Ideas for Scripture Study

There is no great secret to scripture study.

• It is not a particular study method
• It is not the marking system
• It is not the use of a triple or a quad
• Not chronologic or topical study

The key is intensity and consistency of effort in study.  There are no shortcuts.

Peter taught, in the JST of 2 Peter 1:

  20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scriptures is given of any private will of man.

  21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The scriptures are repositories of words, ideas, stories and revelations that have been recorded by the power of the Holy Ghost. They are to be understood by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Speaking of this principle, Jesus Christ revealed through Joseph Smith that scriptures are His words when the Spirit gives those words to us. D&C 18:

  33 And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.

  34 These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;

  35 For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;

  36 Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words.

When we approach the scriptures with a desire to learn of Christ, we prayerfully ask to be taught through the power of the Holy Ghost and then we diligently seek in the scriptures. When we do so, we will hear the voice of the Lord our God through the scriptures.

With that understanding, it is nice to have some ideas about how to read the scriptures in order to learn from them. There are several ways of approaching scripture that will allow you to gain a greater understanding of what is being taught.

1. Asking Good Questions - If you notice in the headings to the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, most of the revelations are given in response to questions asked by Joseph Smith.  Many of these questions arose as he was studying the scriptures. You can learn much by asking good questions. God has said, "Ask and ye shall receive ... " He has given us many, many hints about what we should ask and He is willing to answer abundantly. Ask about those things that are promised or asserted in the scriptures.

2. Making Connections - When you discover a correct principle in the scriptures you will find the same principle taught in other places in scripture, as well. When you combine insights from multiple places in scripture that teach the same principle your understanding will be richer and more detailed.

3. Defining a Word - There are places in scripture that actually give definitions of words. For example, among the many references to faith, there are only a few that actually say "Faith is ..." and, thus, define the word. We must be willing to let the scriptures define words rather than looking for the scriptures to validate our preconceptions about what words mean.

4. Understand the Context - This includes knowing the timeline, location, key players and the questions being addressed. We can consider questions that will aide understanding, such as: Who is the author? Who do they quote? Who is speaking? Why is this story being told? What historical references do they use? What question prompted the information you are reading?

5. Understand the Composition - We need to understand that the Book of Mormon is a carefully constructed narrative, not a loose collection of pithy phrases. The authors and editors have a message they are trying to deliver. What is the compositional unit? A phrase? A set of verses? The chapter? Several chapters? The book? Etc.

6. Understand the Content - Once you understand who is speaking and the context of the verse, it is important to understand what is actually being said. Sometimes this means understanding the individual words and their definitions. Sometimes this means understanding a phrase and its grammar. Sometimes this means comparing to other places where similar ideas are taught. In other words, making connections, defining words, understanding context and considering the composition should all come together to give insight into the content that is being presented. One common mistake is using the scriptures as "proof texts" where we go looking for statements that support our preconceptions. Great insight comes from assuming that the prophets knew what they were saying and that they carefully composed what you are reading.

7. See Yourself in the Story – consider the story as an allegory of your life and your relationships with God, family, or others.

8. Articulate What You Are Learning - Write it down to preserve what you have learned. Writing will force you to state clearly what you have learned. Sharing what you learn with other people also forces you to understand what you learn well enough to articulate it so someone else. Nothing refines, and tries, your understanding like attempting to communicate what you have learned to others. Often it is in the interaction with others where you learn whether you have correctly understood an idea. This requires us to set aside our pride and be more interested in correct understanding than in being "right." Remember the blind men and the elephant.

9. Experiment on the Word - Ultimately, understanding the scriptures is of little value if our behavior does not change as a result of what we learn. In fact, it is in acting on what we learn that we prove the truth of the word as taught in the scriptures.

Here is a specific way to experiment –

Precept Experiment:

The basis of the precept experiment is Joseph Smith's statement in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, “… the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” A precept is defined as a principle or general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought (see Mirriam Webster's Dictionary). As a means of experimenting on the word, you can identify, and act upon, precepts that you find in the Book of Mormon.

As you read, try to identify precepts that are taught. This will happen as you prayerfully ask to be taught through the Spirit and study the scriptures. Once you find a precept, find other places in the scriptures where that same precept is taught. Making connections with other scriptures that teach the same ideas will refine your understanding. Then, identify specific things you can do to live that precept as an experiment upon the word. Finally, write a short summary of the experience you have as you live the precept over a period of time. Articulating your experiment in writing will refine your understanding. Also, sharing your experience is an important part of sharing testimony. Your understanding will deepen as you share your experience with others.

Atonement and Forgiveness

I have been pondering on the atonement lately. I have felt the power of the atonement as I have been forgiven, as I have been strengthened to make changes in my life, and as I have learned to feel more real love for, and interest in, others. What has stumped me, though, is how it works. There are several analogies to the atonement: buying a bicycle, paying for a broken window, taking a whipping for classmate, a child on a railroad bridge, and etc. All seem to revolve around a view of the atonement that is based in “paying a price” or some form of vicarious suffering for another’s sins.

There is no mention in scripture of “pay a price” for sin. The words simply are not there. That does not mean they are wrong, just not scriptural. And, I cannot imagine a God the Father who requires a “price” for each sin. So, if not God, then who demands the price? Who is the price paid to? How did Jesus know the correct number of pain units to suffer, or what amount of price to pay, in Gethsemane? What if He underpaid or overpaid? And, ultimately, if the price of my sin was paid by Jesus’ suffering and death, why would I consent to his death to pay for my sins?

To see and know Jesus is to see and know the Father. And, Jesus is the epitome of mercy. So, the Father must equally embody mercy. I have been praying, studying and pondering to see if there is a different view of the atonement that still satisfies justice, allows for mercy, is based in Jesus’ atonement, and makes more sense to me. So, let me share some things I have come across and see what you think. The atonement is difficult to fully understand, but maybe these ideas will add some insight.

Accusers

Let’s go back to the beginning and see what happened before we entered mortality. In the JST of Revelation 12 we find:

  6 And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael;
  7 And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ.

In this war, the dragon (Satan, the devil) and his angels tried, but did not prevail against, Michael, or the church of God, or the kingdom of our God and his Christ.

  8 Neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out; that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into earth; and his angels were cast out with him.
  9 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ;

Notice that once Satan and his angels are cast out, the voice says “Now …” In other words, with Satan and his angels gone, the conditions are achieved so that something important is come. What has happened? Salvation is come. Strength, the kingdom of God, and the power of Christ are all come once Satan and his angels are cast out.

  10 For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

The first word of verse ten is “For …” In other words, now we will be given the reason that salvation, strength, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ are come when Satan and his angels are cast out. The reason is that the accuser of our brethren is cast down. Those who accused our brethren (maybe even accused us) before God, day and night, is cast out of heaven.

  11 For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death. Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

Again, this sentence starts with “For …” and is explaining how casting the accuser out of heaven accomplished these things. Satan and his angels, and their accusations, were overcome by the blood of the Lamb. And, in addition, by the word of their testimony which they kept even unto death. I wonder if this is a very brief statement that Jesus’ willingness to be killed rather than give testimony as an accuser is what overcame Satan? We are like Jesus when we, too, are willing to offer our own lives and keep our testimony against others to ourselves, even unto death, rather than become accusers. If so, then we can rejoice and we belong in heaven.

Justice is served because there is no accusation. With no accusation of a victim, or from God, there is no punishment for sin. Mercy is offered so that we can make mistakes and learn by our own experience to prefer the things of God to the things of this world. We learn to prize the good over the bitter (See Moses 6:55). It seems that the key to entering the kingdom of God is forgiveness. Not just receiving forgiveness, but forgiving others. Then, there are no accusers, and salvation, strength, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ are come.

Adam, Eve, and the Fall

Next, consider the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan comes and begins to work on Adam and Eve. He convinces them to see the forbidden fruit as desirable and they partake. Recall from Moses 4:

  14 And they heard the voice of the Lord God, as they were walking in the garden, in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife went to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
  15 And I, the Lord God, called unto Adam, and said unto him: Where goest thou?
  16 And he said: I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I beheld that I was naked, and I hid myself.
  17 And I, the Lord God, said unto Adam: Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, if so thou shouldst surely die?
  18 And the man said: The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat.
  19 And I, the Lord God, said unto the woman: What is this thing which thou hast done? And the woman said: The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
  20 And I, the Lord God, said unto the serpent: Because thou hast done this thou shalt be cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;

God does not come into the garden saying to Adam and Eve, "Now look what you have done!" Rather, He asks, in essence, "Where are you?" and "What have you done?" Adam's response is to accuse Eve and Eve's response is to accuse the serpent. Once again, the accuser (Satan) has infiltrated God's creation. Accusation entered the garden. Adam and Eve felt naked and exposed before God so they tried to cover themselves by accusing others for their choice. But, they had exercised agency and would learn by their own experience.

One other observation seems important to me. God does not correct them in their views. Rather, he asks questions and then allows consequence to be the instructor. Adam and Eve (and Satan) are each told the consequence of their choice and, importantly, each of them have fallen from the presence of God. Thus, being an accuser is a prelude to falling from God’s presence.

In mortality, Jesus set the example of not accusing and set a pattern for repentance and learning from sin and experience. A woman was brought to Jesus by men who testified that she was taken in the act of adultery. They wanted to know how Jesus would deal with her. They played the role of accusers under the law of Moses. Jesus simply taught them the injustice of accusing others when we, ourselves, have much for which we would like to be forgiven. After the men left, Jesus said, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?” She said, “No man, Lord.” And Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:10-11).” So, while justice under the law would require a punishment for sin, Jesus taught that we are all condemned if justice is applied. Instead, Jesus did not condemn and sent her on her way with the injunction to “sin no more.” Thus, while there may be consequences to her sin, condemnation by Jesus is not one of them. And, she has the chance to learn and change as a result of this experience.

Becoming Perfect

In John 17:23 Jesus refers to being made perfect. Earlier in His ministry he taught about what it means to be perfect in the way that the Father is perfect. Often we focus on Matt. 5:48 in isolation. But, in the text of the chapter, verses 43-48 are a single textual unit. The paragraph mark (¶) at the start of verse 43 indicates the beginning of a block of text and that block continues through verse 48. So, consider 43-48 as an entire statement of an idea.

  43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
  44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Jesus is inviting us to love not only those who are easy to love, but also those who would mistreat us. We are not just to absorb their abuse, but actually do good for and pray for them.

  45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Why should we love our enemies in this way? “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven.” The next phrase begins with “for…” and tells us how this makes us like our Father. He gives His sunlight and rain on both the good and the evil, the just and the unjust. What He offers as blessing, he provides to all people regardless of their merit.

  46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
  47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
  48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

So, being perfect, even as our Father, involves loving those who mistreat us and giving what we have to offer regardless of merit. We must be willing to forgive not just those who we love, but even those who mistreat us in any way. We see this in a similar passage in Luke 6:

  35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
  36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
  37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
  38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

To me, this seems like it could be summed up by saying that we should forgive all offenses because we will be subject to the justice we demand to have applied to others. Thus, if we forgive, we will be forgiven. Jesus was the ultimate example of this. He was rejected by many of His covenant people. He was accused, tried, and crucified by the very priests who were supposed to prepare Israel for their Messiah. Yet, in all this, Jesus did not judge or accuse. He said, in John 12:

  47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
  48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

And, in a related statement, Jesus said in John 5:

  45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
  46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

Jesus did not come into mortality to judge or accuse. But, He did come to teach truth. He suffered every illness, offense, wrong, or pain. And, He did it so that we could learn from the experience. Despite what He suffered, He does not accuse. Rather, He forgives! And, even during the suffering of the cross, Jesus lived this example when He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).” Moses also did not directly accuse. Rather, the truths he taught will condemn those who do not accept them. Ultimately, it is how we respond to the truths revealed by God that will judge us. And, central to those truths are that we love God, and love our neighbor by forgiving rather than accusing.

Unity

One of the core purposes for Jesus to come into our fallen mortal world is to reunite us with God. This is atonement. He invites us to become one with Him in order to become one with the Father. Thus, the fall that we have experienced can be overcome. In John 15 Jesus describes Himself as a vine in a parable of our relationship to Him and to the Father. He says:

  1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
  2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
  3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
  4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
  5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

We are invited into a relationship with Jesus that is analogous to being a branch on a vine. The vine has roots and provides life and nourishment to the branches. Likewise, we are invited into a unity with the Savior where He provides the life and the nourishment to us. This is likely a parable of what is taught in D&C 88:13 about Christ being, “the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.” The light of Christ seems to be the means of us being a branch in Christ’s vine. It is how we receive life and nourishment from God. In Lecture 5 of Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith teaches us that it is through this Holy Spirit that the Father and the Son are one. And, it is by that same Holy Spirit that we are invited to become one with Jesus and the Father.

More than just being part of the vine, the branches are to bring forth fruit. Thus, there is work for us to do as a branch in Jesus’ vine. The intercessory prayer in John 17 continues the theme of unity with God and with one another.

  18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Jesus sends us into the world in a manner like unto how He was sent into the world by the father. His work is our work.

  19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Jesus’s sanctification is for us. It is through His sanctifying himself that we become sanctified by the truth (God’s word, knowledge of things as they are, were, and are to come.)

  20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Just as Christ delivered God’s word to us, we are to deliver God’s word to others so that they may believe. That is our work.

  21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
  22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
  23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

The outcome of Jesus’ work is that we become one with Him as He is one with the Father. And, we are sent out to invite others to join Christ, as well. Our goal is to become one by becoming one with Christ. If Jesus is the vine and the life of the vine is the light of Christ, then we become one with Christ through the light of Christ. And, if I am a branch of the vine and you are a branch of the vine, then we can be one, as well. I love you as myself because when we are both branches of Christ’s vine, we are one.

My belief is that Zion, and heaven, will be populated with people who are pure in heart and doing their best. They will not be so homogenous and boring as to never say or do something that could be taken wrong. It is simply impossible to never give offense unless nobody is willing to be offended. It seems to me that Zion will be Zion because it will be filled with people who cannot be offended and who forgive and do not demand justice. They will be one with Christ and with the Father. They will be one because of the principles of love, never accusing, forgiving all sin, becoming one, and blessing one another generously with what we have to offer.

There is not a price to pay for sin unless somebody is demanding a price. And, that person who demands justice for others is excluded from Zion or heaven by the very act of accusing somebody else and demanding a price.

Thoughts on Grace

I have been reading the New Testament this year and have become very interested in the message that is in Paul’s letter to the Romans. I have read it many times in the King James Version (KJV) and find it challenging to understand. But, there are other translations that are much more approachable. For example, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) or the New International Version (NIV) are true to the word choices of the original Greek text. The New Living Translation (NLT) is based upon accurate rendering of phrases, rather than word-by-word translation. Reading these has been very helpful to understand the KJV. Finally, there is a version called, “Grace Is Not God's Backup Plan: An Urgent Paraphrase of Paul's Letter to the Romans” by an LDS scholar named Adam Miller, that is a paraphrase of the sequence of ideas in Romans. With these and other related scriptures as a guide, I have been thinking about the core ideas in Romans, i.e., the law, sin, grace and spirit.

Our mortal story begins in a pre-mortal setting where God presented a plan and two people volunteered to implement the plan. One offered to return everyone to God, at the cost of our agency, and was rejected. The other, Jesus Christ, offered to sacrifice Himself in order for us to be able to have a mortal experience with its attendant risks. He would redeem all who would accept redemption. Thus, first came God, then Christ, then creation and mortality (See Abraham 3:25-28, Moses 4:1-2, and 2 Nephi 2:4).

God has given us commandments and instructed us sufficient to know good from evil (2 Nephi 2:5). The commandments can be thought of as rules of thumb for how a good person should live. It is human nature, though, to break commandments. Sometimes we break commandments due to a lack of understanding because, while we know good from evil, we may not understand all of the commandments. Other times, we ignore them out of desires for physical experiences or for other reasons. In any case, no matter how good the law or commandments from God might be, we break them and experience sin (2 Nephi 2:5, Romans 3:20,23).

I think that in the pre-mortal world we understood that sin would, inevitably, be part of our mortal experience. The reason we were willing to enter into mortality was because of the chance to obtain a body and to learn by our own experience, knowing that Jesus Christ would bring us back home to God. Sin is inevitable. The real challenge for us is not sin but, rather, to learn from sin. When we sin we “taste the bitter” in order to learn to prize the good (see Moses 6:55).

Paul anticipated a likely reaction to these ideas. He realized that some people would think that they can sin as much as they want, as long as they eventually repent. Paul says, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid (Romans 6:1-2).” If we choose to continue in sin, because we like the bitter taste, then we choose to serve the adversary. If, on the other hand, we choose to turn to Jesus Christ then He will change our nature so that sin has no power over us. Thus, the law or commandment gives occasion for sin and sin may cause us to turn to Christ. We become the servant of who we choose to obey (see Romans 6:16-18). Thus, sin does not define us. Rather, our reaction to sin and who we choose to obey is what really matters.

Baptism symbolizes our burial with Christ into death followed by being raised up by God into new life. We can live now in likeness to Christ’s resurrection in new life, free from sin (see Romans 6:4-7). In another translation of Romans 6:7 it says, “For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” Thus, through the death of the person of sin as symbolized in baptism a new person that is alive in Christ can rise and be free from the power of sin.

To live after the desires of the flesh is to embrace the bitterness of sin. To choose to live by the Spirit is to choose to follow Christ into this new life (Romans 8:5-6). Ultimately, it is this Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and that will quicken our bodies in the resurrection (Romans 8:11). And, it can be our guide in life right now. We can begin now to live a life that is quickened by the Spirit as if we are already risen in Christ. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (and daughters) of God (Romans 8:14).”

Jesus Christ has overcome mortal death by the resurrection and has overcome spiritual death by the power of the atonement. We are thus free to choose whether to live in the death of sin or in the life of the Spirit. We cannot do it on our own. No matter how hard we try, on our own we are subject to sin and death. It is by the grace of God that we are freed from sin and death and can live a life that is alive in Christ not only now, but in the eternities (2 Nephi 10:23-25 and “The Gift of Grace” by Deiter Uchtodorf, April 2015).

The sacrament is a wonderful blessing that allows us to declare our willingness to obey the commandments every week. Notice in the prayer on the bread that we say that we are willing to take upon us the name of the son, that we are willing to obey his commandments, and that we are willing to always remember Him. The promised blessing is His Spirit to be with us. Each week, despite our willingness to obey, we find ourselves breaking commandments. But, this is not condemning us. Rather, it is giving us the opportunity, through grace, to feel His Spirit as we repent and renew our willingness. In the prayer on the water we say that we do remember Him. We remember Him when we learn from breaking the commandments and turn to Him to be alive in His Spirit. Thus, when we remember Him, we do have His Spirit to be with us (D&C 20:77,79). By this process, Jesus Christ teaches us and makes us more like Him. And, as we become alive in His Spirit, we are less prone to sin until we are completely set free from the power of sin.

The most important thing I have learned through studying these topics is that the grace of God came first. God loved us and invited us to participate in a plan that allows us to become more like God. Jesus Christ was an integral part of the plan from the very beginning. He was sent by God to create the earth, give commandments, be born into mortality, overcome temporal and spiritual death and to raise us up to return to God and to be able to stay with God.  The atonement was not an afterthought to heal a plan that failed when Adam and Eve fell. Rather, grace was first, last, and always the plan. Jesus Christ really is the first and the last, the beginning and the end of the plan. Thus, sin is already forgiven and overcome. We just need to accept it and live a new life in the Spirit of Christ right now. In this there is peace and joy.

How Do I Know How I Am Doing?

A friend of mine asked a really good question:

Someone asked me this week "how can I know if God is really happy with who I am and what I am doing in life?" and I've been thinking a lot about that. I talked to her about Helaman 10:2-5 because it came to mind, and about the power of prayer and being able to recieve guidance from God. But I've also been thinking about that. There's a big difference between doing good things, and doing what God wants, and I was just wondering what you thought about that. How can one know if they're really following the will of God in their lives? 

This is a topic worthy of careful consideration. Here is what I answered:

Your question is good. Many people struggle throughout life to know how to measure their standing in life and with God. The world suggests externally measurable indicators of ones worth. Things like positions at work or in the church, salary, degrees, physical fitness accomplishments, being on winning teams, etc. These can all be good things, but when we set up measures of our ability to compete with others as our metric of self-worth we will be disappointed. We create enmity with others when we are focused on winning in order to feel good about ourself.

I like your suggestion of Nephi in Helaman 10 as a good example. His sense of self-worth came from the Lord’s acceptance of Nephi’s life and service to others. Notice that key idea. Nephi did not seek his own life, he sought God’s will and to keep God’s commandments. In other words, Nephi’s life is an example of the Savior’s teaching in Matthew 16:

24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? … 

Understanding God’s commandments can be a challenge. You asked about the difference between doing good and doing what God wants. It seems to me that it is easy to get caught up in lists of things to do as a measure of doing good. For example, missionaries have many, many rules to guide them. It is possible to mistake the lists of rules for God’s commandments. Then, it may be disappointing to find that, despite not breaking the rules, you are not feeling success as a missionary. Good missionaries generally live by the rules, but keeping the rules does not necessarily make you a good missionary. This is the same in life after a mission. People can get caught up in rules. We make lists of things to do and confuse the list with righteousness. For example: read scriptures every day; attend the temple every week or month; complete a four generation family tree; write in a journal every day; pray morning, noon, night, at meals, with the family, and more; etc. These are all good things. But, going through the motions is not the same as being righteous.

Consider scripture study as an example. When we read the scriptures as a task on a “to do” list, we may, or may not, feel the spirit and learn from the scriptures. And, when we miss a day we get down on ourselves. It is possible to read every day and not get the real benefit. When we read because we hear the voice of the Lord through the scriptures, then we learn and draw closer to God. Would you rather read every day and not get any closer to God, or would you rather hear the voice of God through the scriptures even if you miss a day here or there? Honestly, I don’t know if there has ever been a time when I have read every day consistently. But, I have always loved the scriptures. When I read, I feel closer to God, I hear His voice, and I learn. Sometimes I study intently one day and then ponder for a day or two before reading and studying more. The point is that if you love God, and draw closer through the scriptures, you will read them effectively. If you read the scriptures as a task list item, you might never get closer to God. It is getting closer to God that is the measure of success, not the frequency or duration of scripture study.

John gives a great insight into what it means to obey the commandments of Jesus Christ. In 1 John 3:

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Our standing with God is not measured in competition with others, it is measured by service to others. And, when we love and serve others we have confidence toward God. Confidence that we are obeying His commandments comes from the recognition that we have His Spirit in us. These verses suggest that the sacrament ordinance is the key to knowing that God is happy with us. We know because we have His Spirit with us. We don’t need a visible calling to serve others, we serve as guided by the Spirit. We don’t need a task list, or accomplishment list, or any other external measure, if we have the Spirit and love for others to guide us.

One last idea. In Helaman 10:5 Nephi receives a promise from God that he will be blessed forever. This is Nephi having his calling and election made sure. Peter gives an important insight into how Nephi, and all of us, can receive this promise from God. In 2 Peter 1:

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Notice that in verse 10 is the admonition to make your calling and election sure. How is it made sure? You do the things that Peter has listed, then the Lord will promise you that you will never fall, or in other words, you will be blessed forever like Nephi. Peter gives a list of attributes. This is not a task list. Rather, it is a list of the attributes of a true follower of Christ. We can pray and ask for help to develop these traits. We can study them to understand what they are and why they are in the sequence that Peter has listed. We can know that we are pleasing God as we receive God’s help in developing into this kind of person. Notice that this is the same list as in D&C 4:6. These are the essential attributes of a servant of Jesus Christ.

John, Peter, and Joseph Smith all teach the same thing. As we develop charity, pure love, we gain confidence toward God, become like Christ, and have His Spirit with us. This is how we know our standing with God and become blessed forever.

How Do I Walk the Path Back to God?

Recently, I wrote about the existence of a path back to God that is taught by Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and in the temple endowment. (You can read about that here.) It is one thing to know the steps of the path, and another to actually walk the path. I want to share an approach to walking the path that has been very helpful to me in my experience. This approach may seem surprising at first. Yet, once you know that God wants to have you return to Him, of your own desire and without any compulsion, this approach makes a lot of sense. It is as simple as asking God to give you what He has offered, but will not force you to receive.

Here are the principles that comprise the path back (References are in the previous post.)

• Faith that comes by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God
• Repentance
• Baptism, the channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered
• The Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, by the principle of righteousness
• Knowledge of the doctrines of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment
• The Doctrine of Election - being sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise
• Receive the Second Comforter - no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
• Jesus Christ will manifest the Father to us

It has been my experience that we can review our progress along the path by carefully considering each step of the path. For example, if I have heard, and recognized, the testimony of a true servant of God then I can act in faith on that testimony. Then, I repent. Repentance is ongoing as we learn how the things we do are in error, we change and come to know God better and feel the joy of our redemption through Jesus Christ (See Alma 37:8-9 and this past post about repentance). The next step is baptism, and I received that when I was eight years old. Receiving the Holy Ghost is supposed to follow baptism. If I am not sure about having received the Holy Ghost, then how can I proceed?

We can pray about it. And, I want to suggest an approach to prayer. The process that I am suggesting here is not something to be done lightly. When we approach the Lord in prayer it should be sincere. You might consider fasting, going to a special place (a favorite room in the home, a grove of trees, a place in the mountains, the temple, or anywhere that you know you can feel the Spirit), and pray with real intent. The conversation with the Lord includes prayerfully asking:

1. Have I received the Holy Ghost?
2. If not, will you give me the Holy Ghost?
3. If not yet, what lack I yet?

The first question is based upon the Savior's observation that the Lamanites "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Ne 9:29) it is possible that we can receive the Holy Ghost and not know it, or not recognize it as such. If we have received it, then when we ask this question the Lord will bring to our mind when and how it happened. If it has not yet happened, it may be that some study of the scriptures will be needed in order to receive the answer to this question. Thus, at first, the answer may be silence accompanied by hope that you will receive an answer in response to the next two questions. 

The second question is the one that exercises our agency to ask the Lord to give the gift that He has offered through His servants. If a gift, like the Holy Ghost, is offered through Joseph Smith, or the many other prophets in the scriptures, we can ask for it in faith. The answer to this question may be powerful, or it may be silence. Just listen and gratefully accept the response. If the response is silence, or a peaceful feeling of "not yet," don't be discouraged. By asking in faith you have set in motion the experiences that will ultimately lead to receiving, or recognizing that you have received, the Holy Ghost.

The third question, if asked with real intent, leads to learning. And, sometimes, what we learn requires significant change (repentance) in our lives. It is likely that after asking the third question we will need to spend some time searching and studying in the scriptures, the temple, and in continued prayer. I have found, though, that the Lord always answers if we are willing to learn and change. Usually our learning includes the observation that we do not merit the gift we seek, but He wants to give it anyway because of His love for us. We just need to obey the promptings that come as a result of asking this question, even when it is difficult. Remember, the rich young man who asked this question (see Matt 19:20) found the answer very challenging. We, too, may be stretched and challenged as the Lord asks us to sacrifice and offer our all to Him.

You may use different words when you pray. It will be your unique conversation with the Lord. It has been my experience, though, that this process has been an essential part of each step of my journey along this path. And, when it works for each of the early steps, it gives real confidence and faith that it will work for all of the steps.

The Lord has revealed through His servants the things that He would like to give to us. We can ask for those things with faith that we will receive. Because He honors the agency that He has given to us, He will not force these things upon us. But, when we ask and seek in this manner, He will give all that He has promised. Remember His process and promise in D&C 93:1 -

  1 VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

We cannot just casually ask for gifts that the Lord wants to give. When we ask for gifts and then ask "what lack I yet?" we must be ready to act on what He tells us. The process involves repenting, coming to Christ, calling on His name and obeying his voice as He gives us commandments. When we do this we will be able to walk the path back to Him and, ultimately, see His face and know that He is.

"In the Name of Jesus Christ"

I was studying today and came across something interesting that gives some insight into what it means to do something "in the name of Jesus Christ." Section 42 of the D&C was given to Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio in the presence of 12 elders. The first verse is very important to understand what it means to do something "in the name of" Jesus Christ. Here is the verse:

 1 HEARKEN, O ye elders of my achurch, who have assembled yourselves together in my name, even Jesus Christ the Son of the living God, the Savior of the world; inasmuch as ye believe on my name and keep my commandments.

This section is addressed to the elders of the church. They have assembled themselves together in His name. Notice what follows. The next phrase begins with "even".  Thus, what follows is a definition of His name. So, they are doing something in His name and the name is, "Jesus Christ the Son of the living God, the Savior of the world." Thus, when we do something in the name of Jesus, we should do it while remembering that He is the Christ (the Greek form of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning the anointed one) and that He is the Son of the living God and that He is the Savior of the World. Also, this discussion could apply to anything that we do in His name.

The next phrase begins with "inasmuch as ..." The words "inasmuch as" mean "to the extent that ..." or "in proportion to the amount that ... " Thus, we do something in His name as long as, or to the extent that, we believe on His name and keep His commandments. Believing on His name means that we believe that He is the mortal Jesus, the Christ (the anointed one), the Son of the living God, and the Savior of the world. And, while believing those things we obey His commandments.

It is amazing how much information is in that first verse! What follows in the next several verses is even more interesting when you keep the details of this first verse in mind. In verse 4 it says, "I give unto you this first commandment, that ye shall go forth in my name, every one of you ... " So, the first commandment to obey is to go forth "in my name," which makes more sense when you remember what was taught in verse 1. And, what do you do when you go forth? Look at verses 6-7:

 6 And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God.
 7 And ye shall go forth baptizing with water, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

We are to go forth in the power of the Spirit of Christ, to declare His message and to baptize. There is a lot that is worth studying in these verses. What does it mean to work by the "power of my Spirit"? What is it to speak like unto angels of God? What does it mean for the kingdom to be at hand? These things are worth studying.

The Truth of the Book of Mormon

Often, in response to questions about the truth of the Book of Mormon, people will quote from Moroni 10:4, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask ... , he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." Now, this simplification of what Moroni said leaves out a lot of what Moroni actually said. But, setting that aside, assume I follow this admonition and receive a witness that the Book of Mormon is true. Now what do I do? Am I done with the Book of Mormon? Is it enough to be able to say, "I know that it is true!"? Is the Book of Mormon now just a prop for me to use in inviting others to know for themselves the truth of the words it contains?

Of course it seems silly to just carry the book around, proclaiming that it is true, without doing something with it. If it is, in fact, the word of God, then it should become one of our most prized books. It should be where we turn to hear the voice of God. Its words should inform who we are, how we treat people, how we approach God, etc. We should read it regularly, looking for guidance and allowing it to help us repent and know God.

In Doctrine and Covenants, section 84, the Lord says:

  45 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.
  46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
  47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

So, if we know the truth of the Book of Mormon then we know that it contains the word of the Lord, light, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And, it is up to us whether that light is enlightening, or not. Notice in verse 46 it says that only those who hearken to the light (the truth, or word of the Lord) are enlightened by it. And, in verse 47, those who hearken come to God the Father.

Nephi teaches us what to do once we know that we have the truth, the word of the Lord, and are in the path. He says, in 2 Nephi 31:

  19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
  20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

We must press forward and live by the words of the Lord, as found in the Book of Mormon, because we have come to know the truth of these words. Knowing the truth is not enough on its own. We must live by the words that are true.

Just over two years after Joseph Smith organized a church, the Lord told the members that they were under condemnation. Notice that this is in Section 84 and follows right after the verses quoted above:

  54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
  55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
  56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
  57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

How do we treat the Book of Mormon lightly? According to verse 57 we treat it lightly when we say that it is true, but fail to do according to the words of the Lord contained in the Book of Mormon. And, how do we know if we are doing the things taught in the Book of Mormon? We know because we are coming unto God, feasting on the words of Christ, and receiving the promise of eternal life (walking the path as described in an earlier post).

Here is a simple idea that can help with turning our reading of the Book of Mormon into an active process of becoming closer to God. The basis of this idea is Joseph Smith's statement in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (A precept is defined as a principle or general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.)

As a means of hearkening to the word, try to identify, and act upon, precepts as often as possible. To get started, as you read the Book of Mormon this week, pray for help to identify a precept that you can experiment upon to see if it will help you get nearer to God. Next, you might try to find other places in the scriptures where that same precept is taught. Making connections with other scriptures that teach the same ideas will refine your understanding. Then, identify specific things you can do to live that precept as an experiment upon the word. Keep track of the experience you have as you live (hearken to) the precept over a period of time. See if, in fact, through the power of the Holy Ghost you feel closer to God. Then, repeat ;-). (Here is more on this idea, if you are interested.)

I have tried this repeatedly and can tell you from my own experience of the truth of the words of the Book of Mormon. I know this because it has brought me closer to God than has any other book.