There is often a difference between “being right” and “being righteous.” Wanting to be right isn’t a bad thing. This desire can stem from a desire to do good, to be obedient, and to be sure that the path we are on will take us to the right destination. It suggests that we are not only seeking good, but that we have found it, or at least some part that is worth holding on to. It may also be evidence that our faith has resulted in a knowledge of good and evil.
Our actions after we have found something good are what determine our own goodness. It is then that we find whether we match the goodness we have discovered, or if we merely admire something that is better than ourselves. I often sorrow for my own weaknesses when I have discovered the latter. Yet if I didn’t recognize this truth, I could never get past “being right” to “become" righteous.
I believe the desire for security to be innate in all of us. We want to be happy. We want to be successful, and we want the happiness we have found to continue. In order to do so, it is natural to guard what we have and what we know. We settle. We are willing to accept the little bit of success we have gained at the risk of forgetting there is much more. So, here lies the heart of the problem, and the difference between being right and being righteous. I have to be willing to ask myself a difficult question. “Am I protecting myself, my success, and my possessions, or am I protecting my ability to gain more truth?” My answer to this question should clearly define where I feel safe and show where my insecurities are.
Settling for a lesser truth can be very risky. Consider a difficult court case where a defendant is being tried for a serious offense. It is difficult to know whether the person is innocent, guilty, or merely negligent without proper evidence. If a verdict is determined too quickly based on a single piece of evidence, the judgment may not be fair. We may want to find a person either guilty or innocent, hoping for black and white clarity, when in fact the person may be some of each. I find that my imperfections put me in this camp more often than I would like. Just because I am trying to do what is right doesn’t mean I am completely right. Understanding this valuable truth will help me to turn to a more complete source. Personalizing this trial of faith will help me to understand that I have to defend truth without being personally defensive. If my own interests get in the way of the truth I am seeking, I become blinded and I stop seeing clearly.
In the coasts of Caesarea Philippi during his Galilean ministry, Jesus asked his disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus then told Peter he was blessed because he had received this witness from the Father. Immediately after, Jesus began to teach those who were with him of the things he had to do as the Christ and Savior of the World. He told them how he would suffer and be killed. Peter quickly began to rebuke him, telling Jesus that this wouldn’t happen. Jesus’ response to Peter is a little disturbing. “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:15-16, 22-23)
I feel for Peter. What a difficult thing to have just had a spiritual experience – to have born witness by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, to be told that the Church would be built upon the principles of revelation and priesthood keys, and that Peter himself would be given these as well as the sealing power to perform God’s work – and then to be told that you are Satan because you care not for the things that are God’s. I think if I had been in Peter’s shoes, I might have been a little confused and frightened. It would be easy to take the accusation personally without some degree of faith that Jesus was merely preparing Peter for something greater. Shortly after, Peter was given those keys as Moses, Elias, Elijah, and John the Baptist appeared to him on the mount of transfiguration. He continued to grow from grace to grace though he was not perfect. He learned how to see larger perspective through God’s eyes. He learned how to be trusted.
The struggle with self is perhaps the most difficult battle we will ever face. So much happens in the heart that goes unseen. Each of us places things that we treasure in our hearts. We make rooms for people who are important to us. We choose what we will think and how we will act by what we allow into our hearts. If we are selfish and self focused, we will savor the things of men rather than God. Yet if we enlarge our perspective so that our focus is on truth instead of our desires only, then self gets swallowed up in something greater. We become greater. Our outward beauty becomes a reflection of the change that takes place in our hearts. It demonstrates whether or not we have taken the Lord’s image into our own countenances.
Being swallowed up may sound like a negative thing, but this should not be compared to a hostile corporate takeover. Jesus invites us to come unto Him, so that we can follow Him and be with Him, He offers us a grand gift, to be a joint-heir of all that the Father has. He asks us to do what He has done. Offering ourselves up to be swallowed up in the will of the Lord is much like Jonah recognizing his mistakes, offering to be thrown off the ship only to be swallowed by the whale, and then be delivered safely. Had Jonah accepted this principle sooner, he could have swallowed his pride and been blessed instead of having to endure the stomach of a whale. Consider the sign of Jonah. (Matthew 16:4)
The prophet Abinadi foretold the difficult things Jesus would do during his ministry. Interestingly enough, it is the same thing that Jesus foretold to Peter. To King Noah he said, “And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people. … Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.” (Mosiah 15:5-7) By yielding to the Holy Spirit and submitting our desires for sanctification and approval, we allow our will to be swallowed up in the will of the Father.
After Jesus chastened Peter, He taught him how to keep a clear perspective. He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) His disciples hadn’t seen him carry his own cross yet, but would according to his word. We may assume that they had seen others crucified along the roads of Jerusalem who had born their own cross before receiving their final sentence of death. In this symbolic act, if we take up our own cross, we may do something difficult that acknowledges the death of the natural man so that we can more properly follow the Savior. Jesus continues, “And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself of all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.” (JST Matthew 16:26)
Jesus spake of His Cross and His deliverance as things that had already happened. He was obedient to the Father at every step. He also taught how we could follow him without having to make the same sacrifice, if we would just be willing to do so and then do whatever else He asks of us. The account of this story is recorded slightly different in three of the four gospels of the New Testament. Each one adds some insight to keeping a proper perspective.
In Matthew we read, “Break not my commandments for to save your lives; for whosoever will save his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come.” (JST Matthew 16:27) Less dire than saving our lives is an attempt to save a mortgage, pay a bill, or provide for our wants and needs by breaking the sabbath or withholding our tithes and offerings from the Lord. If we are tempted to break a commandment to provide for a want, will we not be judged more harshly than if we were trying to save our lives? Still, the instruction remains not to break the commandments to save our lives. Rather than judging others for their decisions, I feel we are better off judging our own intent to see if we are trying to be right or trying to be righteous. If we are unsure, the Lord will help us to know if we ask in faith.
“For whosoever will save his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come. And whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake shall find it in the world to come. Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls….” (JST Matthew 16:27-29) Jesus’ words here have everything to do with priority. Do I give too much voice to my current needs that I forget about the tomorrow of eternity? Am I so focused on self that I lose my perspective? What am I willing to offer to make sure this does not happen? I find when I am not only willing to ask these questions, but answer them with positive action and choices, my perspective enlarges and I feel closer to the Holy Spirit.
In Mark we read, “For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; or whosever will save his life, shall be willing to lay it down for my sake; and if he is not willing to lay it down for my sake, he shall lose it.” (JST Mark 8:37) This account reinforces that our willingness is most important. We may not have to give up everything. In fact, it is Father who wishes to give us everything, but He can only do it if our hearts are set upon Him instead of the things He wishes to give us. We have to be willing to endure and not settle for anything less than Him.
“In Luke we read, “For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained, and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway?” (JST Luke 9:24-25) Jesus enlarges this understanding beyond the will of the Father to include the words of those servants who have been called to teach us and chasten us. He does not ask that we give our lives in death, but to give our lives in service as we follow the Lord’s anointed. “Therefore deny yourselves of these, and be not ashamed of me.” (JST Mark 8:40)
On another occasion, Jesus taught this same principle and said, “Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:32-33) He then continued to tell them of some of the signs of the second coming, how there would be two and one would be taken and one left behind. If we wish to have oil in our lamps when the bridegroom returns for the wedding, we should be willing to put self aside and purify our hearts.
Jesus Christ has shown the way to eternal life with the Father. He has taught us the truth and has paid the price for our sins. As we partake the emblems of His atoning sacrifice, and swallow them to become part of us, we demonstrate a willingness to let him into our core, into our heart. By so doing we swallow our pride and offer up our hearts and our desires to Him. This offering is not so that we will give up, suppress, or deny those God given desires, appetites, and passions, but to allow him to purge “self” from them, making them more pure and more powerful. This sanctification of our hearts removes selfishness and makes room for Him whose love is as broad as the universe.
The hardest decisions I will ever make will take place in my heart. I tend to have more fear when I can only see the instant of now and what I have to give up. When I understand the larger picture, my judgment is clearer and I am more likely to swallow and offer willingly. Recognizing that God is the only complete source for truth and happiness helps me to turn my focus from self and keep it on Him.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Inasmuch as Ye Were Born
He looked at me, and I looked back. A large smile appeared on his face and he began to bounce. His eyes were large and trusting. Though he didn’t know who I was, the little boy wrapped each of his small hands around my index fingers and pulled himself to standing position on my lap. In an instant I remembered what it was like to have a baby again as we played for about an hour.
The boy’s parents, who are good friends of mine, have had a very challenging year. Anticipating a premature birth, and then having to keep their son in the hospital for the first couple months of his life was not easy. Many, many prayers were offered for them before and after his delivery. He is the recipient of a lot of invested faith. Their experience reminds me of the instruction the Lord gave to Eve after being cast out of the Garden of Eden. “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children….” (Genesis 3:16) Yet, who can doubt that the joy and happiness, also delivered by the Lord, far outweigh the costs of arrival?
Innocence is a short season before accountability. As my friends’ son looked into my eyes, there was no fear present, only hope. He had no reason to be afraid. He has not yet been tarnished by transgression or doubt. Whenever he has a need, he simply cries and his parents take care of him. Life is simple. Yet, what is more beautiful still is the potential for him to become something so much greater. As he becomes accountable, power will be given him to choose for himself. He will be able to choose what he would like to become. A pure life is powerful, but a life that is pure by choice is more so.
If purity is such a powerful virtue, then why is temptation so appealing? Why do we sometimes doubt that obedience to God’s commandments is always the best course? We may not be willing to state this openly, but our actions show where our faith is. So much depends on our needs and how they are met.
Spencer W. Kimball said that sin is the result of “deep and unmet needs on the part of the sinner.” Each of us has divinely given needs, appetites, and desires. Our passions can be great motivations when properly controlled. But all too often, when these needs go unmet, we become impatient. When promised blessings do not arrive when hoped for, we often accept alternatives. This willingness to settle for something less than what God intended makes us both vulnerable and susceptible to temptation. When a trial is delivered instead of a needed blessing, we are tempted to doubt God’s integrity. Instead of trusting that the pain is a sign that something greater is on its way or is about to be delivered, we question why God has forgotten us.
Each time my wife delivered one of our children, she experienced a period of intense pain as she labored to get them here. As the father, I felt like I could do little but support her and watch as she experienced something that I could not take away from her. That was not my role. Instead I tried to encourage her. I held her hand and tried to comfort her. I sometimes wondered how tightly she planned to squeeze my hand as each wave of contractions became stronger and stronger. My efforts did not feel very heroic. Her endurance was.
As we become more accountable, the period in which we are allowed to cry before our needs are met may increase. Courage is required if we are to face our weaknesses with faith. We gain strength and become more like God as our abilities are tested. Each wave of trials becomes greater, as does our faith if we exercise it well. Our Father in Heaven bases each lesson, not only on our accountability, but our capability. While the duration of time before deliverance may increase, His promises do not diminish. If anything, they become more powerful because our faith becomes stronger. Thus, we have every reason to hold on a little longer until we are delivered.
Recognizing that by reason of the transgression of Adam, all mankind became carnal, sensual, and devilish by nature, we all become guilty of sin and are in need of repentance. It is an interesting irony that we become devilish to please and satisfy our bodies, when the devil who tempts us does not have a body. It is when we choose to act like him, in spite of the promises of God, that we become devilish. Whether by deliberate sin or unintentional transgression, we can only become like God when we do what he would do, and this requires correction.
After Adam was cast out of the Garden, God told Adam how his needs could best be met. He said to him, “If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.” (Moses 6:52)
After we repent and are cleansed, we are offered the precious gift that will help us see that our needs our met. We become worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, who, in spite of our imperfections, will help us know what to ask for, and it then it will be given.
Consider the counsel given by the Lord to Joseph Smith. “I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.” He wants to bless us. He is only waiting for us to choose to be pure in heart as He is. “And to them will I reveal all mysteries…. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know…. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them….” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:5-8, 10) Sometimes, the greatest mysteries we do not understand have to do with the trials we experience in mortality. We wonder, and we want to know what the Lord expects of us. If we are faithful, He will tell us and make His mysteries known.
After the Lord taught Adam about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, Adam asked, “Why is it that men must repent and be baptized in water?” The Lord answered Adam and said that he was forgiven of his transgression in the Garden of Eden. Because his children were conceived in a world of sin, subject to mortal conditions, “sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.” Therefore we have to teach them to repent or they cannot inherit the kingdom of God. (Moses 6:53-57)
The Lord then teaches Adam about baptism, and the powerful symbol it is for our conversion by comparing it to the birthing process. He said, “Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children saying: That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.” (Moses 6:58-59)
Inasmuch as ye were born into the world, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven. In order to do this we need to put off the natural man and allow the carnal, sensual, and devilish desires to die. When we do, then there is sufficient room for righteous desires to flourish and thrive. The womb has only so much room for a baby to develop. Our hearts likewise only have so much room for our faith to develop when crowded by other desires. The things that are conceived in our hearts will determine our actions, and the blessings and trials that are delivered to us. Devilish desires cause the heart to contract, while righteous desires cause the heart to expand as wide as eternity.
The Lord continues, “For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.” (Moses 6:60) These three pieces are very important. The commandments, justification, and sanctification are all connected and are necessary for us to receive the grace of God.
We are commanded to be baptized because, among other things, it is a symbol of our spiritual death and cleansing. The water is symbolic of the protective water that surrounded us at the time of our first birth. Coming up out of the water represents our spiritual rebirth into heaven. As we keep this commandment we are justified because we have chosen to be pure. As a witness, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and confirms this truth. It is the presence of His influence that allows us to be sanctified through the atoning blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of his blood that was dispersed for our sins, and because of His infinite grace that covers the things we cannot do for ourselves, we may truly become clean and not just by washing with water. The washing by water, symbolic of a temporal cleansing, prepares us for a deeper spiritual cleansing.
While baptism is a temporal act, its spiritual significance is much greater. Regarding the commandments given to Adam, the Lord said, “Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created. Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual.” (Doctrine & Covenants 29:34-35)
By settling for lesser alternatives to God’s blessings, we show a weakness and tendency to appease the mortal body instead of God. However, when we are obedient to the commandments of God, we show that we are willing to submit the desires of our bodies to our spirits. We also demonstrate that we are willing to submit our spirits to the will of God.
Adam yielded to temptation when he was not accountable. After he gained knowledge and hearkened to God, then he yielded to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, that member of the Godhead who will be our constant companion and guide if we are wise and choose to receive Him.
When we receive the Holy Spirit in our lives, our actions, and all of our choices, his influence will permeate our hearts. He will then expand our hearts and our capacity to love God. He will sanctify our lives so there is more room for more faith. This faith will give us the courage to endure our trials and hold out for the promised blessings of the Lord without having to settle.
We all have powerful needs. When we cry unto God with all our hearts and look to Him to receive His promised blessings, He will provide for us, and He will deliver us.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
The boy’s parents, who are good friends of mine, have had a very challenging year. Anticipating a premature birth, and then having to keep their son in the hospital for the first couple months of his life was not easy. Many, many prayers were offered for them before and after his delivery. He is the recipient of a lot of invested faith. Their experience reminds me of the instruction the Lord gave to Eve after being cast out of the Garden of Eden. “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children….” (Genesis 3:16) Yet, who can doubt that the joy and happiness, also delivered by the Lord, far outweigh the costs of arrival?
Innocence is a short season before accountability. As my friends’ son looked into my eyes, there was no fear present, only hope. He had no reason to be afraid. He has not yet been tarnished by transgression or doubt. Whenever he has a need, he simply cries and his parents take care of him. Life is simple. Yet, what is more beautiful still is the potential for him to become something so much greater. As he becomes accountable, power will be given him to choose for himself. He will be able to choose what he would like to become. A pure life is powerful, but a life that is pure by choice is more so.
If purity is such a powerful virtue, then why is temptation so appealing? Why do we sometimes doubt that obedience to God’s commandments is always the best course? We may not be willing to state this openly, but our actions show where our faith is. So much depends on our needs and how they are met.
Spencer W. Kimball said that sin is the result of “deep and unmet needs on the part of the sinner.” Each of us has divinely given needs, appetites, and desires. Our passions can be great motivations when properly controlled. But all too often, when these needs go unmet, we become impatient. When promised blessings do not arrive when hoped for, we often accept alternatives. This willingness to settle for something less than what God intended makes us both vulnerable and susceptible to temptation. When a trial is delivered instead of a needed blessing, we are tempted to doubt God’s integrity. Instead of trusting that the pain is a sign that something greater is on its way or is about to be delivered, we question why God has forgotten us.
Each time my wife delivered one of our children, she experienced a period of intense pain as she labored to get them here. As the father, I felt like I could do little but support her and watch as she experienced something that I could not take away from her. That was not my role. Instead I tried to encourage her. I held her hand and tried to comfort her. I sometimes wondered how tightly she planned to squeeze my hand as each wave of contractions became stronger and stronger. My efforts did not feel very heroic. Her endurance was.
As we become more accountable, the period in which we are allowed to cry before our needs are met may increase. Courage is required if we are to face our weaknesses with faith. We gain strength and become more like God as our abilities are tested. Each wave of trials becomes greater, as does our faith if we exercise it well. Our Father in Heaven bases each lesson, not only on our accountability, but our capability. While the duration of time before deliverance may increase, His promises do not diminish. If anything, they become more powerful because our faith becomes stronger. Thus, we have every reason to hold on a little longer until we are delivered.
Recognizing that by reason of the transgression of Adam, all mankind became carnal, sensual, and devilish by nature, we all become guilty of sin and are in need of repentance. It is an interesting irony that we become devilish to please and satisfy our bodies, when the devil who tempts us does not have a body. It is when we choose to act like him, in spite of the promises of God, that we become devilish. Whether by deliberate sin or unintentional transgression, we can only become like God when we do what he would do, and this requires correction.
After Adam was cast out of the Garden, God told Adam how his needs could best be met. He said to him, “If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.” (Moses 6:52)
After we repent and are cleansed, we are offered the precious gift that will help us see that our needs our met. We become worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, who, in spite of our imperfections, will help us know what to ask for, and it then it will be given.
Consider the counsel given by the Lord to Joseph Smith. “I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.” He wants to bless us. He is only waiting for us to choose to be pure in heart as He is. “And to them will I reveal all mysteries…. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know…. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them….” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:5-8, 10) Sometimes, the greatest mysteries we do not understand have to do with the trials we experience in mortality. We wonder, and we want to know what the Lord expects of us. If we are faithful, He will tell us and make His mysteries known.
After the Lord taught Adam about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, Adam asked, “Why is it that men must repent and be baptized in water?” The Lord answered Adam and said that he was forgiven of his transgression in the Garden of Eden. Because his children were conceived in a world of sin, subject to mortal conditions, “sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.” Therefore we have to teach them to repent or they cannot inherit the kingdom of God. (Moses 6:53-57)
The Lord then teaches Adam about baptism, and the powerful symbol it is for our conversion by comparing it to the birthing process. He said, “Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children saying: That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.” (Moses 6:58-59)
Inasmuch as ye were born into the world, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven. In order to do this we need to put off the natural man and allow the carnal, sensual, and devilish desires to die. When we do, then there is sufficient room for righteous desires to flourish and thrive. The womb has only so much room for a baby to develop. Our hearts likewise only have so much room for our faith to develop when crowded by other desires. The things that are conceived in our hearts will determine our actions, and the blessings and trials that are delivered to us. Devilish desires cause the heart to contract, while righteous desires cause the heart to expand as wide as eternity.
The Lord continues, “For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.” (Moses 6:60) These three pieces are very important. The commandments, justification, and sanctification are all connected and are necessary for us to receive the grace of God.
We are commanded to be baptized because, among other things, it is a symbol of our spiritual death and cleansing. The water is symbolic of the protective water that surrounded us at the time of our first birth. Coming up out of the water represents our spiritual rebirth into heaven. As we keep this commandment we are justified because we have chosen to be pure. As a witness, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and confirms this truth. It is the presence of His influence that allows us to be sanctified through the atoning blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of his blood that was dispersed for our sins, and because of His infinite grace that covers the things we cannot do for ourselves, we may truly become clean and not just by washing with water. The washing by water, symbolic of a temporal cleansing, prepares us for a deeper spiritual cleansing.
While baptism is a temporal act, its spiritual significance is much greater. Regarding the commandments given to Adam, the Lord said, “Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created. Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual.” (Doctrine & Covenants 29:34-35)
By settling for lesser alternatives to God’s blessings, we show a weakness and tendency to appease the mortal body instead of God. However, when we are obedient to the commandments of God, we show that we are willing to submit the desires of our bodies to our spirits. We also demonstrate that we are willing to submit our spirits to the will of God.
Adam yielded to temptation when he was not accountable. After he gained knowledge and hearkened to God, then he yielded to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, that member of the Godhead who will be our constant companion and guide if we are wise and choose to receive Him.
When we receive the Holy Spirit in our lives, our actions, and all of our choices, his influence will permeate our hearts. He will then expand our hearts and our capacity to love God. He will sanctify our lives so there is more room for more faith. This faith will give us the courage to endure our trials and hold out for the promised blessings of the Lord without having to settle.
We all have powerful needs. When we cry unto God with all our hearts and look to Him to receive His promised blessings, He will provide for us, and He will deliver us.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Keeping the Garden
Daily I walk
Through elder trees and newer foliage
On familiar paths that change.
Canopies of leaves extend and reach
To cover the growth that sometimes frightens.
The orchard’s fullest depth holds a mystery.
Its many rooms remain a wonder.
The Garden I keep for another
Has fruit both wild and tame.
Each tree bears fruit in its own season,
Save two.
That place in the Garden is different,
And the two trees unique.
Since its planting,
The first never ceases to furnish fruit.
It never stops bearing,
Not for a moment.
The tree has one eternal round
Of giving two gifts –
Fruit which is ripe, and that which is rotten.
Upon first picking,
The tree’s forbidden flavor
Became common knowledge.
The delicious fruit has been greatly desired
By all who have tasted
For many seasons since.
At first harvest,
The second likewise experienced a change.
In place of always providing
This tree is continually ripening.
Closer and closer, the fruit, white and pure,
Nigh to ready,
Seems just out of reach.
Whether by knowledge,
Passed on in story,
Or due to lack of availability,
The fruit of the tree,
So full of life,
Is declared most desirable above all.
Between the two trees
An empty spot lingered;
Ground most fertile, and peculiar, perhaps.
If these others should bear
So very uniquely,
I wondered,
What could happen, if only by chance,
That I experiment with a third?
Desire worked in me.
My thoughts made room for hope.
Carefully placed, I set a small seed,
Which I thought
to be mustard.
Presumption took hold.
I qualmed and I doubted.
This Garden, not mine, was mine but to tend.
Still I questioned
If my small effort, insignificant at best,
Could possibly anger the one for whom
This Garden I kept.
With desire to equal both neighboring trees,
I settled, and decided
To watch and to wait.
I nourished, and tended, and kept.
And then I was angered.
What I saw was not what I thought.
Two trees stood,
Each flanking my spot.
They were majestic and strong,
Ideal for the ground
So fertile and willing.
But mine,
Twisted and gnarled, not slender or strait,
Had come from the dust,
Much smaller, and weaker.
I was less hopeful.
Perhaps it wasn’t the Garden soil after all.
The tree seemed disappointing,
My efforts vain.
Were it not for the notice
I gave to the leaves,
Which seemed to resemble the very first tree,
I should not have discovered
The fruit, a single olive,
Matching in whiteness and brilliance
The color of the ever ripening fruit.
There between trees, a third form was growing,
Finding strength from the soil
And the other two trees.
It was becoming and resembled
Another mount, another garden,
Covered in trees.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Through elder trees and newer foliage
On familiar paths that change.
Canopies of leaves extend and reach
To cover the growth that sometimes frightens.
The orchard’s fullest depth holds a mystery.
Its many rooms remain a wonder.
The Garden I keep for another
Has fruit both wild and tame.
Each tree bears fruit in its own season,
Save two.
That place in the Garden is different,
And the two trees unique.
Since its planting,
The first never ceases to furnish fruit.
It never stops bearing,
Not for a moment.
The tree has one eternal round
Of giving two gifts –
Fruit which is ripe, and that which is rotten.
Upon first picking,
The tree’s forbidden flavor
Became common knowledge.
The delicious fruit has been greatly desired
By all who have tasted
For many seasons since.
At first harvest,
The second likewise experienced a change.
In place of always providing
This tree is continually ripening.
Closer and closer, the fruit, white and pure,
Nigh to ready,
Seems just out of reach.
Whether by knowledge,
Passed on in story,
Or due to lack of availability,
The fruit of the tree,
So full of life,
Is declared most desirable above all.
Between the two trees
An empty spot lingered;
Ground most fertile, and peculiar, perhaps.
If these others should bear
So very uniquely,
I wondered,
What could happen, if only by chance,
That I experiment with a third?
Desire worked in me.
My thoughts made room for hope.
Carefully placed, I set a small seed,
Which I thought
to be mustard.
Presumption took hold.
I qualmed and I doubted.
This Garden, not mine, was mine but to tend.
Still I questioned
If my small effort, insignificant at best,
Could possibly anger the one for whom
This Garden I kept.
With desire to equal both neighboring trees,
I settled, and decided
To watch and to wait.
I nourished, and tended, and kept.
And then I was angered.
What I saw was not what I thought.
Two trees stood,
Each flanking my spot.
They were majestic and strong,
Ideal for the ground
So fertile and willing.
But mine,
Twisted and gnarled, not slender or strait,
Had come from the dust,
Much smaller, and weaker.
I was less hopeful.
Perhaps it wasn’t the Garden soil after all.
The tree seemed disappointing,
My efforts vain.
Were it not for the notice
I gave to the leaves,
Which seemed to resemble the very first tree,
I should not have discovered
The fruit, a single olive,
Matching in whiteness and brilliance
The color of the ever ripening fruit.
There between trees, a third form was growing,
Finding strength from the soil
And the other two trees.
It was becoming and resembled
Another mount, another garden,
Covered in trees.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Remembering Mother Eve
I once made the mistake of using an incorrect word while trying to pay a friend a compliment. After being given some delicious fudge as a present, I told my friend that she was infamous for her fudge rather than famous. Sigh. Yes, it was embarrassing. As soon as the words had crossed my lips, I immediately knew I wasn’t going to get out of that situation easily. I had really good intentions, but the compliment never arrived. Unfortunately, every time I think about the fudge she and her husband made for me, I also think about my faux pas. The two seem inseparable. A really good thing was tainted by my error.
Similar to my experience, I often wonder how well the world receives the gift that was given to us by our Mother Eve, because of her transgression. After Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Lucifer beguiled our mother and she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make her wise….” Based on what she knew at the time, “she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.” (Moses 4:12)
Immediately following their meal, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened. Not only did they realize that they had been naked, they knew they had not responded to God’s warning and they hid out of fear. I find it interesting that they tried to hide the nakedness of their skin as well as the openness of their disobedience. But that is another subject, entirely. They found inadequate cover for both and then the Lord provided a better solution. Once they were prepared, they were driven out from the garden.
It may be too easy to judge our first parents based on appearances. Adam and Eve were disobedient, but they were not fully accountable without a prior knowledge and understanding of good and evil. They transgressed, yes, but they did not sin. However, their choice to eat the fruit introduced the potential for sin into the world and made it possible for them and their children to be tested. Both Adam and Eve discovered the effects of their decisions and suffered for them. And yet, while there was a cost to be paid, both were glad for their choice afterward. Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:11) While she did not possess knowledge before, she recognized afterward that her choice, though it would come with a cost, would be worth it.
In Prince Caspian, of the Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis wrote about this peculiar dichotomy. Near the end of the story, Aslan the Lion tells Prince Caspian of his less than reputable ancestral line. Prince Caspian then wishes that his lineage were less tainted. Aslan replies to Caspian, "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve…. And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content." Disobedience may not be honorable, but good should not be discredited due to a lack of perfection.
As I have thought about Adam and Eve’s decision that brought both sin and happiness into the world, I have discovered some beautiful lessons that are worth honoring and not forgetting.
Fidelity in Marriage
While Adam and Eve lived in the garden, God commanded that they stay together and that Eve remain with her husband. (Moses 4:18) The same applies to Adam. While there weren’t a lot of other options in the garden, other than to not be close, their faithfulness to each other is largely the reason that Adam was persuaded to eat of the fruit. After leaving the garden, nothing else had preeminence for Adam and Eve, except for God. If couples struggling with marital issues today would remember the counsel given by God, “Therefore shall a man … cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh,” (Moses 3:24) and “thy desire shall be to thy husband,” (Moses 4:22) many marriages could be saved. It is when we turn our hearts away that we are in the most danger.
Raising Families
God has a great love for mothers. Of all the titles he could have chosen for Eve, mother was the most important. “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many.” (Moses 4:26) Adam called his wife Eve, but Moses makes it clear that the title, “mother of all living,” originated with God. Because of her choice, God also told Eve,” I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.” (Moses 4:22) While bearing children would not be easy, and raising them would be difficult, Eve recognized that we are meant to have joy, and so much of that joy comes from having children, teaching them the ways of the Lord, and enjoying with them the blessings that come from obedient living.
Seeking Help through Prayer
“And Adam and Eve, his wife, ceased not to call upon God.” (Moses 5:16) Raising a family is a lifelong effort with many unknown variables that can influence our happiness. With so much out of our control or experience, we would be wise to call upon God for help to raise His children. When we lack wisdom, He is willing to give us help liberally if we ask in faith. (James 1:5) After they were driven from the garden, Adam and Eve began to call “upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence.” (Moses 5:4)
Again, it is easy to judge the tone of this verse by its conclusion, as though it were a bad thing. Remembering that the decision of all of us in the grand council in heaven was to leave Father’s presence so that we could be tested, we should not condemn Adam or Eve for their choice. They chose to do what we all chose to do, which is to learn by being tested. When we have faith, and repent of our sins, it is as though we never sinned.
The important lesson for me is that Adam and Eve continued to listen to the voice of the Lord God, even when they could not see him. They prayed. He answered. Praying with faith is important if we seek the Lord’s help. However, following the answers He gives us to our prayers is just as important. Adam and Eve set a clear example for us to follow.
Teaching from the Scriptures and by the Holy Ghost
After the Holy Ghost came upon Adam and Eve, they “blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and daughters. (Moses 5:12) “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Moses 5:58) “and a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; and by them their children were taught….” (Moses 6:5)
What a beautiful thing to realize that as many of Adam and Eve’s children who chose to pray to God were given answers that were worth remembering and recording. All they had to do was ask. They then passed on what they had learned to their children.
Each of us has the opportunity to be taught directly by the Holy Ghost. Those who are confirmed after baptism are invited and directed to receive the Holy Ghost. He is ready to teach us as long as we are ready to listen and follow.
Becoming Like God as We Choose to Follow Him
Knowing that we, each of God’s children, would fall to temptation and the conditions of mortality, our Father provided a Savior, even Jesus Christ, who would redeem us from the fall. The prophet Lehi taught that this redemption makes us free. Because we are not bound to the conditions of death that were introduced by eating the forbidden fruit, we are free to choose the pathway of our future.
Lehi taught, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now… I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit….” (2 Nephi 2:27-28)
I may wonder at why things happened they way they did, or if there could have been another way. Then I content myself to remember that “all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:24-25)
The greatest happiness in our lives comes when we choose to be like God. We choose to become like Him when we choose good over evil. No matter how small the decision, each choice will carry us closer to or further from God. What a gift this choice is! Every day we, like our mother Eve, are able to experience the lessons God has prepared for us, all because she wanted to be like Him, knowing good from evil. Knowing is not enough, but having faith is. If I ever get to meet mother Eve on the other side of the veil, I am hoping to save a special heartfelt compliment for her. I am so grateful that she made a choice that make all of my choices possible. Did she ever regret her decision? No, and neither do I.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Similar to my experience, I often wonder how well the world receives the gift that was given to us by our Mother Eve, because of her transgression. After Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Lucifer beguiled our mother and she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make her wise….” Based on what she knew at the time, “she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.” (Moses 4:12)
Immediately following their meal, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened. Not only did they realize that they had been naked, they knew they had not responded to God’s warning and they hid out of fear. I find it interesting that they tried to hide the nakedness of their skin as well as the openness of their disobedience. But that is another subject, entirely. They found inadequate cover for both and then the Lord provided a better solution. Once they were prepared, they were driven out from the garden.
It may be too easy to judge our first parents based on appearances. Adam and Eve were disobedient, but they were not fully accountable without a prior knowledge and understanding of good and evil. They transgressed, yes, but they did not sin. However, their choice to eat the fruit introduced the potential for sin into the world and made it possible for them and their children to be tested. Both Adam and Eve discovered the effects of their decisions and suffered for them. And yet, while there was a cost to be paid, both were glad for their choice afterward. Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:11) While she did not possess knowledge before, she recognized afterward that her choice, though it would come with a cost, would be worth it.
In Prince Caspian, of the Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis wrote about this peculiar dichotomy. Near the end of the story, Aslan the Lion tells Prince Caspian of his less than reputable ancestral line. Prince Caspian then wishes that his lineage were less tainted. Aslan replies to Caspian, "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve…. And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content." Disobedience may not be honorable, but good should not be discredited due to a lack of perfection.
As I have thought about Adam and Eve’s decision that brought both sin and happiness into the world, I have discovered some beautiful lessons that are worth honoring and not forgetting.
Fidelity in Marriage
While Adam and Eve lived in the garden, God commanded that they stay together and that Eve remain with her husband. (Moses 4:18) The same applies to Adam. While there weren’t a lot of other options in the garden, other than to not be close, their faithfulness to each other is largely the reason that Adam was persuaded to eat of the fruit. After leaving the garden, nothing else had preeminence for Adam and Eve, except for God. If couples struggling with marital issues today would remember the counsel given by God, “Therefore shall a man … cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh,” (Moses 3:24) and “thy desire shall be to thy husband,” (Moses 4:22) many marriages could be saved. It is when we turn our hearts away that we are in the most danger.
Raising Families
God has a great love for mothers. Of all the titles he could have chosen for Eve, mother was the most important. “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many.” (Moses 4:26) Adam called his wife Eve, but Moses makes it clear that the title, “mother of all living,” originated with God. Because of her choice, God also told Eve,” I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.” (Moses 4:22) While bearing children would not be easy, and raising them would be difficult, Eve recognized that we are meant to have joy, and so much of that joy comes from having children, teaching them the ways of the Lord, and enjoying with them the blessings that come from obedient living.
Seeking Help through Prayer
“And Adam and Eve, his wife, ceased not to call upon God.” (Moses 5:16) Raising a family is a lifelong effort with many unknown variables that can influence our happiness. With so much out of our control or experience, we would be wise to call upon God for help to raise His children. When we lack wisdom, He is willing to give us help liberally if we ask in faith. (James 1:5) After they were driven from the garden, Adam and Eve began to call “upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence.” (Moses 5:4)
Again, it is easy to judge the tone of this verse by its conclusion, as though it were a bad thing. Remembering that the decision of all of us in the grand council in heaven was to leave Father’s presence so that we could be tested, we should not condemn Adam or Eve for their choice. They chose to do what we all chose to do, which is to learn by being tested. When we have faith, and repent of our sins, it is as though we never sinned.
The important lesson for me is that Adam and Eve continued to listen to the voice of the Lord God, even when they could not see him. They prayed. He answered. Praying with faith is important if we seek the Lord’s help. However, following the answers He gives us to our prayers is just as important. Adam and Eve set a clear example for us to follow.
Teaching from the Scriptures and by the Holy Ghost
After the Holy Ghost came upon Adam and Eve, they “blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and daughters. (Moses 5:12) “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Moses 5:58) “and a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; and by them their children were taught….” (Moses 6:5)
What a beautiful thing to realize that as many of Adam and Eve’s children who chose to pray to God were given answers that were worth remembering and recording. All they had to do was ask. They then passed on what they had learned to their children.
Each of us has the opportunity to be taught directly by the Holy Ghost. Those who are confirmed after baptism are invited and directed to receive the Holy Ghost. He is ready to teach us as long as we are ready to listen and follow.
Becoming Like God as We Choose to Follow Him
Knowing that we, each of God’s children, would fall to temptation and the conditions of mortality, our Father provided a Savior, even Jesus Christ, who would redeem us from the fall. The prophet Lehi taught that this redemption makes us free. Because we are not bound to the conditions of death that were introduced by eating the forbidden fruit, we are free to choose the pathway of our future.
Lehi taught, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now… I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit….” (2 Nephi 2:27-28)
I may wonder at why things happened they way they did, or if there could have been another way. Then I content myself to remember that “all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:24-25)
The greatest happiness in our lives comes when we choose to be like God. We choose to become like Him when we choose good over evil. No matter how small the decision, each choice will carry us closer to or further from God. What a gift this choice is! Every day we, like our mother Eve, are able to experience the lessons God has prepared for us, all because she wanted to be like Him, knowing good from evil. Knowing is not enough, but having faith is. If I ever get to meet mother Eve on the other side of the veil, I am hoping to save a special heartfelt compliment for her. I am so grateful that she made a choice that make all of my choices possible. Did she ever regret her decision? No, and neither do I.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Leaving the Garden of Eden
Four years ago I made the mistake of missing a return airplane flight on President’s Day weekend. I was not aware of how busy that particular Friday was for flyers and thought I might be able to arrange another departure. I was wrong. Worse yet, I disappointed my wife. My missed departure equated to a lost opportunity for a Friday night date we had been planning for a while. Saddened, after discovering that all outgoing flights were not only sold out but were overbooked, I had to figure out what I would do for accommodations. I went back to the car rental where I had just returned my car only to pick up another. My next task was to find a hotel room for the weekend. Admittedly, my decisions left me with circumstances I had not expected.
While Independence, Missouri, is a cold place to be in February, it is very different in the summer. In my effort to make the best of an extended business trip, I revisited memories of previous trips – times when leaves on trees were full and green rather than bleakly missing. I recalled driving through that part of the country, appreciating its recent and ancient history. In my memory, I appreciated the beauty of what I had known before. What I saw in front of me on that trip was a completely different context.
It was a sad irony that my attempt to leave Independence left me trapped and stranded from the home I wished to return to. Another small irony was that I was trying to leave by choice when, not quite two hundred years ago, many of my ancestors who had lived in that same area were forced to abandon their homes and lands, and leave against their will. Almost overnight, they had no accommodations and were at the mercy of other settlers who took them in and gave them a place to stay. They, too, left in the cold of winter, but they did not have rental cars or hotel rooms to comfort them. I was attempting to get home. They had to leave theirs.
Not far from this area is a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman, a name my ancestors referred to as the land where Adam dwelt. The valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman is now used for crops and is a quite a fertile area. Because of its namesake, I have wondered how fertile it might have been in comparison to the Garden of Eden. What were conditions really like there? What was summer like? How severe was winter when Adam and Eve were driven out? To what home did they then go?
The ancient account of leaving the fertile garden was partly out of choice, and partly by requirement. Yes, Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden by God, but only after having made the choice that triggered the consequence. First, they were warned of what would happen should they choose to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then they chose.
God commanded Adam, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Moses 3:16-17)
I wonder if we received similar instruction in the grand council in heaven before coming to this earth. When the plan of our Father in heaven was presented, were we not also warned of what would happen should we choose to accept His plan, requiring us to gain knowledge and choose between good and evil? Did we not accept the conditions of death as part of mortality? How much did we know? We didn’t know what death was like because we hadn’t experienced it. We didn’t know how temptations would affect a mortal body, either. Yet we knew enough to follow Jehovah and reject Lucifer during the war in heaven. We knew enough to choose sides and pick between good and evil.
In a sense, choosing to leave the premortal world was no different than choosing to leave the Garden of Eden. Whether our choice or the choice of Adam and Eve, it was a choice to leave the presence of God so that we could be tested. The weight of this choice can only be fully understood when we acknowledge what was being left behind. We chose to leave our home in heaven, to become strangers in a strange land. Adam and Eve chose to accept the consequences of death that they might become as gods knowing good and evil.
After the fall, the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam and he said, “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” Eve having heard this was glad and said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:10-11)
These verses of scripture hold an interesting contradiction. Adam and Eve were warned by God what would happen if they ate the forbidden fruit. Yet after their transgression, the Holy Ghost comes as a reward and comforts them. Adam acknowledges that he will have joy that he could not have experienced otherwise. Eve expresses her hope for eternal life through obedience. Both were glad for their decision. When Adam and Eve chose death, they also chose the opportunity to have eternal life. While they didn’t know this until after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, they were persuaded by the serpent to become like God. While it was his intent to deceive Adam and Eve, it was the intent of God to save them. The apparent contradiction between God’s warning and the reaction of Adam and Eve after their fall represents a paradox more than conflicting circumstances.
A choice to leave the Garden is a choice to accept opposition. It is also a choice to let go of something we know in exchange for something better. The greater reward comes with a cost. As we choose to meet opposition, and choose between good and evil, we become something better. We become converted, and we become worthy. By choice, we become like God.
God cursed the ground for Adam and Eve’s sake, not as a punishment but that they might have joy. The path is sweat and sorrow, thorns and thistles, yet our reward is heaven and eternal life. Seeing through the opposition – not only of good and evil, but between pleasure and sorrow, weakness and strength – requires us to have faith, and the more the better. To live in the world but not of it challenges us to become strong in adversity. The desire for happiness when we suffer from loss invites us to seek help from a loving Father who loves to care for His children. Striving to overcome our weaknesses in the hope of finding strength demands all the faith we can provide. The beauty of this offering is that our faith is then matched, increased, and returned in greater abundance. Faith in God never fails, but turns to charity as we feel His love and as our love for Him grows in our hearts. Thus the pathway is not punishment but perfection.
I believe that repeatedly each of us is required to leave our own intermittent Gardens of Eden. It takes faith to face a situation that will require a willing sacrifice, believing that the result will be greater. It requires our trust in God that His way is always better. When we are willing to let go of the things we know, we have nothing to trust in but the things we do not know but hope to believe. This is Father’s purpose. He invites us, through faith on His Only Begotten Son, to believe though we cannot see, as we follow the enticings of His Holy Spirit. This leap of faith requires us to leave Eden to travel through our own wilderness, our destination being our heavenly home. This test proves to ourselves just how valuable the heavenly gift means to us. More importantly, it demonstrates the strength of our love for God.
Isaiah the prophet taught that the Lord will comfort His people. When we look to Abraham and Sarah, like Adam and Eve, and we keep the covenants God made with them, he will give us the same blessings. Isaiah said, “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” (Isaiah 51:1-3)
Adam and Eve left the garden to face death and brought children into the world. Abraham left his garden as he ascended the Mount in Moriah to offer his son, Isaac. He found comfort in the promises of the Lord. The early pioneers who left Missouri faced the martyrdom of Carthage and the despair of Nauvoo, but found their Zion where the desert was made a garden. Each of us may find comfort in our places of despair when we face our wilderness with faith. The first step is to leave the comfort of our home in Eden in the hope of arriving at a better place.
The prophet Mormon taught us, “if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ. And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing? And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.” (Moroni 7:19-21)
As we hear the words of Christ and exercise faith in Him, we increase our ability to lay hold upon every good thing. But first we must let go of our fears, our pride, and our vanity. If we fail to do so, these things possess our hearts and leave no room for faith. When we release our grasp on the things that we treasure in our hearts, trusting that God is always right, then will our deserts be turned into gardens, and joy and gladness will fill our hearts. This is the purpose of our existence, that we might have joy through the Lord.
Repeatedly this last year, I have felt as though I have had promptings to give up things that were very valuable to me. I have been asked to give up my Eden. Each time I have left the comfort and security of the garden – each time I was willing to submit to and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and make an offering of faith to the Lord – He has rewarded me like Abraham, accepting my willingness and allowing me to keep my treasure. Whether our trials are lengthy or temporary, the anguish of our departure will always be softened by faith. Like a missed plane flight, some things are only temporary. Blessings may be delayed like an inconvenient layover, but the Lord always keeps His promises, and He always rewards faith. I may have more gardens to leave before I am finished, but I become less and less afraid knowing that God’s way is always better, and is often inclusive.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
While Independence, Missouri, is a cold place to be in February, it is very different in the summer. In my effort to make the best of an extended business trip, I revisited memories of previous trips – times when leaves on trees were full and green rather than bleakly missing. I recalled driving through that part of the country, appreciating its recent and ancient history. In my memory, I appreciated the beauty of what I had known before. What I saw in front of me on that trip was a completely different context.
It was a sad irony that my attempt to leave Independence left me trapped and stranded from the home I wished to return to. Another small irony was that I was trying to leave by choice when, not quite two hundred years ago, many of my ancestors who had lived in that same area were forced to abandon their homes and lands, and leave against their will. Almost overnight, they had no accommodations and were at the mercy of other settlers who took them in and gave them a place to stay. They, too, left in the cold of winter, but they did not have rental cars or hotel rooms to comfort them. I was attempting to get home. They had to leave theirs.
Not far from this area is a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman, a name my ancestors referred to as the land where Adam dwelt. The valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman is now used for crops and is a quite a fertile area. Because of its namesake, I have wondered how fertile it might have been in comparison to the Garden of Eden. What were conditions really like there? What was summer like? How severe was winter when Adam and Eve were driven out? To what home did they then go?
The ancient account of leaving the fertile garden was partly out of choice, and partly by requirement. Yes, Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden by God, but only after having made the choice that triggered the consequence. First, they were warned of what would happen should they choose to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then they chose.
God commanded Adam, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Moses 3:16-17)
I wonder if we received similar instruction in the grand council in heaven before coming to this earth. When the plan of our Father in heaven was presented, were we not also warned of what would happen should we choose to accept His plan, requiring us to gain knowledge and choose between good and evil? Did we not accept the conditions of death as part of mortality? How much did we know? We didn’t know what death was like because we hadn’t experienced it. We didn’t know how temptations would affect a mortal body, either. Yet we knew enough to follow Jehovah and reject Lucifer during the war in heaven. We knew enough to choose sides and pick between good and evil.
In a sense, choosing to leave the premortal world was no different than choosing to leave the Garden of Eden. Whether our choice or the choice of Adam and Eve, it was a choice to leave the presence of God so that we could be tested. The weight of this choice can only be fully understood when we acknowledge what was being left behind. We chose to leave our home in heaven, to become strangers in a strange land. Adam and Eve chose to accept the consequences of death that they might become as gods knowing good and evil.
After the fall, the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam and he said, “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” Eve having heard this was glad and said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:10-11)
These verses of scripture hold an interesting contradiction. Adam and Eve were warned by God what would happen if they ate the forbidden fruit. Yet after their transgression, the Holy Ghost comes as a reward and comforts them. Adam acknowledges that he will have joy that he could not have experienced otherwise. Eve expresses her hope for eternal life through obedience. Both were glad for their decision. When Adam and Eve chose death, they also chose the opportunity to have eternal life. While they didn’t know this until after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, they were persuaded by the serpent to become like God. While it was his intent to deceive Adam and Eve, it was the intent of God to save them. The apparent contradiction between God’s warning and the reaction of Adam and Eve after their fall represents a paradox more than conflicting circumstances.
A choice to leave the Garden is a choice to accept opposition. It is also a choice to let go of something we know in exchange for something better. The greater reward comes with a cost. As we choose to meet opposition, and choose between good and evil, we become something better. We become converted, and we become worthy. By choice, we become like God.
God cursed the ground for Adam and Eve’s sake, not as a punishment but that they might have joy. The path is sweat and sorrow, thorns and thistles, yet our reward is heaven and eternal life. Seeing through the opposition – not only of good and evil, but between pleasure and sorrow, weakness and strength – requires us to have faith, and the more the better. To live in the world but not of it challenges us to become strong in adversity. The desire for happiness when we suffer from loss invites us to seek help from a loving Father who loves to care for His children. Striving to overcome our weaknesses in the hope of finding strength demands all the faith we can provide. The beauty of this offering is that our faith is then matched, increased, and returned in greater abundance. Faith in God never fails, but turns to charity as we feel His love and as our love for Him grows in our hearts. Thus the pathway is not punishment but perfection.
I believe that repeatedly each of us is required to leave our own intermittent Gardens of Eden. It takes faith to face a situation that will require a willing sacrifice, believing that the result will be greater. It requires our trust in God that His way is always better. When we are willing to let go of the things we know, we have nothing to trust in but the things we do not know but hope to believe. This is Father’s purpose. He invites us, through faith on His Only Begotten Son, to believe though we cannot see, as we follow the enticings of His Holy Spirit. This leap of faith requires us to leave Eden to travel through our own wilderness, our destination being our heavenly home. This test proves to ourselves just how valuable the heavenly gift means to us. More importantly, it demonstrates the strength of our love for God.
Isaiah the prophet taught that the Lord will comfort His people. When we look to Abraham and Sarah, like Adam and Eve, and we keep the covenants God made with them, he will give us the same blessings. Isaiah said, “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” (Isaiah 51:1-3)
Adam and Eve left the garden to face death and brought children into the world. Abraham left his garden as he ascended the Mount in Moriah to offer his son, Isaac. He found comfort in the promises of the Lord. The early pioneers who left Missouri faced the martyrdom of Carthage and the despair of Nauvoo, but found their Zion where the desert was made a garden. Each of us may find comfort in our places of despair when we face our wilderness with faith. The first step is to leave the comfort of our home in Eden in the hope of arriving at a better place.
The prophet Mormon taught us, “if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ. And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing? And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.” (Moroni 7:19-21)
As we hear the words of Christ and exercise faith in Him, we increase our ability to lay hold upon every good thing. But first we must let go of our fears, our pride, and our vanity. If we fail to do so, these things possess our hearts and leave no room for faith. When we release our grasp on the things that we treasure in our hearts, trusting that God is always right, then will our deserts be turned into gardens, and joy and gladness will fill our hearts. This is the purpose of our existence, that we might have joy through the Lord.
Repeatedly this last year, I have felt as though I have had promptings to give up things that were very valuable to me. I have been asked to give up my Eden. Each time I have left the comfort and security of the garden – each time I was willing to submit to and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and make an offering of faith to the Lord – He has rewarded me like Abraham, accepting my willingness and allowing me to keep my treasure. Whether our trials are lengthy or temporary, the anguish of our departure will always be softened by faith. Like a missed plane flight, some things are only temporary. Blessings may be delayed like an inconvenient layover, but the Lord always keeps His promises, and He always rewards faith. I may have more gardens to leave before I am finished, but I become less and less afraid knowing that God’s way is always better, and is often inclusive.
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