Disturbances to get gain

Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their employ, therefore, they did stir up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might get money according to the suits which were brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek. (Alma 11:20)

This verse talks about the dangers of law-craft becoming a means of stirring people up to disturbances, in order for the lawyers to get gain, but I think it can apply in other ways too. Anyone who stands to profit from an increase in disturbance may become suspect.

For instance, what good is a big army in peacetime? Preparation is important, but how much is too much? Nibley (who worked in Army intelligence) later wrote of his concern when he saw army leaders being sad when WWII was over because they would be out of a job…until they discovered the idea of little brushfires wars around the world.   Likewise, those who sell weapons have an interest in conflict becoming armed and dangerous.

Disturbance is news, so those who report the news have a sort of motivation not only to find the conflict to report it, but also to continue talking about it and hashing it over as much as possible, all while publicly tsk-tsking over what goes on. The 24-hour news cycle was a model created in the 80s that also created a constant demand for material to report. The news cycle means not only reporting events, but also reporting reaction to those events from all kinds of stakeholders in the story and even those who are not involved. Competition between news providers means they must deliver the latest news in the most compelling manner to stay ahead. They get dollars for capturing eyeballs to sell to advertisers.

Social media enables those who gather a large following to make money from online advertising.

Sharing on social media may start with sharing valuable perspective that may otherwise go unheard, but there is a darker side. When emphasis on conflict becomes a primary means of capturing and holding attention--as followers are gripped with curiosity and want to see what happens next—when a social media person’s involvement is devoted mostly to taking sides in controversies—and followers are encouraged to take action to attack and shame those they consider enemies, then social media advocacy is stirring up disturbance.

I think it behooves us to keep these things in mind and be careful not to let ourselves get stirred up to anger. Part of charity is to not be easily provoked. We need people with those qualities even more now.

Warnings in the way the Nephites’ wickedness progressed

In these verses, Mormon chronicles the Nephites’ descent from great order to great lawlessness from the 27^th year to the 30^th year after the sign is given of Christ’s birth. It starts with pride, persecution, and inequality. Then we get this:

15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.

16 And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years.

17 And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness. (3 Nephi 6:15-17)

I notice there are three statements about what Satan does and how the people respond.

Satan stirred people up. It’s a very interesting image there of a pot of liquid that is stirred. It is as though people would be calm and content if left alone, but then Satan stirs them up to do iniquity, trying to convince them they are not happy as they are, that the need power, authority, riches, and vain things of the world.

Satan did lead away the hearts of the people. This idea of leading away hearts is another interesting image. It tells us that Satan managed to engage people’s affections and desires in the iniquity they were doing. That’s very troubling because emotions are very powerful. When one want to do iniquity and don’t want to do good, then doing good starts to feel very unpleasant, like one fights with oneself to do it, and it isn’t very enjoyable.

The people were delivered up…to be carried about by the temptations of the devil. This image of delivering people (like a package) and being carried about, almost like a baby, is pretty sickening. It makes it sound like the people have no choice in the matter, like something made them sin. But the reality is that they simply gave up the fight. They gave up fighting temptation and decided to do whatever they wanted, even though it broke the commandments. The reality was, it was actually what Satan wanted, so they essentially yielded their agency.

Now, sad as it is to read about this, I think it gives us some important warnings for our own lives. It tells us to be alert to notice when we are being stirred up or when our hearts are being led away toward evil or when it seems like we’re just being carried about without our choice. Half the battle is realizing we are in the predicament, discerning the devil’s machinations in our lives.

I’ve recently felt like I’m being stirred up with agitation, frustration, desperation, and anxiety. My head knows that I’m in a place where I’m being asked to grow in a number of different directions at once, that I have to exercise patience, that I have to buckle down and get to work. I’m in a place of stretching, but all the same, it is very difficult because of the strong emotions that are pulling me back and forth, this way and that. It makes it hard to concentrate.

The only way to make it through is to yield my heart to God, to resolve to do His will, no matter what my lying feelings shriek at me. I must trust that each day my righteous efforts will bring me closer to Him.

20 Reasons why Latter-day Saint Women are the Toughest and Sweetest Women on the Planet

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About 8 months ago, I ran across a Buzzfeed post called “25 reasons why Mormon Men are the Toughest SOBs on the Planet.”  

In honor of the upcoming Mother's Day, I felt like Latter-day Saint Women deserve some props too, so I decided I’d write a version for them. 

20 Reasons why Latter-day Saint Women Are the Toughest and Sweetest Women on the Planet

1. Get your Young Women’s Medallion by age 18. It’s like Eagle Scout rank, but for girls.

2. Don’t swear when you’re mad.  And passive aggressiveness isn’t considered Christ-like.

3. Survive girl-gossip brutality without giving any.

4. Get revelation from God as to whether it is necessary to take an 18-month break from education to preach the gospel 24/7 without pay.

5. Earn the money to pay for that 18-month break.

6. Go to Chile for 18 months, learn Spanish in 6 weeks, and convince strangers to believe in Jesus.   Get rejected a thousand times a day.

Return home and be completely normal.

7. Keep the gorgeous guy interested without using sex or body-revealing attire until he’s desperate to put a ring on your finger.

8. Have 7 children under the ages of 12 and teach a church class full of other people’s teenage girls.

Teach lessons about why celestial marriage and being a mother is the Best. Thing.  Evarrrrrrrrrrr.

9. Be an on-call, stay-at-home mom 133 hours a week and then work 15 hours on a church calling.

10. Teach each of those 7 children the gospel before they can even talk.  Get them interested in ancient scriptural texts before they can even read.

11. Shop for and feed those 7 kids with a 10% lower budget than the Joneses. 

12. Drive a Mormon assault vehicle (van). Parallel-park that thing like a boss.

13. Whip up an extra full-course meal to donate to a needy family with only eight hours notice.

14. Cook that food storage like a Thanksgiving dinner.

15. Drown your sorrows with nothing more intoxicating than chocolate.

16. Making sure teenage sons earn eagle rank = Latter-day Saint mother earning eagle. 

17. Your great-great-grandmother gave birth to her babies under a wagon. In the snow.  And helped hitch the oxen the next day.

18. Your great-great-grandmother also had to share her husband with four other wives, all while the rest of the nation thought she was a slave and a whore.

19. Handle questions about your religion like a champ.

20. Marry off your oldest child while pregnant with your youngest child.

Conclusion?    Latter-day Saint Woman = Grace under fire

Thoughts on April 2014 General Conference

I want to share some thoughts I had on talks that stuck out to me from General Conference.

I loved that the Gilbert temple cultural celebration was mentioned twice.  It really was a noteworthy event.  It was a very special experience to watch the broadcast of it.  I live in the area, so I was involved in a small way in preparations for it.  In my ward, I helped cut out pattern pieces to make costumes for the youth.  I also helped sew the costumes in a big Relief Society sew-a-thon.   I also got to help teach my ward’s youth sign language for one of the songs, and I practiced it with them.   I also had great sympathy for the youth as they were performing in the rain because that day I had been weeding outside in the rain and I got very wet.  Rain in Arizona is cold.   When I watched the cultural celebration, I loved that they performed with joy.  I also had a deep sense of satisfaction, knowing that the little that I did to help them had paid off.  (I was startled by how satisfied I felt; I didn’t expect to feel that way.)   It might seem like a big deal was being made out of the event, but I think that it illustrates the principle that the bigger the obstacles people overcome to do what is right, the greater the honor.

Elder Neil A. Andersen told a story about the woman in the mobile home who went through a tornado and her mobile home ended up on top of her neighbor’s without her even knowing.  His point that spiritual whirlwinds may uproot our spiritual foundations without us even being aware that we have moved was very powerful.  It made me realize that I was forming some new habits in my life that were starting to uproot my spiritual foundation and I’ll need to cut them out. 

Elder Eyring made some very perceptive statements.  He said God makes it attractive to choose the right by helping us feel the effects of our choices.  Evil brings sorrow and regret eventually.  He said effects of our choices are delayed in order to build our faith and it takes faith to feel the need to seek forgiveness early rather than when we feel the effects.   This resonated with me because I’ve been dealing a persistent fault in my character that brings regret at the end of the day if I don’t continually fight it.  It has been a source of some consternation to me that the regret is delayed, so Elder Eyring’s explanation was helpful.  I have hope that Christ will help me overcome my fault as I put all my effort into the fight.  Someday I will have enough experience with the deliciousness of acting as I should that it will be a better motivation than to avoid the pain of regret.

Richard G. Scott shared some great principles about being a righteous influence on people.  He used some excellent examples of people who loved him who influenced him to become much more than he would have otherwise.  I look forward to studying his talk so I can better distill those principles of influence.  I think we as members want to be a good influence on others and it is possible that we might go about it in the wrong way and alienate people if we don’t do it with love and trust.  We have to be so careful these days that we may inadvertent suspicion and judgment of others on accident.

A lot of speakers talked about being obedient to the commandments.  I feel like I needed that.  The thing that is refreshing about the principle of obedience is that it helps you realize whether you’ve developed patterns of thought involving avoidance or rationalization.  Obedience is direct and unblinking.  It requires you to act without being daunted.  

I think Elder Hales talk had some intriguing things in it, like mentioning that Christ learned obedience by the things He suffered.   I think I’m going to have to pray about this to understand it because the only connection I can currently draw about suffering to learn obedience is suffering from consequences of disobedience, yet we know Christ did not sin.  Maybe the suffering came from being constantly stretched?

I loved Elder Zivic’s story about his son who used to hide when it was time for piano lessons but then came to love playing music.  This resonated with me because I teach a few piano students and I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from one of the mothers enthusing that her son now looks forward to playing.  I loved how Elder Zivic made the comparison that we want to come to the point that we are willing to be obedient to the commandments on our own instead of having to be reminded.

Bishop Gary E Stephenson’s comparison of mortal life to a four-minute Olympic performance was powerful because of how it emphasizes the importance of our decisions now.   I think mortal life does one better than the Olympic games though.  Olympic athletes don’t have their memory of all their years of training taken away and then have to relearn their sport in 2 weeks before they compete.

Elder Bednar’s story of the four-wheel-drive truck and how having a load helped increase traction in the snow was very good.  The insight that was conveyed with the help of this story is quite amazing, and I find myself wondering what got him thinking about it and pondering to the extent that he was able to derive those lessons from it. 

As for the message itself, it directly addressed an issue I have struggled with for a number of years.   Happiness is not an absence of load, but the right kind of load.  These questions Elder Bedar presented for us to ask ourselves are really good ones: “Is the load I am carrying producing spiritual traction for me to press forward?   Is my load creating traction to return home to Heavenly Father?”   They kind of sound rhetorical, but I notice that when I analyze the loads in my life, I can kind of see what things produce spiritual traction in my life and what things don’t help much.  I can see what things allow me to progress and what things are distractions.   Considering all the things that can distract us in life, I think this is really good to think about. 

For instance, I’ve noted before that I’m trying my hand at writing fiction these days.  In conjunction with that, I am reading a lot of books, especially fantasy fiction in order to find out where the holes are in the field and where I might be able to contribute.   If I analyze what I spend my time on, I can see that to read too much does not allow me to progress because I have less time for writing, efforts that actually produce traction towards progression.  So I have a time limit for my fiction reading during the day.  (And then I’ll let myself read to relax at night.)  For spiritual traction, I have to read the scriptures every day.  I don’t do well without it.

Elder Packer has seen Christ.  It’s pretty plain from his testimony at the end of his talk.

Elder William R. Walker talked about what a great thing it would be if everyone knew the history of how their ancestors converted to the gospel.  I know a few conversion stories from my family tree and I agree that it helps me feel more connected to them and has helped me to make righteous choices.  I have a great-great-grandfather who was converted in the southern states in the midst of much hostility toward the church and its missionaries.  I have a grandmother who knew the Bible really well and gave the missionaries a run for their money before she was finally converted.  I also have been affected by stories my mom has told me of when she had to stand up for what was right in middle of peer pressure.

I really liked that Elder Michael John U. Teh listed some particular things that are treasures in heaven.  The expression treasures in heaven is kind of vague by itself, so anyone who can give it specificity is very helpful.    And somehow when he was listing those specific things—Christlike attributes, strengthening families, serving others, strengthening our testimony of Christ--I really felt how valuable they are. 

I have been challenged and blessed by general conference.  I also hope I can do better at studying the conference addresses than I have in the past.  From the reflections I’ve shared it probably sounds like I have serious problems, but I suppose all of us heard things that reminded us of what we need to do better, so I’m trying to be honest about my experience, if not specific.   What parts of conference do you feel corrected you?

How to rally your troops

http://restoredtruth.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/raising-the-title-of-liberty/

Alma 43 is the chapter in which the Nephites defeat the Zoramite-Lamanite army led by Zarahemnah.

One of the interesting things about Alma 43 is that it contains at least three separate reiterations of the causes the Nephites were fighting for and causes the Lamanites were fighting for.  The cause is mentioned:

1.     as the people form up their armies,

2.     when Moroni places his armies to catch the Lamanites, and

3.     in battle when the Nephites are about to give away. 

Moroni makes sure the Nephite army has a good cause to fight for, while the Lamanite-Zoramite army had to be stirred up to anger and hate and had to have their hatred preserved.

It is hard to tell if each iteration of the cause was written in the record that Mormon was abridging or whether it was only there once and Mormon made a point of repeating the Nephite cause at important points.   (It is easy to understand why Mormon would be happy to transmit repetitions or emphasize repeatedly the Nephites’ just cause after having lived through battles in his day that were motivated by unjust causes.)  Regardless, it is instructive to notice where these repetitions come.

Mormon tells the Nephite cause at the point when the Nephites begin to amass their troops on the border of Jershon and Antionum in response to build-up of Lamanite troops in that area.  When armies and groups are mobilized somewhere, it is important that they know why their movement is important.

9 And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires.

 10 For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God in spirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy.

 11 Yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites towards their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up arms, yea, they had entered into a covenant and they would not break it—therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites they would be destroyed.

 12 And the Nephites would not suffer that they [the Anti-Nephi-Lehis] should be destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance. (Alma 43:9-12, emphasis added)

Their mobilization was specifically to prevent the Anti-Nephi-Lehis from being destroyed, and from the larger perspective, it was to protect the Nephite nation from their enemies and preserve freedom of religion.

Mormon reiterates the Nephite cause as he tells the Nephites were about to use spying as a strategy to find out what their enemies were doing.  He figured that some of his readers might be leery of the Nephites using spies (with the lying that is implied in that strategy) to beat their enemies, so he reminds us of the Nephite cause.  Happily, if we are alert, we can see that the spying consists of placing men in the wilderness to watch for when the Lamanites come (v28), and sending men to watch the Lamanite camp to see where they go (v23).  There is no direct engagement with (lying to) the enemy.

23 But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp…

28 And Moroni placed spies round about, that he might know when the camp of the Lamanites should come.

 29 And now, as Moroni knew the intention of the Lamanites, that it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to subject them and bring them into bondage that they might establish a kingdom unto themselves over all the land;

 30 And he also knowing that it was the only desire of the Nephites to preserve their lands, and their liberty, and their church, therefore he thought it no sin that he should defend them by stratagem; therefore, he found by his spies which course the Lamanites were to take. (Alma 43:23, 28-30)

All that watching of the Lamanite army (and watching for it to come) would get very boring if the Lamanites weren't doing anything (or it wasn't seen coming).  During the long periods of inactivity, the spies would need to remember the cause they were fighting for, so that they could remember the important contribution they made to the cause, even when it seemed like they weren't contributing at all.  A report of "Lamanites still in the same place" is just as much of a contribution to the Nephite cause as a report of invading Lamanites, since a "Lamanites unmoving" report would contribute some piece of mind. (If we apply this to ourselves, a visiting teaching or home teaching report of "families all well" contributes just as much to the cause of Zion as a report that one of our families needs help.)

Third, Mormon reiterates the Nephite cause when the Nephites are about to give way before the Lamanites to show why the Nephites ultimately did not give up and resumed their best efforts in the battle.

45 Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.

 46 And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

 47 And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.

 48 And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage. (Alma 43:45-48, emphasis added)

Assuming all these iterations of the Nephite cause were in the unabridged record of how Captain Moroni rallied his men, we see that he is determined to keep their cause in mind at every important point.  We also see that when the battle gets especially difficult and they are about to give up, he again reminds them of their cause and this gives them the courage to call on God for help.   Interestingly enough, when the Nephites have the Lamanites at their mercy, Captain Moroni stops the battle to talk to the Lamanites, and we see that he even tries to rally and inspire them too with words about justice and faith.  (Too bad they rebel.)

I think that this attention to inspire and rally with important causes also inspired concern in Moroni’s army for each other and their leader.  I notice that when Moroni was attacked, one of his soldiers instantly came to his defense.  But when Zerahemnah had his scalp cut off, not a single Lamanite lifted a finger on his behalf.  Zerahemna could command his men, but he hadn’t reached their hearts.  His leadership over them was rooted in stirring them up to anger and preserving their hatred of the enemy.  Moroni’s leadership was rooted in love, defense of country, liberty, religion, and family.  His army saw all this in the way that Moroni prepared them for battle, so they defended him just as he tried to defend them.

One of the things I learn from all this is how important it is to remember the causes we are fighting for.  This also shows me how wonderful people are who have that ability to rally us and inspire us to persevere in the best causes.  What are some causes we believe in?

·      Freedom of conscience, freedom to practice our religion

·      Common decency and morality to keep our families safe from blatant and ubiquitous temptations of the worst sorts

·      Justice and equal enforcement of the laws

·      The cause of Zion and building up the kingdom of God

Another thing this teaches me is how our important it is to us to be inspired when we’re in a tricky situation where we have to stay strong and fight for our standards.  When someone rallies us by reminding us of the cause we are fighting for at those moments, oh how wonderful it seems to us!  Renewed determination can help us find strength we never knew we had.

A final thing I get from this is how important it will become for us to be able to rally others.  Mothers and fathers rally their children.  Teachers rally their students.  Coaches rally their players.  Politicians rally their supporters.  CEOs and managers rally employees. 

We see that rallying others with true and unselfish principles will be more successful than trying to use fear or anger or hate or grievance.

Finally, we can rally ourselves by reminding ourselves what we are working and fighting for.  For example, every so often it gets really hard for me to continue blogging about the scriptures here.  I ask myself,  “Why do I keep doing this?  This is a ton of work!  I’m always worrying about whether what I have written is good enough!”  I have to remind myself that I’m not doing this for fame or fortune.  I’m doing it to share what I’ve learned so that others can come to understand what I understand and learn what I am learning.  I’m doing it to help others appreciate the scriptures more deeply.  I’m doing it in hopes of persuading to repentance.  I’m doing it to try to bring others to God.  Remembering that gives me strength to keep at it.

How do you rally your troops? 

The other Ammon and priesthood worthiness

We talk a lot about Ammon, missionary son of Mosiah, but recently I realized that the other Ammon (the one in the Book of Mosiah, the one who finds the people of Limhi) is a pretty good missionary too, though he had some problems.

32 And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments.

33 And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant.

34 Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord. Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, who had fled into the wilderness.

35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter. (Mosiah 21:32-35)

“since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments.” (emphasis added) – This suggests that Ammon had had a good influence on Limhi and his people somehow. This made me curious to go searching for what Ammon did that brought this about and I found it near the very beginning of the story, in Mosiah 8:2-3.

2 And he [Limhi] caused that Ammon should stand up before the multitude, and rehearse unto them all that had happened unto their brethren from the time that Zeniff went up out of the land even until the time that he himself came up out of the land.

3 And he [Ammon] also rehearsed unto them the last words which king Benjamin had taught them, and explained them to the people of king Limhi, so that they might understand all the words which he spake. (Mosiah 8:2-3)

Ammon must have repeated for King Limhi and his people everything from that powerful sermon of King Benjamin’s and explained it all. Undoubtedly this would lead the people to want to repent and make a covenant with God as King Benjamin’s people had. I have personally seen in my life recently how sharing stories of courageous, righteous acts can inspire others to do the same thing.

But back to Mosiah 21:32-35.

And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant. (v33)

Verse 33 shows us something important—for a baptism to occur, there must not only be someone who wants to be baptized, there must also be someone else with 1) authority from God who is 2) spiritually prepared to baptize. All the priests of Noah were gone, but fortunately, Ammon somehow had priesthood authority… except there was a problem--Ammon declined to baptize on the grounds he didn’t feel worthy at that time.

I think we can get a number of lessons from this.

First, Ammon is a good example of understanding his own spiritual status. We have no idea why he considered himself unworthy, but it is commendable that he had the courage to decline even when he was the only one around with authority. (That must have been very difficult; think of the pressure that was on him!)

Second, it shows us how important it is that priesthood ordinances be performed by worthy individuals. Ammon valued worthiness as a priesthood holder more than just making people happy by “going with the flow.”

Third, it shows how important it is to live so as to always be spiritually prepared at any time to perform priesthood ordinances. Ammon probably never imagined he might someday be the only one around with authority to baptize, and modern priesthood holders get to see the consequences of this so that they can learn not to make the same mistake.

Another good thing about these verses is that they show something very interesting—the covenant with God can be a separate act from baptism, but baptism still has to take place eventually as a witness or testimony of that covenant. How might this principle be important? Some people find the gospel at a time in their lives when they can’t get baptized immediately. For instance, a teenager whose parents will not allow him/her to get baptized can still make a covenant with God to serve Him, and keep that covenant to the time they come of age to get baptized. As another example, individuals in prison who find and believe the gospel can’t get baptized until they are released, but making a covenant with God can serve them for the time in prison until they can be baptized as a witness they made that covenant.

Ammon is an interesting character in the Book of Mormon. He taught the words of King Benjamin such that many people were convinced they needed to covenant with the Lord and get baptized. Yet his unworthiness stymied him from exercising his priesthood power fully. I hope the men of the church can avoid his predicament.

Examples of Good Fatherhood in the Book of Mormon

Today in sacrament meeting one of the speakers said they were asked to talk about lessons they learned from the scriptures. Since it’s Father’s Day, I started to thinking about what lessons and what good examples the Book of Mormon contained of righteous fathers.

Lehi taught all his sons (surely not just Nephi) somewhat in all his learning--in the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. He shared his dream about the tree of life because he was concerned about the spiritual status and future of his sons Laman and Lemuel. He also gave blessings to all his sons before he died.

King Benjamin taught his sons in all the language of his fathers to help them become men of understanding so that they could appreciate the scriptures and understand the mysteries of God.

Alma the Elder prayed with much faith for his rebellious son Alma to be brought to a knowledge of the truth. (This must have been after all he could do to teach him the truth.)

King Mosiah allowed his sons to go on a dangerous mission to preach to the Lamanites. He taught his sons to work so they did not burden the people. This gave Ammon valuable shepherding skills that he used to serve others in his missionary work.

Alma the Younger took his sons with him in his ministry and gave them responsibilities to teach the gospel. He gave all his sons charges according to their spiritual needs, each of which were quite different. He shared his conversion story and bore testimony that he had been supported by trusting in God. He shared words of wisdom. He reprimanded his son Corianton for sin, explained why it was wrong, and admonished him to repent. He also answered Corianton’s questions about the gospel to make sure he understood.

Helaman gave his sons Nephi and Lehi names to try to inspire them to do as their righteous ancestors had done. Undoubtedly he also rehearsed to them the stories of Lehi and Nephi and their lives of faith.

Mormon wrote letters to his son Moroni to share revelation he had received about issues Moroni was dealing with.

When you look at what things these fathers did, they were pretty simple:

• Gave their children good names to remind them to do good.
• Teaching language, understanding, the gospel of Christ, mysteries of godliness.
  
• Telling stories of ancestors, telling their conversion stories.
• Answering questions, reprimanding, writing letters of instruction.
• Teaching their children to work.
• Teaching their children skills.
• Giving their children teaching responsibilities.
• Allowing their children to do difficult things.
• Praying for their children.
• Blessing their children.

When I look at that list, I see that my father has been a good father; he’s done everything for me that I just listed that the Book of Mormon fathers did.

What effect did these fathers have?

Nephi prayed and pondered on the words Lehi spoke about his dream and obtained a personal witness and angelic visitation and vision about that dream.

Enos’s soul hungered and he sought forgiveness for his sins because he remembered the words his father Jacob had often spoken about the plan of salvation and the joy of the saints.

King Mosiah recognized the mysteries of godliness he read from the account of Ether which he translated and he began to understand the dangers of kingship, so he worked to set up a system of judges instead.

Alma the Younger was able to ask for forgiveness of his many sins because he remembered the words his father had taught about Jesus Christ and His redeeming power.

Mosiah’s four sons gave up any claim to the kingdom and preached to the Lamanites, converting many to the gospel.

The stripling warriors cared so much about the freedom of their fathers that they were willing to take an oath to fight in all cases to protect them.

Moroni worked hard to engrave into the Book of Mormon several letters his father Mormon had sent him, which he evidently treasured. He also continued his father’s work on the Book of Mormon by abridging the Book of Ether, which Mormon hadn’t been able to complete before he was killed.

One of the effects my father has had one me is to build my appreciation of the scriptures. Because he was willing to share his thoughts about the scriptures, I have followed his example, and this blog is a product of that. Happy Father’s Day!

God promises Enoch influence

Behold my Spirit is upon you,
wherefore all thy words will I justify;
and the mountains shall flee before you,
and the rivers shall turn from their course;
and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you;
therefore walk with me.
(Moses 6:34)

Recently I was thinking about this verse when God calls Enoch to be a prophet. I realized that while God was talking literally about mountains fleeing and rivers changing course, mountains and rivers were also being used as symbols for types of people. The mountains symbolized people who were lifted up in pride. The rivers symbolized people who were very set in their ways, who did things a certain way, and who flowed down to the lowest spiritual level. God promised Enoch that through the words given him, the proud would begin to fear (and humble themselves) and those who were set in their ways would change their course (for something better). I thought that was awesome. Literal control of the elements is miraculous, but I think that change for the better in a person’s life is no less miraculous.

5 Things everybody should do at least once in their life

• Read the entire Bible
• Read the entire Book of Mormon
• Find some missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and listen to what they have to say.
• Go to a church service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to see what it is like. (This is easier if you go with a friend who is also a member.)
• Take a guided tour of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Keep this in mind for when you happen to be in the area.)

Why do I say that everybody should do these things at least once in their lives? To build awareness and for the positive effect they have.

I think everyone should read the Bible at least once so to have an idea of the foundations of Christianity. The four gospels are particularly sublime. If reading takes too much time, you can download MP3s from here and listen during free moments. You can listen in your car, and use commuting time. Did you know that by listening for 30 minutes a day you can get through the New Testament in 40 days?

The other things I have listed are things that I feel are helpful to understand the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Why read the Book of Mormon? We Latter-day Saints testify that this book is a second witness of Jesus Christ. It was translated from ancient writings on gold plates unearthed from a hill in upstate New York back in the 1800s. Just from an archeological standpoint, this is absolutely breathtaking. Everyone should read the Book of Mormon at least once to see what the big deal is. Reading it will also give some profound insights as to how Latter-day Saints view the world, since we read it as much and quote it as much as we do the Bible. (You can request a free copy here; just scroll to the bottom of the webpage. You can choose to have it sent by post or brought to you personally by missionaries.)

Why would it be helpful to listen to our missionaries if you believe in Christ? The missionaries work with people to prepare them for baptism into the church by teaching them principles of the gospel. There are many people who don’t even know that they belong in our church until they hear those teachings, and then they realize it is what they were always searching for deep down inside. How do you know that you don’t belong in it too unless you find out more about it? It may be what you’ve always wanted.

Another reason for talking to the missionaries is that at some point you will probably run into them anyway and they will want to talk to you. I suspect that many people are caught off guard by these sudden encounters, and so they don’t know what to say, or they don’t want to talk about religion, and this makes them very uncomfortable. You can minimize your discomfort by having a few questions prepared in advance for them about something you have always wondered about concerning religion.

Why should you go to at least one church service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? To see what it is like. Church services are very similar in format across the entire church. This site can help you find the closest church building to where you live and the time of meeting, and this site can let you know what to expect when you attend. One thing you may find helpful to know ahead of time is that when they pass the sacrament, they offer it to everybody, and they will offer it to you too. They are not doing this to make you feel uncomfortable, they just don’t know that you aren't a member. (There are sometimes new members that have moved in or members that are visiting in a different congregation than the one they usually go to.) It’s okay to refuse; it won’t cause offense.

Why should everyone take a guided tour of Temple Square in Salt Lake City? Why Temple Square? Because it is so central to the Church. Church headquarters is there, and there are so many Church-related sites within a two block radius of Temple Square that any one can gain an incredibly wide view of the Church and what it does. This map shows what sites are in the area.

If you can work it in, I can also recommend the Beehive House, the Museum of Church History and Art, a tour of Welfare Square, and a performance of the Tabernacle Choir. Don’t worry, admission to all of these is free.

So why have I pointed these things out as important for everyone? Because they form the basis of a well-rounded exposure to a religion—sacred texts, doctrines, teachers, worship meetings, general organization, and important places. All of these experiences add perspective and understanding in a way that nothing else can.

But more than the exposure and the awareness that these things can give, the most important thing that I hope for is that these things can have an effect upon you, that they will influence you for good. And they will, if you let it happen.

I have noticed that there are a lot of people who are afraid of being influenced by anything or anyone. Perhaps it is all the advertising, and we don’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that they affected us.

What do we fear? It must be that we fear that an entity that can influence us will have power over us and force us to do things we don’t want to do or hurt us somehow. But does a good influence force? Does a good influence hurt? Maybe it stretches a little and asks for more good than you are used to. Maybe you become aware that you have some room to improve and that makes the ego shrink a bit, but it only hurts inside when you’re unwilling to follow.

Life is full of influences and we can’t distance ourselves from all of them. If we were to become uninfluence-able we become incapable of receiving guidance from anyone, whether good or evil, which is a thing impossible. If good influences can’t reach someone, then evil has the ascendency in them, and if bad influences can’t get to them, then good has the upper hand in them. It must be one or the other. The best thing we can do for ourselves is put ourselves under as many positive influences as we can and crowd out the bad.

The things I have listed are good influences. I share my ideas here because I also want to be a good influence and point people towards what will bring happiness and joy.

Have you been planted in good or bad ground?

In Jacob 5 we are given the Allegory of the Olive Tree from Zenos. There are a few interesting verses that I’ve noticed:

21 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard.
22 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit.
23 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self. (Jacob 5:21-23)

This scripture seems to say that one of the things that contributes to our spiritual growth as individuals is the environment that we grow up in.

I was blessed with a pretty good environment. I feel that I was in a very loving family. Yet it wasn’t perfect. Public school was very challenging for me. Though I didn’t yet know exactly how to draw strength from the Lord, I knew enough to get some support from my family and I knew enough to look for good friends that would help me choose the right. I learned to draw strength from seminary too. Gradually I learned that strength comes from God.

There are many people that grow up in very challenging environments, suffering abuse where there should be love. It is hard to imagine how anyone good could come out of a bad environment.

In the scripture above, the servant of the vineyard asks the Lord of the vineyard why he decided to plant trees where the ground was bad. The Lord replies that He knew the ground was bad and that He worked hard on it to compensate. “I have nourished it this long time”. The Lord did two things; He amended the ground to make it better, but He also amended it over and over and over again for “this long time”.

This teaches me that people who have been in bad environments need to be nourished again and again and again in order to rise above it to the point that they can do good works. It teaches me that the harder it gets to do what is right, the more nourishing church must become and the more strong and loving families must become, and the more the Lord will need to help.

This teaches me that even though we may find ourselves in a very hostile place, the Lord will find ways to nourish us again and again and again and again. We have to search for good activities and good entertainment that increases our strength to do good. When we take our strength from the Lord, we will not just do a little bit of good, we will bring forth MUCH fruit.

25 And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.
26 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire.
27 But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season. (Jacob 5:25-27)

I think it is interesting in these verses that the tree that was planted in a good spot of ground received nourishment and soil amendments too. It almost seems like it is too much and not quite fair. But maybe the lesson is that the Lord doesn’t take it for granted that a good environment will give all the needed nourishment. Even the best environments may neglect to teach certain important principles, because they are so fundamental they seem already understood.

That the tree has part of it that gives good fruit and part that gives wild, bad fruit seems to teach us that we have some choice in how we make use of the nourishment we receive. We may ignore it, or we may use it. But the danger of have such great nourishment in such a great environment is that there is no longer any excuse for bad fruit. The Lord is justified in cutting us off if we don’t yield good fruit. Fortunately, the Lord is easily persuaded to be merciful and try the less extreme measures before He has to use the most extreme measures. He will try chastising us (pruning) and try to nourish us a little longer to see if we change for the better.

Generation of Vipers

I always wondered just what that phrase meant and why it was so bad. John the Baptist used it to refer to the Pharisees and Saducees who came to his baptisms but wouldn’t be baptized themselves. (Matt. 3:7) and Christ used it when He was telling off the Pharisees for their hypocrisy:

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33)

Interestingly enough, I ran across a Youtube video of a comedian—Brad Stine—who threw just enough light on the matter that I was able to figure the rest of it out.

He pointed out that our culture for some reason seems to like to insult people by calling them the son of a dog--no, he did not say the real phrase--and Christ called certain people sons of a snake. Instantly I remembered that phrase Christ used—“generation of vipers”.

It flashed through my mind like lightning that when Christ calls people a “generation of vipers” (sons of a snake), He didn’t mean just any old snake. He meant THE snake. The snake from the Garden of Eden. Satan.

He was calling them children of the devil. A generation of devils. That’s the worst thing that Christ could call them, and that's exactly what they were. They were a generation that tempted people to do evil, just like Satan does.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:15)

This when they were supposed to be a good influence.

Do any of our words or deeds tempt others to do evil? How good is our example? Is there anything we try to rationalize and justify as being "not that bad" and then invite others to do it too?

The impact of the gospel of Christ.

In this month’s issue of the Ensign magazine, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the quorum of the 12 apostles challenged us to share how the gospel has had an impact on our lives. It got me thinking. So here’s my take:

The first thing I think of that the gospel has done is it has told me who I am – a precious daughter of God – and what I can become – a goddess.

This is more than any identity the world can give, better than being a celebrity, better than being royalty, better than being rich, better than being a genius.

It means that if I am faithful I can anticipate beauty, power, blazing glory, majesty, all things the Father hath, all knowledge and intelligence, an endless posterity, and an infinite variety of opportunities to do good. Isn’t that a payoff worth working toward? (Michaela bounces excitedly)

That’s the promise Heavenly Father makes to everyone who obeys Him.

But what has the gospel done for me now in this life?

It has given me someone to believe in who will never fail me – Jesus Christ.

The gospel has given me the explanation of where I came from, why I’m here, and where I am going after this life.

The gospel has given me the opportunity to repent and this makes it possible for me to become pure, through the Atonement of Christ. It’s given me a way to achieve a clean conscience and peace, even in a turbulent and wicked world. The gospel has given me the challenge of rising to a higher plane of conduct and reasons for doing so.

It’s given me clear guidance through prophets and apostles, guidance that has kept me safe, and through it I have learned true principles that help me govern myself. It is extremely practical. It assures me that Heavenly Father still speaks to us today and that His power is manifest through the priesthood.

The gospel has shown me the pattern of righteous leadership and holy authority and helped me develop some of that in myself.

The gospel has given me the assurance of having a family that remains together even after death. My mother taught me gospel principles that helped me be kinder to my siblings growing up. By following gospel principles I was able to make wise decisions when looking for a husband, and it helped me be patient when I felt like I would never find a good man who loved me. It has helped me have a better marriage.

The gospel has given me a way repay a portion of my debt of existence to my ancestors, by doing family history and vicarious ordinance work for them in temples.

The gospel has given me hope that physical weakness, disease, and disability are only temporary.

The gospel has given me sacred ordinances and participating in them worthily brings me the absolute assurance that I am coming closer to God.

The gospel has helped me develop my spiritual sensitivity and discernment. It has opened the way for me to acquire spiritual gifts to benefit me, my family, and those around me. It has encouraged me to seek for personal revelations, inspiration, and enlightenment from God, showing me that it is my right to receive it.

The gospel has given me knowledge and wisdom greater than I could have had otherwise, and it has given me the promise of more if I keep seeking. It teaches me to learn both by study and by faith.

The gospel has given me opportunities to help and serve people of all ages in many different ways. It has pushed me to develop talents that I never knew I had.

The gospel has helped me deal better with trials and afflictions than I would otherwise. It has helped me look for the lessons and trust that there is a reason for what I suffer.

As I’ve learned about science, the gospel has helped me see how all things testify of the reality of the creation and God’s wisdom.

The gospel has influenced me to respect my body and keep it clean, strong, and healthy.

It would take a long time to tell every single way the gospel has influenced me and benefited me, but I can easily see that I am 50 times better of a person right now than I would ever have been without the gospel as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am absolutely sure that I am 100 times happier than I would ever have been without it. I wish everyone could join so that they could have these great things and more.

Impact? The gospel has made more than an impact. It’s made a crater!

Ammon’s Wait

Last Sunday in Sunday School we covered the first part of my all-time favorite story in the Book of Mormon – the story of Ammon’s missionary work among the Lamanites.

There was a phrase in the very beginning that caught our teacher’s attention and he pointed it out to us. When Ammon sees the flocks have been scattered and the Lamanite servants are freaking out, it says, “Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy” (Alma 17:29) To me it has always been a strange idea that Ammon could be so excited at a misfortune that his fellows were so distraught about. But further in the verse we see what Ammon’s intent was. “I will show forth my power...in restoring these flocks…that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.” (Alma 17:29)

Why was he so happy? Ammon saw it as an opportunity to build his credibility among his Lamanite coworkers. (Notice, he wasn’t even focused on converting the king at all. He just wanted to teach his fellow servants, the people he was around a lot.) But why did he have to build his credibility?

Our stake president noticed that the Lamanites didn’t trust the Nephites at all. If King Lamoni’s father’s attitude—“Whither are thou going with this Nephite, who is one of the children of a liar?. . . .now his children are also come among us that they may, by their cunning and their lyings, deceive us, that they again may rob us” (Alma 20:10,13)— is any indication of the suspicions commonly expressed and demonstrated, Ammon had a hard nut to crack just getting people to believe anything he said.

So I was thinking about why Ammon could have been so happy, and I was reminded that he had already been 3 days doing this job with the Lamanite servants. He had opportunities to talk to them, to see what they are like, and try to start some conversations… or had he?

Have you ever gone someplace to stay for a while and you find that the way things are done are soooo wrong? Have you ever gone someplace like that with the intent to convert people from their incorrect ways? I have. (I really don't know where I get this unmedigated gaul.. ;-)) I’d try to bring issues up and they’d get defensive and I’d find that I was stymied from the very beginning.

I think Ammon knew about this. I just bet that he knew that he wouldn’t be able to force any kind of gospel-oriented discussion on his Lamanite coworkers. He knew that he would have to wait for as long as it took for the Lamanites to ask him questions. He needed an opportunity, an opening. I strongly suspect that during those first three days Ammon was praying really hard, and maybe even fasting, for Heavenly Father to help him. He must have been praying for something that would get the Lamanites to believe him and respect him enough to listen to his message, because that is the only thing that can account for his intense gratitude and his instant recognition of the seeming disaster of Sheep Scatter-Gate as the golden opportunity.

So how can this help us today? We all want to share the gospel with our friends and coworkers. We see from this that Heavenly Father knew that the best way into the hearts of Ammon’s fellow-servants was for their lives to be saved through Ammon’s herding talents and fighting prowess. Heavenly Father knows the way into the hearts of our friends and neighbors and coworkers, and we can pray like Ammon must have done, and Heavenly Father will open the way for them to believe us. The opening will be something that involves our own individual skillset. (Few of us excel at herding, slinging, or sword-fighting anymore.) We just have to be ready, because whatever it is will require a special effort of service or spiritual strength from us that is brilliant enough to flabbergast.

Let's try the experiment! Ready? GO!