For as much as members of the LDS church make mention of "the strait and narrow path" (well, when I was growing up, anyway), it is, surprisingly, mentioned very rarely in scripture. It is made famous in Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life in 1 Nephi 8, but it only plays a minor role in the vision and, beyond this, the exact phrase is mentioned in only one other place in scripture. Nephi includes it in his exposition of the doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31. There are other verses that use the words “strait” and “narrow” and their usage in those verses are very thought-provoking. Christ, himself, calls the gate that leads to eternal life “strait” and the path that leads to eternal life “narrow” (see Matthew 7:13-14; 3 Nephi 14:13-14; and 3 Nephi 27:33). Nephi’s brother, Jacob, echos this usage in Jacob 6:11. Nephi actually uses these words almost interchangeably when he calls the gate “narrow” and the path “strait” (see 2 Nephi 31:9 and 2 Nephi 33:9). Mormon mentions how the word of God will “...lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.” (Helaman 3:29-30) Along with these verses come the ideas that the “gate” and “path” are tied to the word of God, that Christ set the example before us as to how we enter into and walk this path, that it leads to everlasting life, and that there are only a few that find it. Lehi’s dream further indicates that, even once the path is found, it is possible to fall away from that path (see 1 Nephi 8:21-23). Any and all of these verses (and the context in which they are given) are wonderful catalysts for understanding and revelation were one to inquire of the Lord about them. Knowing that all of these uses convey a depth of meaning regarding the concept, I will leave it to the reader to ponder about each one. For the purposes of this post, I will refer to scriptures that use the exact phrase, “strait and narrow path.”
As mentioned before, the "path" plays a minor role in Lehi's vision. How small a role? Well, when Nephi describes what he saw in his vision of the tree of life, he doesn’t mention the “path” even once. Recognizing this, as I go back to Lehi’s account, I am struck by just how subordinate the path is when compared to other symbols in his vision. Lehi sees the rod of iron before he sees a path. What is the determining factor in whether or not an individual makes it to and partakes of the fruit of the tree of life? It isn't the path. Following the path, by itself, does not guarantee the desired outcome of partaking the fruit. The majority of people in Lehi’s vision fall away from the path for one reason or another. The determining factor is obtaining and adhering to God's word. It is the "rod of iron" and one’s obedience to the word of God that creates the path. The path is just a natural consequence of obedience to God’s word. It is created and traveled by those who hold fast to the word of God. The path is what our adherence to God's word "looks like." It has the properties of "strait and narrow" because that is what our obedience looks like, and these properties can inform us as to what we can expect our path to "look like," even before we enter it.
It does well to have a correct understanding of what these words mean. “Narrow” is easy enough to define. It is a word that is commonly used in our language and that most often carries the same meaning as intended in the “strait and narrow path”: “Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow sea; a narrow hem or border.” That this is the intended meaning is punctuated by the fact that the Lord contrastingly describes the path leading to death as “wide” and “broad.” “Strait,” however, is different. We don’t use this word very often, at all. It is most often used as a noun when referring to a narrow passage, such as the Bering Strait. In the scriptures, it is used as an adjective, and it is my opinion that we often assume the word being used to describe the path is “straight,” not “strait.” It is easy to make that assumption since “straight” is much more prevalent in its usage today. In fact, speaking for myself, it was well into my adulthood when I noticed that the word was “strait” and not “straight.” It prompted me to look up the definition: “1. Narrow; close; not broad. 2. Close; intimate; as a strait degree of favor. 3. Strict; rigorous. 4. Difficult; distressful. 5. Straight; not crooked.” Now, one might say that the intended definition of “strait” is definition #5–“straight; not crooked”. In fact, Jacob uses the word “straight” in 2 Nephi 9:41:
“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.”
This line of reasoning, however, becomes a little problematic when one confronts the fact that one of the definitions of “straight” is “narrow, close, tight; as in a straight garment. (See strait, as it is generally written.)” Personally, I believe that the use of “straight” in this instance is deliberate and that it highlights the fact that the intended definition is not “not crooked,” nor is it “strait,” but that it is closer to the definition “upright; according with justice and rectitude; not deviating from truth or fairness.” I believe that the context of the verse supports this.
From my own personal experience, the word “strait” is a very appropriate description of the path. It is what my adherence to God's word "looks like" to me.
It is “narrow; close; not broad.” It reminds me of a balance beam. The body, as a whole, has to be completely aligned with the beam. When there is a misalignment, it causes a slight loss of balance at a minimum and a terrible fall at worst. Even a small loss of balance can lead to a fall if the person on the beam doesn’t try to regain it or if she overcorrects while trying to regain it. The straight and narrow path doesn’t allow for a lot of ideas and concepts that are false. We have to be aligned with ideas and principles that are true and that lead to life. This is difficult when so many concepts lead to death. This is why Jesus said that few find this path.
It is “close; intimate.” This property of the path has taken on such a depth of meaning for me that it is difficult to put it into words. The strait and narrow path is meant to be specific to the individual. This doesn’t mean that the knowledge, character, and attributes we acquire are different. It just means that we will each go through experiences tailored to us in order for the Lord to teach us those things. Movement forward along the iron rod by fueled by the promptings of God's spirit to us. Why doesn't God just tell us to keep the Law of Moses to get to heaven, or the Ten Commandments, or introduce us to the Beatitudes, or give us any other list of things to do? It’s because he can’t. While these things can be good and have their place, any static, unchanging list of commandments betrays the close and intimate nature of the strait and narrow path and changes it into a one-size-fits-all path that doesn’t meet an individual at his/her level of righteousness. Such a path surely leads to death. The truth is that obedience to commandments, by itself, does not save us. Knowledges save us. Knowledge and our love of God have the power to transform us into individuals who willingly and consistently obey God's word. How do we acquire that knowledge? By our obedience to God's word. The commandments are only the means by which we learn about God and how we can choose to become more like Him. There are no automatons in God’s family. His family is made of individuals who have learned how and why certain principles lead to eternal life and happiness and they willingly submit to those principles, but we all learn those principles differently. The path looks the same only as we regard the knowledge, character, and attributes of God, not the individual commandments that teach us those things.
It is “strict; rigorous.” Once this close, intimate relationship is established, the guidance that we receive must be obeyed. It is strict and rigorous. Nothing less than exact obedience will keep us on that path.
It is "difficult" and "distressful." Refining takes you through a fire. It is something that you can only try to imagine until you come to the reality of the experience. Navigating the strait and narrow path is dangerous. It isn't like some Sunday walk in the park. It requires focus, determination, a healthy respect for the forces that propel you forward and for the forces that seek your destruction, and a recognition that whatever moves you forward along the path is righteousness.
And, for that matter, I may as well apply definition #5. It is "straight, not crooked." Stripped down, righteousness is straight and undeviating. There are scriptures that mention that, in the Lord, there is "no variableness" nor "shadow of turning (or changing)." The "upright; according with justice and rectitude" definition comes into play here.
So, how do we walk this path? How do we get on it? How do covenants figure into this?
We walk the “strait and narrow” path by holding fast to the word of God which he gives to us through the Holy Ghost. Nephi explains this in plainness and in detail in chapters 31 & 32 of 2 Nephi. When we meet the conditions of repentance and baptism as outlined in verse 13 of chapter 13, "then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel." In verses 17 and 18, we read that repentance and baptism constitute a gate through which we must pass and that when we receive the remission of sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost we are, then, "in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life". (verse 18) Nephi echoes the imagery in his father's vision when he admonishes the reader to be like those who successfully obtained the fruit in Lehi's vision: to "...press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end...". (2 Nephi 31:20) Nephi even perceived that this important aspect of the doctrine of Christ (see 2 Nephi 31:21 and 2 Nephi 32:6) would get so lost on us that he reiterates it in chapter 32 of 2 Nephi. What should we do after we "[enter] in by the way"? (verse 1) We should be speaking with the tongue of angels. We should be doing this if we have the Holy Ghost. (verse 2) "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore [for which reason] they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore [for which reason], I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (verse 3) If we do not understand what Nephi is describing here, it is because we are not asking or knocking and instead of being brought into the light, we must perish in the dark. (verse 4) If we enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show us all things what we should do. (verse 5) This constitutes the doctrine of Christ and there will not be any more doctrine given until after Christ manifests himself to us in the flesh. (verse 6)
Will we encounter covenants along this path? Absolutely! We will obtain covenants from God that are the higher covenants described in part 1 of this post--covenants from God, Himself--like we see in the scriptures. (see Moses 7:51-52; Moses 8:2; Genesis 9:8-17; Genesis 9:21-25 JST, Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17 JST; Jeremiah 31:31-34; 2 Nephi 1:5; etc.) The higher covenants are not a series of mandatory checkpoints that, once passed, qualify an individual for all of God's blessings. The higher covenants are the promise of blessings that we should expect to receive from God directly when we become as God through our adherence to God's word.
We should be receiving promises directly from Him. He made direct promises to the righteous in scripture. Will He not do the same for the righteous today? He will. He does. As we obtain and obey His word, we should expect the obedience required to be both "strait" and "narrow," but we should also expect promises commensurate with our obedience and the attending transformation into the image and likeness of God.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
The Covenant Path vs The Strait and Narrow Path-Part 1
I delivered a testimony on April 14, 2019, the transcript of which can be found here. At one point in the testimony, I was told to use the words “covenant path.” This is a relatively new term used in the LDS church, but recently it has been used often enough that I have heard it on numerous occasions, in spite of that fact that my attendance at regularly held meetings has been pretty low. I was surprised that I was told to use those words and even more surprised at the fair amount of derision from the Lord that came with it. I have always understood that God offers covenants to men. To me, at that time, the idea of a "covenant path" was not necessarily a bad thing. The Lord's disapproval of the term got me thinking.
First, I did a search for “covenant path” in the scriptures. You know what I found? Nothing. You won't find the term anywhere in the scriptures. They do not teach about a "covenant path". There are plenty of times when "covenants" are mentioned. God's covenants are an important part of our relationship with God and the application of His gospel.
"9 Know therefore that the LORD the God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" (Deuteronomy 7)
But the covenants, themselves, do not make up a path. The scriptures speak of a “strait and narrow path”. Is there a difference? What is the “strait and narrow path”? What are covenants? What role do covenants play in the gospel of Jesus Christ? My intent in writing this post is not to downplay the importance of obtaining covenants from God, but to clarify the role of covenants in our progress towards Him.
Covenants are contracts between two parties. We find different kinds of contracts in the scriptures and they are different because the hearts of men can be either good or evil.
One type of covenant found in scripture is one that has an evil intent at its heart. Examples of this type of covenant can be found in Moses 5; Helaman 1, 2, & 6; and 3 Nephi 6 & 7. The parties of these covenants enter into them for their own individual gain with no regard for the well-being of others, even the other contractual party. The devil is the father of these types of covenants, and I will not discuss these any further in this post.
One type of covenant found in scripture is one that has an evil intent at its heart. Examples of this type of covenant can be found in Moses 5; Helaman 1, 2, & 6; and 3 Nephi 6 & 7. The parties of these covenants enter into them for their own individual gain with no regard for the well-being of others, even the other contractual party. The devil is the father of these types of covenants, and I will not discuss these any further in this post.
There are covenants made between two human beings like the covenant made between Abraham and Abimalech in Genesis 21 or the covenant between Jacob and Laban in Genesis 31. These covenants are examples of contracts entered into in order to protect each participant from the potentially injurious actions of the other. Neither participant is sure of the heart of the other and therefore cannot be sure that, at some moment, the other party won’t make a decision that would be detrimental to him. Consequently, a contract is put in place that restricts certain actions, not because the heart of the individual has changed, but simply because the contract requires it.
There are covenants like the one made between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18. This type of contract is based on a love and mutual respect for the other party. The individuals that enter into this type of covenant know that the other party would never do anything to purposefully hurt them, but a solemn promise seals the sentiment.
The two previous types of covenants made by men have parallels in the covenants made by God. He can make a covenant with wicked individuals. This parallels the covenant between Abraham and Abimalech. The covenant offered to Israel in the wilderness is an example of this type of covenant. It was a lesser covenant than what could have been given to Israel because of their unwillingness to sanctify themselves. Even though God’s heart is perfect and can be trusted, the hearts of the Israelites were not and could not. It was extended to Israel by a man (Moses) and it was only offered to Israel because of promises that had been made to righteous individuals in the past (eg. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). The promised blessings of this type of covenant can only come as the wicked repent.
And then there are covenants that God makes with man that are the result of conformity to God’s word and the obedience that comes as a result of that conformity. These parallel the covenant between David and Jonathan. The hearts of both parties are righteous and can be trusted. The promised blessings are predicated upon laws that we willingly obey because our hearts have conformed to the will of God. Our desires are pure and our obedience to God’s laws are a natural consequence of our righteous desires. We are obedient because we are like Him, not because a contract requires us to be so. This type of covenant is administered by God, Himself. It is given to men by God’s own voice. Examples of this type of covenant can be found in God’s covenants to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Nephi (Son of Lehi), Nephi (Son of Helaman), and many others. This is the highest form of a covenant relationship with God and reaches its full potential when all of God’s blessings are promised directly to us by the words of His own mouth.
So, when the LDS church admonishes us to “enter into and stay on the covenant path,” what kind of covenants are they talking about? What I am about to say is going to be disturbing to some, but an honest analysis of evidence will prove my point. A quick search of the church’s website will reveal that they are talking about the lower form of God’s covenants to man. Baptism by water, laying on of hands, priesthood ordination, washings, anointings, endowments, sealings—these are temporal ordinances that are administered by men. They are given to individuals who cannot receive the spiritual counterparts from God, directly, because they have not yet sanctified themselves in order to receive them. The temporal ordinances are types and shadows of the administrations of the higher covenant. The blessings of the lower covenant are conditioned upon the “faithfulness” of the individual because men cannot guarantee that the individual will be faithful. Only God can do that.
But let us suppose, for a moment, that there is such a thing as a “covenant path”. Is this the one that we really want to be following? Do we really want to be traveling a path in which we encounter the lower form of God’s covenants to man?
I will suggest, here, that perhaps the reason why the scriptures do not mention a “covenant path” is because the Lord knows how easy it is for man to receive the lower covenant form and assume that he is receiving the higher covenant form. The Israelites did as much. When we make this assumption, we assume that we are sanctified; we assume that we are living higher laws; we assume that we have a higher priesthood; and we assume that we will receive an eternal reward. Everything that we assume makes us comfortable in our unsanctified state and gives us no reason to believe that we actually aren’t becoming like our Savior. Consequently, we don’t repent and we don’t change.
Is there a path? Yes. It is “strait and narrow”. Stay tuned for part two of this post. :)
Sunday, December 22, 2019
The Devil is in the Definitions
We take words for granted. They are so much a part of our everyday interactions with people that we rarely, if ever, consciously realize just how many words we use on any given day. It is truly a wonder that the myriad sounds we make and call "language" are able to accurately communicate so much information from one person to another.
And yet, language can also prove to be a barrier to accurate communication. To the degree that the concepts behind the words are misunderstood between someone communicating and those who are receiving the communication, the accuracy of the message is proportionally diminished.
For example, if I start telling you a story about a dog, you might picture a cute little chihuahua, especially if, for some reason, you are very familiar with a chihuahua. You may have a chihuahua, someone close to you may have a chihuahua, or you may have heard a story (recently or often repeated) about a chihuahua. The more familiar you are with a chihuahua, the more likely it is that a chihuahua will be the first dog that comes to your mind as you hear my story. But as the story goes on, you would realize that I am, in fact, not telling a story about a chihuahua. If, in the story, I told you that the dog almost bowls me over every time I come home, and that it takes up most of the space when it climbs up onto my bed, and that its low growl and deep bark scares visitors that come to my house, you would most likely form a different picture of the dog in your head as the story goes on. Either that or you would hold on to the idea of the chihuahua and the story would make less and less sense. The funny thing is that if you were to hang on to the idea of the chihuahua, your brain would almost imperceptibly begin changing other details of the story in order for the image in your head to make sense. You might picture me in a kneeling position when I come home. You might picture that my bed is very small. You might think that every visitor who comes to my house just has an irrational fear of dogs. This would continue to happen until something in my story is unable to be reconciled to the concept of a chihuahua, whether it be an obvious part of the context or the outright admission that I am talking about a German Shepherd.
Any discomfort that comes from the realization that the dog is not a chihuahua is just one example of cognitive dissonance. It is the discomfort that is felt when a person's ideas and beliefs come into conflict with reality. Generally speaking, the higher the perceived cost is to someone to bring one's faulty ideas and beliefs into alignment with reality, the more likely it is that that person will come up with more and more ways to avoid doing just that.
Satan knows this and he is pretty skillful at using this against us. One of Satan's best tactics is to flood the earth with lies about essential spiritual concepts. If he can get you to think that a certain word means a certain thing, then every use of that word will be an inaccurate representation of what God originally intended. Our understanding will not reach God’s understanding, and we will be left in darkness. Satan knows that if he can introduce words to us and frame them in such a way that our definitions of those words differ from God’s definitions, not only will we be misled until we come to an understanding of God’s definitions, but we will also resist changing our incorrect definitions, even when there is more than sufficient reason to do so.
In my religious upbringing, there were certain words that I associated with certain meanings. Repentance, anointing, sealing, fathers, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, God, Jehovah, authority, keys, sustain, worship, salvation; I could go on and on. And as I encountered these words on a pretty regular basis, I thought I had a pretty good idea of their meaning. The teachings of my religious institution, that had helped form my definitions of these words, only reinforced the idea that my definitions were correct. As I studied the scriptures more and more deeply, however, I realized that, given my understanding of the definitions of these words, I couldn't make sense of certain passages of scripture and have all of scripture reconcile to itself. The story that God was trying to tell me would not make sense in some places. Knowing that God is a God of truth and that He wants us to learn and understand things about Him and His purposes, I came to the conclusion that there were some concepts that I had to revisit in my mind and reconcile to His word. I had been hearing those words used in the context of the narrative of my religious institution, but I hadn't inquired of the Lord. It turns out that He attaches very specific, and often hard-to-understand, meanings and concepts to the words that He uses. His specificity is purposeful. They are hard-to-understand because they deal in matters of the Spirit and humans are pathetically not well-versed in things of the Spirit. When we repent and depend on Him to teach us, He baptizes us with fire and we begin a potentially unending association with the things of the Spirit from that point on. He begins to reveal the meanings of the words the way He intended them and all things begin to make much more sense. You stop inventing ways to force the reconciliation of ideas in your mind. That burden becomes light, indeed.
Another thing that helped me realize that I had to revisit some spiritual concepts that I thought I understood was the fact that my religious institution’s definitions were changing. I have watched those changes unfold right before my eyes. I listened to messages from the leaders that completely redefined words that I had been taught previously. Key concepts and principles were affected by these definition changes and, without an understanding of the implications of these changes, one would never even realize that it was any kind of a big deal at all. I intend to make dedicated blog posts regarding several of these definition changes in the future.
To a greater extent than most realize, this tactic of redefining words lays the foundation by which the devil can convince us that “all is well in Zion.” He can convince us that good is evil and that evil is good when our ideas are not rooted in truth. Pay close attention to what people say and be able to discern when someone is trying to influence the definitions that you have for words. Those influences may be sent by God to direct your mind to new truth or they may be sent by the devil to lead you away from truth. Don’t assume that the source is from God. Go directly to God with all of the ideas that are presented to you, and make sure that it doesn’t compete with His definitions. The devil is in the definitions. He likes it there because he knows that it is a place of great influence. It takes a conscious, deliberate effort on each person’s part to kick him out.
And yet, language can also prove to be a barrier to accurate communication. To the degree that the concepts behind the words are misunderstood between someone communicating and those who are receiving the communication, the accuracy of the message is proportionally diminished.
For example, if I start telling you a story about a dog, you might picture a cute little chihuahua, especially if, for some reason, you are very familiar with a chihuahua. You may have a chihuahua, someone close to you may have a chihuahua, or you may have heard a story (recently or often repeated) about a chihuahua. The more familiar you are with a chihuahua, the more likely it is that a chihuahua will be the first dog that comes to your mind as you hear my story. But as the story goes on, you would realize that I am, in fact, not telling a story about a chihuahua. If, in the story, I told you that the dog almost bowls me over every time I come home, and that it takes up most of the space when it climbs up onto my bed, and that its low growl and deep bark scares visitors that come to my house, you would most likely form a different picture of the dog in your head as the story goes on. Either that or you would hold on to the idea of the chihuahua and the story would make less and less sense. The funny thing is that if you were to hang on to the idea of the chihuahua, your brain would almost imperceptibly begin changing other details of the story in order for the image in your head to make sense. You might picture me in a kneeling position when I come home. You might picture that my bed is very small. You might think that every visitor who comes to my house just has an irrational fear of dogs. This would continue to happen until something in my story is unable to be reconciled to the concept of a chihuahua, whether it be an obvious part of the context or the outright admission that I am talking about a German Shepherd.
Any discomfort that comes from the realization that the dog is not a chihuahua is just one example of cognitive dissonance. It is the discomfort that is felt when a person's ideas and beliefs come into conflict with reality. Generally speaking, the higher the perceived cost is to someone to bring one's faulty ideas and beliefs into alignment with reality, the more likely it is that that person will come up with more and more ways to avoid doing just that.
Satan knows this and he is pretty skillful at using this against us. One of Satan's best tactics is to flood the earth with lies about essential spiritual concepts. If he can get you to think that a certain word means a certain thing, then every use of that word will be an inaccurate representation of what God originally intended. Our understanding will not reach God’s understanding, and we will be left in darkness. Satan knows that if he can introduce words to us and frame them in such a way that our definitions of those words differ from God’s definitions, not only will we be misled until we come to an understanding of God’s definitions, but we will also resist changing our incorrect definitions, even when there is more than sufficient reason to do so.
In my religious upbringing, there were certain words that I associated with certain meanings. Repentance, anointing, sealing, fathers, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, God, Jehovah, authority, keys, sustain, worship, salvation; I could go on and on. And as I encountered these words on a pretty regular basis, I thought I had a pretty good idea of their meaning. The teachings of my religious institution, that had helped form my definitions of these words, only reinforced the idea that my definitions were correct. As I studied the scriptures more and more deeply, however, I realized that, given my understanding of the definitions of these words, I couldn't make sense of certain passages of scripture and have all of scripture reconcile to itself. The story that God was trying to tell me would not make sense in some places. Knowing that God is a God of truth and that He wants us to learn and understand things about Him and His purposes, I came to the conclusion that there were some concepts that I had to revisit in my mind and reconcile to His word. I had been hearing those words used in the context of the narrative of my religious institution, but I hadn't inquired of the Lord. It turns out that He attaches very specific, and often hard-to-understand, meanings and concepts to the words that He uses. His specificity is purposeful. They are hard-to-understand because they deal in matters of the Spirit and humans are pathetically not well-versed in things of the Spirit. When we repent and depend on Him to teach us, He baptizes us with fire and we begin a potentially unending association with the things of the Spirit from that point on. He begins to reveal the meanings of the words the way He intended them and all things begin to make much more sense. You stop inventing ways to force the reconciliation of ideas in your mind. That burden becomes light, indeed.
Another thing that helped me realize that I had to revisit some spiritual concepts that I thought I understood was the fact that my religious institution’s definitions were changing. I have watched those changes unfold right before my eyes. I listened to messages from the leaders that completely redefined words that I had been taught previously. Key concepts and principles were affected by these definition changes and, without an understanding of the implications of these changes, one would never even realize that it was any kind of a big deal at all. I intend to make dedicated blog posts regarding several of these definition changes in the future.
To a greater extent than most realize, this tactic of redefining words lays the foundation by which the devil can convince us that “all is well in Zion.” He can convince us that good is evil and that evil is good when our ideas are not rooted in truth. Pay close attention to what people say and be able to discern when someone is trying to influence the definitions that you have for words. Those influences may be sent by God to direct your mind to new truth or they may be sent by the devil to lead you away from truth. Don’t assume that the source is from God. Go directly to God with all of the ideas that are presented to you, and make sure that it doesn’t compete with His definitions. The devil is in the definitions. He likes it there because he knows that it is a place of great influence. It takes a conscious, deliberate effort on each person’s part to kick him out.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Circumcision
GENESIS
CHAPTER 17-JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION1 And when Abram was ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I, the Almighty God, give unto thee a commandment; that thou shalt walk uprightly before me, and be perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And it came to pass, that Abram fell on his face, and called upon the name of the Lord.
4 And God talked with him, saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept mine ordinances, which I gave unto their fathers;
5 And they have not observed mine anointing, and the burial, or baptism wherewith I commanded them;
6 But have turned from the commandment, and taken unto themselves the washing of children, and the blood of sprinkling;
7 And have said that the blood of the righteous Abel was shed for sins; and have not known wherein they are accountable before me.
8 But as for thee, behold, I will make my covenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
9 And this covenant I make, that thy children may be known among all nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham; for, a father of many nations have I made thee.
10 And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come of thee, and of thy seed.
11 And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old.
12 And thou shalt observe to keep all my covenants wherein I covenanted with thy fathers; and thou shalt keep the commandments which I have given thee with mine own mouth, and I will be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee.
13 And I will give unto thee and thy seed after thee, a land wherein thou art a stranger; all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
14 And God said unto Abraham, Therefore thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, in their generations.
15 And this shall be my covenant which ye shall keep between me
10 And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come of thee, and of thy seed.
11 And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old.
12 And thou shalt observe to keep all my covenants wherein I covenanted with thy fathers; and thou shalt keep the commandments which I have given thee with mine own mouth, and I will be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee.
13 And I will give unto thee and thy seed after thee, a land wherein thou art a stranger; all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
14 And God said unto Abraham, Therefore thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, in their generations.
15 And this shall be my covenant which ye shall keep between me
and thee and thy seed after thee; every man-child among you shall be circumcised.
16 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
17 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your generations;
18 He that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
19 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised, and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
20 And the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people, he hath broken my covenant.
21 And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah thou shalt call her name.
22 And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be blessed, The mother of nations; kings and people shall be of her.
23 Then Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and said in his heart, There shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old, and Sarah that is ninety years old shall bear.
16 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
17 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your generations;
18 He that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
19 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised, and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
20 And the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people, he hath broken my covenant.
21 And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah thou shalt call her name.
22 And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be blessed, The mother of nations; kings and people shall be of her.
23 Then Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and said in his heart, There shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old, and Sarah that is ninety years old shall bear.
24 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live uprightly before thee!
25 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bare thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him also, for an everlasting covenant with his seed after him.
26 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly;
27 Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
28 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
29 And he left off talking with him; and God went up from Abraham.
30 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
31 And Abraham was ninety and nine years old when he was circum cised in the flesh of his foreskin. 32 And Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
33 In the selfsame day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son; and all the men of his house, which were born in his house, and bought with money of strangers, were also circumcised with him.
26 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly;
27 Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
28 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
29 And he left off talking with him; and God went up from Abraham.
30 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
31 And Abraham was ninety and nine years old when he was circum cised in the flesh of his foreskin. 32 And Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
33 In the selfsame day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son; and all the men of his house, which were born in his house, and bought with money of strangers, were also circumcised with him.
**FULL DISCLOSURE**
What I am about to share requires an understanding of what happens during a circumcision, so if you’d rather not hear all of the details, you can turn back now. (Although, I wouldn’t just because I think that it’s pretty cool as it relates to our relationship with God.)
When a boy is born, the tip (or glans) of his penis is covered by a piece of skin called a foreskin. The foreskin adheres to the glans when the boy is young and, under normal circumstances, gradually detaches as the boy ages. Typically, by the time the boy has passed puberty, the foreskin is able to be completely retracted from the glans, though there are instances when it does not and then requires correction.
Because an uncircumcised male’s glans is covered by the foreskin, proper hygiene must be regularly performed to keep the area between the glans and the foreskin clean. A substance called smegma-a buildup of dead skin cells, oils, and debris-needs to be regularly cleaned off from underneath the foreskin. Smegma can give off an unpleasant odor and can also cause some unhealthy conditions of the genito-urinary tract.
When a male baby is circumcised, the adhesions between the foreskin and the glans are forcefully broken. This is a very painful experience. The majority of my sons’ circumcisions were performed using the following process. After anesthetics have been administered and have taken effect, a small incision is made in the foreskin to widen the opening in order to accommodate the insertion of an instrument which is placed between the foreskin and the glans. This instrument is then turned so that all of the adhesions between the foreskin and the glans are broken. A sterilized piece of plastic is sized to the glans and then inserted underneath the foreskin. The majority of the foreskin is then ligated and removed, commonly leaving a portion of the foreskin in order to accommodate growth and erections in adulthood. During the recovery process, the glans is an open sore. It is painful to the touch. The piece of plastic serves as a temporary protection for the glans, preventing contact from a diaper or touch during diaper changes. The plastic falls off, however, once the foreskin has healed and this happens, quite often, before the glans has healed completely. This means that, for a time after the plastic falls off, extra care must be taken to not only prevent unnecessary contact to the still-sensitive glans, but to also frequently manually retract the remaining foreskin to prevent the redevelopment of adhesions around the base of the glans. When adhesions redevelop, they are easily broken again with a retraction of the foreskin, but not without pain. There is also the possibility that the plastic might not be inserted completely during the procedure, allowing adhesions to reattach at the base of the glans while the plastic still covers the rest. These adhesions must also be broken again.
Even with use of anesthetics during modern circumcisions, both the procedure and the recovery can be pretty painful. When I observed one of my own sons’ circumcision, the practitioner informed me that that was because the glans has nerve endings that are extremely difficult to numb completely. The foreskin numbs very well, enabling a pain-free ligation of it, but the glans remains sensitive during both the procedure and the recovery process. Once healing is complete, cleanliness of the glans is much easier to maintain. The removal of the foreskin precludes the buildup of the dead skin cells, oil, and debris.
I should also note that God’s instructions regarding circumcision were that male infants were to be circumcised on the eighth day after they were born (see Genesis 17:12). There are many reasons for this, in my opinion, not the least of which is the fact that newborns are unable to immediately produce vitamin K-a necessary factor in the process of blood clotting. Vitamin K is normally produced within the digestive tract by intestinal bacteria and it takes a few days for a supply of that bacteria to build up and begin producing the vitamin K.
Like all other ordinances, physical circumcision is a metaphor that is infused with deep spiritual meaning. This fact hit me like a lightning bolt one day as I was reading Deuteronomy 10:16, which reads: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.” At once, I realized the parallels between circumcision and the requirements for and process of a spiritual rebirth and baptism of fire.
The foreskin represents the “natural man”. The glans represents the “new creature”--that which is quickened at the time of our rebirth. Before we circumcise the “foreskin of [our] heart”, our sensitive “hearts”-that which would naturally yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit-are covered by the “foreskin” of the natural man-that which is unprofitable, at best, and which simultaneously keeps us unclean. Maintaining cleanliness is a constant day-to-day practice of one’s own endeavor. No matter how well you clean yourself on any given day, you will inevitably have more to clean the next. At circumcision, the foreskin must be killed. We purposely obstruct the flow of blood to it and it becomes dead to us. What little of the foreskin that remains has the potential to become attached once again while the glans is healing, but, with very little effort, our desire to completely heal motivates us to keep the remaining foreskin in a retracted position until the glans has healed. Failing to keep the foreskin in a retracted position will allow the adhesions to return and will require the painful experience of breaking them once again. Likewise, at our rebirth, we make a conscious decision to kill the natural man in us. It dies and what remains is something that has gone through a painful experience, but that is cleaner and better able to remain clean. When the natural man tries to re-adhere, our abhorrence of evil and the recent painful experience that we now understand comes with evil motivates us to hold the natural man back and to not allow its influence our lives. If we do not do this and we allow the natural man to re-attach itself, the process of detachment must happen again in order for us to become completely clean and whole.
There is a minimum level of understanding that must be reached in order for the circumcision of our hearts to be effective. We have to be able to benefit from the procedure. If it is done too early, it is not of benefit. Part of the reason why the covenant of circumcision was given was so that men may "know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old." (Genesis 17:11) We learn more of this in Moroni, chapter 8:
"8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; therefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me."
Many have interpreted this scripture to mean that a physical circumcision--the removal of the foreskin from a male penis--is no longer part of any law which we need to obey. This interpretation may seem to be correct, especially in light of many of Paul's writings which seem to indicate the same. But Paul's writings don't completely do away with the practice. Rather, they condemn the practice when performed as an obligatory submission to a carnal set of commandments that would supposedly save men or when used by men to judge others as to how well they follow a carnal set of commandments. Carnal commandments, alone, don't save men. Being transformed into the image of Christ saves men. I would like to suggest, then, that the "law of circumcision" in Moroni is the circumcision of the heart and not a physical circumcision. This law of circumcision is "done away in [Christ]" because "little children are whole", "they are not capable of committing sin", "the curse of Adam is taken from them in [Christ]" and it has "no power over them". We learn from Genesis that children are not accountable before God until they are eight years old. The law of the circumcision of their hearts is of no benefit to them before they are eight years old and that law is done away in Him.
There is some debate as to whether or not circumcision is still part of Christ's gospel. For me, the symbolism of circumcision has taken on a very beautiful meaning. It illustrates the depths of humility and sorrow and submission to God that we must achieve before we can be born of God. It accurately conveys the idea that we must kill and be rid of the natural man that stifles the inner workings of the spirit in us. Truly, the covenant of circumcision is a token to be found in all who are of Abraham's house, whether by virtue of being direct seed or by virtue of adoption.
A Strong Tower
Most people are familiar with the party game called, “Jenga”. For those who aren’t, I'll give a brief description.
Fifty-four hardwood blocks form a tower. The tower is built by putting three blocks next to each other, flat, in one direction. Three more blocks are placed in the opposite direction on top of the first three blocks and this process is repeated for all of the subsequent blocks until all of the blocks are used. What results is what appears to be a fairly sturdy tower. The object of the game, however, is for each player to find a block that isn’t bearing much weight (or any weight, at all) and to remove it on his/her turn without causing the collapse of the whole tower. This starts out as an easy process since there are generally more than a few blocks that are loose and not weight-bearing, but becomes more and more difficult as the remaining blocks truly are weight-bearing.
There was a point in my search for truth where the Lord showed me that I had a “tower” of truths--what most would call “religious” truths, specifically. In a nutshell, it had been my “testimony” of what my religious organization taught. I believed that all of its pieces were true because I had been told that they were true by others and some of them had, indeed, proved to be true. After I had accepted God as my only source of truth, He showed me how I had gone to Him to find out if some of my beliefs were true, but I hadn’t bothered to ask if any of the rest were true. I just assumed that they were. I understood that if I let Him show me which blocks to remove and when, I had nothing to fear. He showed me that many of the things that I assumed were true were actually like loose Jenga blocks. They weren’t weight-bearing at all. They weren’t actually adding anything to the overall strength of the tower. In fact, some of my beliefs were so untrue that the ease of their removal from my overall paradigm was like flicking loose Jenga blocks out of the tower with my finger. They just go flying and the structure doesn’t even wobble.
I also understood that many beliefs are like the blocks that are weight-bearing. When you play Jenga, removing those blocks is what makes the game suspenseful and fun. It's fun to see if the tower can withstand the removal of one of its critical pieces or if it will crumble into a pile of blocks. If the tower falls, you can just reset everything and play again. But when you are removing "truths" that are supporting other beliefs in your life, it's not fun. It can seem absolutely terrifying because our beliefs often deal with things that we have set our hearts on. In fact, the Lord showed me that when He asks people to remove these beliefs from their tower, because they don't trust Him, most stop playing. Some just stop and admire what is left because they don't want to dismantle everything that is false at the perceived risk of losing everything that is true (not realizing that that risk doesn't exist). Some leave the game because they don't know what to do at that point. These people are often those who have been conditioned to believe that their authentic experiences with God are proofs that their religious institution and everything associated with it (doctrines, policies, practices, leaders, buildings, standards, programs, etc.) are also from God. When that is disproven by just one counterexample, they don't know how to differentiate between what is actually of God and what is not. Consequently, these people typically end up doing one of two things. They either find a way to justify the counterexample so that they can maintain the status quo or they end up abandoning everything, including their belief in God and the actual truths from Him that they once possessed. The latter can be so incensed by the perception that they have been lied to that they make their way to the opposite side of the "all-or-nothing spectrum" and mistakenly conclude that if one thing they were told to believe isn't true, none of it must be true. They purposely knock the tower down and, in a childish tantrum, refuse to play anymore. The Lord gave me a great deal of empathy for those who stop playing, for whatever reason. They miss out on the best part of the game.
In reality, the best part of the game is that the Lord builds a "strong tower". This is where the Jenga analogy has its end. What the Lord does is better than Jenga in every way. It ends in greater happiness because you finish the game with something better than you had before. It is ever-increasingly suspenseful because as your trust in the Lord grows you are able to endure situations that would have previously broken your trust in Him. The Lord doesn't just remove the weak things. He replaces them with what is strong and sure. When you let Him show you what blocks to remove, you never end up with a wobbly structure or, worse, a pile of blocks because He always, eventually, puts something better in its place. You end up with something that is sure. It is the ability to withstand your enemies. It is a place of safety and refuge in the midst of destruction. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be disturbed. It endures everything that comes against it. It is peace, anchored in love. It is Him and it is you. It is you in Him and Him in you.
"1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah." (Psalm 61)
"10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." (Proverbs 18)
Fifty-four hardwood blocks form a tower. The tower is built by putting three blocks next to each other, flat, in one direction. Three more blocks are placed in the opposite direction on top of the first three blocks and this process is repeated for all of the subsequent blocks until all of the blocks are used. What results is what appears to be a fairly sturdy tower. The object of the game, however, is for each player to find a block that isn’t bearing much weight (or any weight, at all) and to remove it on his/her turn without causing the collapse of the whole tower. This starts out as an easy process since there are generally more than a few blocks that are loose and not weight-bearing, but becomes more and more difficult as the remaining blocks truly are weight-bearing.
There was a point in my search for truth where the Lord showed me that I had a “tower” of truths--what most would call “religious” truths, specifically. In a nutshell, it had been my “testimony” of what my religious organization taught. I believed that all of its pieces were true because I had been told that they were true by others and some of them had, indeed, proved to be true. After I had accepted God as my only source of truth, He showed me how I had gone to Him to find out if some of my beliefs were true, but I hadn’t bothered to ask if any of the rest were true. I just assumed that they were. I understood that if I let Him show me which blocks to remove and when, I had nothing to fear. He showed me that many of the things that I assumed were true were actually like loose Jenga blocks. They weren’t weight-bearing at all. They weren’t actually adding anything to the overall strength of the tower. In fact, some of my beliefs were so untrue that the ease of their removal from my overall paradigm was like flicking loose Jenga blocks out of the tower with my finger. They just go flying and the structure doesn’t even wobble.
I also understood that many beliefs are like the blocks that are weight-bearing. When you play Jenga, removing those blocks is what makes the game suspenseful and fun. It's fun to see if the tower can withstand the removal of one of its critical pieces or if it will crumble into a pile of blocks. If the tower falls, you can just reset everything and play again. But when you are removing "truths" that are supporting other beliefs in your life, it's not fun. It can seem absolutely terrifying because our beliefs often deal with things that we have set our hearts on. In fact, the Lord showed me that when He asks people to remove these beliefs from their tower, because they don't trust Him, most stop playing. Some just stop and admire what is left because they don't want to dismantle everything that is false at the perceived risk of losing everything that is true (not realizing that that risk doesn't exist). Some leave the game because they don't know what to do at that point. These people are often those who have been conditioned to believe that their authentic experiences with God are proofs that their religious institution and everything associated with it (doctrines, policies, practices, leaders, buildings, standards, programs, etc.) are also from God. When that is disproven by just one counterexample, they don't know how to differentiate between what is actually of God and what is not. Consequently, these people typically end up doing one of two things. They either find a way to justify the counterexample so that they can maintain the status quo or they end up abandoning everything, including their belief in God and the actual truths from Him that they once possessed. The latter can be so incensed by the perception that they have been lied to that they make their way to the opposite side of the "all-or-nothing spectrum" and mistakenly conclude that if one thing they were told to believe isn't true, none of it must be true. They purposely knock the tower down and, in a childish tantrum, refuse to play anymore. The Lord gave me a great deal of empathy for those who stop playing, for whatever reason. They miss out on the best part of the game.
In reality, the best part of the game is that the Lord builds a "strong tower". This is where the Jenga analogy has its end. What the Lord does is better than Jenga in every way. It ends in greater happiness because you finish the game with something better than you had before. It is ever-increasingly suspenseful because as your trust in the Lord grows you are able to endure situations that would have previously broken your trust in Him. The Lord doesn't just remove the weak things. He replaces them with what is strong and sure. When you let Him show you what blocks to remove, you never end up with a wobbly structure or, worse, a pile of blocks because He always, eventually, puts something better in its place. You end up with something that is sure. It is the ability to withstand your enemies. It is a place of safety and refuge in the midst of destruction. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be disturbed. It endures everything that comes against it. It is peace, anchored in love. It is Him and it is you. It is you in Him and Him in you.
"1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah." (Psalm 61)
"10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." (Proverbs 18)
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