"... if every heart were set upon doing right, we then should have Zion here. I will give you my reason for thinking so. It is because I have had it with me ever since I was baptized into this kingdom. I have not been without it from that day to this. I have, therefore, a good reason for the assertion I have made. I live and walk in Zion every day, and so do thousands of others in this Church and kingdom, they carry Zion with them, they have one of their own, and it is increasing, growing, and spreading continually. Suppose it spreads from heart to heart, from neighborhood to neighborhood, from city to city, and from nation to nation, how long would it be before the earth would become revolutionized, and the wheat gathered from among the tares? The wheat and tares, however, must grow together until harvest. I am not, there- [p. 5a] fore, disposed to separate them yet, for if we pluck up the tares before the harvest, we may destroy some of the good seed, therefore let them grow together, and by and by the harvest will come."
-Brigham Young, JD 1:4
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
"Be thou ... to God-ward"
The text of the title of this post comes from Ex 18:19, but the thought comes from Exodus 25.
It makes sense that, following preparing the people of Israel to come into the presence of the Lord by causing them to receive all his commandments by covenant (see Ex 24:7-8), when Moses went and spoke with the Lord in the mount, the first revelation was for the preparation of a portable temple (the tabernacle).
As part of that revelation came the instructions on the building of the Ark of the Covenant. (I suppose that we could talk about the significance of it being an Ark, and the comparison with the Arks of Noah and the Jaredites in terms of symbols and meanings, but perhaps we can come back to that another time. You'll also find that an approximation of the golden ratio - a symbol of eternity and of life - is involved in the dimensions of the Ark.)
On the top of the Ark was the mercy seat (or atonement-cover - See footnote a here). Two cherubim were to be fashioned to go atop the mercy seat, their faces towards the centre of the mercy seat and each other, and their wings outstretched to encircle it about. This concourse of angels (i.e. the cherubim and their wings form a circle) around God in the centre is a powerful symbol that we find in other holy scenarios, such as in one of Lehi's visions.
I found the thought that their faces and their wings were "to God-ward" (i.e. towards God) to be significant. Their attention, or focus, was with eyes single to God's glory, in the place of which He said, "And there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat..." That they have turned to God reminded me of one of the Hebrew roots for the word repentance, shuwb (return, turn back); a powerful symbol of atonement. The fact that they also see each other with God in the centre suggested to me the need to see each other from God's perspective (or "through" God), for "...the Lord looketh on the heart".
Their wings, being symbolic of "power, to move, to act...", show that our desires and our actions must be to God-wards, stretched out to His mercy, but also to be used in reaching out to our brothers and sisters (symbolised by the other cherub in the circle). This union with God, being encircled in his love, happens as all in the circle become unified in focus and in desire and in service to God and each other.
These were some of the thoughts I had. One day we shall not only see the Ark, but understand its full meaning.
It makes sense that, following preparing the people of Israel to come into the presence of the Lord by causing them to receive all his commandments by covenant (see Ex 24:7-8), when Moses went and spoke with the Lord in the mount, the first revelation was for the preparation of a portable temple (the tabernacle).
As part of that revelation came the instructions on the building of the Ark of the Covenant. (I suppose that we could talk about the significance of it being an Ark, and the comparison with the Arks of Noah and the Jaredites in terms of symbols and meanings, but perhaps we can come back to that another time. You'll also find that an approximation of the golden ratio - a symbol of eternity and of life - is involved in the dimensions of the Ark.)
On the top of the Ark was the mercy seat (or atonement-cover - See footnote a here). Two cherubim were to be fashioned to go atop the mercy seat, their faces towards the centre of the mercy seat and each other, and their wings outstretched to encircle it about. This concourse of angels (i.e. the cherubim and their wings form a circle) around God in the centre is a powerful symbol that we find in other holy scenarios, such as in one of Lehi's visions.
I found the thought that their faces and their wings were "to God-ward" (i.e. towards God) to be significant. Their attention, or focus, was with eyes single to God's glory, in the place of which He said, "And there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat..." That they have turned to God reminded me of one of the Hebrew roots for the word repentance, shuwb (return, turn back); a powerful symbol of atonement. The fact that they also see each other with God in the centre suggested to me the need to see each other from God's perspective (or "through" God), for "...the Lord looketh on the heart".
Their wings, being symbolic of "power, to move, to act...", show that our desires and our actions must be to God-wards, stretched out to His mercy, but also to be used in reaching out to our brothers and sisters (symbolised by the other cherub in the circle). This union with God, being encircled in his love, happens as all in the circle become unified in focus and in desire and in service to God and each other.
These were some of the thoughts I had. One day we shall not only see the Ark, but understand its full meaning.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Prophets and Prophecy
Recently, a friend of mine told me how the claim was made that if any prophecies were made by Joseph Smith that were not fulfilled, that this proved that he is not a prophet. We'd discussed the idea that a group of us wanted to get together and have group scripture study, and that issue - along with understanding what prophets are, and what prophecy is, became the theme for the event.
Last night, we held that group scripture study. (Incidentally, group scripture study would have to be one of my favourite types of social events - an opportunity for us to gather and share testimony and truth and the Spirit, instead of focusing on some of the trivial things that sometimes get discussed around the dinner table!) It was wonderful.
I'd spent some time in the afternoon, reading and pondering and praying about the topic we would be considering. As is typical, some of what I studied related directly to what we would talk about, but I was also led onto related tangents. I didn't get to share all the scriptures and thoughts that I had from my own study, and I wanted to share them somehow. So some of those thoughts and scriptures follow. (Several of them came up last night as well.)
First: Re: How a prophet or prophecy is judged. 2 Peter 1:20-21 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men spake as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost."
Since prophecy is not understood by private interpretation, how is it to be understood? "And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? If it be some other way, it is not of God. Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth? Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which does not edify is not of God, and is darkness."
Some have accused some of Joseph Smith's prophecies as not being fulfilled because they are not yet fulfilled, and apply their own definitions to the words given to him. God tells us that these things are to be understood by the Spirit of truth, and not some other way not of God. Frankly, the twisting and misunderstanding I have seen in anti-mormon literature regarding Joseph Smith's prophecies has been pitiable. By some of the standards used, prophets of the Old and New Testaments are false prophets. Jonah 3:4 provides an example of this - Jonah prophesied of the destruction of Nineveh within 40 days. The people repented. God did not destroy them or the city. False prophecy? Hardly. Conditional prophecy in which the condition is not explicitly stated? Obviously. Curses are conditional on wickedness, just as blessings are conditional upon obedience (righteousness). This is overlooked many times by those without the Spirit of truth in them.
And I'm out of time for the moment. To be continued with much more from 2 Peter 1, plus D&C 121, Moses 4, and D&C 29. If any one reading likes, feel free to look at these (in that order), see where the Spirit takes your thoughts as you ponder, and post some comments up. We can continue the group scripture study here.
Last night, we held that group scripture study. (Incidentally, group scripture study would have to be one of my favourite types of social events - an opportunity for us to gather and share testimony and truth and the Spirit, instead of focusing on some of the trivial things that sometimes get discussed around the dinner table!) It was wonderful.
I'd spent some time in the afternoon, reading and pondering and praying about the topic we would be considering. As is typical, some of what I studied related directly to what we would talk about, but I was also led onto related tangents. I didn't get to share all the scriptures and thoughts that I had from my own study, and I wanted to share them somehow. So some of those thoughts and scriptures follow. (Several of them came up last night as well.)
First: Re: How a prophet or prophecy is judged. 2 Peter 1:20-21 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men spake as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost."
Since prophecy is not understood by private interpretation, how is it to be understood? "And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? If it be some other way, it is not of God. Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth? Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which does not edify is not of God, and is darkness."
Some have accused some of Joseph Smith's prophecies as not being fulfilled because they are not yet fulfilled, and apply their own definitions to the words given to him. God tells us that these things are to be understood by the Spirit of truth, and not some other way not of God. Frankly, the twisting and misunderstanding I have seen in anti-mormon literature regarding Joseph Smith's prophecies has been pitiable. By some of the standards used, prophets of the Old and New Testaments are false prophets. Jonah 3:4 provides an example of this - Jonah prophesied of the destruction of Nineveh within 40 days. The people repented. God did not destroy them or the city. False prophecy? Hardly. Conditional prophecy in which the condition is not explicitly stated? Obviously. Curses are conditional on wickedness, just as blessings are conditional upon obedience (righteousness). This is overlooked many times by those without the Spirit of truth in them.
And I'm out of time for the moment. To be continued with much more from 2 Peter 1, plus D&C 121, Moses 4, and D&C 29. If any one reading likes, feel free to look at these (in that order), see where the Spirit takes your thoughts as you ponder, and post some comments up. We can continue the group scripture study here.
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