Category: Chauncey Riddle

Values relate to that which is good.

There are two kinds of good:

1. Right: The correct thing to do; that which maximizes the happiness of everyone affected.
2. Good: That which is desired; anticipated increase of happiness or pleasure for the chooser.

Right exists independent of being chosen. It exists as a possibility for action in every context, and is always context-specific (particular). Wrong exists in the same way, as a possibility for action in a specific context. It also always particular, but is manifold (there are always many wrong possibilities for action in any specific context).

Righteousness is real only when an agent chooses and does what is right. Evil exists only when an agent chooses and does what is wrong.

Good is a possibility considered for choice by an agent.

• Best (or better) is what is actually chosen.
• Bad is what is not even considered.

Good is always personal and specific to a given choosing situation.

Righteousness exists only when the right is best (the greatest good) in the eyes of an agent who then does what is right. (For righteous beings, their good is always and only what is right.)

Evil is the substitution of personal good (better or best) for what is right in any choosing situation.

Values are goods chosen by agents. But values are always universals. Goods are always particulars. Therefore values are fictional, non-existent entities. What is real is only choosing, the particular historic choice of an individual in a specific situation.

Choosings in real historic situations are always and inevitably spiritual options. One will either choose his own selfish good (aided and abetted by the evil spirit), or will choose as his good what is right (necessarily assisted by either the Light of Christ or by the Holy Ghost, for Jesus Christ is the sole fountain of righteousness).

What the world calls values turn out to be just the habits of choosing of an individual. Values are invented and used as a concept by the world to hide the reality of spiritual choice between good (right) and evil (selfish desire). The pretense is that one simply has values and chooses accordingly with no personal responsibility involved. Therefore, according to this thinking, the way to cure evil in the world is to program better values (the values of those in power) into people.

Thus language is used to mask reality (to lie) and to get people to believe in that which does not exist (values) so that they will both be manipulable (through propaganda) and non-culpable (ersatz sanity by denial of conscience, which witnesses of good and evil).

But real sanity comes only in choosing right (Christ) in every situation.

Premise: Human beings are primarily doers, not knowers.

Doing: Physical action to achieve a physical result.

Knowing: Mental representation of the universe created on the basis of the experiences of the individual, which are primarily physical experiences.

Conclusion: Knowing is a doing, but the primary doing is achieving physical results.

Premise: All doing is a function of the desires of a person.

Desire: A need to achieve something. For mortals, most desires are physical.

Premise: The desires of a person are either good or evil.

Good desires: A need to attain the physical satisfaction one craves (spiritual satisfaction through physical service to others, taking their desires into account.)

Evil desires: A need to attain the physical satisfaction one craves (spiritual satisfaction through attention only to one’s own desires, using others as needs be to fulfill those desires.)

Premises: Good desires find satisfaction only by taking into account the desires of God. Evil desires find satisfaction only by taking into account the desires of the self (Satan encourages and assists this selfishness by suggesting how others can be used to gain one’s own desire satisfactions.)

Premise: When a person sees (knows), how they see and know is a function of their desires.

The person of good desires sees other persons and things in terms of the potential for doing good which their existence affords: either as an instrument for doing good for others, or as others for whom good is to be done, to help others to attain pleasure, honor and power.

The person of evil desires sees other persons and things in terms of the potential they have for fulfilling his own desires for pleasure, honor and power.

Conclusion: Though physically in the same space and now able to affect each other, persons who desire good live in a different (effective) universe from those who desire evil. Though these two universes may have some points of contact, things are seen and acted upon in very different ways.

In the hereafter, the good persons of this world will live in so different a universe from evil persons that the evil persons have no power to contact or to affect the good persons.

Conclusion: Potentials are powers. Power is the key. Power does. Power knows. Good is power (in the long run). Evil is impotence (in the long run).

1.   Religion and Philosophy

True Religion	Apostate Religion	Philosophy
Ordinances (prayer)	Ritual	Epistemology
True understanding	Speculative theology	Metaphysics
Righteousness via faith in Christ	Socially enforced moral codes	Ethics

2.   Science was born with philosophy as the child of epistemology and metaphysics, in the attempt to understand the truth about both the seen and the unseen aspects of the world; that as a basis for becoming wise (sophia).

3.   Every science except early astronomy has emerged from philosophy as a separate discipline when its methods of inquiry and standards of expression have become relatively fixed.

4.   Science is the art of producing descriptive assertions about the universe which meet current criteria and which are acceptable to one’s scientific peers.

These assertions function on four levels:

• a.   Fact: A theory-laden interpretation of a phenomenon.
  Example: This is the bone of an ox.
• b.   Law: A theory-laden generalization upon facts.
  Example: Ox bones have this characteristic structure.
• c.   Theory: A factitious image created to explain laws and facts.
  Example: Environmental stress selected this ox-bone structure for survival.
• d.   Principle: A basic postulate which guides theory construction.
  Example: Form follows function.

5.   Current criteria of scientific factition: (Roughly in historical order)

• a.   Must be rational (self-consistent).
• b.   Must be consistent with a body of “public” phenomena (empiricism).
• c.   New factitions must be more general or more correct than those they replace.
• d.   Every factition must be monistic (naturalistic).
• e.   Every factition must assume uniformity.

6.   Science should not be confused with technology. Technology is the art of achieving desired physical results.

7.   Science is universally respected today (if not revered) because of the technological power which is associated with it.

8.   It is an honor to be called a “scientist” (knower) today, and a put-down to be called a “technologist” (doer). That is because we live in a world with a decidedly Platonist bent.

9.   Does (1) the power of technology come from science, or does (2) the power of science come from technology? The Platonist world we live in says (1) is true, but (2) is probably closer to the real truth.

10. Conclusions:

Science is a linguistic scaffolding which facilitates technology.

Science and technology yield a sophia of the flesh, the success of raw physical power.

There is a spiritual power, but it is seldom heard from because its use depends upon repentance. The use of science and technology depends upon physical resources only (until the Lord decides that enough wickedness is enough). The wicked turn to science to accomplish their goals; the righteous turn also to priesthood power to accomplish their goals.

If Latter-day Saints pursue only physical power and do not develop a spiritual power which is superior to the physical power of the science and technology of the day, they have abandoned the cause of Christ and will be destroyed both physically and spiritually.

Sanctification:

To make whole, holy. To be forgiven all the penalties justice would demand for each sin one has committed. Sin is breaking the law of God, which always brings harm to others. Sin creates a debt which must be repaid in full for the debtor to be forgiven for having sinned.

Terrestrial repayment is one for one: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. (See Exodus 21:23–25)

Celestial repayment is four-fold. (See D&C 98:44, Luke 19:8)

Sanctification from and by Jesus Christ is all or nothing.

To obtain sanctification, one must believe in Christ, be baptized by one having authority, be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and actually receive the Holy Ghost. It is the actual and present companionship of the Holy Ghost that allows a person to being forgiven. (2 Nephi 31:17) If one has been forgiven, sanctified, and sins again, the debt for all the former sins returns. (D&C 82:7) To regain sanctification, a church member may do so by worthily partaking of the sacrament. It is most desirable to die the mortal death in a state of sanctification.

Justification

All mortals individually need to become justified because they fall short of perfect obedience to God, having become “carnal, sensual and devilish” through transgression (Moses 5:13; Mosiah 16:3) In this plight, they cannot be justified through subsequent obedience to the law and cannot change their own nature to become obedient. Furthermore, they are severed from the source of divine power that can change or sanctify them.

When humans who are accountable have faith in Jesus, are truly repentant, call upon His name, and are baptized, they become eligible for the redeeming grace extended through Jesus Christ. As they act always in faith in Jesus Christ, they are sanctified (forgiven of their sins) and justified, becoming keepers of the law of God. To endure to the end is to continue to make every act an act of faith in Christ, to rely “alone upon the merits of Christ” (1Nephi 10:6, Moroni 6:4). The faith by which one receives this grace manifests itself in an active determination to follow Christ in all things. It is demonstrated by obedience to the commandment to repent and be baptized, followed by a life of submission and obedience and service to God and others. (2 Nephi 31:16–20; Moroni 8:25–26).

Justification directly opens the way to sanctification by establishing a “right” relationship of mortals with God. Thus God, without denying justice, can bless them with the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost (Mosiah 5:1–2; 3 Nephi 27:20). Justification starts the believer on the path toward righteousness. [CCR: This is the reverse of the reality, for it is sanctification which makes it possible to proceed with justification.]

Pseudo-justification: Declaring that a person is just, law-abiding, when they are not.

Real justification: Being strengthened and empowered until one does keep the law of God and have come unto the fullness of the stature of Christ. Through exercise of full faith in Christ, they have followed the Holy Spirit’s promptings until they have learned to keep every law and commandment of Christ, not matter what the cost. They have become a just person made perfect through faith in Christ, having come to rely alone on the merits of Christ. Only truly justified persons can be exalted. For exalted beings must live and work in a universe where sin is always possible and pressure to sin is always great. Before a person can be trusted with exaltation, they must prove, having been tested to the limit, that they will not break any law of God, that they will do the works of righteousness completely, even as Christ did and does. (D&C 76:50–70.)

Just as we justify a margin by getting all of the lines to measure up to a common length, so the character of a human being is justified by following the Holy Spirit until one comes unto Christ and becomes just like Him, keeping the commandments of the Father perfectly, completely, justly. Justification is a matter of degree. The more one can resist temptation to do evil (break the law of God) the more just one becomes. God will allow Satan to tempt his servants mightily, even to their limit, to cause them to be strengthened in resisting evil. As each is faithful, each disciple becomes stronger and stronger until finally there is nothing which Satan can throw at him which will get him to sin. Then he is justified: He has become a fully just person.

The process of justification is to treasure and master everything that is virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, habit by habit, until one’s character comes to the measure of the stature of Christ, the great exemplar. If one does that, learning to love God and neighbor with all heart, might, mind and strength, and does not finish that growth in this life, then they will be able to continue that growth in the spirit world and eventually attain the fullness.

The scriptures provide a good summary: “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 became 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)

1.   What is philosophy? It is the love of wisdom.

Wisdom is knowing how to solve problems. The study of how best to solve personal problems is called ethics. Before one can solve problems, one must understand them. In the seen world we study physics to understand. In the unseen world we study metaphysics to understand. Before we can do physics or metaphysics, we must know how to know, which is epistemology. The foundation of philosophy is epistemology. On that we build physics and metaphysics. On physics and metaphysics we build ethics. The best and the worst philosophies come from “vertical” epistemologies; the worldly ones from “horizontal” epistemology.

Styles of philosophizing all start from common sense: (a) Esoteric construction; (b) Withering deconstruction; (c) Reorganization of common sense.

Religion is a person’s pattern of life. A church is an institution which promotes a religion. Philosophy is answers to basic questions. Everyone has a religion and a philosophy, though few are conscious of what they are.

2.   What is metaphysics? Metaphysics is the study of the unseen universe. In science, it is called theory; in religion it is called theology; about the past it is called history; about the future it is called prophecy. Most of the really important questions humans have involve metaphysics: Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Is there a God? Do right and wrong exist? Is there purpose in life?

The problem in metaphysics is to get a suitable epistemology with which to answer the questions. Most metaphysics is the result of fabrication. Latter-day Saint metaphysics is based on personal revelation.

3.   To speak metaphysics is to try to paint word pictures. No words or pictures can capture reality. We come closest to reality when we are face to face with it, working with it daily. The following ideas are personal metaphysics in an LDS frame.

4.   The most important metaphysical idea is that of God. There are two senses in which Latter-day Saints use the word “God”: (a) A god is a person who is exalted. There are many such gods; (b) God is all gods in their priesthood organized missions (male and female). There is but one God. The absolute and perfect obedience of each god to both rightness and to superior authority creates the oneness of God.

• God is omnipotent (but cannot do things which cannot be done).
• God is perfectly righteous (no repentance is ever needed).
• God is omniscient (knows past, present, and future).
• God is love, and does nothing except to bless. (All “cursings” are really blessings).
• God is in total control. (There are no accidents. The universe is governed by law).
• God does not change (is eternal).

Evil exists in the world because God gives each person agency. No person could be exalted without the opportunity to do evil. Every human does evil, but some repent and can be exalted. Men know God only by communicating with Him (as opposed to merely knowing about Him).

5.   Human beings are literal children of the gods, and are agents, because they (a) are intelligent; (b) know good and evil; and (c) have power to act.

God’s foreknowledge does not abrogate man’s agency in any way. The Gospel of Jesus Christ invites all human beings to let Jesus Christ teach them how to repent, to become righteous, and to become gods.

Humans have four aspects: heart, mind, strength, and might. Heart and mind are of the spirit; strength is of the physical body; might is the effect we have on other things around us. Every human has a unique heart, might, mind and strength.

Salvation is to receive a new heart, might, mind, and strength through Christ. (We are saved from ourselves to become new creatures in Christ). We are not fully converted to Christ until we are new creatures in those four aspects.

6.   The universe includes God, and has always existed. Creation means reorganizing. Space is the possibility of existence. Time is the possibility of change. God does not change, and hence is eternal.

When men imagine the universe, they must invent it in broad categories. God knows and deals with the universe as particulars. Animals and plants and the dust of the earth are also creatures of God.

The earth is the globe on which we reside. The world is the kingdom of Satan on the earth. We know little about the creation of the earth except that it was done by God, but we have a blow by blow account of the creation of the world.

7.   Most philosophers have been idealists, and are so today. This means that they believe that reality is ultimately ideas, and ideas are represented by words. The mark of an idealist is that he will give you words about something to establish what it really is. Modern science is a good example of an idealist system.

LDS metaphysics, on the other hand, is materialist. Reality cannot be captured in words or ideas; rather, it must be cooperated with. Thus, deeds are much more important than words in an LDS frame. Our Father in Heaven, our Savior and the Holy Ghost are real to us only as we live with, communicate with and serve them and their children daily. The great communications with God are feelings, not words.

8.   Causation to most people is simple and linear. To Latter-day Saints causation is systemic and total. God is the greatest force in the system, but man and Satan and every particle that has intelligence affect the system. Humans often think that they have everything under control; that is a Satanic illusion. If one wants to affect things, the best way is to learn God’s will, then to work to implement His will.

I. The problem.

1. The self is a doer, not an object of knowledge for itself.
2. We humans know objects (conocer) by a harmonic of comparisons between percepts and concepts. This we cannot do for the self because the self is never a percept.
3. Understanding knowledge (saber) is imagination reinforced by conocer knowledge.
   If the reinforcement is massive and immediate, the saber knowledge produced may be called physics. If the reinforcement is slight and distant, the saber knowledge may be called metaphysics.
4. Ideas about one’s self is saber, not conocer knowledge; is it metaphysics, not physics. It is usually myth, not truth.
5. If one looks for the self by introspection, one looks in vain. One sees memories, beliefs, desires, habits—but no phenomenal self.
6. If one looks for the self in asking others, one is given myths because to others we present no phenomenal self. We present to others only a body which acts.
7. So we must look to God for a true account of our self. Should He inform us, believing such would be faith, not knowledge. (But is it not true that most of our saber knowledge is faith, not knowledge?)

II. An account of the self as portrayed in the LDS scriptures.

1. The self is a will (chooser) embodied in flesh, blood and bone.
2. The will makes choices when confronted with alternatives.
3. The basic alternatives for human choice are good and evil. In every situation in life there may be an impulse to do a good thing and an opposing influence to do one or more evil things.
               Example: I am being introduced to someone; I can be either warm and friendly or cold and remote.
4. The self reveals itself to itself and to others by its choices between the good and evil alternatives available to it. But the revelation may not be believed because a particular mythology is preferred by the self or by another person (a choosing).
5. The difference between selves is found in the circumstances of life each enjoys and the choices each makes within the parameters of those life circumstances.
6. Each self grades itself by how long it takes them in what circumstances it may be in to stop choosing evil and to thereafter choose only good. For some this does not take place until after mortal death.
7. The day of judgment is the occasion when all of the circumstances/choices of the individual are reviewed in concentrated form.
8. If the self has chosen good, it will continue to choose good. If the self has chosen evil, then it must suffer further adverse circumstances until it turns to choosing only good.
9. Each self progressively creates itself by the choices it makes.

III. The effects of this account of the self on the theory of language use.

1. Meaning is always immediate. The self has no reference point to know what it meant at a past time or what it will mean at a future time. It can only “mean” something in the present.
               This means that all translation is approximate. One cannot be sure that one is translating one’s own previous meaning correctly and identically in two situations separated by a space of time.
2. There can be no private language because I cannot certify from moment to moment that I am using the same words with the same meanings. (Argument of Wittgenstein).
3. I can “mean” only in a particular circumstance. No two circumstances are ever identical (though we may sometimes find it practical to ignore the differences). Thus, no two meanings are ever the same.

Conclusion: I cannot fully know myself. I can act; I can mean; but what the “I” is I cannot fathom. But I do get clues as to what I am as I compare the acts I perform with the standards given by revelation. By my fruits I know myself as well as others. My witness as to my deeds may be good; but my witness of my self may not be reliable.

The Way of Christ	The Way of Satan
Birth
Every child is born under the covenant and thus is an heir to the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant.	Children are born naturally without permission or commission and according to the will of the flesh.
Education
Children are introduced to the Holy Spirit and through baptism and confirmation are given the right to the constant companionship of the influence. This influence becomes the basis of all the learning, judging, knowing, and doing.	Children are taught the false traditions of men which become the chains of hell to bind their minds. They are taught to despise revelation and to over-value reason and the authority of men.
Character
The ideal and Christ-like character is sought by submitting one’s self completely to the will of God in the hope and quest of becoming a new creature.	Men are taught to resist perfecting and to assert their independence in self-righteousness.
Priesthood
The power and authority to act for God to be used only in pure love and by persuasion so far as other people are concerned, maintaining the integrity of every individual.	Use of physical force and psychological and social pressures, denying the integrity of the individual.
Marriage
A man and a woman are given to each other by the power of god, the union sanctioned through the priesthood authority of God.	People marry and are given in marriage after the manner of the world disregarding the God who alone has the authority to give that right.
Children
The greatest heritage and opportunity that a couple can have in this world or the next. Children are gratefully welcomed as a gift of God, few or many as the Lord may give.	Children are seen to be the world’s greatest problem (overpopulation). Evil means of preventing children from coming into the world are used, including extinction of life.
Profession
A righteous man will seek to subdue the earth and to produce a surplus of the necessities of life that he might be generous with others.	Men seek to escape the arduous tasks of producing necessities many times by setting themselves up as authorities and pretending to be a light unto the world for the praise and the glory of it (Priestcraft.)
Work
A righteous man has a zest for work and delights in making the physical earth a more beautiful and productive place to live.	An unrighteous man loathes work and avoids it whenever possible.
Government
Righteous people strive for self- government, believing that restraint ought to come from within the individual.	Evil men seek to order society by force and power. The few that set themselves up as leaders and authorities dictate to the remainder of the population.
Economy
Righteous people seek a free economy where each may labor and grow without artificial restrictions.	Unrighteous men seek to control economy, some for personal profit, others out of philanthropic by short- sighted motives.
Church
Righteous people see the true church organization as a place to obtain the blessings of God and a place for mutual reinforcement for Saints.	The unrighteous see churches as social organizations which cater to their desires for the promise of salvation in some future life.
Recreation
A righteous man finds recreation in creation.	An unrighteous man seeks to sate the flesh, being sensual.
Independence
A righteous man will be out of debt, ready to do the will of Christ in all things.	An unrighteous man may want to be independent of the true God, but doesn’t mind being in debt.
Death
A welcome release from trial and passage to another field of labor.	A thing feared, to be postponed as long as possible and at all costs.

I. Religion is the most pervasive aspect of human life.

• Religion is the life-pattern of each human being.
• Whatever a human being says or does is a reflection of his personal religion.
• A person’s philosophy is his articulation of his religion.
• A person’s social relations are his exemplification of his religion and give rise to his political views.
• Every normal person has a religion.

II. Personal religion is the character (the habit patterns) of each individual.

People have strong character (religion) in two senses:

1. Strong in their influence on other people.
2. Strong in being internally rather than externally controlled.

To have strong internal control is the essence both of being free and of being religious.

A person is said to be “very religious” when he is strongly controlled internally and conforms to some institutional or culture standard of religion. But it is noteworthy that a person can be just as “religious” in maintaining a personal set of habits as in maintaining a set which has been culturally engendered.

III. There are four main factors in personal religion:

1. Habits of feeling: Optimism/pessimism, cheerfulness/dourness, self-centered/other centered, humble/haughty, courageous/fearful, exploratory/traditional, hunger for excellence/slovenliness, etc.
2. Habits of thinking: Beliefs about “reality,” what the universe is all about; battery of concepts (large or small battery, refined concepts or not); systems concepts; worldviews; beliefs about the past, the future, the possible, about the natural and the supernatural (if any); etc.
3. Habits of acting: The way one walks, talks, sleeps, eats, works, plays, worships, resolves confrontations, etc.
4. Habits of speaking: truthful/prevaricating; realistic/romantic; cynical/reverential; effusive/reserved; garrulous/laconic; poetic/imaginative; jargonistic/down to earth, etc.

IV. Change of personal religion (conversion) is change of habit patterns.

Habit patterns are changed only by choice. Choices consistently made become new habits. An individual changes his religion by making new habits.

It is usual to speak of an individual being “converted” when he changes how he speaks about his beliefs. But it is plain that all habits must change for a genuine conversion to take place. If a person’s expression of beliefs change, but his feelings, thoughts, actions, and other expressions do not, the conversion is apparent, not real.

The most important area that must change in conversion is the feelings, for the feelings are the independent variable in the human system.

The Restored Gospel name for change of religion is repentance. Only a long faithful series of correct choices will convert one’s heart, might, mind and strength into the image of the Savior. It is obvious why there is not such thing as death-bed repentance (even though there may be death-bed confession).

The key to Restored Gospel repentance is to be severe (unswerving) with ourselves in our own making of correct choices (this is discipline or discipleship) and at the same time to be completely forgiving of others (merciful), all because of our love for the true and living God, and all done in the name of Jesus Christ.

V. Institutional Religion is manifest in social organization as in a church or a culture.

Every culture is a religion, a set of habit patterns for meeting the contingencies of life.

Every culture has a philosophy, a political stance, an economic program, a system for settling disputes (a justice system), art forms, and an educational program.

VI. There are always at least three aspects to institutional religion:

1. Theology: The official or normal beliefs of a religion.
2. Moral code: The official or normal “dos and don’ts” of a religion.
3. Ritual: The typical means of initiation and intensification of the religion.

The moral code is the “heart” of every religion. Every institutional form of religion exists because some persons try to affect the actions of other people.

Theology is the “mind” of every religion. Theology exists to give support (rational and/or historical) to the moral code.

Ritual is the “strength” of every religion. Without ritual the young would not be acculturated nor the initiated reinforced in their feeling, thinking, acting and speaking.

Do institutional religions have “might?” If they are churches, the formal organization of the church usually has money, property, news media, etc., thus having “might.” Cultural religions usually do not have might apart from the individual might of the participants unless some of those participants band together to form a church or a nation (e.g., Israel).

Question: What are the counterparts in philosophy to theology, moral code, and ritual?

VII. Apostasy is conversion of individuals away from one religion to another.

Individuals apostatize from institutional religion by changing their personal religion: by making choices which do not accord with the institution which they are leaving.

Institutions never “apostatize.” The moral code, the theology, and the ritual of a church may change, but that is because individuals having power (leadership) in the church change their personal religion and take others with them.

When individuals change religion, either as individuals or as groups, the first thing they change is the moral code. Apostasy and conversion take place so that a different way of life may be maintained.

Theology follows change of moral code, to “justify” the change.

The element of religion most resistive to change is ritual. (That is why one can find elements of the Restored Gospel temple ceremony in cultures scattered over the whole earth, even though small or no resemblance in moral code or theology is found. Everyone on earth is descended from parents who knew and lived the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Restored Gospel in every dispensation after the first one.)

An individual cannot apostatize from his own personal religion, nor can he escape his own personal religion. Whatever choices he makes, that is his religion.

The one thing we take with us through death is our religion, our character.

We continue into the eternity with the habits of this mortal probation if we have heard and accepted the Restored Gospel here. If we have not heard it, we receive an opportunity to repent in the spirit world.

VIII. The failure of an institutional religion (loss of adherents) may be traced to two basic causes:

1. Failure of the institution to promote an effective ritual.
2. Competition from another moral code which the adherents find more attractive.

Example:        The basic ritual of the Restored Gospel is prayer. If parents do not teach their children to pray and to rely upon the consequent promptings of the Holy Spirit, those children are not properly initiated into the religion of Jesus Christ. Then worldly competition has little competition.

Example:        Some adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ simply decide they want another moral code: Knowledge (theology) made no difference to Cain, Jeroboam, Korihor, and Sidney Rigdon.

Questions:

1. What factors are causing the dissolution of the Medieval and Protestant religions today?
2. What factors give great strength to Humanist religion today?
3. Wherein (on what fronts) lies the showdown between the Humanist religion and the Restored Gospel which is going on today?

IX. How does one live the Restored Gospel?

The answer is obvious and well-known. One lives the Restored Gospel by loving the Lord with all of one’s heart, might, mind and strength. When one’s habits of feeling, thinking, acting and speaking are so set in Godly patterns that one will not yield to pressure from Satan, man or nature to disobey Jesus Christ, then one is keeping the first and great commandment. Then one can love one’s neighbor as oneself. The means to keeping these two great commandments is to obey the law upon which all blessings are predicated: to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The issue: When and how does faith become sufficient that it makes a significant difference in one’s life (saves one)?

Possible answers:

Answer 1: Faith is obedience to the commandments of God. Whatever degree of obedience one attains to during one’s probation, that determines the degree of glory one will attain to in the next life.

Answer 2: Faith in Jesus Christ is to find Him personally and to love and obey Him in all that He tells us to do. We do not have complete faith in Him until we do obey Him in all that He tells us to do. When we have that faith, salvation begins immediately (in this life).

There are at least three significant differences between these two answers:

1. Answer 1 is concerned with what we do (to obey the commandments).
   Answer 2 is concerned with why we do what we do as well as what we do (to obey the commandments because we love the Lord.)
2. Answer 1 assumes that any obedience is faith.
   Answer 2 assumes that obedience is not full faith until it is complete.
3. Answer 1 looks for the reward of faith in the next life.
   Answer 2 looks for the reward of faith in this life.

The most significant difference is the second. The issues come down to this: When we obey only part of what the Lord has instructed us to do, is that either obedience or faith? Part obedience may be construed as saying to the Lord: “Part of what you tell me to do is good, and I will do it. But the rest of what you tell me to do is too much: in those matters I am better off doing my own will.” It would seem that such an attitude does not elevate the Lord to the status of God in our lives but rather makes Him a convenience at our disposal. We become His judge and do what He says when we deem compliance to be somewhat beneficial to us. There is difficulty in being the judge of God and at the same time being faithful to Him.

It is conceivable that a person would not be able to obey God if they are as yet unsure that they have found Him. But their actions surely would not be faith in Jesus Christ if they have not found Him. It is also conceivable that though they have found Him, they simply cannot yet deliver total obedience. If indeed one does not have the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit as yet, then truly one cannot obey in all things. But when one is authorized to have the constant companionship and yields to the flesh, to other people, to the world, to Satan, or to one’s own mind, surely that is not faith in the Lord.

The scriptures link the blessings of the Lord with faith. It seems possible that the abundance of spiritual blessings promised by the Lord comes to but few in this world because but few attain to real faith in this world. Is that why the many look for the reward for their obedience in the next world?

X. How does one proselyte another person to the Restored Gospel?

This question is like asking how does Person 1 get Person 2 to love Person 3. The answer is simple: Person 1 cannot do it. Yet Person 1 can help in two principal ways:

1. Person 1 can tell Person 2 about Person 3.
2. Person 1 can introduce Person 2 to Person 3.

The issue:        How does one most effectively help another person to know and to love the Lord?

Answer:           Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only answer. That is the only answer because each Person 1 is different and each Person 2 is different. Each person 1 must use his own ability and adapt it to the needs of each Person 2. There are many rational formulas for helping to convert people to the Lord, and though some rational formulas do better than others in actual practice, no rational formula can enable us to do our best.

The challenge of missionary work is:

1. To attract the attention of each person.
2. To explain the gospel to each person in his own tongue.
3. To introduce each person to the Lord by getting each to pray.
4. To encourage each person until each is converted enough to stand alone.

It is obvious that the differing circumstances of life, culture, and personality make it so that there is no single best approach that will help every different human being. Only the power that comes through real faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient to the task of knowing and doing what each individual person needs in order to receive a valid witness of the truth of the Restored Gospel.

XI. How does one contribute to the establishment of Zion?

Zion is the pure in heart. A people know when they have become pure in heart when:

1. They have but one heart.
2. They have but one mind.
3. They dwell in righteousness.
4. There is not one poor person among them.
5. The Lord Himself dwells with them.
6. The earth is subdued, beautiful, and made more productive.

Each of these characteristics of Zion is the result of faith. The best thing any person can do to assist in the establishment of Zion is to perfect his own personal faith.

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to knowledge and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises: that through these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” (2 Peter 1: 2–10)

So we have this precious formula from Peter.

1. Faith. We must always begin with faith in our Savior. Before we can correctly put our trust in Him, we must receive the Holy Spirit which reveals His will to us, for faith comes by hearing the word of God. Having that precious seed or word, we must believe in it and act upon it, for faith without works is dead. So we begin to tread upon this bridge over the chasm of captivity to Satan by trusting in our Savior, being comforted and guided by His Holy Spirit.
2. Virtue. Having begun to be faithful, we must not falter or doubt. We must gather our strength and courage and do all that we know to do, to obey the commandments we have received. This is the meaning of virtue. The word derives from the Latin vir, meaning man, and by association virtue means strength. As muscle and mind grow in strength with use and decay under abuse, so with faith. The focus of our mind and thought should be to move correctly, with faith, and surely, with strength. We are not asked to go faster than we have strength.
3. Knowledge. Faith supported by virtue brings the need for further knowledge of the ways of the Lord in order to be more faithful. “Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6; emphasis added). Though the Lord’s ways are not our ways, He nevertheless delights in revealing His mysteries to those who serve Him in righteousness to the end. They learn of Him line upon line, precept upon precept, until their understanding reaches unto heaven. And because they know, they can become a great blessing to their fellow-beings if they act on that precious knowledge.
4. Temperance. To be temperate is to be even, to be steady. To be a faithful, strong, understanding servant means that we must add steadiness, to serve the Lord in season and out of season, in convenience and in inconvenience, in blessedness and in sacrifice. For to be faithful at only our own desire or in our convenience is not true faith; it is only playing with faith. To be faithful in difficulty is the only way we can show that the faith, strength, and understanding we have are our own heartfelt choices. To serve the Lord only when it is pleasant and convenient is to treat Him as a convenience. But to serve Him in sacrifice is our way of showing our selfless love for Him, for His work, and for all for which He stands.
5. Patience. With our personal stage now set to be much more effective in the work of righteousness (blessing others), we first turn to discern their needs. As we look to those around us, we see souls bound and afflicted with varying degrees of “natural man problems,” varying degrees of captivity to the adversary. We may be tempted to smite away their fetters and blindfolds. But knowledge and temperance tell us to be patient, to know that only the self can unlock the self. We must be patient, suffering with the ones we would bless until the key of faith is in their hands, and they can begin to unfetter themselves.
6. Godliness. But we will not just stand idly by, watching their suffering. We will share the burden with them, sacrificing our own strength to help them. Godliness follows upon patience because our heart, our concern for others, needs to grow until we cannot look upon any human being without feeling compassion for them. This compassion prepares us to serve and bless all, even as our Savior would were he in our shoes.
7. Brotherly Kindness. To have godly concern for all human beings is but a frustration unless there is a solid means of helping them. As one looks for a way to help, one obvious structure for delivering help is the kingdom, the Church. The essence of the Church is its priesthood organization. The strength of the priesthood organization of the Church is the men who are its embodiment. To learn to love them and to fulfill in faith a stewardship under them is the greatest way to help this world that one can have; to be a missionary, a president, a teacher, whatever. Is it not possible that the words we have as “brotherly kindness” really were intended to say “love of the brethren?”
8. Charity. Finally we come to the final stage of development when we possess the greatest spiritual gift, which is charity, or the pure love of Christ. It is pure, unselfish love for the Savior and from the Savior, reflected through us in patience, godly concern, love for the brethren, then delivery of blessings in our stewardship with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. Of one who possesses this love, Peter says:

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (2 Peter 1:8–10)

Then shall we be even as our Savior is:

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2–3)

The opportunity of patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity can be framed another way by asking the question; How shall I let my light so shine that others seeing it will be caused to glorify God? We might answer by positing three steps by which the light of the Savior can be fully manifest.

Step 1. Love. We can love purely. We can show the example of full, unselfish Christ-like love as the Holy Spirit radiates through us to others. Be we father, mother, sister, brother, president or member, we can all give unqualified love to those around us. We will not be critical, but supportive; not condemning, but sympathetic; not condescending but honoring each person as a child of God. We can let each person around us be fully assured that someone knows they exist and cares about what happens to them. The purity of our love will be the purity of the Holy Spirit; the strength of our love will be the strength of the Holy Priesthood. The fulness of our love will be the fulness of our Savior, who received a fulness of all things from our Heavenly Father.

As all of the truly spiritual people of the world know, the world’s greatest need is more of this love. The Savior has it to give, but he needs translators. We have the opportunity which the world does not. Will we translate?

Step 2. Example. We can show the example of a godly life. We can show how it is that a true servant of Jesus Christ eats and drinks, marries and gives in marriage, buys and sells, teaches and learns, governs and obeys, prays and worships. The example is important because the world needs hope, the hope that the commandments of Jesus can be lived. Many have the ideal, but do not understand how it is done. Only those who both know the truth and have the power of God can show the full example:

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:11–12)

Step 3. Witness. We can teach the word of God in its simplicity and purity, as we receive it from the scriptures and the Holy Spirit. We bear testimony that the Savior lives, that His prophet is on earth, that this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living Church. We teach the fundamental principles of faith and repentance, baptism and confirmation, of enduring to the end. Thus may others come to comprehend and understand the ways of the Lord.

Now a frank question: Would you like to have someone in your life who loves you purely, who is the example of all righteous action; who can teach you so that you understand the ways of our Savior? Could you better live the Gospel if you felt, saw and understood the truth manifest in the flesh? Surely we would all appreciate that.

Another frank question: Why don’t you and I who have testimonies and know something of the ways of the Lord go out and show love, live as an example, teach the truth to the best of our ability? Surely if we all lived in the physical presence of the Savior, we would have a surer testimony. But we don’t. Why not then take all the love, the example, the understanding that we have received and pass it on? Is not our opportunity to bless others greater because the Savior is not here?

Let us be about our Father’s business.

Morality in the Restored Gospel is faith in Jesus Christ:

1. Receive instruction and admonition from God through the Holy Ghost.
2. Believe this instruction and admonition.
3. Act fully on the admonition, trusting in Jesus Christ.

Together, these three steps constitute faith in Jesus Christ.

To become faithful to Jesus Christ is to work by mental exertion (ME) as opposed to physical exertion (PE):

ME   Control our mind until we have an eye single to the glory of God.

• Focus our mind’s eye only on the cause of Christ.
• Focus on the here and now and our own stewardship.
• Seek out everything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy that would enhance our stewardship.
• Reject wishing for other stewardships or other situations.
• Reject personal desire for anything which will not promote the work of God.

ME   Ponder and search in the Spirit that our understanding of the desires and ways of God might grow.

• Search the scriptures to understand all that God has revealed.
• Listen to church authorities and to other good people to learn what he does now reveal.
• Search the Spirit that God might yet reveal important things to us.
• Work these ideas back and forth in our minds until they make glorious sense.

ME   Plan how to solve problems in our stewardship in righteousness before the Lord.

• Reject meddling in other people’s stewardships.
• Let love fill our heart for those in our stewardship.
• Search ways for that love to touch the lives of those in our stewardship.
• Select the way that best fills our understanding of the ways of God.

ME   Search the Holy Scriptures about the way selected until we find the one that pleases Father.

• If our plan is quite good but wrong, we will feel a stupor of thought.
• If our plan is evil, we will feel a strong urge from Satan to do it, but a warning from the Lord not to do it.
• If our plan pleases Father, we will glow with love (the “burning in the bosom”).

ME   Ask for the fulfillment of the correct plan with all of our hearts in mighty prayer (= asking in faith).

• Ask what power and gifts are necessary to fulfill the plan.
• Ask who has or could obtain the power and gifts necessary to fulfill the plan. (Here am I; send me).
• Ask in all humility for the power and gifts necessary to do the task, if it is right to do so.

PE       Do whatever we are instructed to do to help bring about that plan.

• (As faith grows, using priesthood replaces physical work: ME replaces PE).
• With all of our faith and might, proceed to implement the plan that the Lord has shown us pleases Him.
• If we ask in faith, doubting nothing God has caused us to believe and feel, we can do whatever is necessary.