LeGrand L. Baker

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  • 2 Nephi 1:28-9 – LeGrand Baker – Birthright blessing

    2 Nephi 1:28-9 – LeGrand Baker – Birthright blessing

    2 Nephi 1:28-9
    28   And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice of Nephi ye shall not perish. And if ye will hearken unto him I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.
    29   But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.

    Lehi’s statement to his sons sounds a bit strange. It almost seems that he is saying to Laman, “If you obey Nephi and let him be boss, you will receive the birthright, but if you don’t obey Nephi he gets to keep it for himself.” That sounds a bit like “Tails, Nephi wins; heads, Laban losses.” But that is not Lehi’s intent.

    Lehi’s promise is a refraction of light from the many facets of the birthright blessings of priesthood and kingship.

    In Old Testament times, birthright blessings were usually given to the first born son, however there were many exceptions to that rule, Jacob in place of Easu, Joseph in place of Reuben, David in place of his older brothers, Solomon in place of David’s other sons, perhaps Lehi in place of Laban, are only a few examples. But they are good examples, nonetheless.

    All of the sons of a man’s wives had his father’s protection and received some inheritance. (The difference between a “wife” and a “concubine” was not the legal status of the union, but the legal status of the woman. The children of a wife could inherit; while the children of a concubine could not.) The portion of the birthright son was twice that of the other sons, “a double portion (See Deuteronomy 21:17, for example.) That principle of a double portion accounts for Joseph’s having two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, rather than one tribe, like all the other brothers. If one’s father was the king, as David or Solomon, then rather than a double portion, the birthright son would receive the entire kingdom.

    Lehi seems to be telling Laman that if he wishes to inherit the kingdom there are principles which he must obey. Lehi apparently has possession of the Royal regalia of the house of Manasseh. If that is what the brass plates, sword, and clothing are, Lehi is king or lord of the house of Manasseh. If that is so, Lehi’s offering his oldest son the kingdom is a very real offer. And the fact that Laman knew there was a chance he could loose that royalty, probably accounts for both his desire to return home and his bitterness toward his father and brother.

    So Lehi is saying, “If you wish to inherit my royal birthright, which is the kingship of the house of Manasseh, then you must obey the principles which Nephi can teach you. If you do not obey those principles, then the kingship will go to Nephi.”

    But there is more to the birthright than that, especially when one is dealing with the birthright blessings associated with the covenant of Abraham, which is also what Lehi was talking about. That question is still about “kingship,” but kingship of quite a different kind. The best description I know of this kind of kingship is in the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants.

    45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

    46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. (D&C 121:45-46)

    The scepter, which is “an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth” sounds like something without substance, but only if one does not know the meanings of “righteousness” (Zadok) and of “Truth” (Knowledge which is consistent with eternal reality, as described in D&C 93). If one understands that, then the scepter is very substantial indeed.

    Just a few verses before, and while he was still addressing his sons, Lehi mentioned an “armor of righteousness.” Whenever else in the scriptures such a figure of speech is used, it incorporates two united meanings into one. It suggests being clothed in the sacred clothing of priesthood and kingship, but it also suggests adhering to the principles of righteousness and to the covenants which the clothing imply. Otherwise the clothing is only clothing, and not an “armor” at all. For a discussion of the sacred clothing described in and explained by the scriptures, see: 2 Corinthians 6:3-7; Ephesians 6:11-18; D&C 27:12-18; Alma 46:11-28; Exodus 28:1-29:10, 38:31-39:32; Leviticus 8:6-13; Zechariah 3:1-10.

    This birthright/kingship of the blessings of the covenant of Abraham has much the same symbolism in action and ordinance and clothing as an earthly kingship has. Indeed the scriptures strongly suggest that the later was copied from the former.

    In the famous conversation between Elijah and Elisha, just before Elijah was taken to heaven, “ Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.(2 Kings 2:9) Elisha is asking to receive the birthright blessings of Elijah’s priesthood, which would include the sealing power. He received that when Elijah’s cloak (royal/priesthood garment) fell from the chariot of light in which Elijah was taken to heaven, and Elisha picked up the cloak and made it his own.

    Isaiah uses the same kind of imagery when he introduces the idea that the dead will receive the sealing blessings of the priesthood. In the first three verses of chapter 61, Isaiah promises that the Saviour will visit the dead and “comfort” them. In the last two verses of that chapter, Isaiah recites a hymn sung by the dead who are about to be sealed, and thereby receive “the double.” The verse I will quote is between them, and within their subject context. Of the dead, Isaiah says,

    7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. (Isaiah 61:7)

    That verse can only be understood in the full context of its chapter, but in that context, it is much simpler than it sounds. Let me go through it with you, and show you.

    7 For [meaning, in exchange for] your [He is addressing this promise to the dead. So “you” are the dead people, and “they” are the living who will do “your” temple work.] shame [repentance for not having accepted the gospel in your physical life] ye [plural] shall have double [birthright blessings of the covenant of Abraham]; and for confusion [consequences of not having those blessings during your physical life — the most obvious of those consequences is probably that families are not sealed together.] they [the gentiles–those who are living, and who do the temple work for the dead] shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double [That is, the living will also receive the double portion, the kingship/priesthood blessings of the covenant of Abraham]: everlasting joy shall be unto them. (Isaiah 61:7)

    Thus Isaiah promises the “double” to both the living and the dead. The “double” he promises may be exactly what it says it is. For example, as one lives according to the covenants associated with the blessings of Abraham, one may receive a second baptism, this one by fire and the Holy Ghost. So, it seems to me, the “double” promised with the birthright blessings of Abraham probably includes other things which may also come in twos, such as, perhaps, both a symbolic and a literal walking behind the veil.

    In these priesthood/birthright/kingship blessings there is no exclusivity, such as there is in the power which is invested in a ruling monarch. In the kingdoms of this world, only one person may rule at a time. But the Kingdom of God, both in this world and in the eternities, is a kingdom of kings and of queens. The promise in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” is not a promise of citizenship in that kingdom, it is a promise that the kingdom will be theirs, that they will possess it, that they will be its kings and its queens.

    Thus, (to get back to our verses in 2 Nephi) Lehi promised the earthly kingship/birthright to Laman, if he would obey the principles taught his brother, Nephi, but said he (Lehi) would transfer that kingship/birthright to Nephi if Laman did not obey those principles. Given Nephi’s attitude toward his brothers, that would have been seen as a great blessing not just by Laman, but by Nephi as well.

    Lehi also promised the birthright/kingship blessings of his priesthood to ALL of his children who would live according to the covenants. This priesthood kingship is as universal as righteousness can cause it to be. That birthright Lehi could promise to each of his children at once, with the understanding that if any one of his children received its kingship in fullness, it would not lesson the double portion available to each of his other children.
    If Lehi’s statement is understood in that light, then what he says might be transposed into our contemporary language as, “Heads you may all win, tails, you may all win, also.”

  • 2 Nephi 1:15 – LeGrand Baker – redemption and the sacred embrace

    2 Nephi 1:15 – LeGrand Baker – redemption and the sacred embrace

    Sometimes one finds things too good to not share. This is one of those things. This is what I found last week while I was working on a commentary on Second Nephi. It is about the sacred embrace.

    15 The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love (2 Ne. 1:15 ).

    Nibley ties the meaning of Lehi’s testimony to the power of the Saviour’s Atonement. He writes:

    This is the imagery of the Atonement, the embrace: “The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (“2 Ne. 1:152 Nephi 1:15). “O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies!” (“2 Ne. 4:33). “Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you” (“Alma 5:33).
    This is the hpet, the ritual embrace that consummates the final escape from death in the Egyptian funerary texts and reliefs, where the son Horus is received into the arms of his father Osiris.” {1}

    Earlier, Nibley had quoted Mayassis that “The ritual embrace is ‘the culminating rite of the initiation”; it is “an initiatory gesture weighted with meaning … the goal of all consecration.”{2}

    Todd M. Compton explains further:

    The relevance of this sort of adoptive ritual — defined by the specific act of embracing — to recognition drama should be clear. In recognition drama, the embrace is the immediate seal of recognition and love when the identity of the tested party has been proved. This is not exactly the same as adoption; it is more a re-adoption.
    The embrace is the renewed outward token reflecting the renewed inward token of knowledge and love. {3}

    In a footnote he adds:

    In Egypt the embrace was closely tied to kingship succession: it was a paternal, father/son interchange, and also a means of transferring divine power.{4}

    Sonship, coronation, consecration, and “transfer of divine power” are all tied so closely in meaning that it is difficult to make a hard distinction between them. Again it is Nibley who explains the ultimate meaning of the sacral embrace.

    One of the most puzzling episodes in the Bible has always been the story of Jacob’s wrestling with the Lord. When one considers that the word conventionally translated by “wrestled” (yeaveq) can just as well mean “embrace,” and that it was in this ritual embrace that Jacob received a new name and the bestowal of priestly and kingly power at sunrise (Gen. 32:24ff), the parallel to the Egyptian coronation embrace becomes at once apparent.

    One retained his identity after the ritual embrace, yet that embrace was nothing less than a “Wesensverschmelzung,” a fusing of identities, of mortal with immortal, of father with son, and as such marked “the highpoint of the whole mystery-drama” (Spiegel, An. Serv., 53:392). {5}

    In another place, Nibley adds this significant bit of information, “This same gesture of the upraised arms, the Ka symbol, also represents the sacred embrace.”{6}
    – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – — – –
    ENDNOTES

    {1} Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, edited by Don E. Norton [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989], 559-60.)

    {2} Hugh Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975], 241.

    {3} Todd M. Compton, “The Handclasp and Embrace as Tokens of Recognition,” in John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 611-631. Quote is on page 1: 627 – 628.

    {4} Todd M. Compton, “The Handclasp and Embrace as Tokens of Recognition,” 1:630-31.

    {5} Hugh Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, 243-244.

    {6} Hugh Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, 240.

  • 2 Nephi 1:15 –Meaning of ‘Redeem’

    15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love (2 Nephi 1:15).

    This is one of the most important verses in the Book of Mormon and probably one of the most important in all the scriptures because it describes the single most important doctrine of the gospel: The Savior’s relationship with the righteous. That description, of course, begins with an understanding of the nature of Christ as Lord and Redeemer.

    Lehi’s redemption is a continuum. It began in the past when “the Lord hath (past tense) redeemed my soul from hell,” and continues through the present, “I am (present tense) encircled about eternally (future) in the arms of his love.” The final phrase in our verse, “and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love,” may be a reference to a physical embrace, but it certainly signifies a present and eternal trust and love (hesed) which will mature to become the very nature of Lehi’s eternal being.

    To be redeemed, as Lehi uses the word, means: “I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” This is consistent with Job and many such testimonies in the Psalms, Isaiah, and the Book of Mormon, where to be redeemed means to be brought into the presence of the Savior. Job wrote:

    23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
    24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
    25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
    26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God (Job 29:23-26).

    The concept and the realization of redemption are together the crowning doctrine of the gospel. It compasses all of our eternal relationships with the Savior, his Father, and his children. Redemption is the epitome of trust, friendship, and love, and the perpetual light of all that is eternal life.

    ABOUT REDEEM:

    The word “redeem” has a number of different meanings in the scriptures and the book in which one looks has a great deal to do with what it means. For example, the word “Redeemer” is not found anywhere in the New Testament because the concept of a “redeemer” is a Hebrew concept and there is no Greek word which conveys that same meaning.

    Even though the words translated as “redeem” from the Hebrew, and the words translated “redeem” from the Greek have different meanings, they both are valid in their own context, they just mean slightly different things. The word “redeem” in the Book of Mormon has a different meaning still, which is clearly expressed in the Book of Job, as just quoted.

    From that reference in Job and from many such uses in the Book of Mormon, one can go back to the Bible, especially to the Psalms and Isaiah, and find many places where the word is used in that same way. But without the Book of Mormon as a key, one would not know that the most important scriptural meaning of the word “redeem” is that one may come into the presence of the Savior.

    The oft-repeated invitation to “come unto Christ” is an invitation to accept the gift of his redemption. It should not be a surprise to note that of the 18 times the word “Redeemer” is used in the Old Testament, all but 6 are in Isaiah, whose words Nephi cherished because he, like Nephi, had seen and testified of the Savior. (see 2 Nephi 11:2-3)

    In the following pages I have examined the different meanings of the word “redeem” and shown how they are used in the scriptures.

    1. TO RANSOM or PURCHASE

    In the New Testament the Greek words that are translated “redeem” mean to purchase, buy up, or to ransom (Strong # 1805, exagorazo, and 3084, lytroo). Two examples are:

    14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem (lytroo) us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).

    And

    4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
    5 To redeem (exagorazo) them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
    6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
    7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:1-8).

    The Greek word was not a religious term but it worked perfectly for the Christians who used it to mean the Savior purchases our sins and ransoms us from hell.

    2. REDEEMER IN LAW OF MOSES

    An Hebrew word that is translated as “redeem” also means to release, deliver, ransom. It has to do with the “oriental law of kinship” (Strong # 1350 (ga’al, gaw-al‘).

    The word “redeemer” in the Old Testament is used to represent one who redeems by right or responsibility of being a kin—a brother or other relative. The Law of Moses makes relatives responsible to help each other. Examples are to buy back a relative’s lost property, marry his widow, avenger his wrongs: to deliver, purchase, ransom. The relative who performs these services is called the “redeemer.”

    The book of Ruth is a good example showing that ga’al is translated as kinsman, redeem, and redeemer.” Here, the issue is which of Ruth’s kinsmen will care for her.

    1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman (ga’al) of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down (Ruth 4:1).
    ———-
    6 And the kinsman (ga’al) said, I cannot redeem (ga’al) it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem (ga’al) thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem (ga’al) it (Ruth 4:6).

    The word ga’al is used in a unique way in Job where the context suggest that it means to be brought into the presence of Jehovah.

    23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
    24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
    25 For I know that my redeemer (ga’al) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
    26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
    27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. (Job 19:23-27).

    3. TO “COME UNTO CHRIST”

    There are several excellent examples in the Book of Mormon where, as in Job, the meaning of redeem is to be brought into the presence of God. The keys to these passages are the conjunctions and verb tenses.

    In the following example where the brother of Jared sees and converses with the Savior, the key words are in verses 3 and 4. The verb tenses are: “Because thou knowest [present tense] these things ye are [present tense] redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are [present tense] brought back into my presence; therefore I show [present tense] myself unto you.” “Therefore” is the conjunction that ties the whole together. With that conjunction the Savior defines “redeemed” as being brought into his presence (Ether 3:11-14).

    The next example is Lehi speaking to his son Jacob. The keys are in verses 3 and 4 where “wherefore” is the conjunction. The verb tenses are “I know that thou art [present tense] redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast [past tense] beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. And thou hast [past tense] beheld in thy youth his glory.” Verse 4 projects Jacob’s redemption into the “forever” (2 Nephi 2:1-4).

    The third example is the verse with which we began this discussion. Here Lehi extends his past experience into the eternities: “the Lord hath [past tense] redeemed my soul from hell; I have [past tense] beheld his glory, and I am [present tense] encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.”(2 Nephi 1:15).

    The next example is a short look into the lives of two prophet-heros, Helaman who is writing the letter and Captain Moroni who is its recipient: “may the Lord our God, who has [past tense] redeemed us and made us free, keep [“may…keep” present tense projected into the future] you continually in his presence” (Alma 58:41).

    It is apparent from these examples that having been redeemed in the past, that redemption becomes a permanent part of the definition of who one is. That, according to Alma, was the primary purpose of the ancient Nephite temple drama, which appears to have been a kind of dress rehearsal for the final thing. Alma calls it “plan of redemption.”

    Here, Alma is speaking to Zeezrom, However, the tenor of Alma’s words does not suggest he was trying to teach him, but rather that he was challenging Zeezrom with what he already knew to keep the covenants he had already made. Alma concludes his review of those covenants by quoting God as saying that the intent of men’s being taught the “plan of redemption” was so “these shall enter into my rest.”

    28 And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;
    29 Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory.
    30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith [pistis = covenants] and repentance and their holy works [ordinances].
    31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good—
    32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.
    33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
    34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest (Alma 12:28-34).

    For the righteous, these scriptures issue an invitation to seek to “come unto Christ.” However, while the invitation is there, the admonition is to get on with the other things we should be doing and not focus too much attention on trying to force the Lord’s hand is this thing. Reaching that goal is a process, as the Lord explained.

    67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.
    68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will (D&C 88:67-68).

    Moroni explained that ultimately everyone will be redeemed to be judged, but not everyone will remain there. He wrote,

    13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.

    14 And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still (Mormon 9:13-14).

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  • Chapter 1 * 2 Nephi 1:1-9 — A Land of Promise

    Discovering the religion of the ancient Israelites before the Babylonian captivity is not as simple as it appears on the surface, and, surprisingly, the Bible is not as good a source as one might think. Even though much of the Old Testament tells about the time before the exile, a good part of it was written or edited after the exile, so those parts reflect the religion of the period in which it was written rather than the religion of the period it tells about. From the actual pre-exilic period we have the five books of Moses (now heavily edited), and Isaiah, some minor prophets, the Psalms, and Job, but that is about all. Most scholars believe that the historical portions of the Bible (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, etc.) were either written or severely edited after the Babylonian captivity. Consequently, they tell the post-exilic official version of their pre-exilic history and religion, but they are not a contemporary record, and that “official version” reflects much of the apostasy which had already occurred. Niels Peter Lemche explains:

    In the Old Testament a number of texts—to a large degree to be found in the book of Psalms, but also elsewhere—seemingly testify to religious beliefs which are obviously not in accordance with the official version of the religion as given by the historical literature…The most important evidence of this state of religious affairs may be Deut. xxxii 8-9, in the LXX version, according to which Yahweh seems not to be identified with El Elyon but is considered a son of this mighty creator of the world. Other important testimonies are Ps. lxxxii and Ps. lxxxix 6-9, in that both testify to the belief in a divine pantheon in Israel, although Yahweh is obviously considered to be the king of the assembly of the gods…It now looks as if the description of the Israelite religion in the formative period of the nation as a religion which contained a strictly monotheistic faith has to be surrendered in favor of another picture of the religious development…Still, we are sorely without knowledge as to the content of their religion, and no source available can prove that the religion of the early Israelites was ever a monotheistic one, whether Yahwistic or no…I would say: so much for the presumed original Israelite monotheism! {1}
    This argument, that the historical books of the Old Testament were written after the Babylonian captivity and reflect the religion of the post-exilic rather than the pre-exilic Jews, has important implications for any study of the Book of Mormon. Lehi left Jerusalem a few years before the Babylonian captivity. Therefore, the religion of the Nephites should reflect the belief in a pantheon of Elohim, Jehovah, and the Council in Heaven, and that Jehovah is the Son of God as was taught in the religion of the pre-exilic Jews. But it must not reflect the idea that Jehovah is alone in the godhead, which was the idea adopted by the post-exilic Jews. If that test were used to determine whether the Book of Mormon is an accurate reflection of the pre-exilic Israelite religion, the Book of Mormon passes with flying colors.

    The point is this: Lehi’s colony left Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity and took with them the religion of their contemporary Jews. That leaves the Book of Mormon as our very best possible source for knowing the theology of the pre-exilic Israelite religion.

    In the first volume of this series, co-author Stephen D. Ricks presents a powerful argument that the strongest evidence of the historicity of the Book of Mormon is its obvious roots in pre-exilic ancient Near Eastern religion and culture.

    1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.
    2 And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea.
    3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.
    4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.
    5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.
    6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.
    7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.
    8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.
    9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever (2 Nephi 1:1-9).

    Nephi chose to begin his second book, not with the account of their arriving at the promised land, but with Lehi’s prophecy about the sacredness of the land.

    5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord (2 Nephi 1:5).

    In the beginning when the Lord and his heavenly council created this earth they were in sacred time where they could understand our linear time from beginning to end. The geographical pattern of this world was not happenstance, but shows a careful design that would achieve maximum advantage for the people who were to live here. We can see that now as we look back over the millennia and watch civilizations develop.

    Three ancient cultures dominated early western civilization. All three were protected by their geographical surroundings: Israel, Greece, and Rome.

    The Dead Sea protected Israel like an eastern fortress. The two great cultural centers of the ancient near east, Mesopotamia and Egypt, were separated by an allmost impassible desert but connected by a trade rout that passed along the eastern sure of the Mediterranean. The Holy Land was in the mountains along that trade rout where Israel would be relatively secure for almost a thousand years from the time of Moses to Zedekiah. During that time they established themselves as a unique culture with a special religion. Then, still in relative isolation they continued to survive under the military umbrellas of Persia, Greece, and then Rome, when Christianity was born and took root.

    Both Greece and Rome were built of a peninsula where they were protected on three sides by the sea. After their fall, the greatest ideas of the Jewish-Christian, Greek, and Roman cultures merged and grew in northern Europe but flowered in England. England is an island, close enough to the mainland to absorb its cultural advantage but encircled by a fortress ocean whose battlements were challenged but not breached. England became mistress of the sea and spread her own unique principles of common law, participatory government, and the King James Bible over much of the world.

    All of this, plus freedom of speech, commerce, and religion came to America where they blossomed. America is also an island protected by large expanses of water. In that environment the gospel was restored then, under persecution the Saints left and came to a different kind of island. Utah where the Saints settled was not surrounded by water but was isolated by mountains on the east and desert on the west. There the Saints were given 50 years while they secured their own identifiable subculture before they were absorbed as a state in the United States.

    Human history is the story of how we have interacted with each other on playing board that defines, limits or expands our options. The Lord uses geography, climate change, weather, and perfect timing to fulfill the covenants he made with those premortal people who would come to mortality at the right time, in the right place, in the right circumstances so they could fulfill their covenants also. The fulfillment of one of those covenants preserved the Nephites from overwhelming external influences for a thousand years, just as Lehi said it would.

    8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance (2 Nephi 1:8).

    Lehi’s vision of the sacred security of this promised land was fulfilled and is yet to be fulfilled. That is our blessing, our warning, and perhaps our curse.
    ————————————-

    Nephi 1=1-9—The Chiastic Pattern of Lehi’s Teachings

    Nephi begins 2 Nephi in mid-story if not sentence. That suggests that Nephi is not all that concerned with how his story flows. The books of Nephi, like the rest of the Book of Mormon, are not a history in the usual sense. They use the chronology of historical events as the wagon to carry its cargo of sermons and stories that illustrate their messages. First and Second Nephi are Nephi’s testimony just as the rest of the Book of Mormon is is Mormon’s testimony. The golden thread that ties both together is the ancient Israelite temple drama that flows like an encoded undercurrent throughout the whole of the entire book.
    Nephi begins Second Nephi by quoting his father who was reminding his children of the overarching importance of the ancient Israelite New Year Festival temple drama:

    10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—
    having a knowledge of the creation of the earth,
    and [of the creation of] all men,
    knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord
    from the creation of the world;
    having power given them to do all things by faith;
    having all the commandments from the beginning, and
    having been brought by his infinite goodness
    into this precious land of promise

    This encoded pattern of thought is found from the beginning to the end of the Book of Mormon. It can be understood as a witness that assures us that Nephi, Lehi, and others are true prophets because they knew “the mysteries of God.” The pattern is recognizable as the basic chiasmus model of the cosmic myth. It has the same skeletal structure of the Israelite temple drama, the plan of salvation, the Savior’s (and everyone else’s) autobiography. In its simplest form the pattern looks like this:

    A. The hero is required to leave home.
    B. He is given a seemingly impossible task.
    C. He receives the necessary tools to begin.
    D. He confronts overwhelming odds.
    c. He receives additional tools and information.
    b. He fulfills the task.
    a. The hero returns home, triumphant. {2}

    When the pattern is found in the Book of Mormon it rarely includes all of its parts, but, as in verse 10, there are enough of those parts in the correct sequential order that it is recognizable. Nephi began his first book by using that pattern in the first few verses, then he used it as the outline for all of First Nephi: {3}

    A. Nephi and his family must leave home.
    B. They are given a seemingly impossible task.
    C. They receive the brass plates and Ishmael’s family.
    D. Rebellion and starvation in the wilderness.
    c. The Liahona leads to a mountain top for sustenance.
    b. They travel to Bountiful to complete their task.
    a. They arrive at the promised land, their new home.

    Now he uses that same theme to introduce us to Second Nephi. The theme and the pattern are here but the details are a covenant the Lord made with Lehi and his family so the particulars do not conform to story told in the Israelite temple drama.

    A. The hero is required to leave home.
    1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.
    2 And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea (2 Nephi 1:1-2).

    Waters are often used as a symbol of chaos from which came cosmos or creation. In Egyptian mythology both birth and death are symbolized by a boat that crosses the water.

    3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.
    4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished (2 Nephi 1:3-4).

    In Nephi’s temple drama sequence such a statement may suggest the destruction to those who refused to come to the earth.

    B. He is given a seemingly impossible task.
    5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions…

    C. He receives the necessary tools to begin.
    we have obtained a land of promise a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord (2 Nephi 1:5).

    In the covenant of Abraham it is also called a “promised land,” and refers not only to a geographical area, but also to the covenant (as expressed in the Beatitudes and D&C 88:17) that the meek shall inherit the celestial earth.

    D. He confronts overwhelming odds.
    6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land

    c. He receives additional tools and information.
    save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord (2 Nephi 1:6).

    b. He fulfills the task.
    7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring.

    If I read this correctly, the land spoken of is Zion. Zion is the pure in heart (D&C 97:21). The pure in heart are those who see God (3 Nephi 12:8) —it is all the same idea and always in the same neat package.

    a. The hero returns home, triumphant.
    And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them, wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

    8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.
    9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them (2 Nephi 1:7-9).

    ———-
    FOOTNOTES
    {1} Niels Peter Lemche, “The Development of the Israelite Religion in the Light of Recent Studies on the Early History of Israel,” in Congress Volume, Leuven, 1989 (Louvain, Belgium, E.J. Brill, for the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, 1991), 109, 112-113, 115.

    H. H. Rowley, The Old Testament and Modern Study, A Generation of Discovery and Research (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1951), contains several essays on the history of academic discussions about the authorship and historicity of the books of the Old Testament. The three which are of most immediate interest to our studies are: N. H. Snaith, “The Historical Books,” p. 84-114; Aubrey R. Johnson, “The Psalms,” p. 162-209; and G. W. Anderson, “Hebrew Religion,” p. 283-310.)

    {2} The pattern of the Israelite and Nephite temple dramas is the theme that runs throughout our book, Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord.

    {3}LeGrand L. Baker and Stephen D. Ricks, First Nephi, An Ancient Near Eastern Setting for the Book of Mormon. See my chapters that deal with the first 7 verses of 1 Nephi chapter 1.

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  • Jacob 6:1-7 — LeGrand Baker — ‘his arm of mercy’

    Jacob 6:1-7 — LeGrand Baker — ‘his arm of mercy’

    In Jacob’s brief analysis of the Zenos’ allegory of the olive trees, he compares the trees to the house of Israel, then, carefully and deliberately changes the focus of the allegory altogether. In this change, the olive tree is no longer all of Israel, but every individual who is a part of Israel. He writes,

    5   Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
    6   Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?
    7   For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

    So the tree is all of Israel who come to this earth, or else, the tree is each individual person who has made a covenant which identifies him or herself as “Israel.”

    I suggested in a question last week that “Israel” might also be bigger than either of those. I have thought about my question since then, and the question has grown with my thinking, but the answer is far beyond my reach. Nevertheless, I would like to give you some of the ideas that expand the question, in case you would like to think about it also.

    In February 1843, at the request of W.W. Phelps, the Prophet Joseph re-wrote the vision which is the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants in poetry form. It was published in the Times and Seasons, February 1, 1843, and republished in the Millennial Star, August, 1843. Part of it reads,

    And now after all of the proofs made of him,
    By witnesses truly, by whom he was known,
    This is mine, last of all, that he lives; yea, he lives!
    And sits at the right hand of God on his throne.
    And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav’n,
    He’s the Saviour and only begotten of God;
    By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
    Even all that career in the heavens so broad.
    Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
    Are sav’d by the very same Saviour of ours;
    And, of course, are begotten God’s daughters and sons
    By the very same truths and the very same powers.

    President John Taylor wrote an editorial published in The Mormon, New York, New York, August 29, 1857, under the title of “Origin, Object, and Destiny of Women.” Part of that editorial reads,

    Knowest thou not that; eternities ago, thy spirit, pure and holy, dwelt in thy Heavenly Father’s bosom, and in his presence, and with thy mother, one of the Queens of heaven, surrounded by thy brother and sister spirts in the. spirit world, among the Gods. That as thy spirit beheld the scenes transpiring there, and thou growing in intelligence, thou sawest worlds upon worlds organized and peopled with thy kindred spirits, took upon them tabernacles, died, were resurrected, and received their exaltation on the redeemed worlds they once dwelt upon. Thou being willing and anxious to imitate them, waiting and desirous to obtain a body, a resurrection and exaltation also, and having obtained permission, thou made a covenant with one of thy kindred spirits to be thy guardian angel while in mortality, also with two others, male and female spirits, that thou wouldst come and take a tabernacle through their lineage, and become one of their offspring. You also choose a kindred spirit whom you loved in the spirit world, (and had permission to come to this planet and take a tabernacle) to be your head, stay, husband, and protector on the earth, and to exalt you in the eternal worlds. All these were arranged, likewise the spirits that should tabernacle through your lineage. Thou longed, thou sighed, and thou prayed to thy Father in heaven for the time to arrive when thou couldst come to this earth, which had fled and fell from where it was first organized, near the planet Kolob. Leave thy father and mother’s bosoms, and all thy kindred spirits, come to earth, take a tabernacle, and imitate the deeds of, those you had seen exalted before you.

    The identity of those other persons is suggested by President Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 1963), p. 50-51. Speaking of the pre-mortal spirit world, President Smith wrote:

    It is reasonable to believe that there was a Church organization there. The heavenly beings were living in a perfectly arranged society. Every person knew his place. Priesthood, without any question, had been conferred and the leaders were chosen to officiate. Ordinances pertaining to that pre-existence were required and the love of God prevailed. Under such conditions it was natural for our Father to discern and choose those who were most worthy and evaluate the talents of each individual. He knew not only what each of us could do, but also what each of us would do when put to the test and when responsibility was given us. Then, when the time came for our habitation on mortal earth, all things were prepared and the servants of the Lord chosen and ordained to their respective missions.

    Paul said to the Ephesian Saints:

    3   Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
    4   According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. –(Eph. 1:3-4).

    Near the beginning of President Taylor’s editorial that I just quoted, he addresses the unnamed woman to whom he was writing with these questions,

    Lady-whence comest thou? Thine origin? What art thou doing here? Whither art thou going, and what is thy destiny? Declare unto me if thou hast understanding? Knowest thou not, that thou art a spark of Deity, struck from the fire of his eternal blaze, and brought forth in the midst of eternal burning?

    I suspect that statement is not allegorical, but is a real description of our origins. Just a few quick examples: Members of the Council in Heaven are sometimes called stars in the scriptures, other times they are collectively called “the heavens” An example of the first is the Lord’s question to Job,

    4   Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
    5   Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
    6   Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
    7   When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)”

    An example of the second is Isaiah’s description of a Council meeting in Isaiah 49 (but it doesn’t work well unless you use the Book of Mormon version in 1 Nephi 20, which is what I will quote. This Isaiah is different from the one in the Bible. In the Bible the chapter is about Cyrus, king of Persia. In the Book of Mormon the chapter is about the war in heaven and Joseph Smith’s role in it.

    14    Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called [“called” may mean called the way we use it in the church today, but as in the first verse which I will quote below, it more likely means “named” suggesting that “Israel is a covenant name], for I am he; I am the first, and I am also the last. Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. [It becomes clear as we go on that “the heavens” are the members of the Council] [To “span” is to measure, I presume this means he has placed his right hand on the heads of each of the members of the Council, measuring them, thus designating them as sacred space — a temple.] I call unto them [the heavens] and they [the heavens] stand up together. [One stands to make a covenant, see 2 Kings 3:1-4 and Psalm 82 where the gods ask God to “arise” so they make a covenant with him.] All ye [the heavens], assemble yourselves [i.e. at the Council] , and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him [that turns out to be the Prophet Joseph, by the way]; yea, and he will fulfill his word which he hath declared by them; and he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans. (1 Ne. 20:14)

    At the beginning of that same chapter Isaiah says the same thing:

    1   Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear [covenant] by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear [covenant] not in truth nor in righteousness.
    …
    3   Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning;
    …
    5   And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; (1 Ne. 20: 1-5)”

    I checked and found there are more phrases like “the beginning” and “before you were born” and that sort of thing, in this chapter of Isaiah than in any other part of the Old Testament except the creation story in Genesis.

    So it appears that very early on in our existence we made covenants, and that the new name associated with those covenants was “Israel.” The tree is all the “Israel” in this world, just as it is each individual who has taken the covenant name of Israel.

  • 2 Nephi 1:14, 23 – “Awake, my sons”

    14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.

    23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust (2 Nephi 1:14, 23).

    The phrase, “awake and arise” or some variation of it, appears several times in the scriptures. Isaiah uses it as a symbol of the resurrection. To awake is to become spiritual alert and to arise is to be physically alive.
    Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isaiah 26:19)

    Paul uses it as a summons to those who will not hear the gospel.

    14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14).

    Lehi uses it in somewhat the same way, to invite his children to be redeemed.

    14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth…

    23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust (2 Nephi 1:14, 23).

    Moroni uses it as a part of the temple text at the conclusion of the Book of Mormon. This is also an invitation to come unto Christ and accept the blessings of the covenant of the Father.

    31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled. (Moroni 10:31)

    The Lord uses it in the D&C to invite people to get on with doing the things they have covenanted to do.

    2 Let them awake, and arise, and come forth, and not tarry, for I, the Lord, command it. (D&C 117:2)

    And finally, the Lord uses it to invite the people to come to the temple.

    10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.

    11 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.

    12 Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion.
    13 And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house.(D&C: 133:10-13)

    Even though each of these appear to be different on the surface, they are, in fact, all the same. Each is a different facet of the invitation to BE—to be one who acts rather than one who is acted upon—to be alive—to come unto Christ and partake of the covenants and ordinances of eternal life in this world and in the continuation of lives in the world to come.

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  • Principles II

    Chauncey C. Riddle

    We begin this hour with the principle of justice. Justice is the principle that righteousness demands regress for wrong. That is to say, if someone is injured, there must be a restoration or some other kind of satisfaction to restore them to the original condition. Justice is simply that every wronged must be righted.

    Every time we sin, that is to say we break a commandment of God, somebody is hurt. Somebody’s blessings are shorted. And justice demands that the blessing be made up to that person. They are entitled to their heritage, their due. The heritage of every child of God is to be blessed and loved. Any child of God that is not blessed and loved, somebody is going to have to make up to it for. So, justice is a thing that we try to achieve. Being one of omission or commission it matters not. If one has not received his due then justice is not obtained, it has not been met.

    But for God, righteousness must be maintained. Therefore God must be just. He himself is just, he showers love and goodness upon his children without exception. He does nothing except it be for the benefit of his children. He is absolutely just. He never sins, that is to say, he never shortens anyone’s blessings. You and I do sin and shorten other people’s blessings. And so then he insists that being just, that we must become just also. That we must do something to satisfy that shortening that we have made. So, if we come to him, then he will teach us of righteousness. So that in the future we can be just.

    The word just means right, or doing what’s right, having one’s rights. A court of justice is where you go to get your rights. And if things go well, hopefully you’re better than before you started. So, real righteousness, or in other words, real justice is only of God. Because justice is a result of faith in Christ. It is a part of righteousness and righteousness only comes though Christ.

    So, therefore a servant of Christ always pays his debts. Be they of time, money, covenant, or promise. He does not ask for release from debt but makes whatever sacrifices necessary to clear his promise or his obligation. Which also clears his own name, which also clears the name of his master, Jesus Christ.

    If we’re covenant servants of Christ, we’re not just being unjust in our own right, we’re causing him to be unjust. Just as the father is responsible for the acts of his children, we cause the Savior to become unjust, in a sense. We cause his name to become ill spoken of, if we are unrighteous or unjust. So, if we love him, we will not wish to besmirch his name. We will wish to show, he is a God of justice and righteousness and love and truth. And do everything in our power, to make every sacrifice that is necessary to bring about justice. We will make whatever recompense or restitution is necessary if we have been unjust.

    The terrestrial standard is, that if you have been unjust and wronged someone, you make it up to them by paying every last farthing for what we’ve owed them. The celestial standard, the gospel standard is, if you’ve wronged somebody and been unjust to them, you pay four-fold. You show your love for them and your sorrow for having wounded them, shortened them, by making up to them four times. I think that’s also a help not to be unjust in the future. So, to know exactly what is just is beyond human wisdom and the ability to satisfy past injustices is beyond human wisdom.

    But in Christ all good things are possible. Thus, it is that the just live by faith. This was Martin Luther’s take off point in Romans, the just live by faith. And it’s true, the just do live by faith. Justice is of faith in Christ. There is a worldly justice, that worldly justice is the justice of man as judged by human reason, which is the counterfeit of divine justice. The counterfeit of Godly justice is the justice of man administered by human reason. This sometimes is an approximation of justice and sometimes is not justice at all. But until we’re willing to have God be our judge we must suffer counterfeit justice in our midst. Don’t mistake me, there are some people engaged in the justice business in our society and our civilization who our servants of Christ and they are prayerful and careful and faithful in their administration of justice. And their justice is real justice. But those who depend on their own human reason administer a counterfeit justice.

    Mercy next. Mercy is the companion principle to justice in the gospel. Whereas the just man is always careful to pay his own debts, if he has been unjust. He stands ready to extend mercy to all. Mercy is to satisfy the debt of justice for someone else. Now, I can’t extend mercy to someone unless they have been unjust to me. So, someone has shortened me or has hurt me. Then they have been unjust to me. It’s then my privilege to forgive them. Which means to say, to pay the debt myself. To pay the debt of justice for someone else when they have incurred the debt to me, is mercy.

    So, if someone runs into my car and dents it good. And they can’t pay for it. If they can pay for it, then I’m exacting justice, if I get them to. But if I say, I will pay for it, that is mercy. I’m paying the debt for them. Now, in the Father’s system the dent has to be fixed. Justice must be satisfied. But He’s content if I will fix it or the other person fixes it. He doesn’t mind, just that justice has to be satisfied. But he’s very pleased if I will satisfy it myself and not hold my neighbor to it.

    Now if my neighbor is a servant of God, he will not accept that mercy. He will insist on paying it himself, if he can. That is to say, servants of God are grateful to have mercy but they try to be just nevertheless. Whereas, people of the world always want mercy. That is to say, they want to be forgiven of their debts. But that’s not the way of a man of God, a man of God wants to pay his debts. No matter how long it takes him or whatever costs, if he has a honest just debt, he wants to pay it.

    So, justice must to be satisfied but mercy needs to be there, if one is a servant of God and can extend mercy. Help us to forgive those who trespass against us, the Savior taught us to pray. But we, despairingly need the mercy of God. There’s no way we can satisfy the debt of justice for our sins. And therefore, if we’re ever to be clean, ever to be just, ever to see the Celestial Kingdom, we have to get forgiveness through the Savior’s satisfaction of justice.

    He extended mercy to us through the atonement, through his Godship over the world, the universe. You and I, therefore, need that justice. But the only way we can qualify for that justice, is to forgive all men every trespass against us. Now that’s a tall order. That means we turn the other cheek every time. Some people say to me, you mean we’re supposed to lie down and be a door mat? And the answer is, yes. If you’re a servant of Christ you do not seek restitution. You may get it but it will because the other person wants to give it. You will not seek it, you will not demand it, you will not force it. Why? Because you have a God in heaven who can and will recompense to you a hundred fold. And he has promised you, if you lose anything for keeping his commandments that he will restore to you a hundred fold. Now you get your choice. Would you rather have the one fold restitution or would you have a hundred fold. If you’re smart I think you would take the hundred fold, which means you forgive all men their trespasses against you and depend on God for your blessings.

    Now, if there were no God I guess this would be a different matter, wouldn’t it? But there is a God in heaven. I know that and I think you know that. And not to depend on him, not to trust him and suppose that we have to go out and feather our own nest by getting people to fix our fenders, so they won’t be dented, that’s not faith in Christ. Now there’s the one exception. In some situations the extending of Godly mercy by a just person is not automatic. For the Lord will council otherwise sometimes. In some situations he will instruct us to go to the person and request that they make the wrong right. Not force, not take them to a court of law. The scripture is very plain. To go to a court of law to exact justice of our neighbor is not God’s will. And my guess is that ninety-nine percent of the time we do that as Latter-day Saints, we’re sinning. I don’t know what the percentage is, don’t take that figure seriously.

    But, he’s plain, he does not want us to settle our debts through the courts of law of the land. Now, he will have us go to the person and humbly request that they make it up if they have wronged us. If they’ve dented our fender, we go to them and request that they fix it. Now, if they say, fooey on you and won’t hear us. Then we go back and take a friend with us. And we ask them humbly again, won’t you please fix that fender? Now in the presence of ourselves and a witness he gets a chance to either accept it and fix it or refuse. If he refuses we have a witness and we and the witness go to the bishop of the church and lay the matter before the bishop.

    Now, who would this be? This is only if this brother is a brother in Christ. If they are a covenant servant of Jesus Christ we take these three steps. Why? Not so we will get the fender fixed. We don’t care whether the fender gets fixed by them or not. What do we care about? We care about them as a brother and if they will not fix the fender they have abrogated their covenant with Christ. So the hope is, that we will be able to keep them as a brother in Christ. If they won’t fix it, even though we have talked to them and gone to them with a witness and the bishop has talked to them. What do we do then? The scripture says, that we no longer count them as a brother in Christ. They have broken their covenants, they have released themselves from his service. We have no obligation any more to treat them as a brother. The scripture says, we treat them as a heathen and a publican. In other words, we extend mercy to them and don’t ask them for justice anymore. We forgive them, we still don’t go to a court of law, and demand justice. We just forgive them. Because we didn’t care about the fender in the first place. What we cared about was their soul. So mercy must work hand in hand with justice, lest we find ourselves on the wrong side of the matter.

    Godly mercy is to be willing to forgive all men all trespasses. And actually to forgive all those except where the Lord specifically commands otherwise. Thus, to be merciful as to be just must be an act of faith in Christ, to be Godly mercy. The counterfeit of Godly mercy is to forgive at our own pleasure. You might wish to read the passage in Matthew 18:15-17 where he instructs us in that matter.

    Next consecration.

    Consecration is the principle of using all that we have and are in the service of our master. In him we live and move and have our being. To him we our indebted for all that we have. He gives us our body, our strengths, our mortality, our health, our wealth, our time, our power to beget children, everything we have he gives to us. To use all of these correctly, to be righteous, just and merciful in just the right way with all of these things is beyond our ability. Therefore, we who are servants of Christ enter into a covenant with him. To use all these things according to his instruction, as he gives us instruction in our own personal revelation. That revelation can come in various forms. It can come as we are listening to our bishop, as we are listening to our father, as we are listening to our Stake President, as we are listening to one of the Prophets, to President Benson. As we are praying, as we are reading the scriptures. It can come in any of those situations. But the thing that is common to all of those is that it comes by our own personal revelation.

  • New Names and the New Covenant

    Chauncey C. Riddle

    I ask for an interest in your faith and prayers. I tremble a little bit because as I say things it’s impossible to say everything and I find I miss saying important things. For instance, in relation to forgiving: somebody just brought to my attention that I didn’t say they have to trespass against us personally before we can extend mercy to them. I can’t be merciful to somebody when they trespass against you. Oh I can help in a way. If they defraud you l can pay you, the defrauded and in a sense I can help you. But that isn’t really mercy. The Savior can do that because he is perfect, he has no sins of his own. So the important place we apply mercy is when people trespass against us, and then we forgive them.

    Well, let’s reconstruct the total picture of what we’re trying to do here. I’m trying to talk about the great law, which is to love the Lord our God, who is Jesus Christ, with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. I equate that with faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is simply to love him with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. And everything in the gospel; all the principles, all the laws, all the ordinances are designed to focus into that point, to bring us to full faith in Jesus Christ.

    Now there are two main stems or aspects that comprise faith in Jesus Christ, as I understand it. One is repentance. The other is service. Repentance is getting our lives in order. It is rebuilding our character and our nature. Through obedience, through sacrifice, through consecration so that we can then learn to be just and merciful. In other words to love purely. So that when we go to serve we will be serving in the pure love of Christ. We are not doing our will. We’re not shedding forth our light. We are showing forth his light and truth in all that we do. Then repentance makes us a conduit. A perfected conduit for the light of Christ. Then as we go forth to serve, that is to say to love our neighbor, as Christ loves us, then we are simply reflecting his light that he loves us with, through ourselves to our neighbor, that their life might be blessed by Jesus Christ even as we are blessed by Jesus Christ.

    And we have talked about blessing others, which is service in the stewardship that we have, and how the priesthood is the thing that enables us to fulfill those stewardships, when they are stewardships over people. Today our discussion concerns the New and Everlasting Covenant.  It is the New and Everlasting Covenant that puts all of repentance together. The things we have been talking about are not things we can do by our own will. What we do is choose to reflect the light and truth of Jesus Christ perfectly out into the world. To love our neighbor as Christ loves us. We can want to do that but we have  no power to do that on our own even if we understand it and choose it. We have to be empowered and the empowering comes in the New and Everlasting Covenant. That empowering is part of salvation.

    Salvation comes through power. To as many as believe in him, Jesus Christ gives the power to become his sons and daughters. And his sons and daughters are his jewels. His jewels are the ones that are perfected and polished and reflect his light. Without changing it, without loss, they simply reflect his light becoming selfless as he is. He reflects the Father’s light. And if we reflect his light then we will be passing on that which is perfect and godly and good.

    And so today I would like to review the New and Everlasting Covenant as the vehicle by which we accomplish all of these things. Let’s review the old covenant first just by way of background. In the council in heaven the first covenant was announced.

    “We will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” Abr. 3:25

    Now that’s the first covenant. That’s the law of justice or the covenant of justice.

    “They who keep their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate (be added upon.)” That is to say they will have the chance to go to the second estate. “They who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their second estate. And they who keep their second estate”, that is to say, who do everything they’re told without fail in their mortal probation, “shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.” Abr. 3:26

    But as we have pointed out, none of us keeps that first covenant . We all break it, except Jesus Christ. He claimed his blessings through that covenant. And of course, if no one had claimed blessing through that covenant there would be no one to be a Savior. And thus the New and Everlasting Covenant or the second covenant could not even exist. And so there is another covenant which comes in the mercy and grace of God. We read a little bit about this in Moses, Chapter 6. This is Enoch speaking to the people, he said that, “because Adam fell we are. By his fall came death,” spiritual death. “We are made partakers of misery and woe.” That partaking of misery and woe was necessary. And also necessary was that we understand the evil, the misery, and the woe. Because without understanding that we would not have the freedom to choose the good. The fall brought to us the knowledge of good and evil.

    Under the first covenant, if we had chosen the good unerringly all during our lives we would satisfy the covenant. But we don’t do that so there has to be a way that we can still be saved after having chosen evil.

    “Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, they are shut out from the presence of God.”

    Moses 6:49

    And only by one of these covenants can we ever come back to the presence of God.

    “But God hath made known unto our fathers that all men must repent. And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice saying: I am God; I made the world and men before they were in the flesh. And he said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe and repent of all thy transgressions”, of having chosen evil, “and be baptized, even in water, in the name of my Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, ask in all things In his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.”  Moses 6: 50-52

    The main thing that we need to ask for is for the ability to stop choosing evil and start choosing only the good. Because the second law requires of us in the end to do what the first law requires. What the first covenant requires is to choose good without fail, without erring. But we get to err  under the second law, that is to say it is possible for us to have sinned and then learn to obey God in all things and still be saved because of the Savior’s atonement.

    “And our father Adam spoke unto the Lord, and said: , why is it that man must repent and be baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam: Behold I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden. Hence came the saying abroad among the people. that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children … And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin”, that is to say they are conceived into a sinful situation, “even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter that they may know to prize the good. And it is given unto them to know good from evil.”  Moses 6: 53-55

    No human being comes into this world and is of normal mentality except he has full command of good and evil. He may not know the gospel of Jesus Christ but he knows good and evil. He knows good by the light of Christ, and evil by the temptations of Satan. And thus each man is an agent unto himself …

    “. . . and I have given you another law and commandment.” Moses 6: 56

    And this other law is the New and Everlasting Covenant. This marvelous, wonderful gift of mercy from God whereby we may repent and learn to serve, that is to say, to choose good without sinning, without erring, and thus be established in an eternal path of righteousness.

    “. . . all men everywhere must repent, or they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there.”  Moses 6:57

    There has to be a way to get clean.

    “For in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time. . teach these things freely to your children saying: that by reason of transgression cometh the fall , which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born Into the world by water, and blood and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again”, spiritual “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”, the commandment to repent and be baptized, “by the Spirit ye are justified”, you are taught to be just and righteous. In other words to be both just and merciful. “And by the blood ye are sanctified.”  Moses 6:57-60

    The blood of Christ enables us to work out our salvation so that our sins are all made up for by Christ. The suffering and the sacrifice are taken care of so that our record can stand as if we had never sinned, though we have. But the Savior acts as our buffer, our advocate, our Savior in that he saves us from the eternal consequences of those sins.

    Now, let’s review the parts of the new and everlasting covenant. First we are called upon to repent and be baptized. To repent is to turn our hearts to Jesus Christ, to declare ourselves against evil and for good, and to recognize in Christ the only hope we have for achieving good and relinquishing all evil. And so we choose to make the covenant with him.  And the covenant of baptism is first of all that we will take upon ourselves his name. Secondly, that we will keep every commandment that he gives us. And thirdly, that we will always remember him. He tells us that always remembering him is the key to always having his spirit to be with us. And having his spirit to be with us brings us the knowledge and the power to choose only good, and thus to be worthy of our Father who himself has chosen only good, and is the epitome himself of all goodness.

    If we make that covenant honestly and honorably, then hands are laid upon our head and we are given the right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And that is the pearl of great price as I understand it. Because without that we cannot fulfill the righteousness of Christ. That is what teaches us and empowers us with righteousness or justice. By the spirit we are justified. The Holy Ghost becomes our personal tutor to lift our minds to the vision of what it means to be perfect in Christ, to be just, to be kindly, to love with perfect love and thus to serve in the manner in which Christ serves. And so we receive the Holy Ghost.

    If we then obey the instruction (the commandments) we are given to receive the Holy Ghost, and we receive it into our lives and we treasure him as our constant companion by yielding to him constantly, yielding to those enticings of the Holy Spirit, which entice us constantly to righteousness.  We can only do that by softening our hearts and letting ourselves be led as a little child in the way of Christ. After learning to follow the Holy Ghost, then comes the time where there is another new and everlasting covenant, another part of this whole covenant. Which is to receive the priesthood of God.

    Now we are beginning to go into the service of others using thew power of God. The Aaronic priesthood, of course is a temporary priesthood, a temporal priesthood. It is receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood that is the really significant event. But both are important. As we receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, we enter into the oath and covenant of the priesthood. The oath and the covenant of the priesthood are part of this empowering. We make certain promises to the Lord.  He makes the oath, we make the covenant. We are not  to make oaths, because until we’re perfect we can’t guarantee that we will fulfill the oaths. But we can covenant, we can make promises to do the best we can to obey as we are told. So we covenant that we will use this priesthood to bless others as our Father directs us. He promises us if we will use this priesthood to bless and go on to receive the fullness of this priesthood then we will receive from him all that he has. We will share all that Christ has been given. Let’s read some of the words of  Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The whole first part of this section is a description of the oath and covenant of the priesthood.  Verse 20,

    “Therefore in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ the power of godliness is manifest.”

    This is the purpose of the ordinances which constitute the New and Everlasting Covenant is to deliver to us the power of godliness. Which is simply the power to be good. God is good, that’s what the word “God” means. And the power of godliness is the power to be good without error, fully good, wholly good.

    “. . . without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”

    We can’t become good enough to stand in the presence of the Father and enjoy his eternal presence except through Jesus Christ who cleanses us from doing evil through repentance and from the consequences of having done evil through the Atonement.

    “Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness. and he sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God”

    Sanctification has to do with our sins. Until our debts of justice, where we have sinned, are made up, he can’t stand us in is presence. He can’t stand anyone who has hurt someone else and doesn’t care. If we care there is a way to make up for it, to get the persons we have offended compensated and the record clean. That way is through Christ. But if we don’t care enough to make sure that everybody whom we’ve hurt is recompensed through Christ, then we don’t belong in his presence. The children of Israel in the wilderness hardened their hearts and they could not endure his presence. In other words they said, “The way is to straight for us. We still want to choose evil.There are some things that we desire to do that are not good.”  The Lord in his wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they should not enter into his rest. Which is his presence:

    “Therefore, the Lord in his wrath. for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should no enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fullness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their mist and the holy priesthood also;” D&C 84:24-25

    That is to say, he took from them the Melchizedek Priesthood. “The lesser priesthood continued”, with them “which priesthood holdeth the keys of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel.” D&C 84:26  This that they never-the-less might have some portion of good and righteousness that would help them to be prepared to receive the fullness again when the time was right. So the lesser power continued with them until John the Baptist:

    “Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, who God raised up being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb. For he was baptized while he was yet In his childhood and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews”. D&C 84:27

    To do good by the power of the Aaronic Priesthood is a preparation for doing greater good through the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Having received the priesthood, it is then necessary for the recipients to make an acceptable offering unto the Lord through the powers of that priesthood:

    “Therefore as I said concerning the sons of Moses, for the sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering unto that sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed. And the sons of Moses and of Aaron shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, upon mount Zion in the Lord’s house, whose sons are ye; and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church. For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining of these two priesthoods of which I have spoken and the magnifying their calling are sanctified by the spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.”

    D&C 84: 31-33

    They are made holy by obedience to the Holy Spirit. And:

    “They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and elect of God. And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me saith the Lord; For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; Therefore all that my Father hath shall be given him. And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved. But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.” D&C 84: 34-41

    Those who turn away altogether are, of course,  the sons of perdition.

    And I now give you a commandment, to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life. For ye shall live by every word that proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ. And the spirit giveth light to every man that cometh Into the world; and the spirit enlighteth every man through the world that hearkeneth to the voice of the spirit. And everyone that hearkeneth to the voice of the spirit cometh unto God. Even the Father. And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.”  D&C 84: 43-48

    If all we needed to do was to be saved ourselves, of course we would just need to repent, in a sense. But repentance involves the service. We can’t fully repent and we can’t fully have faith in Christ without turning and helping the rest of the world be saved also.

    “And the whole world lieth in sin and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.” D&C 84:49

    And thus it is our mission, if we want to be saved, is to help save others, to love our neighbor and to share with them the opportunity of salvation, even as the Savior has loved us and has given us the opportunity to be saved.

    Now we need to talk about names. Why these interesting names? The sons of Moses and of Aaron, the seed of Abraham, the house of Israel, the priesthood of Melchizedek. Now, we are given a key in the Doctrine and Covenants. We know the true name of the Melchizedek priesthood is not “the Melchizedek Priesthood.” We know the true name of the priesthood is “The Holy Priesthood after the order of the Son of God.” In other words, it is the priesthood of Jesus Christ. But it was given the name Melchizedek because Melchizedek was a great High priest in ancient times and used that priesthood so effectively (more effectively than anyone in the ancient world) to serve his fellow men and to bring them to Christ, that they too might be saved. That’s the purpose of the priesthood.

    Now let’s look at the name Melchizedek. `Melki‘ means “king of,” `Zedek‘ means righteousness. The name means “king of righteousness.” Now why was the name Melchizedek given to the priesthood of God? Let me give you my interpretation. Please do not believe this unless you have better evidence than my evidence. But may I give you this as a hypothesis. My understanding is that Melchizedek is another of the names of Christ. He is the king of righteousness, there is no other king of righteousness. He is the sole fountain of righteousness on this earth. And if any person seeks to have righteousness they must come unto Jesus Christ and make their personal peace with him. He is the keeper of the gate of righteousness. He employs no servant there. And if we wish to have it we must deal with him. How did it happen that Melchizedek the man got that name? Well my guess is, that what the Savior is pleased to do is to put his own names upon his faithful servants. And thus everybody who comes to Christ is likely to get a new name. And the new name will be one of Christ’s names. I believe that “Melchizedek” is one of the names of Christ.

    For instance, there was a man named Abram and when he became faithful he received a new name. What’s his new name? Abraham. What does Abraham mean? The AB is pronounced av in Hebrew. Av means Father. Ra means many. Am means people. Father of many people, father of many children. Who is the real father of all these children. The real father is the Savior. He’s the one who’s the father. He’s the creator of every human being on earth. Not the spirit body but the physical tabernacle. And he’s the one that enables each one to be reborn to righteousness. I think Abraham is one of the Son’s names, one of the Savior’s names. What was the first thing we promised in taking the new and everlasting covenant? To take upon ourselves the name of Christ. How many names does he have? At least four hundred that we have in the scriptures. And I suspect that when we get it all figured out that there will be a lot more than that.

    Now, what are we to do? Christ’s purpose is to share everything he has with us. And as we acquire the attributes and blessings that he has acquired for our selves, we progressively take upon ourselves his name. Or we might say, his names, as we become like Him.

    About three years ago Elder Dallin Oaks gave a talk in conference. He talked about the sacrament and what we promise to do there. At first I couldn’t understand what he was saying. But as I studied this material out it finally dawned on me what he was saying. I commend that talk to you. Go back and read it. You’ll find it to be very instructive, very enlightening. It pointed me to this understanding of taking upon us the name of Christ.     Let’s look at some of the other names. The name Enoch, means initiated or begun. What do we associate Enoch with? I associate him with law of consecration. When we get established or initiated or have begun in that law, we are taking upon ourselves the name Enoch. I understand the name Enoch to be a name of Jesus Christ which he gave to his faithful servant Enoch.

    Consider the name David,  and the throne of David. The throne of David is Christ’s throne. It speaks in the scriptures of David in the last days and my understanding that means our Savior. The word `David’ means “loving.” He is the God of love. And his throne is the throne of grace and love. If you and I ever hope to fulfill the full love of Jesus Christ we will perhaps want to enjoy the throne of David. The throne of David is a place of service to others, where the welfare of others is put ahead of our own. Now true, the man King David had some problems. But the word David is still a good name.

    The word `Moses’. What does the word `Moses’ mean? Who are the `sons of Moses?’ The word `Moses’ in the Egyptian means simply “the son.” Son, who is the son? We know who the son is. The word Moses is simply one of the Savior’s designations. The Hebrew meaning for Mosha, which is the Hebrew equivalent for the Egyptian Moses, means “rescued”. And we can see why that would be. He was rescued from the bulrushes. But there’s a little twist to that in the Egyptian. The name `Isaiah,’ “God has saved.” The name `Israel,’ “he will rule as God.” If you know what the blessings of Israel are and you hope to share them, when you rule as God you will take upon yourself the name Israel. That means you will rule under Christ, who is, as I understand it, the real Israel. And a man named Jacob was given that name as his new name because it was the name of his father Jesus Christ. Think about it and pray about it. If you have a new name you might wonder what it means. You might want to find out. Because I think you will find out that somehow it represents the Savior to you. And it’s something he would like you either to become or to be which he has rewarded you with already, in your path to perfection.

    Let us now turn to Section 132 and read a few words about the New and Everlasting Covenant. Verse 2:

    “Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter.”

    The matter of course is many wives and concubines. But many of these comments apply to the whole of the new and everlasting covenant. Therefore are pertinent to us.

    “Prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed to them must obey the same.” D&C 132:3

    In other words. it’s better not have known the Lord than to know him and then defy him.

    “For behold I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant and if ye abide not that covenant, then ye are damned.”  D&C 132:4

    You’re stopped in your progress.

    “For no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory.” D&C 132:4

    There is no other way.

    “For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from, before the foundation of the world.” D&C 132:5

    We need to quote another scripture here in this connection.

    “There is a law upon which all blessings are predicated and when we receive any blessing it is by obedience to that law …” D&C  130:20

    I understand this scripture to say that there is one law upon which all blessings are predicated. Not many laws, but only one law by which to receive blessing from God . When you talk about celestial things, it is the law of the gospel, not the laws of the gospel. Now, what’s that one law? The one law, as I understand it, is faith in Jesus Christ. Which translated in other words means to love Jesus Christ who is the Lord our God, with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. Now, if we receive any blessing we get it only through that law by coming to full faith in Christ. Which means to partake of the fullness of the new and everlasting covenant. Because only in that covenant is there power to become fully just and merciful, to come to that fullness of love which is Christ, in which we are trying to emulate him. And these conditions were pointed and instituted from before the foundations of the world.

    “And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the fullness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fullness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned.”

    Everyone who is not exalted is damned. We have our choice, no one is exalted except they want it and want it enough to give up all their sins and become a little child In the hands of Christ and do all things that he would have them do, to live by every word that proceeds forth out of his mouth.

    “Verily I say unto you, the conditions of this law are these: all covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, expectations …” D&C 132:7

    Anything that is done in this world, that is not entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which comes in connection with the new and everlasting covenant.

    “… of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on earth to hold this power on the earth. And I have appointed my servant Joseph, to hold this power in the last days and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred.” D&C 132:7

    Who has it today? President Ezra Taft Benson.

    “Are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and alter the resurrection from the dead.” D&C 132:7

    The new and everlasting covenant is the only power that goes through death and resurrection. In other words, it’s the only thing that makes anything everlasting or eternal, that’s why it’s called for one thing the new and everlasting covenant.

    “All contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead. My house is a house of order saith the Lord and not a house of confusion. Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name? Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed? And will I appoint unto you accept by law? Even as I and my Father ordained you before the world was? I am the Lord thy God. I have given you this commandment, no man shall come unto the Father but by me or by my word, which is my law.”  D&C 132: 7-10

    To have faith in Christ is to fulfill the law.

    “Everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of man or thrones, or principalities, or powers of things that whatsoever that they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord shall be thrown down and not remain after men are dead. Nor in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your God.” D&C 132:13

    No marriage connection, no parent- child relationship, nothing of that will stand except it is confirmed, and hallowed, and made eternal, through the New and Everlasting Covenant.

    “Whatsoever things are made are by me and whatsoever things are not by me shall be shaken and destroyed.” D&C 132:14

    The thing that amazes me is how great a thing the Savior is trying to give to us. He’s trying to share with us all that he has, which is the power to govern and control and be a steward over the universe. And there’s nothing greater. But we must do it in his way, through covenant, through his power, under his Spirit, in his love and his mercy. So, we can’t say we haven’t been told.

    Now, I rejoice with you in these things. This is marvelous, this is life. And to have an opportunity to know these things is the key to everything else. In heart, might, mind, and strength there is an order. The psychological order is mind, heart, strength, and might. That’s the order in which we must deal with things in the world. We first must understand them and then we must take them into our hearts and then we must reflect them in our bodies through our actions and that will then reflect any effect we have In the world. Now there are other orders given but that’s the order we have to do it. That’s the reason were talking about these things.

    It’s important to remember that there are different kinds of minds. We’ll take just a little side trip here for just a minute and talk about the kinds of minds. There’s a mind or shall we say a person that corresponds to each of the four things: heart, might, mind, and strength. A person who’s center focus is the heart, I call a Hebrew. And Abraham Is the epitome of the Hebrew. He could not stand that anyone should suffer. He was willing to risk his own life to help others. The Savior, of course, is the same. He is the epitome of all good things. Abraham is a good example.He as a mortal human was born and raised out of the church. He found the gospel and so loved the Savior that he became known as “the friend of God.” Because he was all heart. He couldn’t stand that anyone should suffer and he wanted to help them whenever he could.

    Now there is another kind of person, who is a mind person. The mind person glories in understanding and they want to figure everything out and know everything. Now that’s good except if you don’t have a heart. If you emphasis the mind and the figuring of it all out and you don’t have the heart to go and do it, the mind is relatively worthless. That’s what I call a Greek mind.

    Now there’s the Trojan person. The Trojan person is one who thinks that the body is everything. They’re really interested in health. They really like the Word of Wisdom. They really emphasis that. They like the physical culture. They like things like Yoga, because it’s training the body, giving them power, strength. They like beauty, they like clothing, they glory in the trappings of the world. Considering a Trojan person, there’s nothing wrong with those things in their place. But if  you don’t have a good heart heart and a good mind to go with it, you don’t have very much.

    And then there’s the Roman person who glories in might. They want power in this world above all else. They want to rule and reign. They want to get people to do what they want them to do. Sometimes, of course, they say they are doing it for the benefit of the people they’re reigning over. They are their brother’s keeper. And they’re going to make sure their brother is kept just the way he wants them kept.

    Now I say this because as we talk about these things, there’s a danger. The danger is that we will slip into the Greek person, who is  ever learning, understanding the principles, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. And the knowledge of the truth is Jesus Christ. To know him is to be him, to be as he is. And if we learn all of these things and don’t do something it’ s a damnation to us. And I say it because I tend to be Greek and I know it.  I’ve got to be transformed into a Hebrew, to be like Abraham, to be like my Savior. Otherwise all of this is a waste.

    May I say again in conclusion. Please don’t believe a word I’ve said. I’ve shared with you the best that my heart and mind can produce. But I am a man and I`m still struggling with my own salvation. And I would commend to you the true and living God who does hear and answers prayers, who will enlighten every single one of us on these things if we will just go to him and pray about them and try to implement them the best we can in our lives. And if we will do that, he is gracious, he is good, he will answer us. Revelation is the life blood of this kingdom. It is the rock on which we must stand, each one of us personally and individually. And if we do, then we will have no regrets. That’s wisdom.

    We have five minutes for questions, it. you would like to ask a question.

    (question) Why does it require a sinless person to atone for someone else’s sins?

    Because it if they weren’t sinless they would have to atone for their own sins. (follow-up unheard) My understanding is no, that when we have sinned — I don’t know what else I can say, in other words I can’t explain it fully. But that’s a good question we should both ask. So let’s ask it and get the answer, because there are answers.

    (question) The meaning of the name of Noah?

    Noah means quiet, rest. And of course where is there rest but in the Lord. He is the prince of peace. He is the author of all real rest. His rest is the glory of his presence.

    (question) Adam?

    The word Adam means man.

    (question) I know a lot of us feel so overwhelmed and so impressed by the things you say but are limited in our ability to catch all your thoughts. And I can’t find any books, is there anything available?  (Bro. Riddle hold up the scriptures) laughing she responds, I guess I was put in my place.

    I didn’t mean to insult you but I simply hope you realize that anything written by an ordinary man is not scripture. That would be a strictly secondary source. These (the scriptures) are the only primary sources we have. I need to enlarge that just a little bit. What are primary sources? The primary sources of scripture that we have are: the words of the prophets, of which these are part. These written scriptures, these are the canonized scriptures. The un-canonized scriptures are the other words of the prophets. The most important single piece of written scripture that we have that I know anything about is the temple ceremony. And my guess is, that if we really want to understand the ways of the Lord, we will go to the temple and study that ceremony until we understand it backwards and forwards. It is the most complicated, most beautiful puzzle I have ever seen and the most worthwhile thing to figure out. And if you and I can figure out what every word means in that ceremony we will have the greatest treasure there is, I think. That is the jewel that we think of.  The canonized scripture is preliminary to the temple in what it’s trying to deliver to us. And there are things beyond that of course. For eye hath not seen nor ear heard that has entered into heart of man the good things that God has to give those that love him. So, we are rich, we have so much already, that if we will just take that which we have and concentrate on it. We don’t need all the commentaries in the world. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is go read a commentary on the scripture and get your mind lost by a half-truth which keeps you from seeing what’s really in the scriptures. So that’s why I say, please don’t believe what I say, because I’ve talked to enough people who have heard me to know that some of them have been blocked by some of the things I’ve said and I’m sorry. But I share in the sense that maybe something I have said will cause you to get on your knees and pray about something. And in that situation, that is where the real good comes, that’s where the real pure stuff comes to us, and on this revelation from God we can base our lives and our salvation.

    (question) Sariah?

    Sariah was named Sarah, I think it means “princess.” And that’s fitting because if truly we serve under our Father, the king, we are truly princes and princess. In other words we are apprentice kings and queens.

  • Why is There Evil?

    Chauncey C. Riddle

    Can you tell what the problem of evil is?

    Why it is a problem?

    If it is true that God is all good and omnipotent how come the world is so evil?

    It’s important to understand this problem. Why is this an important problem? But you see the question is, does it have to be this evil? Is it necessary that the world be this evil to accomplish its objective? For instance, during the millennium everyone will have just as much agency as they do now but the evil will be reduced on the order of 90%. So one wonders, we have to put the problem just right. It’s true that it’s related to agency and we must understand that.

    Is God good?

    Yes, he is. What do you mean by that? What does good mean? But if you say God is good and you don’t know what it means, what are you saying? What do you mean when you say God is good? OK, but what is evil? So God never promotes anything that hurts you? So God is mostly good. No he’s metaphysical to you. But you have an image of him in your mind. Is your image that he is all good or mostly good? All good. Then you have some explaining to do, don’t you?

    Can he control the rocks?

    Can he make a rock so big that he can’t lift it?

    No. So there are some things that he can’t do. That’s an old catch question. You see that’s what you ask people when they say God is omnipotent, that he can do anything. Then you say can he make a rock so big that he can’t lift it? Which is what you see involving in something which he can’t do. Either he can’t make a rock so big that he can’t lift it. So there’s something he can’t do. So he’s not all powerful. How do you get out of that? You just point out that it’s a contradiction to start with. That’s just a bad question.

    Don’t try to answer all questions. Only answer good questions, that’s a bad question. But anyway we have to come to some sense of how much power God has. So would you say that God could do everything or anything? Or is there something he can’t do? He can do everything but violate agency? It’s impossible for a human being to lose his agency? Is that what you’re saying? So you don’t want to say that. So the question comes back, are there any limitations on God’s power? Is there something he can’t do?

  • Ethics

    Chauncey C. Riddle

    There is a rational back bone, that is to say there is a rule. The weakness of the moral sense philosophy is that just about anything can come out of it. Historically speaking much good came out the moral sense philosophy but also a good deal of evil. Because people would claim things for their conscience which were not true, either they were lying or they were mistaken. And there’s a real weakness in following conscience in that respect.

    So Kant was trying to remedy that weakness by putting in a rational rule that people would follow that would keep them more in the path of good common sense than conscience seemed to be doing. The weakness in Kant’s system? Kant down-played the moral sense so much that it went into oblivion. He over-played the role that reason could play by hooking it to duty it became cast into things such as Hitler using it to get the Beirmauchen to be very obedient, which it was. Kant, I think he was a man of goodwill basically. But when you try to substitute things for the will of God you’ve got into trouble, that was his trouble. He may have done the best he could, I don’t know. But it’s plain, you see you need something more than that.

    Let’s talk about utilitarianism. What is utilitarianism? The greatest pleasure to the greatest number of people is the goal of utilitarianism. So what is the good in utilitarianism? Pleasure. What kind of pleasure? What does utility mean? Usefulness. Usefulness for what? But what is the good? Utility is the principle or the means to get good but what is the good? Pleasure. What kind of pleasure? Sheer physical pleasure. This is a collective Scerinaicism. So the statesman has the job of figuring out what will bring the greatest pleasure to the greatest number of people. As a matter of fact that’s what most politicians try to do. They try to please the greatest number of their constituents they can so they can get re-elected. So we have some great national disasters in the making out of our selfishness.

    (comment)

    From my reading it seems the goal of utilitarianism is for well-being not pleasure. You see well-being is a perfectly ambiguous term, it only means what you make it mean. And what utilitarian mean by that is the greatest pleasure. Well-being is simply pleasure. And isn’t that what the average American seems to want. What’s the great ideal for most Americans? A cruise in the Caribbean, with all kinds of Epicurean delights at the table and warm weather and sunshine and swimming. Not to mention other kinds of physical pleasures. What is the great weakness of this system? Human reason failed at this point. There is no way to determine what’s the greatest pleasure to the greatest number.

    Even if pleasure is the good there’s no human epistemology that enables one to deliver the answer to that question. Why? What would you have to know to deliver the greatest amount of pleasure to the greatest number of people? You would have to know virtually everything. You would have to know all the possibilities for action and how much pleasure each of those possibilities would bring to one individual. What else would you have to know? You’d have to be able to sum up all possibilities and calculate what would be the greatest good for the greatest number. Obviously it’s impossible. Isn’t it obviously impossible? So when men think they’re doing that, what are they doing? They’re arrogating to themselves what? They’re arrogating to themselves godhood. They’re pretending they are God and that they can do what no mortal can do. That is sheer pride, you see. That’s what the Lord says is the great barrier, the great sin that keeps more people from their blessings than any other thing, it’s simply that, pride. When men think they are wise of themselves.

    What are the strengths of utilitarianism? All these are attempts to make an ethical system.. The strength to utilitarianism that none of the other systems has, yes some of the others do, most of the other don’t. It has a social concern. It recognizes that the group is important. And that is important. And there are many sensitive people in the world who recognize that philosophies that only take care of the individual have something lacking. There has to be a social concern. Human beings are no individuals, that is to say I am not just me. Myself, me, doesn’t end at the surface of my body.

    We live in a world that has fostered individualism for so long that the idea of individualism has run amuck. And again, a perfect example of that is the idea of abortion. That a woman need have no feeling of responsibility for her child at all.

    In the gospel frame what is the circle of a social concern that we must have? Are you aware? When you repent do you repent of only your own sins? No. If you wish to be celestial your circle has to be wider than that. How wide? Many of you may never of heard this. This is one point of the gospel that’s almost never talked about. I don’t know why. We are responsible for repenting for the sins of our ancestors back to the fourth generation.

    Now, what does that mean? The sin carries down. We all know the statement, that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generations. That’s the negative of this positive thing. When we repent for them we have to repent for those sins. Because we are the heirs for those sins. Let’s make a graphic illustration, supposing that my great grandfather stole some money. He stole one thousand dollars. And he passed on the money to his children. They invested the money and it grew and it was passed on to their children and finally it comes down to me. And I’m the beneficiary of the thousand dollars. Now, that’s tainted money.

    What have I got to do? If I wish to be a celestial being, what do I have to do? Repent of that by changing the course that it has taken. Now the repentance needs to go two directions. What two directions does it need to go? It has to begin with me so that I don’t 

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