Jesus's Brother - Jude

1:1-3 - Maybe it’s because Jude is the brother of James and so also the half-brother of Jesus that I thought Jude’s letter as recorded here would be along the same lines as James and John, like peace, love, and obedience and all that. What I found instead is that Jude’s letter is like if someone took a random chapter out of Harry Potter and expected you to come away with the storyline after you are done reading. Some of the stuff in here, I was like, “wait, what?” He starts by introducing himself as “the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” He doesn’t say, “I’m Jesus’ brother,” probably for the same reasons that James didn’t, but it’s interesting because he talks about Jesus like he’s this foreign, holy guy that no one knows, when in fact, he grew up in the same household with Him, and might know him more personally than almost anyone else. Jude wishes mercy, peace, and love “be multiplied.” Jude says that his purpose in writing is to “exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith.” I don’t know exactly what that looks like either anciently or today, because clearly it doesn’t mean resorting to violence, which “contend” would imply. Maybe another synonym could be “advocate for,” like “advocate for your faith.” This could look like keeping the Sabbath day holy and then explaining why to people who ask. It could be vocally declining activities that are contrary to the laws of God. I remember once I was waiting for my kids at school and a girl I knew told a really raunchy joke and while everyone laughed I said, “ew.” After she didn’t get the reaction she expected out of me, she called me a diaper baby and went on for a couple of minutes about how I’m a diaper baby. I honestly didn’t care even at all, but my kids remember it to this day and I’m hoping that it serves as an example to them when someone is pressuring them to do something that they don’t want to do. It might look like sharing the gospel in your own way whenever the opportunity presents itself or befriending someone who feels less than. I would say that it probably just means unapologetically living a Christ-like life complete with the Spirit guiding your way. 1:4-8 - The reason why passion is required for Jude’s readers is because “certain men crept in unawares… ungodly men.” There’s an interesting statement made by Jude about these guys saying that “who were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” It just seems so all over the place to me because he’s saying, “there are apostates trying to lead you stray, so remember the time when God save the people out of Egypt, then killed the unbelievers because there were premortal spirits who didn’t keep their first estate.” Honestly, I can’t follow what he’s trying to say here. The IM gives some insight, saying, “Jude acknowledged the ongoing apostasy in the ancient Church as he described ungodly men who entered the ranks of the Church without the awareness of the members and then taught false doctrines. Jude compared these rebellious individuals to people in Old Testament times who were destroyed for their disobedience- the Israelites who were led out of Egypt and later failed to forsake their sins, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude also gave the example of the angels in the premortal world who chose to rebel against God and follow Satan. Jude used these examples to put his readers ‘in remembrance’ of what awaits those who rebel against proper authority and fail to repent.” That’s lengthy, but a good explanation of what Jude is trying to teach, even though I am not used to his particular writing style. 1:9-10 - Here’s another curve ball out of left field, Jude says, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” What? The IM quotes Bruce R. McConkie as noting that it has been assumed by scriptorians that Jude was referencing “from a then current apocryphal book, ‘The Assumption of Moses,’ which has been preserved to us in fragmentary form only.” This book said that Moses “with his disappearance in a cloud, so that his death was hid from human sight… Michael was commissioned to bury Moses. Satan opposed the burial… Finally, all opposition having been overcome, the assumption took place in the presence of Joshua and Caleb.” Next, the IM makes a point that makes perfect sense but I had never considered before saying, “From the Book of Mormon we learn that Moses was translated and taken into heaven without tasting death. This was necessary so that Moses could appear on the Mount of Transfiguration two thousand years later with his physical body and law his hands on the heads of Peter, James, and John to give them priesthood keys.” I have often wondered why some people were translated and some were not. I wondered if it was a matter of righteousness or personal preference, I don’t know, but it would make sense that translation probably has more to do with future missions that require a physical body but death would occur during a period of time that was inconsistent with the possibility of resurrection, such as with Moses, Elijah, etc. Or when the physical body needed to be refined so that it could withstand the decay of the fallen world and last indefinitely, such as with John and the three Nephites. 1:11-13 - These wicked men who use snuck into the church “unawares” “have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” These types of men teach without a foundation, they are like “clouds… without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth,… raging waves of the sea, foaming out of their shame; wandering starts.” Instead of being built on the foundation of the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ, they will teach or say or do anything that gives them more money, wealth, or power. There’s no integrity, there’s no honor, there’s no respect for others, there’s no hope or joy, only greed and scheming. The IM comments, “Cain murdered his brother Abel in order to gain his brother’s flocks. Balaam used his God-given gift of prophecy to seek after riches and honor. And Korah rebelled against Moses because he was excluded from priesthood office. In each instance the Lord cursed these men for their wicked actions. Jude’s epistle would have helped his readers discern evil people of his day. His epistle can help us avoid similar apostate teachings in our own time.” I guess we could use these examples to evaluate our own church leaders or other members who try to teach things. I don’t think that anyone is above our own “review,” meaning that anything anyone tells us must be passed through our own filter to know for ourselves what’s true and what’s not. I think it’s an excellent check and balance system. 1:14-19 - Jude talks about another non-canon account of scripture, that of Enoch, “the seventh from Adam” who prophesied of these conmen. These men “are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts.” But Jude reminds his readers that they can remember the scriptures “that they have told you there should be mockers in the last times, who should walk after their own godly lusts… having not the Spirit.” I didn’t know that Enoch didn’t have his own scripture, I just kind of made it seem like I did. But actually the IM says, “Jude alone recorded a prophecy of Enoch about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ… The book of Moses, however, confirms that Enoch was given knowledge of the last days and of the Savior’s Second Coming. On one occasion, the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote that Enoch appeared to Jude.” Another point made by the IM concerning those “Mockers in the Last Days,” says, “Those who most aggressively mock the Church and its standards are those who ‘walk after their own ungodly lusts’ and who ‘separate themselves’ from the believers because they do not have the Spirit.” This is a fairly benign way to say it and I appreciate the gentleness of that statement because I know a lot of people who have left the church and now make fun of it, or treat it as unimportant, or speak ill of it, and I still love them. People leave the church or reject the gospel for many different reasons and I see their actions as defense mechanisms or ways to get back at an institution that has wronged them. I get why they say stuff like that and my feelings aren’t hurt, so I appreciate the lack of fire and brimstone here because ultimately, they will have the opportunity to accept or reject the gospel at some point when their eyes have been opened to the truth. 1:20-25 – Even with all these people around trying to lead them/us astray and take advantage of us, Jude gives us some ways to discern someone’s intentions. He urges “ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God… and of some have compassion, making a difference.” The ultimate way to know what’s truth and what’s error is to stay close to the Spirit, and He can and will let us know. Finally, Jude concludes by ending, “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.”