Blood, Water, and Spirit - Moses 6:55-60

6:55 - This concept of “original sin” has played a large part in the doctrine of many organized Christian religions, some of which have taken it to mean because of Adam’s sin and subsequent fall that all mankind is doomed. Another meaning is supported by certain interpretations of the following verse where God says to Adam, “thy children are conceived in sin.” Many have taken this to mean that sex is wrong or evil, some take it to mean sex is only for reproduction, and some take it to mean that babies are born sinful and must be baptized immediately to be saved. This last bit has caused a lot of heartache for many people who have had babies die before they had been able to get them baptized. It would seem like the more logical explanation for this statement comes from the IM which quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as saying, “the phrase ‘conceived in sin’ means ‘born into a world of sin.’” In the Lord’s statement to Adam he notes that these children conceived in sin “begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter.” Sounds pretty bleak, children are born into a world of sin which influences them to commit sin, which brings negativity in to their lives. But God explains that the bitter is so “that they may know to prize the good.” I’ve always struggled with this statement because there is no point in my life that has ever been so good that makes the bad worth it. When considering the extremes I’ve felt because of positive and negative events in my life, the highest high I’ve ever had hasn’t even come close to the lowest low. This has always lead me to feel that I’d rather have no good and no bad instead of extremes of each. Another reason I have a problem with this statement is because it just seems like such a flippant response to someone’s suffering. “Oh you’ve dealt with unspeakable trauma… well it’s just so that you will know to appreciate the good in life!” I would punch someone if that was ever their response to me. But I know that Jesus doesn’t take our trauma lightly, so I believe that there is another purpose behind the “bitter” parts of life, and that it will be accounted for in the next life, or in this life. Someone told me recently “life it to be enjoyed, not just endured!” She had a point, even though I wanted to point out to her that we had completely different life circumstances, but that’s ok, she was right. 6:56-60 - Not only are we to experience the bitter and the good, we are also able “to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves.” It’s interesting to me that A&E always had the ability to choose for themselves, but weren’t able to until they had the “knowing good from evil” component. God commands Adam to “teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence.” The process of repentance is explained in a metaphorical way which is pretty abstract but also makes some interesting points. God basically says that just like we were all “born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit… even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, or water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten.” The IM quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as noting, “Two births are essential to salvation. Man cannot be saved without birth into mortality, nor can he return to his heavenly home without a birth into the realm of the Spirit.” He continues “In every mortal birth the child is immersed in water in the mother’s womb. At the appointed time the spirit enters the body, and blood always flows in the veins of the new person… IN every birth into the kingdom of heaven, the newborn babe in Christ is immersed in water, he receives the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and the blood of Christ cleanses him from all sin.” It’s a really interesting way to link together our spirit with our bodies and notes the significance that upon being baptized we truly start a new life. God ties up the analogy by explaining, “For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.” The waters probably means the waters of baptism, which is a commandment, and it’s not a very hard one either. If we consider all the benefits we get out of accepting the gospel, being dunked in water for less than one second is almost the easiest way that we can do it. But the statement that the “Spirit” is what justifies us is a little bit more abstract for me. The IM explains, “To be justified is to be made just, or free from guilt and sin. The Holy Ghost is the member of the Godhead whose power acts as a cleansing agent that removes guilt and sin from our lives. President Joseph Fielding Smith said: ‘Through the shedding of the blood of Christ, we are cleansed and sanctified; and we are justified, through the Spirit of God.’” One of the ways that I’m taking this is that we are cleansed through the atonement, which is what gives us the option to be saved, but in order to actually become the kind of person who wants to be saved, that comes through the Spirit. Without the atonement, the ability to repent and be saved wouldn’t even be available to us, but just because we have the option doesn’t mean that we will take it, there is a process that changes who we are either naturally or because of our choices and transforms us into someone who is worthy of being in the presence of God.