The Law as a type of things to come (Christ)

Here is Abinadi talking to Noah’s wicked priests about the Law of Moses.

29 And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God;

30 Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him.

31 But behold, I say unto you, that all these things were types of things to come. (Mosiah 13:29-31)

I think what Abinadi says here is that the gift of the Law of Moses itself was a type of Christ.

A law given to Israel	A Messiah given to Israel and all who would believe
A law of performances and ordinances	Christ’s example consists of all the things we must do. We have to become like Him.
Which they were to observe strictly from day to day	Israel observed Christ keeping the law from day to day during His life, and we are to observe Christ’s higher law just as strictly from day to day. We can also read the gospels and observe what He did.
To keep them in remembrance of their God and their duty toward him	Christ instituted the sacrament to remind us of His sacrifice and our duty, and we are to remember Him always.

Just because we don’t live the Law of Moses doesn’t mean the higher law Christ gave isn’t as much a type of Christ as the Law of Moses. The higher law can also be thought of as a type of Christ too. 1) It was given, 2) it is a law of ordinances, though not so many, 3) it is strict, especially if you see the Beattitudes as part of it, 4) it keeps us remembering Christ and God and our duty.

-->

Avoiding Lust

28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.

29 Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;

30 For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell.(3 Nephi 12:28-30)

The part of this scripture that is most memorable is that looking to lust is accompanied by the mental act of committing adultery.  In this day and age, probably the main sin we probably associate with looking is pornography.  But the warning is about adultery, which is a sin associated with another person one knows and probably commonly associates with.

There’s another part which is just as important but which is not so well noticed—the instruction to “suffer none of these things to enter into your heart.”  What are “these things”?  I think it could be two different things.  In one way, it could mean the lustful desires.  But it could also be a reference to the interactions that led to the lustful desires rising in the first place.

Those who are visually oriented maybe attracted one way, but others may be attracted by a small and simple acts of consideration over time.  If a person doesn’t guard their heart, they can build up an affection rivaling their marriage. Ego gets involved and feels fed in a new way.  This is why Christ gives further instructions to deny oneself “these things” and take up the cross.  One must deny oneself thoughts and ruminations about the other person.

Taking up the cross is a good way to express how one must deny oneself thoughts of the forbidden one.  Taking up the cross is a burden one carries hour by hour. It will be the last thing a person wants to do, so comparing it with the prospect of bodily torture is apt.  The forbidden thoughts will seem too sweet, too delightful, and putting them out of mind will seem too hard, but it must be done, or else a person will wallow in a sea of lust.

When Christ says it is better to deny self of these things than be cast into hell, that hell He speaks of is not just after mortality. It is also in mortality.  In fact, “hell” is His name for that sea of lust one may have unwittingly become immersed in.  This might seem contradictory; lust is so alluring to those in it.  But in the unflinching light of truth, “hell” is a good name for a state in which a person wants something very badly but can never lawfully have it, worlds-without-end-Amen.

How does Christ know this? To me it implies that in these things as in all others, He had faced the same temptations, was tempted to the very extremity, and He overcame it.  He who is called the epitome of love was Himself tempted with the counterfeit. He accepted worship and devotion without using it as an occasion to gratify any appetite or lust.

Whosoever shall say, Thou fool

-->

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matt 5:22)

Preliminary note: The JST omits “without a cause” from the text.

This verse is interesting because it warns of judgments, councils, and hellfire may be the lot of those who are angry, deride, and verbally abuse others.

The council Jesus spoke up meant a religious council for the purpose of discipline and judgment. Thus, someone who said “Raca” (a term suggesting contempt) to someone else was dehumanizing and verbally abusing and would eventually do worse things that would ultimately lead to church discipline.

Now for the term “fool.”  This seems relatively mild to us, since we have a tradition of the word being used for people who were merely unwise or ignorant or jerks.  However, my perspective on this was changed when I read that the term “fool” in the scriptures actually meant something like “apostate.”  (Here’s an interesting paper on this verse that I also found enlightening.)

With that bit of knowledge, suddenly the verses in Proverbs about fools mean something completely different.  And here in Matt. 5:22, we are warned not to call someone apostate. We are warned this will put us in danger of hellfire.

Why might this be?  First, it is hostile, exclusionary behavior. It has the effect of driving away someone who is already probably somewhat alienated. So in effect, it does Satan’s work for him, and there are consequences for that. (Who wants to be agents of Satan? Not me! [raises hand])

We don’t know people’s hearts or their inner struggle. All we can see are their words and actions. We don’t know, but that our continued forbearance and kindness might be instrumental in helping those we consider faithless to begin believing again.

KJV versus JST: Not everyone that saith to me Lord, Lord

I want to take a look at the JST for Matthew 7: 21-23.

KJV  Matt 7:21-23	JST	comments
21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.	21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  For the day soon cometh, that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works.	The JST adds a whole sentence on the end of the verse to make clear that this anticipated situation takes place at the day of judgment and that these people aren’t pushed away by Christ until post mortality.  They are given every chance in life to repent and have refused.  Without this clarification, we might think that a person coming to Christ in this life would not be able to count on being received.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?	22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.	And then will I say, Ye never knew me: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.	Here the JST clarifies that it is not that Christ doesn’t know those who work iniquity.  He is familiar with their lives, having done His best to try to reclaim them.  He is perfectly acquainted with their sins and weaknesses and pains and struggles, having suffered for them.  But for all that, these people have refused or neglected to repent in the manner commanded, and so have never known Christ or His goodness, for all they have professed to know.  (see my other blog post that goes deeper into this)

 I think the main principles the JST clarifies here is how we all have our chances to repent and come to Christ, but at judgment day, the chances are over.  Also, if we are condemned at that day, it will be because we have refused to repent and know Christ.  Every one of us, until we repent, is one “who works iniquity.”  No pointing fingers to say, “yes, those people over there better repent” because we have sinned too.

Whosoever that looketh to lust: KJV with JST versus Book of Mormon

 In these verses, Jesus expounds the higher law that one should not look on a woman (or anyone, I suppose) to lust, and looking to lust was to commit adultery in the heart.  However, Matthew and 3 Nephi have different attending explanations that seem to have different emphases.

KJV with JST:

27 ¶Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  And now this I speak, a parable concerning your sins; wherefore, cast them from you, that ye may not be hewn down and cast into the fire.

 (Matt 5:27-30, JST added in green)

Book of Mormon:

27 Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery;

 28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.

 29 Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;

 30 For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell. (3 Nephi 12:27-30)

I notice that the KJV has “hath committed adultery with her,” but the Book of Mormon has only “hath committed adultery.”  The KJV “with her” seems to imply that the woman participates too, but the Book of Mormon doesn’t, leaving the impression that it is all the man’s (or onlooker’s) sin.

3 Nephi doesn’t have anything about plucking out eyes or cutting off hands, so perhaps the Jews needed the extra vivid language more than the Nephites did.  Concerning this intense imagery, the JST gives us the info that Jesus was not speaking literally, which is a relief.  (We suspect it was the case, but it is nice to know for sure, since there have been people who have taken the extreme view from time to time.)  Learning it is a parable about our sins invites us to look deeper.

Comparing our sins to parts of our bodies shows that Jesus knew our sins can be so much a part of us that the prospect of repenting can seem as devastating as losing an eye or our dominant hand, such that we may ask ourselves, “What am I going to do instead?” especially when it is a favorite way of releasing tension, coping with stress or difficulty, relaxing, having fun, or passing time that weighs heavily on our hands.

I also think that Jesus’ choice of body parts in that parable is not accidental.  The eye is the way we see the world and our perspective, which means it is really about how we think, so Jesus meant we have to cast away sinful thoughts.  The hand is about the things we do, so I think Jesus mean we have to cast away evil deeds.  Evil deeds and evil thoughts that have become attached to us like body parts qualify for the terms “bad habits” and “addictions.”  Seen this way, we can understand why Jesus would use such extreme language about plucking out and cutting off. 

The Book of Mormon’s additions add more to this idea.

29 Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;

 30 For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell. (3 Nephi 12:29-30)

Jesus makes it a commandment to guard our hearts so that we keep lust (and other ungodly desires) from entering.  AS someone has said before, maybe the bird lands on your head, but you can keep it from building a nest there. 

It is clear Jesus recognizes the difficulty of keeping this commandment, especially if there have been previous problems.  He calls it “tak[ing] up your cross.”  That implies to me a daily burden, a decision made every day that requires great care and self-denial.  I love that He says taking up that cross is better than being cast into hell because it exalts that painful watchfulness into a legitimate part of His higher law.  Thus, anyone who is recovering from an addiction need not think of the hard work of vigilance they do to stay clean as something that only brings them up to the level of ordinary morality.  Rather, it puts them on the higher way—Jesus’s way.  It is, after all, what He commanded as part of the higher law. 

I’m rather stunned to discover this.  I never thought of it in that way before!  What do you think?

Bonus: I found a neat PDF of Semitic idioms in the Bible that explains the meaning of some phrases that are odd in the KJV because they were idioms literally translated instead of explained.  Very instructive; I recommend it.  (It even had a bit about the plucking out of eyes and cutting off of hands, showing that it was an Aramaic idiom meaning about the same as stated above.)

Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments: KJV versus JST

KJV:

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,

and shall teach men so,

he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:

but whosoever shall do and teach them,

the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

JST:

Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments,

and shall teach men so to do,

he shall in no wise be saved in the kingdom of heaven;

but whosoever shall do and teach these commandments of the law until it be fulfilled,

the same shall be called great, and shall be saved in the kingdom of heaven. (JST Matt 5:21)

The KJV makes it seem like breaking the commandments and teaching others to break the commandments is attended with no more penalty than losing status in the kingdom of heaven, making it seem as if breaking the commandments is not a big deal.  The thoughtful person might well ask why have commandments at all if breaking commandments won’t get you kicked out of the kingdom of heaven.  And if that were the case, then who doesn’t make it to heaven?  This doesn’t confirm that God is holy as we know He is.

The JST makes clear that breaking commandments and teaching others to break them too is the way to lose your salvation in heaven.

I notice that the KJV only deals with status in the kingdom of heaven, while the JST speaks mostly in terms of salvation in the kingdom of heaven, though it promises greatness to those who do and teach the commandments. 

One good thing about the KJV verse is that it teaches there are least and greatest in the kingdom of heaven, a testimony of degrees of glory in the celestial kingdom, even if it gets wrong who is the least. 

One final note is that the KJV seems to speak of the “least” commandments as if they are timeless things, but the JST suggests that there were commandments that Jesus referred to that would eventually be fulfilled and superseded.  Naturally there would be a lot of questions about which of all the commandments in the Torah would be done away.

Just for grins, I looked in 3 Nephi 12 to see if there was a verse that corresponded to the above verses.  (Should be fairly easy to find, since the Beatitudes are delivered in very similar order in both places, right?)  What I found was quite different:

And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father,

that ye shall believe in me,

and that ye shall repent of your sins,

and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled. ( 3 Nephi 12:19) 

Clearly the basic principles of the gospel are given as the new law and commandments here.  Also, earlier in 3 Nephi, the voice of Christ to all the Nephites during the three days of darkness commands the end of animal sacrifices and teaches about offering a broken heart and contrite spirit:

19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

 20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not. (3 Nephi 9:19-20)

What do we learn from all this?  We learn that Jesus taught the Law of Moses faithfully during His ministry but also worked to prepare the people for the changes that would come when He fulfilled it.  We also learn that He taught the Nephites what they needed to do instead of offering animal sacrifices. 

I’m so grateful for the Bible, the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, and the Book of Mormon.  The Bible gives good starting points, and the JST and Book of Mormon clarify so much.  I would not appreciate the JST and the Book of Mormon as much without the Bible, since they really shine by close comparison, and I wouldn’t understand the Bible as much without the JST and the Book of Mormon.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: Matthew 5 versus 3 Nephi 12

My husband told me that in our ward’s Sunday school they discussed the differences between the Beattitudes in Matthew 5 and the Beattitudes in 3 Nephi 12.  (I'm in Primary, so I have to get his report about what went on in Sunday school each week.)  Anyway, examining those differences sounded intriguing to me, so I decided to take a look myself.  Here’s something I found very near the beginning:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:3)

Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (3 Nephi 12:3)

 This clarifies for us that being poor in spirit by itself doesn’t bring the blessedness, but coming to Christ does.

I’ve always been a bit uncertain about what it means to be “poor in spirit” anyway.  I’ve wondered if it meant being depressed or being not very assertive or being a not-very-spiritual person.  I think 3 Nephi 3 is helpful because it somehow gives me the sense that Christ does not mean for us to stay in that condition.  This caused me to realize that being "poor in spirit" refers to when we don’t have the Holy Ghost in our lives very much.  Christ wants us to come to Him and repent so we can become rich in the Spirit instead.

I usually notice I am poor in the Spirit when I realize that I am not being touched by what usually touches me.  It is not that those things have lost their power, rather, I have somehow become insensitive and hardened my heart.  It doesn’t much matter what it is that has made us poor in the Spirit; it has to be repented of, whether big sin or small.  I have to realize how much I need the Spirit.  I have to pray and confess my fault and plead for forgiveness.  I have to resolve to do what is right and to put away cynicism and doubt.  I have to notice the good and express appreciation.  I have to be alert to notice opportunities to serve and notice spiritual promptings.  I have to be willing to follow promptings even if I feel foolish or awkward.  I notice that when I do these things, the Lord gives me opportunities to feel the Spirit and those chances come thick and fast.  They make me feel rich in the Spirit again.

When do you notice your life is Spirit-poor?  What tips you off?  Then what do you do? Do you have any experiences you can share?

Why “go the second mile”?

Today I was reading the Beattitudes and I ran across this verse.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (Matt. 5:41)

I began pondering it, and now I think I finally understand the reason behind this commandment from Jesus and why it is in the Beattitudes. Jesus recognized that there would be times when we might be forced to give service. (I have heard that this commandment is based on the context of how Roman soldiers could and would force people to carry their gear while on the march.)

Again, Jesus knew there would be times when we’d be forced to serve, and Jesus knew being forced to serve would not help us spiritually, and it can even be bad for us if it causes resentment and animosity to arise in our hearts. But…. He knew if we do extra after having done the good we were forced to do, then it becomes of real benefit to us because that extra mile was something we chose to do. When service is our choice, it makes us a better person.

Going the extra mile doesn’t just bless us, it blesses the faceless other person who would have been compelled to go that second mile once you finished your first. It also allows your light to shine on the person who compels you to go the mile when they see you are willing to make your own choice to serve without being forced. It shows them there are people willing to serve of their own volition, and it can raise their estimation of the goodness of humanity.

In what way are peacemakers blessed?

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

I was pondering this recently, wondering why peacemakers would be the children of God. A peacemaker is one who tries to reconcile two disagreeing parties and bring them into unity with each other. I realized that in a sense, a peacemaker is another type or shadow of Christ, who has worked out the At-one-ment whereby He can bring us into reconciliation with Heavenly Father. When we act as peacemakers, we do in a small way the same type of thing that Christ has done for the whole world, so that certainly makes us a child of God in deed.

Name-calling

But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (3 Nephi 12:22)

Something I notice in this scripture is that Christ says that we should not be angry with people. But it also seems to say that we shouldn’t call people derisive names. Part of me wonders if this is because calling people names is particularly provoking and tends to make them angry. And it could also be that calling people something contemptible indicates our own arrogance, which is a dangerous spiritual state.

In my family we were trained to not call each other names. Of course we messed up just as much as anybody, but we knew we weren’t supposed to.

Have you ever been in a place where people called each other the worst names in the most affectionate way? I saw this for a while. I really wonder about that. I don’t understand it. I don’t like it, because it gives outsiders the completely wrong idea about the nature of the relationship. “Whore” is just not a term of endearment. Neither is "witch" or some of those other things.

Just some random thoughts I have on the scripture...

When do you get mad at the word of God?

There are a few subjects that I can't listen to without cringing and getting a little perturbed. I will refrain from saying what they are. I've noticed that there are other people who have at least one aspect of the gospel that gets their goat. I suppose this is natural, but it is also worrisome.

At various times in the scriptures it is recorded where people don’t like the message preached to them. There’s the Zoramites..

And it came to pass that after the more popular part of the Zoramites had consulted together concerning the words which had been preached unto them, they were angry because of the word, for it did destroy their craft; therefore they would not hearken unto the words (Alma 35:3, emphasis added).

These peoples’ jobs were on the line; the word of God threatened to put them out of work, possibly because they were paid to make the idols for people to bow down to. (Alma 31:1) They probably made a lot of money at it.

The Nephites also sometimes got angry when preached to…

…the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word... (Alma 35:16, emphasis added)

And of course there is Laman and Lemuel…

And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.
And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. (1 Nephi 16:1-2, emphasis added)

It is helpful to know what disturbed Laman and Lemuel so much. I surmise that it was probably that Nephi had just got done saying that no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. (1 Nephi 15:34)

This is certainly a strict doctrine. If no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God, it means we have to repent of every single one of our sins. It also means we have to be way more alert and watchful of ourselves to resist sin and temptation. This is a tricky thing, because King Benjamin noted that there are numberless ways of sinning. (Mosiah 4:29) (He may have been thinking of Leviticus in which the Lord lists and forbids a lot of the worst ones, and the list is quite long.)

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.
(Mosiah 4:30)

That caution and watchfulness and strictness takes a lot of spiritual energy and that is one thing we shy away from—all that effort.

We’re don’t tend to want to look for something that is more strict; we want something with fewer and looser requirements. It is a good thing that we have Christ telling us that we need to look for a stricter way.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matt 7:13-14)

How did we get into those lax, broad roads in the first place?

And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. (1 Nephi 12:17, emphasis added)

It seems that we are tempted into those lax ways. Satan tempts us when he whispers that we don’t need to be so cautious or concerned about whatever we do. “Just once won’t hurt”…”It’s no big deal”…..”It’s just a movie”…..”Stop being so uptight”…..”There’s nothing wrong with it”…..”It’s only a little bad part”…..”You’re different; that commandment doesn’t apply to you”... It’s hard to resist that kind of thing unless we have something to hold to.

That’s why Heavenly Father gives us scriptures and prophets, the vehicles of His word, so that we have guidance. They lead a straight, undeviating course to eternal life. No wonder the word of God is likened to an iron rod.

And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. (1 Nephi 15:24)

So why do we complain when the word of God doesn’t deviate when and where we want it to? If it deviated like that, it would become an iron slinky instead of an iron rod! That wouldn’t keep us very safe, would it?

Now, what is this narrow way that is so strict?

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me…and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. (3 Nephi 11:31-33, emphasis added)

And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. (3 Nephi 11:38-39)

So we need to:

• Believe in Christ (that He atoned for our sins)
• Repent of all our sins
• Be baptized
• Become as a little child

Then after Christ says this, He starts giving the Beatitudes—the higher law—and in the middle he says something which throws greater light on the narrowness of the way we have entered.

Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (3 Nephi 12:20, emphasis added).

I remember when the meaning of this first became clear to me. I was astounded. Suddenly the Beatitudes weren’t optional, they had become required! But you can see why, because they are certainly a recipe for a celestial character.

This seems to say that not only must we avoid sin of all kinds, we must become celestial. That seems to double the strictness, doesn’t it?

Fortunately, we have help. When we have truly repented of our sins and had a change of heart, our very nature is changed so that we have no more desire to sin. It certainly would keep us from sinning if sin seems icky. The same change of heart causes doing good things to become attractive. That would certainly make it more palatable and enjoyable to be good, wouldn’t it? It would also mean we would like to hear the word of God, instead of dreading it.

And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us. (1 Nephi 16:3)

Now, just because we have become converted to the truth and are in the way does not mean that we can become completely obedient on the instant. Neither does it mean we will suddenly have the desire to do EVERY good thing. It also doesn’t mean that our character flaws are suddenly eliminated. As our faults meet temptations they bring out sin, and so we must continue to repent and seek the Lord’s help in recognizing and exorcising our faults and adding to our strengths. It is a continuous process of cleansing and improvement. Multiple conversions.

I have recently realized that one of my flaws is being controlling of other people. I am tempted at various times to reduce people’s agency, and each sin of coercion that I commit I have to repent of. I have finally come to the realization that this is a pattern of behavior that demonstrates a flaw in my character and unless I address the flaw itself, I will continue to commit sins of coercion. I need to be changed so that I have no more desire to coerce. I make the first step by praying for the change. Then I ask for help in learning to protect agency. Then I go to work on it. I know this pattern works for eradicating weaknesses because I have used it before.

What about adding good that I previously haven't done before?

I used to tune out talks about family history, because I was intimidated by the idea and it never sounded very fun to me. But when I learned that I had to learn to control my desires and figured out that Heavenly Father could help me want to do good things that previously I had no desire to do, a little seed of faith was planted in my heart, and I said to myself, “I am not yet good enough to want to do family history, but someday I will be, and when I get to the point that I want that desire, I will pray for it and Heavenly Father will help me.” Eventually I did get to the point of wanting to do family history, so I took a class on it and learned a lot. Now it is really fun! The commandment doesn’t seem strict anymore.

Now there’s one more thing that I want to mention in this post. There will be times that we may be called “narrow-minded”. If we earn this epithet for sticking to the strait and narrow way, we can say, “Actually I prefer the word ‘focused’”, because we have to concentrate completely on living those gospel principles to the extent that there is no room for anything else. If we earn this epithet for not opening our eyes to more truth, well, then we have a problem…