Saturday, July 4, 2020

בסדר

There is a very common expression in Israel—one that can be heard on multiple occasions on any given day. It is “בסדר” (pronounced, “beh-seh-dehr”).  The literal meaning of this expression is “in order”. It is used much like the way Americans would use “It’s okay!” or “That’s fine!” or “It is well!”  If someone apologizes to you after bumping into you on a crowded street, you would say, “בסדר”—“It’s okay!”  If someone invites you to dinner on an evening that works for you, you would say “בסדר”—“That’s fine!”  If someone asks you how life is, you would say, “בסדר”—“It is well!”  It conveys the idea that when things are good, it is because they are “in order”, and that when all things are in their proper order, all things are “good”. 

In LDS vernacular, we come across the word “order” and its derivatives fairly often. We ordain people. That process is called an ordination. We participate in ordinances. The scriptures speak about a holy order of the priesthood. I don’t think that we think on these things very often or very deeply. Much could be said on these topics, but it should be very obvious that God is a God of order and that one of his purposes is to bring His order to us and to bring us to His order.  It is only this order that results in lasting happiness.