Quotable

"... 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

"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.

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.

Quotable

From Hugh Nibley's "A House of Glory":

Fasting is the most effective way to slacken the grasp of this telestial world on the mind and to move toward another ambiance. To fast is to do without some normal necessities; your everyday considerations must be put aside because you will be doing other things that require a totally different mind set. To fast is to disengage from the temporal and wasteful activities of the "real world."

Quotable

The following was quoted in a talk by Elder Joseph Anderson.

“The old world was destroyed for rejecting the revelations of God given to them through Noah. The Israelites were destroyed in the wilderness for despising the revelations given to them through Moses; and Christ said that the world, in the days of the apostles, would be condemned for not receiving the word of God through them: thus we see that the judgments of God in the past ages have come upon the people, not so much for neglecting the revelations given to their forefathers, as for rejecting those given immediately to themselves.” (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 1, pp. 277–78.)

Quotable

The following is from a talk by Patriarch Eldred G. Smith, from the October 1974 General Conference.

The story is told that Satan called a council of his agents and asked how they would combat the forces of righteousness. One said, “I’ll go and tell them it isn’t true.” Satan said, “No, that wouldn’t do.” The second said, “I’ll tell them it’s only half true.” “No,” Satan said, “that’s not enough.” The third said, “I’ll go and tell them it’s all true, but there is no need to hurry.” “Go,” Satan said. “That will get them every time.”

Talk: Fathers and Sons

I spoke at District General Priesthood meeting earlier this week. The text of my talk is largely a rewrite (with very few additions) of Elder Ballard's talk from Oct 2009, "Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship".

Fathers and Sons

If we pay attention to the voices of prophetic warning, we can detect a number of recurring themes. Many of those themes relate to what we recognise is an ongoing and increasing assault on the family. Tonight my remarks focus on what Elder Ballard once called the remarkable relationship between fathers and sons.[1] Many of my comments are drawn directly from Elder Ballard’s words from the Priesthood session of October General Conference 2009, and, as Elder Ballard noted, this talk is relevant also to uncles, grandfathers, leaders, and mentors. So, there are elements of relevance for all of us. 

The relationship between father and son can have a profound impact on what boys and dads become. Interaction between each other plays a major part in developing that relationship. Consequently, Elder Ballard has counselled us to think about how we talk with each other. And while mortal father-son relationships are never perfect, the promise to us is that they can be strengthening and joyful relationships beyond what we already enjoy if we follow three basic points of counsel. Those three points are different for fathers from sons, but note that they are deliberately related. 

First, to the young men: 

…You are your father’s pride and joy. In you they see a promising future and their hope for a better, improved version of themselves. Your accomplishments are a joy to them. Your worries and problems are their worries and problems.[2]

Elder Ballard suggests the following three things for you, in talking with your fathers.

First, trust your father. He loves you, and he would never do anything that he didn’t think was in your best interest. He is even entitled to revelation on your behalf, to help you. His counsel, though, is limited to how well he understands what is happening in your life. Trust your father enough to talk to him about the things you care about, your dreams and goals, and the things that make you worried. When you show that you trust your father by confiding in him, he will feel the responsibility of that trust and try harder. trust your father. 

Second, take an interest in your father’s life. Pay attention to the things he likes, ask him about the work he does, and take note of how he interacts with others. Watch how he treats your mother, other people, and his church callings. This will help you to understand why he responds the way that he does. Your admiration, love, and understanding for your father will increase. 

Third, ask your father for advice. Your father probably gives you advice already, whether you want it or not, but if you ask for it, he will do a better job of giving the advice. Ask for advice on friends, school, Church activity, sports and other hobbies, assignments, dating, or anything else that is concerns you. When you ask him for advice, it sends him a message: ‘I appreciate what you know and the experiences you have had, and I value your ideas and suggestions.’ Apart from encouraging him to give you better counsel, asking for advice from your father will help him step up and do better at ‘walking the talk’. 

Nephi is an excellent example from the scriptures of these principles. Can you imagine your father coming to you and saying, “Son, we’re going on a hunting, boating and camping trip.” Sounds like fun! How long will we be gone? “Eight years for the hunting, months boating, and then we’re never coming back to everything you know here. We’ll be hungry, cold, in almost constant danger, and we don’t actually know where we’re going yet. But God will lead us there through visions that I see.” With only slight embellishment, this was the situation that Nephi faced. His brothers complained,[3] but Nephi trusted his father. He prayed about what his father was doing, received a witness from the Lord, and obediently followed the guidance of his father thereafter.[4] Nephi took an interest in the things that Lehi did; following his father’s account of the dream of the tree of life,[5] Nephi went to the Lord in prayer again, desiring to see and hear and know by the power of the Holy Ghost those same things that his father had been given.[6] How much easier to pay attention to his father’s visions it would have been, after having witnessed one of those visions for himself! Finally, Nephi asked his father for advice. When Nephi’s bow broke, we read that the family suffered because they had no food. All but Nephi complained over how God could allow them to suffer so, including Lehi. Nephi responded by making a new bow, before going to his father. ‘Whither shall I go to obtain food?’ he asked, showing his trust in his father’s leadership. Lehi responded by repenting of his poor behaviour, and going to the Lord in prayer for direction to give to his son. Nephi found food, and the family was saved.[7]

 

Young men, trust your fathers, take an interest in their lives, and ask them for advice. It will bless you, and it will bless your fathers.

Now, to the fathers and to those who play similar roles:

…You are the primary model of manhood for your sons. You are their most meaningful mentor, and believe it or not, you are their hero in countless ways. Your words and your example are a great influence on them.[8]

Elder Ballard suggests the following three things for you, in talking with your sons.

First, listen to your sons. Listen carefully, and listen some more. Stephen Covey once presented a mock scenario of poor listening, wherein a mother presses her son to confide in her as to what was bothering him. When at last he opens up to tell her the beginning, saying that he just doesn’t like school anymore, her immediate response is, “What? What do you mean you don’t like school? And after all the sacrifices we’ve made for your education!” She continues with such phrases as “apply yourself”, “settle down”, “be more like your sister”, and so on.[9] The problem is that she only listened enough to get one tiny bit of information, and then tried to solve the whole issue on that basis! The purpose of listening – really listening – is to understand. Don’t worry about rushing in to try and solve or answer things. It is more important that your son knows you understand him. Listening without judging will still involve you opening your mouth, though, to ask the right kind of questions – questions that show you care and want to understand better. Every father needs at least one quality, focused conversation with his sons every month. Make time for this one-on-one time. Fathers, listen to your sons. 

Second, pray with and for your sons. One-on-one prayer and the sharing of testimonies can draw you closer to each other, as well as closer to the Lord. Alma took time to share his testimony and prayers with his three sons, including Corianton who had become wayward.[10] All three grew into great spiritual leaders. Enos remembered the testimony and prayers of his father Jacob, until one day his soul hungered, and he knelt in life-changing prayer.[11] Give your sons priesthood blessings. Elder Holland recently counselled that we don’t give priesthood blessings in our families often enough.[12] For sons that have strayed, do all you can to maintain strong family relationships, and keep praying. Alma the Elder and King Mosiah prayed with great faith for their sons. In time, an angel appeared to Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah, leading to difficult but cleansing repentance.[13] All of them became great missionaries and leaders. Fathers, pray with and for your sons. 

Third, dare to have the big talks with your sons. Talk to them about drugs, drinking, the danger of today’s media (including pornography), priesthood worthiness, respect for girls, and moral cleanliness. These big issues should not be the only things that you talk about, but don’t shy away from them. The world is talking about such issues all the time, but the message it sends to your sons is harmful and wrong. You need to speak up and teach your sons. You need to have open and frequent conversations that teach and clarify to young men about sexual matters in particular. Alma did this with his son Corianton, who had left his missionary work and fallen into sexual sin. Alma didn’t shy away from explaining the seriousness of the sin, and bore powerful testimony of correct doctrine.[14] Corianton repented and was called back to the work. Note that studies show that the biggest deterrent to casual sexual activity is a wholesome attitude that connects such personal relationships with genuine commitment and mature love. Fathers, dare to have the big talks with your sons. 

If we follow this counsel from Elder Ballard, the promise is that our father-son relationships will become stronger and bring us joy. I bear you my testimony that I have felt and tasted of the truth of Elder Ballard’s words. I pray that we all might rise up and do what we have heard. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

---

[1] M Russell Ballard, “Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 47

[2] M Russell Ballard, “Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 47

[3] 1 Nephi 2:11

[4] 1 Nephi 2:16

[5] 1 Nephi 8

[6] 1 Nephi 10:17

[7] 1 Nephi 16

[8] M Russell Ballard, “Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 47

[9] Covey, Stephen R (2004), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 237

[10] Alma 36-42

[11] Enos 1

[12] See Worldwide Leadership Training February 2011, “Discussion on Priesthood Principles”, < http://lds.org/broadcasts/archive/worldwide-leadership-training/2011/02?lang=eng>

[13] Mosiah 27

[14] Alma 39-42