performed with her choir at Temple Square she had a medical emergency. And I had to make it past the Temple Square workers to get to her.
The workers refused to let me back because they said I was not her husband. I argued, my wife's choir members argued but somehow the temple workers were certain I was not her husband.
I'm sure my long hair, earrings, and facial hair had nothing to do with the crap treatment I received at Temple Square.
It disgusts me to be treated this way, or to see people be treated this way which happens frequently.
When did we as a culture decide we can judge a book by the cover and that we know all we need to know based on an outward appearance?

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. John 7:24

Judging righteously according to Jewish literature since before Christ, means giving one the benefit of the doubt.

It means not assuming you know everything there is to know about someone based on their appearance.

This last week a Utah high school made national news for photoshopping more clothes on the girls and not touching up the boys photos at all, never even once.

So this Utah school forced it's girls to abide by someone else's standards rather than their own.

When your actions are so puritanical that Fox News becomes the voice of reason, you need to reevaluate your stance. And maybe several other things in your life.

Why is it so hard to just reach out and get to know people and just accept them for who they are? Why is it so wrong to allow people to live life by their own standards rather than our own?

Where do scriptures command BYU style standards of dress and grooming?