I am convinced that "Zion", for me, must be established in my heart and family before I am ever to partake of it elsewhere.
Sadly, I have learned that I am yet far from Zion.
I have been trying to apply Log's -- really, the Lord's -- Golden Rule or Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) for some time, especially the requirement to "give to every man who asketh of thee" -- without judging, without condemning, without withholding, without coveting one's own. This rule requires that we give (or do unto others) even as we would like to receive (or have others do unto us).
Do we wish to have our petitions granted? Then we must learn to grant the petitions of others, every one, within our power and means to do so, to fulfill all righteousness.
It would be even better if we, like the Brother of Jared, would cry unto God (and not just "pray", but petition on behalf of others, interceding), calling upon the powers of heaven to fulfill all righteousness, even those requests we cannot fulfill ourselves! For thus is the power of godliness made manifest in the flesh! (He welcomes the opportunity to reward such demonstrations of faith in Him by manifesting His power!)
Imagine, by doing so -- by granting every request, without sinning, without doing evil, but by exercising faith in Christ -- what confidence we would have in the presence of God! By such small and simple things, great things are brought to pass.
"Lord, You have commanded me to give to others liberally -- without upbraiding, without holding back, without judging or condemning or coveting my own -- to give to all who ask of me, even as I would wish to receive. And I have done all that You have commanded me to do."You have told me not to judge, lest I be judged; that I would be judged even as I have judged."I have judged no one, Lord."But I have given when asked and not upbraided. I have given liberally, of my best, and not hid, as it were, my own flesh from the poor and needy. I have condemned no one, nor turned any out or away that they might perish.
"Wherefore, I pray, do not judge me, Lord! Do not upbraid me! Do not condemn me! Do not hold back Your blessing from me or refuse to grant my petition! Do not let me perish! But do even unto me as I have done to othes, even as You have asked me to do unto them!
"I have now exhausted the means I have to do Your will, Lord. I now call upon You to sustain and support me in this, our labor together. Enable me to continue as I have done. O God, hear the words of my mouth! Answer my prayer, O Lord! Grant my petition, even as I have granted the petitions of all those who have asked of me!
Multiply the loaves and fishes! (That those whom I serve in Your name might be filled.) Provide a gold coin! (That one who believes and obeys You might be redeemed.) Let Your light so shine from these small stones! (That those who otherwise would sit in darkness might be blessed to see by Your light.)
For You are all powerful and can do all things which please You, even whatsoever You will."
To such God will say: "I will."
He is bound to do so. He must abide by His own law or cease to be God! He is bound to honor our requests once we demonstrate we ourselves are bound by those same laws (and thus bound to Him thereby). He is bound to answer every petition we ask of Him in faith, believing, nothing wavering, showing forth by our own works our abiding faith in Him and in His law.*
In a recent comment on this blog, Log summarized the gospel thusly:
"Those who enter into a covenant with God agree to do his will in all things; in return, he agrees to do to them what will make them what he is."
This is the reason we keep the Golden Rule and follow the Sermon on the Mount: to show God that we have become even as He is, binding ourselves to obey His law, even as He is bound. (We prove, by what we receive and obey, what society we will keep and are thus fit to inherit hereafter!) Like us, God will do everything in His power to fulfill all righteousness and help us to become even as He is, if we will follow Him. To God, all are alike and invited to partake of His salvation. He is no respecter of persons.
He can do all things (which can be done) in righteousness. He has demonstrated this is so.
As we follow Him, doing His will, we shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or of someone else. If it be of God, then the powers of God and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon our souls as the dews from heaven. Thus we may experiment upon the word.
Then equity -- and not iniquity -- shall reign in our midst and Zion shall be established, even welcomed and redeemed.
*By so saying I do not wish to minimize God's grace. He can answer our prayers -- and will answer them -- even in HIs mercy, by His grace, despite our unworthiness, because He loves us! And His charity covers a multitude of sins. He causes the rain to fall on the just and unjust. Even so, He invites us to "rise up" and become like Him.
Will,
ReplyDeleteIf we "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that may be filled with this love, which He hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of His Son, Jesus Christ", which love is Charity, would it be possible to live the Golden Rule, to live the Lord's teachings in the Sermon at Bountiful?
If living these teachings is walking the strait and narrow path as outlined by Nephi (2 Nep 31-32:6); Nephi's formula for entering the strait and narrow path included passing thru The Gate, or receiving the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost. Perhaps passing thru the gate is also necessary to enable one to live the Golden Rule, or walk in the strait and narrow path.
James Russell Uhl
James,
ReplyDeleteWalking the path outlined by the Lord is a good way to find the gate with him standing by, as well. That is where I found it and him.
He is the keeper of the Gate. It is He who baptizes with fire and the holy ghost. It is He whom Nephi said is the keeper of the gate (2 Nephi 9:41). I truly believe it is much more likely one will succeed in the strait and narrow path, live the golden rule, live the Sermon on the Mount, if that person has first entered by the gate.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible to live these principles if one puts their mind to it, at least for a time, or to some degree…but I believe it is only possible to fully implement this level of change in one's life after receiving true charity or receiving the Holy Ghost. The change to that person's soul makes His burden light, makes His requirements a joy to live, makes of us new creatures.
JRU
James,
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't help a drowning man who cannot swim to yell at him "Stop drowning!"
Likewise, it helps nobody to speak of entering the gate without instructing someone on where to find it and how to enter it.
Precise, actionable instructions are necessary. The Savior's teachings provide that.
Let me explain.
ReplyDeleteSome people really don't know how to pray, neither "with all the energy of heart," nor otherwise.
But! "Give unto them that ask" is understandable; the Savior gave us a laundry list of stuff to do. For those that desire to "come unto Christ," who may not really know how to pray, who may not ever have had a genuine spiritual experience, but want to - why not do what the Savior said?
And pray as best one knows how to receive the Spirit?
That is, essentially, what I was doing when I was baptized by fire. This is why I said the gate, with him beside it, may be found on the path he told us to follow.
That is the path to happiness.
We all gotta start somewhere.
BUT!
ReplyDeleteTo follow the Savior's path is to trust him. Don't do it half-assed. Don't substitute your own judgement for his. Don't judge others in their requests and withhold; just do exactly and literally what the Savior taught. (Among which is "judge not," nor act the hypocrite in correcting others' beliefs.)
Because true religion is a lifestyle, not a creed.
Just as exactly and as literally as we obey his commandments, he exactly and literally blesses us.
We just do what he said, and trust the results to him.
I was reading King Benjamin's address and what struck me was that he was advocating paternalism.
ReplyDeleteI was confused until I realized the hidden lesson: what was the result?
This was the result.
1 Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers.
2 They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.
3 And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.
4 And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church. And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God.
I really didn't want to know that. But, that's why we have the scriptures. It's all been done before.
Mormon 9:31
31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.
To make the point more clear, this is what Benjamin taught.
ReplyDelete14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
This is why many of the rising generation were lost - their parents sought to compel them into righteousness, or into "right behavior."
The lesson is that paternalism doesn't work.