Misery - Moses 7:28-41

7:28-36 - As the people of earth were slowly being taught the gospel, those who accepted it “were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.” The people who were left were wicked and it seems to be that it was most of them, whereas Satan laughed as he ensnared the people in sin and misery, “the God of heaven… wept.” It’s an interesting commentary on the difference between God and Satan, especially when it comes to us. When we are sad or hurt or scared, Satan loves it, he loves to see us miserable, but God is heartbroken by it, he just wants us to be happy so it’s fascinating that we still doubt His motives, myself included. Enoch is perplexed as to why God “canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” Enoch reminds God that his creations are more numerous that “the particles of the earth” and that he is ‘just; thou art merciful and kind forever.” God answers that he has created all the wicked people and all he wants from them is for them to love Him and each other, “but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood.” God knows what’s going to happen to them because of their wickedness “I send the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them.” He knows that misery is their constant state of being and that destruction and terror is coming for them. Satan knows that too, but whereas Satan wants that for the people, God only wants them to be happy. The IM quotes Elder Marion D. Hanks as teaching, “God, from whom all blessings come, asked of his children only that they should love each other and choose him, their Father. But as in our day, many neither sought the Lord nor had love for each other, and when God foresaw the suffering that would inevitably follow this self-willed, rebellious course of sin, he wept. That, he told Enoch, was what he had to cry about.” 7:37-38 - The people who are wicked will have all that misery as punishment, but God makes an interesting statement here saying, “But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers.” Even though these people were several hundred years separated from Adam, their wickedness was still a partial failing of their parents. It really makes you think, nature vs. nurture, and if the nature component of our decisions is so significant that even wicked people have their sins heaped on the heads of their parents, it almost makes you wonder just how much “free will” we actually have. I mean, of course we have our agency, and some of us can overcome a rough childhood enough to be functional members of society, but if so much else is a result of us using subconscious self-defense mechanisms or trying to sooth our homesick spirits, then what is it all really? This is why I have such a problem with people who think that rejecting the gospel in this life is the worst thing possible, or someone who is gay or transgender or whatever is the worst thing possible and kick them out of the house or cut off contact with them. Our lives are so hard here, so much of who we are and what we do is dictated by biology, hormones, trauma coping mechanisms, and just trying to survive that how dare anyone else make our lives worse by being mean or hateful. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for so many people to be rejected by family at a time when they need them the most, and have that family still claim to be God fearing. Actually I know exactly what that’s like, so… Every one of us is at our own point on our own path, what we need from each other is love, respect, kindness, and compassion for the struggles that we face. Interestingly, the sins will be upon the heads of their fathers and also Satan shall be the father of the wicked. Like God is the Father of all and the righteous who choose Him will have peace and happiness, those who choose to not follow God “misery shall be their doom.” I think an important distinction here is that this misery isn’t God’s punishment on them, but instead is the natural state of being for those who leave God’s influence. So much of the perceived “punishment” isn’t God dishing out negative things because we deserve it, but instead allows us to experience the natural consequences of our choices, and really isn’t the suffering of others, regardless of the reason, enough to cause anyone with the love of God in their hearts to weep? Those who refuse to repent will be shut up in “a prison have I prepared for them.” The footnotes cross reference the word “prison” to mean spirit prison, and also 1 Peter 3:18-21 which is Peter describing what Jesus did in between the time that he died and when he was resurrected. Peter specifically notes the people who were wicked before the flood as being particular targets of the Savior’s efforts when “he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” We know from D&C 138 that Jesus himself didn’t go teach those in spirit prison, but instead organized the righteous dead into missionary forces to do the preaching themselves. 7:39-41 – The wicked will go to a spirit prison, but “that which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins.” This makes an interesting perception shift about the atonement. All this time I’ve thought that the atonement was performed by Jesus because Heavenly Father asked him to, which kind of gives him a passive, submissive role in the whole thing. But this statement here shows that instead of just agreeing to whatever plan God had, Jesus actively asked to be allowed to perform the atonement. This really gives a depth to the Savior’s love for each one of us, from “yeah sure I’ll do it,” to “please let me do it, I need to have them in my life.” Not only does God weep for the wicked but “all the workmanship of mine hands,” we are all devastated when people are suffering. God then proceeds to show Enoch “all the doings of the children of men,” and he saw all “their wickedness, and their misery,” and Enoch “wept” to severely that “all eternity shook.” Sometimes I’ve felt like that, where I’m so sad or overwhelmed that the emotion just consumes to the point that I feel like it’s the whole universe that is shaking with me.