Wickedness in a 6-gallon bucket

I was reading through Zechariah the other day and I found an interesting visionary incident. It is puzzling, and there is no large view interpretation for it in the scriptures, so it invites the faithful to ponder and extract important principles.

5 ¶ Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. (Zechariah 5:5-11)

First, some clarifications of terms.

An ephah is a dry measurement for grain, with a size of about 6-7 gallons.

A talent of lead would be a round disk of metal weighing about 113-125 pounds.

Shinar is another name for Babylon.

Now, let’s get straight what Zechariah saw. He saw an ephah container with a talent weight used as a cover. The angel lifted the weighty cover to show Zechariah there was a woman (symbolizing wickedness) in the ephah, then pushed her back down in and put the cover back on. After that, two other winged women picked up the ephah container, and the wind blew them to Shinar (Babylon), where, the angel said, they would build the ephah a house and a special spot, like a shrine.

Some interesting things I notice as I think about this imagery are the following:

1)    The ephah is like a 6-gallon bucket, and to fit a woman in there would be really confining. Like squished.

2)    The weight of the talent of lead on the mouth of the ephah container makes it so the woman can’t get out. She’s trapped.

3)    The woman has no control over where she is carried.

4)    The woman in the ephah container is taken to Babylon, where she is given a place and established in what looks like pleasant conditions, but she’s still confined in the ephah container.

There are a lot of commentators that say this talks about the wicked Jews being exiled to Babylon, but I think there is more to learn from it that can warn us today.  I think it is meant to convey the long-term spiritual consequences of wickedness.

Just like a woman squished in an ephah container (or a 6-gallon bucket), God is trying to show that wickedness is confining, rather than liberating. Just like the talent of lead on the mouth of the ephah prevented the woman from escaping, to those steeped in wickedness it often seems as if it is too hard to repent and escape their sins. It seems like they’ve gone too far or the costs of escape seem too great to pay. (Satan loves to use this lie, by the way.)

Then, these two women with wings come and carry off the ephah container to Shinar (Babylon) with the woman still in it, and the woman has no choice in the matter. The wings often symbolize powers, and winds can represent societal forces or worldly doctrines that blow here or there. It shows us that if someone doesn’t repent, they will be carried about by the world’s doctrines concerning the particular sins they indulge in. They’ve already given away their choice in the matter, so they don’t have control at this point.

Where does it all lead? Where is the ephah container carried to? Babylon. All sins lead to Babylon, no matter what they are. It’s like a one-way road to a dead end.

Then it looks like things get better for the woman in the ephah. A house is built for her, and there’s a nice secure base for the ephah to be placed. Some people interpret “house” as meaning a temple is made for the ephah where it is worshipped. And in Babylon all kinds of sins are glorified and given places. That makes me think that all the sins Israel must get rid of are the very things Babylon and the world loves, worships, and establishes. It’s as though Babylon is a junk yard dressing up as an amusement park, or a cesspit trying to masquerade as a temple.  But ultimately, don’t let the appearance fool you—the woman is still stuck in the ephah.

Also, I think this vision shows how instead of liberating, sin takes away freedom and options until one is so confined they lose their agency. Satan tries to make us think the wicked are strong individuals who forge their own path in life, but here we are shown that the wicked are carried away from the church and apostatize, then swept along by outside forces no matter how they try to fight it. Even if outside the church they are hailed as great heroes, accepted, respected, and given a place, they are still confined by their sins. They are not really free, and the respect of Babylon is not worth having, since they love all the wrong things.

All if this is so we know the long-term consequences of sin and what it leads to without having to actually experience it ourselves. No doubt Zechariah (and the Lord who gave the vision) hoped that people would see the truth and choose to repent and be free.

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Nephi’s workings in the Spirit

For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also. (1 Nephi 19:20)

The thing that impresses me about this verse is how Nephi continues to think of those people he knew and left behind at Jerusalem. It must have been a solemn thing to know the people one knows have either been killed or carried away captive.

And he doesn’t think of them with any kind of scorn here; you can tell that he sees that he might have been one of them, and it was the Lord’s mercy that saved him from suffering the same fate.  And too, he realized that if he didn’t stay faithful, he could still perish. You get a sense that he felt the precariousness of spirituality that required continual nurturing.

Enoch walked with God

48 Enoch was twenty-five years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam; and he was sixty-five and Adam blessed him.

49 And he saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he walked with God three hundred and sixty-five years, making him four hundred and thirty years old when he was translated. (D&C 107:48-49)

I find it very interesting all the different ways it says Enoch was close to God. 1) He saw the Lord, 2) he walked with the Lord, 3) the Lord was before Enoch’s face continually.  What exactly does that mean to you?

To see the Lord is pretty plain. But how does one walk with the Lord? It has to be something more than a figurative expression about obedience, since there are lots of prophets of whom the same might be said of them. But why is it particularly said of Enoch that he walked with God?

And what does it mean that the Lord was before his face continually? Did Enoch always see Him there, or did he live with a sense that the Lord was with him and watching him?

What do you think? Is it possible to cultivate a sense that the Lord walks next to us constantly? What would life be like if we did that? How might it help us?

From my talk on the First Vision

The following is my talk that I gave on Sunday.

When I hear the story of the First Vision, the novelty-loving part of me is like, “Oh, that again.” But as I keep my heart open, I am inevitably struck by how amazing this event was. I invite you to keep your heart open as I go through this story and share some things that can be learned from it.

5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people.  (JS-H 1:5)

 

[Joseph Smith observed that] ..that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.  (JS-H 1:6)

Note the lack of sincerity, lack of clarity, lack of charity. There was lots of contention and competition.

I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father’s family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia. (JS-H 1:7)

Many seem to be making do with what was available.

During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. (JS-H 1:8)

He studied and observed the different faiths and was very confused.

11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. (JS-H 1:11-12)

Bruce R. McConkie on James 1:5 :

This single verse of scripture has had a greater impact and a more far-reaching effect upon mankind than any other single sentence ever recorded by any prophet in any age… these simple words …led to the opening of the heavens in modern times. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 247)

So Joseph Smith decided he would do as scripture advised and pray for wisdom, asking God which church was true.

So he went to a grove of trees and prayed there, a place we now call The Sacred Grove.

And at first he was seized by some power that tried to bind his tongue keep him from praying and caused him to feel he was doomed to destruction.

But he prayed anyway—prayed for deliverance.

I invite you to close your eyes now and try to imagine the scene.

…just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

 17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

 18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

 19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”  (JS-H 1:16-19)

(you can open your eyes now)

This message about there not being a true church on the earth was the big payload of the vision that Joseph Smith meant us all to know in his account, though he was told many more things that he said he couldn’t write at that time.

21 Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before mentioned religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.

 22 I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me. (JS-H 1:21-22)

I continued to pursue my common vocations in life until the twenty-first of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision. (JS-H 1:27)

Joseph had to stand alone as a one witness against the world for some time.  How interesting this was, even though we know the Lord follows the law of witnesses, He allowed Joseph to face the scorn of the world alone for a time.

--Joseph’s faithfulness to his testimony after the visit encourages us to trust him. Even though many people wanted him to deny it happened, he didn’t. This trust becomes fundamental to our testimony in Joseph Smith’s calling as a prophet.   He would not deny it because he knew that to do so would offend God.

Joseph Smith is a wonderful model of someone who withstood so many forces tugging at him and so much emotional conflict and differing opinions about the subject of how to obtain eternal salvation. 

  

My Personal Experience at the Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah

I’ve been there and it is peaceful. I went there perhaps when I was 11 or 12 on vacation with my family.  I remember being in awe that here was the place that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in the flesh.  I looked around wondering if I would know the exact place if I saw it.  It could be anywhere—at that tree, or near that one.  I decided that because we don’t know, that could be another reason why the whole place is sacred.

I’ve been to the Hill Cumorah as well. It’s steep to climb, but it was neat to think that that was the place where the plates lay deep in the earth so secretly for so many centuries until the angel Moroni could tell Joseph where to find them.

Because he had the first vision

--We learn about the designs of Satan

--We know much more about the character and nature of God, which deepens our faith.

--We have an opportunity to learn what a witness of the Holy Ghost feels like

--We learn something about prophets

--We learn about the revelatory process

I will elaborate on each of these.

From reading the Joseph Smith story, we learn about the designs of Satan.

--There is an actual being from the unseen world who tried to destroy Joseph Smith and prevent him from praying.

--We see that he tries to create and maintain confusion about what the truth is.

--We see that he likes to see families divided over what is true. Joseph Smith’s family certainly was.

--We see that he would prefer people to profess faith and yet not act on it and to contend with others about and create a war of words and destroy good feelings (if real) and create hypocrisy.

--We see that it pleases him to cause people to lose confidence in the scriptures when they try to settle questions.

--We see that he tries to prevent people from praying and that he will even go so far as to make them feel unworthy to pray and doomed to destruction to daunt them from prayer. 

--We see that once people have had a great spiritual experience, Satan tries to make them question it or doubt its authenticity or source. 

--He tries to make us think that the heavens are closed, and that miracles have ceased.

--We learn he tries to stir people up against the truth and those who teach it.

How does learning about the First Vision deepen our faith in God?

--It is another witness that the Father and the Son live.

--Their brightness and glory defy description. Their presence chases away Satan’s darkness.

--It gives us information about their physicality and separateness and that man was created after their image.

--Spiritual unity of the Godhead. We learn this from Heavenly Father referring Joseph to listen to His Beloved Son Jesus, which He would not do if He had not complete confidence that Jesus would say all that Heavenly Father would say.

--It reassures us that they know us by name, and are interested in the affairs of us their children.

--It is evidence that they hear our prayers and answer. Therefore, prayer works and revelation continues.

--God reveals great and important things.

All this enables us to develop true faith in God.  Without this knowledge, true faith in God would be impossible for the rest of us, (Faith in things which are not seen, which are true, so to have faith in something, it has to be true, and previously the truth about God had not been known, or it had been forgotten or twisted.

The First Vision gave a new witness to the earth, something in addition to the Bible.  The Bible was traditionally accepted, but the story of the First Vision would have to be accepted completely on the basis of a witness from the Holy Ghost.  Thus, relating the story gives a chance for the Holy Ghost to testify with power. 

On feeling the power of the witness
 

Elder Charles W. Penrose  (an apostle) said:

“The Gospel came to us in the various nations of the earth, some belonging to the various religious sects, and some belonging to no sect whatever, and when we received and obeyed it a power took hold of us superior to anything we have ever experienced before, and witnessed to us in an unmistakable manner the truth of this work. It is not a phantom. It is not something imaginary, but it is a solemn fact, as certain as the fact of our existence. No one can reason us out of it, or force us out of it. Why? Because it is stamped upon our spiritual nature, it is a part of our very being. God Almighty has revealed this truth to our souls, and we know it as we know we live. That is why we are here.

Now, our business is to live this religion, to learn further of the ways of God, and to do his will in all things.” (JD 21:80)

From the First Vision we learn about the importance God sees in churches and their influence, both for good and evil:

Because Christ told Joseph Smith that all the churches were wrong and he should join none of them, we learn:

--The importance of a true church. The absence of it or the counterfeit of it receives the divine label of abomination.  No matter how sincere their followers might be, the precepts of men are insufficient to teach the right way.

--We know that there was an apostasy from the truth.

--We know the right way had to be restored.  (The next question that would come from that was “Now what do I/we do?”)

 --Because Jesus advised Joseph Smith to join none of the churches at the time, we need not judge those who do not go to a church.  They may be looking for greater light and knowledge. 

It can also be said that the First Vision paved the way for real hope in the world. The Book of Mormon defines hope (loosely speaking) as anticipation of a better world and to be raised by the resurrection.  We have to have the Holy Ghost to feel this hope, because the Holy Ghost is the earnest of our salvation, it is like a down payment on heaven. 

From our perspective as members, we also learn something about prophets:

--We see there is such a thing as foreordination.  This is the only explanation for this 14-year-old boy receiving a vision among all 14-year-old boys at any period in the world.

--God chooses the method of revelation best suited to His purposes. He could have given impressions or dreams, but He chose to reveal Himself.

--We see youth, lack of experience, and low education level are no bar to a prophetic call.

--We see prophets’ witnesses are based upon experience—hearing & seeing—which teaches more in 5 minutes than anything one could ever read on the topic.

--We see prophets don’t necessarily tell all they know and experience.  Joseph Smith said Christ told him many other things that Joseph couldn’t write at that time.

More was needed after the first vision

To paraphrase Orson Pratt, if Joseph Smith had had the first vision and then translated the Book of Mormon and published it and stopped there, what good would it have done the world?  Seeing the truths of the Book of Mormon would not by itself give the power to organize a church or the authority to run it.  We would still be shut out of the kingdom of God. That would be like putting the hungry man at a table full of food and forbidding him from eating. It would simply be aggravating. 

How happy we are that, in addition to the First Vision and the Book of Mormon, we have the restored keys of the priesthood that authorized the creation of the kingdom of God on the earth and enabled us to partake of all the spiritual blessings of belonging to it!  

Other results from the First Vision that opened the dispensation:

--The Book of Mormon was received, translated, and printed as another witness of Christ.

--The priesthood authority to perform saving ordinances was restored, including the sealing powers of the priesthood and the gathering of Israel.

--The Church was organized on the earth as the kingdom of God.

--Revelations came to Joseph Smith about how to build the kingdom of God on the earth, including the salvation of mankind, both the living and the dead.

--Keys, principles, and powers were restored for preaching the gospel, perfecting the Saints, redeeming the dead.

What are you going to do because of what you know?

Elder Carlos H. Amado (April 2002 conference) pointed out:

The story demonstrates five principles, which will help us come to know God, as they did for Joseph Smith

1) Have a sincere desire to know the truth and act on it. – Joseph Smith had an intense desire to know God and do His will. When we have this same desire, we will do all we can to live the truths we know.  From Joseph Smith we learn the necessity of seeking the truth and seeking the Lord with real intent.  Seeking with real intent is the opposite of being casual or apathetic.  We can’t afford to become casual in our study of the scriptures or in our prayers.  If we do we will start to drift. The fire we felt will start to die down.

2) Learn the importance of reading the scriptures – His prayer came from learning truth about prayer in the scriptures and his determination to experiment on the word.  Also, he received many additional revelations as a result of reading the scriptures.

3) Learn the value of prayer – Just like Joseph Smith we can also testify that we have received answers to our prayers.

4) Discover the blessing of meditation – Joseph Smith pondered often. His mother observed that he wasn’t a great reader of the Bible, but he thought very deeply.

5) Experience joy from going to church – Joseph Smith went to various denominations and he observed what they taught and what they did. While he was in the sad position of not finding the truth church, we are blessed to have that today!  We can know that we are part of the kingdom of God!

Everyone goes through a Joseph Smith experience

Bruce R. McConkie:

“….every investigator of revealed truth stands, at some time in the course of his search, in the place where Joseph Smith stood. He must turn to the Almighty and gain wisdom from God by revelation if he is to gain a place on that strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 247)

Every investigator into the church will be in the same position of Joseph Smith, having to grapple with the cries of “Lo here” and Lo there” and need to decide for themselves which of all the churches is right.  After hearing the doctrine and testimony and reading the scriptures, they must do what Joseph Smith did and ask God for wisdom about which church is true.  The Lord will reveal that this work is His work. 

Everyone who is born into the church sooner or later must also do the same. No one can live forever on borrowed light.  But whether you have a gift of knowing or the gift of believing the truth from others, you must be given that gift from God.

When we come to know this work is the Lord’s, we must muster the courage and integrity to embrace it and forsake the world.  If we continue to grow and receive truth in the pattern of line-upon-line, we will have peace and joy and satisfaction here in the world and chart a course to salvation.

Though we have not been destined to open a dispensation of the gospel, we also must make decisions and sort through confusion and cut through a war of words in a whole host of subjects that affect our lives.  The world is full of difficult decisions that make us face our ignorance, or our age, or our infirmities, or our fears.

 

Experience how testimony of Joseph Smith is a shield of faith:

On Monday for FHE we watched a TV program that sounded good, but turned out to present arguments that would deeply disturb a person’s faith in a particular story of the Bible.  But because of my testimony of the prophetic call of Joseph Smith, and in particular my testimony in his work on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, I was able to withstand something that otherwise would have shaken my faith.   I don’t know the answers are to the questions that TV program raised, but I found places to question their connections and conclusions.  I can wait for more light and knowledge on the matter.

I’ve had a number of challenges to my faith throughout my life, but I have overcome a great number of them by thinking back to the First Vision.  I believe in that First Vision.  I believe Joseph Smith’s testimony.  And so, I keep my faith that this is God’s work.

Lessons on praying 

President Eyring:

“When I was a little child, my parents taught me by example to pray. I began with a picture in my mind of Heavenly Father being far away. As I have matured, my experience with prayer has changed. The picture in my mind has become one of a Heavenly Father who is close by, who is bathed in a bright light, and who knows me perfectly.” ("Exhort Them to Pray," Ensign, February 2012, https://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/02/exhort-them-to-pray?lang=eng)

It seems to me that President Eyring has made the First Vision a model for how he should pray. It suggests to me that when he closes his eyes to pray, he tries to imagine that God is there in the room with him, standing above him in the air, listening to his prayer. 

This is an invitation for us to do the same in our prayers, no matter where or when they are.

My testimony of Joseph Smith is based upon the following:

1)   He never denied his witness.

2)   He translated the Book of Mormon, and I have a testimony that book is true.

3)   From my learning about Joseph Smith’s life, I am convinced that he was not just a good man, but a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator.

Who will see signs of Christ’s coming?

39 And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

40 And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.

41 And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.

43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place; (D&C 45:39-43)

It impresses me that Jesus says those who fear Him (in the reverential awe sense) will be looking for the signs of His coming.  We can also infer the opposite—that those who don’t, will pay no attention to signs, and probably won’t see them.

It’s neat to me that He promises that those who look shall see signs and wonders in heaven and in earth.

It struck me that maybe He didn’t just mean only those who were alive when He come, but also those who live in the intervening generations would see signs as well that show how close He’s getting, even if they don’t see the specific signs listed that indicate Christ is coming in their day.

In v36-38, Christ uses the parable of the fig tree and how tender leaves shooting forth indicate coming summer to communicate how members may know how close the great day is by looking at certain signs.

I have fond memories of seeing how trees bud. It doesn’t happen all in a day. Little green shoots sprout and unfurl, like a green mist on the trees. Likewise, there are little sprouting signs we can watch for as members, such as seeing how much of the world is open to missionary work and the gospel. 

The specific signs and wonders listed in the above verses are of the violent and destructive variety, meant to wake up the world.  But I believe the faithful who are already “awake” will also be able to see positive signs, wonders, and miracles—compensatory blessings that are meant to help confirm their faith in a darkening age.  You can see this from Joel 2:28-32:

28 ¶And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

The destructive signs are very similar to the quoted verses from D&C 45, but there is the additional promise of the Spirit poured out, and increased spiritual gifts of prophecy, dreams, and visions.  I believe those gifts are designed to help us find peace and act in faith in the increasing uncertainties.

I don’t know that I can say much about prophecy or visions, but I have some experience with dreams, and I want to take a little time to talk about that particular gift.

 There is a kind of dream that I call at “heads-up” dream. (I’m borrowing this term from someone else who wrote about dreams.) 

Heads-up dreams can come in two forms—they can show us quite literally what will happen, or they can show us a symbolic situation and we decode the symbols to understand what will happen.  When Heavenly Father talks to us in dreams, He will speak according to our ability to understand, so it doesn’t much matter what form the message takes, whether literal or symbolic.  (My dreams tend to be symbolic, and I don’t know whether that means that I can’t handle a literal dream or whether the Lord wants me to do some work to understand what He is trying to tell me. Whatever the reason, He puts them in a form adapted for my weaknesses.)

Heads-up dreams can tell us something that will happen the next day, or they can show us what will happen over larger periods of time.  They may suggest something we (as individuals) must do, or they may prepare us for an experience we must simply go through.  I’ve had some that warned me of something I needed to do immediately, and others that warned me of difficult experiences I would have several years down the line. (Of course, I didn't know that until later.)

Usually I know a dream is important if it is particularly vivid and it stays with me once I’ve awakened.  Sometimes I know what it means immediately, but other times I am puzzled and have to think about it. I have noticed that reading the scriptures brings the Spirit enough that afterward I realize a dream’s meaning.  Or I might have to ponder it over a few days. A few have really weirded me out, but have turned out to be very helpful.

I believe it is important to write in our journals the dreams that Heavenly Father gives us. They are a form of revelation, and if not recorded, they are easy to forget. But if we record them, future readings of our journals will remind us and we will find them verified. Then we can record that the Lord knew what would happen and we can show how we were helped because He told us things ahead of time.

I believe that these dreams have a function of 1) preparing our minds for the future, 2) giving us clarity through synthetic experience, 3) giving us reassurance that Heavenly Father knows all things.   They are not meant to make us feel superior to others.

These spiritual gifts--prophecy, dreams, visions-- don’t come at our will.  Heavenly Father controls them and they are to fulfill His purposes, so they become very personalized signs to help us act and endure faithfully. They are meant to save us, and we need saving. 

Re-examining Jesus’s appearance on the road to Emmaus

When Jesus visited two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus, they were talking of the events of Jesus’s crucifixion and the news of the resurrection and were sad.  The main cause of their sadness seems to have been a sense of betrayal—they had trusted Jesus to be the one who would redeem Israel militarily, but contrary to their expectations He had been crucified.  They seemed to not know now where to look for redemption, and the stories of Christ’s resurrection only confused them.

When Jesus meets them, He asks them about their concerns and he listens to them, and when they’ve gotten it all out in the open, His answer is instructive: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)   I suspect that the term “fools” was not just an epithet meaning “unwise,” but also one expressing they were in a spiritual state bordering on apostasy.  For them to forsake Christ because He had not militarily redeemed Israel would be apostasy. 

Quick sidenote: What do you suppose was Christ’s tone and manner as he said this to them?  Was he loud and harsh?  Or was he gentle?  What would have better conveyed his concern for them?

Anyway, thinking about these things, it seems to me that Jesus’s visit was meant to pull back into the faith two disciples who were wandering because the prophesied events had not gone according to their expectations.  Through the rest of His visit with them, He shored up their knowledge through the scriptures, and when they finally recognized Him through spiritual manifestations, they had gained the foundational knowledge upon which to base their testimony.  Then, His actual presence, when they recognized Him, had much more power.

I think this has a good lesson for us.  We or others around us may struggle with testimony when prophesied events happen differently than expected.  Christ (and by extension Heavenly Father) still cares for these and desires they obtain personal witness as well.  The witness needs to be built upon a better understanding of the scriptures, spiritual witness, and also personal experience.

Complaints Lehi is a Visionary Man

Lehi is accused by his family (particularly Laman and Lemuel) so many times of being “a visionary man” who is “led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart” that it seems to me we must spend some time thinking about it and what it means.

It is possible Lehi had a tendency to get big ideas that were too much for him to implement or that fizzled when he tried them or that distracted him.  If this had been a common occurrence, it would be really easy for his family to roll their eyes at his insistence they leave Jerusalem.  We have no idea if this was really the case because the Book of Mormon only shows he was right and shows nothing indicating he was ever wrong.  All we have is the frequent repetition of “visionary man” or “led by the foolish imaginations of his heart,” which hint at incidents of failure.

Looked at from this perspective (which is a speculative one, I might add) we start to understand the extraordinary faith it took for Lehi to lead his family out into the wilderness and for his family to follow.  Lehi had a vision, yes, but would his family believe him?   From this perspective, Laman and Lemuel’s concerns appear much more rational, and Nephi’s faith seems even more amazing.  We begin to see why Nephi had to pray for his own witness that his father was doing the right thing.  If Lehi hadn’t had a past history of fizzled big ideas why would he need to?  We see how much reason Sariah had to rejoice when her son actually did return with the brass plates, obtained under such miraculous conditions.  It was a sign that God really was behind it!

It is one thing to follow someone who is always right and whose grand ideas always work out, but it is quite another to follow someone who has had lots of grand ideas in the past that didn’t work out.  How does one know if this person is really inspired? 

This question is also one I ask of myself, since I have had a lot of big ideas that never quite came to fruition (although I’ve had a pretty fair number that have worked too).  Failure has happened enough that I often find myself feeling rather Laman-and-Lemuel-ish toward myself, wondering, “Okay, is this another one of THOSE ideas?”  This is one reason why I am grateful for my patriarchal blessing and for the scriptures and the prophets’ words.  I try to measure my aspirations and dreams and “brilliant ideas” by them.

Sometimes we talk about Laman and Lemuel as if their arguments had no basis in reality.  But when we consider that they had very good reason for their concerns in this aspect, they become real opponents, not strawmen, which then makes Nephi’s acts and words of faith and the miracles of the family’s preservation all the more powerful. 

Comparing the First Two Visions of Lehi

5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.

 6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.

 7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.

 8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.

 9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.

 10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.

 11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.

 12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

 13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.

 14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!

 15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.  (1 Nephi 1:5-15)

I was reading about the first two visions of Lehi in 1 Nephi 1, and it struck me that there is something odd about the first one in comparison with the second one.

First, we are told about the pillar of fire that dwelt on the rock before him (v6), but we are given no sense of any kind of message.  We are told Lehi saw much and heard much, but nothing is actually communicated to us.  If there had been, Nephi would probably have given at least a synopsis of it, as he does with the second vision in verses 8-13.

The second thing that strikes me as I read about these two visions is that there were two.  It seems like Lehi can’t get away from them.  (Sorry if that sounds irreverent..)  Why two?  And then why is one a pillar of fire and undefined things and then the other is a vision of heaven, God, numberless concourses of angels, one descending out of heaven, twelve very bright others following, and a book full of prophesies to read?  They are very different in character.

And another thing—Lehi’s reaction is different between the two.  During the first vision, Lehi quakes and trembles exceedingly (v6).  It scares Lehi to death and we don’t even know why.  The second one makes Lehi rejoice exceedingly, even as he is reading in the heavenly book that Jerusalem and all the inhabitants thereof will be destroyed.

So is there an explanation for this?  I think there is, and it may be an uncomfortable one.  I suspect that the first “vision” was a natural phenomenon.  (I hope you will hear me out on this..)  Jerusalem is a very geologically active site, known to have earthquakes. (See this Seismic Hazard Map of the Middle East) There is such a thing as Earthquake Lights, “unusual luminous aerial phenomenon that reportedly appears in the sky at or near areas of tectonic stress, seismic activity, or volcanic eruptions.”  (Wikipedia, “earthquake light”)  Lehi may have seen something called a fire column.  Fire columns and other luminous displays were seen around the occurrance of an earthquake in Italy in April 2009 and have been observed elsewhere. 

“Fire columns were observed during or around the time of the main shock in Bagno, Bazzano and Pile. Their colours ranged from orange to red, and in one case, the vertical column was associated with electrical discharges. Giuseppina Giuliani, from Vallesindola of Bagno, during the main shock, saw several high flames coming out of the ground near Bazzano. They were orange and came higher than Gran Sasso and completely blocked its view. A similar light was seen crossing the Aterno valley, from an opposite side, at the time of the November 1461 earthquake” (Galli as paraphrased by Fidani).

Other luminous phenomena observed incident to earthquakes may include flashes, electrical discharges, thin strips of light, fire balls, fire beams, luminous funnels, flames, small flames, sparks, luminous vapors, luminous clouds, diffused lights, and streamers.  How these effects are produced is not well-understood yet.  (There tend to be government conspiracy theories and UFO labels associated with this kind of thing on the internet...)

So, I hypothesize that as Lehi was praying for his people, some sort of geologically-triggered light effect began, but that it acted in an erratic way, which Lehi may have perceived as threatening and caused him to quake and tremble.  It would seem doubly alarming as it seemed connected to his act of prayer.  Its strange behavior would suggest spiritual terrors and meanings to him, even as he tried to understand it.  It might seem to him as if a messenger from God had come yet refused to talk and acted crazy and dangerous.

Would God want Lehi to be left with this kind of impression of diety?  I don’t think so.  God would want Lehi to see and know the difference in experience between some natural though awe-inspiring light display and a real vision from God.  Hence the second vision, a real apocalyptic vision with God on his throne, the divine counsel, angelic beings coming down and acting in an orderly way, and giving him a book, delivering an extended prophetic message he could understand about the future of his people whom he had been praying about.  The second vision is a very different kind from the first, much as the sun is different from a single lit light bulb.  The second vision seems to have been a great relief to Lehi, as he exclaims, “..and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish.”  I suspect Lehi really thought he was going to die because of the first vision he had.  He thought he was condemned.

I  bet the thing that makes us think the pillar of fire of the first vison is divine is the language of Joseph Smith’s first vision account about a “pillar of light exactly over my head.”  We are so used to the image of the Father and Son appearing in Joseph's pillar of light that we simply assume that Lehi’s “pillar of fire” had a person in it.   Yet if there was a person in it, Lehi would have mentioned it and Nephi would mention it in the record.  He certainly told us about all the people in the second vision, so he would have mentioned people in the first vision too, if they were present.

Now, reading the story this way can shake us up a little bit.  We may prefer to think of it as two divine visions instead of just one that was prefaced by a natural phenomenon.  However you choose to think of the first vision, much more can be learned from the second one than from the first.  The second is the more precious of the two and is absolutely divine.

When I consider what I learn from this, I learn that man is apt to mistake manifestations (especially glowing things) for the divine.  Even if no intelligence is gained, man will construct a message to fill the blank.  Yet God cares for His children and will send a way to correct their mistaken notions and answer their prayers.  Note that it is the second vision that answers Lehi’s original prayer on behalf of his people.

Comparing these two visions of Lehi’s also reminds me how important the principle of edification is.  Spiritual manifestations must edify for them to be from God.   Again, gaining this perspective about Lehi’s view of a pillar of fire helps me to appreciate his apocalyptic vision that much more and see it as a demonstration of the great mercy of God. 

Notes

C. Fidani, “The earthquake lights (EQL) of the 6 April 2009 Aquila earthquake,

in Central Italy,”  p5, full article available for download at http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/967/2010/nhess-10-967-2010.html) 

Also see About.com’s article on Earthquake lights,    http://geology.about.com/od/earthquakes/a/EQlights.htm

Joseph Smith Sr.’s dream of the tree of life

I recently found a biography of Joseph Smith Sr. (father of the prophet Joseph Smith) that had some interesting stories in it, one of which was an account of a dream that he had in Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1811:

I thought I was traveling in an open, desolate field, which appeared to be very barren. As I was thus traveling, the thought suddenly came to me that I had better stop and reflect upon what I was doing before I went any further. So I asked myself, “What motive can I have in traveling here, and what place can this be?” My guide, who was by my side, as before, said, “This is the desolate world, but travel on.” The road was so broad and barren, that I wondered why I should travel in it; for said I to myself, “Broad is the road and wide is the gate, that leads to death, and many there be that walk therein; but narrow is the way, and strait is the gate that leads to everlasting life, and few there be that go in thereat.” Traveling a short distance further, I came to a narrow path. This path I entered, and when I had traveled a little way in it, I beheld a beautiful stream of water, which ran from the east to the west. Of this stream I could see neither the source nor the mouth; but as far as my eyes could extend I could see a rope, running along the bank of it, about as high as a man could reach, and beyond me, was a low, but very pleasant valley, in which stood a tree, such as I had never seen before. It was exceedingly handsome, insomuch that I looked upon it with wonder and admiration. Its beautiful branches spread themselves somewhat like an umbrella, and it bore a kind of fruit, in shape much like a chestnut bur, and as white as snow, or, if possible, whiter. I gazed upon the same with considerable interest, and as I was doing so, the burs or shells commenced opening and shedding their particles, or the fruit which they contained, which was of dazzling whiteness. I drew near, and began to eat of it, and I found it delicious beyond description. As I was eating, I said in my heart, “ I cannot eat this alone, I must bring my wife and children, that they may partake with me.” Accordingly, I went and brought my family which consisted of my wife and seven children, and we all commenced eating, and praising God for this blessing. We were exceedingly happy, insomuch that our joy could not easily be expressed. While thus engaged, I beheld a spacious building standing opposite the valley which we were in, and it appeared to reach to the very heavens. It was full of doors and windows, and they were all filled with people, who were very finely dressed. When these people observed us in the low valley, under the tree, they pointed the finger of scorn at us, and treated us with all manner of disrespect and contempt. But their contumely we utterly disregarded. I presently turned to my guide, and inquired of him the meaning of the fruit that was so delicious. He told me that it was the pure love of God, shed abroad in the hearts of all those who love him, and keep his commandments. He then commanded me to go and bring the rest of my children. I told him that we were all there. “No,” he replied, “look yonder, you have two more, and you must bring them also.” Upon raising my eyes, I saw two small children, standing some distance off. I immediately went to them, and brought them to the tree; upon which they commenced eating with the rest, and we all rejoiced together. The more we ate, the more we seemed to desire, until we even got down on our knees, and scooped it up, eating it by double handfuls. After feasting in this manner a short time, I asked my guide what was the meaning of the spacious building which I saw. He replied, “It is Babylon, it is Babylon, and it must fall. The people in the doors and windows are the inhabitants thereof, who scorn and despise the Saints of God, because of their humility.” I soon awoke, clapping my hands together for joy.  (Joseph Smith, Sr.: First Patriarch to the LDS Church, Appendix II, p228-229)

It is amazing to me how similar this dream of Joseph Smith Sr’s corresponds with Lehi’s dream as recorded in the Book of Mormon.   And to think he had this when his son Joseph Smith Jr. was about six years old…

Can you imagine what Joseph Smith Sr. must have thought and felt when he read the printed Book of Mormon for the first time and discovered a dream very similar to his had been dreamt and recorded by the ancient prophet Lehi?  What a confirmation of faith that must have been.  (What would it be like to have one of your dreams canonized like that?) And too, it would seem to locate Joseph Smith Sr. at the beginning of a new gospel dispensation, just as Lehi was the beginning of whole new offshoot of Israel.

I think there are a few principles that can be distilled from this.

First, that the Lord can give visions in dreams to those whom he chooses. 

Second, that the Lord can give similar dreams to different people.

Third, the Lord has ways of preparing His servants (and even their relatives) for what is He is going to do, even years before it happens.