God's Eye View

Some years ago a wonderful young man named Curtis was called to serve a mission. He was the kind of missionary every mission president prays for. He was focused and worked hard. At one point he was assigned a missionary companion who was immature, socially awkward, and not particularly enthusiastic about getting the work done.

One day, while they were riding their bicycles, Curtis looked back and saw that his companion had inexplicably gotten off his bike and was walking. Silently, Curtis expressed his frustration to God; what a chore it was to be saddled with a companion he had to drag around in order to accomplish anything. Moments later, Curtis had a profound impression, as if God were saying to him, “You know, Curtis, compared to me, the two of you aren’t all that different.” Curtis learned that he needed to be patient with an imperfect companion who nonetheless was trying in his own way.
Dale G. Renlund, "Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying"

We like to categorize people. Some people are "lazy," some are "smart," others are "good," or "bad." We also tend to place gradations on sins and some are worse than others. Generally, the sins we commit are not as serious as the sins that others commit.

This story is a good reminder that we are all fallen in God's eyes and are in need of Christ's Atonement. We should not be so quick to condemn others for their faults and should instead be merciful to and patient with them, just as we hope God will be merciful to and patient with us.

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Matt 7:1-3

All Things are Possible

With a stout heart a mouse can lift an elephant.
Tibetan Proverb

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 9:23

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

There a lot of truly amazing things that have been accomplished by people individually and as groups throughout human history. Most of the time it just required a person with enough motivation, tenacity, or ambition to start.

A long journey is taken one step at a time. A wall is built one brick at a time. A mountain can be moved one spoonful of dirt at a time. If you have determination, most tasks can be overcome.

Faith is more difficult to quantify and measure. Our obedience to God's laws are to a certain extent a measure of our faith. But I think the key factor in accomplishing great things through faith is to try. By exercising our faith we make our faith stronger. If we never try anything that challenges our faith or make sacrifices that require us to go out of our comfort zone, our faith will not grow.

Envy Enslaves Us

Envy is the principal obstacle to happiness. It is better to live with oneself as ones only master than to be the slave of the achievements and social status and possessions of others.
Voltaire

Source: The Great Courses: Voltaire and Triumph of the Enlightenment

The Greatest Hero of Humanity

Voltaire claims to have participated in a discussion in which the participants debated who was the greatest of all human heroes.

Some said Caesar. Some said Alexander the Great. Some said Tamerlane, who had conquered so much of the world. Some said Oliver Cromwell, who had brought down the monarchy in the British 17th century and established the Puritan Commonwealth.

The true answer, Voltaire said, is that the greatest of all heroes is Isaac Newton, because others conquered the world, but he enlightened it. Some men, he wrote, change the world briefly by force of violence and enslavement. But other men change the world by the force of truth. And they are the true heroes of humanity.

Be a hero. Change the world by the power of truth and enlightenment.

Source: The Great Courses: Voltaire and Triumph of the Enlightenment

Speed vs Accuracy

Sir Francis Bacon, a strong advocate of the scientific method, said this (paraphrased):

The fastest person on the wrong path gets farther and farther away from where he desires to finish. On the other hand, a plodder on the proper path, ultimately arrives at the truth.

Bacon was emphasizing the importance of thinking before acting.

Source: The Great Courses: Voltaire and Triumph of the Enlightenment

The Power of Laughter

I was listening to a lecture series on the Life and Work of Mark Twain and came across this passage in The Mysterious Stranger. It is part of a speech given by Satan to the story's main character.

You have a mongrel perception of humor, nothing more; a multitude of you possess that. This multitude see the comic side of a thousand low-grade and trivial things--broad incongruities, mainly; grotesqueries, absurdities, evokers of the horse-laugh. The ten thousand high-grade comicalities which exist in the world are sealed from their dull vision. Will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them--and by laughing at them destroy them? For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon--laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution --these can lift at a colossal humbug--push it a little--weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. You are always fussing and fighting with your other weapons. Do you ever use that one? No; you leave it lying rusting. As a race, do you ever use it at all? No; you lack sense and the courage.
Mark Twain (emphasis added)

The duality of this passage struck me immediately. Laughter is extremely powerful. It can take an event like serious illness or death and turn it into something powerless. It can break the ice in an awkward situation, and remove tensions between foes. Its power for good is tremendous.

But so also is its power for ill. It can be used to ridicule, demean, debase, and profane. And if everything is funny what do we have to hold on to and take seriously?

We need to be very careful how we wield this weapon of ours. We should make certain that the "colossal humbugs" that we are destroying are ones that should be destroyed.

With great power comes great responsibility.
Voltaire

Source: Life and Work of Mark Twain

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

 17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 

 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 

 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 

 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 

 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 

 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
(Mark 10:17-22)

There are several things I find interesting about this story. First, when the young man asked Jesus what he must do, the answer was not, "Just believe." The young man needed to keep the commandments. When the young man replied that he had been doing his best to keep the commandments, it says that Jesus "loved him." I believe this implies that the young man was not being prideful, but was stating a fact. The Savior then asked him if he was willing to give up his possessions in order to obtain eternal life.

First, the Savior expected Obedience. Second, He required Sacrifice.

 22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
(1 Sam 15:22)

Both are important. But once we are moderately obedient, I believe that the Lord will begin to test (or develop) our ability to sacrifice.

The Lord still expects us to obey the Law of Sacrifice. Instead of sacrificing animals he expects us to sacrifice our will.

 8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
(D&C 59:8)

I think each of us has things we hold on to that we should let go of. I have heard some people refer to them as our "favorite sins." We probably consider them "minor" sins that we hope God will overlook or we expect that He will automatically forgive us of. To a certain extent I think those assumptions are true. I believe that God will overlook a lot of our mistakes and weaknesses as part of His Grace. However, I think there are additional blessings that we leave unclaimed by holding a part of ourselves back.

The rich young man valued his money more than he valued his discipleship. I think that is a common problem for individuals, particularly in Western countries like the U.S. Our world-view has us focused on things like being self-sufficient and hard-working. They are not bad by themselves, but are sometimes taken to an unhealthy extreme. A person who will not take time off work to help with a service project, for example, may have their priorities out of whack.

 41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 

 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 

 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 

 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
(Mark 12:41-44)

A balance must be struck somewhere. I do not think, in general, that the Lord expects us to immediately sell all of our possessions and give it all away. More likely, the sacrifices we will be expected to make include things like serving in the Primary, serving as a scout leader, allowing the youth to use our boat for an activity, or using up vacation time to go to Girls' Camp.

So where is the correct balance that the Lord expects in terms of wealth? I do not know, but my guess is that it is more on the Sacrifice side of things. But each person and family must determine for themselves where that balance is and strive to achieve it. And as we sacrifice more and more, I believe that we will find that the balance is even further than we thought.

Here are a few statements that I have found inspirational when deciding how much to sacrifice.

I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. ... If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, ... they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952), p. 67

I am a firm believer that you cannot give to the Church and to the building up of the kingdom of God and be any poorer financially. ... If the members of the Church would double their fast-offering contributions, the spirituality in the Church would double. We need to keep that in mind and be liberal in our contributions.
Marion G. Romney

A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.
Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith 6:7

 If we are more generous with our time, talents, and possessions, the Lord will bless us. Our faith will be strengthened by our sacrifice and we will be happier in the long run with the results of our choices than we would have been with the thing that we have given up.

 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(Matt 6:33)

Against War

There's no more vivid evidence anywhere of the fact that human beings are sinners, that human beings fell from grace in the Garden of Eden, than war. War destroys property. It leads to the break up of families. It causes terrible pain and suffering. It leads to the desertion of wives and the making of orphans. The laws are trampled. Women are raped. 

And these are just the mortal consequences. The immortal ones are worse. Because in war, hundreds and thousands are driven into eternity in the bitterness of enmity and wrath. Some inflamed with drunkenness. Some fired with lust. And all stained with blood. 

Who is the victor in a conflict like this? The devil. No Christians can profit from war. May all those who are called to be the followers of Christ be preserved from these earthly, these sensual, and these malignant motives. So repugnant are they from the generous, compassionate, and forgiving nature of Christ.

Anthony Benezet
1713 - 1784
Quaker, speaking against the American Revolution

Source: The Great Courses: American Religious History

Culture and Scripture

I was recently listening to a lecture series on world cultures and customs and there was a very interesting section on how our culture affects the way we interpret scripture.

A New Testament scholar name Mark Powell conducted a study where he asked evangelical ministers about the parable of the Prodigal Son, which is recorded in Luke 15.

To paraphrase the parable, a young son comes to his father and says he wants his inheritance early. The father gives him his inheritance and the son takes the money and he goes off and he spends it wildly. And before long, the young man ends up in a pig pen.

Mr. Powell asked ministers from Russia, Tanzania, and the United States, "Why is it that the Prodigal Son ended up in the pig pen?"

The Russian pastors said, "That's easy. It's obvious. He ended up in the pig pen because there was a famine in the land."

The Tanzanian pastors said, "That's obvious. It's because noone gave him anything to eat."

The US pastors said, "It's because he squandered the money that he had inherited."

This was mind-boggling to me. The US pastors gave the answer that I thought was obvious. How could it be that the pastors from the other countries could be so wrong about the parable?

It turns out that they were not. The Americans read verse 13 and see the Prodigal Son's personal responsibility for the consequences of his decision.

 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

The Russian pastors focused on verse 14 and emphasize the circumstances the young man found himself in because of the natural disaster.

 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

The Tanzanian pastors looked at verse 16 and what the implications were on the community's responsibility to help him.

 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

All are valid interpretations of the parable. This makes me wonder if we have a blind spot in our understanding of the scriptures because of our culture. How would we read and understand certain passages of scripture differently if we read them with a different perspective? Do we read additional meaning into certain passages that are not part of the original intent, or that distract from what the main intent of the Savior may have been?

This also made me wonder what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would look like if the restoration of the gospel had taken place in another country. The church is heavily influenced by western, protestant traditions. What would the church be like if it had been restored in Japan, India, Uganda, or Mexico?

Having the church meetings be uniform throughout the world also makes it very nice and comfortable for we Americans traveling abroad, but would adapting the church more to the local culture be of more benefit to the locals?

Source: The Great Courses: Customs of the World

Am I Forgiven?

How do I know if I have been forgiven of my sins?

 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.

 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

 44 And he 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.
(Luke 7:36-47)

If I am forgiven by God, I will love Him more.

  15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
(John 14:15)

If I love God more, I will try harder to keep His commandments.

So how do I tell if I have been forgiven by Him? If my love for him has increased, and if my desire to keep the commandments has increased.

Walk Fast or Walk Far

There is an African proverb:

If you want to walk fast walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk together!

 It is often easier and faster to do things on our own, at least initially. But there is safety, security, and success in working together with others.

Source: The Great Courses: Customs of the World

Remember That You Are Only a Mortal Man

In ancient Rome, when a military commander had achieved a great military victory, a celebration called a Triumph would be held. The commander would be dressed in royal robes and carried in a chariot through the streets of Rome accompanied by his army, and the captives and other spoils he had won in war. The Triumph was to celebrate the glory of Rome, its people, and the gods.

The Romans were very wary of any man thinking too much of himself with all this attention. They were afraid that he might start to think he should be a king or even start comparing himself to the gods. Because of this, a slave would travel in the chariot with the commander and constantly whisper in his ear, "Memento Mori," which can be translated as "Remember That You Are Only a Mortal Man."

This makes me think of the way the Holy Ghost tries to keep us grounded in reality by whispering in our hearts and minds. It helps us recognize right from wrong, tries to direct us towards good choices, and warns us when we might be venturing off the straight and narrow path.

The Romans started listening less and less to the slave's reminder and in time the triumphs became a way for the commanders to launch political careers. Instead of focusing the glory on the soldiers and the gods, it became a way for the commander to focus glory on himself and gain great wealth and political importance.

Rome began to fall from greatness when its citizens turned their backs on their traditions and values, and instead focused on themselves.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Prov 16:18

We would be wise to always listen to the still, small voice.

 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12

Source: Wikipedia

A House Divided

When the empire of ancient Rome grew to fill most of western Europe, its ability to secure and defend its own borders was stretched to the breaking point. There were various Celtic tribes to the west, various Germanic tribes to the north, and various Slavic tribes to the east.

Even with an enormous professional army, there was no way for Rome to keep out all these barbarians if the tribes united together. Fortunately for Rome, the individual tribes were constantly at war with each other and so they were never able to defeat the weakened defenses of the Roman Empire.

The Roman historian Tacitus records one instance of these inner-tribal conflicts:

The Chamavi and Angrivarii utterly exterminated the Bructeri, with the common help of the neighboring tribes, either from hatred of their tyranny, or from the attractions of plunder, or from heaven's favorable regard to us... I pray that there may long last among the nations, if not a love for us, at least a hatred for each other; for, while the destinies of empire hurry us on, fortune can bestow no greater boon than discord among our foes.

Each individual tribe was small and not very strong, but if they had united together they could have accomplished great things. Rome knew this and purposefully sowed discord among them. It knew that if it could keep them occupied with petty inter-tribal conflicts that they would never be able to present a united front against the empire.

I think Satan works on our families in a similar way. Families can be a great source of strength and support. But if the individuals in the family are making fun of others or belittling them, it weakens the entire family and its ability to help its members survive adversity.

Homes should be a place of refuge, safety, and love. If a family member does not feel those things when he or she is at home then the unity of that family has been weakened.

The Savior taught:

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mark 3:25

The Lord expects us to be united. We should support each other in our trials and struggles.

Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
D&C 81:5

If we are united as families then we can stand against great opposition. If we are divided, our houses will fall.

I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.
D&C 38:27

Source: Tacitus