Authority and Power in the Priesthood

In my three previous writings, various aspects of the Priesthood of God or the Melchizedek Priesthood have been explored, and the subject of priesthood authority has been a central theme in them. In conclusion, it would be fair to say that all priesthood is Melchizedek given that the Aaronic Priesthood as well as “all other authorities or offices in the church are appendages to this priesthood” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:5 & 14).

What has not been discussed in these previous writings is a subject that the Prophet Nephi brings to our attention because of his having been shown a vision of our day. “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14). Nephi’s words are a motivation to consider some thoughts concerning priesthood power.

For more than thirty years, I taught courses in political science with particular emphasis on international relations. I believe it is safe to say that there is no subject more central to the study of political science than the role power plays in human relationships. Early in my studies, I came across A. F. K. Organski’s definition of power which I adopted as my starting point each quarter. “Power,” writes Organski, “is the ability to determine [control] the behavior of others.” Examples of such control of one human being’s behavior by another range from the most fleeting of instances to those of blatant oppression.

In the secular world, unequal positions of authority do not necessarily endow their holders with opportunities to exercise commensurate power. For example, it is not difficult to imagine individuals serving in government in apparently unequal positions of authority who in fact exercise power in some inverse proportion to their authority levels. A member of the National House of Representatives elected to the House for the first time last November and who will take office in January of 2011 will enjoy a position of authority apparently greater than that of a mid-level bureaucrat in one of the agencies within the jurisdiction of the executive branch. However, it does not take long when studying the power attendant in the federal bureaucracy to realize that a well placed bureaucrat may easily exercise more real power per Professor Organski’s definition than an elected representative, particularly a novice.

I use this illustration because the Melchizedek Priesthood is the authority and power by which the universe is governed, and its potential is far, far in excess of anything our puny intellects may conceive. However, as holders of that Priesthood, we ought never to lose sight of the fact that having such authority does not in and of itself give us power in that Priesthood. Once we have had authority conferred upon us, we are responsible to magnify our callings and our other opportunities to exercise the priesthood thus enabling us to be granted the power to bless ourselves and those about us in light of the gospel and the purposes of our mortal probation. How sorrowful the Lord must be when He looks upon most of us and understands how little of our true potential for priesthood power we have realized.

Obedience is the law of heaven, and obedience to the laws of heaven is the only means by which we may exercise power in the priesthood. “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson--That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness” (D&C 121:34-36).

Daniel while interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream prophesied that a stone cut out of the mountain without hands would roll forth destroying the “terrible” image that had so troubled the king and would eventually fill the whole earth. We understand this stone to be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is our prophetic future, and it will be fulfilled in all of its particulars. Even now, this Church is well on its way to covering the earth. The growth of the Kingdom of God is like an unstoppable tide. Its mission is to prepare the earth for the triumphant return of its King. At the second coming of the Savior, the secular and religious kingdoms that are not His will be destroyed or at the very least come under His authority. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by which and through which He will govern the earth during the Millennium. The fulfillment of the Church’s mission will only be possible to the extent that individual members exercise appropriate power in the priesthood as they seek to fulfill their respective callings in priesthood and auxiliary organizations consistent with the instructions found in Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants namely, “that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.”

The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

While the Aaronic Priesthood is received absent a covenant being made with God, the Melchizedek Priesthood is received in conjunction with an oath and covenant. For my personal purposes, I have long thought of and compared the process of covenant making with the procedures followed in the making of a civil contract. There must be at least two parties involved in a contract if the agreement is to be valid. One of these parties is responsible for initiating the process by making an “offer” to the other party. In uncomplicated circumstances, the party making the offer is the party with the power to define the terms of the contract. “Acceptance” or rejection of the proposed terms is the prerogative of the other party.

When referring to the “offer” and the “acceptance” elements of a covenant between Deity and one or more of His mortal spirit offspring, we may speak of them as being the “oath” and the “covenant.” In these last days, God alone is able to initiate an oath and define its terms and conditions. This was not always the case. Under the Law of Moses, oaths taken or made by individuals were an integral part of Israel’s worship. However, in the meridian of time, the Lord made clear the initiating of oaths was then and for the future alone the prerogative of God. To the Nephites, He said, “And again it is written, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair black or white; But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever cometh of more than these is evil” (3 Nephi 12:33-37).

Thus under the terms of the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood, God sets forth the terms of the covenant, and we signify our acceptance of those terms through our accepting the conferral of the Melchizedek Priesthood by the laying on of hands by those possessing proper authority. The terms of this covenant are to be found in verses 33 through 41 of Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants. By accepting the Melchizedek Priesthood, the individual agrees to be a faithful bearer of the priesthood. As such, he agrees to “magnify” any calling he receives through proper priesthood authority. He likewise agrees to sustain the Lord’s anointed in their various callings. For by sustaining and receiving the Lord’s servants, he receives or accepts the Lord, and in turn, he submits himself to the will of our Heavenly Father as well as that of His Son, Jesus Christ. For His part, God promises a worthy priesthood holder that he will be sanctified, forgiven of his sins, and receive additional physical strength and mental ability to assist him in the fulfilling of his priesthood callings. If he earnestly seeks to fulfill his God-given potential here on earth by accepting all of the covenant opportunities available to him and proves to be faithful to the end, the priesthood bearer will inherit eternal life. This is nothing more or less than the net effect of the Covenant that God made with Abraham centuries ago. Thus as we read, the faithful “become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.”

The parties to civil contracts normally understand all too well that the other party or parties to the contract may, contrary to the law, breach their contractual obligations. Recourse for damages suffered by the innocent party or parties in such situations is in reality iffy. However, the situation is quite different when we consider the roles of the parties bound by a gospel covenant. If there is a breach of a covenant, the failure will be alone on the part of the human participant(s). God is God. Moroni taught that God “changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles” (Mormon 9:19). To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” D&C 82:10). In this existence of ever changing conditions and circumstances in which we find ourselves seeking to work out our individual salvation, how reassuring it is to know that the Lord’s will, His gospel, and his love for us “changeth not.”

The Orders of Priesthood

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught on August 27, 1843 that “there are three grand orders of priesthood.” “The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right from the eternal God, and not by descent from father and mother; and that priesthood is as eternal as God Himself, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. The 2nd Priesthood is Patriarchal authority. Go to and finish the temple, and God will fill it with power, and you will then receive more knowledge concerning this priesthood. The 3rd is what is called the Levitical Priesthood, consisting of priests to administer in outward ordinance[sic], made without an oath; but the Priesthood of Melchizedek is by an oath and covenant” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 322-323). The purpose of this writing is to expand upon the subject of the Second Order of Priesthood, that of “Patriarchal authority.” The term patriarchal order may also be used in this context.

From the days of Adam until the time of at least Noah, the Melchizedek Priesthood was passed from father to son in a patriarchal or lineal order. It would appear that until at least Noah’s day the presiding officer of the Lord’s Church was a direct descendant of Adam in the male line. Following the flood, this patriarchal order continued with some variations as exhibited in the cases of Abraham who received the Priesthood from Melchizedek and Moses who received the Priesthood from his father-in-law, Jethro.

In the covenant that God made with Abraham, Abraham and his descendants were promised that all future generations until the end of the earth would receive and enjoy the blessings of the priesthood through Abraham’s linage. From the meridian of time until at least the triumphal return of the Savior in the last days, the Melchizedek Priesthood is disseminated without concern for a patriarchal order although those who enter the Lord’s Kingdom “become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham” by adoption if necessary (Doctrine and Covenants 84:34).

In the Celestial Kingdom, those who inherit the blessings of eternal life will find themselves in and governed by a patriarchal order. They alone are those who will have the opportunity for eternal increase (D&C 131:4). Consider again what the Prophet said concerning this order of Priesthood: “Go to and finish the temple, and God will fill it with power, and you will then receive more knowledge concerning this priesthood.” The ordinances performed in the temples of the Lord have but one purpose in the final analysis namely, to provide God’s spirit children with the opportunity to live as their Father in Heaven lives, to have eternal life. Thus it is in the temple, as Joseph Smith said, that we learn of the opportunities and the blessings of Patriarchal authority.

The Aaronic and Levitical Priesthoods

The Aaronic and the Levitical Priesthoods were introduced into the world while Israel was wandering in the wilderness subsequent to their fleeing Egyptian captivity. Subsequent to Israel’s migration into the vicinity of Mount Sinai, the Lord commanded Moses to come up onto the mount that he might be instructed as to His will concerning His chosen people. The commandments and ordinances Moses received at that time were based upon the exercise of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which priesthood was held by at least Moses and Aaron at that moment. When Moses returned to his people and found them worshipping a golden calf, he dashed the tablets containing God’s instructions to the ground breaking them in pieces. Moses returned to the presence of the Lord and was given what became known as the Law of Moses, a law of carnal or outward commandments and ordinances, a lesser gospel and priesthood, whereby Israel would live and be schooled in the ways of the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 84:26-27).

This priesthood of lesser authority was conferred upon Aaron and has been known since that time as the Aaronic Priesthood. In some writings, this priesthood is referred to as being the Levitical Priesthood. This may create some confusion. These two priesthoods are not exactly the same, as they may be distinguished from one another in their duties and offices. Male members of the tribe of Levi could have the Levitical Priesthood conferred upon them. However, only the literal descendants of Aaron could receive the Aaronic Priesthood. The right to hold either of these priesthoods was according to lineage i.e., by birthright. This is in contrast to the Melchizedek Priesthood that is not lineal in its dissemination. The bearers of the Aaronic Priesthood could hold the office of a priest; while only the firstborn of Aaron’s posterity could serve as the high priest or the president of the priests. It was the priests who were responsible for performing the sacrifices within the temple setting. The holders of the Levitical Priesthood were assigned lesser duties about the temple necessary for good order and the smooth operation of the temple functions.

It followed logically, that since the Levites were the only bearers of the priesthood, the members of that tribe must be scattered among the other tribes of Israel in order that all might benefit from the exercise of the priesthood. It being necessary in God’s wisdom that Israel be composed of twelve tribes, the tribe of Joseph was divided according to his sons, and so the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh brought Israel back to full numbers.

This dispensation of Moses ended with the ministries of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ, the latter coming to fulfill the Law of Moses. While Israel during Moses’ dispensation lived by and benefitted from the exercise of the Aaronic Priesthood, the bearers of the Melchizedek Priesthood were still in control of the Lord’s work upon the earth. The prophets in Israel were holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood and on occasion were the heads of minor dispensations. The prophet Lehi is the most obvious example. Given that we have no record of a Levite being numbered among his group and with no references to Aaronic Priesthood offices or activities in the Book of Mormon, we are left to assume that the only priesthood operational in what we might refer to as Lehi’s dispensation was the Melchizedek Priesthood.

While translating the Book of Mormon from the golden plates, references to the ordinance of baptism initiated questioning discussions between the Prophet Joseph Smith and his scribe, Oliver Cowdery. On May 15, 1829, Joseph and Oliver retired to the woods in their vicinity to ask God for enlightenment on this subject. In response to their petitions, John the Baptist appeared and conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood using the following words: “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness” (D&C 13).

This being the dispensation of the fulness of times, it is necessary that all that was done by way of ordinances in previous generations be restored to the earth and practiced in this one. In light of this truth, the Aaronic Priesthood was restored to the earth in 1829. Within a few weeks, Peter, James, and John conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood upon these same two young men. This was a necessary prelude to the restoration of Christ’s only true Church in the spring of 1830.

While the Lord, himself, refers to the Aaronic Priesthood as being a lesser priesthood, by no means are we to assume that the bearers of this priesthood are unable to exercise much priesthood authority. The experiences of President Wilford Woodruff are instructive here. Looking back on his time as a missionary, President Woodruff reported: “I went out as a priest, and my companion as an elder, and we traveled thousands of miles, and had many things manifested to us. I desire to impress upon you the fact that it does not make any difference whether a man is a priest or an apostle, if he magnifies his calling. A priest holds the key of the ministering of angels. Never in my life, as an apostle, as a seventy, or as an elder, have I ever had more of the protection of the Lord than while holding the office as a priest. The Lord revealed to me by visions, by revelations, and by the Holy Spirit, many things that lay before me” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 300).

Within this dispensation and in due course of the Father’s will, Israel will be restored. In those days, the priesthood bearers of the tribe of Levi will exercise the Aaronic and Levitical Priesthoods for the benefit of Israel and in fulfillment of the prophesies of God in that the ordinance of blood sacrifice will again be practiced upon the earth. In addition, the Lord will reveal the name of the high priest who is to administer in the office of a bishop or the president of the priests of Aaron (D&C 107:13-17).

The Boy Scouts of America

I received in the mail not too long ago a donation request from the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, we have been regular contributors to this organization. On an evening more recently while sitting at my desk my mind wandered back about sixty years, and I relived particular experiences from my years of activity in the Boy Scouts. Our immediate family members are well aware of my ties to scouting as they have and still do labor under my repeated admonitions to apply the Scout Motto whenever it seems appropriate namely, “Be Prepared.” There is no getting around it, my years as an active scout taught me skills and provided me with experiences that impact my life to this very day.

By the decade of the 1950s, Troop 192 of the Edgehill Ward of the Hillside Stake in Salt Lake City was honored to have seen more of its members over the years achieve the rank of Eagle than was the case for any other troop in the United States. It should be noted that this was the era in which the swimming and the life saving merit badges were absolute requirements to obtain the Eagle rank. There were no exceptions as far as I know. An uncle of mine had one of his legs amputated above the knee while still very young because of polio. As a teenager, he earned the Eagle rank having complied with all of the requirements including these two most difficult merit badges. Although as a younger boy I was afraid of the water as a result of an early swimming experience, I was determined when I was still too young to be a scout that I would someday earn that coveted rank. So many Eagle badges were awarded to the boys in our ward that periodically the entire Sacrament Meeting program was an Eagle Court of Honor in which the latest qualifiers numbering as many as five or six received this honor.

We lived next door to a general contractor who was also the ward scout master. For years before I was old enough to join them, I watched Brother Menlove on summer evenings load his large, open truck with scouts going to their weekly swimming activity at Wasatch Springs just northwest of the city. By this means, boys in our ward were encouraged and taught the skills necessary to pass both the swimming and the life saving merit badges. In time the months and years passed, and I was able to join these weekly swimming sessions.

One of the important lessons I learned from Boy Scouts was the ability to set long-range goals that could be achieved only by setting and accomplishing an entire series of short- and intermediate-range goals consistent with my major aspirations. My scouting experience gave me the opportunity to learn handyman and other skills in addition to outdoor hiking and camping skills that otherwise I most likely would not have learned. I was made more aware of the world about me concerning law, government, and citizenship as they apply to the local, state, national, and international levels. I learned about professions that are important to the well-being of society even though one of them would most likely never be mine.

I also learned what it means to work as a team member. Our troop was large enough that sub-units called patrols were organized for the benefit and training of their members. These patrols were boy run and organized. They met once a week in a member’s home. In these meetings, we helped one another organize the necessary processes whereby each boy might further prepare himself for rank advancement or the achievement of needed merit badges. We also organized our participation in activities involving the entire troop. By this means and at this level, we learned what it means to properly “Be Prepared.”

Of course, television broadcasting was in its infancy when I was a teenager, so we were not distracted by electronic devices of any type. Church activities including competitive sports and scouting were our social life external to our homes. The world now some sixty years later is much changed. The many modern-day distractions and debasing temptations with which the boys in our wards must deal are extreme when compared to the conditions that existed when I was their age. However, today there are boys living in our communities whether they be LDS or not who share the same enthusiasm as boys of earlier generations for learning and doing that which will make them better rounded in their understanding of the world and of the means by which they may play a constructive role in their society's betterment. These boys deserve our encouragement and material support.

The Devil's Counterfeits

With the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the fullness of the gospel, and Christ’s true Church, Satan felt his dominion on the earth was under attack. The ensuing struggle between the forces of Christ and those of Satan will be at center stage until the advent of the Lord at the ushering in of the Millennium signals the beginning of the end for Satan and his minions’ activities upon this earth.

Of this struggle for the hearts of mankind, the Lord said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that Satan has great hold upon their hearts; he stirreth them up to iniquity against that which is good; And their hearts are corrupt, and full of wickedness and abominations; and they love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil; therefore they will not ask of me. Satan stirreth them up, that he may lead their souls to destruction. And thus he has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy the work of God; but I will require this at their hands, and it shall turn to their shame and condemnation in the day of judgment” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:20-23). Satan’s plan to which the Lord had reference was the counterfeit of the Lord’s true plan for the redemption of mankind. The Lord’s Plan of Salvation was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in order that the workers of truth could distinguish at all times between the Lord’s dictates and any counterfeit variation the opposition might present then and in the future. “And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations” (D&C 52:14).

At the center of the Plan of Salvation are the five ordinances all of which the children of God must avail themselves in order to obtain eternal life namely, baptism, confirmation, receipt of the Priesthood, the temple endowment, and the temple sealing. There is absolutely no other way by which that goal may be accomplished. However, counterfeit variations of these ordinances abound in the world to such an extent that only a hint of the true situation may find expression in this writing.

Baptism is required for admission into the Kingdom of God and requires the candidate to be capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. The individual must understand the basic principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, be “capable of repentance,” and have “a determination to serve” God until the end of his days (D&C 20:37 & 71). That pretty much discounts the validity of infant baptism. The ordinance of baptism is to be performed by immersion (D&C 20:74). Some other method of baptism such as the sprinkling of water simply does not fulfill the symbolic meaning or purpose of this ordinance.

Confirmation is to immediately follow the baptism of an individual seeking entrance into the Kingdom. Through proper priesthood authority and the laying on of hands, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed upon the entrant. These two ordinances must be performed for an individual within a very short time of each other inasmuch as neither ordinance is valid until the other has been performed with proper authority. Therefore, a lapse of many years between baptism and confirmation invalidates both ordinances. A confirmation ordinance performed without the intent of bestowing the Gift of Holy Ghost is a confirmation without proper purpose.

The Priesthood of God, the Melchizedek Priesthood, has been the subject of several of my writings, and significant elaboration will not take place here. It suffices for me to say that proper priesthood authority is absolutely necessary in the performance of these saving ordinances if they are to be validated or “sealed” by the Holy Spirit of Promise, the Holy Ghost (D&C 132:7).

The study of temple ordinances as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith when compared to the counterfeit ordinances inspired by Satan is intriguing to me. I am presently reading Temple and Cosmos from the collected works of Hugh Nibley. In his essay entitled, “The Meaning of the Temple,” Brother Nibley informs his readers that “[f]or the Egyptians and the Babylonians, as for us, the temple represents the principle of ordering the universe. It is the hierocentric point around which all things are organized. . . . Civilization is hierocentric, centered around the holy point of the temple. The temple was certainly the center of things in Babylonia, in Egypt, in Greece--wherever you go. This was certainly so in pioneer Utah” (15).

Later in the essay, Brother Nibley explains the importance of this concept to the Egyptians in particular. “We have been assuming almost unconsciously, note well, that our temple is of the same class as the temples of the Egyptians. Let me explain that. The ordinances of the Egyptian temple were essentially the same as those performed in ours. And that can be explained very simply: they have a common origin. The clue is given in Abraham 1:26: ‘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’ (Abraham 1:26). He sought diligently, he sought earnestly, to imitate the order that went back to the fathers of the first generation in the first patriarchal reign. The Egyptian ordinance also always had one purpose--to go back to the sp typ--the First Time, the time of the first man, who was Adam. The Egyptians didn’t have it, and they knew it. So they sought to imitate it. Interestingly, Pharaoh was worried sick about this problem. Pharaoh spent his days in the archives in the House of Life, searching through the genealogical records with the nobles of the court turning over the records, looking for some genealogical proof that he really had authority. He never found it, and it broke his heart. And ‘Pharaoh, being of the lineage whereby he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah’ [through Ham] (Abraham 1:27)--made a very good imitation, seeking very earnestly to imitate the order which went back to the beginning” (26-27).

While this discussion has been centered around the five saving ordinances of the gospel, it should be obvious that Satan has inspired the creation and perpetuation of counterfeits for all aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Satan imitates the gifts of the spirit” is a discussion taught recently in our high priests group that is to be found in lesson #22 of Gospel Principles.

The Exercise of Agency

“Agency is an eternal principle. It is through the exercise of agency that personal progression in the gospel sense is possible. It was the Prophet Abraham who reported God’s purpose concerning the exercise of personal agency: “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;” (Abraham 3:25). So integral is agency to God’s eternal plan for us, that the presentation of a counter proposal that would have subverted the agency of God’s spirit children while they were living in mortality was in and of itself an important factor in Lucifer’s fall” (Post #47, June 15, 2010).

Progression in the gospel sense is dependent upon our learning, understanding, and obeying God’s laws relative to our becoming eventually and ultimately as He is. Such progression is dependent upon our ability to make choices that are consistent with God’s laws i.e., the commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of our hymns says it simply: “Choose the right when a choice is placed before you.”

However, the natural man who is an enemy to God (Mosiah 3:19) sees his personal agency in much different terms. His freedom of choice makes himself a free spirit uninhibited by constricting rules and laws except for those which he chooses to obey for reasons of personal gratification or out of fear of punishment by some threatening governmental agent. God’s expectations of him, if there be such, are poorly understood, unclear at best, and their consequences are for him irrelevant or quite inconsequential, and certainly far distant. The years proceed rewarding him with “the good life” or something less that he partially is able to explain in terms of decisions and rationale he more or less understands in natural terms and through prevailing conditions.

At the heart of such thinking is the very basic and false assumption that external rules and laws if obeyed amount to restraints on the freedom of the spirit, of the individual’s exercise of agency. I am presently reading a bestseller by Matthew B. Crawford entitled, Shop Class as Soulcraft. As I do, my mind keeps slipping back to a bestseller of years ago entitled, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Crawford refers to the mistaken understanding of agency as “freedomism.” He writes: “The errors of freedomism may be illuminated by thinking about music. One can’t be a musician without learning to play a particular instrument, subjecting one’s fingers to the discipline of frets or keys. The musician’s power of expression is founded upon a prior obedience; her musical agency is built up from an ongoing submission. To what? To her teacher, perhaps, but this is incidental rather than primary--there is such a thing as the self-taught musician. Her obedience rather is to the mechanical realities of her instrument, which in turn answer to certain natural necessities of music that can be expressed mathematically. For example, halving the length of a string under a given tension raises its pitch by an octave. These facts do not arise from the human will, and there is no altering them. I believe the example of the musician sheds light on the basic character of human agency, namely, that it arises only within concrete limits that are not of our making. These limits need not be physical; the important thing is rather that they are external to the self” (64).

Eternal progress requires an ascendant struggle toward the mastery of our thoughts and actions consistent with the requirements of the Lord’s gospel or in other words, the demonstration of a growing diligence towards conforming our behavior to laws that are external to ourselves namely, God’s laws.

"Navigating Your Way Through Life"

While serving as a counselor in a stake presidency in early 1990, I was asked to speak at a stake single adults fireside on the topic of “Navigating Your Way Through Life.” The suggestions I made to those attending that evening have been and remain the basic tenets that have given my life its direction. They are offered here for whatever benefit they may be to others.

Consideration one

If we are honest with ourselves even at an early age, we understand that the course of our life has been largely determined by the choices we have made. In our retirement years, this truth concerning the importance of our life’s decisions is so obvious as to be glaring, except for the delusional. Given that our rational decisions will be dependent upon and generally made within the scope of our core beliefs, establishing our belief system as early as possible in life will work obviously to our personal advantage and the advantage of those who yet will come to rely upon us. I can think of no better basis for a personal belief system than the gospel of Jesus Christ learned in its particulars and applied in our life to the greatest degree possible.

Consideration two

Secular matters in all their variety, importance, and attraction should remain of lesser importance in our lives than leading a family, living the gospel, and providing church service. In my college years when my thoughts turned to possible future professions, a potential life-long endeavor was almost immediately dropped from consideration if it would require me to spend much time away from my wife and children, make regular observance of the sabbath day with them difficult, or encumber me from serving in any church calling I might receive in the coming years. These were givens. There was no room for compromise. The same considerations applied to any sport or avocation in which I might become interested.

Consideration three

I distinguish between the gospel and the Lord’s Church. The gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely true in all of its particulars. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s only true and restored Church upon the earth, but it is filled entirely with imperfect members. It is impossible to live a life that conforms as much as possible to the gospel without being a member of Christ’s Church. When we are baptized into the Church, we covenant with God to serve Him and to keep His commandments (Mosiah 18:10), and King Benjamin taught clearly that serving God means to serve our fellowmen (Mosiah 2:16-17). Now while it is commendable and encouraged that we serve our fellowmen through secular pursuits, our covenant with God requires that we serve our fellowmen through the building of the Kingdom of God first and foremost.

Consideration four

This point is related to the one above. No member of the Church will ever be given the opportunity to undermine my testimony of the gospel. The gospel is true, and all members are imperfect. I know and have known far too many members of the Church who, at one time or another, have allowed some unfortunate experience with other members to repel them from active participation. This is not to say that I have not been affronted by members over the years, because I have been. However, their conduct is their problem, and I will not allow their problems to become mine.

Consideration five

Responsibility for myself and my family is mine. I love my wife very much, and we are a strong partnership. However, when God wants an accounting of what we have done as parents, I am fervently convinced that the onus of the report will be more mine than hers. Thus I am not only fully accountable for myself but have the Priesthood responsibility for our family as well.

Consideration six

I am unfavorably impressed with the number of Saints in the Lord’s Church who appear to be comfortable receiving far more than they are willing to give within the context of building the Kingdom. At baptism, we covenant to serve and not be served by our fellowmen. I recognize that the day is probably coming when I will be in greater need of assistance from others than what I will be able to provide. However, until that time comes, my basic mode of life will be to give far more than I receive when speaking of human relationships.

Consideration seven

My long-term goal is to be found worthy of eternal life. There is no more important consideration in my life than that. For me, life’s choices are made with this paramount objective not only in mind but as a determining factor.

The Age of Accountability

There appeared recently in our local newspaper [The Seattle Times of October 25, 2010] a report that two boys ages ten and eleven may not stand trial for a violent attack and robbery they are accused of perpetrating on a community bus because they may be too young to know the difference between right and wrong. Quoting from the article, prosecutors will “have to prove in court that they [the youths] have the intellectual, moral and psychological development to fully understand the crime they’re accused of committing.” “Under state law, a child between the ages of 8 and 11 is presumed to be incapable of committing a crime unless a judge determines the youth has the ‘sufficient capacity to understand the act . . . and to know that it was wrong.’ ” So much for about six thousand years of God’s instruction on this subject.

With the restoration of the fulness of the gospel and the Kingdom of God in this final dispensation, the Lord made clear once again that the age of accountability is eight years of age unless, of course, an individual’s mental development is seriously impaired. Concerning what is necessary for salvation, the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith the following: “And you must preach unto the world, saying: You must repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ; For all men must repent and be baptized, and not only men, but women, and children who have arrived at the years of accountability” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:41-42). The year was 1829. Two years later and subsequent to the restoration of His Church, the Lord revealed His will very specifically. “And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized. And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands. And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord” (D&C 68:25-28).

There are those parents who are members of the stakes of Zion as organized that do not see fit to follow the Lord’s revealed will on this matter. Possibly, they seek to shelter their children from the effects of their being accountable for their misdeeds. Unfortunately, however, their children remain accountable while they themselves are unaware of the consequences of their state. The Lord makes it clear that such parents will be held accountable for this sorry situation. I suspect that not a few of these delinquent parents are rationalizing their position by thinking that the Prophet Joseph Smith really did not understand the will of God given that nowhere in the scriptures previous to this dispensation is there a confirmation of age eight being the historic standard. And then again, perhaps they believe that they can better judge their children’s capabilities and maturity as opposed to any arbitrary standard set through revelation.

Therein they would be mistaken. For we learn in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible that age eight has been the age of accountability since at least the days of Abraham. “And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know for ever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old” (Genesis 17:11 JST). Now if this is the age of accountability for the descendants of Abraham in all subsequent dispensations to the end of the world per the Abrahamic covenant, may we assume anything else other than this was the standard from the days of Adam until the time of Abraham? I think not. Thus the age of accountability being eight years of age was not a measure determined by the Prophet Joseph Smith nor was it set for this dispensation alone by heavenly authority. This is our Heavenly Father’s standard that was established for the benefit of His mortal children living in all dispensations.

Justification and Sanctification

Over the years in mostly classroom settings, an apparent lack of clarity in the minds of some members on the concepts of justification and sanctification moves me to this writing. While the subject matter of both is very much related, they are to be clearly distinguished from each other in their particulars.

The Prophet Enoch taught his people concerning the plan of salvation using the revealed message Adam had received from the Lord on this subject. “That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified” (Moses 6:59-60).

While it is well understood that one purpose of the Holy Spirit of Promise or the Holy Ghost is to testify of the truth and reality of God the Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ, and of their purposes namely, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39), He is also the great justifier. It is He who places His stamp of approval on the performance of all gospel related actions and ordinances necessary for the salvation of mankind. Without His ratification, all actions taken in this world are of no effect beyond this mortal realm (Doctrine and Covenants 132:7).

This brings us to a discussion of possibly the most misunderstood verse of scripture in our standard works. As a temple sealer, I have the opportunity almost every week to seal living couples for time and eternity, but it is clear that far too many couples so sealed in the Lord’s temples each week throughout the world misunderstand the consequences of the sealing ordinance performed in their behalf. I have thus come to discuss the matter briefly with those whom I seal in an effort that they may more fully understand the real consequences of the ordinance in which they are about to participate. The key to a proper understanding of a temple sealing is to be found in verse nineteen of Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. What we sealers do in the Lord’s temples is not binding for the eternities until the Holy Spirit of Promise places His seal of approval upon the lives and actions of the couple so sealed thus making their “calling and election sure” (D&C 131:5). The key words in that verse are “and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise.” What we learn from verse nineteen is that until we have so lived our lives subsequent to our temple sealing in such a worthy manner as is required of us by our Heavenly Father so that the Holy Ghost may ratify our temple sealing, we have no promise of eternal life. For Saints, that means we must live worthy of our Father’s promised blessings to the end of our mortal probation. For almost all Saints, it will not be until some point after this life that we will receive the required and sought after assurance from the Holy Ghost.

Sanctification is the process of bring our daily lives into conformity with the laws of the Gospel in such a manner as to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Moroni ended his writings with an admonishment to all the followers of Christ to become sanctified. “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33).

"Why?"

Several days ago, my wife and I returned to Utah when it appeared that our friends from Germany would soon be able to return home. Medical arrangements were made to ensure as much as possible their safe passage from a hospital in Salt Lake City to a medical facility in Berlin. We returned to be with them at the end of their stay in the United States in order that proper good-byes might be said, to assist in any way possible with the particulars of their departure, and to personally thank those who have assisted this couple in our absence.

As we reminisced over the events of their "vacation" in America that was ending in a manner inconceivable just a month ago, her husband concluded that they had learned several important "lessons" from this horrific experience, one that is still far from over. The most important of these was "that asking 'Why?' is not appropriate." He explained. “We try to live the best lives that we can and then have faith that our Father in Heaven is in control. We cannot know why some things happen as they do, but we have faith that from our experiences we will learn the lessons He intended for us.”

His insight is compatible with Elder Richard G. Scott's remarks quoted in a recent blog post entitled, “Job: Our Exemplar Amidst Trials and Tribulations.” “When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help?” (Elder Richard G. Scott, Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 18).

Having been with them through the most trying days of this prolonged experience, we too share in his "lesson learned."

In Remembrance: Blood Sacrifice and the Sacrament

During His mortal ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ introduced the ordinances of the sacrament into the worship practices of the membership of His Church. After His resurrection, He introduced these ordinances to the members of His Church in the Americas. We may safely assume that He did the same during the time He spent with His additional sheep that were neither to be found in America nor in Palestine at that time (3 Nephi 16:1-3). By partaking of the blessed bread and the wine, members of His Church were able to renew the covenants they had made at the time of their baptism and confirmation. While in the modern Church, we partake of the blessed bread and water, the purpose of participating in these sacred ordinances is unchanged from that of Christ’s day.

If down through the ages since the time of Adam baptism and confirmation have been the only means by which the children of God have been able to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and accept His gospel, then by what means were His followers in ancient times able to renew their covenants made upon entry into the Kingdom? They did so through the ordinance of blood sacrifice. Saints of old looked forward to the time of Christ’s atoning sacrifice; the Saints during the meridian of time and of this dispensation look back to that event with the same reverence.

A thought concerning the subject of sacrifice is appropriate here. This is a complex subject of which I know but little of the particulars. Further study on this subject might profitably begin with a careful reading of the relevant entry in the Bible Dictionary found at the back of our Church sponsored publications of the Bible. For purposes of this writing, I have reference to only one form of blood sacrifice namely, the one practiced by members of Christ’s Church from the days of Adam down to the time of Christ’s ministry whereby they renewed their introductory covenants of baptism and confirmation.

A wonderful illustration of using blood sacrifice to renew gospel covenants is found in the scriptures reporting the preparations taken by those planning to attend the presentation of King Benjamin’s famous address: “And it came to pass that after Mosiah had done as his father had commanded him, and had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them. And there were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land. And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses; And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just men to be their teachers, and also a just man to be their king, who had established peace in the land of Zarahemla, and who had taught them to keep the commandments of God, that they might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men” (Mosiah 2:1-4).

Be careful and do not allow the phrase “that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses” throw you off track. The descendants of Lehi's emigration were all members of the tribe of Joseph according to the record. Indeed, no reference is made anywhere in the Book of Mormon of Levites playing a role in any of their societies and worship. Under those circumstances, none of them were living according to the dictates of or under the auspices of the Aaronic and Levitical Priesthoods. Thus it appears safe to assume that King Benjamin’s followers were not living by the carnal commandments inherent in the law of Moses given to the children of Israel after their fall in the wilderness. In fact, the writers of what became the Book of Mormon justify over and over again the conclusion that they possessed the fullness of the gospel made possible only through their exercise of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Those who responded to the call to hear King Benjamin’s address were to be taught gospel truths and called upon to repent of their sins. Having properly repented of past sins which would include asking God for forgiveness for their wrong doings, the people would have done what we have the opportunity to do in each sacrament meeting we attend through the partaking of the sacrament namely, they sought to renew their baptism and confirmation covenants through offering blood sacrifices.

A Vacation to Remember

For the past few weeks, I have not made posts to this blog at the usual, regular intervals. The reason is simple. We have been on vacation. In seventy years, this vacation stands out as being the most exceptional. And even though we are home again, it is not really over. Its ramifications still preoccupy our minds, and its effects will be felt by some for possibly years to come. Some of my impressions of our experiences these past few weeks are the contents of this writing.

Since the middle of September, we have been entertaining friends from Germany. While they have been to the Americas on several previous occasions, they took the opportunity on this trip to visit Church sites in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa before coming to spend several weeks touring as yet for them unknown areas in the West. We planned to spend three weeks with them visiting sights in Western and Central Washington State, Yellowstone National Park, and then end our adventure in Salt Lake City where we would attend sessions of the Church’s General Conference in the Conference Center for the first time.

The wife of our guest couple had been experiencing some health concerns since before arriving in the United States, but a medical examination in Seattle showed no major health problem that would impede our travel plans. In West Yellowstone, her health took a turn for the worst. With not so much as a health clinic in the town, we were forced to make a night run for the nearest hospital emergency room located in Rexburg, Idaho. So dire was her condition, that she was soon placed on a med-evac helicopter and transported to a regional medical center in Idaho Falls. Subsequent tests showed her true condition required treatments to be found in Salt Lake City where she was transfered by a properly equipped jet. At the moment of this writing, she is still in a hospital bed in Salt Lake City awaiting medical arrangements to be completed in order that she and her husband may be flown to their home city of Berlin where she will be placed in an appropriate hospital in order that the required treatments might continue. Her future health condition is quite unknown at this time.

She is alive today for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it is God’s will. She has been blessed also because of the faith and the prayers of her family and friends. There have been many doctors and nurses as well as pilots and medical technicians who have all performed their specialties with skill and caring. Many others will yet have her in their keeping, and we pray that her health will be restored to the best quality possible in order that she may live to bless her husband, family, and friends with love and caring as she has done in the past.

From the experiences of these harrowing days, many events and impressions crowd my memory. In times to come, useful applications of things experienced and learned now will make themselves manifest at appropriate moments. But two lessons can already be appreciated. First, there were moments of frustration when arrangements we believed were necessary could not be completed according to our plans and wishes. Then in due course as events continued to unfold, it became clear to us that the desired but failed arrangements were truly not in our best interests. Thinking back on these circumstances, I am reminded of the scripture “be still and know that I am God” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16). All too often, we pray for God’s direction and blessings and then attempt to tell God the means by which He should bless and direct us. We need to be more patient and discerning when awaiting that for which we have prayed. From this experience, I am also reminded of the importance of living day by day as best we can that we might always be worthy of God’s promised blessings at any time and under any appropriate circumstance.

Earlier, I mentioned that this was our first General Conference attended in the Conference Center. Given the number of years that the Center has been the site of these sessions, it may be properly assumed that attending Conference in person has not been a major draw for me. Only rarely do my wife and I willingly seek out crowded venues. More than 21,000 participants in an auditorium qualifies as a crowded venue. I felt excitement in anticipation of the beginning of the first session we attended there. However, the speakers were so far away from where we were sitting as to be mostly unrecognizable except for the enlarged images hanging on the wall before us. Their voices seemed to be more directional than surrounding. It was an interesting experience but not a really personal and spiritual one. This same finding was borne out by our friend’s comment upon returning to the hotel after he had attended a subsequent session. He noted “that one can feel very much alone in such a large congregation.” I think there is value in his comment to this extent. Spiritual experiences may occur in a vast variety of different settings. Some may feel the spirit while sitting in a vast congregation, while others would rather seek the same experience in a more personal setting. I must confess that listening to Elder Holland’s address during the first session while sitting on the foot of my bed in a hotel room almost brought me to tears. Feeling the Spirit is a personal matter, and I believe a more personal setting makes having a spiritual experience easier.

My point here is simple. For those who find it difficult if not impossible to attend a session of General Conference personally, know this, that you may still have the Spirit bear witness to you of the truthfulness of what is being said and done by our leaders if your personal preparation and physical setting are appropriate to receive such a blessing.

Precepts of the Gospel

The First Presidency Message for September 2010 that is intended to serve as a basis for the home teaching lessons presented to the families of the Church was written by President Henry B. Eyring and is entitled, “The Book of Mormon as a Personal Guide.” As a support to the home teaching efforts of our High Priests Group, the First Presidency Message is our lesson topic on the first Sunday of each month. This month’s discussion was lively and centered around a well known quote of the Prophet Joseph Smith relative to the Book of Mormon’s importance: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 64).

An attempt on my part to reconstruct the particulars of our Group’s discussion related to this quote is not germane to this writing. What is pertinent is the conclusion with which our instructor ended his lesson as well as the basis upon which President Eyring grounded his Message. The Book of Mormon’s key value that makes it “the most correct of any book on earth,” the “keystone of our religion,” and assists men to “get nearer to God . . . than by any other book” is the “precepts” that it contains. President Eyring concludes that these precepts “are the commandments of God we find in it” (Ensign, September 2010, 4). My dictionary defines a “precept” as “a commandment or direction meant as a rule of action or conduct.” Clearly, the title of his Message confirms this interpretation to be the one intended as President Eyring asks the Church’s membership to consider this book of scripture as their “Personal Guide.”

Therein is what caught my attention. The First Presidency Message and our Group’s discussion confirmed what I already knew. We ought not read and study the Book of Mormon because of our interest in expanding our present understanding of the law of consecration or the united order, the collecting and use of tithing funds, or the temple ordinances of the endowment and the sealing of families for eternity, for example. These important subjects are not topics handled by its writers. When we read the Book of Mormon, we should concentrate intently upon the precepts illustrated therein which if better inculcated into our daily living would assist us to “get nearer to God” thus improving the possibility of one day being found worthy to receive eternal life. Thousands of years ago, the Lord confirmed to the Prophet Abraham that this end was the purpose of life and of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. “And in thy seed after thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11).

The next time I re-read the Book of Mormon, I will keep the Prophet’s counsel in mind and seek to better understand and apply the saving precepts it contains.

"There is a Spirit in Man"

It was Job who is quoted as having said, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (Job 32:8). Concerning this concept, President Joseph F. Smith taught: “There is not a man born into the world but has a portion of the Spirit of God, and it is that Spirit of God which gives to his spirit understanding. Without this, he would be but an animal like the rest of the brute creation, without understanding, without judgment, without skill, without ability, except to eat and to drink like the brute beast. But inasmuch as the Spirit of God giveth all men understanding, he is enlightened above the brute beast. He is made in the image of God Himself, so that he can reason, reflect, pray, exercise faith; he can use his energies for the accomplishment of the desires of his heart, and inasmuch as he puts forth his efforts in the proper direction, then he is entitled to an increased portion of the Spirit of the Almighty to inspire him to increased intelligence, to increased prosperity and happiness in the world; but in proportion as he prostitutes his energies for evil, the inspiration of the Almighty is withdrawn from him, until he becomes so dark and so benighted, that so far as his knowledge of God is concerned, so far as the future or hopes of eternal life are concerned, he is quite as ignorant as a dumb brute” (Journal of Discourses, 25:53-54 as quoted in Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Old Testament, 267). I sense that some pet lovers will be uncomfortable with this statement, nevertheless, it is true from at least the standpoint of the gospel.

While the spirit of man may be inspired by the Almighty through three identifiably different means, it is one of these namely, the Light of Christ to which President Smith has major reference here. The Light of Christ fills the immensity of space and is that force for good that stands in opposition to the spirit of the evil one. When we speak of the “conscience” of mankind, we speak of the most obvious effect of the Light of Christ upon our persons. If we do not seek to drown out the direction our conscience would give us, then its direction will guide us toward beliefs and actions that are good and consistent with God’s will. A conscience fettered by a repeated rejection of what is good will leave us more exposed to the temptations of the evil one and of his minions. For those who leave themselves open to the inspiration of the Light of Christ are encouraged toward ends of enlightenment, discovery, and creativity not only for themselves but also at times for the betterment and the refinement of the human family.

The Holy Ghost is a testifier of the truth. The unrepentant will at best experience a personal brush with the Holy Ghost as they have witness born to them of the truthfulness of the restored gospel and the re-establishment of the Lord’s one true Church upon the earth in these last days. If the investigator seizes upon this witness of truth and exercises faith and repentance unto baptism and confirmation, then will the convert receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift from God is the right to have the constant companionship of His Spirit to guide us, to encourage us, to warn us of impending danger, and to comfort us in times of trials. What is often not mentioned in such a discussion is that the Holy Ghost will not strive with the disobedient. It follows, therefore, that we will reap the promised benefits the Holy Ghost has to offer only if we are living worthy of those blessings.

The third way that “the inspiration of the Almighty giveth [us] understanding” is by means of the Second Comforter, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. The Savior taught: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (see John 14: 18-23). To be worthy of and receive the Second Comforter is expressed in the scriptures in several different ways. The Apostle Peter taught that we should seek to make our “calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood” (D&C 131:5). On another occasion, the Lord taught that those “who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 76:53-54). Of course, the members of the church of the Firstborn are those who inherit eternal life. While speaking concerning John 14:23, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false” (D&C 130:3). For “the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (D&C 130:22).

There are those writers who diminish the importance of Job’s pronouncement that “there is a spirit in man” as not being an exceptional concept. I beg to differ with them. The spirits that inhabit human beings consist of two identifiably different parts and are the spirit offspring of our heavenly parents. The spirits of which I speak are not those that naturally inhabit the bodies of animals, and spirits destined for the bodies of animals can never be the life force in a human body. Thus the spirit that inhabits the human being is materially different from those inhabiting all other life forms. The spirits of which Job speaks consist of an intelligence that is co-eternal with God and that is the life force within the spirit body created by our heavenly parents. In our pre-mortal experience, we participated in a maturation process that allowed us to progress according to our Father’s desires for us to the extent we were willing to obey His dictates. The mortal probation in which we presently find ourselves is a continuation of this maturation process the object of which is to become as our parents in heaven are. The success of our earthly progression is possible in the final analysis because of “the inspiration of the Almighty” that provides to the obedient the necessary understanding of God’s prescribed course of action during this period of testing.

Gratitude

Some years ago, our ward had a bishop who displayed a Gertrude Stein quote on his office wall: “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.”

From our early years, we were taught to say “please” and “thank you” as well as use other expressions whereby we demonstrated common courtesy to others. We were made to understand that we belonged to a larger society of men and women, and that the peace and good order of that community depended upon each member showing respect for others in ways appropriate to the ages and roles of those with whom we interacted. We were expected to demonstrate deference toward our elders and authority figures.

Another aspect of our becoming aware of our place in society was the appreciation we were taught for all those in our society who provided us benefits. We came to realize how our lives were made safer, more comfortable, more rewarding, and happier because of policemen, firemen, trash haulers, teachers, doctors, and so on. When someone did anything for us, even the smallest gesture, we were taught to show our appreciation or gratitude by at the very least saying “thank you.” If this was true of the larger society, then it was more so when considering our immediate family members. That is not to say that my brother and I did not engage in sibling rivalry, but our parents were not tolerant of it at any level. Therefore, my brother and I matured in an environment in which such conflict was minimal. Showing appreciation and respect for our parents was simply the order of the day. Rarely did the thought to do otherwise seriously enter our minds.

Now, asks the Apostle Paul, if we show respect to our parents, ought we to respect our Heavenly Father less? “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)

King Benjamin places the matter of our thanks and gratitude to God in sharp focus: “I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another--I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:20-21).

If “actions speak louder than words,” then words alone will not suffice as the sole means of thanking God for our lives and the privilege to experience this mortal probation. As King Benjamin taught, actions in the form of service to our fellowmen are required of us, for we have no other means by which we may fulfill the covenants we made with God at the time of our baptism and confirmation “to serve Him.” Selfish inaction on our part when we are presented with an opportunity to share our blessings from God with others or to profess that God’s blessings to us are really of our own making is to heap condemnation upon our own heads.

Thus it should be clear that we have an obligation to outwardly manifest through overt expressions of appreciation and acts of service the blessings we receive from God and the favors we receive from the hands of our fellowmen. Well it would be for us that we not forget the Lord’s insight on this matter: “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21).

The Abrahamic Covenant

An understanding of the covenant the Lord made with Abraham in Old Testament times is necessary in this the dispensation of the fulness of times in order that we may more fully appreciate the historic mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If we were forced to rely solely on the information contained in the Old Testament for such an understanding, we would have little clarity on this subject [Genesis 17:3-8 and 22:15-18, for example]. Thus, revelations and sacred writings made available in modern times are invaluable for this study.

In the Book of Mormon, the House of Israel is emphasized as the means by which the terms of the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled. An example of this approach is found in 2 Nephi: “And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever” (2 Nephi 29:13-14).

The most complete presentation of the Abrahamic Covenant is found in the Book of Abraham. Here is a consideration of verses eight through eleven in chapter two:

Verse 8 This is a covenant between God and Abraham. As with all such covenants, God determines the conditions or particulars of the agreement.

Verse 9 Abraham’s descendants are given the exclusive right to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the “ministry,” and bear the Melchizedek Priesthood “unto all nations.” We may assume, therefore, that the Savior will be born within Abraham’s lineage, which He was.

Verse 10 “And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after they name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father.”

Those who accept the gospel and join the Kingdom of God and who are not of the literal blood of Abraham are adopted into his lineage. This fact is confirmed in Paul’s teachings to the Galatians, who were not of the House of Israel and also apparently were not numbered among Abraham’s posterity before their baptism: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught concerning the role of the Holy Ghost in this adoption process: “This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 149-150).

Verse 11 The core of this verse reads as follows: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.” The portions of this verse that I have not quoted are important clarifications of this core promise. Without their possession of the Melchizedek Priesthood, this promise to Abraham and his posterity would be meaningless. Also, Abraham’s posterity is defined as being those who are his “literal seed” or the seed of his body.

The Abrahamic Covenant was reaffirmed with Isaac (Genesis 24:60; 26:1-4, 24) and with Jacob (Genesis 28; 35:9-13; 48:3-4). It might also be worth noting in passing that Abraham received the land of Canaan as an inheritance (Genesis 17:8; Abraham 2:19).

Earlier in this writing, I mentioned that the teachings of the Book of Mormon tend to emphasize the role of the House of Israel down through the ages as fulfilling the conditions of the Abrahamic Covenant. This is no less the case today when we consider our perspective of the role of Israel in the modern Church. However in light of all this, there is an important lesson to be learned concerning the role of the Covenant down through the ages. If we consider the seven major dispensations of the gospel from Adam to the present day, one of these commenced with Moses. What was Moses’ priesthood line-of-authority? While he was an Israelite, a Levite, his Priesthood came by way of a non-Israelite. Moses received the Melchizedek Priesthood from his father-in-law, Jethro, a Midianite, who was a descendant of Abraham through Keturah, Abraham’s concubine and later his wife (Genesis 25:1-2; 1 Chronicles 1:32-34). Moses’ priesthood line-of-authority is outlined in D&C 84:6-17. Clearly both Abraham and Isaac had posterity who were not of the House of Israel. Thus it would be well for us to remember that Israel is not the sole means by which the peoples of the earth have been blessed under the terms of the Abrahamic Covenant.

One further matter is worthy of reconsideration here. In a previous writing, I introduced the Prophet Joseph Smith’s teaching concerning the Kingdom of God. “I say, in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and authority to administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God--a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God; . . . Where there is no kingdom of God there is no salvation” (Teachings, 271-272). If we take this statement literally, then the Kingdom of God in some form has been on the earth from the days of Adam to the beginning of this, the seventh dispensation. This position appears to be supported by the writings of Moses. “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost. And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was” (Moses 5:58-59).

The possibility that the Kingdom of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ have had a continuing presence somewhere upon the earth from the days of Adam through to our day is a thrilling concept. If we are worthy, the time is coming when we will be shown a panoramic history of the world just as many prophets have already been privileged to see it. Until that time, we glean what understanding we can from the sacred writings in our possession and look forward to the day when the promised additional records are made available to us. For they will reveal the works of God down through the ages, and we will then understand fully how, where, and when the literal seed of Abraham and of Isaac as well as of Jacob have blessed all of the families of the earth, “even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11).