Sharing

One of the young adult members talked during the meetings today about sharing the Gospel in a way that has me examining myself. 

It's harder to share the things you believe in if you don't want the person you're sharing them with to find greater happiness in what you share.

Unpacking that a bit: 

To have the love of Christ in you is to want other people to be happy. 

To feel the love of Christ towards you is to believe you can and should be happy, and to want that happiness yourself.

If what you believe it isn't making you happy, why should you want to share it?

Or, rather, if you aren't sharing it with them out of the love of Christ in you for them -- out of the desire for them to find greater happiness in what you share -- it's going to be that much harder to share.

This may have something to do with why people seem to be a little stand-offish when I tell them about what I know is true. I really need to think about my attitude towards life, God, and other people.

Drinking Upstream from the Cows, Not Downstream

J. Richard Clarke, at the time, 2nd counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, gave a talk on the scriptures in the October session of conference in which, among many useful things, he mentioned a bit of colorful advice that Elder Marion J. Romney apparently gave on several different occasions in public and in private. It was advice that resonated with me, and still resonates with me (and many others):

I don’t know much about the gospel other than what I’ve learned from the standard works. When I drink from a spring I like to get the water where it comes out of the ground, not down the stream after the cattle have waded in it. … I appreciate other people’s interpretation, but when it comes to the gospel we ought to be acquainted with what the Lord says.

He quotes a bit more from counsel given to seminary and institute coordinators in 1973. I've linked it up there, go read it.

Elder F. Burton Howard was another who quoted Elder Romney on this, in an article in the New Era from 1985, although his version was from private conversation. (Good article on giving and getting, although some may think the language dated.)

Think about this:

Get the water where it comes out of the ground, not downstream where the cows have been wading in it.

And I'm tempted to wax eloquent (or not) about this, but, to make the point more clear, I'll stop here.

Isaiah, the Jews, and All Their Lands of Promise, and the Marvelous Work and Wonder

Some verses from the Book of Mormon are of interest to me, to start with, starting with 2nd Nephi 1:

1 And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the ^acovenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

2 That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be ^arestored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be ^bgathered home to the ^clands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.

A few interesting points to be gleaned from this, 

• One, is that there are more than one land of inheritance, and more than one land of promise. 
• Two, is that the covenants of the Lord are with all the house of Israel.

Continuing, we can examine Jacob 5, a chapter which many consider rather long and tedious, but, which to careful perusal contains nothing if not a careful and rather complete allegory showing that the ten lost tribes of Israel have been hidden in plain sight -- throughout the world. Drawing from a couple of representative verses, perhaps I can encourage the reader to examine the chapter for him- or herself:

63 Graft in the branches; begin at the ^alast that they may be first, and that the first may be ^blast, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last; and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the last time.

...

67 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into the natural tree;

68 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural ^afruit, and they shall be one.

And finally, before entering into my primary thought from the Sunday School lesson today,  from 2nd Nephi 26:

33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he ^ainviteth them ^ball to ^ccome unto him and partake of his goodness; and he ^ddenieth none that come unto him, black and white, ^ebond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the ^fheathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

Black and white, bond and free, male and female, Jew, Gentile, and heathen, all are alike unto God.

Which of the human races of this earth is the chosen human race? The entire human race.

With that in mind, we were studying Isaiah today.

My reading of Isaiah chapter 1:

1 The ^avision of ^bIsaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning ^cJudah and Jerusalem in the days of ^dUzziah, ^eJotham, ^fAhaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Every tribe, every country and people of this world has its own land of promise;  every land of promise has its City of Peace, its Jerusalem and its New Jerusalem.

2 ^aHear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have ^brebelled against me.

All God's children, the entire human race, is brought up and nourished by God, and then we all of us rebel.

3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s ^acrib: but Israel doth not ^bknow, my people doth not consider.

How many humans do you know that refuse to consider the possibility that they are themselves children of God?

4 Ah ^asinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, ^bchildren that are ^ccorrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto ^danger, they are gone away backward.

What is the anger of God besides the natural consequences of our own bad choices? If we chose to walk off the edge of a cliff, the pain of the sudden impact at the end of the journey is nothing more or less than the anger of a just God, giving us the consequences we, by our choices, persist in asking for.

5 ¶ Why should ye be ^astricken any more? ye will ^brevolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart ^cfaint.

We don't like it when the results of our choices are painful to others and to ourselves. 

You know, we tend not to mind so much the pain others endure because of our decisions and actions, but we do mind the reminders. 

And we shouldn't. We complain when the good results we expect are denied us, why should we complain when the bad results are not? In truth, bad results are good if they lead us to repent -- to turn ourselves to return to God. And good results are bad if they lead us away.

6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been ^aclosed, neither bound up, neither ^bmollified with ointment.

How many wounds have you tried to heal lately? How many have you made worse?

7 Your ^acountry is ^bdesolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, ^cstrangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

(Biting my tongue, here.)

8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a ^avineyard, as ^ba lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small ^aremnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

The daughter of Zion? That's you and me.

10 ¶ Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of ^aSodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

What good does it do for us to seek power over others when we refuse to exercise power over ourselves to any good purpose?

11 To what purpose is the multitude of your ^asacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I ^bdelight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

What should we do with our formalities, our laws and rules that we use to hedge up the way of others and keep them from knowing heaven?

13 Bring no more ^avain ^boblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and ^csabbaths, the calling of ^dassemblies, I cannot ^eaway with; it is ^finiquity, even the ^gsolemn meeting.

14 Your new ^amoons and your appointed ^bfeasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am ^cweary to bear them.

What should we do with our traditions that celebrate what should not be celebrated?

15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many ^aprayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of ^bblood.

Why should we try to claim truth is on our side when there are truths that we refuse to claim?

16 ¶ ^aWash you, make you ^bclean; put away the ^cevil of your doings from before mine eyes; ^dcease to do evil;

17 ^aLearn to do ^bwell; seek ^cjudgment, ^drelieve the oppressed, ^ejudge the fatherless, plead for the ^fwidow.

If we repent, if we turn our hearts and minds towards God, if we change our choices and begin to do the good things that we can do, 

18 Come now, and let us ^areason together, saith the Lord: though your ^bsins be as scarlet, they shall be as ^cwhite as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

...

Skipping forward a bit, 

13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people ^adraw near me with their ^bmouth, and with their lips do ^chonour me, but have ^dremoved their ^eheart far from me, and their ^ffear toward me is taught by the ^gprecept of men:

We love to talk about truth and science with our lips while we reject the very source of truth and object of scientific study with our moment-to-moment choices.

We teach the way men teach -- we put on a show, we dazzle the eyes, we appeal to the intellect. Our respect of truth and nature is taught by the precepts, or wisdom, of human understanding. 

Trying to touch the infinite with our finite minds, with our hearts veiled by mortality, is not really bad, or it would not be, if we never forget that we have not yet touched as long as we are still mortal, as long as we are subject to the laws of thermodynamics, no matter how far we go before we pass through the veil of death and find that entropy is only for mortals.

We cannot comprehend it all and remain in this life. Why do we pretend to?

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a ^amarvelous ^bwork among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the ^cwisdom of their wise men shall ^dperish, and the ^eunderstanding of their ^fprudent men shall be hid.

A marvelous work and a wonder ...

In Japanese, a marvelous work is 「驚おどろくべきわざ」。 Odoroku-beki waza. A work which must cause surprise, must be marveled at. 

And a wonder is 「不思議ふしぎ」。 Fushigi. A (righteous) thing rarely, if ever, seen.

It is a wonder that the human mind should ever consider the journey complete, should ever believe that all the evidence is in.

It is even more of a wonder that God will forgive us when we put our arrogance aside and ask if there isn't something more to be learned. 

It is a thing rarely seen when we set aside our ambitions for power to do things that help us not.

It is even more of a wonderful thing that God will always help us when we do, if we are patient enough to really set aside those ambitions.

15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their ^acounsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who ^bseeth us? and who knoweth us?

16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the ^awork say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18 ¶ And in that ^aday shall the deaf hear the words of the ^bbook, and the ^ceyes of the blind shall see out of ^dobscurity, and out of darkness.

19 The meek also shall increase their ^ajoy in the Lord, and the ^bpoor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

The poor among men.

What is it about the wealth of the world that keeps us out of heaven every day?

Hmm. Giving it all away and starving oneself to death is not usually recommended, even for the obscenely rich. Not usually.

It's rather simple, although it usually incurs the wrath of the board of directors when the board of directors is a bunch of mortal humans who are still controlled by their ambition, their passion for power that will help them not to be happy.

Start by cleaning up after your industry. Carbon footprint would not matter nearly as much if we weren't busy spewing it out randomly and recklessly in the environment. 

Start by paying your workers something close to what they are really worth. If they quit working, you think you could replace them, but it costs to replace them, and you lose something when they go. You can't really pay them what they are worth, because they are worth more than your profits. But you can get a bit closer, if you're willing to let some of that profit that does not really profit get away from you. 

If you let that profit go to those who make it for you, it ends up coming back to you. That's one of the ways that industry beats entropy and increases value in the economy.

Start by reaching out to those important to you, family, friends, neighbors, and go from their.

This is the marvelous work and a wonder.

Lake of Fire and Brimstone, Child of Hell

Lake of fire and brimstone is the warm death of maximum entropy, but it is also the psychological/emotional state of those who refuse to allow God to help them.

Child of Hell when Jesus uses the term is not a insult. It is, again, a description of the psychological and emotional state of people who don't know how to let God help them.

I know because I have been there.

Hell is a state of mind. If you find yourself there, it's time to believe that God really isn't your enemy. It's time to reach out and let Him help you.

Dialog About God, part A

(Two primary grade teachers preparing lessons at neighboring desks.)

 J: How can people even believe in God?

M: (Says nothing.)

J: I mean, what proof do they have?

M: I've always known God exists.

J: (Frowns.)

M: (Keeps working.)

J: So are you saying you've seen God or something?

M: What if I say I have? Would you believe?

J: No. 

M: You would accuse me of deluding myself, or of being duplicitous, would you not?

J: Proof is proof. What kind of proof do you have?

M: I have no proof I can offer you.

J: But you've always believed.

M: I didn't say that.

J: (Shakes her head.) You just said that you've always believed in God.

M: I said I have always known that God exists.

J: So you've always believed.

M: I didn't say that.

J: I hate talking to you about anything. It always ends up going in circles.

M: Conversation should be two-way, shouldn't it?

J: So tell me.

M: So listen.

J: Okay, so what is this "always"?

M: (Looks up and meets J's questioning gaze.)

J: I mean, always means back in high school? middle school? grade school?

M: Before grade school. Way before.

J: How can a kid that young understand God?

M: (Goes back to work.) I don't know any adults who understand God very well.

J: (Also returns to work.) Just you, huh?

M: Did I say that?

J: But that's what you mean.

M: What's what I mean?

J: Going around in circles again?

M: I'm guessing I'm going to have to guess at what you are asking. When I say I don't know any adults who understand God well, I include myself.

J: But not really. 

M: No. Really.

J: But you understand God better than me.

(Both work in silence for a few minutes.)

J: You do think you understand God better than me.

M: Is that what it boils down to, a question of pride?

J: So I'm supposed to be humble, but you're not?

M: (Stops working and turns to face J.)

J: (Keeps working.)

M: You're better at teaching math than I am.

J: True.

M: You help me when I ask.

J: Of course.

M: I don't complain when I have to ask you for help, do I?

J: Sometimes.

M: (Thinks for a moment, then nods his head.) Okay, maybe I do. (Returns to working.)

(Both work in silence for a minute or two.)

J: But you've always believed in God.

M: How many of the children that you teach know that one plus one makes two?

J: There are a couple of kids who can't always seem to remember it, but what's that got to do with anything?

M: How many actually believe it?

J: (Laughs.) Good point. More than half don't really believe it means anything. They're just good at memorizing and repeating the arithmetic.

M: How many understand the full implications of addition and subtraction of integers?

J: (Thinks for a moment.) Actually, I have a couple of students who seems to get the concept of a ring, and of a series within a ring.

M: The students all have different understanding of what numbers are, right? And yet most of your students can do basic addition and subtraction.

J: They all can, most of the time.

M: Does that mean that any student is any smarter than any other?

J: Smarter at math.

M: Smarter at one part of math, maybe not at other parts.

(Again they both work in silence for a half a minute.)

J: So I'm too dumb to do basic theology.

M: Theology is man's study of God. It often has little-to-nothing to do with God, as I understand God.

J: So you know more than the experts.

M: Well, for my purposes, I guess I know more than most of the so-called experts. For their purposes, I don't think I do, and I'm not sure I care. They have different purposes from me.

J: And you just generally don't trust experts anyway.

M: Especially about religion.

J: So that makes you the expert.

M: No, but I do know more about what I know than the experts know about what I know.

J: What does that have to do with God? You don't own God.

M: Excellent question.

J: (Thinks for a moment.) But now it sounds like you're saying that whatever you believe is just fine.

M: (Doesn't say anything.)

J: But you can't really be saying that. 

M: You -- (Stops and starts over.) People have to start with what they know and what they can believe.

J: What if we don't want to start going that direction?

M: Then you don't.

J: And that's fine?

M: Well, yes.

J: You're lying.

M: Not (Pauses.) telling the whole truth, but not telling lies.  

J: So what's the whole truth?

M: Everybody dies eventually.

J: And that's the end.

M: Of this life. Not of the soul.

J: And, according to you, I have to face the justice of God when I die, so I'd better be a good little girl in this world.

M: Did I say that?

J: You were going to.

M: Let me ask you, what does it mean to be a good little girl?

J: Follow your rules.

M: Not my rules.

J: Your God's rules.

M: (Thinks for a moment.) My God or your God?

J: I have no God. I don't believe.

M: Because you don't want to give me a chance to say you have to obey my rules?

J: No. Because there is no God. (Looks up at the wall clock.) I've got to get to my class.

M: Ah. Me, too.

Personal Notes from Mark L. Pace, "Conversion Is Our Goal" -- マーク L. ペイスの「改心が私達の目標です」からの個人ノート

From listening to Mark L. Pace's talk, "Conversion Is Our Goal":
マーク L. ペイスの話の「改心が私達の目標です」からの個人ノート：

• Conversion doesn't happen all at once. It requires consistent, daily efforts and the influence of the Holy Spirit -- and patience. It's a lifelong process.
  改心が瞬間的に完了するものではない。毎日の一貫した努力と聖なる御霊の影響と、忍耐をも必須です。生涯に渡る過程のです。
  
  
• Another person's experiences and insights may be helpful, but they won't save us. Only through our own experience applying our own insights that we receive directly from the Holy Spirit can open us up to the redemption that the Savior offers us. 
  人の経験談や見識によって助かることがあれば、救われることはめったにない。唯一、私達が自分自身、直接、御霊により授けられる見識などを応用することによって得た経験だけが、救い主が差し伸べる贖罪に、私達一人ひとりを開くことになるのです。
  
  
• Study the scriptures looking for what the Spirit would teach us from them.
  その聖文から聖霊が何を教えてくださるかを探りながら勉強する。
  
  
• I probably need to take more notes from my scripture study. (Thus, these notes.)
  聖文の勉強から習っていることをもっと書き留めたほうが良いでしょう。（したがってこの覚書。）
  
  
• There are several ways that we can know when the Holy Spirit is teaching us. They all involve recognizing the light the Spirit brings into our minds and hearts.
  聖霊が導いてくださるときに気がつく方法は幾らかあるが、それぞれ心にもたらされる聖霊の光を認識して見極めることが関わるのです。
  
  
• It's good for spouses to study together and share perspectives with each other.
  伴侶が一緒に勉強してそれぞれの捉え方をわけることが望ましいこと。
  
  
• Adam, Eve, and the other Patriarchs of the Old Testament are trustworthy guides.
  旧約聖書に出るアダム、エバやとその他の創始者（族長）は相応しく信頼できる案内人足る。
  
  
• The ancient Passover includes the tokens of the blood and body of the first born. Those tokens direct us to protection from the plagues that would take our children away from us.
  古代の過ぎ越し祭は長子の血と体の印を含んでいます。その印は私達の子供たちを奪う世界の蔓延る災難を防ぐ防御へ導くのです。
  
  
• Acting in faith frees us from spiritual captivity.
  信仰をもって行動することによって霊的束縛から開放されるのです。
  
  
• Obeying in spite of a lack of understanding brings us to understanding and faith if we seek for understanding and faith as we do so.
  不理解にも関わらず従うことは、理解と信仰を求めながら行動するなら、理解と信仰に導くのです。
  
  
• Studying the gospel at home has lasting effect, bringing the light and joy (delight) of the gospel into our homes and families and helping defend our homes and families from the influence of the adversary of our souls.
  お家で福音を勉強することは継続する効力を持っている。それは家と親族に光と喜びを入り込ませ、敵対するものの力と影響に対しての防御を助ける。
  
  
• It would be interesting to read or hear testimonies from those who participated in the first Passover, but we can listen to the testimonies of those around us who follow the prophet's counsel to study the Gospel at home.
  最初の過ぎ越し祭の証を読んだり聞いたり擦るのはおもしろいでしょうけど、周りに居る家で聖文を勉強するように薦める預言者の勧告に従う方々の証を聞くことができます。
  
  
• Miracles do happen.
  奇跡は実際にある。
  
  
• Eternal life begins at home.
  永遠たる命はお家から発生。
  

From Today's Meetings, a Little about Abominations and Redemptions -- 今日の集会から〜忌まわしいものや、贖いについての本の少し

今日の集会から、その１
From today's meetings, part (1)

教義と聖約８８書
Doctrine and Covenants 88

• ８０〜９２節：用意するが良い。物質てきは兎に角、霊的に。
  vs. 80~92: It's time to prepare — materially, yes, but spiritually.
   
• ７９節：お互いに教え合うべきこと。
  v. 79: We should be teaching each other.
  
  
• ８５節：忌まわしい荒廃（今はウクライナにて、ロシア）
  v. 85: the desolation of abominations (at present in the Ukraine, Russia)
  

 

今日の集会から、その２
From today's meetings, part (2)

モーサヤ１４書（イサヤ５３）
Mosiah 14 (Isaiah 53)

• １節：誰が私達の告げたことがらを信じたか。主の腕は誰に現されたか。
  v. 1: Who hath ^abelieved our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
  …
• ２節：…彼を慕う美しさもない。
  v. 2: ... there is no beauty that we should desire him.
  …
  
• ３節：…彼は侮られ，わたしたちは彼を尊ばなかった。
  v. 3: ... he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
  …
• ６節：…主はわたしたちすべての者の罪悪を彼に負わせられた。
  v. 6: ... the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.
  …
• １０節：…あなたが彼を罪のささげ物とするとき，彼は自分の①子孫を見てその命を延ばし，主の御心は彼の手によって栄える。
  v. 10: ... when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his ^bseed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
  …
• １１節：…彼の知識により，わたしの義にかなった僕は多くの者を義とするが，それは，彼が彼らの罪悪を①身に負おうからである。
  v. 11: ... by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall ^abear their iniquities.
  …

ボクの（勝手な）解釈なんですが、

• 人間らしい考え方にして、イエス様が行う贖罪などが格好くない。
• イエス様のことを信じるかどうかを別にして、全ての人の罪を贖ってくださる。（つまり、人が赦される。）
• その子孫を見る意味は、イエスさまが行われる贖罪を信じて受け入て悔い改めれるほどイエス様の子孫となる。（つまり、人かやっていることが義とされる。）