Note from Tevya: this is another guest post from Curtis Ross. Curtis is an amazing web developer who’s put together an incredible webapp that makes scheduling home teaching and visiting teaching, super easy. He also likes to study the doctrines of the gospel and has kindly volunteered to post some of his thinking and the results of his study here.

Saturdayswarrioritis is a very common disease among members of the church. And by definition those who have it, don’t know they have it. The worst part about this disease is that it is hereditary; so many latter-day saints have been affected by it because their parents initially contracted the disease.

Before you stop reading this let me explain. Saturdayswarrioritis is when a member of the church believes in a romanticized, false version of Gods plan. This disease is an epidemic; a very large portion of the membership of the church is affected.

I chose the name Saturdayswarrioritis because this play/movie is one of the most massive scale false doctrinizations (if that is a word) in the history of the church. It is in many cases the source of the disease, and if it was not the source it definitely fueled the flame. You may be thinking “well I never saw that play/movie it was before my time,” it doesn’t matter most likely someone in your circle of influence has, so you may have been affected.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not faulting the play/movie. It would have been great in fact if people would have taken it for what it was, entertainment and nothing more. The disease comes by the choice of the member who believes the false doctrine without questioning its source. There are plenty of sources of false doctrine written by imperfect members of the church and it is up to us to recognize those cases and gain truth through the spirit.

Here are a couple of the symptoms (beliefs) associated with Saturdayswarrioritis. I’m not going to source these, so I challenge those of you who have the disease to prove me wrong.

In the pre-mortal world we knew our spouse and committed to finding them and marrying them here on earth.

False, it has been said on many occasions, there is not just one person for you. However it has also been said that there are some select cases where the couple was foreordained to be together. Some of these include Adam and Eve, Mary and Joseph, and Joseph and Emma. This list of couples represents the exception rather than the rule. The reason for those exceptions seems obvious. For the vast majority of us we do not have this foreordination. If you think your marriage warrants making that list, your disease state is more than likely incurable, sorry.

In the pre-mortal world we chose who our parents would be in this life.

False, this belief is absurd. Our life on earth is a very important part of our progression to becoming like our heavenly father. Who our parents are affects that more than just a little bit. You think our Heavenly Father would put a decision so crucial into our inexperienced hands. Even if he did let us choose, there are some less than stellar parents out there why would someone choose them. Did we play rock paper scissors to see who got the good ones and the loser was stuck with the drug addicts? I imagine the decision of who our parents would be was very thought out and included things such as what our strengths and weaknesses were, and what situations would best help us gain the knowledge we needed. We did not have the capacity to make such decisions.

There are more symptoms than these of Saturdayswarrioritis but I believe I’ve made my point. Part of the problem with Saturdayswarrioritis is that it shows our ability to act, believe, and teach out of a response to culture rather than a will to fulfill God’s plan. By “out of a response to culture” I mean that often we just accept what others do and say as right because it seems that is how it has always been done and said. I’m not saying all of our culture is bad or wrong. What I am saying is that it is bad when we blindly do things without thinking about them first.

For example, often church functions are followed by refreshments. I can’t even count the number of times someone in prayer has blessed the brownies that they will “nourish and strengthen our bodies.” This is a perfect example of just doing something because that is what everyone else does. But if you stop and think about it, it doesn’t make sense. On the subject of praying before meals, I think it is a great practice to pray at meal time when the place and time are appropriate. Because we have to eat on a regular basis it is a great way to remind ourselves it is important to give thanks. Having said that, why do parents get mad when children sneak a bite before the prayer? I’m sure it’s because that is what their parents did, but why? Is the food bad if we don’t bless it?

Some of these types of actions sound very much like the problems the Pharisees had. Of course I don’t think those who want to bless their food before they eat it are like the Pharisees. I don’t even think those who bless the brownies are, but I do think that following rules for cultures sake is getting to close.

Something else that contributes to the problem of acting out of a response to culture is our desensitization due to repetition. There are many true things about our church that are repetitive. After years of repeating something it can lose its meaning for us. For example in church meetings I have heard many people end a talk or lesson with “In the name of thy son…” I can’t help but try to find who they are looking at so that I know whose son they are closing in the name of. I know they didn’t mean it that way and it’s not a big deal. The point is, that person is just quoting words which at that moment have no meaning other than they know what they are suppose to say to end. I have also heard people start to say the same thing but then correct themselves; they are the ones who still see meaning behind the words.

The answer to this problem is to simply think about things when we do or say them. Don’t be afraid to ask why. Our generation is blessed with the ability to find answers to questions by prophets and apostles in our time by simply typing it in a search box. The topics spoken of in this article are not issues that are going to keep us out of the Celestial Kingdom but they are things that hold us back from having a better understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we stop mindlessly acting out of response to culture we can step out of the trees and see the principles behind the true organization of Christ Church. We can also develop a relationship with our Heavenly Father where we rely on him for answers, just as a child would. Anything that can help us do that is something we should pursue.

Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus

I posted the following today on Facebook & Google Plus. But because Facebook won’t allow people to reshare a post, I’ve decided to post it here, so people can reshare it, and hopefully to get the message outside of my circles of friends & followers.

I’m saddened & troubled today by ignorance.

On the one hand the ignorance and un-Christian attitudes of some members of my LDS faith troubles me deeply. If people leave our Church, are gay, or otherwise live in a way we don’t believe is right, we should still treat them with complete respect and love. It’s what Christ would want us to do.

On the other hand, I’m saddened by the ignorance that seems to surround Mormon scholarship. This recent article, written by somebody who left the Church states “While many faiths’ irrational claims are obscured by centuries of myth and rubble, the LDS church lacks the moderation and scholarship of its older peers.” This is simply untrue! When it comes to historical research, apologetics, etc, Mormons are at the very top.

In fact LDS scholars have so outstripped their peers in other Christian religions, it led to a scathing rebuke of anti-Mormon “scholars” by two Evangelical experts. The title included the words “losing the battle and not knowing it?” They basically said, “all our [Evangelical scholarly anti-Mormon] work is pond-scum by comparison to what top LDS minds are doing. They’ve proven wrong or rebutted almost all the garbage we keep regurgitating. If we don’t start coming up with some real scholarship in this area, we’re doomed to be exposed as self-possessed, hyper-critical, illogical fools.” Read it here: http://goo.gl/M3kLU

Additionally, there are Mormons who rank among the top minds in all fields of science and the arts including genetics, physics, chemistry, medicine, history of various ages, and mathematics, to name a few generalized categories. These people are faithful and see little or none of the “evidences” that supposedly prove Mormonism wrong. It’s amazing that somehow anti-Mormons are winning the public perception war. People are led away by stupid arguments proved wrong decades (and sometimes over a century) ago. I don’t know how this happens, but all the evidences are there. Things that prove these stupid, worn out, and illogical attacks to be completely false. In fact, so blatantly false, they should immediately call into question the credibility of whatever source they come from. And don’t even get me started on what science has “proven.” Conclusive proof today is often a laughed-at misconception tomorrow. Any scientist will admit this, even if they don’t act accordingly. It would be sad to lose your faith based on something that turns out to be untrue.

If you’re LDS (even a “strong” member), investigating the Church, or considering leaving it, please, please please take the time to study up on the LDS scholarship that has been done. I think you’ll be surprised to find out just how weak most supposed “evidences” that “prove” the Church untrue, are. I think you’ll find your faith strengthened, but hope you’ll end up going back to the scriptures, the words of Christ, that should be the foundation of your faith.

A few great places to get started:
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/index.html
http://fairlds.org/

When we chose to follow the plan of our Heavenly Father we then started on a path which has two goals: a physical body and knowledge. Here on earth we can learn in the most effective way possible, experience. When we experience pain, pleasure, temptation, and righteousness we gain a reference where we can access true knowledge. The problem is, that is not all it takes. In order for it to be true knowledge in the sense I am referring to, it has to have been provided by or testified of by a member of the Godhead. Because of the veil we do not have the ability to gain true knowledge on our own.

Why is that? Why didn’t our Father give us the ability of finding true knowledge on our own? The answer is, because He loves us. The gaining of knowledge also brings more accountability. He loves us too much to let us have control over our own level of accountability.

Our level of accountability is how responsible we are for our actions in the eyes of God. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10 (oversimplification) if a person’s knowledge is a 3 they would be less accountable than a person who’s knowledge is a 5. Personally I don’t want to be any more accountable than I am ready to be. Although being accountable seems like a bad thing, it can’t be avoided; gaining knowledge is essential to our salvation.

So if God is in control of our level of accountability and therefore our knowledge level, how does he determine when we are ready for a higher level?

In Ether 3:

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

In this moment the veil was lifted from the brother of Jared and he was given knowledge, why?

9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger.
15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.

Because the brother of Jared had perfect faith, he was blessed with a perfect knowledge. This is a great example of how our level of faith is a direct determiner of the level of knowledge we are given. I propose that the ultimate purpose of faith is a measurement or tool God uses to know how much accountability we are ready for before giving us the knowledge. When we show a certain level of faith we are automatically blessed with an equal level of knowledge.

We can see this process in many places including Alma 32 where we learn that in order to gain a testimony, we should start with at least a small amount of faith which will be followed by a small amount of knowledge. From there we can take that small amount of knowledge and facilitate a little more faith which will also be matched with knowledge and so on.

We also see the idea of faith as a measurement in the concept faith proceeds the miracle. Miracles can have the purpose of producing knowledge; for example, receiving revelation. Miracles can also have the result of producing knowledge; for example, healing the sick. In the case of healing the sick, the purpose may be the healing itself, but the result is the recipient gains knowledge of the reality of God. No matter if the miracle has the purpose or merely the result of producing knowledge, there is still knowledge gained. If this is the case, then it would mean an act of faith would be needed in order to prove that person is ready for the accountability that will follow the knowledge received.

If true knowledge is our only goal and faith is the prerequisite, how do we let God know how much faith we have? Faith can only be truly expressed through our actions. When a person simply believes, that is what it stays: a belief. It does not become faith until we act on those beliefs. It is the intensity and consistency with which we act on those beliefs that shows the level of our faith that will lead to knowledge.

How better to get us started than to ask my first question. Why and how could Adam have lived for ever in his sins after partaking of the Tree of Life? This is a very specific question and sounds like it would have a very straight forward answer, nope. This is the question that after getting an answer completely changed the way I see the story of Adam and Eve and many of the basic principles of the gospel.

I’m going to start my proposed answer to this question by bursting a few bubbles. The book of Genesis was written as the words of Moses spoken to the children of Israel. These are the same children of Israel who started worshiping a golden calf while Moses was getting the Ten Commandments. I’m guessing he was asking himself how exactly he was going to explain the beginning of man to a people who couldn’t even remember who their God was. This is a story where the principles of the gospel are so intertwined it is hard to navigate through them and explain the events.

Since the beginning God has used figurative expressions to teach principles of the gospel. Christ constantly spoke in parables or figurative expressions so that all those who were meant to understand would. This story is no different, the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life are both figurative expressions.

As to the Fall itself we are told that the Lord planted “the tree of knowledge of good and evil” in the midst of the garden (Moses 3:9). To Adam and Eve the command came: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Moses 3:16–17). Again, the account is speaking figuratively. What is meant by partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is that our first parents complied with whatever laws were involved so that their bodies would change from their state of paradisiacal immortality to a state of natural mortality.
June Ensign 1982 “Christ and the Creation” Bruce R. McConkie

I guess technically there could have been a tree with fruit on it which Adam was not supposed to take. The truth is we do not know what happened which caused Adam and Eve to fall. What we do know is that it was a choice that Eve consciously made. What they did does not matter. What does matter is the concept that it was the choice of Adam and Eve which brought about the fall of man, not any magical fruit.

So here is another question, “why did Adam and Eve have to choose to fall; why couldn’t God just have gotten it started in a fallen state?”

I know I haven’t even answered the first question yet, don’t worry I will.

So the question about why they had to choose is a great one and the answer reveals some interesting concepts about the nature of God. God is a perfect and exalted being and as such could not have created anything imperfect. Because of this we are left with a situation where man needs to find imperfection but God could not do it for us. Man needed to choose imperfection independent of the actions of God in order for God to continue being God. This is a part of the nature of God and salvation that we can’t forget. God can not make our decisions for us no matter how much we want him to. The purpose of this life is that we make our own decisions which provide us with the knowledge we need to become like God.

So God created a perfect world and put a perfect man and a perfect woman on it. The only thing he could offer was a choice. He provided Adam and Eve the opportunity to choose between two options:

One of the options was to fall from his presence by choosing to disobey him in some way, this is represented by the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and eve chose to fall from the presence of the father by disobeying him. By becoming imperfect they were unable to stay in the presence of perfection.

The second option included staying in the presence of God and Jesus Christ, this option is represented by the tree of life. Adam was able to partake of the fruit of the tree of life while in the Garden of Eden just as he was able to be in the presence of God at any time. Adam and Eve of course chose to fall from the presence of God knowing that this was the only way they would be able to gain the knowledge necessary to become like their father.

After Adam became imperfect God placed a cherubim and flaming sword to protect Adam so that he would not again partake of the fruit of the tree of life and live forever in his sins. How is this possible, how could Adam live forever in his sins? The only way we know that a man or woman can live forever in his sins is by becoming a son of perdition. A person can not just choose to become a son of perdition, its actually pretty difficult. You have to have a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ and then sin against him. So how could Adam have chosen to become a son of perdition?

The answer is that he couldn’t, just as we can’t. God uses the same thing to protect us from his presence (the tree of life) that he used to protect Adam, the veil. The cherubim and flaming sword is the veil. God placed the veil (cherubim and flaming sword) between Adam and himself (the tree of life) in order to protect Adam. If Adam would have come back into the presence of God before he had the opportunity to repent and be baptized he would have become a son of perdition and lived for ever in his sins.

This is why God places the veil when we come into this earth, so that we only gain the knowledge we are ready to be accountable for.

To back up my belief that the cherubim and flaming sword is the veil here is a scripture:

“And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.”
Chronicles 3:14

This scripture states that in the Old Testament the cherubim was actually stitched onto the veil in the temple.

Check out LDSplan.com to help with your Home Teaching or Visiting Teaching.

Thanks to YouTube allowing longer videos, it’s now far easier for me to post videos like this. So now you can watch and see my cousin Jolene, her husband Jace, and their cute boy Jefferson (Grandpa calls him “Jefferey” for some reason, maybe he wrote it wrong in his notes).

Our (You & Your Sweetheart’s) Mission in Life

J Ballard Washburn – BYU-Idaho Devotional 9 Feb. 2010

Luke 15:11–32 contains the longest of the 3 parables recorded in Luke 15, and perhaps Jesus’ most famous parable (at least one of the top few): the parable of the Prodigal Son. The parable is often seen quite literally as a not much of a parable at all, but rather an example story about forgiveness. But as we will see, it definitely contains deeper, symbolic meaning, fits well the label of “parable,” and also goes very nicely with the previous two parables from this chapter. Make sure to read parts 1, 2, and 3 of this series of articles first, if you have not already read them.

Definition of a Parable

First let’s briefly look at what a parable is. Dictionary.com defines the word like this: “A statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.” So a parable is essentially a story of some sort that parallels the actual meaning of the story. Thus the common root between “parable” and “parallel.” Based on that, if we take the “parable” quite literally as merely a fictional moral example, then it’s no longer a parable at all. However, if there’s deeper meaning understood through “comparison, analogy, or the like” then suddenly it’s both a parable, and something of a mystery to be studied and understood in new ways.

First Clues: The Target Audience

The first clue in my reading, is one we discussed in a previous post in this series, and that is the setting. Since it’s taken me so long to write this concluding article, let’s review those verses:

1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Luke 15:1–2)

Christ initially is teaching publicans and sinners. Then the Pharisees and scribes come along and criticize him for doing so. That was the original context for all 3 of these parables. The first told of a lost sheep and a shepherd who leaves the flock to find it. As we learned already, the shepherd is not meant to represent Christ, but rather the priesthood leadership of the church. In the second story a woman, representative of the general membership of the church, looses a coin. Now we’re starting a 3rd story. Who is this one intended for?

Well, it’s probably for the Pharisees, or the publicans/sinners, or both. The earlier parables were very instructive for Jesus’ Apostles, as well as the other disciples who were surely there. They’ve been taught a lot about bringing these “lost sheep and/or coins” back into the fold. But it’s also very instructive for the Pharisees, who also represent church leadership under the law of Moses. So if they were listening they should have realized that it’s not wrong for Christ to be among the sinners, and that they should be going out of their way to bring these individuals back into the fold, rather than shunning them. This is where Jesus really comes down on them, driving the point home with a final parable that’s much longer and more reaching in it’s symbolism.

The Characters

Where there was essentially only 1 character in the first 2 parables, now there are at least 3 major players in this third parable: the father and his 2 sons. There appears a clue about who the father is, almost immediately, when Jesus starts the story by saying “a certain man had two sons.” While the phrase “a certain man” can be found elsewhere in the New Testament, referring to real people, in Christ’s parables, it often refers to God, or Adam (representative of all of us). The story that follows indicates that it’s most likely representative of Heavenly Father. Stephen L. Richards (1st councilor to President David O. McKay), said “I have always felt that the Savior intended the father in the parable to typify the Eternal Father of all of us”.¹

If we go with that assumption, suddenly we see the younger son in a new light: he takes his inheritance and goes to “a far country.” The inheritance would be godlike attributes he inherited from his Heavenly Father: a physical body, a spirit, intelligence, the desire to do what is right, potential to become like God, and all good elements we each receive from being descendants of a Heavenly Father.

The Far Country

This son then “took his journey into a far country.” What is the mysterious place that he went to? The fact that it is far away is one clue. If it’s far away from the holy land, they’re not likely to be Israelites, or believers of any sort. In Luke 15:15 he “went and joined himself to a citizen of that country.” It was probably more like indentured servitude (the kinder form of slavery) than a job in the way we think of it. But we get another clue about what kind of a place this is, by his task: feed the pigs. Under Mosaic law, swine are unclean, and so is their meat. Jews don’t eat pork, so they have no purpose to keep pigs, feed them, etc. Now it’s clear that this is an unholy place filled with pagans who worship sinful things.  The prodigal has left the presence of Heavenly Father and went to earth, mortal life.

Notice two other other things about this part of the story: 1) he “joined himself to a citizen of that country”; and 2) he is assigned to feed swine. So if this is a land of sinners, and he’s a slave to one of the people of that land, Jesus is telling us that he’s a slave to his sins. Then again, his job–the only opportunity he has to survive in the famine–is to feed swine, an animal that is unclean and unholy. So Christ is reiterating the same point: he’s feeding his sinful appetites, his base desires. And he’s a slave to them, he has little power to do anything else. So it’s not just about going to earth, but also completely away from God.

That leads us to examine the famine. It’s obviously a famine of freedom to choose, happiness, blessings, and the love of God. His heart is set upon sinful things, and so he’s experiencing a spiritual famine of all this is good, beautiful, joyful, peaceful, and filled with love. The famine symbolizes the resulting destitution of the spirit that follows commitment to evil, to sin. The implication is that an individual could stay close to God, in this life, if he didn’t give-in to the natural man.

Squandering God-Given Talents

Isn’t that exactly what we do when we sin? Or if somebody chooses to live a sinful life, isn’t that exactly what they do? They “waste” their godlike attributes, talents, and gifts, on the things of the world. Instead of their mind, body, and physical intimacy being beautiful and sacred things, they’re squandered on mere pleasure, degraded by lack of control, and often worn out to the point of failing to function correctly. As C.S. Lewis put it:

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.²

First Indications of Change

The fact that he finally is so hungry that he want’s to eat the pods that he’s feeding the pigs tells us something as well: he’s hit “rock bottom” as they say. He’s at a point where his sinful life can’t sustain him anymore. It’s that moment where the heroin addict realizes they’re about to kill themselves if they shoot-up one more time, or the sex addict realizes that their life is absolutely worthless and they’ve lost every thing that really mattered, because they won’t stop being pursuing sexual pleasures.

Jesus then throws in one other little detail: “and no man gave unto him.” Other translations of the Bible add the word “anything” on the end. So basically, Satan abandoned him. There’s no reward at the end of the path of darkness. He’s left completely alone, with nobody and nothing but his sinful nature. He doesn’t even have the means to really feed his sins anymore. There’s no money left to buy another dose, no strength left to even try to steal them. People he called friends are gone since the money has run out.

In Part 5 we’ll finish the parable, exploring it’s other meanings.

This is a guest post from Nick Galieti, the author of the new book Tree of Sacrament. I have not yet read the book but hope to soon. It explores deeply the symbolism of the sacrament and related doctrines, a topic we’ve explored previously on Sacred Symbolic. The following is an original article from Nick introducing some of the symbolism, doctrines, and ideas that he explores in-depth in his book. See the bottom of this post for information on how to get a free preview chapter of the book.

Throughout the scriptures there are many symbolic references to trees in a wide variety. “The Tree represents not only life, regeneration, and immortality, but also, “knowledge and wisdom” and “the world or universe.” It is “the most wide spread of symbols, and in considering Christian architecture it can be regarded as second only to the cross.”¹ In the Garden of Eden two trees are spoken of specifically: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. In conjunction with these two trees is the fruit that each one bears. Both types of fruit had an effect on those who partook of it. That effect was dependent on, or in relation to, their current state or condition. Partaking of the fruit of the tree of life was offered freely as long as the partaker was clear of wrongdoing.

And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat, nevertheless thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee. (Moses 3:16–17).

Many references to the tree of life can be interpreted as being a representation of Jesus Christ Himself. This use of a tree as a metaphor to teach and instruct man is revisited in many ways throughout the scriptures. The use of the symbolic fruit tree signifies that the tree is a central source of nourishment without which no life could be sustained.

From time to time as we study the scriptures, passages read previously take on new meanings. I read the stories surrounding Lehi and Nephi with respect to the visions they had of the tree of life about 12 years ago and saw these passages in a new light. In the vision was given multiple symbols. Nephi’s account gives additional insight as he was allowed to share with us certain interpretations of those symbols in the vision.

In 1 Nephi chapter 11 Nephi gives the following interpretations to the symbols of his father’s vision:

• The tree: the love of God (v. 21).
• The rod of iron: the word of God (v.25).
• The fountain of living waters: also a representation of the love of God (v. 25).
• The great and spacious building: the pride of the world and all its wisdom (vv. 35-36).

The Savior has described Himself as “living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13) on multiple occasions, with Christ Himself being the source. This was often accompanied by the promise that those who would partake of those waters would never thirst. Elder Neal A Maxwell stated,

The love of God for His children is most profoundly expressed in His gift of Jesus as our Redeemer: ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son’ (John 3:16). To partake of the love of God is to partake of Jesus’ Atonement and the emancipations and joys which it can bring.²

Therefore we can draw the parallel that the tree of life represented the love of God, as Nephi was taught, and the appearance of the fountain of living waters is also a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

The Rod of Iron can be considered a variety of ways. On one level, “word” can mean the teachings of the prophets and apostles along with the words of eternal life found in scripture. The rod could also be a representation of Christ as is referred to in John 1:1–4, Revelation 19:13, and Mosiah 3:17. As John refers to Christ as the word made flesh; in Mosiah we read that no one is able to come to salvation but through Christ. This comes together in considering that no one was able to come to the tree of life accept by the rod of iron – another symbol representing Jesus Christ. Thus we see that all good natured symbols in the tree of life vision have some reference to Christ himself. Consequently, all symbols of our modern day sacrament have reference to the Savior and his atonement as well.

Alma seemed to be aware of some correlation between the tree of life and the sacrament. In Alma 5:34 we see this correlating invitation between the partaking of the sacrament and partaking of the fruit of the tree of life as taught in Lehi and Nephi’s vision; “Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely.”

As the partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life brought about the blessings of the atonement, namely to be made clean and enjoy celestial glory, so the same has been said of the sacrament. In John 6:54 it reads, “Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” The promises are the same, the warnings against improper partaking are the same, and in many ways historically, the two are a recognition and partaking of the blessings of Christ’s atonement. This parallel should elevate the value of the sacrament in the minds and hearts of the church of the first born.

This comparison as well as other historical and relevant principles surrounding our modern day Sacrament, as well as the correlation to Alma 32 and the Tree of Life born from a a faithful covenant “seed” are all discussed in my book, Tree of Sacrament. The LDS Sacrament is the central ordinance of what has been designated as “the most sacred meeting in the church of Christ,” with the Tree of Life, being a most sacred representation of the life and atonement of Jesus Christ. There is power in this sacred ordinance that I hope to help unlock as you read the book Tree of Sacrament by Nick Galieti – available from Eborn Books.

For more details on the book, visit www.treeofsacrament.com. Also, if you would like to preview the book before buying, email Nick: nick.galieti@gmail.com and he’ll send you a chapter from the book for free.

“What does it mean to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus?

“It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in the warfare with the world; to fight the good fight of faith. … The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘come unto Christ, and be perfected in him’; it is to deny ourselves ‘of all ungodliness,’ and ‘love God’ with all our ‘might, mind and strength.’ (Moro. 10:32.)

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unshakable conviction. It is to know of the verity and divinity of the Lord’s work on earth.

“But this is not all. It is more than believing and knowing. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. It is more than lip service; it is not simply confessing with the mouth the divine Sonship of the Savior. It is obedience and conformity and personal righteousness. …

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.’ It is to ‘endure to the end.’ (2 Ne. 31:20) It is to live our religion, to practice what we preach, to keep the commandments. It is the manifestation of ‘pure religion’ in the lives of men; it is visiting ‘the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ and keeping ourselves ‘unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27.)

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions, control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was the most valiant of all our Father’s children. It is to be morally clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to pray with full purpose of heart, to lay our all upon the altar if called upon to do so.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to take the Lord’s side on every issue. It is to vote as he would vote. It is to think what he thinks, to believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he is one with his Father” (Bruce R. McConkie in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, 45–46; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, 35).

An Offering of Will

Previously, I wrote about how the “tithes and offerings” mentioned in Malachi have more to do with offering ourselves as an offering on the altars of the temple, than paying money to the Church. In Oct. Conference, 1995, Elder Neal A. Maxwell gave a watershed talk entitled Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father, wherein he thoroughly explained the concepts of personal sacrifice, consecration, and agency.

The basic teaching of the talk is that the only way we can truly become like Jesus and gain entry in the Celestial Kingdom, is to give our will to our Heavenly Father. When we pay tithing, there’s not much true sacrifice involved—at least not in the money itself—because we’re only giving the Lord something that is already His. However, His will (what he wants) is for us to give the 1/10th that he has asked. Thus, if we desire to pay tithing, because we know God wants us to, and we then pay it, we have exercised our agency to do His will. Because of agency our will is truly ours to give to the Lord, or to Satan. When we pay tithing—or do anything that the Lord want’s us to—because He wants us to, we are exercising our agency by choosing to do His will. Each of us individually must choose to follow Christ by submitting our will to the Father, by learning His will and acting according to it, or else we give our will to Satan by default.

So many of us are kept from eventual consecration because we mistakenly think that, somehow, by letting our will be swallowed up in the will of God, we lose our individuality (see Mosiah 15:7). What we are really worried about, of course, is not giving up self, but selfish things—like our roles, our time, our preeminence, and our possessions. No wonder we are instructed by the Savior to lose ourselves (see Luke 9:24). He is only asking us to lose the old self in order to find the new self. It is not a question of one’s losing identity but of finding his true identity! Ironically, so many people already lose themselves anyway in their consuming hobbies and preoccupations but with far, far lesser things.

(Neal A. Maxwell, Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father)

State of Being

Five years later, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, gave an equally monumental talk entitled The Challenge to Become. Elder Oaks dissected the concept of conversion. When something is converted, its typically changed into something different than it was before. It usually continues to contain some essence that makes it still uniquely itself, but conversion makes it into something different than before. For example both rectifiers and inverters (generically known as “power converters”) convert an alternating-current (ac) into a direct-current (dc) or vice-versa. In either case, its still power flow, but the flow of electricity, and therefore the ways in which it can be used, has been completely changed.

We’re the same way: we retain our spirit and our body, but the final differences between a Godly woman or man, vs that of an ungodly one, will be so pronounced that self judgement will be easy at resurrection. In his talk, Elder Oaks returned the word “conversion,” to its original meaning: a process that begins at baptism, rather than one that ends at it. Conversion is a process of becoming like God, not just the initial faith it takes to believe and follow Him.

From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.

(Dallin H. Oaks, The Challenge to Become)

Being Swallowed

In both cases it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ that enables us to become a Godlike person who easily submits his/her will to Heavenly Father. Its the enabling power of the Atonement that helps us rise above the distractions of the world, overcome obstacles we could never overcome on our own, and finally become converted into a person who is worthy of Godhood. This happens when we have become a person who will completely align their thoughts, desires, and actions with that of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That is the key to becoming like God: changing our will—our very nature—to be like theirs. That is because Gods can only be Gods if their goals, intents, and purposes are all the same as that of our Heavenly Father and Jesus (who are one in their will, among other things). As Elder Maxwell pointed out, we are not lost when we become united with them, but rather converted into a new, and much better, person.

Harbinger of Peace

A final concept, that is really just another way of understanding these same concepts, is having what has been labeled “a heart at peace” by the Arbinger Institute. Now before you go saying “what can a consulting firm possibly have to add to the words of Apostles?” Please stick with me for a little bit. The Arbinger Institute is one of the products of extensive philosophical, psychological, and doctrinal work done by Dr. Terry Warner (long time Philosophy professor at BYU) and a handful of other people. His inspired “discovery” of a concept he labeled “having a heart at peace” was a huge breakthrough not only for the world in general, but especially for members of the LDS church. It helps us understand a whole new aspect of being Christlike, or in other words giving our will to the Savior and becoming converted into a person like Christ.

Seeing People as Objects

The quote, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” is attributed to Einstein. This statement points at the center of self-deception as good as any that I know. The concept is simple: in dealing with people, we often do the same things over, and repeat the same thought-patterns and approaches, but expect different results. We berate and overreact to our teenager’s continued experimentation with drugs, alcohol, or sex, even though we did that the last 50 times we found out about their latest choices. We repeatedly needle our spouse, supposedly trying to get them to put the toilet seat down, or get in shape, or work harder to find a job, in spite of the fact that they only seem to get worse the more we do it.

Einstein also said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The problem here is one we all share: we very often see people as objects, rather than people. “If my teenager would just stop making bad decisions, then I’d stop treating them that way.” “If my spouse would just put the toilet seat down (or lose weight, or get a job), then I would be happy with them.” You’ll notice the same motivation runs through both statements: “I”. We’ve stopped being concerned about the other person. It’s all about “me” and what would make my life better. They’ve simply become an object, blocking our way to the idealized life we’re seeking for ourself. Your reaction might be: “but I didn’t ‘create’ these problems as Einstein’s quote suggests.” You may be right, you may not have, but by repeating the same behavior and attitude, you’re contributing to making them worse. We all do this. We deceive ourselves by believing that our behavior is right, even though it has failed to produce results time and again. Perhaps more important than our behavior, is our attitude, or “way of being.” The attitude behind the behavior can make it produce very different results. If we see that person as a person (heart at peace), someone whom we truly care about and believe that their opinions and approach to life are at least as valid as our own, we will act completely different than if we see them as an object: something preventing us from a hassle-free, midnight trip to the bathroom; or having the hottest wife on the block.

A Heart at Peace

Bro. Warner and the Arbinger Institute have labeled these two states having a “heart at war” or a “heart at peace.” Christ was the great, perfect, example of having a heart at peace. They spat upon him, whipped him, and illegally tried and executed him, yet his response was “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Through those darkest hours in the history of this world, he refused to see the Jews as his “accusers” or “liars” or anything other than people. Pleople still worthy of His love, and of His atoning sacrifice. He does this for each of us, almost without exception, no matter how much we might reject and turn against him at times. This is what is meant by having a heart at peace. We still see people around us as people, instead of objects that a quick label will turn them into: liar, harlot, jerk, shy, pushy, mean, lazy, uneducated, too smart for their own good, white-trash, homeless, bossy, and the list could go on and on. When we label, we stop seeing people as people, and they become an object to be maneuvered around, instead of a person to be helped, cared about, and understood.

Where to Start

If you feel like you’ve followed what I’ve said, I recommend watching or listening to this great BYU-Idaho Devotional by CES Area Director Kenneth L . Southwick, called “The Great Measure of Discipleship.” It gives a doctrinal approach to what I’ve just tried to explain. If you feel like you didn’t quite follow what I’ve written, then scroll below Brother Southwick’s devotional and start with the videos from James Ferrell, the President of Arbinger, and also the author of “The Peacegiver” and “The Holy Secret.” Then take time to listen to Bro. Southwick’s talk. Finally, the very best resource for learning more about how to really change your life in this way, and become more Christlike, is the Arbinger Institute’s book “The Anatomy of Peace.”

Then if you want to get a more doctrine-based approach, read “The Peacegiver.” I have to warn you. It’s not easy. I’ve studied on-and-off for 5+ years now, and I’m still not very good at it. Bro. Warner even admits he still has to work at it on regular basis (though I’m sure on a much higher level than myself). But I can absolutely promise you that its worth it. My marriage, business, personal happiness, and relationship with God, are never better than when my heart is at peace toward people. This is because this may be the key to truly being Christlike. The most difficult battle between the natural man and our potential godliness. It’s the true test of conversion and giving up our will to God. If you don’t believe me, try it out. Learn more, practice it, and you’ll soon see that it makes almost every aspect of your life better, richer, fuller, but it’s not easy, just worth it.

The Great Measure of Discipleship

UPDATE: [video was here] For some reason it appears that BYU TV has pulled this devotional from their website. Strange coincidence that I just embedded it in this article, shortly before they pulled it. You’ll have to read or listen with the links below.
Downloads: Video & PDF | MP3 | HTML

Arbinger Online Seminar: Introductory Segments

You can imagine my surprise when I heard that my Mother “liked” Clash of the Titans. Based on the trailers, I’d assumed it was a film long on action and special effects, and short on plot or character development. But after getting my Mom’s opinion (2nd hand), I just had to see this film. So I reserved it at a local Redbox the day it released, and gave it a watch.

And I was right… mostly. It was long on special effects and action, but surprisingly not so short on plot. All that aside, and at the risk of sounding like a real symbolism geek, the following is why I really quite enjoyed it, and am writing about a movie on a blog called Sacred Symbolic. Warning: spoilers ahead. Go watch it if you haven’t already, before reading this.

Messianic Symbolism

Because the true Church of Jesus Christ has been on the earth (with at least one exception) since Adam, and since Christ is the most important part of his church, it stands to reason that when a people strays from the truth, many shadows or reflections of Christ remain in their religious beliefs and mythologies. Direct parallels to Christ aren’t the only thing we’ll find, but they’re often most prevalent. We’re told in the Book of Abraham that one of the early Pharaohs openly copied the Melchizedek Priesthood teachings & organization, even though he had no authority, because it was not passed on to him through Noah:

Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood. (Abr. 1:26, emphasis added)

The Parallels

Having studied Ancient Greece some (though not much spent on mythology), I wasn’t surprised to find Messianic parallels in the story of Perseus. I was however, amazed at how many came through in this modern, Hollywood telling of the story of Perseus. Here are some of the parallels I saw in the movie itself.

• There was a war in Heaven. The looser, Hades, is cast down to rule the underworld, but has power on earth. Hades gains power from the fears of humans.
• A mortal woman becomes pregnant, but not by her husband, rather the child is the son of Zeus, the God of Heaven. Perseus, the child, as a result is half-mortal, half-immortal.
• Perseus is raised by a mortal father who teaches him that he is special.
• Perseus learns that he is the only one capable of saving humankind from the death and captivity that Hades will inflict upon them.
• Perseus accepts all who will follow him in his quest, in spite of traditional biases and boundaries.
• A woman is one of Perseus’ most faithful followers and believers.
• Perseus is tempted to abandon his quest several times, but resists temptations and continues on.
• Many people are ungrateful and unwilling to recognize Perseus as their savior, and even begin to worship Hades.
• Perseus uses a token, given him by his father, to unlock the gates of the underworld.
• Perseus visits the underworld after nearly dying. There he obtains the key to defeat Hades and save mankind.
• Perseus wins the battle, conquering death (the kraken) and hell (the underworld/Hades/Medusa).
• Perseus commits protect men from Hades when he gains power again.

It seems like there was one or two more, but I’ve forgotten them. Does reading these and seeing the movie help you think about Christ’s story in any new ways? Did anyone notice any other parallels that I missed? Please tell us about them, or any other thoughts you have, in the comments below.