The Lower Light

Brainwashed? Or Converted?

When Korihor, the infamous anti-Christ in the Book of Mormon, began to speak publicly among the Nephites he sought to attack, not just what people believed, but what they thought about what they believed. He accused the people of being "bound down under a foolish and a vain hope" and asked them, "why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things?" He attacked their trust in prophets, saying that "[the] things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers." He derided their hope in Christ by saying that their beliefs were "the effect of a frenzied mind" and that "this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so" (Alma 30:13-16).

Placing the filter of modern language on Korihor's statements his attacks begin to sound very familiar…

You are so tied to your beliefs that you can't see the truth.
You belief hurts you and hurts others; stop being so bigoted.
You are ignorant of (insert historical, political, or social detail) and only believe because you're so naïve.
Faith only works for those who aren't interested in facts.
Don't you see how ridiculous your beliefs are?
You simply believe in your Church because you were raised that way.

Have you ever heard any of those statements?

It is, unfortunately, a hallmark of our day that simple trust and faith is derided by those who view themselves more informed. Many times these individuals have only the whispers of details or the rumors of facts but with those whispers and rumors claim the superiority of knowledge and the ensuing right to degrade those who base their life on belief and faith. They claim that you are brainwashed and that if you only knew what they knew you too would doubt, discourage, and despair.

To those voices, we can respond like Alma did. Despite Korihor's attempts to "rise up in great swelling words [and] revile" (v. 31) against the prophet and priests, Alma responded with bold, direct, simple statements: "For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come" (v. 39). When pressed by Korihor to defend his belief, Alma stated four foundations of testimony which, if applied in our lives, can be four pillars of our own faith in God, His Christ, and His prophets. We can support our choice to believe with (v. 44)

"the testimony of all these [our] brethren" - the spoken and written experiences of family, friends, and fellow Church members
"the holy prophets" - the teachings and testimonies of living prophets
"the scriptures" - the multitude of voices calling from scriptural history
"all things" - the very world in which we live and the fruits of belief we see in our own life

It is ironic that those who have left activity in the gospel and the Church, often based on twisted, wrested, or even falsified information, turn their scorn at their former associates and accuse them of being brainwashed. At the end of his discussion with Alma, Korihor admitted that he "always knew that there was a God" and preached the adversary's words because they was "pleasing unto the carnal mind" and continued because he had "much success" until eventually he, himself, "believed that they were true" (v. 53). Far be it for me to guess at people's motives, but I have wondered how many of those clambering and complaining against the Church today do so because their alternate teachings are easier to swallow than Church doctrine, because they are successful and have a following, and have, through repetition, brainwashed themselves into their own beliefs.

In the face of such opposition Church leaders have taught repeatedly that membership in the Church and activity in the gospel is a choice to be converted not a result of brainwashing. Many have seen and continue to see this teaching in their own lives. They choose to live their lives according to gospel principles taught by the Savior and His servants in antiquity and modernity. Their choice brings an almost innumerable array of spiritual proofs which convince of the power of covenanting with God. Because of that conviction, they continue to choose belief and continue to receive proof. This isn't brainwashing, it's conversion!

10:25 PM
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The Three Levels of Christmas

I can't remember where I learned this, but it is not my idea; however, it is one that has changed the way I view and act during the holiday season:

There are three levels of Christmas observance, all of them with their own characteristics, activities, and results. None are bad, and all of them make this time of year something different and special. However, the deeper our Christmas observance the closer we come to understanding, really, what Christmas is all about.

The Santa Level

At this most visible level of Christmas, we celebrate the giant, jolly harbinger of Christmas fortune. We set up lights, decorate trees, turn on the "Sweet Smelling Sugarplum" candle warmer, listen to Bing Crosby, and watch Will Ferrel's Elf. Most importantly, we gather around the tree to give and receive presents. We coupon, groupon, and Amazon, and then pack, wrap, and stack, and then tear, share, and compare the results until we finally collapse in an exhausted heap after our kids have all fallen into sugar comas. We wake up the next day glad it's all done and ready for a holiday from the holidays.

The Baby Jesus Level

Of course there is more to Christmas than commercialism and consumerism. At the second level of Christmas we celebrate the baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by the animals and their shepherds. We set up a manger scene, attend a live nativity, sing Christmas hymns, read the birth story from Luke 2, and watch Mr. Kruger's Christmas. Most importantly, we gather around the manger to gaze upon the baby in Bethlehem. We seek to recreate the holiness and stillness of the sacred night and hope that some part of that baby's innocence and divinity can claim our hearts and minds. We wake up the next day grateful for the holiday and promise to remember that baby all year long.

The Redeeming Christ Level

Although getting past the lights and the presents to find the swaddled babe in a manger is admirable and will certainly make for a deeper Christmas experience, there is yet a deeper level. At this third and deepest level of Christmas we reverence and worship the life, teachings, atoning sacrifice, and resurrection of the Savior. We kneel more humbly in prayers of gratitude, plead more earnestly for redemption, study scriptures more diligently in search of truth and testimony, listen more intently to the witnesses of His modern apostles and prophets, participate in church service and sacrament more reverently, and live more in tune with His gospel and His example. Most importantly, we gather in the garden to watch as He atones, we gather around the cross to weep as he dies, and we gather at the tomb to marvel as appears. We wake up the next day changed and committed to living and loving as He did.

President Thomas Monson has taught repeatedly about Christmas, "To catch the real meaning of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.”

Merry Christmas--may it be one that means more and brings us all more to Christ.

9:55 PM
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The Trademaster

In Lois Lowry’s Giver quartet the world has been splintered by some unnamed apocalypse and people now live in separate, disconnected, and often brutal societies. However, in one of these individual societies, the inhabitants have been able to create a utopia of sorts where people are loving, the community thrives, and everyone is welcome. One day a new character appears in the town calling himself “the Trademaster” and offering to give people what they want most right now if they will trade him some intangible trait they value less. For example, a beloved teacher and caring, single father desires to court one of the women in town but is hampered by his physical appearance. The Trademaster offers him beauty and strength as a trade for his kindness and generosity.

As I read about the Trademaster I couldn’t help but think of how similar his tactics are to those of a real and deadlier adversary. Just like the Trademaster, Satan would have us live in a world of “now” where present wants crowd out any concern for future consequences. That new electronic device, that beautiful car, that new job, that enticing promotion, that attractive hobby all call to us. Satan, the Trademaster, stands ready to offer them if we will give to him our standards, our tithing money, our Church service, our personal scripture study, or our quality family time. Just as he once tempted Jesus, Satan uses the simple, two-letter “if” in his offer to us: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:9). We may not see the damage the trade does down the road, but we will assuredly learn when we arrive how poor a trade we made.

In finance there is a concept called “the time value of money.” It is simply this: a dollar today is worth two dollars tomorrow if wisely invested. In other words, you could spend your money now for something you want, or you could invest it, let the interest grow and compound, and buy something more expensive down the road. Anyone who gains, retains, and grows their personal wealth acts on this principle. It takes, of course, time and patience; in comparison to your contemporaries you will not have the newest, the fastest, nor the best. However, in 20, 30, 40 years, when those peers are pressured by the debts of feeding their incessant wants, you will be financially stable and in a better position to support yourself and your family.

I have often wondered if this temporal principle mirrors a similar, eternal principle. Call it “the time value of obedience.” It is simply this: obedience today is worth inestimable blessings later, if that obedience is decidedly and diligently given. In other words, you could spend your life now doing the things you want, or you could be obedient to God’s will and commandments, let that obedience grow and compound, and be worthy of greater rewards down the road. Anyone who gains, retains, and grows their personal testimony acts on this principle. It takes, of course, time and patience; in comparison to your contemporaries you will not act, speak, nor live like the world. However, in future years and in a future eternity, when those peers are pressured by the debts of heeding the incessant call of the world, you will be spiritually stable and an in a better position to support yourself and your family.

Questions:

What do you feel are the most tempting and/or dangerous trades offered to us today?
What are you doing in your life to retain what’s most valuable and reject trades?

5:05 PM
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Bury Your Weapons...

In the Book of Mormon, a small family of Nephite missionaries was able to teach and inspire conversion among a group of previously warmongering Lamanites. Despite years of hatred towards the Nephites, these Lamanites were so sincere in their conversion that they not only “became a righteous people” but they also “did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren” (Alma 23:7). Their commitment to their newfound lifestyle would be tested by an invading army intent on dissuading them from their faith. However, these newly-named “Anti-Nephi-Lehies” not only stood their ground but buried their weapons in the ground to signify their commitment to God and “because of their love towards their brethren” (Alma 26:32). Many were innocently killed but none violated their covenant of submission and peace.

I’m an optimistic and positive person, but I have been emotionally and spiritually hurt over the past few weeks at the bubbling soup of anger, animosity, and antagonism that has spilled all over the media and Facebook. I recently read a woman’s simple statement of trust in Church leadership, which she had posted in response to a rather hostile editorial, and was appalled at the subsequent storm of vulgar and berating responses calling her naïve, ignorant, and bigoted. I am just one voice in that wilderness of the web, but I want to use that voice at this time and in this one post to call for everyone, everywhere to lay aside their animosity and bury their weapons for (at least) two reasons…

…for peace

Did you know that

80% of the world population lives on less than $10 a day; nearly half (more than 3 billion people) live on less than $2.50 a day; and over 1 billion live on just a $1 a day.
805 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat. Over 1 billion people do not have safe drinking water and more than 2.5 billion people do not have adequate sanitation. Of all the diseases in developing nations, 80% come from unsafe water and sanitation.
Nine million children under age five around the world die every year from very treatable diseases and illnesses, like diarrhea and pneumonia. 3,900 children die each day because of lack of safe water and sanitary conditions. 1 billion children worldwide are living in poverty and over 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.
Over 20 million people need, but do not get, immediate treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. Over 30 million people admit to driving while intoxicated; however almost 75% of convicted drunk drivivers continue to drive on suspended licenses. In fact, an average drunk driver has been drive drunk 80 times before being arrested. Drunk driving costs the United States alone $200 billion. 28 people die as a result of drunk driving each day.
The porn industry generates $13 billion each year in the US. The first exposure to pornography among men is 12 years old, on average, and every second, 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography. In fact, porn sites get more visitors than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined.
35% of women have been subject to physical or sexual violence. 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime, and almost 2 million women and girls around the world are victims of human trafficking. Approximately 800 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children (a report can include multiple children). The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations – losing on average between four and seven children every day to child abuse and neglect (All statistics come from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Plan USA, and various other censuses).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always, does, and will continue to stand with other faith traditions against these problems and for more love, service, and charity in the world. As disciples of Christ we seek to emulate Him in all our actions. While others may not agree with some of our policies, practices, or doctrines, could we not unite on what we do agree on and seek together to lift the world and uplift the people in it?

I wonder if we spend so much time fighting each other that we ignore the greater war. While I'm not advocating a wholesale abdication of all convictions and principles for the ones I've chose to name here, I do wonder if we could do more good in the world if buried our animosity towards each other and found more ground whereon we can stand together. Imagine what could happen if all of the voices and all of the time that we spend fighting each other could be combined and focused against the evils of pornography, substance addiction, or abuse. Can we not all stand together “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12).

…for the love of God

Perhaps one of the most striking traits of the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ was that, despite his innate and divine power, he submitted to the needs of the people, the anger of His contemporaries, and the will of His Father. It should be no surprise then that the path to true discipleship mandates our complete submission to His and His Father’s will. King Benjamin famously explained that, in order for us become true saints through the Atonement of Christ we must first become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).

Submitting to God is rarely comfortable. Often our “natural man” cries out that we should stand and fight rather than bury our weapons. Being submissive is made further difficult by a world that views this trait negatively. Those who choose to humbly follow God and his prophets and apostles are berated as being naïve, ignorant, or ignoring of the true facts. “If you only know how bad the coming enemy was,” they might say to the submissive, converted Lamanites, “you would stand and fight.” However, how can this quality be condemned when the very life, resurrection, repentance, and eternal life we are afforded came because Christ, with full knowledge and awareness, chose to submit to the will of His Father. Being submissive is not a sign of weakness but a sign of incredible self-control.

I, like many, have wielded a sword or two against those with whom I disagree and have had to learn how much attack, sarcasm, and negativity cause pain and offense. We may have a right and may even feel called or compelled to defend our beliefs, but this must be done with respect, kindness, charity, love, and yes, a submissive and meek attitude. We won’t be perfect at it, but we can at least try and hopefully we can all get a bit better at standing together with our God and against real enemies with nothing but hope, love, and charity in our hands.

9:34 PM
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Church Policy - Some Questions to Consider...

When we first moved into our current neighborhood our boys immediately took to the alleyway on their bikes. Because cars use the alley to reach main streets, I warned the boys about playing in the alley. Of course they were so wrapped up in the novelty and fun of the moment that they ignored me and kept biking around. As I looked down the street I saw a car approaching and called out, this time with a bit more force, for them to get out of the alley. Again, they didn’t hear. As the car got closer I ran at the boys, yelled for them to get out of the street, and then finally grabbed them by the arms and yanked them onto the grass. I didn’t yell because I was angry, and of course I didn’t grab them because I hate them. I acted with sternness and severity out of a love and deep concern for their wellbeing. The situation they were in could have had serious consequences.

We should not be so quick to view dramatic acts of God nor stern directions from His prophets and apostles as anger or hatred. The announcement of the newly-specified policies in the Church handbook deal with a topic that is serious and can have severe consequences, but given how much time Church leaders spend talking about and exemplifying love, charity, kindness, concern, and a deep resolve to follow Jesus I find it very difficult to believe that they are ever motivated by hatred.

What happened?

Firstly, as happens with almost everything else these days, today’s news has been exaggerated and escalated until, if you hadn’t read the revised statements, you would have thought the Church declared war on children! To be clear, the church added specific instructions to two already-existing policies. 1) Actions defined as “serious transgression”, including homesexual relations and cohabitation, will be dealt with using the Church system of disciplinary councils. This is not a new policy but simply further clarification of an existing policy put in place to protect individuals from violating covenants. 2) Worthiness and readiness for baptism will be determined by Church authorities who hold keys. Although the Church now specifies that baptisms for children from environments where homosexuality is advocated or practiced must be given extra consideration, this is not a new policy but simply further clarification of an existing policy put in place to protect individuals form violating covenants. We should not mistake the spelling out of specifics as earth-shattering, Church-crumbling news.

Who did it?

It’s interesting to me that so many who criticize the Church as being anti-child and un-Christian in the wake of this announcement ignore the fact that this Church also contains one of the largest children’s primary organizations in the world. Anyone who has sat in a primary class, a sharing time, or listened to general primary leaders speak about children and the Church’s unified effort to teach about and bring children to Christ has a long way to go if they want to assert that this Church doesn’t want children to come to Christ. I read one brief tweet that poignantly put it, “Oh look, people with preexisting negative opinions of the Church have more negative opinions about the Church.”

Further, if this announcement came from a Church intent on winning members and their tithing dollars to support selfish interests, why make such a politically damaging statement in the first place? Any public relations advisor in the world would have counseled any organization against this, which suggests that this decision was motivated by principles that come from One who has never cared about public image and political correctness.

Why is it an issue?

I will not, nor should others, feign to comment on the “why” behind this policy. While we can guess and speculate, there is safety in simply reassuring our belief in core gospel principles and trusting God when our own understanding gives out. We must remember that, while this is only an announcement of a policy change, the underlying topic is one of great seriousness to God and his prophets. Sexual relationships are intended to invoke the most powerful ability God has given man—the create life. Anything that abuses, lessens, casualizes, or contorts that ability offends God. Thus his prophets and apostles have always protected the family, covenants, and children.

What would Jesus do?

I’m not in a position to speak for Christ and what He would or wouldn’t do. I follow Christ as preached to me by ancient and modern apostles whose job is it to bear witness of him and forgo inventing my own Christ with the phrase, “well, that’s not the God I believe in.” Certainly, Elder Holland said this best,

What has the Lord done?

While it’s not my responsibility to say what Jesus would do, we can look at what the Lord has done. How many times in the Old Testament alone did the Lord “cut off” individuals (and their families) from the society of His followers because of transgression? To name a few:

Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden which would affect them and their future children (Gen 3:23-24).
God flooded the earth, children included, to prevent future children from birth into wicked families (Gen 6:7).
Everyone in Babel (even children) had their language confounded and were scattered because of wickedness (Gen 11:9).
Those unwilling to symbolize their commitment to the covenant through circumcision were removed from society with the seed of Abraham (Gen 17:14).
Families who did not participate in the feast of unleavened bread were “cut off from Israel” (Ex 12:15, 19).
Those who wanted to “make their own offering” and refused to recognize Aaron and his sons as priests removed their families Israel. (Ex 30:38, Lev 17:19).
Those who didn’t observe the Sabbath were likewise “cut off” from Israel (Ex 31:14).

…just to name a few. In each of these examples the transgression came from adults, however the results were certainly felt by their children. As God explained in multiple places, “I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Ex 20:5, 34:7, Num 14:18, Deut 5:9). The point is clear: although man is responsible for his own transgressions, we are influenced all the time by the choices of our environment and especially our families. The Lord explained in D&C 93:39 that Satan “taketh away light through disobedience and traditions of fathers.”

Further, in each case, God’s actions protected individuals, especially children, from the spiritual danger of trying to live a covenant life in an anti-covenant world. This question about this policy is similar to a question often asked about the great flood: why would a loving God kill millions of children just because their parents are wicked? The answer comes in understanding how God prioritizes our physical and our spiritual lives. For Him, losing a physical body pales in severity to losing a soul through disobedience and covenant breaking. So too with Church policies that ensure that anyone who undertakes to make a covenant with God does so with full knowledge, full agency, and with the best chances to keep that covenant. The Church is not forbidding anyone, children included, from the gospel teachings and many of its blessings. Church policy, this case included, is simply designed to preserve covenants and ensure that men, women, and children have the most secure connection to God as possible.

My testimony is that this Church is, at every point, geared towards furthuring the cause of Christ in an increasingly Christ-less world. I have felt, and continue to feel, noting but love, encouragement, instruction, and enlightenment from scriptures, prophets, and gospel discussions. I trust that the leaders of the Church are inspired to help us all, children included, "come unto Christ and be perfected in him."

5:28 PM
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Give Brother Joseph a Break

I heard a story once of a man who was dissatisfied with his wife cutting the ends off of the ham every time she put it in the oven to cook:

“Why do you do that?” he asked.

“It makes it taste better,” she replied.

Frustrated with the folksy-seeming answer, he asked, “Where did you learn that?”

“From my mom,” she answered.

So he picked up the phone and called his mother-in-law. “Do you cut the ends off your ham?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Why?” he asked.

“It makes it taste better,” she replied.

Again annoyed he asked, “Where did you learn that?”

“From my mom,” she answered.

With end-less ham now consuming his mind (pun intended) he called his wife’s grandmother. “Do you cut the ends off of your ham?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It won’t fit in the oven if I don’t.”

I thought of this story when I heard Elder Neal L. Anderson say in this last general conference, “For now, give Brother Joseph a break!” While misunderstanding the reason behind weird food preparation techniques may not be eternally significant to most, it seems that a misunderstanding of who Joseph Smith was and what he did is at the epicenter of many testimony tremors today. However, like the ham, many get tied up and uptight about things for which they think they have the whole story but which may not be as significant as hearsay contends.

So, here are just a few reasons why we should give Brother Joseph a break. My intent here is not to argue history or prove this or that but rather to show that we don’t know this or that and thus, can move on and move up from throwing rhetorical stones at Joseph Smith.

We don’t know why she cut the ends off the ham.

For any one given action or teaching from the life of Joseph Smith there are at least a few different witnesses, and from each witness come a few possible different interpretations, and these interpretations, when heard and echoed by others, can create a veritable circus of arguments, assertions, analyses, and contentions. With all of that, it’s easy to read back on to Joseph Smith any number of stories. However, just because a person argues a single perspective on the prophet does not mean it is the only or the right perspective. It is often just as easy, if not easier, to actually believe Joseph was commanded by God to translate, prophesy, testify, organize, instruct, and restore.

She cut the ends off the ham a long time ago.

To compound the fact that any one event in Joseph’s life can be viewed from multiple angles, we can add that those events happened almost 200 years ago. If there’s something to be learned from modern politics it might be how hard it is to gain a clear picture of who someone else because of all of the conflicting viewpoints. And if it’s almost impossible to gain a clear image of people who are living and can speak for themselves, we probably shouldn’t be surprised that our image of someone who lived 200 years ago appears a bit hazy.

Ham-end cutter-offers aren’t good record keepers.

Further, the records which we do have come from a time and culture when record keeping was often sporadic, spotty, and sometimes downright suspect. Having spent a considerable amount of time over the past few years researching one single event in Church History and finding out how porous the available, primary information is on that topic has confirmed this fact to me. Putting together a puzzle with missing pieces, damaged pieces, counterfeit pieces, edited pieces, and completely fabricated pieces does not a very clear picture make.

Ovens were smaller back then.

Sometimes those critical of Joseph Smith talk about him as if he lived down the street and had just posted something questionable on his Instagram feed. They evaluate Joseph by the yardstick of the 21st century. However, Joseph lived not only in a time but in a culture far gone. Sometimes the simplest explanation for why something happened the way it did is: that’s just how it was back then. We don’t rake Biblical prophets over the coals for their oddities, can’t we give Joseph a bit more cultural slack?

It really doesn’t matter if the ends are cut off—the ham tastes really, really good!

To quote one of Joseph’s contemporaries:

Whatever someone’s explanation of his motives or methods may be, there can be no denying that Joseph was a dynamic figure in history. His life and teachings have affected hundreds of millions of lives across time and geography, and an overwhelming majority of those lives he affected for good. I have tasted nothing but good fruit from Restored tree of Jesus Christ because, as Jesus Himself taught, “every good tree bringeth forth good fruit” (Matt 7:17).

If you want to assert to me that Joseph Smith was a fraud, a fake, a megalomaniac, a wizard, or the devil himself you will have to explain to me, fruit by fruit, how this tree which has blossomed so widely across the world and so powerfully in my own life can have such corruption at its core. Of course I’m not ignorant of all of the prickly parts of Mormon history; I have done the homework enough to know at least a little bit about most, if not all of them. I know the critical claims and the alternate explanations for Joseph and his fruits. But none of them, none of them, provide adequate enough explanation for the joy I have in my life because of this restored gospel. As Elder Anderson concluded, “I testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Settle this in your mind, and move forward!”

10:30 PM
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Your Life is Not Your Own

My wife has a simple lesson she likes to teach me. Whenever I am swamped by the wants and needs of three young children and wish, either with language or body language, to simply have some time alone to do what I want she often tenderly reminds, “Your life is not your own.”

As applicable as this phrase is to a beleaguered parent, it is absolutely and eternally true. Paul explained to the Corinthians, “For ye are a bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:20; see also 1 Cor 7:23). In other words, we do not own the life that we live. As much as we love to claim independence and free agency, we do not live independent of the world around us or the God above us and our agency, although ours, was not free from a price and is not free from consequences (in fact, the term “free agency” is not mentioned anywhere in scriptures.)

Rather, our life belongs to Him who created and redeemed all life. Peter taught that our life was purchased, not with money, but “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Think of it, the whole motif of animal sacrifice in the Old Testament and the pinnacle event of Atonement in the New Testament should, at the very least, teach us that redemption and eternal life were not cheap gifts to give. Your breath, your body, your mind and heart, your soul, and your soul’s final home were purchased in the currency of perfect blood given by a perfect person.

This last summer we took our family to see an outdoor theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. We all loved the play and were only mildly annoyed by our inability to get “Jacob! Jacob and Sons!” out of our heads. I’ve always loved how Joseph perseveres through trials and yet, through his faithfulness, rises to be a prince in a position to save his family.

However, as I read it this last time I saw a different, deeper story couched among all the details—a story of a brother, beloved and chosen by his father and yet hated and abused by those who should have been his friends, sold for 30 pieces of silver as a slave, imprisoned by a local governor, forgotten, only to rise as a prince with power to save his family who would come to him, bow before him, and reap the benefits of his struggles and perseverance. Joseph spoke for himself and also for someone who would follow that same pattern on a much grander scale, “God did send me before you to preserve life . . . and thou shalt dwell be near unto me . . . and there will I nourish thee” (Gen 45: 5, 10-11).

More than a thousand years later, Jesus Christ became “He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth” (D&C 88:6). Just as Joseph could not have saved his family were it not for his trials, so too did Christ submit so that He could, through his travail, purchase us and everything that comes with us.

Thus, our life is not our own. Although it was given to us a gift and, as with any gift, we can use or abuse it as we choose we will never be able to shake the feeling that this life, this gift, means something more to God and should mean something more to us.

Do you do anything differently because you already recognize this truth? If not, what would you do differently because of it?

3:40 PM
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