"An instrument in the hands of God"

This is a short follow-up note on my series of posts on the phrase "stretch forth thine hand" (which begins here). One main lesson from that study was that prophets are messengers from God calling a covenant people to repent. As we learned from the account of Enoch (discussed in part 4), Enoch feels the same things God feels and emulates actions described by God during his grand vision.

A related phrase which caught my attention during the course of this study is "an instrument in the hands of God."  This is unique to the Book of Mormon, but it shows up several times.  With only one exception (which will be discussed below), every time the word "instrument" is used in the Book of Mormon it is in connection with "an instrument in the hands of God."

Here are the verses where it is used.  Notice how consistent the context is -- each instance refers to leading/delivering a people or bringing them to repentance. I love the description of the purpose of the instrument (highlighted in green below).  If you ever want a succinct summary of why God sends prophets/messengers to earth, this is a nice list.

24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you. (2 Nephi 1)

 

24 And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren. (2 Nephi 3)

 

10 Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. (Mosiah 23)

 

36 And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer. (Mosiah 27)

 

8 Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was he who was an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage. (Alma 1)

 

30 And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people. (Alma 2)

 

9 And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

10 And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.

11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. (Alma 17)

 

3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

...

15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. (Alma 26)

 

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. (Alma 29)

 

14 And Alma, and Ammon, and their brethren, and also the two sons of Alma returned to the land of Zarahemla, after having been instruments in the hands of God of bringing many of the Zoramites to repentance; and as many as were brought to repentance were driven out of their land; but they have lands for their inheritance in the land of Jershon, and they have taken up arms to defend themselves, and their wives, and children, and their lands. (Alma 35)

 

'keli' -- an article, utensil, vessel (כְּלִי)

The Hebrew word for 'instrument' is 'keli,' derived from the verb meaning 'to be completed.' Of note, the tools described in the Old Testament intended for use in the temple are also called 'instruments,' along with many other objects.

The lone exception in the Book of Mormon of the word 'instrument' being used in a context other than "an instrument in the hands of God" is from 3 Nephi 22:16 (quoting Isaiah 54:16):

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

This verse sheds a little light on the topic by reminding us that we can become useful helpers in bringing about God's eternal purposes for His children. This happens only as we devote ourselves to Him and align our will with His.

In the context of the "two ways" this means that we either become instruments in the hand of God or we end up worshipping the things which our own hands have made.

Gold and the Two Ways -- part 4a

Gold and the Two Ways in the Book of Mormon

Parts 1, 2, and 3 are found here: Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. We're looking at references to gold and riches and the like in the scriptures in the context of the doctrine of the two ways. In this post, we'll look at some of the references found in the Book of Mormon. This is a big topic, so I will break this into two parts. In this first part, we'll review scriptures from the Book of Mormon just as we've done for the Bible in the first three sections of this series. In the next part we'll take a slight detour and discuss the specific Book of Mormon theme related to treasures becoming slippery during ties of covenant rebellion.

Gold and treasure in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon gives us numerous references to gold (59), treasure (15), and riches (43).  I'm sure there are additional terms with a meaning close enough to add to that tally. Since this is not meant to be a comprehensive review of all references, but just a cursory overview of some of the references which also make reference to the doctrine of the Two Ways, I'll focus on those references which best fit the theme.

For the following list, I'll forego quoting the verses to leave room for more total references in this post:

• 2 Nephi 9:42 -- God despises the prideful and rich unless "they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility."
• Jacob 2:13, 18-19 -- Obtaining riches has led to pride, stiff necks, and high heads. Seek for the kingdom of God before seeking riches. Then seek riches for the intent to do good.
• Mosiah 2:12 -- "I ... have not sought gold nor silver nor and manner of riches of you."
• Mosiah 4:19 -- "Are we not all beggars?" We all depend on God for all the substance we have, including gold, silver, and riches.
• Alma 1:16, 29-30 -- Priestcrafts are associated with a love of the vain things of the world, riches, honor. Meanwhile the righteous cared for the poor and "did not set their hearts upon riches" but were "liberal to all." The "steadiness of the church" brought about exceeding riches.
• Alma 4:6, 8 -- The people wax proud because of their riches, gold, and silver. The church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to "set their hearts upon riches" and "they began to be scornful, one towards another."
• Alma 7:6 -- (Alma to the righteous people of Gideon) "I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world."
• Alma 15:16 -- Amulek forsook all his riches for the word of God and was rejected by his friends and kindred.
• Alma 39:14 -- "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world."
• Alma 45:24 -- Pride because of "exceedingly great riches" leads the people to not give heed to the word or walk uprightly before God.
• Helaman 4:12 -- Pride of the heart and riches lead to "oppression to the poor"
• Helaman 5:7-8 -- Do that which is good, not to boast, but to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven (the "precious gift of eternal").
• Helaman 6:17 -- Prosperity leads to setting their hearts upon riches, leading the people to commit secret murders to get gain, rob, and plunder. (Cain is directly mentioned in verse 27.)
• Helaman 7:21, 26: Wo comes to the wicked unless they repent. They seek to "get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and [to] get gold and silver." Pride enters the heart and "has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!"
• 3 Nephi 6: 10, 12, 15 -- Riches lead to pride and classes, differing chances for learning. Satan had great power, tempting the people "to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world."
• 3 Nephi 13:19-21 -- Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
• 4 Nephi 1:43 -- Riches lead to pride and vanity.

A few thoughts about these verses:

There is a direct connection between riches and having a heart set upon the things of the world. Compare this to the command given to Joseph Smith by Moroni to obtain the plates (which were hidden in the ground) only to further God's work on earth, not for worldly gain. We'll talk about that in the next part in more depth.

Notice the contrasting symbolism between Jacob 2:13 and Alma 45:24 -- riches lead to "stiff necks" and high heads" and also causes the people to refuse to "walk uprightly before God."

Notice also how Amulek is described in Alma 15:16.  It's a perfect analog to the description Jacob gives in 2 Nephi 9:42.

It strikes me how clearly Jesus' words in 3 Nephi 13 fulfill the prophecy of slippery treasure from Helaman 13. This is a foreshadowing of the Nephites brought upon themselves by their covenant rebellion. Their record, also hidden in the ground, has come forth to us in order to gather God's people throughout the earth in the latter days.  Will we be wiser than they and lay up treasure in heaven rather than setting our hearts upon riches?

Costly apparel versus clothing their nakedness

Clothing and nakedness with its symbolism has been discussed extensively on this blog before. The robe of righteousness or "clothed with glory/purity" and similar terms have deep symbolic meaning. But when actual physical clothing is described in the Book of Mormon, there might be some underlying symbolism as well. I just noticed that when the Nephite society is described and their clothing is mentioned, there are usually two alternatives:

1. A wicked society wearing fine/precious clothes coupled with pride
2. A righteous society where clothing is solely used to "cover their nakedness"

The price of the clothes we wear is not usually considered an indicator of our righteousness or wickedness in church today. It must have had a much more significant cultural and symbolic meaning among ancient Nephites. I cannot even begin to link all relevant previous posts touching on these concepts, but the idea of covering our nakedness is closely linked to the atonement (the Hebrew word for atonement means covering). The recurring theme of lifting yourself in pride has also been discussed extensively, and sometimes appears together with costly apparel. Perhaps this can be seen as a symbol of trying to cover your own sins instead of letting the atonement do it, similar to lifting yourself in pride instead of letting Christ lift you.

There are several examples supporting the pattern outlined above. 

For instance, in the Book of Mormon the wicked are often described as wearing costly apparel, and it is almost without exception coupled with pride.

because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel (Jacob 2:13)

And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches? (Alma 5:53)

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel (Mormon 8:36)

Conversely, we see another pattern when clothing of a righteous people is described.

And I did cause that the women should spin, and toil, and work, and work all manner of fine linen, yea, and cloth of every kind, that we might clothe our nakedness; and thus we did prosper in the land - thus we did have continual peace in the land for the space of twenty and two years. (Mosiah 10:5)

Notice how "prosper in the land", the promise of the Mosaic covenant, follows when their clothing was only used to cover their nakedness. A very similar statement is found in Helaman.

Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. (Helaman 6:13)

...and in a rare period of righteousness and prosperity among the Jaredites

And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness. (Ether 10:24)

We see both of these patterns play out in Alma 1, where we are introduced to Nehor, who is described in verse 6

And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel

Those who did not support him and belonged to the true church of God are described in verse 27

And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely.

Interestingly, the next verses go on to relate that the members of the church became "far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church" (Alma 1:31). Consequently, they could have afforded much more expensive clothes than those who did not belong to the church. Yet, those who did not belong to the church are described thus in verse 32:

For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes

While the prosperous, righteous people of the church were concerned with "not send[ing] away any who were naked" (Alma 1:30).

Another observation is the similarity between the righteous people of the church in Alma 1:29

And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth.

...and the great and abominable church in 1 Nephi 13:6-7

6 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
7 And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.

The phrases in bold are very similar but a noticeable difference is the description of the clothing. "all manner of good homely cloth" versus "all manner of precious clothing". 

 

Old Testament Temple Symbolism -- Exodus 26

This post is the next installment in a series of posts about temple symbolism in Exodus 25-28. The previous post in this series discussed symbols from Exodus 25.  This post will cover Exodus 26.

"Fine-twined linen"

1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. (Exodus 26)

I was previously unaware of this phrase in the context of building the tabernacle. It certainly adds a new layer of depth to the Book of Mormon

I know "fine-twined linen" as a symbol of pride in the Book of Mormon (see 1 Nephi 13:7-8 and Alma 4:6). I connected "fine twined linen" to the concept of "pride of the eyes" in this post. Nephi connects "pride of the eyes" with a desire to get gain at the expense of the poor in 1 Nephi 13 and 2 Nephi 26.  

What I hadn't realized is that this effect of pride of the eyes in service the "great and abominable church" (see 1 Nephi 13:5 and 2 Nephi 26:20-21) is a direct corruption/inversion of God's command to Moses:

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. (Exodus 25)

When we seek to "get gain" and hoard treasure up unto ourselves because of pride, we are not making a free and willing offer to build God's kingdom and show devotion to Him through the act of giving to the temple.

Notice how "fine-twined linen" is also used in a positive context in the Book of Mormon, each time in conjunction with "blessed"/"prospered" or "great joy and peace":

22 And they were exceedingly industrious, and they did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain. ... 24 And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness. ... 28 And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it. (Ether 10)

29 And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—... and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth. 30 ... and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, ... 31 And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church. (Alma 1)

 

11 ... and thus they did become rich. 12 They did raise grain in abundance ... 13 Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. 14 And in the sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy and peace, ... (Helaman 6) 

 

This "covenant abundance" dovetails with Enoch's Zion, where the people "flourish[ed]" and "were of one heart and one mind," and "there was no poor among them." (See Moses 7:17-18.) 

Goats' Hair

The next layer of the covering of the Holy Place is made from goats' hair (see Exodus 26:7), which is associated in several ways with repentance. Samuel Ridout's Bible commentary on the details of the Tabernacle includes the following:

In addition to its use for tents, this cloth of goats' hair was also, probably, what is called sackcloth: "The sun became black as sackcloth of hair" (Rev. 6:12). This was used in mourning and afflicting the soul, as in repentance: "They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" (Matt. 11:21). The raiment of John the Baptist was of camels' hair, similar to this (Matt. 3:4)...

As we have noticed, these coverings were made, not of the skin, but of the hair of goats. We will get later the significance of the skin, in connection with the next covering, of rams' skins dyed red. May we, without being fanciful, suggest a few thoughts in connection with the animals' hair?

It is the outermost covering of all, over the skin, and is the point of contact between the animal and the outer world; it is also the point of separation. The hair shields the animal from the rain, and protects it from extremes of cold and heat. Thus it indicates separation. So the Nazarite let his hair grow long in token of his separation from everything that would defile (Num. 6:5). If defilement came in, he had to shave off his hair in token that he had lost his separation. One of the signs of leprosy was the hair turning its color, or sometimes its falling out was the precursor of this disease (Lev. 13:30, 42). The vigor of separation not being maintained, defilement and sin resulted. (source)

Hair as a symbol of separation is interesting.  It reminds me of the concept of "Zion as an enclosed garden" which has reference to the Garden of Eden.  Of course we know that Adam and Eve were ritually clothed by God at the time of their expulsion from Eden, too.

The Book of Mormon mentions "sackcloth" four times.  Two of these occur in quotations from Isaiah (2 Nephi 7:3 and 2 Nephi 13:24).  The other two occur in the context of repentance:

25 And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions; and thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me. (Mosiah 11)

9 And it came to pass that the judges did say unto Nephi, according to the words which had been desired. And it came to pass that when Nephi saw that the people had repented and did humble themselves in sackcloth... (Helaman 11)

We also see instances where intense darkness in the Book of Mormon leads to repentance (see Helaman 5:28-48 and 3 Nephi 8:20-11:41).

Acacia wood

This tree is common in the area where the Tabernacle was commanded to be built, and its wood was well-known as long-lasting and resilient. I suppose there is a practical as well as a symbolic significance to this wood.  In a similar way, the Book of Mormon frequently reminds us that the words of the sacred records will retain their brightness and stand as a witness against us at the day of judgment.  See this post for details and references.

May 25–31. Mosiah 29–Alma 4: “They Were Steadfast and Immovable”

Here are links to additional resources for this week's Come, Follow Me lesson:

Mosiah 29: A fascinating connection to Kings in the Old Testament, A note about tracking the timeline, Transitions to first person voice, and more.


Alma 1: "Anti-Christs" in the Book of Mormon, Gideon, The Profession of Nehor, and more.


Alma 2: Cunning in the Book of Mormon.


Alma 3: The Mark of the Curse


Alma 4: Pride of the eyes

"Pride of the eyes"

As Samuel the Lamanite condemns the Nephite's susceptibility to false teachers, he identifies two types of pride:

27 But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth—and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet. (Helaman 13)

His sermon links each of these forms of pride to specific spiritual conditions -- pride of the eyes leads to a love of riches, and pride of the heart leads to a puffed up, hard heart which is unreceptive to the word of God.

This post will discuss other mentions of "pride of the eyes" and related themes. The use of this phrase is not coincidental -- Samuel and Mormon make identical points to Nephi. The small plates were studied.

Pride of the Eyes

Nephi condemns pride of the eyes and connects it with putting down God's power and miracles and seeking to get gain:

20 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor. (2 Nephi 26)

Mormon mentions the pride of the eyes specifically three times in the Book of Alma, each time in connection with riches. The first two examples are negative, and the third example is positive.

What not to do with prosperity

In these two examples, we get a pretty clear description of the wrong way to handle prosperity.

32 For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible. (Alma 1)

Interestingly, this is a description of those who did not belong to the church. In the preceding verse, Mormon specifically mentions that those who did belong to the church were "far more wealthy" as a result of their righteous handling of their wealth.

6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel. (Alma 4)

This result afflicted Alma and led to persecution and scorn.

The right way to handle riches

48 And the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to multiply and to wax exceedingly strong again in the land. And they began to grow exceedingly rich.
49 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him.
50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.
51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land. (Alma 62)

Conclusion

A person who is lifted up in the pride of his eyes is spiritually blind. This blindness leads to a desire to get gain, persecution of the poor rather than a desire to help, and following one's own will rather than remembering God, the true source of prosperity.

"Anti-Christs" in the Book of Mormon

We read about many people in the BoM who denied Christ, but there are three persons who stand out as "anti-Christs", who go around among the people and actively preach against His coming. Here's a short summary/analysis:

Sherem (Jacob 7) is preaching that a belief in Christ is distracting the people from keeping the Law of Moses and that "no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come". Ironically, the Law of Moses was "a shadow of those things which are to come" (Mosiah 16:14).

Nehor (Alma 1) is preaching that priests and teachers should become popular and that "all mankind should be saved at the last day". It doesn't explicitly say in Alma 1 that he denied the coming of Christ, but it becomes clear as we read about other people later who practice his religion. See for instance Alma 21:4-8. In verse 8, we read: "We do not believe that thou knowest of things to come".

Korihor (Alma 30) is preaching that there should be no Christ, "for no man can know of anything which is to come" and "that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof". He even says there is no God.

Observations:

• All three deny the coming of Christ, arguing that it's impossible to know anything about the future.
• There is a progression from religiosity to atheism: Sherem wanted the people to get back on track, the Law of Moses being the "right way". Nehor believes that everyone will be saved anyway, so we are not responsible to God for our actions. Korihor denies the very existence of a God.
• Perhaps Satan does not worry too much about what people believe as long as they don't believe in Christ? Except for denying the coming of Christ, Sherem, Nehor and Korihor all gave different messages, perhaps what the people around them at the time were the most likely to receive. It didn't really matter as long as it led them away from Christ.