If no Christ, then no God. But there is a Christ.

For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time. (2 Nephi 11:7)

The first part of that verse is fascinating reasoning that sounds very logical, and yet it leaves out many assumptions, trusting the reader to figure them out. It is instructive to think about what assumptions make it so Nephi can state this with such confidence.

“if there be no Christ there be no God” – A Messiah to suffer for all is absolutely important to the definition of God.  A Christ provides for mercy, and a God must show both justice and mercy to be God. 

That being said, we live in a world where it might seem difficult to see the justice of God.  That’s because God is long-suffering and offering mercy, holding back the day of judgment so we have time to lay hold on that mercy.

“if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation” – God must create because it is part of His perfections.  And He must create men and women to become more like Him because that is the perfection of creation.  And of course, that means He must provide means whereby He can have mercy on them, so that presupposes a Christ to suffer for their sins.

Unbelief might cause people to fall through the cracks of Nephi’s logic, but for those who don’t, we can see our very existence as evidence of God and of Christ.

Someone else has pointed out that life balances as it were on the head of a pin of perfect optimums, which if disturbed, disrupt whole systems and make life untenable on biological, chemical, and astronomical levels.  From that perspective, perhaps commandments are ways of asking us to spiritually climb onto more pins and balance, so that we can discover new optimums of spiritual creation that we never knew existed.  Naturally, there will be lots of wobbly pins and lots of falling off, but the atonement makes it so that our falls don’t nail us to the ground when we land on our faces.

Rachel weeping for her children, and Ephraim bemoaning himself

The scripture about Rachel weeping for her children is mentioned in the New Testament with reference to Herod slaying all the babies in Bethlehem age two and younger. 

I think it is instructive to see where this comes from and see its context to learn more about it.  It is from Jeremiah 31:15, but verses 16-17 have some things to say that might startle us.

15 ¶Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

16 Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border. (Jeremiah 31:15-17)

Right along with the prophecy that there would be weeping and why, there also comes instructions about how that grief can be overcome.  And I think it can also be applied to mean several things.

Concerning the slaughter of the innocents, the rest of the verses give comfort that the work these mothers have done to nurture them would still be rewarded.  None of it would be for nothing.  Also, the promise that their children would come again from the land of the enemy is essentially speaking of a future resurrection when they would receive those children back again.  They could live in hope for that day.

Another way to read these verses is as prophecy of the coming destruction and scattering of the people.  This is Jeremiah speaking, after all.

And yet, in the very next verse comes that comfort from the Lord that the children of Israel would come back again from the land of the enemy (Babylon), and for those who were killed, resurrection from death.  Further, there was still hope that they would repent, even in the spirit world.

Now, this isn’t the only cool part of the chapter.  Verses 18-20 have things to say about Ephraim.  Keep in mind that at the time Jeremiah wrote this, Ephraim (part of the northern 10 tribes) had already been carried captive by Assyria some 100 years before because of stubborn wickedness.

18 ¶I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.

19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:18-20)

Note the characteristics of Ephraim as described in these verses:

1.     He realizes he has been chastised by God.  (He’s acquired quite a lot of spiritual discernment about how the Lord is at work in his life.)

2.     He realizes he is like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. (He has acquired the ability to see the truth about himself, rather than remaining in blind pride.)

3.     He requests the help of God is being turned from his sins.  (This shows he knows he can’t depend upon his own strength and wisdom, and he trusts in Christ’s atoning power to change and cleanse him.)

4.     He has come to know the Lord and is trying to follow Him.

5.     He is aware of the consequences of his actions and the stages of repentance, as well as knowledge of the spiritual history of his people, which hasn’t been all stellar.

As I look at those characteristics of Ephraim, I can’t see how any of that can happen unless they’ve been converted to the restored gospel and restored to their spiritual blessings of being part of Israel.  None else but the humble followers of Christ have such humility, such true vision of their state, such dependence on the Lord, such a repentant heart.

In v20, Jeremiah speaks on behalf of the Lord, declaring the Lord remembers Ephraim as a dear son and will have mercy on him.  Clearly that mercy can only be brought about through Ephraim’s sincere repentance.

So, to sum up, Jeremiah prophesied that the lost (killed or captive) children of Israel would be returned (resurrected or gathered).  He also prophesied that the people of Ephraim would be restored to the truth of the gospel and would become a humble and repentant people (completely opposite from what they were when they were carried away).  Those of us who are Ephraimites can take satisfaction in knowing that we are part of the fulfillment of this scripture.  It also gives us yet another way to measure ourselves.  How well do our lives fit the characteristics of Ephraim described by Jeremiah?

·      Do we understand when the Lord is chastising us for our sins?

·      Do we recognize how we are unaccustomed to the yoke of discipleship?

·      Do we ask for the Lord’s help to change when we repent?

·      Do we consider the Lord our God to the extent that we worship Him and follow Him?

·      Do we repent?  Do we allow ourselves to be instructed?  Are we ashamed of our sins?

KJV versus JST: The Lamb Slain in Revelation 5

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having twelve horns and twelve eyes, which are the twelve servants of God, sent forth into all the earth.

KJV Revelation 5:6	Joseph Smith Translation
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)	And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having twelve horns and twelve eyes, which are the twelve servants of God, sent forth into all the earth.

The number twelve used for the horns and eyes of the Lamb makes us think immediately of the twelve apostles.  It also reinforces they are servants of God, not multiple Holy Ghosts.

The fact they are represented as being a part of the Lamb (horns and eyes) shows us how close to Christ they are, how dependent on Him they are, how close to his thoughts and purposes they are.  It also gives us a sense of how indispensible the office of apostle is to the organization of the church. 

Horns are sharp and pokey and they are used in the scriptures as symbols of power.  Any time the apostles share their witness, they are being used as a power for the Lord.  (Prod, prod)

It is also interesting this verse tells us the Lamb is standing (and presumably alive), but as it had been slain, with wounds testifying to its death.  This represents the resurrected Christ, not the pre-crucifixion Christ.  I don’t know exactly what to say about this, but it fascinates me.  Maybe it is because the wounds are visible, so they can be witnessed by others, but they are no longer a source of trauma to the Lamb.  He overcame it all for us.   This isn’t a zombie Lamb; it’s a resurrected Lamb.  Death has no more power.

KJV versus JST: Twenty four elders and beasts around the throne in Revelation 4

There’s a fair amount of Joseph Smith Translation differences in Revelation 4 that I think are worth looking at, particularly in verses 4 - 6.

KJV	JST	My thoughts
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.	And in the midst of the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.	The JST places the seats not round about the throne, but in the midst of the throne.  Since we take the throne to be the throne of God, to say these seats are in the middle of the throne tells us these 24 elders have been exalted and share in the authority and power of God, having been given the privilege of having the same power God has.  They couldn’t be given this if they hadn’t achieved great holiness and righteousness.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.	And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven servants of God.	The JST changes “Spirits” to “servants,” and this prevents us from falling into some kind of error of thinking there are 7 Holy Ghosts and not just one.  The way I see it, the seven servants give light, and they are between the throne and whoever would approach the throne, so they represent a level of righteousness we must get to first before we can become perfected.
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.	And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne were the four and twenty elders; and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.	The JST clarifies that it is not the 4 beasts in and around the throne, but it is the 24 elders in the throne and the 4 beasts are around the throne.  To put beasts in the throne and elders outside of it would essentially demote righteous perfected men below heavenly animals, which is laughable.  No, man is the crowning creation of God and His children, so of course in their exalted perfected state they will still be higher than exalted animals.

It is also useful to look at D&C 77, a revelation given to Joseph Smith about these verses as well.

2 Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in the same verse?

A. They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.

 3 Q. Are the four beasts limited to individual beasts, or do they represent classes or orders?

A. They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity.

 4 Q. What are we to understand by the eyes and wings, which the beasts had?A. Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc. (D&C 77:2-4)

Why do these verses from the D&C matter to us? 

Let me give you an example from my life.  I had pet fish as a teenager, and one of my favorite fish was killed by one of my siblings.  If you ask my sister, to this day she will deny that she did it, but I did find the fish’s body dried up under her bed.  I was tremendously grieved about that fish; there was much weeping and wailing in all the land. 

When it came to the deaths of people, I had a testimony of the resurrection and the plan of salvation, but I didn’t quite know what would happen to my fish. 

D&C 77: 2-4 elaborates on how John’s vision reveals that not just human creation will be exalted, but animal creation as well.  The four beasts shown represent “the glory of the classes of beings . . . in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity.”    What is felicity?  Intense happiness.  Like the elation when school is let out for the holidays. 

So next time you or one of your children loses a beloved pet, comfort them with those scriptures so they know for sure that their pets will enjoy eternal happiness as well.

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

Close readings of three scripture stories

I love it when I run across other members' writings in which they give close readings of scripture stories with careful analysis.  For your edification, I direct you to the chapter called "Three Stories" by Charles Swift from the book My Redeemer Lives.  The analyze the stories of feeding the five thousand, Jesus walking on the water, and an incident from Charles Swift's conversion story.  I loved it, and I think you'll love it too.

The parable of the two sons, hope for the Pharisees

28 ¶But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (Matt 21:28-32)

This sounds like Jesus is really coming down hard on the scribes and Pharisees, but there’s a little thing there that Jesus says that shows He still holds out hope for them: “the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”

Jesus held out hope that the Pharisees would ultimately choose to repent, even if others responded faster than them.  It was as though He said, “You think you’re there, but you’re not yet, and there is still a chance for you.”  Of course, if they ever got there, it would be contingent upon their belief in Christ, and realization of their sinful state and need for Christ.  That was their sticky point.

Today let’s choose to seek the Lord early and repent early and rely on Christ for strength early.  Let’s not procrastinate our repentance or exercising our faith.

Abraham cuts a covenant with the Lord and resists Satan

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7 And he [God] said unto him [Abram], I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (Genesis 15:7-17)

In order to certify that His promises to Abram would be fulfilled, the Lord told Abram to take a heifer, a nanny goat, a ram, turtle dove, and a pigeon to cut a covenant with him.  The covenant of this sort was made by cutting the animals in half, and both parties to covenant walked between the two pieces.  It was to demonstrate the kind of death that would happen if either party broke the covenant.  It is interesting that the Lord doesn’t have Abram cut up just one animal, but three.  I suppose this is to make a point about how serious the Lord is about keeping this promise.

So Abram prepares the animals, but the Lord doesn’t show up right away, so Abram has to drive away the vultures from the animal parts.

In v12, something happens that is puzzling.  When the sun goes down a deep sleep falls on Abram along with a horror of great darkness.  What was this?

I suspect that was Satan trying to prevent Abram from going through with this covenant with the Lord.  Satan does not like people to make covenants with God, and tries to disrupt impending spiritual experiences in any way he can.   (This fits very well with the opposition Satan hit Joseph Smith with before the first vision, as well as the opposition Moses faced when having his vision.)  Satan could have attacked Abram with thoughts that the delay of waiting for the Lord meant that the Lord had changed His mind.  He could have also tried to scare Abram away by suggesting that once he made this covenant he’d be stuck and any little deviation would put him in Satan’s power. 

Even though we do not have the details recorded, Abram would have had to call on the Lord for strength to resist.  And in the process, he was filled with the Holy Ghost, which seems to have filled him with the spirit of prophecy and he was inspired to know what would happen to his posterity up to four hundred years in the future.

And finally the Lord came, like a smoking furnace and a burning lamp, and passed through the pieces to confirm the covenant.

Once I read between the lines, this story reinforces the principle that there is opposition in all things.  Satan was at work trying to disrupt Abram’s faith just as much as he is at work today.  The solution is to pray always.

To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little

You’re probably familiar with the story in Luke 7:36-48 of Jesus at the Pharisee’s house with the woman who came and wiped His feet with her hair and anointed them with ointment.  When the Pharisee looked down on the woman for her demonstrative love and because she was a sinner, Jesus told the parable of the two debtors, one owing five hundred pence and the other owing fifty, which a creditor forgave.  He asked the Pharisee which debtor would love the creditor the most for that, and the answer was of course, “he, to whom he forgave the most.”

Now we come to the punchline that hit me different recently.

44 And he [Jesus] turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. (Luke 7:36-48, emphasis added)

Previously I thought Jesus was just saying that Simon (the Pharisee) didn’t have very many sins to be forgiven of and that meant he didn’t love Jesus as much.

But recently I realized that Jesus didn’t say anything about how many sins Simon had; we just assume it was fewer because of the comparable sizes of the debts in the parable.   Also, it doesn’t say anything about whether Jesus forgave Simon or not; we just assume He did because of the parable.

I suspect that Simon had begun to repent, but that he hadn’t finished yet.  And because he was not finished, I think he still probably viewed faith in Jesus to repentance as a sort of last-resort tool or something to not be used very often.  Because he hadn’t used it much, he wasn’t as grateful as the woman, who had some serious sins that had been forgiven her.

Now here’s a question you may have had about this parable, even if only subconsciously.  (I know I had it myself.)  We may wonder, “If I haven’t committed huge sins, does that mean I am doomed to love Jesus less?” 

We don’t want to go the route of committing big sins just to repent so we can love Jesus more.  Sin is still sin; it still alienates us from the Lord.

The solution is that we gain greater appreciation for Christ’s atonement over time as we use it in our lives.   

When I was a teen, I knew about the atonement in theory, but I still had this foolish idea that I could do things myself.  Naturally, I didn’t appreciate the atonement much.   But as I came to points where I had to experience it and use it, I came to appreciate it more. 

Now, as I look back over the sins and mistakes that I’ve made and been forgiven of, as well as the weaknesses that I’ve asked for enabling power to cope with, I have a much greater appreciation and gratitude for it.   (I also sense that my gratitude is much smaller than it should be.)  But I imagine that my gratitude will only grow the more I use it in my life until the day I die when I will testify it was the only way I made it.

Jesus prophesies of his disciples being offended

31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. (Matt. 26:31-35)

It is interesting to see what scripture Jesus is quoting.  It comes from Zechariah 13:7:

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

If you take the time to look at the context of Zechariah 13, this verse comes in the middle of prophecies about the second coming of Christ.  The context maeks it confusing, but evidently Jesus had such a firm testimony of His coming sacrifice that He knew exactly what it was about.

Of course, when He tells His disciples, they can’t imagine any of it happening, even though He’s told them a number of times He’d be killed.  When He tells them they will be offended because of Him, they deny it.

This causes me to ask, “Why even tell them they will deny Him?”  If He were a manipulative person, it would have been to bind them even closer to Him through their protestations, but He’s not manipulative, so that can’t be it.  In some way it must actually benefit them.

The way they react with horror, we can see they think He means they will be permanently offended, but you can see that at the same time He warns them He also promises to lead them again to Galilee after He was risen. ("after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee")  He was trying to show them that they were going to act in an aberrational manner because of what would happen to them and Him.  He anticipated not only their self-preservational fear and scattering and Peter’s denials, but also He anticipated the shame and self-reproach that they would go through when they later considered their actions.  He wanted to comfort them ahead of time that they would re-commit to be true.  I think He hoped they wouldn’t cut themselves off from Christ, thinking He couldn’t forgive them.

Imagine if after He was resurrected, His disciples were reluctant to believe He could receive them because of their defection at His arrest?  What if they left their callings forever because of feeling unworthy?  I think that is precisely what Jesus hoped to avoid.

I think it also would help build their faith in Him because it showed He did know how the prophecies would be fulfilled, that He fulfilled them, so He was the Messiah.  Even prophecies that seemed to show them in a bad light while He suffered would be fulfilled.

Many of us are hesitant to share unpleasant truths with our friends and family, but Jesus seems never to have shrunk from it.  (I think His demonstrated love played a big part in that in anyone being able to receive those things.)  His commitment to truth and His mission was paramount, and He always seemed to share those things in such a way as to benefit His listeners most.

What’s kind of sad is that any way you look at it, the way His disciples protested their faithfulness would be painful to Jesus when He know they wouldn’t hold out.  It hurts to not be able to believe your friends.  But if He let Himself believe them, it would be much worse because He’d find Himself watching them run away and feeling bitter, saying, “They said they would never be offended or deny me!”

Another thing this story shows is the human tendency to disbelieve warnings when they indicate imminent dangers that are a reversal of our experience.  But our disbelief means we will be doomed to suffer for our lack of preparation unless we can have the faith to prepare for dangers we hadn’t ever imagined.

Also, this story makes me question how true to the Lord I can be.  I can’t condemn the disciples because I, like them, don’t yet know to what extremities I shall be brought to prove my faithfulness.  I do know, however, that if I am to make it through and remain true, it will be by relying on the Lord and not on my own strength.