Yeah, yeah. Everyone wants the Battlestar Galactica post. But that’s important stuff, so I have to make sure the post is perfect. I’ll start off my guest posting stint with something not as heady: The scriptures. 😉
I think I got the idea for this post from a comment made by Julie in Austin over at that other blog (although I can’t find the comment, so perhaps I am hallucinating). I see people in the church “knowing about but not really believing†these scriptures, but these are scriptures I often find myself struggling with at some level. So, I have no solid answers – just negotiated positions and educated guesses. Here are three scriptures (out of dozens of candidates) I think fit the theme of my post:
Matthew 11: 28 – 30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Problems: Well, the ubiquitous posters in LDS homes of Christ that have the (non-canonical) saying “I never said it would be easy – I only said it would be worth it†tend to show a disbelief in this scripture. Christ did say it would be easy. But what does that mean? Life isn’t easy, even for Mormons who believe. So what does this scripture really mean?
My current solution: I think this really does mean what it says. The hard part is giving your entire burdens over to the Lord. We (well, I do at any rate) tend to keep our pet problems and sins rather close. It’s hard to give all our sins up. Yet as I think back over my life, the few times when my burden was light and the yoke was easy came from the times I really did turn everything over to the Lord.
Isaiah 55: 8 – 9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Mosiah 4: 9
9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
Problems: Well, another thread over at that other blog has descended into a basic question of “could the Lord do this?†vs. “would the Lord do this?†My instinctive reaction is to not try and tell the Lord what he would or would not do. Yet in the Sunday school classes I attend and the blogs I visit people often tend to try and “mind read†the Lord – guess why this happened or this commandment was given (or alternatively, argue why this or that church practice isn’t inspired because we’re sure that “that’s not how the Lord really does things”). If these scriptures mean what they say – then we can’t know what the Lord would do. It then seems rather odd to even try and guess.
At the same time – God did give us brains. And Joseph Smith did say that we needed to understand the nature of God – which implies that we can understand God to some extent.
My current solution: Like many things I struggle with, these scriptures call for humility. Double guessing church programs, commandments and scripture stories can be an interesting intellectual exercise, but we also need to realize that we should be very, very, very, very careful in what we teach and how we go about intellectually interrogating the gospel.
James 2:10
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Problem: I find this one the toughest one of all. It seems to be saying that if we break even one commandment, we’re guilty of breaking the whole law. James talks about rather heady, big sins in verse 11, yet the plain meaning of verse 10 (and looking at the Greek doesn’t offer any new readings – it’s rather clear) is just that – you may keep all the other commandments, but if you break even one, you’re toast. Yet if we really believed this one, people would stop using the “I’m basically a good person – I pay my tithing, go to church, do my home teaching – so what if I watch a few trashy movies now and then?†or “Yeah, I really should stop speeding and running red lights and all that, but it’s not like Heavenly Father’s going to keep me out of the Celestial Kingdom is it?â€
If this scripture is right – well, those speeding tickets and trashy movies make your obedience in other areas of no worth. So, we ignore this scripture.
My current solution: Joseph Smith said that if we were truly righteous we wouldn’t need generalized commandments – we’d instead rely on constant revelation about what to do in given circumstances. Unfortunately we can’t get there until we keep the commandments we currently have – and we aren’t keeping those very well. I think the commandments really boil down to the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving your neighbor. James 2:10 really means this: You may not kill, you may go to church – but if fail to do service you’re breaking the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. You may be nice to your family and do service in the community and do your home teaching, but if you get “creative†with your tithing, you’re guilty of not loving God (by holding back part of what he asks us to give him). And so on – in the end, no matter how many commandments we may be keeping, any that we break (by omission or commission) wind up breaking one of the two great commandments – thus we do wind up being “guilty of all.â€
Thoughts? Comments? Rotten Fruit? My feelings on these issues are subject to constant (though not faith-shattering) revision, so I may have changed my mind on a point or two by the time someone decides to disagree with me.
Hi Ivan,
I frequently refer to Mosiah 4:9 as the scripture no one really believes in because of the last phrase.
[BTW, New York Doll was AMAZING–you must go.]
Alma 34:16 “And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.” helps a bit for James 2:10
The clause “all the things” in Mosiah 4:9 is comforting in that it suggests we can know some things. Therefore IMO your “can’t know what the Lord would do” might be correct generally, but isn’t always true.
Matthew 11:28 “burden is light.” is tough, considering all the things we are specifically commanded to do: magnify callings, HT, perfecting the saints, redeeming the dead, missionary work, raising a family, working 40+ hours a week to support the family, etc. etc. etc.
Daylan –
Alma 34:16 helps a bit – but only for those who repent (which seems to me a given). What I wonder about are those sins people won’t repent and forsake because they “aren’t that important and won’t keep me out of the Celestial Kingdom anyway” – James 2:10 seems to indicate any sin, no matter how small will keep us out, if we won’t repent.
For Mosiah 4:9 – I think that’s a good read. We can possibly comprehend “some things” – but I think we shouldn’t assume we have ever really truly ever “got it” until we’re perfected and glorified. But that also seems a given.
(hmmm . . . perhaps I should start using Scott Adams’ suggestion for a new internet acronym: BOCTAOE = But of Course There Are Obvious Exceptions).
Well said on Matthew 11: 28 – 30. I think the problem is that psychologically we keep not just our sins and pet peeves but also our expectations. That is we have an idea of how we think life ought to go. When you surrender your life to Christ life isn’t always what we want, but we can accept what comes. Which always makes me bring up John 3:8.
The comprehension scripture is a good one. However I think the problem is that those who claim we can’t understand God then go around actually believing they understand God. i.e. those who criticize people who try to figure out the implications of the scripture end up being dogmatic about the “plain meaning” of the scriptures.
Ideally I think the solution is to ever be seeking, but be humble enough not to take our theories too seriously.
I think the main problem I have re: the James scripture and the sentiment “I’m basically a good person” is that it evidences a (unconscious?) view of judgement grace and salvation where God puts all the good on one side of the scale and all the bad on the other, and if the good outweighs the bad, you’re saved. That’s a misconception I run into a good bit, although most people have not really thought it through that explicitly.
I think #1 (yoke is easy) and #3 (if you are guilty of one sin you are guilty of all) refer to the atonement. Christ’s yoke is a lot easier than paying for your sins yourself. And James 2:10–isn’t that why we need a Savior? One sin is enough to separate us from God, and we are in constant need of repentance.
“Matthew 11: 28 – 30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I think that Mormons do beleive this (the Book of Mormon teaches it as well), very deeply, but don’t teach it explicitly, for a few reasons. The reason I think that we beleive it is that we routinely say that personally following the gospel is all that is required for happiness (now I don’t think that it’s that simple, but if it’s a simplification, then it’s a simplification of something true). Most of the rest of the world thinks that happiness is a lot more complicated. I think it’s unfortunate that we often embrace hardness as a kind of default position. Anything good must be hard, anything easy must be bad (sometimes I get this sense reading Sheri Dew). But one can just as easily say that with many things, if it’s hard then you’re not doing it right.
On the day a young convert friend of mine was baptized, our good bishop told him, “From this day forward your life is going to be much easier.” Perhaps the reverse is also in some sense true. But saying what the bishop said took a lot more faith, and expressed a truth that we don’t often explicitly express. Seeking after Christ’s treasure, in a covenant with him, is a lot easier than seeking after the world’s treasures, in a covenant with the world. Many or all of us have tried both and should know this.
Hmmm, what are the problems with any of these scriptures anyways? I am not sure of the point of this thread other than get some clarification on what is being actually said in the examples above?
As for James 2:10, if you read this in ‘solitary confinement’, then yes, we all come up short and we do break ‘all laws’ and then we would not be able to get into the kingdom would we? But if you read it in conjunction with 2Ne.25:23, Romans 3:23, 2Ne.28:30, Alma34:14-16 – already stated above, I think you could infer the need for mercy and that without it then D&C19:16-19 and James 2:10 would condemn us foresure! I think from this that Salvation does imply one must be perfect, but accepted before God!
As for Mosiah 4:9, it is true that we do not understand all that God understands, out finite mortalness infers that for us if we believe that there is a God, of course.
Matt11:28-30 — read Alma 7:11-13 — and perhaps this helps to increase our belief as it clarifies that we can cast our burdens upon the Lord because the Atonement is more than just overcoming the 2 deaths, but also entails all ‘Issues’ big or small!
Here is one that we say we believe, but really don’t: Mor. 7:16-18 — if we really believed in the light of Christ, perhaps we would trust it more, and our decisions would be a little more Christ-centered.
sorry in #8, I meant to say: ” I think from this that Salvation does not imply one must be perfect, but accepted before God!”
I’m with Anonymoose. I think we really don’t believe in the spirit of revelation like we should. Not to say I’m better at it than anyone else is, but when it comes right down to it, following the spirit of revelation is more important than following the prophet. In fact, sometimes we can hide behind following the prophet in order to ignore the light of Christ that is telling us to do something different.
Another scripture I’d throw into the mix here that we really don’t believe is Matthew 19:24 which says:
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Try that one on for size!
It is intersesting that you bring up the book of James. Did you know it almost did not make it in to the new testament? It bareley passed the tests required. The message is based so much on works. However, what James is saying is that if your heart is disobediant to one of the commandemnts then your heart is disobediant to all the commandments. Meaning we are willfull poeple. Which gives all of us reason to have Jesus in our hearts. He covers us, knowing full well what are heart has in it.. Praise God!!
I see people in the church “knowing about but not really believing†these scriptures
Matthew 11: 28 – 30
If church members really believed this scripture we would not hear, every time the “Be ye therefore perfect” passage comes up, similar comments to this: “You can be perfect one thing at a time. You can be perfect in paying tithing, and then in living the WofW, etc., etc.”
An examination of the wealth of passages in scripture that encourage one to “come unto Christ” reveals a unified message that the believer, in return, partakes of some gift; the goodness of God, salvation, redemption, rest, living bread/water, resurrection, etc. It’s not that the Savior has merely shown us the way or given us an example as the Master Teacher. There is more. He has something transforming to give to all who will come unto him. It follows then, that the perfection and sanctification that is “in Christ” is given by the grace of God to believers, that they may “become holy, without spot.”
To focus on a sinless existence as the formula for perfection misses the more transcending truth wherein we are made new creatures through the reception of the Spirit by coming unto Christ in the covenant of the Father.
About Matthew….Jesus states that His burden is light for this reason; He was preaching to the Jews who had to go to the temple regularly and offer sacrafices for their sins. This was very expensive, and time consuming. Families would trek every weekend to be cleansed. Jesus is saying that He is releasing you and I from having to do this. His death and resurrection is the final sacrafice. For some reason man has always wanted works. Do this, do that…work work work! We drive ourselves mad with all that WE put on our plates. Jesus is saying that we do not HAVE to do these things FOR our salvation. We do these things because we love HIM. Our works are like filthy rags if they are done in pride, without Jesus, or with a bad attitude. AMEN!!!
I think Curtis has added a good verse to the list. I’m sure it’s true. It’s just getting myself to quit being so attached to my riches that is the struggle.
I have looked at the verses in Matthew 11 this way:
I am trudging along, pulling my heavy burdens when the Lord comes to me. He is wearing a double yoke, the kind that I might use to harness two large workhorses to my wagon and he is pulling a burden as well. He invites me to take my place beside him in his yoke and combine my burden with his. I say, “No way. That yoke looks really heavy and you are pulling a lot of stuff. I’ve already got all I can handle.†He says, “You don’t understand. By joining me in the yoke I add my strength to yours in pulling along your burden. My burden is light and my yoke is easy and my strength, which can pull along what I have here and much, much more, will be combined with yours. In actuality, with my strength added, while you are joined with me in my yoke, your burden will feel lighter than it is. The net weight of what you are pulling will be less than what you are pulling now.â€
The verses don’t say that my burden will be light. They say that HIS burden, the one that he brings to the union of our efforts, is light. My burden may continue to be, in and of itself, a heavy load. The promise is simply that, by learning of him and walking in his ways, he adds his strength to mine and my burden becomes easier to bear.
Mary B.
Excellent post and comments.
I think many people get in trouble by isolating a scripture, or a statement from a prophet, from the rest of scripture and revelation. It all has to work together. We should not let an isolated verse and an extreme interpretation therof cause a contradiction in the gospel as a whole.
Lots of great comments.
I do think that looking at scriptures in isolation can be a bad thing – at the same time, one needs to realize that different authors often mean different things even when using the same words. For example, Paul and James, when discussing “the law” mean different things, so trying to explain away James 2:10 by appealing to Paul doesn’t work without a little more explanation.
However, even given James 2:10, I never expect anyone to be perfect (I sure ain’t). It’s more where we are in regard to our sins: actively trying to turn them over to Christ and repent, or holding them close and pretending they aren’t important or aren’t really sins. In that way, James 2:10 and Matt. 11:28 – 30 line up.
Curtis says:
One has to consider this saying of Jesus in context. The next two verses state:
It seems to me that the comment in verse 24 has Jesus setting up the disciples for a teaching on God’s grace by first highlghting the plight of man (or in this case, a rich man) in the hypothetical setting of being without God’s grace. Hence, Jesus’ comment in verse 24 is, in essence, negated by the follow-up comment in verse 26. I see this as a teaching method employed by Jesus and ripping verse 24 out of context in this setting produces the exact opposite intent of what Jesus was teaching.
I agree, Ivan, about Matthew 11: 28 – 30.
I think we often read it wrong. Notice that he doesn’t say, “I will take your yoke off of you,†nor does he say, “I will wear an extra-heavy yoke so you don’t have to.†Rather, he says the exact opposite. Take my yoke upon you.
He’s saying that when we take his yoke upon us, and become like us, then the trials of life become easier. When we have a broken heart and contrite spirit, it is easier to keep the commandments. When we’re truly humble, keeping the commandments is no longer a burden and actually becomes easy and joyful to do.
Here’s another one we seem to ignore.
Matt 6: 14-15
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Sounds to me like he’s saying we write off the blessings of the atonement if we do not forgive one another.
Titus 1:12,13
Read all of Titus 1. Paul had just left the Crete’s, and they were having issues of disagreement, and they continued to teach the old ways along with the the New Gospel. He is reminding them that Cretans have always been a certain kind of people, and Paul is saying to be the opposite so that the evidance of Jesus will show through. The book of Mormon did not exist at the time. So sound doctrine to all of the Apostles was Jesus and the Old Testament- and that’s it. Remember when you study the bible, it is important to understand the timing of the day. Minds and hearts were opened to the Gospel of Jesus. This Gospel was rebellious and was causing discord in all cities because it was seperating the Jews from themselves and bringing in Gentiles (along with their baggage). In order to please both man and God they would intertwine both teachings.
A interesting comment was made about the writings of the bible. There is no point in a response, however I will always quote the Bible, for it is my only Authority.
If this passage was directed toward me, I shall not take offense. This is the kind of passage that if your heart is filled with bitterness you could turn it around towards anyone who does not agree with you. And I know that you are not, for you love God, and desire to be like Jesus. In love, Cari
Re #21: My (non-serious) point about Titus 1:12,13 is that (at least from a superficial reading) it seems to be making the following assertions:
(1) There is a prophet P who said that Cretians are alway liars.
(2) P was himself a Cretian.
(3) P spoke the truth when he said Cretians are alway liars.
(1) and (2) imply that P was alway a liar. Unless people who are alway liars can speak the truth on occasion, this seems to contradict (3).
cari,
There are scriptures cited in the New Testament that are not found in the Old Testament. The NT doesn’t present these as quotations from Jesus, but rather as scriptural quotations. Just so you know.
The one that I think disturbs many people is Matthew 10:34: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
We want to think of Jesus as inherently peaceful – even a pacifist in the tradition of the Dali Lama. But I’m not sure he is. This gets into the issue of the yoke as well. Easy doesn’t necessarily mean what we want it to mean – as the early Saints in Palestine not to mention the early Mormons all found out.
“To focus on a sinless existence as the formula for perfection misses the more transcending truth wherein we are made new creatures through the reception of the Spirit by coming unto Christ in the covenant of the Father.”
Thanks MahNahvu. Amen and amen.
Clark, the meaning of Matthew 10:34 becomes clearer if you read the entire context:
This is really about family conflict that is inevitable regarding the Church and the savior. The closer you get to the Lord’s true church, the more likely there will be differences within the family over following the Lord. How many millions of Church members spend time in conflict with family members who oppose the Church or don’t want to go to Church or apostasize and on and on? Jesus is telling us that this is inevitable and that we should be prepared for it. If we follow after Him, we will find our lives. Those who don’t follow Him will lose their lives.
Re: Matthew 11: 28 – 30
Does anyone know what greek word is being translated as “rest”? I know that during the 16th century the English word “rest” translates better today as “strength.” Hence the verses 28 and 29 might better read:
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you strength.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find strength unto your souls.
I think such an interpretation really adds to the interpretation of the scripture.
Clark –
well, as far as the “pacifist Dali Lama type” – I always felt the cleansing of the temple showed Jesus was a bit more complex than that stereotype.
As science fiction author (and practicing Catholic) Gene Wolfe (no relation) once said (paraphrased): We often call Jesus a humble carpenter, but the only object we ever see him make with his own hands in the New Testament is a whip.
Paul –
For the Greek, rest works, strength really doesn’t work at all. Resepctively, the NT usesthe verb “anapauso” which means “to cause to rest, to give rest, to refresh” and “anapausis” which means “refreshing, rest, refreshment”
Here’s a list of translations that use “rest”:
KJV, NCV, NASB, CEV, NIV, NLT, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, Phillips, TEV, Jerusalem Bible, .
Rheims uses “refresh” and “rest” respectively. The Message (a paraphrase) uses “grace.”
So, while it’s an interesting idea, there’s no evidence for “strength.”
Absolutely. That theme is repeated over and over and over again. It is a cornerstone.
Geoff (#26) while I agree that is part of the meaning I don’t believe it is the whole meaning. Rather I think it was in part a prophesy regarding the wars the Jews would face that included a lot of civil war. (Something oft forgotten) During the first uprising against the Romans the Romans, who had cornered the rebels in the Temple, decided to be nice and give them the Sabbath oft. So the Romans didn’t attack. The centurions on the walls looked in at bemusement as the Jewish rebels were fighting with each other at this time. The period after the death of Christ was one of turmoil.
Eschatology, or the idea of the end times, is part and parcel of Christianity. What is promised the Saints isn’t peace but turmoil. And we are ever awaiting it. Thus the frequent millennial fervor that many find distasteful. Yet it is really tied to Jesus as Messiah not initially ushering in the Kingdom of God in the sense of the Millennium of peace that I think the Jews of the time expected.
Re: Matthew 11: 28 – 30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I agree that the lightest times are when one turns everything to the Lord.
My own experience has brought further answer. “Light” is a relative term and we usually think of it in the context of comparing the weight of Christ’s burden with our ability to carry it. After experiencing the misery of my own sins and the relief afforded through Christ’s atonement as I work towards refellowshipment, I realize another comparison is more true: Jesus’ burden is light compared to mine.
A few I personally find difficult:
D&C 49:20: But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.
Mormon 8:37: For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
Alma 34:28: And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.
Not to mention
Matthew 5:44: 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;
Scriptures dealing with the poor and how we treat them are numerous and probable.
Here in Austin there are homless people at every intersection, asking for food and money. Despite being a college student with a family a debt, I still pay a fast offering and donated to some charities –
yet when I see the homeless person on the corner with the sign “my wife had a better lawyer” or “don’t drink or smoke – just need some help” those scriptures come to me and I always have my conscience pricked. I don’t usuall have cash, but should I? Should I be doing more? I definetly have a lot more than the poor of the world.
It’s not easy – and I don’t really have a solution to it. However, I know that lots of members seem to figure that it’s okay to have lots of stuff because they “earned it” – this ignores D&C 49:20. But it’s a bigger issue than I can deal with in one comment or even on post. I’d need at least a 25 page essay to even begin to deal with it.
Matthew 5:39-41 from the Sermon on the Mount, we don’t seem to know what to do with: “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”
It’s a bad sign generally when a discussion of a scripture revolves mainly around what it couldn’t, couldn’t mean.
Geoff and Clark: I think Matt 10:34, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” suggests a general notion that is used to introduce a specific example (family conflict) in the following verses. It’s hard for me to see how this verse isn’t meant to make a point that is applicable to more than just family strife (else why the general term ‘earth’ rather than just ‘family’ or something more specific?). What that means of course, is an endless discussion.
Great post Ivan, I’m adding a link to our list of blog threads on scripture.
I’m with Manaen. The Lord’s burden is light compared to the burden of sin.
His yoke is easy compared to the chains of sin.
Ya I know members with million dollar homes who don’t think they can contribute because of their house payment. We have been told not to get into debt beyond what we can afford in a house, I think those comments were aimed at mothers who supposedly had to work because they wanted a bigger better house. Though a big home is also a retirement assest that will increase in value and so is also an investment as well as shelter.
Apparently we do need to make some decisions ourselves regarding the balance between our retirement and financial planning and how much we can contribute to the poor.
What stage are you in if you have planned out how much you can give versus being led by the spirit to give when prompted?
I’m so glad you guys posted that quote by Jeremiah J., because it’s really good and it’s easy to miss the good stuff when one is coming and going and doing laundry and chasing the dog and turning the computer on and off.
Jeremiah, good quote.