D&C 101:35-66
101:35-38 - These verses were made just for me to read today. I've been kind of down a little bit about stuff and I really feel like the Lord is telling me these things. It's interesting because one of the lessons that I've learned, and have even heard Ensign articles talk about this, that the believers are asked to endure harder and longer than the unbelievers. It's like Moroni and Coriantumr. Moroni lived alone wandering for decades, whereas I don't think Coriantumr wandered that long, I'm trying to remember the math that I did or that I read somewhere but I don't think it was nearly that long. I think one of the difficulties for me is that I feel like I bear a crushing responsibility of my family and that if I would just date and marry outside of the Church that I could probably be married again by now and not have to make all my decisions alone, or pay all the bills alone, or that someone would care about how my day was, or things like that. But because I will not marry outside of the Church, that means that I'm probably going to be single for the rest of my life. These verses along with something else that I found while trying to find just how long Moroni was alone for brought me insight and comfort. The article entitled "Moroni" by W. Cole Durham, Jr. says "Moroni chose to suffer isolation from the world rather than alienation from God. But Moroni knew that men become truly isolated only to the degree that they hardened themselves against the promptings of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit obliterate the sense of loneliness, because 'all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ,' and he who walks with Christ is not alone. As one contrasts the condition of Moroni with the fierce society of his Lamanite brethren, one begins to wonder which is the true victim of separation. What greater loneliness can there be than isolation from God? And what greater consolation can there be than that expressed by Moroni when he said, 'I have seen Jesus, and... he hath talked with me face to face'?" The Lord says "And all they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory." For me personally, laying down my life for Christ's sake doesn't necessarily mean dying for him, because honestly I'll probably never have to do that, it means that instead of seeking my own satisfaction or doing what I think will make me happy, I do what he commands, trusting that it is for my eternal happiness. I feel like it's laying down the natural man at the feet of the Savior as an offering. Verse 36 really hit home to me, "Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full." Statistically, I recognize that I will probably never remarry in this life, and I felt like this was the Savior's way of telling me "even if you never get married again, you will have that joy in the next life," which is what the prophets teach, that no blessing will be denied to those who are worthy. That was really comforting, just like the article said that Moroni knew he didn't have to be lonely if he kept the Spirit with him, Christ is telling us that we can have joy through him, regardless of our circumstances. The Lord continues, "Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." Again, I felt like this was just for me, and the message I got was that I am to spend my time becoming a better person, growing spiritually, not necessarily worrying about problems that come from this life. Because honestly, the Lord provides for my needs, temporally, I have a great job, I'm very very blessed, and I don't make my decisions alone, I make them with the input of the Lord, and Jesus cares how my day was, if I would just tell him instead of briefly praying then falling into bed. So I guess the lesson is, if I feel like no one cares about me, or listens to me, then that's my fault for not telling the Lord as he sits patiently and waits for me to tell him everything. The IM comments on these verses saying, "The Lord urged the Saints in these verses to place more attention on eternal life than on the pursuits of mortal life. He indicates that those who had list their lives in Jackson County (there were some), and those who would do so in future persecutions (six thousand lost their lives while crossing the plains to Utah) need not fear. Those who are faithful have the hope of a glorious resurrection and the blessings of eternal life with God. President Heber C. Kimball said: 'Have I not told you often that the the separation of body and spirit makes no difference in the moral and intellectual condition of the spirit? When a person, who has always been good and faithful to his God, lays down his body in the dust, his spirit will remain the same in the spirit world. It is not the body that has control over the spirit, as to its disposition, but it is the spirit that controls the body. When the spirit leaves the body the body becomes lifeless. The spirit has not changed one single particle of itself by leaving the body.'" This is why it's so vitally important that we refine who we are as people, being single doesn't have to be a black hole of waiting to find someone to marry, it's learning to shine as bright as the sun, and what does the sun have? Planets that orbit it.
101:39-42 - The Lord continues by comparing those who "are called unto mine everlasting gospel" to "the salt of the earth and the savor of men." This is a very common phrase used in the scriptures and I feel like the importance of the meaning is lost on us today because salt isn't the life or death element that it has been for pretty much the rest of human history. We've discussed this before but the IM gives really good insight that I haven't seen before by quoting Elder Carols E. Asay as teaching, "When the Lord used the expression 'savor or men,' he was speaking of those who represent him. He was referring to those who have repented, who have been washed clean in the waters of baptism, and who have covenanted to take upon them his name and his cause. Moreover, he was speaking of those who would share by covenant his priesthood power. He was speaking of you and me. A world-renowned chemist told me that salt will not lose its savor with age. Savor is lost through mixture and contamination. Similarly, priesthood power does not dissipate with age; it, too, is lost through mixture and contamination. When a young man or older man mixes his thoughts with pornographic literature, he suffers a loss of savor. When a priesthood bearer mixes his speech with lies or profanity, he suffers a loss of savor. When one of us follows the crowd and becomes involved in immoral acts and the use of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and other injurious substances, he loses savor. Flavor and quality flee a man when he contaminates his mind with unclean thoughts, desecrates his mouth by speaking less than the truth, and misapplies his strength when performing evil acts. King Benjamin cautioned, 'Watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God.' I would offer these simple guidelines, especially to the young men, as the means to preserve one's savor: If it is not clean, do not think it; if it is not true, do not speak it; if it is not good, do not do it.'"
101:43-66 - The Lord demonstrates the importance of chastening his people and the ultimate redemption of Zion, by giving a parable, encompassing verses 43 to 66, that I'm going to paraphrase. A nobleman commanded his servants to plant twelve olive trees, set a guard around the trees, build a tower and put a guard on the tower. The servants planted the trees, built a hedge around them, and placed a guard, but when it came time to build the tower, the debated among themselves whether or not it was really needed because they were in a time of peace, "and while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord."While the were deciding if they should really build it tower, the nobleman's enemy came and broke the hedges and the olive trees, and the servants ran away. Just to stop and point out here that for most of human history, disobedience was punishable by death, especially if it resulted in the loss of goods. Let's watch this nobleman's reaction to his servants when he was at liberty to have them executed. He rebukes the servants, teaches them, then commands them to do what he told them to do in the beginning, he gives them a second chance, he is merciful to them, he tells them to rebuild the vineyard and to go and destroy the vineyard of his enemies. He gives them a "seal and blessing" to do what he commanded them, and they go and do it, and soon all is made right. I thought that this parable spoke directly to our human nature because how often do we not do as we are commanded? How often do we think we know more than the Lord and ignore what he tells us? How often are we so very wrong and our failure to keep the commandments results in damage that we can not fix? How often are we worthy of spiritual death through our disobedience? How often is the Savior merciful to us? How often are we given a second or third or millionth chance? And how often was Jesus right along and all is made right when we are obedient? The IM teaches, "It would seem that the parable is to be interpreted in this way: the nobleman is the Lord, whose choice land in His vineyard is Zion in Missouri. The places where the Saints live in Zion are the olive trees. The servants are the Latter-day Saint settlers, and the watchmen are their officers in the Church. While yet building in Zion, they become at variance with each other and do not build the tower or Temple whose site had been dedicated as early as August 3, 1831. Had they built it as directed, it would have been a spiritual refuge for them, for from it the Lord's watchmen could have seen by revelation the movements of the enemy from afar. This foreknowledge would have saved them and their hard work when the enemy made his assault. But the Saints in Missouri were slothful, lax, and asleep. The enemy came, and the Missouri persecutions were the result. The Lord's people were scattered and much of their labors wasted. The Almighty rebuked His people, as we have already seen, but He commanded one of His servants, Joseph Smith to gather the 'strength of Mine house' and rescue His lands and possessions gathered against them. Subsequently, the Prophet and his brethren in the famous Zion's Camp did go to Missouri in 1834 in an attempt to carry out the terms of the parable. Before they went, additional revelation was received concerning the redemption of Zion. The brethren were instructed to try to buy land in Missouri, not to use force; and if the enemy came against them, they were to bring a curse upon them. Zion was not redeemed at that time but we may look for it in the not-too-distance future... It will be redeemed when the Lord wills it.' Though Joseph Smith followed the Lord's instructions to gather together the 'strength of my house' by organizing Zion's Camp to redeem Zion, the Lord's purpose in sending them and His will concerning the redemption of Zion were not fully understood by His people. The redemption of Zion did not take place at that time. When the servant in the parable asked when the land would be possessed, the Lord responded, 'When I will.' The parable further states that all things will be fulfilled 'after many days,' which indicates that a long period of time would pass before Zion would be redeemed. The redemption of Zion still had not taken place even after the Saints had been expelled from Missouri and from Nauvoo. The Lord then told Brigham Young that 'Zion shall be redeemed in mine own due time.' The redemption of Zion (meaning, the city of New Jerusalem in Missouri) is still future, although it is much closer not than it was when the Saints first sought to regain their inheritance there."
101:39-42 - The Lord continues by comparing those who "are called unto mine everlasting gospel" to "the salt of the earth and the savor of men." This is a very common phrase used in the scriptures and I feel like the importance of the meaning is lost on us today because salt isn't the life or death element that it has been for pretty much the rest of human history. We've discussed this before but the IM gives really good insight that I haven't seen before by quoting Elder Carols E. Asay as teaching, "When the Lord used the expression 'savor or men,' he was speaking of those who represent him. He was referring to those who have repented, who have been washed clean in the waters of baptism, and who have covenanted to take upon them his name and his cause. Moreover, he was speaking of those who would share by covenant his priesthood power. He was speaking of you and me. A world-renowned chemist told me that salt will not lose its savor with age. Savor is lost through mixture and contamination. Similarly, priesthood power does not dissipate with age; it, too, is lost through mixture and contamination. When a young man or older man mixes his thoughts with pornographic literature, he suffers a loss of savor. When a priesthood bearer mixes his speech with lies or profanity, he suffers a loss of savor. When one of us follows the crowd and becomes involved in immoral acts and the use of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and other injurious substances, he loses savor. Flavor and quality flee a man when he contaminates his mind with unclean thoughts, desecrates his mouth by speaking less than the truth, and misapplies his strength when performing evil acts. King Benjamin cautioned, 'Watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God.' I would offer these simple guidelines, especially to the young men, as the means to preserve one's savor: If it is not clean, do not think it; if it is not true, do not speak it; if it is not good, do not do it.'"
101:43-66 - The Lord demonstrates the importance of chastening his people and the ultimate redemption of Zion, by giving a parable, encompassing verses 43 to 66, that I'm going to paraphrase. A nobleman commanded his servants to plant twelve olive trees, set a guard around the trees, build a tower and put a guard on the tower. The servants planted the trees, built a hedge around them, and placed a guard, but when it came time to build the tower, the debated among themselves whether or not it was really needed because they were in a time of peace, "and while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord."While the were deciding if they should really build it tower, the nobleman's enemy came and broke the hedges and the olive trees, and the servants ran away. Just to stop and point out here that for most of human history, disobedience was punishable by death, especially if it resulted in the loss of goods. Let's watch this nobleman's reaction to his servants when he was at liberty to have them executed. He rebukes the servants, teaches them, then commands them to do what he told them to do in the beginning, he gives them a second chance, he is merciful to them, he tells them to rebuild the vineyard and to go and destroy the vineyard of his enemies. He gives them a "seal and blessing" to do what he commanded them, and they go and do it, and soon all is made right. I thought that this parable spoke directly to our human nature because how often do we not do as we are commanded? How often do we think we know more than the Lord and ignore what he tells us? How often are we so very wrong and our failure to keep the commandments results in damage that we can not fix? How often are we worthy of spiritual death through our disobedience? How often is the Savior merciful to us? How often are we given a second or third or millionth chance? And how often was Jesus right along and all is made right when we are obedient? The IM teaches, "It would seem that the parable is to be interpreted in this way: the nobleman is the Lord, whose choice land in His vineyard is Zion in Missouri. The places where the Saints live in Zion are the olive trees. The servants are the Latter-day Saint settlers, and the watchmen are their officers in the Church. While yet building in Zion, they become at variance with each other and do not build the tower or Temple whose site had been dedicated as early as August 3, 1831. Had they built it as directed, it would have been a spiritual refuge for them, for from it the Lord's watchmen could have seen by revelation the movements of the enemy from afar. This foreknowledge would have saved them and their hard work when the enemy made his assault. But the Saints in Missouri were slothful, lax, and asleep. The enemy came, and the Missouri persecutions were the result. The Lord's people were scattered and much of their labors wasted. The Almighty rebuked His people, as we have already seen, but He commanded one of His servants, Joseph Smith to gather the 'strength of Mine house' and rescue His lands and possessions gathered against them. Subsequently, the Prophet and his brethren in the famous Zion's Camp did go to Missouri in 1834 in an attempt to carry out the terms of the parable. Before they went, additional revelation was received concerning the redemption of Zion. The brethren were instructed to try to buy land in Missouri, not to use force; and if the enemy came against them, they were to bring a curse upon them. Zion was not redeemed at that time but we may look for it in the not-too-distance future... It will be redeemed when the Lord wills it.' Though Joseph Smith followed the Lord's instructions to gather together the 'strength of my house' by organizing Zion's Camp to redeem Zion, the Lord's purpose in sending them and His will concerning the redemption of Zion were not fully understood by His people. The redemption of Zion did not take place at that time. When the servant in the parable asked when the land would be possessed, the Lord responded, 'When I will.' The parable further states that all things will be fulfilled 'after many days,' which indicates that a long period of time would pass before Zion would be redeemed. The redemption of Zion still had not taken place even after the Saints had been expelled from Missouri and from Nauvoo. The Lord then told Brigham Young that 'Zion shall be redeemed in mine own due time.' The redemption of Zion (meaning, the city of New Jerusalem in Missouri) is still future, although it is much closer not than it was when the Saints first sought to regain their inheritance there."
Comments
Post a Comment