Some Notes on Truth, Part I

I have been banished from Gospel Doctrine class and sentenced to an indeterminate time in Primary, so I've kind of lost some of my fire for the blog.  My apologies.   I'll work to resurrect it, however, and will begin the process by posting some notes and thoughts on some specific doctrines.  So, here's Part I:

1. What is the scriptural definition of truth?
1. D&C 93:24-25; Jacob 4:13

D&C 93:24-25

24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;

25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.

Jacob 4:13

“…the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.”

2. John 8:31-36 (note especially verses 32 and 36); John 14:6

John 8:31-36

31 ¶ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;

 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever.

 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 14:6

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

a. )  In a fashion very typical of God’s communications with His children, the response here is both extremely simple, yet full of deeper meaning.  Truth is defined most simply as “knowledge.”  Of course the content of that knowledge is essential—knowledge of things as they really are, were and are to come.  Still, even with the added information, the definition of truth is broad and open to exploration by any who wish to do so.

b.)  The Savior provided a definition of truth that bears close scrutiny.  On its face, truth is identified as that knowledge which will liberate those disciples who “continue in my word.”  When questioned about the need for liberation, He taught that truth will free the disciple from the bondage of sin. 

Finally, He identifies Himself as that liberating truth, which hearkens to his declaration in John 14:6 that “[He is] the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6 emphasis added.)  This declaration is made in the context of His teachings regarding the “many mansions” in Heaven prepared for the faithful and in answer to Thomas’ request that Jesus show him the way.

Moreover, the Savior assured in the above-cited verses that “If ye continue in my word,” then “…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  This seems to indicate that as we focus our attention upon His teachings, we will come to know Him, and He shall make us free. 

Such a line of thought draws my attention to the initial declaration of John that:   “In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.”  (JST John  1:1 emphasis added.)

Replacing words as above-defined, then we can read the scripture in John 8 as, “if ye continue in my [gospel], then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know [the Savior] and [the Savior] shall make you free.”

Jacob’s teaching, therefore, that “the Spirit speaketh the truth,” is consistent with this view for we know that one of the missions of the Holy Ghost is to bear record of the Father and the Son. (D&C 20:27; Moses 1:24; 5:9; 6:66; 7:11)

I should also point out that Jesus’ declaration that he is the way the truth and the life was followed by the teaching that He leads us to the Father and that anyone who has seen Him, has seen the Father.  (John 14:9)

But what do Jacob’s teachings and those put forth in the Doctrine and Covenants teach us about the nature of truth and in essence, the nature of the Savior who embodies truth?  Between the two scriptures as cited, we learn that truth is the knowledge of reality in the three great time zones of the past, present and future (to paraphrase Elder Neal A. Maxwell).  Therefore, if we come to know the truth, or the Savior, we come to know that which comprehends the past, present and future as the Savior certainly does.   Moreover, we can come to know and understand Him and his roles in those “time zones.”  With this increasing knowledge comes increasing appreciation for who and what He is and what He has done for us.

By coming to know Him, we come also to know those great realities ourselves in similar ways, to our own salvation.  For, as was pointed out by Joseph Smith, there is a binding link between knowing God and fully knowing ourselves.  Likewise, we can access that precious perspective within the bounds of divine will, as needed for direction and guidance.

Whether we view truth as it is embodied by the Savior, or view other realities through the perspective of that vital “lens,” it is made manifest to us by the Holy Ghost and that Spirit will be present whenever truth is presented unto us, or whenever it is being presented to others by us (see D&C 50:17-23).

The Tale of Two Davids

Today's lesson concentrated on David's adulterous fall and some of the consequences of that depressing chapter of his life.  There are numerous ways to examine and derive lessons from this episode and I can't begin to cover them all.  However, there were some thoughts that came up today in our discussion of this lesson that I think are worth sharing.

The first is the parallel that I see between David's capture of the impregnable fortress of Jerusalem and his own fall.  When his armies first approached the walled fortress, they were taunted that even the blind and lame could successfully defend the city.  However, the armies of David found a way into the heart of the city through a shaft of their water system and conquered the city, essentially, from within.

Later, ironically, the adversary found a path to David's heart when the conditions were right and succeeded in bringing about the fall of one who appeared a walking fortress of righteousness!  By seemingly small initial inroads into his heart, David was brought rapidly to a conclusion of deceit and murder--something previously unthinkable to one who had repeatedly spared the life of Saul when it was "in his hands."

Equally ironic is David's early regard for the women in his life, including his rescue of Abigail and __ from certain horrific harm and his later disregard for Bathsheba's virtue and the resultant suffering of all those women who relied on him for protection and safety.

But the most bitter irony I can now see in this tale is that between the young man who stood face to face with a ten-foot tall giant--armed with the finest equipment, having the best combat training and perhaps having the most formidable collection of combat experiences in the known world at the time--armed only with a sling and some stones with which he slew the giant and his later cowardly murder of Uriah, a faithful servant and soldier.

As is so often the case in our time, the sin of adultery led to the next logical sin in the continuum, murder.  Surely, no one in their right mind would do such a thing, but once we willingly step into the power of the adversary, we are certainly no longer in our "right mind!"  And the two sins are most definitely linked!

Jeffrey R. Holland, then President of Brigham Young University, had this profound insight in an devotional address:

Setting aside sins against the Holy Ghost for a moment as a special category unto themselves, it is LDS doctrine that sexual transgression is second only to murder in the Lord's list of life's most serious sins. By assigning such rank to a physical appetite so conspicuously evident in all of us, what is God trying to tell us about its place in his plan for all men and women in mortality? I submit to you he is doing precisely that--commenting about the very plan of life itself. Clearly God's greatest concerns regarding mortality are how one gets into this world and how one gets out of it. These two most important issues in our very personal and carefully supervised progress are the two issues that he as our Creator and Father and Guide wishes most to reserve to himself. These are the two matters that he has repeatedly told us he wants us never to take illegally, illicitly, unfaithfully, without sanction.

As for the taking of life, we are generally quite responsible. Most people, it seems to me, readily sense the sanctity of life and as a rule do not run up to friends, put a loaded revolver to their heads, and cavalierly pull the trigger. Furthermore, when there is a click of the hammer rather than an explosion of lead, and a possible tragedy seems to have been averted, no one in such a circumstance would be so stupid as to sigh, "Oh, good. I didn't go all the way."

No, "all the way" or not, the insanity of such action with fatal powder and steel is obvious on the face of it. Such a person running about this campus with an arsenal of loaded handguns or military weaponry aimed at fellow students would be apprehended, prosecuted, and institutionalized if in fact such a lunatic would not himself have been killed in all the pandemonium. After such a fictitious moment of horror on this campus (and you are too young to remember my college years when the sniper wasn't fictitious, killing twelve of his fellow students at the University of Texas), we would undoubtedly sit in our dorms or classrooms with terror on our minds for many months to come, wondering how such a thing could possibly happen--especially here at BYU.

No, fortunately, in the case of how life is taken, I think we seem to be quite responsible. The seriousness of that does not often have to be spelled out, and not many sermons need to be devoted to it.

But in the significance and sanctity of giving life, some of us are not so responsible, and in the larger world swirling around us we find near criminal irresponsibility. What would in the case of taking life bring absolute horror and demand grim justice, in the case of giving life brings dirty jokes and four-letter lyrics and crass carnality on the silver screen, home-owned or downtown.

Is such moral turpitude so wrong? That question has always been asked, usually by the guilty. "Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness" (Proverbs 30:20). No murder here. Well, maybe not. But sexual transgression? "He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul." Sounds near fatal to me.

(Jeffrey R. Holland, Of Souls, Symbols and Sacraments, BYU Devotional Address delivered January 12, 1988.)

While most are able to behave responsibly with the taking of life, there are those-- very many of those-- who, under the power of the same evil spirit that leads them to adultery, are lead to attempt to either cover their sins or to make them convenient by committing murder.

Examine, if you will, the steps David followed as he was being "[lead] carefully down to hell." (2 Nephi 28:21.)

1. He was up on his roof.  David had a "house of cedar" that was surely one fit for his kingly stature and one that would certainly inspire a great deal of pride in his life's accomplishments--which lead him to such a situation where he could survey his newly captured capital city from his roof top.  Pride must have been difficult to resist in such circumstances and, indeed, was an element in the fall of Alma's son, Corianton: 
   "Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.
   
   
   

   "And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel."  (Alma 39:2-3.)
   But being on the roof--even being proud of his accomplishments was not the demise of David.
2. He looked where he should not have looked.  He had a vantage point to look into what should have been the private chambers of Bathsheba, who was apparently being obedient and faithful to the requirements of the law of Moses and there is no indication that she was in any way seeking to be unfaithful to her husband, Uriah, who was away at war. (Where David likely should have been as well!)
3. Upon seeing Bathsheba bathing, he failed to respect her privacy and her honor and virtue by looking away immediately.  He noted her appearance and volunteered to lust after her.
4. He sent his servants to retrieve her.  This would surely have several effects--none of them righteous.  He perhaps hoped to impress her with his power and command over the kingdom--maybe even to imply that he could compel her if necessary.  It was certainly meant to save him the embarrassment of being seen calling on a married woman himself.  Perhaps he hoped to cloak his intentions in the appearance of some "official business" through the gesture.  Still, no mortal sin has been committed--recovery is still possible for David.
5.   Finally, the sin is completed.  He commits adultery with Bathsheba, surrenders his will to the adversary and descends into darkness.  Nevertheless, he could still repent of even this evil. 
6. He is notified that Bathsheba is "with child."  Surely he would have known this was likely.  He watched her ritually bathing indicating the completion of her monthly cycle that would mean pregnancy was likely to occur with his cowardly act.  Yet again, he is still in a position to tell the truth, apologize to those he has harmed and offer his support in caring for the life he has carelessly begun (and forfeited through his later actions).
7.  He becomes desperate to conceal his sins.  This brings to mind a relevant warning in our time from the Lord:  "...when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man."  (D&C 121:37.)  I personally believe that this was a true turning point.  I feel it very likely that it was when his determination became concealment of his crime, he was planting his feet firmly in the territory of the evil one and his desperation grew as faithful and devoted Uriah's refusal to compromise his own integrity drove David into his final act of desperate cowardice.  He sends Uriah back to the battlefield with the orders for his own demise in his hands!

The boy who stood face to face against a giant and slew him through his faith in the God of Israel and brought salvation to the armies of Israel through that act of courage, faith and devotion to duty has now slain a faithful and loyal servant, soldier, husband and friend--not by facing him with honor on the field of battle--but by an act of cowardice, refusing to face him at all.  Moreover, the act was carried out in defiance of his duty to God and his people (especially Bathsheba), again in abject cowardice and he involved innocent members of Israel's army in his murder scheme--leaving it to them to abandon one of their own to destruction and making them a party to his own cowardice!

To his credit, he realized his sin, but it was too late and his repentance over the remainder of his life insufficient to fully redeem him and his family.  The illegitimate child he conceived with Bathsheba died and the rest of his family lived out lives of deceit, intrigue, murder, sexual impurity and brutality in mortality and in the eternities, were "[given] to another." (D&C 132:29.)

David lamentably learned and expressed in his Psalm:  "Behold, [the Lord] desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part [he shall] make me to know wisdom." (Psalm 51:6.)  It is truly in our hearts that the most important battles rage, unseen by human eyes.  But the effects can last for eternity.

King Benjamin's words seem fitting as closing counsel:

"And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

"But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."  (Mosiah 4:29-30.)

Ruth

Ruth is situated in the Old Testament between the books of Judges and 1 Samuel, though the story takes place during the time of the Judges--a time of cyclical apostasy for the children of Israel.  Bruce Satterfield pointed out that, "By placing the story of Ruth before the books of 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings, the reader is given a foreshadow of Israel's scattering and gathering. Further, a testimony of the redemptive role of Jesus Christ is given in a remarkable way. When understood this way, the Book of Ruth becomes more than lovely story. Indeed, it capsulizes the message of the scriptures!" (Satterfield, 2010.)

Proceeding with the assumption that everything the Lord has preserved for us in the scriptures has been done for a reason and that the "types and shadows" are everywhere present to testify of Him, Ruth's story is very instructive.

The image that is most readily apparent to me in the story of Ruth is her eventual role of bride to the rescuing Boaz, bringing to mind the Savior's parables of brides and the Bridegroom.  In this sense, with Boaz becoming a type of the Savior, recognizing Ruth's faithfulness and extending himself to rescue her, Ruth can become any one of us in our quest for truth, or a type of various sized contemporary or historical groups.  By taking that perspective, starting at the marriage of Ruth and Boaz and moving backward from that point, her experience--as a type--may shed light on our approach as individuals or as a Church to the eventual union with the Savior.

Brother Satterfield, in the above-cited article, makes the argument that the story typifies Israel's scattering and gathering and I believe that he is right.  But I also think there are some types of our own experiences, again, as individuals and as a Church.  But, of course, in the broader view of gathering Israel, this perspective still fits.

As we go to the beginning of the story, keeping the end in mind, we see Ruth as the converted daughter-in-law of Naomi.  We are left only to speculate on the character and qualities of Ruth's husband--Naomi's son-- that Ruth was so completely converted that she cleaved to Naomi in their family crisis.  She remained united to her husband's mother and her new faith even while the Israelites as a nation were fractured and failing in their faith.  She was clearly a successfully grafted branch of a "wild olive tree." (Jacob 5:1-10.)  In fact, she was so successfully grafted in that she became a mother of the "stem of Jesse"(D&C 113:1-4)--a mother of a lineage of kings, including the Savior, Himself.

When Naomi, Ruth and Orpah all lose their husbands and Naomi decides to return to her home, Ruth insists on going along, while Orpah is easily persuaded to stay in Moab (remember the building and the mocking crowd in Lehi's dream).  Ruth declares insistently to Naomi:

"... Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

"Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."  (Ruth 1:16-17.) 

This "adopted" daughter travels with Naomi to  Bethlehem.  She "gleans" a subsistence living from the fields of Boaz and her character and faith catch the attention of Boaz.  His kindness provides extra food for her and protection through his servants and eventually lead her first to lie at his feet and then to enjoy a position beneath his protecting robes, much like a chicken beneath the wings of the mother hen (Matthew 23:37).  He reasons with his "brother" for her hand and her inheritance and secures her and provides her an opportunity to move from near destitution to become a mother of royalty.

Reference:

Satterfield, B. (2002). "all the city . . . doth know that thou art a virtuous woman": the book of ruth. Retrieved from http://www.ldsmag.com/gospeldoctrine/ot/020521ot20.html 

Into Canaan!

We "bid farewell" to Moses this week and now look forward to going with Joshua into the land of Canaan.  From the perspective of "types and shadows," I feel like the upcoming chapters represent somewhat of a departure, at least in terms of the Israelite leader being a specific "type of Christ," with some notable exceptions.  However, the story line seems to hold true and I think we can continue to put ourselves in the place of the children of Israel.

One thing that strikes me, is that in this narrative the "type" of the Promised Land is not necessarily a representation of the Celestial Kingdom.  I have not heard of a need to purge wicked inhabitants from the Celestial Kingdom in order for those who attain that glory to dwell there.  But with some thought and some direction, I've come up with some things to consider in terms of types.  I'll share some of those thoughts as well as some of the other insights I've come across so far.

TYPES

One of my initial impressions of a possible type in the story of Israel's entry into Canaan is one of the millennial era, wherein the bulk of the wicked will be destroyed, but there will remain many who have not accepted and will not accept the Savior and his Gospel.  It also seemed to me that this story is more similar to Lehi's dream than to ultimate exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom as Israel had not fully gotten themselves outside of the reach of Egypt--at least in their hearts.

In class we've talked repeatedly about Moses' challenge not only to get Israel out of Egypt, but to remove Egypt from Israel!  Last week, we noted the song revealed to Moses about the grim prospects for Israel's ultimate success in this regard and the imagery of Israel's constant need to be nourished from heaven by the rains and the dews.  We talked about how this was necessary because, as a "tender herb," (Deut. 32:2.) Israel had not yet sunken deep, sustaining roots, despite their long wanderings and struggles in the wilderness, "to humble [them], and to prove [them], to know what was in [their] heart, whether [they] wouldest keep [God's] commandments,  or no." (Deut. 8:2.)

Another possibility is that this is typical of the first advent of the Savior to the earth.  In this sense, Joshua becomes that type of Christ in that his name and the name "Jesus" are the same in meaning and likely in pronunciation at the time of Christ.  His role of exhorter, also becomes typical in this sense of the first coming of the Savior and the subsequent rejection of his pleas to obey and serve Him.  In this sense we can hear in the command to "possess the land," echoes of the command to "[possess our souls in patience, that we might] have eternal life." (D&C 101:38; Luke 21:19).  (This becomes particularly relevant, I think, when we consider the command in the same D&C verse to "seek the face of the Lord," in light of Alma's comments in Alma, Chapter 5, and President David O. McKay's favored story, Hawthorne's "The Great Stone Face.")  Truly, Israel was in the process not just of doing, but of becoming.  The Lord's people who had once deferred to another the privilege of seeing the Lord's face, were now being prepared and led to be in his presence (though they would not at first recognize Him when he came!).

James Ferrell suggests something more.  He points out that there are some confusing aspects to Israel's approach to Canaan, when we look at the story simply as it is described on its face.  For example, there is the seeming contradiction of the commandment not to kill delivered from Sinai and the command to utterly destroy delivered on the banks of the Jordan!

When we consider placing the children of Israel--the new nation of Isrealites--as a single body, a single person and look at the story as if it was a single individual and liken it to ourselves some interesting points emerge (Ferrell, 2009, pp. 136-146).  We have already done this to some extent in examining the types of their rescue and deliverance from Egypt, or the world.  I'll recap those points, briefly:

1. Moses enters into a covenant relationship with the Lord, learns the plan of salvation from the beginning in a covenant-making/temple setting.
2. Moses is sent on a mission to draw out the Lord's people from within Egypt/to call the elect forth from the world.
3. Moses demonstrates the power of the one true God, particularly His unique power to heal, and in so doing demonstrates the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods. 
4. The children of Israel, (in fact, it's interesting to note that God refers to the entire nation of Israel as a single person in Exodus 4:22-23!), are asked to make a sacrifice, the Passover, demonstrating their commitment to the Lord and their own deliverance as it was offered to them.
5. They are led to and through the waters of the Red Sea [baptism].
6. They are then introduced into the wilderness where their ability to endure is tested.  They commit to obey and fail repeatedly, and are repeatedly offered renewed chances through the pleadings and intercessions of Moses (an obvious type of the Savior).
7. After 40 years of purging their reluctant spirits from their midst, they are brought to the brink of the Promised Land.

As noted in item 4, there are some instances where the Lord refers to Israel as a single person:

"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, ^aIsrael is my ^bson, even my ^cfirstborn:

 "And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy ^ason, even thy firstborn."  (Exodus 4:22-23.) 

Now, again, place yourself in the position of Israel as this individual.  You have been rescued from the world.  You have offered a sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit, entered the waters of baptism and been guided through repeated efforts to live the Law and through errors and failures of different sorts.  

Now, you find yourself at the edge of the promised blessings or, if you prefer, at the trunk of a certain tree.  Now is the test of whether or not the world has been removed from you, or if you were only removed from the world (but carried some of it with you) through the process.  Now is the "make-or-break" moment.  Will you purge yourself fully--will you "give away all [your] sins to know [Him]?  Will you "possess the land" and find rest therein, or allow certain sinful elements to remain to fester and grow and eventually poison and destroy your peace?  Will you allow the pointing fingers and the taunts to avert your gaze?

Will I?

In a similar sense, President Howard W. Hunter compared the walls of Jericho to mental and spiritual walls we may construct:

"It reminds me of another wall that I have had occasion to visit, located in the Holy Land. I refer to the ancient wall of Jericho. I have stood on the ruins of that ancient wall and pondered its meaning. This experience has caused me to wonder if perhaps there is a “type and a shadow” in what happened in ancient Jericho and what is happening in the world around us." 

President Hunter goes on to describe several historic walls and their inadequacy to fully protect what was within--to warn of trusting too much in such things rather than upon the Lord for real safety.  He also compares them to excuses to cover our own reluctance to serve:

"To satisfy the new demands being made upon us in this great missionary work of the last days, perhaps some of us (particularly the older generation whose families are raised) need to take stock to determine whether “walls” that we have built in our own minds need to come down.
"For example, how about the 'comfort wall' that seems to prevent many couples and singles from going on a mission? How about the 'financial wall' of debt that interferes with some members’ ability to go, or the 'grandchildren wall,' or the 'health wall,' or the 'lack of self-confidence wall,' or the 'self-satisfied wall,' or the 'transgression wall,' or the walls of fear, doubt, or complacency? Does anyone really doubt for a minute that with the help of the Lord he or she could bring those walls crashing down?"  (Howard W. Hunter, Walls of the Mind, Ensign, September, 1990.)

SOME OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

There have been some interesting points made in the material I've read in preparation for this week's lesson.  One of them is about the significance of the stones gathered and placed at the Jordan where the children of Israel crossed.  

Some believe that this was also the site of Elijah and Elisha's crossings, the site of Elijah's translation and perhaps the site of the Savior's baptism.  The requirement for purification prior to passage and the sacred nature of the place, including the heavenly communication, brings to my mind a temple-like perspective.  Certainly, the argument could be made by appealing to Nibley's comments in his book, Temple and Cosmos.  Certainly, the circuitous route to enter the promised land from the eastern side, combined with the circumambulation of Jericho would bear out this consideration. 

Something else occurs to me as well, in reading this particular portion.  It seems clear on its face that after the proving in the wilderness, the purification and preparation and finally, the entrance into the Promised Land implies a "no going back" aspect to the story.  Certainly, the goal has been to remove the desire to go back in terms of removing Egypt from Israel.  And certainly much progress was made by the children of Israel in the wanderings.  However, Moses' revelation of the song alluded to in Chapter 32 of Deuteronomy makes it clear that in the long run, Israel would fail.  And, while they would not necessarily return to bondage in Egypt, they would likely return to the bondage of a culture of sin, corruption and idolatry that was developed in Egypt. 

In this light, it seems that the Promised Land may not exclusively be a type of entering the Celestial Kingdom but rather, perhaps, an allusion to or type of the receipt of the fullness of the Gospel.  With the first nibble of food in the Promised Land, the manna ceased, and with it the daily, physical dependence upon God for survival--the temporal law.  But the need for constant spiritual vigilance continued, and indeed the figurative struggle for purity became more fierce and intense in many respects.

But the story and this perspective brings to my mind a comment made by the Prophet Joseph Smith to a brother, Isaac Behunnin.  Brother Behunnin said, paraphrasing, that he could not understand the hostility of apostates and speculated that if he were ever to leave the Church, he would simply disappear--he would go to some remote place, farm and live in peace and never speak of the Church again.

The Prophet's reply was, "Brother Behunnin, you don't know what you would do. No doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached, good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be his servant."  (Madsen, 1978, p. 52)

Likewise if we, like the children of Israel, undertake to enter into the various stages of Gospel progression--baptism, the temple, marriage, etc.-- once there, we leave neutral ground forever and there is no going back for us.  The waters, as it were, close in behind us barring us from that previous life.

When I was in Brother Brent L. Top's Doctrines of the Gospel class at BYU, he once made a comment to this effect:  "Once you live at a certain level of obedience to the Gospel, the Holy Ghost sears that onto your soul and you can never live below that standard ever again and be happy.  And, in time, you cannot remain at that standard and remain happy.  You must advance."

This sobering reality requires us both to "be strong and of a good courage," and that "[we choose] this day whom [we] will serve." (Joshua 1:6; 24:15)

References:

Ferrell, J. (2009). The hidden christ. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Co.

Madsen, T. (1978). Joseph smith the prophet. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Co.

The Fiery Serpents

OK, here we go.   As everyone in my class knows, I have been able to navigate the Old Testament so far and plan to continue by finding the "types and shadows" of the Savior in the stories, events and people of the Old Testament.  The "Testament," after all, is one of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As James Ferrell has observed, "There is no greater testament of Christ and his divinity and mission than the testament hidden below the surface of the Old Testament.  Every story is his story, preserved at a level that would survive the loss of every plain and precious thing.  (Ferrell, 2009, p. 5.)

 So, as we have examined the lessons of the Old Testament we have done so with an eye toward that story "below the surface" that typifies the Savior and his plan of happiness.

A couple of weeks ago, our lesson covered the children of Israel as they rebelled in the wilderness and were set upon by the "fiery serpents," and were then offered deliverance from their bites if they would look upon an image of those serpents fastened to Moses' staff.  (Numbers 21:5-9)

The type of the brazen serpent on the staff of Moses is an obvious type of the Savior.  But what about the serpents themselves?  We didn't have the time to explore this fully in class and I wasn't able to arrive at any conclusions when I was preparing the lesson.  But I had my lightning bolt moment yesterday while reading for this week's lesson.  So, even though I'm two weeks late, I thought I'd make this the subject of this post.

Again, the brazen serpent that Moses raised up was an obvious type of the Savior.  Nephi, the son of Helaman observed, ""Yea, did he [Moses] not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come." And Nephi continued, "And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal" (Helaman 8:14-15.)

But interestingly, Nephi, the son of Lehi referred to the serpents as "fiery flying serpents" when he made his observation, "He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished" (1 Nephi 17:41.)  But Isaiah also made reference to "fiery flying serpents." (Isaiah 14:29; 30:6.)

But the tradition among the inhabitants of the new world apparently was prevalent and persistent as we see the Aztec depiction of Quetzalcoatl as a feathered [for flight?] serpent, but he was described as a "bearded white god" who had come and promised to return--a god for whom they mistook Hernando Cortez when he arrived.  The Mayans called him "Kukulcan," and the "feathered serpent deity was worshiped by other meso-American cultures, anciently.

There is likewise an interesting resemblance between some depictions of Quetzalcoatl and the traditional medical insignia that is so common today and which was modeled after the brazen serpents of Moses' day that promised healing to the children of Israel.

So, what's the deal with the serpents if they are a type, a symbol and a shadow of the Savior?  How can something so closely similar to the symbol of salvation be the means of the suffering from which they needed to be saved?  In particular, of what, in particular, are the serpents in the experience related in Numbers 21 a type?  Remember that a type is "an actual historical reality which pointed beyond itself to a greater and more powerful reality." (Millett, 1985, p. 197.)

Consider, as a background, that the entire experience of the Israelites is a type.  They are in bondage to Egypt, much like we are to the world and worldly things prior to being called forth out of the world [Egypt] by a prophet's voice.  A sacrifice is made [passover/broken heart and contrite spirit] and they pass through a body of water [baptism].  They enter into the wilderness where the Lord was to try and to prove them--where they would be required to endure in faith to the end before entering their promised land.  The obvious point of this is that in that wilderness--under covenant--what they experience relates directly to those of us who have likewise found that "the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water;" (2 Nephi 31:17.)

So, once again, how do the serpents figure into the equation?  Consider this possibility:  The serpents are a type and representation of the law--be it the law of Moses or the commandments that we are now obligated to obey as a result of our covenants.

Just this morning, in our family scripture reading time, we read this verse in Alma 34:  "And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal."  (Alma 34:14.)

You see, it is the law and our individual failure to live up to our commitments to obey it that "bite us" and require us to "look" to the Savior for salvation.  Both the law and the salvation from our failure to live it come directly from the Lord, hence the representation of both as the same "fiery, flying serpent."  We all have made the covenant and the promise to keep the commandments and to obey the word of the Lord and every single one of us has (and will again) fail to live up to that commitment throughout our lives, revealing our individual weaknesses.  But, as our sins reveal our weakness and our need to look to the Savior for salvation, we strive to go to him for aid. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27.)

We need not be dismayed by our failures, as they were accounted for by the Atonement to allow us to work and to strive and to learn with the opportunity to overcome, without being cast off forever!  All is according to the plan of our Heavenly Father and, in fact, is essential to maintaining our agency, an essential element in our mortal testing and proving.  "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." (Deut. 8:2.)

Think it over!  Below is a table created by James Ferrell to further illustrate this point (since I can't put the table on, I will separate each column into the three categories.  So, match "1" under "ELEMENT" w/ "1" in the other categories, "2" with the others, etc.):

ELEMENT

1. The people sinned.
2. The Lord created a condition to "bite" them.
3. This condition awakened the people to their sins.
4. The thing which awakened Israel to their sins was prepared also to be the way through which they could be healed from the effect of their sins.
5. The means of deliverance could not of itself save spiritually, but pointed to the Savior as the source of salvation.
6. Those who looked to the temporal type of spiritual salvation were blessed with life, while those who didn't were cursed with death.

FIERY SERPENT

1. "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" (Numbers 21:5)
2. "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much of the people of Israel died." (Numbers 21:6.)
3. "Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." (Numbers 21:7.)
4. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." (Numbers 21:8.)
5. "Behold, [the Savior] was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live" (Alma 33:19)  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)
6. "Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live.  And many did look and live.... But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished.  Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them." (Alma 33:19-20.)

LAW OF MOSES

1. The people rejected the Lord and turned back to idolatry (see Exodus 32:1-6), thereby violating the covenant they had made (Ex 24:3-8).
2. "The law was added because of transgressions" (JST, Gal. 3:19). "Now, how could a man repent except he should sin?  How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be no law save there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given" (Alma 42:17-18) "that ...all the world may become guilty before God." (Rom. 3:19).
3. This punishment and law "brought remorse of conscience unto man....[By this means there was] a repentance granted" (Alma 42:18, 22), "for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20).
4. "It was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God; Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him" (Mosiah 13:29-30).
5. "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect" (Heb 10:1).  "And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea infinite and eternal" (Alma 34:14).  "Wherefore the law was [the] schoolmaster to bring [Israel] to Christ" (Gal. 3:24).
6. "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.  And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us" (Deut. 6:24-25).

(Ferrell, 2009, p. 215.)

References:

Ferrell, J. (2009). The hidden christ. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Co.

Millett, R. (1985). Studies in scripture, volume 3: Genesis to samuel. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Co.

The Purpose

I've decided to start this blog for a couple of reasons.  First, I feel like I'm learning quite a bit at a fairly rapid pace as a result of serving as a Gospel Doctrine teacher and frequently it helps me assimilate information if I write about things.

Second, if things go well and I am able to remain diligent in posting, this might be another avenue to supply info and additional insight to the class, including references, etc. that I can't usually include in class.

Third, I am hoping that people will comment and engage and help find insights and truths that I am likely to have missed.

Fourth, I need to write as much and as often as I can and it's easier for me to get started if there's something I'm passionate about.  My faith is certainly one of those things. 

Finally, it is a further opportunity for me to study, ponder, pray and share/testify of what I learn and hopefully help others in some small way in answering questions, finding direction or a needed insight to get through the various obstacles life in mortality throws our way.  I hope that visitors will enjoy this and will feel free to comment or even ask questions to help me find things to write about.