"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee."

In a recent post, I mentioned that the plan of mercy is fundamental to the creation.  It's one reason why the creation falls apart around those who reject the plan of mercy.

In this post, I'd like to give a few more examples of how the concept of mercy requires mortality. Mercy can only have claim over justice in the context of agency, repentance, death, and atonement.

The Fall brought about agency

A true test of our agency could only happen away from God's presence. The fall brought this about. Death allows for the probationary period to be temporary. Without the fall and death, God's word would be void (one of the descriptors of the pre-creation state of the earth from Genesis 1:2).

Alma-2 teaches this twice in Alma 12:

23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die.
...
26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect. (Alma 12)

And once more in Alma 42:

5 For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated. (Alma 42)

The creation is the stage upon which the fall (and subsequent redemption) of mankind is set

From the very beginning, creation's purpose had everything to do with bringing about mercy. 

10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. (3 Nephi 22:10; see also Isaiah 54:10)

God's mercy is more enduring than the mountains -- I might add any aspect of the creation itself. That is a powerful thought. A revelation to Joseph Smith goes into more detail:

48 And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to and fro, and the heavens also shall shake.

49 And the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly.

50 And calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed; and they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

...

55 And Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.

56 And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

57 For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. (Doctrine & Covenants 45)

In order to "abide" the day of judgment, we must be changed as a result of the choices we make in mortality. When we walk the covenant path, we become new creatures, destined for a higher plane of existence. Everything and everyone else remains in the dust at the day of judgment. 

Mercy comes through the Word

One final thought to wrap up this post: 

If Adam and Eve could have made the plan "void" by partaking of the fruit prior to repenting, doesn't it follow that we do the same for ourselves if we reject the plan of happiness?

"Left by the hands of those who slew them to molder" versus "grafted into the true vine" (Creation-in-reverse)

My last post ended with a brief discussion of "creation-in-reverse," which is my term for a process described in the scriptures in two different ways.

Here is a very brief summary of each type:

1. Covenant makers experience "creation-in-reverse" by "rend[ing] that veil of unbelief" (see Ether 4:15) and experiencing the "light of the glory of God" (see Alma 19:6). This joyful process is symbolically represented in ancient temple worship. 
2. Covenant breakers experience "creation-in-reverse" of a different sort, in that their wickedness leaves them unprotected and "cut off" from God's presence. The decay of their bodies is often described in detail, often emphasizing the return to dust (see Alma 16:10-11; Alma 28:11; Mormon 6:15) or being buried in the deep (see Alma 44:22). 

Compare Genesis 1:2-4

Let's review the earliest description of the creation process:

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1)

Before the addition of light, and the division of light and darkness, the creation was:

• without form (tohu)
• void (bohu)
• dark (choshek)

When we reject the covenant, we simultaneously reject the purpose of the creation. In a sense, our soul becomes formless, void, and dark. The creation spoils around us.

And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? (Jeremiah 4:30)

Jeremiah preaches against Israel's wickedness and connects their covenant-breaking with a spoiling of the creation around them:

22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. (Jeremiah 4)

Notice how Jeremiah uses those same three descriptors for the earth from Genesis 1:2, positioned between a description of the covenant people's wickedness and the description of the creation's response. (Notice also that in verses 25-28, there is a mention of the elements of creation in reverse order -- "man" then "bird" then "fruitful place" then "land" then "heavens" becoming "black.")

Connecting "creation-in-reverse" and scriptural descriptions of hell

This leads into a bigger topic of study, one that I've been working on for several weeks. It began as I was working in my yard. My wife and I had lopped off some dead branches from a tree we are trying to revive (using Jacob 5 as our instruction manual, of course, even though it isn't an olive tree).

One Saturday, my task was to decide the fate of this pile of dead branches.  I chose fire. For about an hour, I stood in front of the firepit, gradually feeding in these dead branches. As I worked I entertained two thought processes at once: chemistry and scripture. The chemical reaction we call fire involves the breaking down of the "organized" hydrocarbon elements of the wood into more fundamental elements: water vapor, carbon dioxide, and, well, dust. 

At the same, I thought of Mormon lamenting the fate of his people:

...and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth. (Mormon 6:15)

I hadn't ever thought of this description of the fate of the bodies of the wicked as a symbol of hell, but it fits. 

Consider other related phrases, such as "hewn down and cast into the fire." King Benjamin (and others) describe the result of rejecting the word: 

25 ... if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls.
26 Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever.
27 And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever.

There is a lot to unpack in these verses, including references to justice and Adam.   I'll pick this up in a future post, but for now it's enough to point out that the fire of guilt and torment that afflicts the wicked who knowingly reject the word is a result of their decision to reject the plan of mercy. Thus we can reinforce that the purposes of mortality have much to do with the plan of mercy.

Connection to 'The Two Ways'

Mormon also summarizes the contrast between the righteous and the wicked very nicely after describing the aftermath of a war:

10 And from the first year to the fifteenth has brought to pass the destruction of many thousand lives; yea, it has brought to pass an awful scene of bloodshed.
11 And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo.
12 While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness.
13 And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.
14 And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life. (Alma 28)

Light versus darkness

The symbolism here boils ties in with the very fundamental elements of creation -- light versus darkness. This fundamental contrast is emphasized multiple times in the scriptures.  Here is a notable example:

23 And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.

24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

25 And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;

26 He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.

27 Wherefore, he is possessor of all things; for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the Spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son. (Doctrine & Covenants 50)

See also Doctrine & Covenant 88:6-13.

Choosing the light is the way of life. Jesus Christ, of course, is both the light and life of the world (John 8:12 and John 1:4).

Conclusion

Once again we connect the temple covenant with the creation, quite directly. God created the light as He separated the light from the darkness. "Let there be light" may be seen by us as a divine injunction in addition to a declaration by God during the creation process. Mortality is all about seeking the light and cleaving to it. When we do, God promises to send us more and more, until the day comes when we can rend the veil of unbelief and experience the "marvelous light of [God's] goodness—yea, this light [which] infuse[s] such joy into [our] soul, ... that the light of everlasting life [becomes] lit up in [our] soul ... overcom[ing] [our] natural frame, and [we are] carried away in God" (Alma 19:6).

Noah, the ark, and "rest" -- part 6 (God's rest)

Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand...

Moses 7:43

In the last post, we discussed the behavior which provokes God's wrath perhaps more than anything else -- covenant rebellion. In today's post, we'll pivot to what I believe to be the opposite of God's wrath: His rest. If covenant rebellion provokes God to anger, it follows quite logically that God's rest is brought about by covenant fidelity. Furthermore, if God's anger causes the earth to flood, it also follows that God's rest might cause the creation to flourish. This is a basic premise of what I call the "creation-covenant connection" which has been discussed many times on this blog.

So today's post won't dwell on the negative connotations of this pair of opposite states. If you want that, re-read the last post. :)  Today's post is all about the positive side.

Let's begin in Doctrine & Covenants 59, which centers on and connects these concepts beautifully:

1 Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments.
2 For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them.
3 Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength. (D&C 59)

After outlining various commandments, the Lord then says this:

16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

"It pleaseth God" to offer earth's abundance to us -- this is the central purpose of the creation in the first place.

Finally, we get this:

21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
22 Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter.
23 But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.

A basic pattern is outlined in these verses. Covenant fidelity brings temporal and spiritual blessings. Ignoring the purpose of the creation (the everlasting covenant) and misusing the creation brings about His wrath. Jacob makes this same point and then teaches how we can be presented by Christ unto God as "first-fruits of Christ" as we "attain to a perfect knowledge of Him." 

9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?
10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.
11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.
12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come? (Jacob 4)

It seems the earth can serve the exact same function for each of us that the ark served for Noah if we choose to live according to the covenant. We came to earth by the power of His word. The earth was created by the power of His word. The Lord can "command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure."

In this post, Stisa summarizes the different between the first provocation (Adam and Eve's transgression in the Garden of Eden which brought about the fallen state in which we now live) and the second provocation (misusing our time in mortality rather than using it to serve God). This terminology comes from the account of Moses leading Israel to the promised land but their refusal to enter in the land that was flowing with milk and honey on account of the size and strength of the inhabitants of that land.  They feared rather than trusting in God.  They refused to enter in.  As a result, God caused Moses to lead them back into the wilderness and wander. (If you ask me this sounds a metaphor of mortality.) A forty day trip became a forty year wandering. God is particularly displeased with the fact that the people refuse to remember the miracles which made their escape from Egypt possible. (See Numbers 14:11, 22.) The punishment for their refusal to trust God and His power to lead them is harsh: "Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home..." (Numbers 14:30, NIV) The theme remains consistent: covenant fidelity and placing our trust solely on God leads us into His rest. There is no other way.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God

and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did ... in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (Psalm 95:6-11, NIV)

"God's rest"

I've been pondering this concept of "rest" for some time now, trying to find the most succinct wording to summarize what I believe it means. I've settled on this passage from Moses 7:43 quoted at the start of this post: "Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand;"

I love this wording because it encapsulates two critical elements of covenant fidelity:

1. Keeping covenants allows us to find favor in God's eyes through the grace of Jesus Christ -- He "smiles upon [us]."
2. Keeping covenants allows God to keep His promise to uphold us and "prosper us in the land" -- He "[holds] it in his own hand."

"Remember"

In the next post in this series (I warned you it would be a long series!) we will shift our focus to the very important scriptural word "remember." We'll talk about what it means for us to remember God, and also what it means for God to remember us. Spoiler alert: it has everything to do with the everlasting covenant.

 

Noah, the ark, and "rest" -- part 3 (Enoch's vision of Noah's salvation)

With part 2 in this series about the connections between Noah and the everlasting covenant as a backdrop, let's get into Noah's role in this vision.  Here's what comes next:

42 And Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation;

43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.

44 And as Enoch saw this, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.

45 And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal life?

To understand this passage more deeply, it is important to understand that the name Noah means "[divine] rest" and that the passage in Genesis which introduces Noah plays on a root which sounds very similar to his name which can either mean "comfort" or "sorrow/regret." Notice how Enoch's reaction to seeing Noah and his family saved from the flood causes him to say: "I will refuse to be comforted." Quite understandably, he's thinking of all those who weren't saved. Follow this link to Bowen's presentation for a more in-depth analysis of the Hebrew undercurrents in this passage.

The Lord corrects Enoch's refusal to be comforted by reminding him of the most important element of the plan -- the redemption offered by Jesus Christ -- which rightfully gives us reason to "lift up [our] heart, and be glad, and look." The story of Noah is one illustration of how we pass through this probationary period of our journey in safety -- it has everything to do with hearing the voice of the Lord and "entering into" safety.  This is the purpose of the everlasting covenant. 

We see this theme play out as the question "when will the earth rest?" echoes multiple times throughout the remainder of the vision (see verses 48 and 54), with the answer finally arriving after the question is asked one final time in verse 58:

58 And again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the earth rest?

59 And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father; and he called unto the Lord, saying: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? Forasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine Only Begotten; thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself, but through thine own grace; wherefore, I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth.

60 And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah;

61 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;

62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

64 And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.

"Noah built an ark." The Lord "smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand." 

In the first instance, only Noah and his family were preserved from the flood.  Notice how this is inverted in verse 62, where "truth and righteousness" are caused "to sweep the earth as with a flood" to gather those who will hear to safety in Zion. In this verse I see a direct connection between Noah's ark, Enoch's Zion, and the latter-day work of gathering Israel. It all has to do with preparing the elect for the return of Jesus Christ.

Verse 64 offers a remarkably succinct summary of the central purpose of the creation (as a means of dividing the righteous from the wicked). This is the "creation-covenant connection" on full display. When that work of sorting is complete, the earth can finally rest.

In Zion, no one waits for rest

One final point for today's post is that those who enter into His rest by abiding in the covenant begin to experience eternal, unshakable joy immediately and forever (so long as they abide in the covenant). It isn't a future state to anticipate. Rather, it becomes a constant source of "hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God" and "an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." (Ether 12:4.) 

Perhaps paradoxically, entering into His rest comes with the responsibility to get to work declaring the glad tiding to all the inhabitants of earth. We'll get into this aspect in more depth in the next part of this series, but I'll close with these words from Alma-2. Notice how he speaks of the order of the high priesthood and its high priests in verses 7-9 in a way that transcends time:

6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

7 This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—

8 Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—

9 Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

11 Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 13)

As discussed above, in a later post in this series, we'll dive into how themes from Enoch's grand vision make their way into the Book of Mormon, specifically four sermons I've studied and connected to each other and Moses 7, given by men who each had access to the brass plates. 2 Nephi 2, Mosiah 2-5, Alma 12-13, and Alma 42. In the next post, we'll go deeper into the meaning of some words related to Noah's ark.

A temple pattern in the Book of Mormon, continued -- More about shaking

4 Yet now ... be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:

5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2)

As in all things, I learn more and more as I go.  In this post, I'd like to add more depth to the concept of shaking which was discussed in this recent post. Shaking and covenants are deeply connected. In the earlier post, we looked at Mormon's declaration (found in Helaman 12) that "by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake" and "by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center." 

Mormon also says of mankind: "they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide."

This juxtaposition of creation and God's commandments really speaks to me. It is true that we are agents unto ourselves (see Doctrine & Covenants 58:28). We came to His creation, this earth, as a result of a promise we made with God to follow Jesus Christ. To the extent that we live according to His purposes, we "shall have glory added upon [our] heads forever and ever" (Abraham 3:26). If we violate His purposes, we are misusing His creation.

Each of us has the opportunity (and obligation) to "rend that veil of unbelief" (Ether 4:15) and remember some important truths:

1. We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (See Hebrews 11:13.) 
2. Our time here is short and our eternal destiny depends on how the choices we make during this time of probation. (See Alma 42:7-10, 23-24.) 
3. The everlasting covenant is the only path to eternal life. (See Doctrine & Covenants 45:5-10.)

In the words of the Psalmist: "A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. ... Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures ... Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NIV)

Shaking in the presence of God

The earth is God's creation, intended for man's use according to His purposes.  

The arrival of God (v. 18) is heralded by these awesome forces of nature serving like a king’s outrunners (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5) and by a loud blast of the horn. See also 1 Kings 19:11–13; Hab. 3:3–5; Pss. 18:8–16; 68:9–10. Outside the Bible these phenomena also appear in theophanies, particularly of storm gods. In Israelite tradition, although the LORD is no mere storm god, these motifs were taken over to describe the overwhelming power and majesty of the direct experience of the divine. (Berlin, A., Brettler, M. Z., & Fishbane, M. (Eds.). (2004). The Jewish Study Bible (p. 147). New York: Oxford University Press.)

Along the same lines, each of us is His child and subject to His power.  Thus, to the extent that we are unworthy servants (or caught by the power/kingdom of the devil), when we stand in His presence we are shaken to the center. (See Doctrine & Covenants 10:56.)

An illustration from Moses and the children of Israel

I'll illustrate this pattern using a story from Moses and the children of Israel.

In Exodus 19, three months after their miraculous rescue from bondage in Egypt, Moses "went up unto God" and conversed with Him.

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19)

In verse 8 we learn that "all the people" agree to these terms.  In other words, they accept the covenant God has offered them. Then the Lord tells Moses to "sanctify" the people in preparation of His appearance to them.

10 ¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about... (Exodus 19)

After setting the terms of the covenant, receiving agreement from the people, and preparing them by sanctification and "set[ting] bounds," the Lord "came down upon mount Sinai."  Here is the description of how the creation reacted:

16 ¶ And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. (Exodus 19)

It is in this context, with the people prepared and a boundary set that God gives Israel His law.

The Everlasting Covenant as a "light to the world"

With all of this rich symbolism in mind, I'll close this post with powerful words from Doctrine & Covenants 45, with some emphasis added by me:

1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth, who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have a being.
2 And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you; in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls not saved.
3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
6 Hearken, O ye people of my church, and ye elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called today, and harden not your hearts;
7 For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
8 I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life.
9 And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me. (Doctrine & Covenants 45)

 

Echoes of Abraham and the creation account in 1 Nephi 17

I've been studying 1 Nephi 17-18 over the past several weeks.  I noticed several curious similarities between the account of finding Bountiful and building the ship and the story of Abraham's test in Genesis 22 (OT quotations below are from the NIV) and the creation account from Genesis 1.

"Provide means"

In verse 3, Nephi says:

...if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

We can compare this with Abraham's reply to Isaac's question about the lamb for the sacrifice:

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” 

Later, Abraham "called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." (See Genesis 22:14.)

The Hebrew root here is "raah" which has many definitions, including to provide, to show, to behold, to see, to appear, to look, etc. It is worth noting that this same root shows up many times in the creation account, for  example when it says "And God saw the light, that it was good" in verse 4 or "let the dry land appear" in Genesis 1:9.

"Get thee into the mountain"

Of course, Nephi also travels to a mountain in 1 Nephi 17:7 --

7 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.

On the mount, Nephi is "provided" direction where to find ore and shown how to build the ship (see also 1 Nephi 18:1-3). This connects nicely with the Hebrew root "raah" above.

"Seashore" and "Bountiful/Much fruit"

Notice the repetition in naming and describing Bountiful tucked away in Nephi's account:

5 And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.

6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.

The setting here is the border between land and sea, which bring the creation account to the mind. We also have some elements which ring familiar in the context of what God promised Abraham after providing the ram in the thicket, from verse 17:

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.

 

I'll admit this one feels like a stretch to me, but it stood out so I decided to include it here.

"My brethren beheld that it was good"

This final detail is unmistakable if you ask me.  The phrase in 1 Nephi 18:4 mirrors Genesis 1:4, complete with the use of a word which derives from "raah" discussed above:

God saw the light, that it was good

my brethren beheld that it was good

Summary

Nephi was a literary genius.  The Book of Mormon was very carefully written by someone with intimate familiarity with the Hebrew Bible. 

Understanding these points helps us have "eyes to see" as we study and also helps us understand why Nephi's perspective during his afflictions was so stalwart and so faithful. He understood Abraham's stor in the context of the plan of salvation. He understood his own adversity in the context of the great plan of salvation. He knew that his suffering was helping to fulfill promises given to Abraham by God, and that the purpose of the creation was to bring about the miracle of eternal life among God's children through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Mormon and Moroni unfold the purpose of the creation

15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. (Moroni 7)

Partaking of the forbidden fruit resulted in several inevitable consequences:

1. A probationary phase of our existence with a physical body in a fallen world.
2. Good and evil all around us, manifesting in various ways.

Sounds a little scary, but we haven't been left without help. Here's what is given to everyone:

1. Redemption is made possible "from the beginning" by Christ.
2. The "Spirit of Christ" is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.
3. Angels bring good tidings to us, announcing the conditions of our return to God and mediating the work of covenants, which prepare us to return to God's presence.

The divine pattern which was established to gather us back to God is as old as Adam and Eve. 

It involves ministering angels -- divinely-authorized messengers, mortal or immortal -- "coming down" to visit us, sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, bearing testimony of Him, and extending a series of invitations to mortals in order to teach them how to "lay hold upon every good thing" and return to the presence of the Father and dwell with Him "eternally in the heavens."

I'd say that's a decent overview of mortality, wouldn't you agree? All of this is taught rather plainly by Mormon and Moroni in sermons we find in the books which bear their names.

I'd like to point out a few clever elements tucked away in the writings of Mormon and Moroni which underscore how deeply these prophetic writers connected the creation with the need for covenants.

Example #1

The first example is found in Moroni 7:15 quoted above. Notice the juxtaposition of a contrasting pair of creation elements (day and night) with the descriptors of the forbidden fruit (knowledge of good and evil). The fallen world is inherently dichotomous and offers us ample opportunities to choose.

Example #2

From Mormon 9:

11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.

12 Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.

In this passage, Moroni teaches that the "God of miracles" created the heavens, the earth, and "all things that in them are."  He created Adam who brought about the fall, and Jesus Christ came to bring about the redemption of man. It's a logical train connecting miracles and redemption of man by means of the creation and Jesus Christ!

Moroni continues:

15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?

17 Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?

This concept of the God of miracles preparing a way for all mankind to escape two forms of death laid out the the central purpose of the creation. 

Example #3

Let's finish this post by reviewing a very familiar passage from Moroni 10:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. ...

7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.

8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. ...

In coming to know of the truthfulness of this powerful work, we are exhorted to "remember" God's mercy "from the creation of Adam" down to our day.  The creation itself is a "[gift] of God" and we are wise to treat it as such.

Another layer of meaning to "every good thing"

I wrote a blog post a while back about how "every good thing" in Moroni 7 links together two important themes in the chapter. In short, Mormon spends the first part of the chapter defining "good" and its source. Then he asks us to "lay hold" on it. The rest of the chapter is spent talking about faith, hope and charity as the means to "lay hold upon every good thing". Later, Lord Wilmore added a new layer to this when linking the concept of "every good thing" to covenants. In other words, faith, hope and charity is not just a mental exercise to believe in God, hope that you will be saved and then being nice to others. It is the "work of the covenants" administered by angels (Moroni 7:29-31) leading to a commitment that draws men to Christ.

In this post, I want to propose another layer to this. There are many posts on this blog addressing what we call the creation-covenant connection. In essence, it is theorized that the Hebrew word "berith" (covenant) is derived from "bara" (to create). This theory is strengthened by the fact that the scriptures often link the two concepts. I will not go into these examples now, but the concept is a creation that is initially bound together in peace and harmony (before the fall) as a covenant. The atonement reverses the effects of the fall and reunites and restores creation to its intended place. Covenants bind us to Christ but ultimately also bind the whole creation into one, even though we still live in a fallen world and don't see the full realization of this yet.

Christ is thus the ultimate restorer. When modern members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hear the word restoration, they usually think of a spring day in 1820 or in 1829. But this word points to something quite differently in the Book of Mormon. Consider Alma 41:2-3

2 I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself.
3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.

Moroni 7 repeats several times that all things which are good come from Christ and admonishes us to lay hold upon every good thing. How does this relate to the creation? When God created "the heavens and the earth", he did so by his Only Begotten (see Moses 1:32-33, 2:1). During the creation, God repeatedly stated

I, God, saw that all things which I had created were good

"Every good thing" was initially created by God through his Only Begotten. After man had partaken of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, man could experience evil also but it necessitated a restoration unto good. This happens through the atonement and covenants. This is why Mormon asks us to "lay hold upon every good thing".

And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them. (Moroni 7:24)

Based on this, I think that Mormon also refers to the creation when he talks about "every good thing". It came through Christ in the creation, it was disrupted through the fall, but can be restored through the atonement if we lay hold upon it by entering into and keeping covenants.

Righteousness -- Part 3

In the previous two parts (here and here), I have written about the term, righteousness, in a particular context that Margaret Barker provides in this paper. It is fascinating to me how such a common word in the scriptures can have so much meaning when new context is provided. It has both changed and added depth to my understanding of certain verses. I know I am repeating myself, but this part from Barker's paper is important for the topic of this post.

the Bible writers said that God had bound all creation into one system[...] The bonds were called the covenant of peace, or the covenant of life and peace (Numbers 25.12; Malachi 2.5). Peace did not mean simply ‘absence of conflict’. The Hebrew word shalom implies far more: rest, balance, harmony and completion - we might nowadays say ‘a sustainable state.’ The story of the creation in the Bible says this was achieved when everything was very good and at rest[...] The Servants of the LORD had to maintain the covenant of peace. When it was threatened or damaged, they had to do whatever was necessary to restore it. And here we come to the word that forms the title of this talk; righteousness, tsedaqah. Righteousness describes both the action needed to restore the broken covenant, and also the result of that action. Righteous people had been restored to their intended place in the creation, and they then had to work to restore other parts of the covenant system. Righteousness meant the activity of making righteous, protecting and maintaining the covenant. Those who had been healed had to become healers.

With this as backdrop, I see the following verses in Alma 13 in a new light:

10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish...
13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest.
14 Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood forever...
17 Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness;
18 But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father.

I'm highlighting a lot of words here that have direct connection to the quote I gave and the previous posts on this topic. Why do I highlight the name, "Melchizedek"? Because it means "king of righteousness" in Hebrew. "zedek" is just a different spelling of "tsedeq" that I wrote about in part 1 of this series. Do you see how well it fits the context? Alma talks about those who were high priests in the first temple period (obviously, because that is when Lehi left Jerusalem). They were examples of righteousness, restorers of the covenant of peace. Alma exhorts his listeners to follow their lead so they can enter into his rest, which is an indicator of the covenant of peace being intact. Melchizedek, the king of righteousness, is a great example of such a high priest. He established this peace in his society after the people had repented from "all manner of wickedness" (remember from part 2 that wickedness is the opposite of righteousness). With the Hebrew meaning translated, "Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem" becomes "The king of righteousness was a king over the land of peace".

Even though we know very little about Melchizedek, the description of him and his name matches perfectly with the idea of "righteous people [who] had been restored to their intended place in the creation, and [...] then had to work to restore other parts of the covenant system". Keeping in mind that angels can be heavenly or earthly ("angel" and "messenger" is the same word in Hebrew), this is a description of the "see an angel, be an angel" concept and the ministry of angels that Lord Wilmore has written about in previous blog posts. 

This is also the essence of temple worship and atonement. The high priest would represent the Messiah and enter into the holy of holies on the day of atonement to sprinkle blood on behalf of the people. This would symbolically restore the broken covenant and reestablish peace and harmony of the creation. Melchizedek as a high priest would do this and apparently managed to establish peace. We know little details, but we know that he is a type of Christ, the other king of righteousness ("after the order of Melchizedek" Hebrews 7:17). To quote the article from Barker again

When the prophets spoke of the earth staggering under the weight of human sin (Isaiah 24.20), of mountains shaking (Jeremiah 4.24), of stars falling from the sky like fruit from a fig tree (Revelation 6.13), they were seeing how the creation would be when it was no longer restrained and protected by the covenant[...] In crises such as this, they looked for the Righteous One to appear and restore the covenant (Isaiah 24.16). Isaiah described the Servant, the Righteous One who would make many righteous and bear away their iniquities (Isaiah 53.11). Making righteous meant removing the effects of distortion, enabling more people to become restorers. St Peter described Jesus as the Righteous One, the Author of Life (Acts 3.14-15)

This also helps me see the priesthood in a new light. The "order of the Son of God", that it was initially called, is what is described in the quote above. It was later called "the order of Melchizedek" or the Melchizedek priesthood, but as Alma 13 shows, it is exactly the same: It is the restoration of the covenant through righteousness. In his great lecture on the priesthood in D&C 121, Joseph Smith said:

...the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness (L&P 121:36)

The priesthood exercised in righteousness by people like Melchizedek restores the covenant of peace and enables more people to become restorers. Christ, the "high priest" in the letter to the Hebrews, is the ultimate example of that. It would of course be impossible without his atonement that Melchizedek and the temple rites merely foreshadowed.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

We have high priests after the order of Melchizedek in the church today too. It is structured a bit differently and they have a different role than 3000 years ago, but I think the same principles apply. As leaders in Christ's restored church, they exercise the priesthood in righteousness. They invite people to enter into covenants and administer the ordinances connected to those covenants. In line with ancient Israelite thought, this restores the old covenant of peace and harmony among God's creations. It leads people on the paths of righteousness to the fountain of righteousness. They are restored to their intended place in the creation and can help others achieve the same.