Dan Brooks's Blog, page 32
June 28, 2013
God, Sex and the Torah
LOVE IS AS BLIND AS JUSTICEOne of the most important truths of scripture is that we are to be always learning and growing in our experience and understanding of God. Paul speaks of the need to be willing to put away childish or immature ideas in order to grow in understanding. Many people affirm that principle in their own spiritual journey, coming to more deeply comprehend the things of God, (I Cor. 13:11). The light and truth that God has for us to discover and know will never be exhausted – at least while we are in this life. Apostle Paul counseled a young man who was in the early stages of leadership to study and present himself to God and then do his best to understand so that he could explain or “rightly divide the word of truth” to his congregation (II Tim. 2:15). It was said among our Jewish brothers that whenever two or three were gathered together studying Torah, the Presence of God was in their midst, giving more light and truth. Jesus’ promise to the disciples was that when he left, the Holy Spirit would come, guiding them into all truth (John 16:13). But, like us at times, Pontius Pilate asked, “What is truth?” This is also the question for us. How do we know for sure what is true? How can we come to deeper and clearer understandings that are to guide us in our day? The central affirmation of scripture is that GOD IS. The being of God is a given and does not change but since knowledge of God comes from human understanding and experience, the ways that God is perceived do change. We are limited by who we are, when and where we live and the way that we understand the world. So, humility is always important in order to receive the things that God has for us to know. There are some important guideposts as well as requirements for us along our journey. The prophet Micah said that it was required of the people of God to be active in working for justice, the things that are right which the Bible often defined as standing with and for the poor and vulnerable. The principles of love and humility, often translated as being teachable were also required for the God’s people.
Like many faiths, there is significant division within the body of Christ regarding the issue of homosexuality. This division is based, in large part, on a difference in the perception and interpretation of Torah passages, particularly Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. The choice seems to be to either believe or reject these verses, which dictate that those who engage in homosexual acts be put to death. But, there is another choice – to study deeply, seeking to discover as much truth as possible in trying to come to an understanding of these verses that form the foundation of belief systems regarding this issue. This paper will examine these passages in the context of the biblical world of the ancient Near East, using the Torah and Oral Torah, as well as other sources of information about this period.
“In the beginning, God created…..humankind in his image in the image of God he created them; male and female and God blessed them” (Genesis 1:1, 27-28). In the creation story in Genesis 2, God created a man and placed him in a beautiful garden. God saw that it was not good for man to be alone so God created a woman to be his partner. A modern rabbi tells us that the creation stories are not meant to be taken literally, especially in terms of modern science, but they establish the foundation that life has meaning, creation is sacred, humans are made in the image of God, God knows us intimately by name and that creation was purposeful.
God saw that the creation of humans was good, but it was not good for man to be alone. Another rabbi states that a single person alone cannot adequately reflect the light of God. Humans were created to be incomplete within themselves, needing another person to find their greatest fulfillment.
But the good world of God’s creation was distorted with entry of sin and the power to keep making choices apart from the will of God. Humans discovered that the power to be “fruitful and multiply” could also be used in harmful ways. Their own choices for evil plus contact with people who worshipped other deities over a period of many years changed them and their communities in dramatic ways. In summation, with some notable exceptions, when they went away from the God who created and loved them, they lost their way and in the process developed practices that mirrored the worst in their neighbors who did not know God.
All parts of the Bible contain truths that speak to people of every age, but the Torah, like other parts of the Bible, also needs to be understood in the context of the time in which it was written. The compilation of what became biblical texts began in the late Stone Age. While there are marvelous truths that have abided through the ages, some of their images or the things attributed to God are not in harmony with modern understandings. This was also true of their comprehension of acts of nature, the world around them or the human body and the mysterious powers of procreation.
Although many people rightly decry the emphasis on sex in our modern world, if we were to travel back in time to the world of the early Bible, it would be necessary for us to learn a wholly different value system. Theirs was a sexualized world where everything – living or dead, fruit or vegetable, wooden or stone, animal or humans of almost any age could be used for sexual purposes or to ensure fertility. In almost every instance, it must be noted that our biblical brothers and sisters were generally more humane and moral (in our terms) than the world around them, but they were also a part of their world and greatly influenced by it as we are by our experience in our world.
Religions function to help people come to terms with the ultimate concerns of life and death in a world that is often frightening. In ancient times, a pantheon of gods and goddesses helped them to make sense of forces they did not understand. It did not matter to them that their deities were often selfish and capricious without concern for the consequences of their acts. Temple priests created various religious rites so that people could believe that there was a way to control or ameliorate forces like famine and death by placating the gods. Because fertility was at the heart of their concerns, sexual acts between humans were always a critical part of their temple religious observances. Copulation was important to ensure the productivity of their land, their flocks, their households, success in warfare, for strength and even to achieve immortality. For the most part, only men made pilgrimages to pagan temples for these rites while women used fertility symbols in their homes.
Temple rites ensured the stability and order of the universe for kings and rulers but also for common folk so there were two kinds of sexual rites. A king or an important man’s rite was with a princess appointed to the temple where the purpose could be for success in battle, fertility of the earth and the prosperity of the people. Female temple prostitutes ordinarily consumed a potion preventing conception. Both male and female temple prostitutes serviced common men. (It can be assumed that same sex copulation would have been well known, apart from temple usage, for it to have been a practice in ancient temples.)
There were also periodic festivals and celebrations that lasted for days of gorging on food and drink with unbridled orgies both for people and animals used for sex with humans called bestiality. Bestiality was a common element of these festivals but was used at other times as well. Both males and females participated to ensure the fertility of humans and animals.
Human sacrifice was normally the high point of these periodic festivals. In societies, such as the Hittites, ruled by females with prominent female goddesses, they chose a handsome, virile male. In the year prior to his being sacrificed in a grand public ceremony, he was honored for his sexual performance. Like many other religions or political rulers, men who regularly served the goddess or the court were Eunuchs.
Ancient peoples were well acquainted with the idea of human sacrifice. Throughout history, victorious rulers often put captured warriors to death in frenzied celebrations of victory, but human sacrifice was also an important element of pagan worship. Fertility religions linked castration and/or human sacrifice with the power of the mother goddess through blood and fertility. Ancient people believed that blood was sacred and carried life so the blood of the victim was used to cleanse and purify, protect, curse, mark sacred space and for purposes of fertility.
Although there were variations in these religions over time and in different areas, fertility religions were the norm for the Ancient Near East for thousands of years. For this reason, the God of the Hebrews was thought to be odd beyond belief!!! Theirs was the only religion that worshipped only one righteous God of both compassion and justice for his creation and whose worship never employed human sacrifice or sexual rites for fertility.
But Fertility religions with their pantheon of gods and goddesses came to have great influence among the Hebrews even if there were patriarchs who valiantly tried to follow God in the period of the Stone Age. Some of their appeal centered in fear of population loss. Death was always around them with war, famine and plague, so fertility was always a concern. The Canaanite fertility goddess Asherah, wife of the chief god, El, was an active force among the Hebrews for at least six centuries. Her statue occupied an honored place in many homes and was even present in Solomon’s temple!
I believe that the Law and Holiness Codes of Leviticus were reactions to not only Pagan Fertility religions, but also to their own dalliance with sin.
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah stand as a symbol of sexual licentiousness on steroids, although subsequent biblical references list their sin as their refusal to help the poor and vulnerable. Unfortunately, their sexual practices were not the only example of this kind of conduct. The ancient laws and practices of hospitality explain part of the situation. In their world, when men traveled, hospitality often meant the difference between life and death. The oral law stipulated that a traveler be provided with shelter, food, and water, but their common practice went further. With the arrival of guests, their women were sequestered. If a host gave his wife or daughter to a guest for the evening, it meant that the guest was a valued friend or part of his family, but if the guest refused the kindness of the host, it meant that the guest was an enemy, the ultimate insult to the host.
The underlying assumption of biblical texts seems to be that patriarchy, the complete God-given rule of males over females, was the social foundation resulting from the first sin.
In the ancient world, men not only owned their sons and daughters, but also their wives. Adultery was a property crime since another man had taken and used property not belonging to him. Divorce was essentially getting rid of unwanted property so was completely at the behest of the husband. The wife had no rights to anything except the clothes she wore when presented the bill of divorce. At the death of the husband, a wife was again at tremendous risk. Since she could not own anything, she was completely dependent on the good fortune to have given birth to a son who would be willing to take care of her. The son would have all rights to the property of his father, unless there were other brothers also designated to inherit.
The later ideal biblical marital relationship was said to be monogamy, which also served as the model of religious fidelity in the work of later prophets.
In spite of all these things that were simply the way of the ancients, there are many indications that even from the beginning, there were also loving marriages where both husband and wife not only were committed to God, but also to each other as equal partners. The later inclusion of the Song of Songs into the Hebraic Bible, is a witness to the way that healthy sexual relationships within marriage were valued, especially the place of women in the sexual experience. Even sex within marriage was to have limits, but asceticism was never part of Hebraic thought. God created a world of sensory delights for the human family. They thought it an insult to God not to enjoy the beauty and wonders of creation. When love and joy were present, even the role of the father in his daughter’s betrothal changed. It became a custom to ask the daughter about their preference in a husband!
Our biblical brothers and sisters were products of a world in which human life was not highly valued. Whether it was the sacrifice of one “high value” person for many or some other reason, the taking of human life was just part of their world. Some researchers believe that the reason that Abraham did not object or bargain with God in the sacrifice of Isaac was that he was very familiar with the practice of sacrificing the firstborn son to Molech, the fire god. But God used this experience to condemn the practice of baby or child sacrifice. God directed Abraham to a ram caught in the brush to use as a sacrifice. Over the years, animal sacrifice also replaced human sacrifice in some pagan religious observance, but there continued to be references against offering babies to Molech in the Old Testament. (The impact of that experience on the life of Isaac, the son who was almost slain by his father, must have been tremendous. This is another example of the way that the experience or feelings of women and children were not taken into consideration in the Bible, whose writers and interpreters were adult males.)
Life in Egypt as slaves was brutal for both men and women – but in different ways. Castration and mutilation were both religious and political practices to control adult male slaves or others deemed expendable. Even if they escaped these things, slavery was always about emasculating then at every turn and working them to an early death. Egypt also practiced a fertility religion with the addition of the cult of the dead. Moreso than other ancient peoples, they were fascinated by death and the possibilities of an afterlife. Human sacrifice was practiced with a very complex system of worship for important persons who died; the sacrifice of vast numbers of people ensured the status of the honored dead in the afterlife.
For women, their beauty was both a blessing and a curse. Unlike other female slaves, they did not have to engage in arduous toil. Beautiful young women were chosen as sex slaves; their role was to always be beautiful and please their master, particularly in matters of sexual obeisance so female circumcision was required.
“Ritual purification” of the animal instincts of eating and sex is the primary subject of Leviticus. It has been said that getting the Jews out of Egypt was nothing compared to getting Egypt out of the Jews. Forty years wandering in the wilderness was needed for this band of newly freed runaway slaves to develop a more sanctified approach to both human and animal life.
June 18, 2013
Opening Up The Kingdom
"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)
The inward path leads to the Kingdom of God and meditation and prayer are two integral ways of getting there. Meditation is mentioned in the Bible....
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." (Php 4:8) Paul clearly teaches us to "meditate on these things", and "meditation" is certainly a Biblical subject:
Isaac meditated in the field at eventide - Gen 24:63 Joshua was charged by God to mediate "day and night" - Josh 1:8 The "blessed man" in Psalms 1 is one who meditates - Ps 1:1-2 David became wiser than his teachers through meditation - Ps 119:99 Paul commanded Timothy to "meditate on these things" - 1Ti 4:15
Wikipedia offers this insight into Christian meditative practices:
Hesychasm (Greek: ἡσυχασμός, hesychasmos, from ἡσυχία, hesychia, "stillness, rest, quiet, silence")[1] is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite practised (Gk: ἡσυχάζω, hesychazo: "to keep stillness") by the Hesychast (Gr. Ἡσυχαστής, hesychastes).
Based on Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray",[2] hesychasm in tradition has been the process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God (see theoria).
It's a type of prayer but there is a link between prayer and meditation. Here wikipedia gives us a look at where we get the word meditate into English from and the Hebrew word for it, the Greek and the practices of the Jews which bear some resemblance with meditation.
"The English meditation is derived from the Latin meditatio , from a verb meditari , meaning "to think, contemplate, devise, ponder".[10]
In the Old Testament, hāgâ (Hebrew: הגה) means to sigh or murmur, and also, to meditate. When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, hāgâ became the Greek melete. The Latin Bible then translated hāgâ/melete into meditatio.[11] The use of the term meditatio as part of a formal, stepwise process of meditation goes back to the 12th-century monk Guigo II.[12]
The Tibetan word for meditation "Gom" means "to become familiar with one's Self" and has the strong implication of training the mind to be familiar with states that are beneficial: concentration, compassion, correct understanding, patience, humility, perseverance, etc.[13]
Apart from its historical usage, the term meditation was introduced as a translation for Eastern spiritual practices, referred to as dhyāna in Buddhism and in Hinduism, which comes from the Sanskrit root dhyai, meaning to contemplate or meditate.[7][14] The term "meditation" in English may also refer to practices from Islamic Sufism,[15] or other traditions such as Jewish Kabbalah and Christian Hesychasm.[16] An edited book about "meditation" published in 2003, for example, included chapter contributions by authors describing Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions.[17][18] Scholars have noted that "the term 'meditation' as it has entered contemporary usage" is parallel to the term "contemplation" in Christianity.[19]
According to Ariel, David S. says that mediation was not something practiced without deliberation and prior commitment to the Jewish faith. from the fraternities of Merkava meditation to the whole Hasidic communities engaging in meditative act, Jews were expected to follow Jewish laws and customs at the very least moreover, as seen in cases of the Prophets and later meditation techniques, a certain level of purification was needed.(4)"
The question I would ask is why is it this particular practice so common amongst so many different religions and cultures across such great distances in space and time? It may be because the inward path is invaluable to spiritual cultivation.
Jesus said the Kingdom of God lies within, not without us so if we want t travel to it, if we want to open up the doors of the Kingdom we do not journey to a foreign land, we must journey inward to find it. Prayer and meditation are how we do this.
Cultivating our spiritual potential necessitates we take up practices which will inevitably focus on the inner dimension of life and the universe. This article by Phil Mclemore demonstrates how the practice of meditation lead to achieving actual Christlike qualities in his personality and in his life.
By consistent and frequent inward bound practices like meditation and prayer we develop a better understanding of the Kingdom because we spend more and more time in touch with it, more time in communion with God and it shows in our daily lives and that is the proof that we are on the right track. As opposed to all the "outward" signs of righteousness that the pharisees among us over emphasize.
Because all these benefits have to do with how we feel. About ourselves, others and how we perceive God. You know whether or not someone is Christlike when you meet them not based on a checklist. The ways in which we treat others, strangers, loved ones, enemies will prove how Christlike we are or are not and if we are not that's fine because we can progress to that end. But we must put effort into our spiritual development.
The purpose of going inward is to experience the Kingdom but more importantly it is to open up its gates to allow it to embrace all those you meet. When we enthusiastically practice our own religion it is easier to see the merits of other religions and meditation, though having a Biblical basis, may still seem an Eastern practice. But there is a scientific link between prayer and meditation. These are both inward paths, and an inward path is the best path to spiritual cultivation given the Kingdom lies within.
If the Kingdom of God is within then it is also everywhere, in the hearts and minds of every person out there in the world. It may be unseen so to speak but it is also all around us. If we really want to build up Zion we must open up ourselves and allow the Kingdom to enter into the world through us.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)
If two or three have that ability then what happens when we multiply that by thousand or millions in a city intended to be or to function as Zion? As the city of God, a focal point for the Kingdom to enter into the world that we could make real if we were to commit to it.
We through the inward path could manifest the Kingdom into the world through a city on a hill which cannot be hid any more than a lighthouse on a stormy night.
We could provide that lighthouse to the world when its needed most. And we would benefit every bit as much as all our brothers and sisters by communing with God, seeking the Kingdom within and opening it up for all to enjoy.
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)
The inward path leads to the Kingdom of God and meditation and prayer are two integral ways of getting there. Meditation is mentioned in the Bible....
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." (Php 4:8) Paul clearly teaches us to "meditate on these things", and "meditation" is certainly a Biblical subject:
Isaac meditated in the field at eventide - Gen 24:63 Joshua was charged by God to mediate "day and night" - Josh 1:8 The "blessed man" in Psalms 1 is one who meditates - Ps 1:1-2 David became wiser than his teachers through meditation - Ps 119:99 Paul commanded Timothy to "meditate on these things" - 1Ti 4:15
Wikipedia offers this insight into Christian meditative practices:
Hesychasm (Greek: ἡσυχασμός, hesychasmos, from ἡσυχία, hesychia, "stillness, rest, quiet, silence")[1] is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine Rite practised (Gk: ἡσυχάζω, hesychazo: "to keep stillness") by the Hesychast (Gr. Ἡσυχαστής, hesychastes).
Based on Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray",[2] hesychasm in tradition has been the process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God (see theoria).
It's a type of prayer but there is a link between prayer and meditation. Here wikipedia gives us a look at where we get the word meditate into English from and the Hebrew word for it, the Greek and the practices of the Jews which bear some resemblance with meditation.
"The English meditation is derived from the Latin meditatio , from a verb meditari , meaning "to think, contemplate, devise, ponder".[10]
In the Old Testament, hāgâ (Hebrew: הגה) means to sigh or murmur, and also, to meditate. When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, hāgâ became the Greek melete. The Latin Bible then translated hāgâ/melete into meditatio.[11] The use of the term meditatio as part of a formal, stepwise process of meditation goes back to the 12th-century monk Guigo II.[12]
The Tibetan word for meditation "Gom" means "to become familiar with one's Self" and has the strong implication of training the mind to be familiar with states that are beneficial: concentration, compassion, correct understanding, patience, humility, perseverance, etc.[13]
Apart from its historical usage, the term meditation was introduced as a translation for Eastern spiritual practices, referred to as dhyāna in Buddhism and in Hinduism, which comes from the Sanskrit root dhyai, meaning to contemplate or meditate.[7][14] The term "meditation" in English may also refer to practices from Islamic Sufism,[15] or other traditions such as Jewish Kabbalah and Christian Hesychasm.[16] An edited book about "meditation" published in 2003, for example, included chapter contributions by authors describing Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions.[17][18] Scholars have noted that "the term 'meditation' as it has entered contemporary usage" is parallel to the term "contemplation" in Christianity.[19]
According to Ariel, David S. says that mediation was not something practiced without deliberation and prior commitment to the Jewish faith. from the fraternities of Merkava meditation to the whole Hasidic communities engaging in meditative act, Jews were expected to follow Jewish laws and customs at the very least moreover, as seen in cases of the Prophets and later meditation techniques, a certain level of purification was needed.(4)"
The question I would ask is why is it this particular practice so common amongst so many different religions and cultures across such great distances in space and time? It may be because the inward path is invaluable to spiritual cultivation.
Jesus said the Kingdom of God lies within, not without us so if we want t travel to it, if we want to open up the doors of the Kingdom we do not journey to a foreign land, we must journey inward to find it. Prayer and meditation are how we do this.
Cultivating our spiritual potential necessitates we take up practices which will inevitably focus on the inner dimension of life and the universe. This article by Phil Mclemore demonstrates how the practice of meditation lead to achieving actual Christlike qualities in his personality and in his life.
By consistent and frequent inward bound practices like meditation and prayer we develop a better understanding of the Kingdom because we spend more and more time in touch with it, more time in communion with God and it shows in our daily lives and that is the proof that we are on the right track. As opposed to all the "outward" signs of righteousness that the pharisees among us over emphasize.
Because all these benefits have to do with how we feel. About ourselves, others and how we perceive God. You know whether or not someone is Christlike when you meet them not based on a checklist. The ways in which we treat others, strangers, loved ones, enemies will prove how Christlike we are or are not and if we are not that's fine because we can progress to that end. But we must put effort into our spiritual development.
The purpose of going inward is to experience the Kingdom but more importantly it is to open up its gates to allow it to embrace all those you meet. When we enthusiastically practice our own religion it is easier to see the merits of other religions and meditation, though having a Biblical basis, may still seem an Eastern practice. But there is a scientific link between prayer and meditation. These are both inward paths, and an inward path is the best path to spiritual cultivation given the Kingdom lies within.
If the Kingdom of God is within then it is also everywhere, in the hearts and minds of every person out there in the world. It may be unseen so to speak but it is also all around us. If we really want to build up Zion we must open up ourselves and allow the Kingdom to enter into the world through us.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)
If two or three have that ability then what happens when we multiply that by thousand or millions in a city intended to be or to function as Zion? As the city of God, a focal point for the Kingdom to enter into the world that we could make real if we were to commit to it.
We through the inward path could manifest the Kingdom into the world through a city on a hill which cannot be hid any more than a lighthouse on a stormy night.
We could provide that lighthouse to the world when its needed most. And we would benefit every bit as much as all our brothers and sisters by communing with God, seeking the Kingdom within and opening it up for all to enjoy.
June 12, 2013
The Keys of Knowledge
I give you this from lds.org to explain and demonstrate the importance of knowledge spiritually and scripturally.
"Understanding and comprehension, especially of truth as taught or confirmed by the Spirit.The Lord is a God of knowledge:1 Sam. 2:3;The Lord is perfect in knowledge:Job 37:16;The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:Prov. 1:7;He that has knowledge restrains his words:Prov. 17:27;The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord:Isa. 11:9; ( 2 Ne. 21:9; 2 Ne. 30:15; )Ye have taken away the key of knowledge:Luke 11:52;The love of Christ passes knowledge:Eph. 3:19;Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge:2 Pet. 1:5;Nephi had a great knowledge of the goodness of God:1 Ne. 1:1;They shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer:2 Ne. 6:11;The righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their righteousness:2 Ne. 9:14;The Spirit gives knowledge:Alma 18:35;Your knowledge is perfect in that thing:Alma 32:34;The Lamanites shall be brought to the true knowledge of their Redeemer:Hel. 15:13;Ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God:Moro. 7:15–17;The Saints shall find great treasures of knowledge:D&C 89:19;Pure knowledge greatly enlarges the soul:D&C 121:42;He who has the keys of the holy priesthood has no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts:D&C 128:11;If a person gains knowledge in this life, he has an advantage in the world to come:D&C 130:19;It is impossible to be saved in ignorance:D&C 131:6;"
Knowledge is an important thing in this life and it is the only thing we may take with us in the world to come therefore time and energy spent acquiring knowledge is never wasted. Jesus came as a bringer of light and wisdom, He bestowed upon all generations, possessing open minds and hearts, the keys of knowledge.
But in order to gain the keys of spiritual knowledge you must be wary of those who try to remove from your grasp those very keys. Speaking of the Pharisees Jesus said this:
"45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.(Luke 11:45-54)"
In verse 46 Jesus says that the Pharisees layden the people who follow them with undue burdens that are as impossible to carry as they are damaging and painful to carry but worse yet they burden them with things they need not be bothered with in the first place.
Things like lacing up one sandal before another every time, bathing rituals, all manner of rituals that have nothing to do with attaining meaningful knowledge of the spirit or of entering the Kingdom of God.
Jesus says the Kingdom of God is within you. Jesus implies that the path to the Kingdom is an inner journey not based on the outward signs of righteousness and the legalistic rituals of the Pharisees. And I'm sure you are as aware as I am that modern LDS leaders and culture place the same emphasis on outward signs of righteousness, on certain rituals and cultural expectations that the Pharisees did in their time. The inner path to the Kingdom of God that is within you is dismissed entirely it seems.
Modern leaders teach things like "Your eternal salvation depends on attending meetings like Elder's Quorum, Relief Society and Sunday School; doing your home or visiting teaching, paying your tithing and living the Word of Wisdom."
Scripture says to hold to the word of God as an iron rod leading the way back to God, it says to avoid reliance on "The Arm of the Flesh," and nowhere in scripture is it said that your eternal salvation hinges on attending meetings, paying tithing or in rituals like home or visiting teaching.
In verse 52 Jesus says that the Pharisees have not entered the Kingdom and have actually hindered others from entering! How did they hinder others? Maybe by focusing on every outward and legalistic detail of the law of Moses rather than by consulting with the spirit of God behind each letter of the law as inscribed not just on the parchment of the scriptures but on the living hearts of his children.
"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.(Jeremiah 31:33)"
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.(2 Corinthians 3:3)"
The key of knowledge is to me like the key of a map; if you do not understand how to use it then the map, or in this case the scriptures, become useless. A person's righteousness cannot accurately be gauged solely on appearances. You cannot know what's on a persons heart just by knowing whether or not they passed the Temple Recommend interview.
Appearances can be deceiving. The clean shaven look that so many are judged by in church these days is actually frowned upon in the Old Testament, for example:
"You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard" (Leviticus 19:27); "They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh" (Leviticus 21:5).
My point is that anyone can fake appearances and appear to be righteous when the internal righteousness is nearly impossible to fake. Think about the people who have known in your life, all of them. Now think about the few of them that you would describe as being truly Christlike. Their countenance is entirely different than that of the average person isn't it?
They treat all with kindness, compassion, understanding and love. Even those that hate them they treat with the same love. That is nearly impossible for most of us so how are they doing so so effortlessly? Is it because they recognize that the Kingdom of God lies within and they delve deep inside themselves and pull out that Christlike love, they unlock the doors of the Kingdom within and allow it to enter into our world through them?
In the Gospel of Thomas, whose historical reliability is hotly debated, Jesus says something that bears repeating. He says in verse 67 "One who knows everything but lacks in oneself lacks everything."
So worldly knowledge or legalistic scriptural knowledge does not dictate righteousness because there may be some degree of righteousness and spiritual understanding lacking. But developing true spiritual knowledge leads to walking the walk not just talking the talk. By judging the righteousness of others based on outward appearances you are judging someone based on them talking the talk but by paying attention to the countenance of an individual you may know whether or not they are walking the walk. If you would describe them as displaying Christlike love to all they meet, whether a homeless beggar on the street, whether a clerk at a gas station or whether a Bishop or Stake President then the word righteous may be fitting of them.
But the question of how to judge others is really a moot point and not just unnecessary, in contrast to the importance LDS leaders place on "righteous judgment," it is forbidden by Christ:
The reason I bring all this focus on judgment up is because the modern LDS leaders and culture draw your attention away from the importance of the Keys of Knowledge and the first key to me is that the Kingdom of God is within you, that is where you discover all the other keys.
To me the outer world exists to provide us with inspiration, experience and contrast whereas the inner world exists to provide us with spiritual confirmation, communion with God, knowledge of self and therefore knowledge of others and solitude and spiritual rejuvination as a result of all those things.
Prayer and meditation have been scientifically shown to produce the same effects on the mind, body and I presume soul. Those effects include harmonizing your higher cerebral functions with the more irrational animalistic side of your brain so that you control your brain, rather than allowing your emotions and desires to rule you.
This article written by Dr. Rebecca Gladding shows you better than I ever could what exactly those effects are and to some degree why they take place. To maximize the positive results all that is required is to practice daily meditation and/or prayer for approximately 20 minutes a day.
I wrote about scriptural references to meditation here. And here Jesus mentions how to pray:
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.
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.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 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)What's the best way to gain privacy and serenity? To close the door to your room or to close the door to your outward senses and journey inward to meet you Father who is always with you and seek his guidance, companionship and love?
The path to salvation lies in knowledge of oneself, of God, and the word of God serves as guidance but the inward journey provides you with the Holy Spirit which is your personal guide along the path. Rather than trying to "aid" someone in their salvation by "righteously judging" them try being the kind of friend a friend would like to have. Extend Christlike love, compassion, understanding and friendship with all your brothers and sisters you come into contact with. Allow others to partake of the gift of the atonement provided by Christ. And pray or meditate with them and see if that is a better help to their journey back to God and towards salvation than simply judging them "righteously."
But before you can lead they way to the Kingdom of God you must journey within to open the gates and let the living water of Christ flow out into the world first. Be a living well, a living spring sharing that living water of Christ with all you meet.
"Understanding and comprehension, especially of truth as taught or confirmed by the Spirit.The Lord is a God of knowledge:1 Sam. 2:3;The Lord is perfect in knowledge:Job 37:16;The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:Prov. 1:7;He that has knowledge restrains his words:Prov. 17:27;The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord:Isa. 11:9; ( 2 Ne. 21:9; 2 Ne. 30:15; )Ye have taken away the key of knowledge:Luke 11:52;The love of Christ passes knowledge:Eph. 3:19;Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge:2 Pet. 1:5;Nephi had a great knowledge of the goodness of God:1 Ne. 1:1;They shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer:2 Ne. 6:11;The righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their righteousness:2 Ne. 9:14;The Spirit gives knowledge:Alma 18:35;Your knowledge is perfect in that thing:Alma 32:34;The Lamanites shall be brought to the true knowledge of their Redeemer:Hel. 15:13;Ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God:Moro. 7:15–17;The Saints shall find great treasures of knowledge:D&C 89:19;Pure knowledge greatly enlarges the soul:D&C 121:42;He who has the keys of the holy priesthood has no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts:D&C 128:11;If a person gains knowledge in this life, he has an advantage in the world to come:D&C 130:19;It is impossible to be saved in ignorance:D&C 131:6;"
Knowledge is an important thing in this life and it is the only thing we may take with us in the world to come therefore time and energy spent acquiring knowledge is never wasted. Jesus came as a bringer of light and wisdom, He bestowed upon all generations, possessing open minds and hearts, the keys of knowledge.
But in order to gain the keys of spiritual knowledge you must be wary of those who try to remove from your grasp those very keys. Speaking of the Pharisees Jesus said this:
"45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.(Luke 11:45-54)"
In verse 46 Jesus says that the Pharisees layden the people who follow them with undue burdens that are as impossible to carry as they are damaging and painful to carry but worse yet they burden them with things they need not be bothered with in the first place.
Things like lacing up one sandal before another every time, bathing rituals, all manner of rituals that have nothing to do with attaining meaningful knowledge of the spirit or of entering the Kingdom of God.
Jesus says the Kingdom of God is within you. Jesus implies that the path to the Kingdom is an inner journey not based on the outward signs of righteousness and the legalistic rituals of the Pharisees. And I'm sure you are as aware as I am that modern LDS leaders and culture place the same emphasis on outward signs of righteousness, on certain rituals and cultural expectations that the Pharisees did in their time. The inner path to the Kingdom of God that is within you is dismissed entirely it seems.
Modern leaders teach things like "Your eternal salvation depends on attending meetings like Elder's Quorum, Relief Society and Sunday School; doing your home or visiting teaching, paying your tithing and living the Word of Wisdom."
Scripture says to hold to the word of God as an iron rod leading the way back to God, it says to avoid reliance on "The Arm of the Flesh," and nowhere in scripture is it said that your eternal salvation hinges on attending meetings, paying tithing or in rituals like home or visiting teaching.
In verse 52 Jesus says that the Pharisees have not entered the Kingdom and have actually hindered others from entering! How did they hinder others? Maybe by focusing on every outward and legalistic detail of the law of Moses rather than by consulting with the spirit of God behind each letter of the law as inscribed not just on the parchment of the scriptures but on the living hearts of his children.
"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.(Jeremiah 31:33)"
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.(2 Corinthians 3:3)"
The key of knowledge is to me like the key of a map; if you do not understand how to use it then the map, or in this case the scriptures, become useless. A person's righteousness cannot accurately be gauged solely on appearances. You cannot know what's on a persons heart just by knowing whether or not they passed the Temple Recommend interview.
Appearances can be deceiving. The clean shaven look that so many are judged by in church these days is actually frowned upon in the Old Testament, for example:
"You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard" (Leviticus 19:27); "They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh" (Leviticus 21:5).
My point is that anyone can fake appearances and appear to be righteous when the internal righteousness is nearly impossible to fake. Think about the people who have known in your life, all of them. Now think about the few of them that you would describe as being truly Christlike. Their countenance is entirely different than that of the average person isn't it?
They treat all with kindness, compassion, understanding and love. Even those that hate them they treat with the same love. That is nearly impossible for most of us so how are they doing so so effortlessly? Is it because they recognize that the Kingdom of God lies within and they delve deep inside themselves and pull out that Christlike love, they unlock the doors of the Kingdom within and allow it to enter into our world through them?
In the Gospel of Thomas, whose historical reliability is hotly debated, Jesus says something that bears repeating. He says in verse 67 "One who knows everything but lacks in oneself lacks everything."
So worldly knowledge or legalistic scriptural knowledge does not dictate righteousness because there may be some degree of righteousness and spiritual understanding lacking. But developing true spiritual knowledge leads to walking the walk not just talking the talk. By judging the righteousness of others based on outward appearances you are judging someone based on them talking the talk but by paying attention to the countenance of an individual you may know whether or not they are walking the walk. If you would describe them as displaying Christlike love to all they meet, whether a homeless beggar on the street, whether a clerk at a gas station or whether a Bishop or Stake President then the word righteous may be fitting of them.
But the question of how to judge others is really a moot point and not just unnecessary, in contrast to the importance LDS leaders place on "righteous judgment," it is forbidden by Christ:
The reason I bring all this focus on judgment up is because the modern LDS leaders and culture draw your attention away from the importance of the Keys of Knowledge and the first key to me is that the Kingdom of God is within you, that is where you discover all the other keys.
To me the outer world exists to provide us with inspiration, experience and contrast whereas the inner world exists to provide us with spiritual confirmation, communion with God, knowledge of self and therefore knowledge of others and solitude and spiritual rejuvination as a result of all those things.
Prayer and meditation have been scientifically shown to produce the same effects on the mind, body and I presume soul. Those effects include harmonizing your higher cerebral functions with the more irrational animalistic side of your brain so that you control your brain, rather than allowing your emotions and desires to rule you.
This article written by Dr. Rebecca Gladding shows you better than I ever could what exactly those effects are and to some degree why they take place. To maximize the positive results all that is required is to practice daily meditation and/or prayer for approximately 20 minutes a day.
I wrote about scriptural references to meditation here. And here Jesus mentions how to pray:
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.
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.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 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)What's the best way to gain privacy and serenity? To close the door to your room or to close the door to your outward senses and journey inward to meet you Father who is always with you and seek his guidance, companionship and love?
The path to salvation lies in knowledge of oneself, of God, and the word of God serves as guidance but the inward journey provides you with the Holy Spirit which is your personal guide along the path. Rather than trying to "aid" someone in their salvation by "righteously judging" them try being the kind of friend a friend would like to have. Extend Christlike love, compassion, understanding and friendship with all your brothers and sisters you come into contact with. Allow others to partake of the gift of the atonement provided by Christ. And pray or meditate with them and see if that is a better help to their journey back to God and towards salvation than simply judging them "righteously."
But before you can lead they way to the Kingdom of God you must journey within to open the gates and let the living water of Christ flow out into the world first. Be a living well, a living spring sharing that living water of Christ with all you meet.
June 10, 2013
All Love Is Equal
I went to Gay Pride in Salt Lake City about a week ago and it was great. My wife and I had a great time, we took our friends teenager to meet one of her friends who she couldn't find but she had fun and I paid for my wife to get a Hena tattoo and got one for the teenager too. Now I wanted to march with Mormons for Marriage Equality but couldn't find the time.
In the Bible many think homosexuality is condemned but if you check out this link you will see that all is not as it appears. The preeminent scholars and theologians on the Bible have different ideas. One thing that is mentioned is the fact that lesbianism in never once mentioned in the Bible as being an abomination or not. It is simply not discussed. But the "a man shall not lie with a man as with a woman" seems to be more about treating a man as a man and not as a woman rather than condemning gay men.
I don't think sexuality, homosexual or heterosexual orientations, are a matter of choice. Listening to the many gay people I have known throughout my life the fact that it is not a choice is consistent. And I know my sexuality was never a choice(and science backs this up)any more than my race or gender.
A question many have though is why, if it is not a choice, would God make anyone gay? Only he knows for sure. But maybe for the same reason he created different races, different genders, differences in age groups, personalities, mental health or deficiencies, hair and eye coloring, differences in religions, philosophies and beliefs. Precisely to encourage us to be more tolerant and loving of those who are different form ourselves. How is that such a crazy idea?
When people say to you that you are not Christian because you're Mormon, that you worship a different Jesus and proceed to tell you "What Mormons really believe" how is that not at the least latently hateful? I think it is hateful because what it is doing is stripping you of your Christianity which is the core of your faith.
So by saying to a gay couple that the love they share, the compassion the desire to be one another's best friend and partner in life, the number one champion and cheerleader of their love, that that love is an abomination to God; how is that not hateful? How can you not see the harm and deeply negative impact of those words and those attitudes?
What's more of an abomination to God; treating gay people in such a way that they would rather take their own life rather than suffer through that kind of treatment or just staying true to the way God made them?
What do you think God would rather see? You unconditionally love and respect all of his children regardless of how he made them or see you "righteously judge" and condemn and harass his children because the way he made them makes you feel uncomfortable or offends your delicate sensibilities?
All love is equal in my mind and I don't see anything insidious about love between consenting adults however it is expressed regardless of who expresses it.
How can we expect to teach our gay brothers and sisters that The Lord loves them if we do not show them love? How can we say we love The Lord who we have not seen if we do not love our gay brothers and sisters who we have seen?
Many gay teens are left to live on the streets after being shut out of their own homes for being gay. Would The Lord be pleased that you refused to feed, clothe or shelter your own child because they sin differently than you? Remember that Jesus said "As ye have done it unto the least of my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."
So how you treat gay people is something Jesus takes personally, as if you treated him that way. And our gay brothers and sisters are considered the least amongst us given that "That is so gay" gets repeated so often, daily in fact. Gay is synonymous with the lesser.
Jesus cared for all those who had been ostracized by the society of his day. Because they had no one else to care for them, Jesus extended love, respect and compassion to all regardless of their sexual orientation.
We are to love The Lord our God with all our heart and all our minds and all our energy. And we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, even our enemies. Love lights the way to the path of salvation for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters. Remember Jesus cam into the world not to condemn it but to redeem it therefore salvation cannot be found or provided through condemnation but only through unconditional love like that Christ displayed when he provided us with the gift of the atonement.
Embrace that gift, and extend it to all, allow others to partake of it as intended.
In the Bible many think homosexuality is condemned but if you check out this link you will see that all is not as it appears. The preeminent scholars and theologians on the Bible have different ideas. One thing that is mentioned is the fact that lesbianism in never once mentioned in the Bible as being an abomination or not. It is simply not discussed. But the "a man shall not lie with a man as with a woman" seems to be more about treating a man as a man and not as a woman rather than condemning gay men.
I don't think sexuality, homosexual or heterosexual orientations, are a matter of choice. Listening to the many gay people I have known throughout my life the fact that it is not a choice is consistent. And I know my sexuality was never a choice(and science backs this up)any more than my race or gender.
A question many have though is why, if it is not a choice, would God make anyone gay? Only he knows for sure. But maybe for the same reason he created different races, different genders, differences in age groups, personalities, mental health or deficiencies, hair and eye coloring, differences in religions, philosophies and beliefs. Precisely to encourage us to be more tolerant and loving of those who are different form ourselves. How is that such a crazy idea?
When people say to you that you are not Christian because you're Mormon, that you worship a different Jesus and proceed to tell you "What Mormons really believe" how is that not at the least latently hateful? I think it is hateful because what it is doing is stripping you of your Christianity which is the core of your faith.
So by saying to a gay couple that the love they share, the compassion the desire to be one another's best friend and partner in life, the number one champion and cheerleader of their love, that that love is an abomination to God; how is that not hateful? How can you not see the harm and deeply negative impact of those words and those attitudes?
What's more of an abomination to God; treating gay people in such a way that they would rather take their own life rather than suffer through that kind of treatment or just staying true to the way God made them?
What do you think God would rather see? You unconditionally love and respect all of his children regardless of how he made them or see you "righteously judge" and condemn and harass his children because the way he made them makes you feel uncomfortable or offends your delicate sensibilities?
All love is equal in my mind and I don't see anything insidious about love between consenting adults however it is expressed regardless of who expresses it.
How can we expect to teach our gay brothers and sisters that The Lord loves them if we do not show them love? How can we say we love The Lord who we have not seen if we do not love our gay brothers and sisters who we have seen?
Many gay teens are left to live on the streets after being shut out of their own homes for being gay. Would The Lord be pleased that you refused to feed, clothe or shelter your own child because they sin differently than you? Remember that Jesus said "As ye have done it unto the least of my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."
So how you treat gay people is something Jesus takes personally, as if you treated him that way. And our gay brothers and sisters are considered the least amongst us given that "That is so gay" gets repeated so often, daily in fact. Gay is synonymous with the lesser.
Jesus cared for all those who had been ostracized by the society of his day. Because they had no one else to care for them, Jesus extended love, respect and compassion to all regardless of their sexual orientation.
We are to love The Lord our God with all our heart and all our minds and all our energy. And we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, even our enemies. Love lights the way to the path of salvation for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters. Remember Jesus cam into the world not to condemn it but to redeem it therefore salvation cannot be found or provided through condemnation but only through unconditional love like that Christ displayed when he provided us with the gift of the atonement.
Embrace that gift, and extend it to all, allow others to partake of it as intended.
June 8, 2013
Throwing Stones
Shane Claiborne, an Evangelical Preacher, once said something like "The closer you are to God, the less you want to throw stones."
Jesus himself, being arguably closer to God than any other person, once said "He who is without sin may cast the first stone." Is it not worth looking at that the soul closest to God not only refused to throw stones himself but used cutting wit to show others why they should not throw them as well?
Yet I have never seen people more in the habit of throwing stones than those who claim to follow Jesus, the one who never threw them and pointed out that none of us have that right either. Why is that? Is it because we mistakenly, in absence of scripture saying we should AND in opposition of scripture saying we shouldn't, throw stones by "righteously" judging those who aren't as "righteous" as we, or at least as righteous as they should be?
So not only do some judge "righteously," they judge by a different standard depending on which group you belong to. If they know you and like you, they are likely to give you some slack, if they don't know you but know your "kind," and therefore know all they "need" to, they are much more harsh in their judgement.
I have long believed that the purpose of life is to love and be loved unconditionally, this includes our enemies especially since those who are hateful, judgmental and use the word of God to demean others need that love more than most. I have always felt the purpose of the scriptures is to inspire that unconditional love of God within each one of us and show us not just tell us how we can apply that unconditional love in everyday life. Times may change, but our humanity is eternal and it is that humanity that requires the nourishment of divine unconditional love from us all and from the Almighty Himself.
One reason those who are closer to God feel no need or desire to throw stones is because you cannot extend love to others or even to yourself at the same time you throw stones. Those two practices are at opposite ends of the human condition. Judging others, throwing stones literally or figuratively at those who sin differently than you is an attitude indicative of fear because maybe you fear the sin of others will infect you like a virus. We as a culture and community often shun those who sin, those who commit an unforgivable act which according to Jesus and examples in scripture does not fit any sin.
The Apostle Paul contributed the the murder of the first Christian Martyr Stephen, yet God forgave him. Matthew was a tax collector who robbed his own people of what little they had to provide the Romans, who ruthlessly occupied the Holy Land, with more and more wealth and power.
The scriptures say Jesus came into the world not to condemn it but to save it. Therefore, condemnation is not the path to salvation of yourself or others. But love is.
And though Russel M. Nelson may say God's love is conditional, anyone who has felt God's love, anyone who has felt the presence of the Lord knows that is a boldfaced falsehood that would make a baby cry. Because every child knows love is unconditional. As you did when you were a child, until your elders taught you differently. The love of men can be conditional but who wants that? That is unhealthy for the "lover" and the "loved." Ask any therapist.
In Isaiah and in Romans scripture says essentially that the Law of God was written on the human heart. This is known now as your conscience and together with the Holy Spirit you are guided through any and all situations life presents you with, that is how Christ nailed Mosaic Law to the Cross as scripture also says. Once Jesus made it known that this is how you are guided, because the Kingdom of God is within you the Kingdom enters into the world through you. And the laundry list of commandments becomes unnecessary because the right answer will be known to you through confirmation of the spirit.
We are living Temples. Our bodies are temples and we bear the divine image of God. Not just physically but internally as well. And as disciples we are called to act as Christ would were he here with us today. Love and faith is what gives the priesthood its power. And if you have faith in a just God, then you should have faith to know that no good will be done by throwing stones, literally or figuratively. It is not his will since Jesus never did so when he was with us and was handed an opportunity more than once to throw them and was sinless enough to have the right to throw them. He did not, instead he told the adulteress "Neither do I condemn thee....go and sin no more."
We, as disciples, are called to love our enemies not to condemn them. You can't force someone to change, you can only inspire them to change. The Gospel spreads best through fascination not force. If we were a truly Christlike community and culture we would have people saying "If that is what it means to be Mormon, I want to be one of them!"
Yet more often then not people view us as hypocrites because so many of our leaders and members use scripture to shame, shun and condemn those who sin differently than we do. We do not, as Jesus did, live up to the sermon on the Mount. The teachings that call us to care for the needy, the poor, the ostracized, the sinners. We teach that love is conditional, even God's love when the truth is by concentrating only on outward signs of righteousness we miss the inward signs that are more important.
Those signs can be answered only by the individual who will be asked by Christ on judgement day whether or not they feed him when he was hungry, if they gave him drink when he was thirsty, if they visited him in prison, if they made him feel welcomed when he was a stranger. Many farm out their charity and alms, if they bother to give at all, to companies and organizations. But Jesus wont ask if we paid someone to do those things for him, he will ask us if we did those things for him.
Jesus said "he who loses his life in me will find it." What that means to me is when you dedicate yourself, your life to Christ as any Temple is dedicated to the Lord, you then find your true self. When you serve the Lord and others rather than your own self interests then you are fit to lead others into the Kingdom because you will show them the way into it by opening the doors of the Kingdom within and let the living water of God pour out and sustain all those you come into contact with.
Jesus refused to throw stones at the adulteress, who deserved it most according to the legalistic outward motivated Pharisees, and instead extended grace, mercy and unconditional love to a woman who needed it more than most. Jesus never met a prostitute, or a murderer, or a slave, a King. He only met sons and daughters of God along their path back to God.
The festival of colors is a Hindu Holy festival in which people throw colors at each other to celebrate the colors of spring and new life in bloom. The comradely is magical. I have been to one myself and it was a beautiful experience.
Jesus threw colors of love, comradely, compassion and of new life and love found in abundance in the Kingdom of God.
Let us follow in his footsteps.
Jesus himself, being arguably closer to God than any other person, once said "He who is without sin may cast the first stone." Is it not worth looking at that the soul closest to God not only refused to throw stones himself but used cutting wit to show others why they should not throw them as well?
Yet I have never seen people more in the habit of throwing stones than those who claim to follow Jesus, the one who never threw them and pointed out that none of us have that right either. Why is that? Is it because we mistakenly, in absence of scripture saying we should AND in opposition of scripture saying we shouldn't, throw stones by "righteously" judging those who aren't as "righteous" as we, or at least as righteous as they should be?
So not only do some judge "righteously," they judge by a different standard depending on which group you belong to. If they know you and like you, they are likely to give you some slack, if they don't know you but know your "kind," and therefore know all they "need" to, they are much more harsh in their judgement.
I have long believed that the purpose of life is to love and be loved unconditionally, this includes our enemies especially since those who are hateful, judgmental and use the word of God to demean others need that love more than most. I have always felt the purpose of the scriptures is to inspire that unconditional love of God within each one of us and show us not just tell us how we can apply that unconditional love in everyday life. Times may change, but our humanity is eternal and it is that humanity that requires the nourishment of divine unconditional love from us all and from the Almighty Himself.
One reason those who are closer to God feel no need or desire to throw stones is because you cannot extend love to others or even to yourself at the same time you throw stones. Those two practices are at opposite ends of the human condition. Judging others, throwing stones literally or figuratively at those who sin differently than you is an attitude indicative of fear because maybe you fear the sin of others will infect you like a virus. We as a culture and community often shun those who sin, those who commit an unforgivable act which according to Jesus and examples in scripture does not fit any sin.
The Apostle Paul contributed the the murder of the first Christian Martyr Stephen, yet God forgave him. Matthew was a tax collector who robbed his own people of what little they had to provide the Romans, who ruthlessly occupied the Holy Land, with more and more wealth and power.
The scriptures say Jesus came into the world not to condemn it but to save it. Therefore, condemnation is not the path to salvation of yourself or others. But love is.
And though Russel M. Nelson may say God's love is conditional, anyone who has felt God's love, anyone who has felt the presence of the Lord knows that is a boldfaced falsehood that would make a baby cry. Because every child knows love is unconditional. As you did when you were a child, until your elders taught you differently. The love of men can be conditional but who wants that? That is unhealthy for the "lover" and the "loved." Ask any therapist.
In Isaiah and in Romans scripture says essentially that the Law of God was written on the human heart. This is known now as your conscience and together with the Holy Spirit you are guided through any and all situations life presents you with, that is how Christ nailed Mosaic Law to the Cross as scripture also says. Once Jesus made it known that this is how you are guided, because the Kingdom of God is within you the Kingdom enters into the world through you. And the laundry list of commandments becomes unnecessary because the right answer will be known to you through confirmation of the spirit.
We are living Temples. Our bodies are temples and we bear the divine image of God. Not just physically but internally as well. And as disciples we are called to act as Christ would were he here with us today. Love and faith is what gives the priesthood its power. And if you have faith in a just God, then you should have faith to know that no good will be done by throwing stones, literally or figuratively. It is not his will since Jesus never did so when he was with us and was handed an opportunity more than once to throw them and was sinless enough to have the right to throw them. He did not, instead he told the adulteress "Neither do I condemn thee....go and sin no more."
We, as disciples, are called to love our enemies not to condemn them. You can't force someone to change, you can only inspire them to change. The Gospel spreads best through fascination not force. If we were a truly Christlike community and culture we would have people saying "If that is what it means to be Mormon, I want to be one of them!"
Yet more often then not people view us as hypocrites because so many of our leaders and members use scripture to shame, shun and condemn those who sin differently than we do. We do not, as Jesus did, live up to the sermon on the Mount. The teachings that call us to care for the needy, the poor, the ostracized, the sinners. We teach that love is conditional, even God's love when the truth is by concentrating only on outward signs of righteousness we miss the inward signs that are more important.
Those signs can be answered only by the individual who will be asked by Christ on judgement day whether or not they feed him when he was hungry, if they gave him drink when he was thirsty, if they visited him in prison, if they made him feel welcomed when he was a stranger. Many farm out their charity and alms, if they bother to give at all, to companies and organizations. But Jesus wont ask if we paid someone to do those things for him, he will ask us if we did those things for him.
Jesus said "he who loses his life in me will find it." What that means to me is when you dedicate yourself, your life to Christ as any Temple is dedicated to the Lord, you then find your true self. When you serve the Lord and others rather than your own self interests then you are fit to lead others into the Kingdom because you will show them the way into it by opening the doors of the Kingdom within and let the living water of God pour out and sustain all those you come into contact with.
Jesus refused to throw stones at the adulteress, who deserved it most according to the legalistic outward motivated Pharisees, and instead extended grace, mercy and unconditional love to a woman who needed it more than most. Jesus never met a prostitute, or a murderer, or a slave, a King. He only met sons and daughters of God along their path back to God.
The festival of colors is a Hindu Holy festival in which people throw colors at each other to celebrate the colors of spring and new life in bloom. The comradely is magical. I have been to one myself and it was a beautiful experience.
Jesus threw colors of love, comradely, compassion and of new life and love found in abundance in the Kingdom of God.
Let us follow in his footsteps.
May 7, 2013
True Disciples and the True Church
I've been thinking about why us latterday saints feel we are the true disciples of Christ, why we feel "this Church is true."
We seem to feel that it's obvious because we have the priesthood and the miracles from that are proof, or that we perform good works like paying our tithing so that our Church can afford to perform and provide charity on our behalf as if we aren't asked to perform charity ourselves because tithing is simply the logistical support and means by which to build a literal Zion community.
And every faith has seen documented miracles, many say this is because they are performed by the power of Satan but when the Pharisees made that argument against Jesus He said "by what power do you perform miracles?" Meaning, I think, that God works miracles for all his children at times because he loves us unconditionally despite our short comings. If anything else were the case, He would not have sent His only begotten to die for us to be redeemed.
I think it honestly boils down to the same mantra repeated and used by every Church to prove they are the only path to God. Which is to say, "I know this Church is true because the spirit has told me so, my parents have told me so, the only scriptures I have read tell me so. And I know my faith is valid but everyone else who has faith in another Church has been deceived."
Which to a certain extent is valid because ultimately all we have is our faith, if we had proof we couldn't in anyway have anything deserving of the term faith.
But Jesus laid out signs by which his true disciples would be recognized. Regardless of what Church you belong to you can by Jesus' definition be Christian by living up to the guidelines he laid out. Which are "My disciples will be known by their love." Jesus said and demonstrated much about love. He said the two greatest commandments are loving God with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your might AND the second is like it; to love your neighbor as yourself. He also said to love your enemies and pray for those that curse you.
Many say they will pray for you when they are offended by your words or actions, but all too often it is a put down that you need their all mighty righteous selves praying for a sinner such as you. When what I think Jesus meant by that was that we pray that their sins be pardoned, that they find their way back to God with the same concern we show our loved ones and ourselves as Jesus did for those who beat and crucified Him.
We may do well as a people to skirt the term Christian and opt for the term Christ-likes instead, if only to remind us to be Christ-like rather than fight for our right to be validated by the rest of American Christianity. And essentially miss the point of what it means to be a true disciple. The point isn't that you are granted entry into the cool kids club and get to exclude those you deem undesirable and unworthy of entry. The point is that you speak, act, and serve as Christ would were He here with us in the flesh today, the way He did so well during His life and ministry.
My point isn't to say we don't possess the fullness of Gospel truth but that as a Church and and a people we will not be recognized as Christians by Christ by ensuring the success of Prop 8 and denying children of God their God given free agency or by building a great and spacious building for 5 Billion dollars so we can all go buy pretty toys and clothes.
We will be recognized as true disciples, true Christians by Christ if and only if we attract the outcasts of society, if we serve them, if we love the most despised sinners amongst us back into the Kingdom and serve them as we would serve Christ because to serve the least of our brothers and sisters is to serve Christ, "in as much as you have done it unto the least of these my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."
But if we are the true disciples, why aren't we attracting the outcasts amongst us? Because we ostracize and judge them as much as the pharisees of Jesus' life time judged him for consorting with sinners and those who "were not worthy of God."
See, we all sin and thanks to the atonement we are all forgiven. We need only accept the path Jesus walked and laid out for us to benefit from the gift of the atonement. Yet far too many feel as if the atonement doesn't apply to everyone, I mean rapist, criminals, drug users or whoever commits the sins you hate most. But the scriptures say Jesus was sent to redeem mankind, not select individuals.
Why do we feel that some sins are fine but some are deal breakers, or worse that any sin is a deal breaker and makes you unworthy of God. Repentance is the solution. The atonement is the answer, we are all entitled to it. Why do so many believe some are unworthy of the atonement? Because they sin differenty and therefore must be shunned out of the Church and our families like homeless gay youth kicked out of their homes by their good "Christian" parents? We all sin in some way, it doesn't matter when you make it into the Kingdom, just that you accept the atonement, repent for your sins and make and effort to connect with God before judgment day.
The laborers in the vineyard illustrates that point succinctly.
In the parable a vineyard owner, representing God, hires laborers from the morning til the evening. And in the end he gives all the laborers the same wages even though some had been working and some just only got there and barely did any work. The message is that all get the same reward if they make it to the master of the vineyard in time. The same is true of the Kingdom, if you repent and accept the atonement before judgement day, you have made it my friend.
"And the last shall be the first, and the first shall be last."
I feel this means that those in authority who all too often develop a holier than thou attitude who also become very judgmental towards others to the point that they use the Gospel and scriptures as weapons to degrade, to vilify, to dismiss those who simply sin differently than they do because those who feel they are more worthy often feel that the rest of us are unworthy and they appoint themselves as watchmen on the tower deciding who's in and who's out. They may get in, but they will be the last, whereas those who suffer at their hands will reap their reward first as Lazarus did in the Lazarus and the Rich man parable.
Even if we possess the Gospel in all it's fullness it is hollow without the action and effort of Christlike service, love and forgiveness given to all we cross paths with and all those we share our home, city, state, nation and globe with.
All I'm saying is we are know more for our judgmental qualities as most Christians in this country are but more so thanks to the Prop 8 debacle, than we are for the Christlike qualities we possess. We degrade and vilify the homeless as if they have committed a crime by being so poor they are reduced to the streets, or by being so mentally ill that they fall into street life.
How can we worship a homeless man, and his mostly homeless followers on Sunday only to berate, degrade and disparage them the rest of the week?
We have our failings, we are human, it happens. But maybe that's because the bar has been set so high, but regardless of that we can, should and are called to do so much more. We are called to be so much more. We can be so much better, we can be who Jesus is.
We seem to feel that it's obvious because we have the priesthood and the miracles from that are proof, or that we perform good works like paying our tithing so that our Church can afford to perform and provide charity on our behalf as if we aren't asked to perform charity ourselves because tithing is simply the logistical support and means by which to build a literal Zion community.
And every faith has seen documented miracles, many say this is because they are performed by the power of Satan but when the Pharisees made that argument against Jesus He said "by what power do you perform miracles?" Meaning, I think, that God works miracles for all his children at times because he loves us unconditionally despite our short comings. If anything else were the case, He would not have sent His only begotten to die for us to be redeemed.
I think it honestly boils down to the same mantra repeated and used by every Church to prove they are the only path to God. Which is to say, "I know this Church is true because the spirit has told me so, my parents have told me so, the only scriptures I have read tell me so. And I know my faith is valid but everyone else who has faith in another Church has been deceived."
Which to a certain extent is valid because ultimately all we have is our faith, if we had proof we couldn't in anyway have anything deserving of the term faith.
But Jesus laid out signs by which his true disciples would be recognized. Regardless of what Church you belong to you can by Jesus' definition be Christian by living up to the guidelines he laid out. Which are "My disciples will be known by their love." Jesus said and demonstrated much about love. He said the two greatest commandments are loving God with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your might AND the second is like it; to love your neighbor as yourself. He also said to love your enemies and pray for those that curse you.
Many say they will pray for you when they are offended by your words or actions, but all too often it is a put down that you need their all mighty righteous selves praying for a sinner such as you. When what I think Jesus meant by that was that we pray that their sins be pardoned, that they find their way back to God with the same concern we show our loved ones and ourselves as Jesus did for those who beat and crucified Him.
We may do well as a people to skirt the term Christian and opt for the term Christ-likes instead, if only to remind us to be Christ-like rather than fight for our right to be validated by the rest of American Christianity. And essentially miss the point of what it means to be a true disciple. The point isn't that you are granted entry into the cool kids club and get to exclude those you deem undesirable and unworthy of entry. The point is that you speak, act, and serve as Christ would were He here with us in the flesh today, the way He did so well during His life and ministry.
My point isn't to say we don't possess the fullness of Gospel truth but that as a Church and and a people we will not be recognized as Christians by Christ by ensuring the success of Prop 8 and denying children of God their God given free agency or by building a great and spacious building for 5 Billion dollars so we can all go buy pretty toys and clothes.
We will be recognized as true disciples, true Christians by Christ if and only if we attract the outcasts of society, if we serve them, if we love the most despised sinners amongst us back into the Kingdom and serve them as we would serve Christ because to serve the least of our brothers and sisters is to serve Christ, "in as much as you have done it unto the least of these my bretheren, ye have done it unto me."
But if we are the true disciples, why aren't we attracting the outcasts amongst us? Because we ostracize and judge them as much as the pharisees of Jesus' life time judged him for consorting with sinners and those who "were not worthy of God."
See, we all sin and thanks to the atonement we are all forgiven. We need only accept the path Jesus walked and laid out for us to benefit from the gift of the atonement. Yet far too many feel as if the atonement doesn't apply to everyone, I mean rapist, criminals, drug users or whoever commits the sins you hate most. But the scriptures say Jesus was sent to redeem mankind, not select individuals.
Why do we feel that some sins are fine but some are deal breakers, or worse that any sin is a deal breaker and makes you unworthy of God. Repentance is the solution. The atonement is the answer, we are all entitled to it. Why do so many believe some are unworthy of the atonement? Because they sin differenty and therefore must be shunned out of the Church and our families like homeless gay youth kicked out of their homes by their good "Christian" parents? We all sin in some way, it doesn't matter when you make it into the Kingdom, just that you accept the atonement, repent for your sins and make and effort to connect with God before judgment day.
The laborers in the vineyard illustrates that point succinctly.
In the parable a vineyard owner, representing God, hires laborers from the morning til the evening. And in the end he gives all the laborers the same wages even though some had been working and some just only got there and barely did any work. The message is that all get the same reward if they make it to the master of the vineyard in time. The same is true of the Kingdom, if you repent and accept the atonement before judgement day, you have made it my friend.
"And the last shall be the first, and the first shall be last."
I feel this means that those in authority who all too often develop a holier than thou attitude who also become very judgmental towards others to the point that they use the Gospel and scriptures as weapons to degrade, to vilify, to dismiss those who simply sin differently than they do because those who feel they are more worthy often feel that the rest of us are unworthy and they appoint themselves as watchmen on the tower deciding who's in and who's out. They may get in, but they will be the last, whereas those who suffer at their hands will reap their reward first as Lazarus did in the Lazarus and the Rich man parable.
Even if we possess the Gospel in all it's fullness it is hollow without the action and effort of Christlike service, love and forgiveness given to all we cross paths with and all those we share our home, city, state, nation and globe with.
All I'm saying is we are know more for our judgmental qualities as most Christians in this country are but more so thanks to the Prop 8 debacle, than we are for the Christlike qualities we possess. We degrade and vilify the homeless as if they have committed a crime by being so poor they are reduced to the streets, or by being so mentally ill that they fall into street life.
How can we worship a homeless man, and his mostly homeless followers on Sunday only to berate, degrade and disparage them the rest of the week?
We have our failings, we are human, it happens. But maybe that's because the bar has been set so high, but regardless of that we can, should and are called to do so much more. We are called to be so much more. We can be so much better, we can be who Jesus is.
April 19, 2013
The Arm of the Flesh
In light of the flak I have taken over my criticism of Prophets, Seers and Revelators such as Boyd K. Packer and others I have decided that the best explanation I can give is a refresher course of sorts on a main point of LDS doctrine that has been glossed over for so long it is nothing more than a memory to many members.
You are likely familiar with the idea that the Prophet can not lead us astray. This was an invention by Wilford Woodruff, not a revelation or scriptural quote from the word of God.
Being LDS we believe in revelation both personal and coming from the Lord through his Prophets. Thus, short of revelation coming directly from the Lord our Prophets, Seers and Revelators are speaking as men and as such we rightly must not put any more or any less stock in their words than we would any member of our own wards.
To validate my points I refer to scripture; the iron rod of the word of God we are admonished to hold to and follow in spite of any guidance offered from any other source.
O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever, I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. (2 Nephi 4:34)
-That covenant, made by Nephi, is a covenant that all those who are sincere seekers after the mind and will of the Lord should make.
Can the Prophet ever lead the church astray?
No.
Why not?
Because he's the Prophet.
How do we know that to be true?
Because the Lord will never let that happen.
Who Says so?
The Prophet says so.
Why should we believe him?
Because the Prophet will never lead the church astray.
Why not?
Because he's the Prophet.
This is the definition of Circular Reasoning according to dictionary.com:
"a use of reason in which the premises depends on or is equivalent to the conclusion, a method of false logic by which 'this is used to prove that, and that is used to prove this'; also called circular logic."
To be clear it was Wilford Woodruff who said it "I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty."
This is what the follow the leader, follow the Prophet mentality is. We are admonished to hold to the iron rod which represents the word of God according to Nephi in scripture. We are never admonished to follow mere men whatever their calling or title. In fact we are warned repeatedly to avoid relying on the Arm of the flesh. Sadly, most Mormons are unaware of this because were we to study these particular passages in Church many may begin to question the infallible authority of those who are appointed over us.
As an example of this follow the leader mentality, I'll next point you to "14 fundamentals of following the Prophet." by then Elder Ezra Taft Benson during President Kimball's time. According to Kimball's son Edward, Kimball took Benson to task for espousing this follow the leader mentality that Kimball didn't want members to buy into; remember for the longest time in our history Mormons were known for their independence not for their worship of leadership.
Elder Poelman's October 1984 general conference talk was censored. He had to give it again and were it not for VCR's it would have disappeared down the memory hole. Poleman began his talk by reminding us that there is an important difference between the gospel and the Church. "There is a distinction between them which is significant", he said, "and it is very important that this distinction be understood."
Poelman cautioned that failure to distinguish between the two, and to keep each in its proper perspective and place, could lead to "confusion and misplaced priorities".“When we understand the difference between the gospel and the church and the appropriate function of each in our lives, we are much more likely to do the right things for the right reasons.”
Elder Poelman admonished us all to remain mindful that every church member has not only the right, but also the obligation to exercise their free agency and receive a personal witness not only of gospel principles, but also of Church practices. “In response to study, prayer and by the influence of the Holy Spirit we may seek and obtain an individual, personal witness that the principle or counsel is correct and divinely inspired.”
“As individually and collectively we increase our knowledge, acceptance, and application of gospel principles, we become less dependent on Church programs. Our lives become gospel centered.”
So it was that the entire meaning of Elder Poelman's inspired and needed talk that was perverted for the benefit of the corporate church and not for the benefit of those seeking Christ and the Father. For example, in his original talk, Elder Poelman said “it is not enough that we obey the commandments and counsel of Church leaders.”
That line was changed to “We should obey the commandments and counsel of Church leaders.”
Poelman's statement that “the orthodoxy upon which we insist must be founded in fundamental principles and eternal law, including free agency and the divine uniqueness of the individual,” became this:
“The orthodoxy upon which we insist must be founded in fundamental principles, eternal law, and direction given by those authorized in the Church.”
Every single solitary reference to free agency in the original was deleted except one, and oddly enough had been altered to imply that free agency is only effective under Church leadership and approval.
Read the two talks side by side to get a much better, albeit more disturbing understanding of what the brethren did to alter the fundamental premise of Elder Poleman's talk.
You can view the original talk here and here. If it looks wonky it is because the only copies were recorded by members, the corporate church flushed the original down the memory hole; if you want to view the fake one contact church head quarters and ask for Poleman's October 1984 talk and you'll be directed to the fake one.
Speaking of 1984 and a dystopian future of an all powerful institution that indoctrinates its people with the belief that the people exsist to serve their leaders rather than the other way around. In the novel the mantra of the people is "ignorance is strength." These people would fit right in with the members you've heard say "not everything useful is true."
However, everything that is true is useful to those who are seeking out the path back to the Father. We are encouraged in scripture to always be increasing in knowledge, that is the essence of eternal progression.
I highly recommend reading or watching Elder Poleman's talk because he says it much better than I ever could and were it not for so many members having VCR's in 1984 his original talk would have been lost forever down the memory hole.
And the reason for my weariness of the corporate church and leaders like Packer is that so often the intolerance they preached can not be backed up by scripture or by the example of the way Christ spoke to and treated those he met. That and these same leaders insist that everyone stand when they enter a room. That sounds like they demand we bow down to their authority in the same way my superiors did when I was in the Military.
Military like authoritarianism in our church is not for our benefit, it is not for the benefit of the Gospel but it clearly benefits the power and authority of the leaders. So why do we allow this?
During the early years of our church we would vote on how to conduct business and how to address policy, but no more and it has been this way since the mid 20th century. "When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done." Improvement Era message to Ward Teachers back in 1945. "When the Prophet speaks the debate is over." First Counselor, Eldon Tanner said in 1979. John A. Widtsoe, _Evidences and Reconciliations_, p.236–39 "This is an old question. It was asked of the Prophet Joseph Smith and answered by him. He writes in his journal, "This morning . . . I visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought that ‘a prophet is always a prophet'; but I told them that a prophet is a prophet only when he was acting as such" (Joseph Smith, _History of the Church_, 5:265). "That statement makes a clear distinction between official and unofficial actions and utterances of officers of the Church. In this recorded statement the Prophet Joseph Smith recognizes his special right and duty, as the President and Prophet of the Church, under the inspiration of the Lord, to speak authoritatively and officially for the enlightenment and guidance of the Church. But he claims also the right, as other men, to labor and rest, to work and play, to visit and discuss, to present his opinions and hear the opinion of others, to counsel and bless as a member of the Church."
We very much need to get back to the spirit and conduct of the church as instituted by Joseph Smith. We need that pure Mormonism that Alan Rock Waterman has been arguing in favor of for a few years now.
As Elder Poleman argues, we need to understand the difference between the church and the Gospel and guide ourselves by the Gospel, by the iron rod of God's word in scripture. And keep the institution of the corporate church in it's proper perspective as a delivery system for that Gospel. A system which is fallible no matter how many of these men profess infallibility due to their title and rank.
It seems given the censorship of Poleman's talk and much of this follow the leader mentality preached in church and consistently from the general conference pulpit, that the church is as concerned, or more concerned with, the membership worshiping them as they are concerned with us worshiping Christ.
Our Apostles and GA's are men and I don't believe any man is beyond criticism, so long as the critique isn't reduced to name calling and personal attacks and for as harsh as I was in my last piece, I stayed on point and did not make it personal.
The reason I lament such pharisitical arguments made by Elder Packer and Nelson is because such opinions are almost always used, if not intended to degrade, demean and diminish others. Those we refer to as "other" are cast out of our church and our society but to begin with they are cast out of our family because they are all our brothers and sisters whether we like it or not. Whether we like them or not they are our family and the two greatest commandments according to Jesus are to Love God with all your heart, mind body and soul; and to love your neighbor as yourself, even your enemy.
Peter once asked Jesus how many times should we forgive and Jesus tells him we are to forgive 77 times or 7 times 7 which is a way of saying infinity in the language of their day.
I get how some may find this difficult, being Christian is not easy, but to find it offensive as so many do, I find depressing and disgusting.
My point in this post as well as the last is to show that we need to center our lives on the words of Christ, the words of the Lord, through scripture. For as much as I take issue with the negative sentiments of talks given by some GA's I sustain them because to my mind there are one of 2 reasons a calling is given; either the person being called can benefit those they are called to serve or they are intended to benefit in their own journey from the calling. And those who fall short by making intolerant or misguided talks are the ones who need unconditional love and understanding the most.
I may go overboard in my critiques but I always try to stick to the issue rather than making it personal and if I recall correctly I did say that the comments made by Packer and Nelson were pharisitical rather than calling the GA's names like Pharisee.
That may not be enough of a distinction but it was my way of sticking to the issue rather than making it personal.
We as members don't shy away from telling a member of our own ward if they step out of line and say something that doesn't jive with being Christlike, we should therefore not shy away from saying the same of anyone regardless of calling or title.
And I think it's imortant that even regarding things we shouldn't be tolerant of like bigotry, racism, sexism or anything else we should have a degree of tolerance so that we do not become infected by the sickness of intolerance and over-zealousness. I know I need to work on this as much and maybe more than most but I am always in a process of repentance and exuding effort to progress day by day.
The reason I have an issue with church leadership saying that when they make a decision that the thinking has been done is because it denies us our agency. Remember the council in Heaven when the Lord called us all together to present his plan and Jesus and Lucifer steped forward each with a differing plan? Jesus said free agency would be his key and lucifer said he would give no choice.
Even though the Lord knew which way he would decide he let us feel that we all had a say and he chose free agency.
Which is why our church used to vote on policy and procedure, and used to tell us every April conference what they had done with church money and let us vote on how it would be spent.
These days are long since gone but they are needed now more than ever.
If we are to build Zion, we will only do so as equals, regardless of title or calling. Zion is the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven as in the Lord's prayer. And turning that vision into reality will take all of us. We can do it at any time but we must all each have what Yogananda, a Hindu Guru, and others have termed "Christ consciousness" this goes beyond being Christlike outwardly, it is being Christlike internally. We must be as good to strangers, enemies and everyone in between as we are to our loved ones.
Building Zion will not happen because the leadership gives us the green light, it will only happen when we, as a people, rise up to accept the challenge and put forth the effort to make the Lord's dream for us a reality. We will logistically always need a church for the same reasons we always have but that doesn't mean we are to allow ourselves to be sidelined by authoritarianism.
The road map we must follow to build a better church, to build Zion, to be truly Christlike and develop Christ consciousness, is to be found in scripture not in the arm of the flesh.
Part of that Christ consciousness manifests by the way we treat the least amongst us, it is not that any one group is lesser in the sight of God because all are alike to him, it's that in the eyes of many people the homeless, the poor, the sick are seen as lesser. What we need is unconditional love, because it facilitates understanding.
I just think it would help if we centered ourselves on trying to be more Christlike for as much as we can, for as much as we understand what that means, and with as much potential as we possess.
I mean really, what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
Honestly?
You are likely familiar with the idea that the Prophet can not lead us astray. This was an invention by Wilford Woodruff, not a revelation or scriptural quote from the word of God.
Being LDS we believe in revelation both personal and coming from the Lord through his Prophets. Thus, short of revelation coming directly from the Lord our Prophets, Seers and Revelators are speaking as men and as such we rightly must not put any more or any less stock in their words than we would any member of our own wards.
To validate my points I refer to scripture; the iron rod of the word of God we are admonished to hold to and follow in spite of any guidance offered from any other source.
O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever, I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. (2 Nephi 4:34)
-That covenant, made by Nephi, is a covenant that all those who are sincere seekers after the mind and will of the Lord should make.
Those who do put their faith and trust in the arm of the flesh of GA's do so because of circular logic or circular reasoning as exemplified below:
Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5)
The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh — (D&C 1:19)
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide.... (Micah 7:5)
I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. (2 Nephi 4:34)
Can the Prophet ever lead the church astray?
No.
Why not?
Because he's the Prophet.
How do we know that to be true?
Because the Lord will never let that happen.
Who Says so?
The Prophet says so.
Why should we believe him?
Because the Prophet will never lead the church astray.
Why not?
Because he's the Prophet.
This is the definition of Circular Reasoning according to dictionary.com:
"a use of reason in which the premises depends on or is equivalent to the conclusion, a method of false logic by which 'this is used to prove that, and that is used to prove this'; also called circular logic."
To be clear it was Wilford Woodruff who said it "I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty."
This is what the follow the leader, follow the Prophet mentality is. We are admonished to hold to the iron rod which represents the word of God according to Nephi in scripture. We are never admonished to follow mere men whatever their calling or title. In fact we are warned repeatedly to avoid relying on the Arm of the flesh. Sadly, most Mormons are unaware of this because were we to study these particular passages in Church many may begin to question the infallible authority of those who are appointed over us.
As an example of this follow the leader mentality, I'll next point you to "14 fundamentals of following the Prophet." by then Elder Ezra Taft Benson during President Kimball's time. According to Kimball's son Edward, Kimball took Benson to task for espousing this follow the leader mentality that Kimball didn't want members to buy into; remember for the longest time in our history Mormons were known for their independence not for their worship of leadership.
Elder Poelman's October 1984 general conference talk was censored. He had to give it again and were it not for VCR's it would have disappeared down the memory hole. Poleman began his talk by reminding us that there is an important difference between the gospel and the Church. "There is a distinction between them which is significant", he said, "and it is very important that this distinction be understood."
Poelman cautioned that failure to distinguish between the two, and to keep each in its proper perspective and place, could lead to "confusion and misplaced priorities".“When we understand the difference between the gospel and the church and the appropriate function of each in our lives, we are much more likely to do the right things for the right reasons.”
Elder Poelman admonished us all to remain mindful that every church member has not only the right, but also the obligation to exercise their free agency and receive a personal witness not only of gospel principles, but also of Church practices. “In response to study, prayer and by the influence of the Holy Spirit we may seek and obtain an individual, personal witness that the principle or counsel is correct and divinely inspired.”
“As individually and collectively we increase our knowledge, acceptance, and application of gospel principles, we become less dependent on Church programs. Our lives become gospel centered.”
So it was that the entire meaning of Elder Poelman's inspired and needed talk that was perverted for the benefit of the corporate church and not for the benefit of those seeking Christ and the Father. For example, in his original talk, Elder Poelman said “it is not enough that we obey the commandments and counsel of Church leaders.”
That line was changed to “We should obey the commandments and counsel of Church leaders.”
Poelman's statement that “the orthodoxy upon which we insist must be founded in fundamental principles and eternal law, including free agency and the divine uniqueness of the individual,” became this:
“The orthodoxy upon which we insist must be founded in fundamental principles, eternal law, and direction given by those authorized in the Church.”
Every single solitary reference to free agency in the original was deleted except one, and oddly enough had been altered to imply that free agency is only effective under Church leadership and approval.
Read the two talks side by side to get a much better, albeit more disturbing understanding of what the brethren did to alter the fundamental premise of Elder Poleman's talk.
You can view the original talk here and here. If it looks wonky it is because the only copies were recorded by members, the corporate church flushed the original down the memory hole; if you want to view the fake one contact church head quarters and ask for Poleman's October 1984 talk and you'll be directed to the fake one.
Speaking of 1984 and a dystopian future of an all powerful institution that indoctrinates its people with the belief that the people exsist to serve their leaders rather than the other way around. In the novel the mantra of the people is "ignorance is strength." These people would fit right in with the members you've heard say "not everything useful is true."
However, everything that is true is useful to those who are seeking out the path back to the Father. We are encouraged in scripture to always be increasing in knowledge, that is the essence of eternal progression.
I highly recommend reading or watching Elder Poleman's talk because he says it much better than I ever could and were it not for so many members having VCR's in 1984 his original talk would have been lost forever down the memory hole.
And the reason for my weariness of the corporate church and leaders like Packer is that so often the intolerance they preached can not be backed up by scripture or by the example of the way Christ spoke to and treated those he met. That and these same leaders insist that everyone stand when they enter a room. That sounds like they demand we bow down to their authority in the same way my superiors did when I was in the Military.
Military like authoritarianism in our church is not for our benefit, it is not for the benefit of the Gospel but it clearly benefits the power and authority of the leaders. So why do we allow this?
During the early years of our church we would vote on how to conduct business and how to address policy, but no more and it has been this way since the mid 20th century. "When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done." Improvement Era message to Ward Teachers back in 1945. "When the Prophet speaks the debate is over." First Counselor, Eldon Tanner said in 1979. John A. Widtsoe, _Evidences and Reconciliations_, p.236–39 "This is an old question. It was asked of the Prophet Joseph Smith and answered by him. He writes in his journal, "This morning . . . I visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought that ‘a prophet is always a prophet'; but I told them that a prophet is a prophet only when he was acting as such" (Joseph Smith, _History of the Church_, 5:265). "That statement makes a clear distinction between official and unofficial actions and utterances of officers of the Church. In this recorded statement the Prophet Joseph Smith recognizes his special right and duty, as the President and Prophet of the Church, under the inspiration of the Lord, to speak authoritatively and officially for the enlightenment and guidance of the Church. But he claims also the right, as other men, to labor and rest, to work and play, to visit and discuss, to present his opinions and hear the opinion of others, to counsel and bless as a member of the Church."
We very much need to get back to the spirit and conduct of the church as instituted by Joseph Smith. We need that pure Mormonism that Alan Rock Waterman has been arguing in favor of for a few years now.
As Elder Poleman argues, we need to understand the difference between the church and the Gospel and guide ourselves by the Gospel, by the iron rod of God's word in scripture. And keep the institution of the corporate church in it's proper perspective as a delivery system for that Gospel. A system which is fallible no matter how many of these men profess infallibility due to their title and rank.
It seems given the censorship of Poleman's talk and much of this follow the leader mentality preached in church and consistently from the general conference pulpit, that the church is as concerned, or more concerned with, the membership worshiping them as they are concerned with us worshiping Christ.
Our Apostles and GA's are men and I don't believe any man is beyond criticism, so long as the critique isn't reduced to name calling and personal attacks and for as harsh as I was in my last piece, I stayed on point and did not make it personal.
The reason I lament such pharisitical arguments made by Elder Packer and Nelson is because such opinions are almost always used, if not intended to degrade, demean and diminish others. Those we refer to as "other" are cast out of our church and our society but to begin with they are cast out of our family because they are all our brothers and sisters whether we like it or not. Whether we like them or not they are our family and the two greatest commandments according to Jesus are to Love God with all your heart, mind body and soul; and to love your neighbor as yourself, even your enemy.
Peter once asked Jesus how many times should we forgive and Jesus tells him we are to forgive 77 times or 7 times 7 which is a way of saying infinity in the language of their day.
I get how some may find this difficult, being Christian is not easy, but to find it offensive as so many do, I find depressing and disgusting.
My point in this post as well as the last is to show that we need to center our lives on the words of Christ, the words of the Lord, through scripture. For as much as I take issue with the negative sentiments of talks given by some GA's I sustain them because to my mind there are one of 2 reasons a calling is given; either the person being called can benefit those they are called to serve or they are intended to benefit in their own journey from the calling. And those who fall short by making intolerant or misguided talks are the ones who need unconditional love and understanding the most.
I may go overboard in my critiques but I always try to stick to the issue rather than making it personal and if I recall correctly I did say that the comments made by Packer and Nelson were pharisitical rather than calling the GA's names like Pharisee.
That may not be enough of a distinction but it was my way of sticking to the issue rather than making it personal.
We as members don't shy away from telling a member of our own ward if they step out of line and say something that doesn't jive with being Christlike, we should therefore not shy away from saying the same of anyone regardless of calling or title.
And I think it's imortant that even regarding things we shouldn't be tolerant of like bigotry, racism, sexism or anything else we should have a degree of tolerance so that we do not become infected by the sickness of intolerance and over-zealousness. I know I need to work on this as much and maybe more than most but I am always in a process of repentance and exuding effort to progress day by day.
The reason I have an issue with church leadership saying that when they make a decision that the thinking has been done is because it denies us our agency. Remember the council in Heaven when the Lord called us all together to present his plan and Jesus and Lucifer steped forward each with a differing plan? Jesus said free agency would be his key and lucifer said he would give no choice.
Even though the Lord knew which way he would decide he let us feel that we all had a say and he chose free agency.
Which is why our church used to vote on policy and procedure, and used to tell us every April conference what they had done with church money and let us vote on how it would be spent.
These days are long since gone but they are needed now more than ever.
If we are to build Zion, we will only do so as equals, regardless of title or calling. Zion is the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven as in the Lord's prayer. And turning that vision into reality will take all of us. We can do it at any time but we must all each have what Yogananda, a Hindu Guru, and others have termed "Christ consciousness" this goes beyond being Christlike outwardly, it is being Christlike internally. We must be as good to strangers, enemies and everyone in between as we are to our loved ones.
Building Zion will not happen because the leadership gives us the green light, it will only happen when we, as a people, rise up to accept the challenge and put forth the effort to make the Lord's dream for us a reality. We will logistically always need a church for the same reasons we always have but that doesn't mean we are to allow ourselves to be sidelined by authoritarianism.
The road map we must follow to build a better church, to build Zion, to be truly Christlike and develop Christ consciousness, is to be found in scripture not in the arm of the flesh.
Part of that Christ consciousness manifests by the way we treat the least amongst us, it is not that any one group is lesser in the sight of God because all are alike to him, it's that in the eyes of many people the homeless, the poor, the sick are seen as lesser. What we need is unconditional love, because it facilitates understanding.
I just think it would help if we centered ourselves on trying to be more Christlike for as much as we can, for as much as we understand what that means, and with as much potential as we possess.
I mean really, what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
Honestly?
April 9, 2013
Boyd K Packer and Modern Pharisees in our Midst UPDATED 06/10/2013
To explain what I mean by Pharisee, I use the term as an all in one descriptor to characterize a person who holds the views and characteristics of the Pharisees Jesus criticized. He criticized the Pharisees for three main reasons; to quote Phil Mclemore "1) They were hypocrites. 2) They did not understand the inner meaning of the Law and the scriptures. 3) They had set up a system to measure spiritual status and worthiness that emphasized external religious practices, thus neglecting the inner path of spiritual rebirth, which is the "key of knowledge."
Now Jesus criticized all who judged others, who used the inspiring word of God to condemn, degrade and shame their brothers and sisters as being hypocrites. So perhaps in that sense certain GA's may fit the bill on that.
Not understanding the inner meaning of the scriptures may also fit given the lack of theological depth most conference talks seem to have, which is why they bore even the most ardent believer to tears. And it may also be why many miss certain points entirely, like saying God's love is conditional rather than being unconditional.
Number 3 on the list fits the church leadership to a "T" I think. Most notably the temple recommend interview. Judging someone's worthiness on whether or not they live the word of wisdom, which in verse 2 of D&C 89 says the revelation was given "not by commandment or constraint," doesn't matter because if we cannot judge people based on outward signs, how are we to know? Is it not logical to instead say that if it is not your business you do not need to know? It is either God's business, which you may or may not know, or it is your business in which case you will by definition know. So if it is something you do not or cannot know, that may be because it is God's business and not your own.
And the righteousness of your brothers and sisters is between them and the Lord, not between them and you. If you believe, as the Gospel of John says, that Jesus came into the world not to condemn it but to save it then you by definition believe that condemnation does not lead to the path of salvation but only Christlike love, forgiveness and compassion for your brothers and sisters can lead the way to the path of salvation.
Now these ideas are only my opinion and while I may be on to something, I may also be wrong. Now let's turn the discussion to Boyd K. Packer's "tolerance trap" talk.
"Just because the nation may change its laws to 'tolerate legalized acts of immorality' does not make those acts any less spiritually damaging, senior apostle Boyd K. Packer said during Saturday morning's conference.
"The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality," Packer said, "does not reduce the serious spiritual consequences that result from the violation of God’s law of chastity."
"Tolerance is a virtue, but, like all virtues, when exaggerated it transforms itself into a vice," said Packer "We need to be careful of the ‘tolerance trap’ so that we are not swallowed up in it."
Now I wonder what BKP's view of a guy who says we should not only be more tolerant but more loving of others, maybe even our enemies? He must think a guy like that has been completely swallowed up by the "tolerance trap." But not to worry, given his message he isn't in danger of emulating that kind of man.
BKP doesn't mention gay marriage but he is about as subtle as a freight train in his sermon. And it is especially confusing to many considering that we have seen a softening tone from some LDS leaders of late, toward the LGTB community. In December 2012, the church unveiled a new website mormonsandgays.org, that implores us to be more compassionate and understanding of LGBT people and toward this very issue.
Same-sex attraction is not a sin," according to the site, "but acting on it is."
And yet every homosexual act condemned by scripture is rape, abuse, loving consenting relationships are never discussed. Why that is and what that means provides room for speculation. Those who believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality have never studied the origional texts nor listened to scholars on the matter. But let's listen to Jesus on the matter he said-that's right, Jesus said nothing of the subject did he?
I've known many gay people in my life, and it is something they are born with if you listen to them talk of it. To say otherwise is to say sexuality whether heterosexual or homosexual is a choice.
So, if you think sexuality is a choice I would ask at what age you "decided" to be straight?
Here we have another Pharisitical talk, this one given by Russel M. Nelson:
"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."
And here I give you plenty of citations and examples that God's love and the love of Jesus IS unconditional. It is true that the word unconditional doesn't appear in scripture; probably because the term didn't exist in the Hebrew or Aramaic spoken by Jesus. But the parables and following quotes demonstrate that Jesus was trying to show us what unconditional love is through the limitations of the languages he spoke; for example by dying for us all. Sinners and saints alike. The Atonement is an act of unconditional love.
The Lord your God is with you.
He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Isaiah 64:6,
"6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away."
And in Romans 3:22-23, "22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Jeremiah 31:34 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 John 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Luke 15
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: BKP and Elder Nelson seem to echo the Elder Brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Which is a perfect demonstration of why those two, amongst many members and leaders, are in fact modern Pharisees.
Jesus tells us not to judge one another, yet they judge and condemn. Scripture, the word of God we are admonished to hold to like an iron rod for safety and guidance, says "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Clearly this applies to many members thanks to the example of Boyd K. Packer, Bruce R. McKonkie and Elder Nelson. This Pharisitical movement within our church is exactly what happens when we have businessmen lead our church rather than theologians and it is also inevitable when one relies on the arm of the flesh rather than the word of God.
A plea came from Thomas S. Monson during conference asking that we members follow the example of Jesus Christ and be more “tolerant of, as well as kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and standards.”
And yet the term "unconditional love" has been removed from church publications ever since Elder Nelson gave his talk. He was unveiling the church's new position on God's love. Given that it is clearly the antithesis of what the life, ministry and Atonement of Jesus was all about I fear the church at it's highest levels in now Pharisitical. The message of the church has strayed from the message of Jesus in this aspect.
And why is the virtue if obedience when exaggerated to sin spoken of? Is it possible that our church is too self-serving to ever say such a thing? I think that obedience and blind faith, never questioning the leadership can easily become a sin. For example it is what lead to the inquisition, the crusades and the policy of denying blackmen the priesthood for 130 plus years.
There have been countless victims of that sin but I am having a hard time finding victims of too much love.
A house divided against itself cannot stand" is a quote from Job and it very much applies to our modern church given that these modern Pharisees are dividing us between the unconditional and non-judgmental love Christ preached and the "righteously judging, tolerance avoiding, conditional love preaching pharisees we have leading our church in a direction that to me seems to be different than the direction espoused by Jesus himself.
The greatest and most dangerous lie Satan ever told was that he does not exists. And maybe another is that he can never lead our church astray even though he led the original church founded by Christ astray.
I think the foundation of Jesus's life, ministry and teachings is unconditional love. Peaceful and non-judgmental. Yet the very foundation laid by Christ is being cracked by these modern Pharisees preaching "righteous judgment" and avoiding tolerance as well as preaching something as insideous as conditional love.
Any child can tell you love, if it is real love spoken of, is unconditional. But sometimes children know more than grown men which may be why Christ admonished us to come unto him like little children.
Now Jesus criticized all who judged others, who used the inspiring word of God to condemn, degrade and shame their brothers and sisters as being hypocrites. So perhaps in that sense certain GA's may fit the bill on that.
Not understanding the inner meaning of the scriptures may also fit given the lack of theological depth most conference talks seem to have, which is why they bore even the most ardent believer to tears. And it may also be why many miss certain points entirely, like saying God's love is conditional rather than being unconditional.
Number 3 on the list fits the church leadership to a "T" I think. Most notably the temple recommend interview. Judging someone's worthiness on whether or not they live the word of wisdom, which in verse 2 of D&C 89 says the revelation was given "not by commandment or constraint," doesn't matter because if we cannot judge people based on outward signs, how are we to know? Is it not logical to instead say that if it is not your business you do not need to know? It is either God's business, which you may or may not know, or it is your business in which case you will by definition know. So if it is something you do not or cannot know, that may be because it is God's business and not your own.
And the righteousness of your brothers and sisters is between them and the Lord, not between them and you. If you believe, as the Gospel of John says, that Jesus came into the world not to condemn it but to save it then you by definition believe that condemnation does not lead to the path of salvation but only Christlike love, forgiveness and compassion for your brothers and sisters can lead the way to the path of salvation.
Now these ideas are only my opinion and while I may be on to something, I may also be wrong. Now let's turn the discussion to Boyd K. Packer's "tolerance trap" talk.
"Just because the nation may change its laws to 'tolerate legalized acts of immorality' does not make those acts any less spiritually damaging, senior apostle Boyd K. Packer said during Saturday morning's conference.
"The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality," Packer said, "does not reduce the serious spiritual consequences that result from the violation of God’s law of chastity."
"Tolerance is a virtue, but, like all virtues, when exaggerated it transforms itself into a vice," said Packer "We need to be careful of the ‘tolerance trap’ so that we are not swallowed up in it."
Now I wonder what BKP's view of a guy who says we should not only be more tolerant but more loving of others, maybe even our enemies? He must think a guy like that has been completely swallowed up by the "tolerance trap." But not to worry, given his message he isn't in danger of emulating that kind of man.
BKP doesn't mention gay marriage but he is about as subtle as a freight train in his sermon. And it is especially confusing to many considering that we have seen a softening tone from some LDS leaders of late, toward the LGTB community. In December 2012, the church unveiled a new website mormonsandgays.org, that implores us to be more compassionate and understanding of LGBT people and toward this very issue.
Same-sex attraction is not a sin," according to the site, "but acting on it is."
And yet every homosexual act condemned by scripture is rape, abuse, loving consenting relationships are never discussed. Why that is and what that means provides room for speculation. Those who believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality have never studied the origional texts nor listened to scholars on the matter. But let's listen to Jesus on the matter he said-that's right, Jesus said nothing of the subject did he?
I've known many gay people in my life, and it is something they are born with if you listen to them talk of it. To say otherwise is to say sexuality whether heterosexual or homosexual is a choice.
So, if you think sexuality is a choice I would ask at what age you "decided" to be straight?
Here we have another Pharisitical talk, this one given by Russel M. Nelson:
"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."
And here I give you plenty of citations and examples that God's love and the love of Jesus IS unconditional. It is true that the word unconditional doesn't appear in scripture; probably because the term didn't exist in the Hebrew or Aramaic spoken by Jesus. But the parables and following quotes demonstrate that Jesus was trying to show us what unconditional love is through the limitations of the languages he spoke; for example by dying for us all. Sinners and saints alike. The Atonement is an act of unconditional love.
The Lord your God is with you.
He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Isaiah 64:6,
"6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away."
And in Romans 3:22-23, "22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Jeremiah 31:34 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 John 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Luke 15
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: BKP and Elder Nelson seem to echo the Elder Brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Which is a perfect demonstration of why those two, amongst many members and leaders, are in fact modern Pharisees.
Jesus tells us not to judge one another, yet they judge and condemn. Scripture, the word of God we are admonished to hold to like an iron rod for safety and guidance, says "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Clearly this applies to many members thanks to the example of Boyd K. Packer, Bruce R. McKonkie and Elder Nelson. This Pharisitical movement within our church is exactly what happens when we have businessmen lead our church rather than theologians and it is also inevitable when one relies on the arm of the flesh rather than the word of God.
A plea came from Thomas S. Monson during conference asking that we members follow the example of Jesus Christ and be more “tolerant of, as well as kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and standards.”
And yet the term "unconditional love" has been removed from church publications ever since Elder Nelson gave his talk. He was unveiling the church's new position on God's love. Given that it is clearly the antithesis of what the life, ministry and Atonement of Jesus was all about I fear the church at it's highest levels in now Pharisitical. The message of the church has strayed from the message of Jesus in this aspect.And why is the virtue if obedience when exaggerated to sin spoken of? Is it possible that our church is too self-serving to ever say such a thing? I think that obedience and blind faith, never questioning the leadership can easily become a sin. For example it is what lead to the inquisition, the crusades and the policy of denying blackmen the priesthood for 130 plus years.
There have been countless victims of that sin but I am having a hard time finding victims of too much love.
A house divided against itself cannot stand" is a quote from Job and it very much applies to our modern church given that these modern Pharisees are dividing us between the unconditional and non-judgmental love Christ preached and the "righteously judging, tolerance avoiding, conditional love preaching pharisees we have leading our church in a direction that to me seems to be different than the direction espoused by Jesus himself.
The greatest and most dangerous lie Satan ever told was that he does not exists. And maybe another is that he can never lead our church astray even though he led the original church founded by Christ astray.
I think the foundation of Jesus's life, ministry and teachings is unconditional love. Peaceful and non-judgmental. Yet the very foundation laid by Christ is being cracked by these modern Pharisees preaching "righteous judgment" and avoiding tolerance as well as preaching something as insideous as conditional love.
Any child can tell you love, if it is real love spoken of, is unconditional. But sometimes children know more than grown men which may be why Christ admonished us to come unto him like little children.
Boyd K Packer and Modern Pharisees in our Midst
"Just because the nation may change its laws to 'tolerate legalized acts of immorality' does not make those acts any less spiritually damaging, senior apostle Boyd K. Packer said during Saturday morning's conference.
"The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality," Packer said, "does not reduce the serious spiritual consequences that result from the violation of God’s law of chastity."
"Tolerance is a virtue, but, like all virtues, when exaggerated it transforms itself into a vice," said Packer "We need to be careful of the ‘tolerance trap’ so that we are not swallowed up in it."
Now I wonder what BKP's view of a guy who says we should not only be more tolerant but more loving of others, maybe even our enemies? He must think a guy like that has been completely swallowed up by the "tolerance trap." But not to worry, given his message he isn't in danger of emulating that kind of man.
BKP doesn't mention gay marriage but he is about as subtle as a freight train in his sermon. And it is especially confusing to many considering that we have seen a softening tone from some LDS leaders of late, toward the LGTB community. In December 2012, the church unveiled a new website mormonsandgays.org, that implores us to be more compassionate and understanding of LGBT people and toward this very issue.
Same-sex attraction is not a sin," according to the site, "but acting on it is."
And yet every homosexual act condemned by scripture is rape, abuse, loving consenting relationships are never discussed. Why that is and what that means provides room for speculation. Those who believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality have never studied the origional texts nor listened to scholars on the matter. But let's listen to Jesus on the matter he said-that's right, Jesus said nothing of the subject did he?
I've known many gay people in my life, and it is something they are born with if you listen to them talk of it. To say otherwise is to say sexuality whether heterosexual or homosexual is a choice.
So, if you think sexuality is a choice I would ask at what age you "decided" to be straight?
Here we have another Pharisitical talk, this one given by Russel M. Nelson:
"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."
And here I give you plenty of citations and examples that God's love and the love of Jesus IS unconditional. It is true that the word unconditional doesn't appear in scripture; probably because the term didn't exist in the Hebrew or Aramaic spoken by Jesus. But the parables and following quotes demonstrate that Jesus was trying to show us what unconditional love is through the limitations of the languages he spoke; for example by dying for us all. Sinners and saints alike. The Atonement is an act of unconditional love.
The Lord your God is with you.
He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Isaiah 64:6,
"6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away."
And in Romans 3:22-23, "22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Jeremiah 31:34 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 John 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Luke 15
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: BKP and Elder Nelson seem to echo the Elder Brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Which is a perfect demonstration of why those two, amongst many members and leaders, are in fact modern Pharisees.
Jesus tells us not to judge one another, yet they judge and condemn. Scripture, the word of God we are admonished to hold to like an iron rod for safety and guidance, says "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Clearly this applies to many members thanks to the example of Boyd K. Packer, Bruce R. McKonkie and Elder Nelson. This Pharisitical movement within our church is exactly what happens when we have businessmen lead our church rather than theologians and it is also inevitable when one relies on the arm of the flesh rather than the word of God.
A plea came from Thomas S. Monson during conference asking that we members follow the example of Jesus Christ and be more “tolerant of, as well as kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and standards.”
And yet the term "unconditional love" has been removed from church publications ever since Elder Nelson gave his talk. He was unveiling the church's new position on God's love. Given that it is clearly the antithesis of what the life, ministry and Atonement of Jesus was all about I fear the church at it's highest levels in now Pharisitical. The message of the church has strayed from the message of Jesus in this aspect.
And why is the virtue if obedience when exaggerated to sin spoken of? Is it possible that our church is too self-serving to ever say such a thing? I think that obedience and blind faith, never questioning the leadership can easily become a sin. For example it is what lead to the inquisition, the crusades and the policy of denying blackmen the priesthood for 130 plus years.
There have been countless victims of that sin but I am having a hard time finding victims of too much love.
A house divided against itself cannot stand" is a quote from Job and it very much applies to our modern church given that these modern Pharisees are dividing us between the unconditional and non-judgmental love Christ preached and the "righteously judging, tolerance avoiding, conditional love preaching pharisees we have leading our church in a direction that to me seems to be different than the direction espoused by Jesus himself.
The greatest and most dangerous lie Satan ever told was that he does not exists. And maybe another is that he can never lead our church astray even though he led the original church founded by Christ astray.
I think the foundation of Jesus's life, ministry and teachings is unconditional love. Peaceful and non-judgmental. Yet the very foundation laid by Christ is being cracked by these modern Pharisees preaching "righteous judgment" and avoiding tolerance as well as preaching something as insideous as conditional love.
Any child can tell you love, if it is real love spoken of, is unconditional. But sometimes children know more than grown men which may be why Christ admonished us to come unto him like little children.
"The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality," Packer said, "does not reduce the serious spiritual consequences that result from the violation of God’s law of chastity."
"Tolerance is a virtue, but, like all virtues, when exaggerated it transforms itself into a vice," said Packer "We need to be careful of the ‘tolerance trap’ so that we are not swallowed up in it."
Now I wonder what BKP's view of a guy who says we should not only be more tolerant but more loving of others, maybe even our enemies? He must think a guy like that has been completely swallowed up by the "tolerance trap." But not to worry, given his message he isn't in danger of emulating that kind of man.
BKP doesn't mention gay marriage but he is about as subtle as a freight train in his sermon. And it is especially confusing to many considering that we have seen a softening tone from some LDS leaders of late, toward the LGTB community. In December 2012, the church unveiled a new website mormonsandgays.org, that implores us to be more compassionate and understanding of LGBT people and toward this very issue.
Same-sex attraction is not a sin," according to the site, "but acting on it is."
And yet every homosexual act condemned by scripture is rape, abuse, loving consenting relationships are never discussed. Why that is and what that means provides room for speculation. Those who believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality have never studied the origional texts nor listened to scholars on the matter. But let's listen to Jesus on the matter he said-that's right, Jesus said nothing of the subject did he?
I've known many gay people in my life, and it is something they are born with if you listen to them talk of it. To say otherwise is to say sexuality whether heterosexual or homosexual is a choice.
So, if you think sexuality is a choice I would ask at what age you "decided" to be straight?
Here we have another Pharisitical talk, this one given by Russel M. Nelson:
"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."
And here I give you plenty of citations and examples that God's love and the love of Jesus IS unconditional. It is true that the word unconditional doesn't appear in scripture; probably because the term didn't exist in the Hebrew or Aramaic spoken by Jesus. But the parables and following quotes demonstrate that Jesus was trying to show us what unconditional love is through the limitations of the languages he spoke; for example by dying for us all. Sinners and saints alike. The Atonement is an act of unconditional love.
The Lord your God is with you.
He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Isaiah 64:6,
"6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away."
And in Romans 3:22-23, "22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Jeremiah 31:34 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 John 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Luke 15
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: BKP and Elder Nelson seem to echo the Elder Brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Which is a perfect demonstration of why those two, amongst many members and leaders, are in fact modern Pharisees.
Jesus tells us not to judge one another, yet they judge and condemn. Scripture, the word of God we are admonished to hold to like an iron rod for safety and guidance, says "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Clearly this applies to many members thanks to the example of Boyd K. Packer, Bruce R. McKonkie and Elder Nelson. This Pharisitical movement within our church is exactly what happens when we have businessmen lead our church rather than theologians and it is also inevitable when one relies on the arm of the flesh rather than the word of God.
A plea came from Thomas S. Monson during conference asking that we members follow the example of Jesus Christ and be more “tolerant of, as well as kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and standards.”
And yet the term "unconditional love" has been removed from church publications ever since Elder Nelson gave his talk. He was unveiling the church's new position on God's love. Given that it is clearly the antithesis of what the life, ministry and Atonement of Jesus was all about I fear the church at it's highest levels in now Pharisitical. The message of the church has strayed from the message of Jesus in this aspect.And why is the virtue if obedience when exaggerated to sin spoken of? Is it possible that our church is too self-serving to ever say such a thing? I think that obedience and blind faith, never questioning the leadership can easily become a sin. For example it is what lead to the inquisition, the crusades and the policy of denying blackmen the priesthood for 130 plus years.
There have been countless victims of that sin but I am having a hard time finding victims of too much love.
A house divided against itself cannot stand" is a quote from Job and it very much applies to our modern church given that these modern Pharisees are dividing us between the unconditional and non-judgmental love Christ preached and the "righteously judging, tolerance avoiding, conditional love preaching pharisees we have leading our church in a direction that to me seems to be different than the direction espoused by Jesus himself.
The greatest and most dangerous lie Satan ever told was that he does not exists. And maybe another is that he can never lead our church astray even though he led the original church founded by Christ astray.
I think the foundation of Jesus's life, ministry and teachings is unconditional love. Peaceful and non-judgmental. Yet the very foundation laid by Christ is being cracked by these modern Pharisees preaching "righteous judgment" and avoiding tolerance as well as preaching something as insideous as conditional love.
Any child can tell you love, if it is real love spoken of, is unconditional. But sometimes children know more than grown men which may be why Christ admonished us to come unto him like little children.
April 2, 2013
Sanctuary
My wife and I recently bought Les Miserables on vudu, an internet movie service, so we can watch it anytime we want. My wife and children have watched it 5 times in the last week. I love the book but could easily live a long and happy life never again suffering through another musical.
But the thought did occur to me after watching the movie that Jean Valjean seeks out churches when he is in need of sanctuary. During many key points in the story he seeks out sanctuary in the church and is given it.
The first time he does this after he breaks parole, he steals the silver of the church and when the police bring him back to the church the Bishop tells the police he gave them to Valjean and furthermore he says that Valjean forgot two candle sticks. Much in the same spirit as when Jesus said "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also." And "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."
And the Bishop tells Valjean that he has saved his soul for God.
It then occurred to me that what we all seek from church, from the gospel, is sanctuary. Freedom from the instability of life in a constantly changing world. From pain, disease, injury, poverty and ultimately death. In life nothing is permanent. Not our pain or our pleasures last forever. And so we seek permanence, we seek eternity. The place most of humanity has found that peace, that sanctuary, has been in religion.
It is what provides us a haven to escape to, to nurse our wounds or to commune with loved ones long since gone, to commune with and experience God himself.
But the only true way to attain the permanence that the sanctuary of the Gospel can be is to truly accept the atonement. Learning to truly accept the atonement you can finally break the bonds of karma so to speak. Good and bad, and rise above it into a place of bliss, a place of permanent rejoicing and solitude. A place in the presence of our God and our family, friends and everyone who has ever and will ever live. The human family as one, a home coming.
There are those who reject the atonement. Like Siddhartha in Herman Hesse's famous book, some stray from the righteous path and fall into drunkeness and over indulgence in food and gambling. Fast cars and faster women. And much like Siddhartha I did the same, but just as Siddhartha eventually did, I found my way back on the path and was much more righteous and Christ conscious than I ever had been before, I was a better Mormon, a better Christian, a better devotee, a better disciple and a better man as a result. The path I followed is the one that benefited me more than the prescribed path. But as long as you get where you need to be you can say that the path you took is the path you needed to take.
I cam to a fork in the woods, I took the path less traveled and I am all the better for it. Robert Frost.
Sometimes those who wander are not lost and sometimes those who stray come around again someday. You are never so lost that you can not be found, you are never so low that you can not be lifted up. The atonement of Jesus is the gift that saves continually. You never know when your allotted time here on Earth is up but just when I thought I'd missed the bus God sent me another and another and I eventually caught one. It's not that we get an infinite number of chances but we continually get them until we truly learn to accept them.
I've often said all you need is love and the best way to think of that is that there is no greater love than that expressed by Jesus through the atonement.
But to truly accept the atonement means you must express for others and for yourself, the love that Jesus expressed for us all. All the compassion, the understanding, the patience and the forgiveness Jesus is famous for is now your duty to share with others. His disciples will be known by their love. Not by the types of prayers they offer, not by their dress, or their hairstyles, whether they shave or do not but by their love for others. The purity and quality of the love you have to offer is the litmus test by which your discipleship is measured by Jesus himself.
Love is the key. Because whatever the question is love is the answer.
But the thought did occur to me after watching the movie that Jean Valjean seeks out churches when he is in need of sanctuary. During many key points in the story he seeks out sanctuary in the church and is given it.
The first time he does this after he breaks parole, he steals the silver of the church and when the police bring him back to the church the Bishop tells the police he gave them to Valjean and furthermore he says that Valjean forgot two candle sticks. Much in the same spirit as when Jesus said "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also." And "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."
And the Bishop tells Valjean that he has saved his soul for God.
It then occurred to me that what we all seek from church, from the gospel, is sanctuary. Freedom from the instability of life in a constantly changing world. From pain, disease, injury, poverty and ultimately death. In life nothing is permanent. Not our pain or our pleasures last forever. And so we seek permanence, we seek eternity. The place most of humanity has found that peace, that sanctuary, has been in religion.
It is what provides us a haven to escape to, to nurse our wounds or to commune with loved ones long since gone, to commune with and experience God himself.
But the only true way to attain the permanence that the sanctuary of the Gospel can be is to truly accept the atonement. Learning to truly accept the atonement you can finally break the bonds of karma so to speak. Good and bad, and rise above it into a place of bliss, a place of permanent rejoicing and solitude. A place in the presence of our God and our family, friends and everyone who has ever and will ever live. The human family as one, a home coming.
There are those who reject the atonement. Like Siddhartha in Herman Hesse's famous book, some stray from the righteous path and fall into drunkeness and over indulgence in food and gambling. Fast cars and faster women. And much like Siddhartha I did the same, but just as Siddhartha eventually did, I found my way back on the path and was much more righteous and Christ conscious than I ever had been before, I was a better Mormon, a better Christian, a better devotee, a better disciple and a better man as a result. The path I followed is the one that benefited me more than the prescribed path. But as long as you get where you need to be you can say that the path you took is the path you needed to take.
I cam to a fork in the woods, I took the path less traveled and I am all the better for it. Robert Frost.
Sometimes those who wander are not lost and sometimes those who stray come around again someday. You are never so lost that you can not be found, you are never so low that you can not be lifted up. The atonement of Jesus is the gift that saves continually. You never know when your allotted time here on Earth is up but just when I thought I'd missed the bus God sent me another and another and I eventually caught one. It's not that we get an infinite number of chances but we continually get them until we truly learn to accept them.
I've often said all you need is love and the best way to think of that is that there is no greater love than that expressed by Jesus through the atonement.
But to truly accept the atonement means you must express for others and for yourself, the love that Jesus expressed for us all. All the compassion, the understanding, the patience and the forgiveness Jesus is famous for is now your duty to share with others. His disciples will be known by their love. Not by the types of prayers they offer, not by their dress, or their hairstyles, whether they shave or do not but by their love for others. The purity and quality of the love you have to offer is the litmus test by which your discipleship is measured by Jesus himself.
Love is the key. Because whatever the question is love is the answer.
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