Taking Personal Note........

... and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils....

This little phrase in Helaman 6:38 arrested my attention this morning as I was reading in The Book of Mormon.  We become seduced by the world and the philosophies of the world in two ways - we subscribe to the "works" the world has to offer and/or the "spoils" which we cannot resist partaking of.  It is easy to be enamored with academia, social agendas, professionalism, business and financial success, political philosophies, scientific research, fame and fortune. When practices bring riches, position, praise or prestige along with it how can we turn away!

This scripture was not referring to the honest endeavors of those seeking to further truth and knowledge and the application of that knowledge but to the false philosophies of those seeking to overthrow righteousness and enthrone teachings and practices that go against the commandments of God. 

Owning Repentance

The Repentance of Peter - Carl Heinrich

"The suffering and distress endured by people of this earth is the result of unrepented and unremitted sin.....Just as suffering and sorrow attend sin, so happiness and joy attend forgiveness of sins."  

                                                                    (Marion G. Romney - conference Report, Apr 1959, 11)

This is not a popular belief in our day and age.  We balk at the notion that repentance and unhappiness are intertwined.  But if we humbly examine this idea it is not hard to see that many difficulties of life, other than those that come from living in a mortal existence, in one way or another are connected to sin, our own or the sins of others.  The idea of unremitted sin (as a different category than unrepented sin) is also worth pondering. How do we receive a remission of our sins after we have repented?

We live in a prideful age.  We don't like being accountable.  Repentance, however is a merciful tool, a gift.  Living life each day with a repentant and humble heart allows us to retain a remission of our sins and receive the spirit of God in our lives that sustains us through the difficulties inherent in living in this world.  It gives us peace of mind

Here is Wikipedia's definition of repentance:

Repentance is the activity of reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs. It generally  involves a commitment to personal change and the resolve to live a more responsible and humane life.

Another definition from lds.org.

Repentance is more than simply acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments.

Repentance is the greatest of all gifts from our Lord and Savior.  It allows us to change and to not be saddled with the consequences of our choices forever.  It opens the door for a remission of sin which opens the door for our greatest happiness.  Repentance is forward thinking and forward moving.  

The True and the Good

Some time ago I studied Swedenborg's writings for a few years.  I was intrigued how closely some of his beliefs aligned with the restored gospel.  I have often thought of his division of heaven into the True and the Good.  The True are those who love and seek truth above and beyond all else.  The Good are those who have performed good unto others above and beyond all else.  

I love the truth! 

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

I also love the good!  

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."  Luke 6:31

Really, I think truth can be vanity without the good and good can be ignorant without the truth.  Together they make a balanced whole. We have both head and feet; one to seek and know the truth and the other to carry us about in acting out the good.  Between the two resides the heart where in lies the love of God and all mankind, the pure love of Christ, the source of both the true and the good; the place where they come together as one. 

"Swedenborg saw creation as a series of pairings, descending from the Divine love and wisdom that define God and are the basis of creation. This duality can be seen in the pairing of good and truth, charity and faith, God and the church, and husband and wife. In each case, the goal for these pairs is to achieve conjunction between the two component parts. " (Wikipedia)  

Swedenborg experienced many visionary dreams and experiences beginning at the age of 55.  

"In Swedenborg's final hours, his friend, Pastor Ferelius, told him some people thought he had written his theology just to make a name for himself and asked Swedenborg if he would like to recant. Raising himself up on his bed, his hand on his heart, Swedenborg earnestly replied,

"As truly as you see me before your eyes, so true is everything that I have written; and I could have said more had it been permitted. When you enter eternity you will see everything, and then you and I shall have much to talk about."

He then died, in the afternoon, on the date he had predicted, March 29."  (Wikipedia) 

Introspection

"Our sins entail upon our children and upon our spouse and cause them difficulties and trials in their own progression and spiritual journey.  Sad!"

I apparently jotted down this thought some time ago on a pace of paper that surfaced this morning.

Further thoughts;

Our own repentance is a blessing not only to ourselves but to our loved ones and anyone we associate with.  We can add happiness their lives by not being "just the way I am" but by humbly striving to change.

In the meantime rough edges serve the purpose of refining each other.  My husband made this great observation a few months back.  He compared the church of saints to a great rock polisher.  We are all thrown in the mix with an abrasive grit and have the opportunity of bumping up against each as we tumble through our associations in our church attendance and service.  Some rocks have been in there a while and are more smooth, others are new to the mix and some just need a lot of polishing!.  The end result however is quite beautiful!

That being said, it is a good idea to make an effort to hone those sharp edges through repentance so we cause as little grief in the mix as possible.  The abrasive grit, a necessary ingredient provided by providence, is ample friction on its own.

Lessons from Jeremiah and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet

Thoughts from Fall 2014 

I have been studying Jeremiah the past few weeks for my GD lesson.  The following points have stood out to me.

• Jeremiah was the prophet when Jerusalem, after years and years of warning, finally fell.
•  There were multiple prophets (including Lehi) at this time prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem.
•  There were false prophets among the true prophets.
•  Lehi was called to leave Jerusalem before it was destroyed.  His journey was difficult but not as difficult as those who remained in Jerusalem.   
• Mulek and his people escaped at the time of destruction.  It is interesting that because they left in haste they were less prepared (ie. no scriptures.)
•  Jeremiah (the weeping prophet)  was apparently called to stay behind and experience the destruction and captivity with the people. 

I thought these were significant parallels to our time and worth pondering.

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How Not to Be Deceived - Doctrine and Covenants 46:7

D&C Sec 46:7- The scriptures contain invitations that we often overlook.  Here is one pertinent for our day. 

7 But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils.  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 46:7)

We are to: 
1- Ask of God!  (He does give liberally and will answer.)

2- Do what the spirit testifies to us to do.

3- Do it in all holiness of heart.

4- Walk uprightly.

5- Keep in mind the eternal end goal.

5- Do it with prayer and thanksgiving (humility and gratitude).

The resultant blessing: 
1- We will not be seduced by evil spirits.

2- We will not be seduced by doctrines of devils.

3- We will not be seduced by commandments of men.

A Little Side Note on Laman and Lemuel

In my previous post I mentioned Laman and Lemuel and asked (tongue in cheek) why you can't seem to say one of those names without the other!  Recently I have discovered why! Hugh Nibley notes in An Approach to the Book of Mormon that Laman and Lemuel form a "pair of pendant names" following an ancient tradition of Semites of the desert who gave their two eldest sons names that "hang together" like a pendant.

"But the most striking thing about the names of Laman and Lemuel is the way they go together; as we saw above it has been suggested that the former is but a corruption of the latter.37 Whether that is so or not, the musical pair certainly belong together and are a beautiful illustration of the old desert custom of naming the first two sons in a family with rhyming twin names, "a pair of pendant names," as Spiegel puts it, "like Eldad and Medad, Hillek and Billek, or Jannes and Jambres. The Arabs particularly seem to enjoy putting together such assonant names Yāǵuǵ and Maǵūǵ for Gog and Magog, HārÅ«n and KārÅ«n for Aaron and Korah, HābÄ«l and KābÄ«l for Abel and Cain, ḪillÄ«t and MillÄ«t for the first dwellers in hell."38 Speigel is here discussing the names Heyya and Abeyya, and might well have included in his parallels the recently discovered romance of Sul and Shummul. Harut and Marut were the first two angels to fall from grace, like Laman and Lemuel, according to Arab tradition of great antiquity. These names never go in threes or fours but only in pairs, designating just the first two sons of a family with no reference to the rest. This "Dioscuric" practice has a ritual significance which has been discussed by Rendel Harris, 39 but of the actual practice itself, especially among the desert people, there can be no doubt, for we read in an ancient inscription: "N. built this tomb for his sons Hatibat and Hamilat."40 One could not ask for a better illustration of this little-known and, until recently, unsuspected practice than we find in the Book of Mormon where Lehi names his first two sons Laman and Lemuel."

Hugh Nibley,  An Approach to the Book of Mormon - Chapt 22.

Many Afflictions.....

1 I, NEPHI, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

(Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 1:1)

There is a gem tucked away in this scripture.  It is a great truth that the lot of this life is "many afflictions" and being "highly favored of the Lord in all my days."   We receive a good deal of both.  I love how throughout Nephi's record he notes the afflictions but rejoices and and focuses on the the blessings.  That perspective allows him to have joy and to move forward.  Laman and Lemuel can't quite do that.  They fall into the trap of allowing the negative to color their perspective and to drive their reactions.  Nephi and Laman and Lemuel (why can't you say one without the other?) went through the exact same travails but ended up in two completely different destinations at the end of the day.  Good lesson to learn.

"...the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Proverb's injunction that "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he" is an interesting proposition.  Does a heart think?  Don't we usually assign the thinking part of our being to the brain?  Religion is most often concerned with the heart above and beyond the mind when it comes to judging the character of a man or woman.  

 As Jesus said,  "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."  (New Testament | Matthew 15:18)  "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"  (New Testament | Matthew 9:4)

Hebrews uses the term "the thoughts and intents of the heart." (New Testament | Hebrews 4:12)

That phrasing is used multiple times through out the Book of Mormon and then again in the Doctrine and Covenants. The scriptures almost 100% refer to the heart as the thinking organ and usually in relationship with one's intent or purpose.  

Intention is at the core of our being.  We may cover our intention by appearing to be one way when really in our core we intend something else.  We may even be adept at deceiving ourselves as to our true intentions unless we are willing to give ourselves an honest and frank evaluation.  But as the scriptures tell us God sees into our heart and discerns our intent. That is the fairest of all judgments.  

Science is beginning to catch up with religion on the matters of the heart.  Research is finding that indeed the heart which is composed of more neuron cells than muscle cells does have an intelligence and that it does communicate with other parts of the body including the brain.  The heart is the first organ to function after conception, within about 20 days.  The brain does not function until after 90 days or so.  

Research at the Institute of Heart Math indicates that:

 "The heart is the most powerful generator of electromagnetic energy in the human body, producing the largest rhythmic electromagnetic field of any of the body’s organs. The heart’s electrical field is about 60 times greater in amplitude than the electrical activity generated by the brain. This field, measured in the form of an electrocardiogram (ECG), can be detected anywhere on the surface of the body. Furthermore, the magnetic field produced by the heart is more than 5,000 times greater in strength than the field generated by the brain, and can be detected a number of feet away from the body, in all directions, using SQUID-based magnetometers." 

"As a man thinketh in his heart" seems to be more than just symbolism.  

Moroni Post 3 - "The Gift of His Calling Unto Me"

2 And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time.

(Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:2)

Moroni refers to his calling from God as a gift.  That is worth pondering.  We often think of our callings from God as our gifts to Him.  Really can we give a gift to God?  There is nothing we can give Him that He does not already have.  He doesn't need our efforts but we do need to put forth our efforts for Him.  A calling from God extends to us a gift that draws us closer to Him and enables us to act through His power and grace and come one step closer to coming into His presence by performing His work.  

Previously in verse 3 Moroni coupled gifts and callings with priesthood ordination.  

4 And after this manner did they ordain priests and teachers, according to the gifts and callings of God unto men; and they ordained them by the power of the Holy Ghost, which was in them.

(Book of Mormon | Moroni 3:4)

The phrase "gifts and callings of God unto men" appears in varying forms three times in the Doctrine and Covenants, all three in relationship to priesthood ordination and referencing the power of the Holy Ghost.   It seems that callings that come through priesthood ordinations (meaning those either issued by or perform by those ordained) are inextricably entwined with the gifts of the spirit and the power of the Holy Ghost.  

God wants to bestow gifts upon us - the gift of the Holy Ghost, the gift of ordinances and covenants, the gift of our opportunities to serve in callings, the gift of the commandments, the gift of the scriptures, the gift (and gifts) of the spirit, the gift of His Son. All of these gifts lead to one purpose - to return home, to enter into His rest, to come into the Presence of the Lord.  Every calling we receive*, should we choose to accept it and magnify it, brings us one step closer. We are all called but do we all choose to act in that calling?  

The word gift is defined as "a thing given willingly to someone without payment" or as "a natural ability or talent."  We cannot ever repay God for the gifts he bestows upon us.  We are unprofitable servants.  We are fully the receiver.  It is only through God's gifts that we can obtain unto eternal life.  Also those talents or natural abilities that we each have are bestowed upon us by God as are our very lives.

*Callings come to us in a formal manner through those ordained to the priesthood and also through the whisperings of the spirit that come into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Ghost which has been given to us previously through priesthood power.  

Moroni Post 2

One could write a thesis paper on Moroni chapter 7.  Single words preach entire sermons.  I find it interesting that the word "synagogue" is still used to describe a place of worship a full 1000 years after Lehi left Jerusalem.  That possibly has to do with the fact that Mormon and Moroni have access to Nephi's plates and all of the records that have been passed down which underscores the importance of keeping records.

Moroni Post 1

The Book of Moroni in the Book of Mormon is profound on so many levels. Knowing that these are the last words of a man who is the sole survivor of his civilization and is in hiding from his enemies is arresting enough but what he takes the time and bother to inscribe on the plates of Mormon is even more profound.  He hasn't thrown in the towel.  He is still striving with all his might to fulfill his calling as a witness of Jesus Christ to future generations.

First of all, I am amazed at Moroni's charity.  In verses 2 and 3 of chapter 1 he informs us that the Lamanites are putting to death every Nephi who will not deny the Christ and he reaffirms that he, Moroni will not deny the Christ.  So he is wandering whithersoever for the safety of his life.  Then in verse 4 he explains that since he has not yet perished that he will write a few more things "that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord."  Moroni is firmly entrenched in the love of Christ which extends to the descendants of the Laminates who refuse repentance and are hunting him.   Oh that we would be so believing in the words of Christ that we would and could truly love our enemies the way that Moroni did.  Moroni never forgot that the Lamanites were also God's children.  Yes, he defended his people in battle but he retained in his heart the desire to bring his "brethren the Lamanites" to the Savior of the world.

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is truly an amazing book. If you haven't read it you should. If you have read it, you should read it again. It is an inexhaustible well of spiritual refreshment.  It contains a feast for the soul and a strong witnesses of Jesus Christ.  It is a call to walk the path towards eternal life.

The Book of Mormon is tangible evidence of God's work of revelation in recent times.  It physically exists. You can hold it in your hands and because of that it must be reckoned with.  Why is it here and how did it come to be? If the Book of Mormon is read with a prayerful and open heart and studied in any depth one must acknowledge that it cannot be dismissed.  One's own heart can provide a witness of it's truth, but added to that is the continuing research of scholars into the structure, doctrines and historicity of the Book of Mormon.  Like I said, it is a force to be reckoned with.  Dismissing it as a fraudulent work is totally inconsistent with the contents inside it's cover.

A New Day for the Book of Mormon is a recent documentary which after a lighthearted introduction explores current academic analysis and scholarly research on the Book of Mormon.  Please take the time to watch.

http://www.byutv.org/watch/90be2679-e6eb-4039-afa1-fee5477b0c20/new-day-for-the-book-of-mormon-new-day-for-the-book-of-mormon#ooid=02bDh2cDru3biGONkdL8D0nZt_gcAX8q