Life Eternal: Becoming Acquainted with the Divine Nature

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" 

-John 17:3

In Book VII of The Republic, Plato uses a vivid allegory to illustrate the challenge humankind faces in attempting to become acquainted with the Divine: He describes a group of men, chained down, facing a wall inside a cave dimly lit by a distant fire, watching passing shadows on the wall and taking them for reality. When one of those men leaves the cave, and sees the light of the sun, not only is he pained, dazzled, and disoriented, he is perplexed by the suggestion that this bright, blaring, confusing world is in fact more "real" than the shadows on the cave wall with which he is so familiar. Moreover, he will not even be able to look at the outside world for a time--it will be too bright, too foreign, to confusing. Rather, he will look at shadows, then reflections in water, then objects themselves. Later he will be able to contemplate the moon and the stars, and only eventually, growing by degrees, will he be able to look upon the sun itself, and appreciate it in all its brilliance. 

The Greek philosopher's purpose in this allegory to highlight the metaphysical contrast between the intellectual "world of forms" and the physical world of perception in which we currently find ourselves--the prisoners in the cave representing the majority of humankind, whose thoughts never extend far beyond the mere shadows we think we see about is in the world of the senses. I bring up this story for another purpose, however--as an illustration of the path we must take out of these "shadowlands", as C.S. Lewis called them, and into the upper world if we are to gaze for ourselves upon the Divine, and to come acquainted with the true nature of God. 

Why Try to Leave the Cave at all?

If leaving the cave in Plato's allegory brings such pain and disorientation, one is inclined to ask why any of the prisoners would be inclined to leave at all. Indeed, much of secular human history over the last several thousand years is essentially an account of humankind's attempt to make the cave more comfortable and to enjoy the moving shadows on the wall. As Plato himself observes, most efforts to remove individuals from their comfortable seats in the darkness are met with extreme dissatisfaction. 

So why should we try to leave the cave? Why is a knowledge of the Nature of God of such value? As recorded in the Gospel of John, and quoted at the beginning of this post, the Savior of the World taught his Apostles just before his Crucifixion that knowing God is the essence of Eternal Life. Teaching the same principle in different words, the Prophet Joseph Smith told early Latter-day Saints that "if you wish to go where God is, you must be like God." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 223) Understanding the nature of God prepares us to live in His presence, because as the Apostle John taught in his first general epistle, "we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2) It appears, then, that the knowledge of God goes hand in hand with our progress towards becoming like Him, and our ability to dwell in His presence; as John continues in the same epistle, "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (ibid., v.3) We want to know what God is like, so that we can become more like Him, and prepare to return to live with Him. 

We must come to know God not only so that we can emulate His character, but also so that we can develop that kind of faith in Him that is necessary for our salvation. In the Lectures on Faith, we read that "three things are necessary in order that any rational intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation: First, the idea that he actually exist; Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes; Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to His will." (Lectures on Faith, 3:2-5) If we are to place our full faith and confidence in a Divine Being, we must know just what sort of Being He is. If we hope to have access to God's mercy, we must first understand that He is a merciful Being. To rely on his unmatched power, we must first see that He is omnipotent. To feel His Divine Love, we must first know that He is Love. Thus, as we come to understand the nature of God, we are able to exercise greater faith in Him, and are enabled to become more like Him. 

To Grow in the Knowledge of God

Seeing that it is essential for our ultimate happiness and eternal salvation to come to comprehend the nature of God, how shall we proceed? As the prisoners in Plato's allegory, we cannot simply step out of the shadows and look directly into the sun; we would not be able to comprehend God's nature if He were to reveal himself to us in our unprepared state. Rather, we must grow in our knowledge of God, receiving knowledge as the Prophet Isaiah taught, line upon line, precept upon precept, for "he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more lightl and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (Doctrine and Covenants 50:23)  I submit that there are four primary ways in which we can become better acquainted with the nature of God: Study of the scriptures, the teachings of living prophets and Apostles, personal revelation, and a personal knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

 Study of the Scriptures

As I have discussed in an earlier post, God is quite interested in revealing Himself to us, His children. However, as we are all in different stages of preparation, He has established a pattern for revealing Himself to us by increasing degrees as we grow more an more prepared to know Him. One step in that pattern is that He commands those who already know Him to keep a record of His dealings with humankind. From the Ancient Near East, many of those records were compiled into what we know now as the Holy Bible--literally, a sacred library, or collection of books. From the Ancient Americas, those records were compiled and abridged by the Prophet Mormon, and translated and published in English by Joseph Smith, as The Book of Mormon. In modern times, God has again revealed himself to prophets and Apostles, beginning with Joseph Smith, and we read modern prophetic words in The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price.  From these four sacred books, together known as the "Standard Works". Through these books, we see God's dealings with man, and thus can grow to better understand His nature. We learn, for example, that "the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend," (Exodus 33:11), that "[God] created all things both in heaven and in earth...that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and earth..." (Mosiah 4:9), and that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). Thus through the writings of those with first-hand knowledge of God, we can gain a basic understanding of His nature. This, however, is only a first step, like beginning to see shapes, shadows, and reflections in water, as we ascend toward a more sure knowledge of our God. 

The Words of Living Prophets and Apostles

As I mentioned, God's method of revealing Himself to us follows a pattern--thus, it has not ended, but continues. As God called Moses to teach the ancient Israelites, or Isaiah to preach to the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, as God chose Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, and Lehi to warn the people of Jerusalem of impending destruction, as He called Alma, Helaman, Nephi, and Lehi to prepare the Nephites for the coming of Christ, as He called Joseph Smith to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and with it a more correct understanding of God's nature and attributes, so today He sends messengers, called as prophets and ordained as Apostles, to teach the human race of their origin and destiny, and the nature of the Being who created us. Perhaps that sounds a bit fantastical to the modern ear, but is there any reason to believe that God spoke to Abraham, to Moses, to Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, but that He cannot or does not speak today? The skeptic is invited to listen for himself or herself, and judge--can these truly be messengers of the Living God? As Jesus said when teaching his disciples to distinguish between true and false prophets, we know them by their fruits. Twice each year, these fifteen prophets and apostles, along with other men and women called and chosen to preach His word, address the world in a General Conference, yet another avenue for insight into the will and nature of God. The next opportunity to hear such a conference comes in one week, October 4-5, 2014. 

Personal Revelation

The final chapter of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ invites the reader to pray and ask God for verification of the book's authenticity as holy scripture, including the promise that "By the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5). This same promise applies to our quest to understand the nature of God. As we read the words of ancient prophets, or hear the words of modern prophets, we receive some idea of what God may be like, but we will not know what He is like, for ourselves, until we seek Him for ourselves, and He reveals himself to us, through the power of His Spirit. "Draw near unto me," He invites, "and  I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63). As we seek to know God, He will reveal Himself to us. Indeed, this is the only way we can actually claim to know Him--through His revelations to us, as Brigham Young taught, "without the revelations of God, we know not who we are, whence we came, nor who formed the earth on which we live, move, and have our being," (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, p.43) 

A Relationship with Jesus Christ

After growing accustomed to the shadows and reflections, looking upon the moon and the stars, there is only one power, one individual, who can prepare us to look upon the face of our Eternal Father--His Son, Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter taught that it is through the Divine Power of Jesus Christ that we are given "great and precious promises, that by these [we] might be partakers of the Divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4). Not only can we learn about the nature of God the Father through observing His Divine Son, but as we receive the Grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are enabled, as Peter says, to partake of the Divine Nature, so that as John says in his first epistle (cited earlier) when we see Him, we will see Him as He is, understanding His nature because through the miraculous power of Christ's atoning blood and our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel, our natures will have become His Nature. Our sanctification, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance of sins, and obedience to the ordinances of salvation, give us "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh," (Hebrews 10:19-20) Thus through the flesh of Christ, bruised and broken for us, we are able to pass into the presence of  God the Eternal Father, to look upon His face, to see as we are seen, and know as we are known. 

Foundations: The Nature of God

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home: -From William Wordsworth,  "Intimation of Immortality"

The Existence of God

Sometimes it helps to go back and start at the very beginning. Before any of the ideas I'm sharing here will make any sense, or will have any relevance whatsoever, we must be willing to accept one fundamental premise: We are not alone here, on this blue-green marble floating around a small yellow star campfire in space. We must open ourselves to the idea that there is a supreme Being in the Universe with all knowledge, and all power--the Creative force behind all things we perceive in the material world. 

Aristotle, the Greek Philosopher, and the early Christian thinker Anselm, seemed to conceive of God as a logical necessity. To Aristotle, God was the Prime Mover--the First Cause in the long chain of causes and effects we see around us in Nature. The effects provide proof for the existence of some initial cause. Anselm had a similar, though slightly harder to grasp argument--that God is "that being than which none greater can be conceived." In other words, the ability of our minds to conceive of a Supreme Being provides evidence of His existence. 

I am looking for a more intimate, personal knowledge of God than these philosophers can provide, though--not simply a logical conclusion I accept as the necessary result of so many premises, nor the purely emotional clinging to some idea of Divinity to avoid slipping into the chasm of existential angst. I am looking for a knowledge of God that can only come through the sort of relationship that exists between intelligent beings. 

Joseph Smith is taught that "three things are necessary in order that any rational an intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation: First, the idea that He actually exists. Secondly, a correct idea of His character, perfections, and attributes. Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to His [God's] will" (Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, 3:2-5) So, beyond simply the idea that God exists, which Anselm or Aristotle or any other of a number of self-proclaimed teachers would tell me, I need to know what He is actually like, and further, I need to know what He expects of me, so that I can order my life according to His will. 

The Nature of God

If we want to really know someone, we can imagine what they might be like, or we can ask them; the latter approach is by far the more effective one. Similarly, we cannot expect to come to know God by bouncing postulates, hypotheses, and guesses off of one another. The best source of information about God comes directly from God, either to our souls directly, or by way of those who have had personal interaction with Him. Searching through the sacred accounts found in the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, we can find many of the attributes of God as described by individuals who interacted with Him face to face as Moses did. The Apostle John teaches us that "God is Love," (1 John 4:7), and the Apostle Paul teaches that He is the Father of our Spirits, and the source of all Life, Action, and Being (Acts 17:27-28. Hebrews 12:9). Over and over as I read about God's attributes, I see two themes repeated--His Creative Power, and His Perfect Love--both of which are key elements in His role as our Eternal Father. For this reason, I feel it is more useful to refer to God by that title- Father in Heaven or Heavenly Father, rather than by any other: It clearly and definitively describes the Nature of God, and our relationship to Him. 

The term "father" comes laden with all sorts or baggage for many members of the human race, but that is because mortal fatherhood is only a shadow, or a reflection, of true Eternal Fatherhood. I have been blessed with a mortal father who truly understands the Eternal Nature of fatherhood, and has used his role to teach me what it actually means to be a father, but I recognize that not all have been so fortunate, and I mourn with those whose relationships with their fathers are troubled, painful, or non-existent. However, the aberrations and imperfections in the mortal reflections of the Divine Reality do not negate that reality. Our Father in Heaven does love us perfectly, even if some of our mortal fathers hurt us. He is mindful of us, even when mortal fathers walk out on some of us. He has created this earth for us, and is mindful of our needs, even when some mortal fathers shirk their duty to provide for and protect their offspring. He is all-knowing and all-powerful, even when some mortal fathers allow their own ignorance and pride to limit their children's growth. He is what all mortal fathers should strive to be, and so we can rely on Him and have faith in Him regardless of our circumstances and station in life. 

Messengers

Knowing we have a Perfect, Loving, All-Powerful Father in Heaven is a great foundation, but as was noted earlier, we also need to know that our choices are in accordance with His will--we need to find out what our Heavenly Father wants for us. Some elements of the Father's will are imbued in us from before birth, little sparks of light we carry inside, the "clouds of glory" spoken of by Wordsworth.  But these are only hints, clues along the path--we need more guidance to understand who our Father is, who we are, and who we can become. To some, God reveals himself more completely, more directly, face to face. For the rest of us, we look to these messengers, commissioned by God, given His Divine authority, to teach His truth. These messengers are more than just moral philosophers or great teachers--they are Prophets and Apostles (Apostle literally means "one who is sent"). They are given authority by our Father in Heaven to teach us His will for us. These messengers were sent in Ancient times--we know them as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, John, and Paul to name a few. These men understood that all of us are God's children, and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent to save us from ourselves. They taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even before Christ was born, for souls in the time of Noah or Abraham were as precious to God as souls in the time of Christ. These messengers came to deliver the Good Tidings of salvation through Christ, and some accepted their words, but most rejected them. The messengers of God have never been terribly popular with  society as a whole. 

 Further messengers have been sent in modern times, beginning with Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration. 170 years ago this past week, Joseph Smith was murdered by an angry mob of men who opposed the truths he taught. Yet these were not Joseph's truths--they were God's truths, taught then by Joseph, and taught today by Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, and Dieter F. Uchtdorff--the current Prophet and his two counselors, as well as the members of the modern day Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The Pattern continues--our Father loves us and wants us to know who He is, and so He has sent messengers to point us to Christ, who will then escort us back to the Father. 

From YouTube's Mormon Channel, "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration" 

A Royal Priesthood: Reflections on the Restoration of Keys, Power, and Authority in the Latter-days

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

-1 Peter 2:9

The Prophet Joseph Smith is surprisingly quiet in his history on the events surrounding the restoration of the Priesthood authority in the spring of 1829; indeed, the earliest and most descriptive written account of the visit of John the Baptist comes from Joseph's associate and scribe, Oliver Cowdery: 

"But, dear brother, think, further for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed...when we received under his hand the Holy Priesthood as he said, 'Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer this priesthood and this authority, which shall remain upon the earth..."

(Oliver Cowdery, Messenger and Advocate, vol.1, (Oct. 1834), p.14-16).

I like to think it was a clear spring day on the morning of May 15, 1829, much as it had been that morning nearly a decade earlier when Joseph had repaired to the woods alone to inquire of the Lord which church he ought to join. Joseph and Oliver had been engaged in translating The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ for about five weeks. In the account cited above, Oliver Cowdery describes these weeks as "days never to be forgotten--to sit under teh sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of Heaven." I imagine evenings in that small cabin in Harmony, Pennsylvania, as Joseph and Oliver sat by the fire, the days' work of translation done, the two young servants of God discussing the doctrines taught in this marvelous new book of scripture they were receiving. As they arrived at the climactic event of the Book of Mormon narrative--the ministry of the resurrected Christ to the people of ancient America--Oliver Cowdery indicates that they had some question over the issue of the authority to baptize and administer other ordinances, perhaps brought on by the Savior's instruction that baptism should be performed by one "having authority given...of Jesus Christ" (see 3 Nephi 11:25)

So it was that the two servants of God, the Seer and the Scribe, retired to the woods to seek Divine guidance in the area of authority. Joseph was, perhaps, slightly more accustomed to Divine Manifestations than was Oliver, who had only been introduced to this work a few weeks earlier. Imagine young Oliver's amazement when they were suddenly joined by a glorious being introducing himself as John the Baptist, who conferred upon them the same authority once held by Aaron, the high priest of Israel--the authority to baptize, and to administer the emblems of Christ's sacrifice. Not long after this, though the historical record does not indicate a specific date, Joseph and Oliver were visited by the ancient Apostles Peter, James, and John who conferred upon them the full authority of the Holy Apostleship.

It is interesting to note that neither Joseph nor Oliver made their ordinations public at the time of their occurrence. Joseph indicates in his history that this was due in part to the spirit of persecution that was strong in the area. Certainly, in a time when anti-Catholic sentiment in the country still ran strong, and the idea of "priesthood" was closely tied in the public mind to un-democratic "Papists," this story of priesthood ordination would only have fueled the fires of prejudice against Joseph and his followers. Moreover, I have wondered if, as their understandings of the gospel grew line upon line, precept upon precept, Joseph and Oliver grew into a greater understanding of the magnitude of this event as the Restoration unfolded, and so became more willing to share the story.

I suspect, though, that the Prophet's initial reticence on the subject of the Restoration of the Priesthood may in fact teach us something about the Priesthood itself. A later revelation teaches that "no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood" (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41). Some men, after having the interaction with the ancient prophet and apostles described above, might have been tempted to leave the banks of the Susquehanna River that day asserting their own importance, and using their ordinations to assert power and dominion over their fellowmen. Joseph and Oliver, however, did not give in to any such temptations--if such temptation even crossed their minds. Instead of asserting their authority as newly-ordained priesthood holders, they simply quietly went about continuing to do what priesthood holders in all ages have been commanded to do--to humbly and quietly go about serving others, and building up the Kingdom of God. They completed the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon, and continued to prepare for the organization of the Lord's restored Church.

Numerous modern-day prophets and apostles have taught about the distinction between priesthood power and priesthood authority. That day in May of 1829, Joseph and Oliver received priesthood authority. Priesthood power, however, is no more or less than the power of God, and the powers of God and Heaven "cannot be controlled nor handled," Doctrine and Covenants 121 teaches, "only upon the principles of righteousness." Their access to priesthood power, then, was conditional on their worthiness. So it is with us; as Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught in the April 2014 General Conference,  "access to the power and the blessings of the priesthood is available to all of God's children," and all those who act under the direction of Priesthood leaders to build up the Kingdom of God act under the auspices of priesthood authority. Yet for power and authority to be combined, we must have both the authorization from those who hold keys--the authority to direct the use of Priesthood power--and the personal worthiness to access the power of God.

As we grow, individually and as a people, to better understand the role of priesthood power and authority in the Lord's kingdom, may we follow the example of Joseph and Oliver in spending less time talking about authority in the Priesthood, and who has or does not have it, and more time acting with priesthood power to serve and bless the lives of others. 

He Lives

"Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." 

-Job 19:23-26

Few questions troubled early Christian theologians and Church Fathers as much as the problem of a literal Resurrection. For these students of the Greco-Roman intellectual tradition, a cursory reading of the Resurrection narratives in the New Testament was not enough--the Greek abhorrence of matter led men like Lactantius, an early Latin Church Father to declare that "whosoever desires the highest good, let him desire to live without a body, for all matter is evil." (cited in Hugh Nibley, Temple and Cosmos, "TheTerrible Questions," Deseret Book Company, 1992.)

How then, did the Resurrected Christ declare to His incredulous apostles, "a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have?" (Luke 24:39, emphasis added). Similarly, Job, in the passage cited above, seems to take the resurrection as a literal, physical occurrence. Turning the literal truths of the Gospel into something figurative, allegorical, or "spiritual" (though I question the use of the term "spiritual" in opposition to the term " literal" provides a convenient method for tempering uncomfortable or inconvenient doctrines, but does not bring us any closer to a perfect understanding of the truth. Somehow, in spite of the bold testimony of Peter, of Paul, of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and of "above five hundred brethren at once" (1 Corinthians 15:6), the doctrine of the literal Resurrection of Christ, purportedly celebrated this month throughout the Christian world, has become clouded, muddied, and confused.

Thankfully, we need not rely on the accounts in the New Testament alone for evidence of the Resurrection. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ not only stands as a second nation's witness for the Resurrection of Christ, but also teaches unequivocally the doctrine of a literal resurrection for all:  

 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body...

(Alma 11:43-44)

Can there be any doubt as to the meaning of this text? Amulek, the Christian missionary speaking here, leaves no room for misinterpretation of his words--the Resurrection will be both literal and universal. Even more irrefutable, however, is the testimony of hundreds of men, women, and children in ancient America who saw the resurrected Christ as recorded in the 11th Chapter of 3rd Nephi, the climax of the historical narrative contained in the Book of Mormon. Moreover, we have modern testimony of His resurrection; "After the many testimonies which have been given of Him," declared Joseph Smith and his associate Sidney Rigdon in 1832, "this is the testimony last of all, which we give of him: That He lives! For we saw Him, even on the right Hand of God..." (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-23) 

 Mary Magdalene, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Peter and the other Apostles, Paul, 500 ancient Christians, the 2000 Nephites at the temple in Bountiful, the modern-day prophet Joseph Smith--with all of these witnesses, how can there be any doubt that Jesus Christ was literally resurrected, and lives today? Yet even among devout Christians, there is much debate--as evidenced by divergent opinions voiced by a variety of theologians on an ABC New special from 2005  investigating the Resurrection of Christ.  Some say it was indeed a literal physical resurrection, some say it was literal, but somehow in a different dimension, some say it was only a spiritual resurrection, some that it was simply a dream or vision shared by grief-stricken disciples.

Why so much doubt in the face of so much testimony? I believe that there is an epistemological principle at play here--this sort of knowledge cannot be simply transmitted from one mortal mind to another through the medium of human language. (Indeed, we might question whether any knowledge can actually be transmitted this way, but that is another post for another day.)   In the First Epistle of John, the Apostle indicates that the saints "need not that any man teach [them]," because of the anointing they have received--the ministration of the Holy Ghost.  (1 John 2:27) Similarly, Peter's profound testimony of the Resurrection of Christ on the Day of Pentecost comes only after he and the other Apostles receive an outpouring of the Holy Ghost (see Acts 2).  Many theologians, both ancient and modern, have posited that the Resurrection is simply a mystery--something which cannot be understood by the mortal mind. They are correct insofar as a mystery is something which cannot be known unless it is revealed by God. I was not on the road to Emmaus, in the upper room with the Apostles, nor at the temple in Bountiful among the Nephites. Yet I know that Jesus Christ left the tomb a perfected, physical, resurrected Being that first Easter morning. Knowledge communicated through the Holy Ghost provides for me--and, I believe, provided for those ancient saints, an assurance that lives on when memories of physical evidence fade, or are clouded by doubt and the influence of rationalist and materialist philosophies. As the Savior told Thomas, who desired physical evidence to support his belief, "Because thou has seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29).

As we leave behind yet another Easter season, may we strive to remember throughout the year the true source of knowledge and testimony--and seek to know that of which our physical senses may not always be able to testify. And may we remember that this knowledge, this hope, this newness of life for each of us, comes Because of Him. 

Divine Love and Divine Law: A Framework for Justice and Mercy

"What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God." 

Alma 42:25

"And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same." 

Doctrine and Covenants 88:34

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 

1 John 4:8

It seems a bold claim that Alma makes to his son Corianton in the above mentioned verse from the Book of Mormon-- a casual reading would suggest that Alma asserts that Deity might somehow lose His Divine Authority if He strays one inch from the exacting, inert, and un-embodied law of Justice. I do not think this is Alma's assertion; rather, the Book of Mormon prophet uses this strong language to underscore the degree to which justice-- the adherence to and impartial application of Divinely appointed law--is an inherent element of the God's nature. Both ancient and modern prophets have made it clear that God has instituted laws to govern how His universe will operate; through the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord declared that "all kingdoms have a law given; and there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space," (Doctrine and Covenants 88:36-37); the Psalmist wrote that "the Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul...the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." Clearly, God intends His creations to operate within a system of laws--a divinely appointed order through which each creature may "fill the measure of its creation" (D&C 88:25).

We also read, as in the First Epistle of John, chapter 4 verse 8, that God is a being of love; "shewing mercy," as the Book of Deuteronomy declares, "unto thousands that love [Him]" (Deuteronomy 5:10). The Apostle Paul testified that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God." (Romans 8:38-39) This Divine love for is most surely demonstrated  in the gift of His Only Begotten Son, the Savior Jesus Christ (see John 3:16). Indeed, both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon seem to reveal a God of Love, Mercy, and Compassion. 

Some perceive a seemingly insurmountable contradiction between these two elements of the Divine Nature--Divine Justice, or impartial adherence to Law, and Perfect, Compassionate, Divine Love. One argument suggests that while "Divine Law" ruled in Old Testament times, with the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law, "Divine Love" took over--Christ satisfied the demands of justice, and so with a slight twisting of Paul's words, the Law was dead. What follows from this, either implicitly or explicitly, is that a truly loving God would neither allow pain nor prohibit that which we perceive in the moment as happiness. It is far to easy to see how such a train of though may culminate in hedonism or an abandonment of faith--or both. However, such a conflict between God's love and His law is a false dichotomy; Christ made it abundantly clear in His Sermon on the Mount that He did not come "to destroy the law, or the prophets: [He was] not come to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17). Indeed, Jesus Christ did fulfill the Law of Moses, but He replaced it with a Higher Law, articulated in that same Mountaintop Sermon--prohibitions against adultery and murder, for example, superseded by prohibitions against lust and anger. Again, He underscored the importance of obedience to Divine Law with His declaration that "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven." (Matthew 7:21). Thus, as Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles states, "if a person understands the teachings of Jesus, he or she cannot reasonably conclude that our loving Heavenly Father or His Divine Son believes that Their love supersedes Their commandments." (Dallin H. Oaks, "Love and Law," Ensign November, 2009). 

How, then, do these two principles co-exist in the Great Plan of Happiness, and in God's dealings with His children? To answer, we must understand the nature of God's Love, and the purpose of His laws--two elements of the Divine Nature that are, in fact, inseparably connected. In a discourse give in Nauvoo in the spring of 1844, Joseph Smith taught that in the earliest of all primordial Beginnings, "God himself, finding He was in the midst of spirits and glory, because He was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like Himself." (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith, ed., Covenant Communications, Inc.,  p.367). Thus, Divine law is in fact a manifestation of Divine Love--God Loved us in our most primitive, fundamental, and pre-mortal state, and so He instituted a system of laws that would allow us to become partakers of His Divine Nature, thereby gaining the capacity for Eternal Joy. As Elder Oaks stated, "God's love is so perfect that He lovingly requires us to obey His commandments because He knows that only through obedience to His laws can we become perfect, as He is. For this reason, God's anger and His wrath are not contradictions of His love but an evidence of his love." (Elder Oaks, "Love and Law," Ensign, November 2009). The Apostle Paul develops this theme further in his Epistle to the Hebrews, teaching that "whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth," to the end that "we might be partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:6,10) 

Such an argument, of course, requires the acceptance of certain paradigmatic assumptions. First, we must accept that God does in fact have a plan for us, and that the plan is in fact feasible--in other words, we must accept the notion of a Supreme Being who knows what He is doing. From this assumption, it follows that He would be capable of instituting just such laws as would be necessary to bring about our Eternal happiness, and no others. The second assumption relates to the idea that the aforementioned happiness is, in fact, eternal and not temporal; we must accept that the things that seem to bring us pleasure in the moment are not always the same things that will bring us true joy in eternity. Really, this is simply another iteration of the first assumption--we must be willing to trust that God knows what He is doing, and that an Eternal Being has a better concept than we do of what brings Eternal happiness. Finally, we must accept the idea that we are in fact moral agents, capable of choosing between good and evil, but also that we exist as agents, independent of our actions. In other words, my choices need not necessarily define me, at least not in totality. To be sure, a pattern of choices repeated over a lifetime will slowly shape a character, but we must accept the possibility that no matter how entrenched we are in any habit, lifestyle, or character trait, we still have possibilities--we can still make choices. If this is true, then it is possible to conceive of a God who loves me unconditionally, but still cannot and will not look upon my sins and misdeeds "with the least degree of allowance" (Alma 45:16). Indeed, He cannot allow my sin for the very fact that He does love me unconditionally, and He does not want me to take any course of action that might preclude me from any opportunity for future happiness. 

There is, of course, one key Piece missing from this puzzle. To find it, we return to where we began--the forty-second chapter of Alma, as the prophet teaches his once-wayward son of Mercy and Justice. These two eternal principles, Divine Love and Divine Law, can only be completely reconciled through the Great Reconciliation--the Infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. As Alma taught, "the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also," (Alma 42:15) but, as Alma later clarifies, "mercy claimeth the penitent," (ibid, v.23). Thus, though we all fall short of perfection each day of our lives, we may be reconciled to Divine Law through the operation of Divine Love, as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, allow that faith to work in us to the point of repentance for our offenses against Divine Law, covenant through baptism to do all we can to follow Jesus Christ, and receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost to both sanctify us, and empower us to continue upward on our path towards the Eternal Happiness God intends for us. 

Knowledge and Suffering: Easter Reflections

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." 

-John 12:24

"It is by suffering that God has most nearly approached to man; it is by suffering that man draws most nearly to God." 

-Inscription under the pulpit of the Memorial Church at Stanford University

Much has been written, both within the Christian tradition and without, of the redemptive power of suffering; as during the Easter season we reflect on the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, I would like to consider suffering as a pathway to greater knowledge. I speak primarily of social or relational knowledge--awareness of and connection to others and to God--rather than propositional knowledge, though perhaps both are possible. As suggested by the above quoted inscription, suffering brings God and man into closer proximity with one another.

"...that He may know according to the flesh how to succor His people..."

When Alma, the Book of Mormon prophet, taught the people of Gideon of the coming mission and ministry of the Christ, he explained  "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12) I find it interesting that, apparently, part of the purpose of the Savior's suffering was that He might better understand how to succor, or help (literally, "run to") us in our times of need. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah suggests something similar when, after describing the future suffering of the Man of Sorrows, he relays to us the declaration of Jehovah that "by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11)

 In the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we understand Christ's atoning sacrifice to be an incredibly individual and personal matter--He knows each of us, our sins, our weaknesses, our private sufferings, and He is perfectly equipped to lift us out of them (or in many cases, carry us through them) because of His own suffering in our behalf. The word empathy doesn't quite seem to capture what I'm talking about here--compassion comes closer, meaning literally "to feel with" or "to suffer with". Jesus Christ is uniquely able to stand by and suffer with us as we face the vicissitudes of life because He knows our suffering in a very real way--not simply conceptually or theoretically, but through agonizing personal experience, "which suffering caused...God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body an spirit..." (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18). This suffering provides the foundation for Christ's Redeeming power, and His personal knowledge of each one of us.

Broken Things

Of the many lessons we may learn from Jesus Christ's experience in Gethsemane and on Golgotha, and in the Garden Tomb, one is certainly the degree to which our Father in Heaven is willing, and even anxious, to take broken things and make them whole. The Apostle Paul taught the Romans that tribulation would ultimately build within us experience and hope, borne of our faith in Jesus Christ and the efficacy of God's promises (see Romans 5:3-4). Our suffering can bring us to a greater knowledge of ourselves, of others, and of God. 

I often think of Abraham's climb up Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac as a journey toward greater self-awareness. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly of the First Presidency, explained that the Lord gave Abraham this task because "Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham." (Quoted in "The Law of Sacrifice" M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, October, 1998) Once atop Mount Moriah, with his son on the alter, Abraham had no doubts as to his own willingness to follow God's command at any cost. Sometimes such trials give us the clarity to see on whose side we stand. I can hardly claim to have been asked to make sacrifices of Abrahamic proportions, but certainly I too have stood on my own personal, much smaller Mount Moriah, and felt compelled to say to the Lord, with the Apostle Peter "to whom shall [I] go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:68). When the Lord requires us to make difficult choices, we come to more fully understand the degree to which we are willing to commit and submit ourselves to Him. 

Perhaps more important than self-knowledge is the knowledge suffering brings us of others--our brothers and sisters in the family of Adam and Eve. Enduring suffering well equips us to show compassion for our fellow beings. The Book of Mormon Prophet-King Benjamin appealed to this principle when he asked his people "are we not all beggars? Do we not depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have?...even at this time, ye have been calling on his name and begging for a remission of your sins. And has He suffered that ye have begged in vain?" (Mosiah 4:19-20) We are all in this together, and there is no amount of jealousy, anger, resentment, or contention that will make our own trials any easier to bear. Instead, just as the Son of God suffered in order to better have compassion on us, we may use our own suffering to develop compassion for those who suffer. I find this possibility most beautifully expressed in the closing pages of Chaim Potok's The Chosen, as Rev Saunders, the seemingly austere and silent Hasidic tzaddik, explains to young Reuven Malter why he has raised his son Danny in silence: "He was bewildered and hurt. The nightmares he began to have....But he learned to find answers for himself. He suffered and learned to listen to the sufferings of others. In the silence between us, he began to hear the world crying."  (Chaim Potok, The Chosen, p.267). Perhaps the relationship between Danny and his father the tzaddik is a metaphor for the relationship God's chosen people often feel with their Maker--suffering, and wondering when relief will come from the silent heavens. But perhaps at times the heavens remain silent so that we can hear our brothers and sisters, also crying. 

Finally, our suffering gives us greater knowledge of our Father in Heaven. Certainly trials require us to rely more completely on God, if we are willing, thereby increasing in our knowledge of Him. However, I suggest that suffering the natural trials of life also helps us better understand the nature of God, in that it allows us to learn to accept the brokenness that occurs within the inevitable cycles of mortal life. Such acceptance requires perfect faith, as when we take our last grain of wheat, and cast it into the ground to die, believing that the broken earth and broken grain will produce for us greater nourishment than our single grain might have afforded.  Jeffrey R. Holland once expressed this concept with poetic clarity: "It takes broken clouds to nourish the earth, it takes broken earth to grow grain, it takes broken grain to make bread, it takes broken bread to nourish us--these are the cycles of life." (Jeffrey R. Holland, March 22, 2013, at a Single Adult Conference in Menlo Park, CA). Through these cycles--night and day, planting and harvest, death and resurrection, we come to know our Maker more perfectly. 

So it is that on this Easter Sunday, as I contemplate the Resurrection of the Son of God some 1,980 years ago, the future resurrection of grandparents, uncle, cousins, and even my on Resurrection, I am thankful for broken things, and the knowledge God grants me through the process of mending. 

Time to be Holy: On the Nature of Piety

As an undergraduate student, I took an course titled "Introduction to Ethics." The opening reading assignment for the course was Plato's dialogue Euthyphro, in which Socrates questions Euthyphro concerning the nature of piety, as Socrates prepares for his trial. True to form, Socrates pulls apart Euthyphro's understanding of piety and demonstrates that Euthyphro--the self-proclaimed expert on such matters--cannot give a clear, cogent definition of piety, holiness, or goodness. Socrates, through Plato's pen, further demonstrates that to say piety or holiness is simply that which is pleasing to God provides an unsatisfactory definition, for we have not answered whether it is holy because it pleases God, or it pleases God because it is holy. In other words, such a definition describes a characteristic of holiness--that is pleases God--but not its essence. 

Upon my first reading of this dialogue, I was troubled. It made the problem of ethics appear more real, more complex than implied by the Biblical Preacher: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) While I was happy to follow this mandate in my personal conduct, I felt that if I wanted not just to be good, but to become good, to be a "partaker of the Divine Nature," as the Apostle Peter invites, I needed to go further, to dig deeper. I needed not just to do holy things, but to comprehend the nature of Holiness. The ethics of divine mandate were not satisfying to either Socrates or Plato because the "divine" beings to which they had been exposed were often portrayed as selfish, quarrelsome, lustful, and deceitful beings. I at least have the benefit of having been taught of a perfect Heavenly Father and a sinless Savior in whom I can trust for direction. However, if my goal is not just to obey Them, but truly to know Them (John 17:3), to see my Savior as He is because I have become like Him (1 John 3:2), I need to understand what it is about Their commandments that leads to holiness. I need to understand the essence of holiness. 

Pondering this question recently, I re-read Plato's Euthyphro, and I found a key difference between my understanding of the Divine and that of Plato. Near the end of the dialogue, Socrates demands of Euthyphro,

"I wish, however, that you would tell me what benefit accrues to the gods from our gifts [of piety]. That they are the givers of every good to us is clear; but how we can give any good thing to them in return is far from being equally clear." (Plato, "Euthyphro," from The Trial and Death of Socrates, Dover Thrift Edition, Dover Publications, Inc., New York: 1992). 

Plato pictured the gods sitting atop Olympus, possessors of all, simply enjoying their power. The gods of Olympus, possessing all, but having no ultimate goal or mission, would have seen no value in human worship or any other human attempts to please them. 

However, the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals a very different God with a clear and distinct purpose and mission: "For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) Understanding the phrase "eternal life" to mean living not only in the presence of God, but becoming as He is, a partaker of the Divine Nature, this statement makes the nature of piety much clearer. Socrates implied that an all-powerful being who already possessed all things could not possibly want anything from us. However, the God of Restored Christianity does not simply sit atop a throne gazing down on His creation--He is actively engaged in the very real work described in the above citation from Moses. Thus, any contribution, meager though it may be, that I might make to bringing about God's clearly stated purpose, would in fact be a meaningful offering to God, a manifestation of piety. 

Thus, piety, or holiness, is anything that tends toward bringing about the Eternal life of any of Father in Heaven's children, cultivating the image of Christ within our own character, or the character of others. In his second Epistle to the ancient church, Peter taught that charity was the crowning virtue of the attributes of the Divine nature. According to President Ezra Taft Benson, "Charity never seeks selfish gratification. The pure love of Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others." ("Godly Characteristics of the Master," Ensign, November 1986) Thus, piety is at its essence other-oriented. Pious actions are never self-focused, but rather are focused, as President Benson says, on others' growth and joy.