Old vs. New Laws

The Letter to the Hebrews, authored by Paul, was written to explain the need to do away with the old law, the Mosaic Law.  This was a law that Jews had lived with for centuries. It was all that they had known and it had governed their lives. They were reluctant to leave it behind for a new law and they didn’t understand why they needed to. 

In Hebrews 10:1-4, Paul explains the purpose of this law: 

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

This law that required the sacrifice of blood of animals was a preparatory law. While it couldn’t grant a remission of sins, it foretold of the sacrifice of Christ and encouraged remembrance of past sins. Paul also explained that this law was done away with His death. 

Christ’s death marked the beginning of the new law. 

“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” (Heb 9:15-17)

Just as the old law, the first testament, was dedicated with blood, from the sacrificial animals, so was the second law dedicated with blood, the blood of Christ. This was a necessity for, “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb 9:22). Through his death, Christ made possible the remission of sins for all those that will ever live on the earth, something that the shedding of animal blood could not do. 

The difference in the laws is important and understanding the difference between the old law and the new law gives us a better understanding of the nature of the atonement. His death marked the turning point between living a law that was a constant reminder of our unworthiness to living a law that reminded us of the hope and salvation that is to be found in Christ. Paul says that the path to this salvation is not hid from us. He exhorts:

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb 10:22-25)

It is up to each of us to follow the path that Christ, through Paul, has set before us. We must make the covenants that are required, including baptism. We must be faithful in our actions and lives and hold to that faith with endurance. We must assemble and serve together and teach the words of Christ.

Following as Children

I don’t even know how many times the scriptures tell us to be as little children. I do know that it’s a lot. For some reason this scripture stood out to me in a way that the others had not.  Though short, it prompted deeper thought.

Be ye followers of God, as dear children. (Eph. 5:1)

We have all seen how excited children are around the parents. When mom or dad comes home from work or even an hour trip to the store, the kids run up to them and throw their arms around them. When mom is trying to cook dinner, the kids run around underfoot, wanting nothing more to play in her shadow or help her with her work. Kids follow their parents with an enthusiasm that we as adults have lost. We see ourselves as independent beings, separate from others. We can attach ourselves to others, but we remain “our own person”. We don’t need to grow up to be like someone else because we already grew up.

What if we followed God with the same childlike enthusiasm that our children followed us with? What if we were constantly underfoot wanting to help with his work? He is, after all, our Father. Shouldn’t we want to do what he is doing? 

So why don’t we? Unlike the imperfect parents that we all are, He has never shooed us away in impatience. He has only ever reached out with open arms to love us and to aid us in our mission to become like him. He wants to teach us and he wants us to succeed. He gives us this knowledge through the Spirit.

Earlier in Ephesians, Paul teaches that it is through the Spirit that we learn of wisdom and revelation.

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the works of his power.” (Eph 1:17-19)

It is through the gift of the Spirit that we learn of His Plan, our inheritance, and His power and the power of Faith. It is through the Spirit that we are enlightened. It is through the Spirt that we come to know who our Father is and that we grow to want to be like him. 

Whatever the reasons that we each have for distancing ourselves from Heavenly Father, the answer comes in inviting the Spirit into our lives. Without the Spirit, we are as children locked in a room where we don’t ever have contact with our parents. We know nothing of them. Our knowledge can’t grow and all we ever do is focus on what is in the room with us. Our lives are shallow in comparison with what they could be.

Invite the Spirit into your life and you invite Heavenly Fathers influence as well. It will begin to have the same influence over you that an earthly parent’s influence has over their children.

Speaking to Edify

I have decided that I really like Paul’s way of speaking. I especially like how he is always talking about doing things by the Spirit. we should teach by the Spirit, serve by the Spirit, and listen to the Spirit in all things.  Sometimes, though, I find myself unsure of how what he say applies to me. This was a struggle for me as I worked through 1 Corinthians. Yet, there were also times where what he said couldn’t be more clearer. I especially felt this way while reading 1 Corinthians 14. This chapter just made so much sense to me.

In chapter 14, Paul goes on to talk about the difference between edifying and speaking in tongues. There were a couple things that came to my mind while I was reading this section. First, I thought about how important it is to keep the lessons and thoughts that we share when teaching simple. Paul said, “So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?” (1 Cor 14:9) This scripture had me reflecting on my calling as a teacher for the women in my ward. As a teacher, I am not supposed to discover hidden, unrevealed truths. I am supposed to teach the gospel, in its simplicity by the Spirit. I am supposed to speak so that those that hear me are able to feel the Spirit and understand the gospel.

This scripture by Paul also had my thinking: “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret” (1 Cor 14:27). It reminded of my time living abroad in a country, and attending church, while not being able to speak the language at all. For about a year, my family lived in South Korea. We knew no Korean upon arriving and only slightly more upon leaving. We lived in the area for long enough that we had to speak twice. It was intimidating at first because, even though the congregation was small, no one understood us and we didn’t understand them. The missionaries stepped up to translate our talks for us each time we spoke. I understood at the time that we were part of the congregation, despite the language barrier, and that it was important for us to share what the Spirit spoke to us.

This same experience in Korea also taught me the reverse side of this principle: “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?” (1 Cor 14:23). While we didn’t think that the congregation was “mad” not having each of the meeting interpreted for us definitely made it hard for us to understand what was being taught and for us to feel the Spirit behind the speaker’s words. We could feel the Spirit but it was diminished because of our lack of understanding. Both of these were neat experiences and demonstrated exactly what Paul was trying to teach, that words should be in languages and words understandable to those that are present.

This post may seem like just a bunch of self-reflection but I intend it to be more than that. I hope that through my experiences, others can see the importance of speaking in ways that are understood by those that are being preached to. Paul taught “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church” (1 Cor 14:4). It would serve us well to remember this. If our goal is to spread the Word and to help others unto salvation, it would serve us and them best if we do so in ways that all are edified.

Testimony

One of my favorite passages of scripture is in Acts 17 verses 23-33. This is commonly known as Paul’s declaration of the unknown god.  I include it now because I feel that my discussion of the verses loses some of the beauty in his words.

“23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

 32 ¶And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

 33 So Paul departed from among them.”

As Paul is in Athens, he sees people on a hill worshipping a statue with the inscription, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”. He then gives them a beautiful testimony of who God is. This testimony speaks to the creation of the world, the divinity of each of us and the love the He has for us, His call to repentance and the resurrection of the Savior. It is simple in its message and pure in spirit.

How do our testimonies measure up to this? When we share the Gospel, how do we witness of Christ or the Father? I can’t help but feel that we can each put a greater focus on the truth in the gospel instead of our interpretation of it. Are we sharing the Truth or what we feel is right? Maybe we need to share our testimonies more.

I know that I want to speak with Paul and declare that God created us and knows us. He asks nothing of us except that we do the things necessary that we may see Him again. We are His children; He is the father of our spirits. Just as an earthly father would not leave his children, He will not leave us. We may not always understand what he asks of us but He will always guide us.

Just as those who heard Paul had the choice to mock him or to listen to the spirit, so do you and so do all of those that hear your testimony. 

Just know that I KNOW these things. I do not doubt them.

We Are More Than Our Mistakes

Who are you? How would you describe yourself? When you talk about yourself to others, what do you say?

Too often we are defined by our mistakes, by ourselves and others. We are guilty of labeling others as well. He is an addict. She can't control her anger. They can't hold down jobs. Are these mistakes really who we are? Are they the sum of us?

One of the acts that Peter, the Apostle and Prophet, is best known for is his denial of Christ on the night of His betrayal. Is that all that he is, a follower turned faithless man? Obviously not! Would Christ later have trusted Peter with the welfare of His church as well as with all of the keys of the kingdom if that were all he was? Unfortunately, who Peter was gets lost in his moment of wavering commitment to the defense of his Master.

Peter's life was filled with faith. He walked on water on faith. He jumped to Christ's defense in the Garden of Gethsemane, slicing off the ear of a guard. He was among the first to visit the sepulchre on the morning of the resurrection. He led the Church, growing and strengthening it through his ministry and up to his martyrdom. He served in the face of adversity and death, never regretting his decision. Peter was more than his mistake.

Am I?

Are you?

We are children of our Father. We have the potential to be as He is. We have the power to overcome our mistakes and to learn from them. These mistakes may not define us but they do provide opportunities to humble ourselves and to repent. They provide us with the motivation to change and to become better than we are. Like Peter, we must act on faith, doing what we know to be right and following the Lord's example. Our mistakes are in our past and our future is spread ahead of us. It’s up to us to be more than our mistakes.

Importance of the Holy Ghost

As Christ left this world, He left the Apostles with a great gift, the Holy Ghost. Christ taught them that His Spirit would “guide [them] in all truth,” “testify of [Him],” and would “teach [them] in all things, and bring all things to [their] remembrance” ( John 16:13, 15:26, and 14:26 respectively). Without the Holy Ghost with them after Christ departure, the Apostles would have had no enduring connection to God and no way to have His guidance in the affairs of the Church. The Church would quickly have deviated from Christ’s doctrine simply from human error and temptation. 

Just as the early apostles needed the guidance of the Spirit to show them what they should do, so we also need that guidance. We too have no connection to God without The presence of the Spirit. Without the promptings of the Spirit we are left to find our way on our own, not knowing for certain what is true and what is false. We are subject to the whim of Satan.

I know that I have felt this guidance in my life so many times. The most memorable for me would be the day that my late husband and I were married for time and eternity. I was young at the time, only nineteen. We had known each other for almost a year. As most people are on their wedding day, I was nervous. I remember thinking that eternity is a long time to be married to the wrong person. 

All through our courtship I had prayed to have guidance in the direction of our relationship. I had prayed to know whether this was the right thing for me. I had always felt that my prayer was answered in the positive. Still, as we went through the process of getting ready that morning in the temple, I was worried. Not enough to back out, but enough for it to be present in my thoughts.

Since there was time before our ceremony, we were directed to a couch to sit until it was time. I remember that as I sat there thinking about what we were about to do, I had the most amazing feeling of love and approval. I felt that this was most certainly the right choice and that Heavenly father was proud of my decisions that day. I knew then that our marriage was right and that we would be able to whether the storms that would come. We would have the power from God that we needed to make things work. 

Though we were only able to spend four years together on the earth, we still have eternity to look forward to. I also know that the feelings that I had that day were justified. My husband and I had problems, as any couple does, but we loved each other and we wouldn’t give up. Divorce wasn’t an out for us. My confirmation that day in the temple was a gift from Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost, to guide me in righteous decisions.

 We can have these kinds of promptings each day if we strive to live righteously and to listen for them. The Spirit will not compete for our attention. It has been said that he whispers. We must actively seek to hear his voice and to listen for his guidance.

Lord, is it I?

            So much of our lives are spent judging other.  “Did you see what she wore to church?” “I heard they were getting a divorce.” “He really struggles with his testimony.” “She’s headed for trouble” “He is trouble!” For some reason it can be so easy for us to see the ways in which others fall short of their standards or our standards for them. So many problems are created by our desire to find fault with others. How often do we look to ourselves for our areas of weakness?

            Before entering the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ spent time with His disciples. They ate and instituted the first Sacrament. During this time they were also told by Christ that one of them would betray Him. These men were the apostles. They had grown to be nearer to Christ than any other people on the earth. They loved him. Yet, one of them would betray them. 

Their response is telling. They asked only, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt 26:22) They all were sorrowful, knowing that this would happen and that it would be one of them. Instead of pointing the finger and trying to guess who if the Twelve it would be they turned to themselves, asking if the fault was theirs. 

We are so good at seeing the faults in others. So good at underestimating their contributions. Maybe we should look first within ourselves for the fault. Maybe it is us, not them, that needs improvement. 

Turning within ourselves for improvement instead of trying to pin down the faults in others does three things for us. First, it helps us to become better. It helps us to see where we need to step up and helps us fix those flaws.  Second, it helps us to see others as equal to us. When we stop noticing the bad in others, we start to see the good in them. We start to see them for what they can be instead of the problems that they have. Finally, it also helps to reduce conflict with others. Because of agency, we cannot change others, only ourselves. The choice to change is theirs alone. When we no longer focus on the faults we have the chance to love them. There is less fighting and the Spirit is more often present.

Let us be better about where we look for the source of our problems. Remember the Apostles during the Passover prior to Christ’s death and ask yourself, “Lord, is it I?”