Three Things to Do about Religious Freedom

See others through a lens of fairness. Treat them with respect and kindness and expect the same treatment in return. Stand up for fairness.

3 Things to Do about Religious Freedom
Elder Ronald A Rasband
BYU 15 Sept 2015
http://ldsmag.com/elder-ronald-a-rasbands-landmark-talk-at-byu-3-things-to-do-about-religious-freedom/

Elder Ronald A. Rasband gave BYU students important perspective on religious freedom and fairness to all in a landmark devotional Tuesday, Sept. 15. He said that in preparing his remarks he had worked closely with the Public Affairs Committee of the Church which is headed by Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

He said, “Because you are a sophisticated and intelligent audience, I intend to speak to you with the candor your generation craves. I suspect that for some of you the phrase religious freedom feels more like freedom to discriminate. I want to talk to you about this view and help you understand what the Church means when it talks religious freedom and why it is so vitally important for your future and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Some in your age group wonder why religious groups are involved in politics in the first place and are often skeptical of the motives of religious people when they do so. In recent years, the collective voice of groups who feel that religion should not play a role in political deliberation has grown louder.

“The opportunity to be involved in the political process is a privilege given to every citizen. Our laws and legislation play an important teaching role in shaping our social and moral culture. We need every individual in society to take an active role in engaging in civic dialogue that helps frame laws and legislation that are fair for everyone.”

To explain what Elder Rasband meant by religious freedom he told the hypothetical stories of two people, both in careers that were important to them and where they hoped to make a good impression.

The first is Ethan who had started his job in a career he longed for and wants to make a good impression. He comes early, stays late and does excellent work. Then one day at lunch he shares with some of his co-workers that he is gay. Awkwardness follows in this conservative environment and Ethan feels hurt and rejected. Things become increasingly more difficult at work for him and he finds himself excluded from large projects and social activities. His productivity suffers and soon his boss feels that he is not keeping up and fires him. “Despite all claims to the contrary, Ethan knows he has been fired for being gay.”

Then there’s Samantha who works in the administrative offices of a local university. She loves her job in a stimulating environment, full of diversity until one day a co-worker approaches her and asks if she is a Mormon. When Samantha cheerfully responds that she is, the co-worker asks, “Why do you hate gays?” Samantha is surprised by the question but tries to explain her belief in God and his commandments which includes guidelines on moral and sexual behavior. Soon other co-workers begin to confront her with questions and attacks and her boss cautions her against proselytizing at work or her job will be in jeopardy. Her work, like Ethan’s begins to suffer, and rather than risk being fired, Samantha starts to look for another job.

Elder Rasband said, “Now these are hypothetical stories and yet they are not. There are many Samantha’s and Ethan’s. However we choose to live and whatever choices we make, we share a common humanity and desire for fairness and kindness. Ethan should not have been fired for being gay and Samantha should not have been intimidated for being religious. Both were wrongly criticized, judged and retaliated against.

“Now in today’s society it is politically correct to empathize with Ethan’s situation but less so with Samantha’s. Ethan may find his case picked up by an advocacy group as yet another example of anti-gay discrimination and indeed he does deserve protection. But what about Samantha? Who will defend her right to religious conscience? What about her right to live authentically as a person of faith, committed to love and serving everyone, but also with the right to choose what is right and wrong and to live her life accordingly? Our society has become so blind by its quest to redress wrongful discrimination against one class of people that it is now in danger of creating another victimized class–people of faith like you and me.

“Already some religious schools are being questions because they require students and faculty to adhere to an honor code that requires fidelity and chastity,” Elder Rasband noted. “CEO’s of large companies have been marginalized or forced to resign because their personal religious views are no longer politically acceptable. And some businesses have been forced to close because their owners have spoken their conscience.

“Despite what you may have read or heard over the years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has stood consistently for freedom of choice and conscience. Many years ago the prophet Joseph Smith wrote, “We believe that all men are created equal and that all have the privilege of thinking for themselves upon all matters relative to conscience.” He went on to say, ‘If I have been willing to die for a Mormon I am just as willing to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves.’”

Elder Rasband said that he can assure that Apostles and Prophets have given significant consideration to the position of the Church on religious freedom. He said, “We believe in following the commandments of God which are designed to secure our eternal happiness. However, God will force no man to heaven.

“We believe in creating a space for everyone to live their conscience without infringing on the rights and safety of others. When the rights of one group collide against the rights of another, we must follow the principle of being as fair and sensitive to as many people as possible. The Church believes and teaches in fairness for all. Protecting conscience is about safeguarding the way someone thinks and feels and their right to act on those beliefs.

“I am talking about someone telling you that the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs you have are not allowed, valued or acceptable because your views are not popular. A war in heaven was fought for agency. It is a gross violation of that agency to force someone to betray their conscience because their views do not align with the crowd.

He said not to misunderstand him on this. When he spoke of being authentic, “the Lord does not give us a free pass to live anyway we choose without consequences. We are still accountable to Him for our choices. He has said, ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. “The commandment to seek after perfection implies we start where we are and seek the Lord’s help to lift us to where he wants us to go. Being true to our authentic self requires continual effort to increase our light, knowledge and understanding.”

Elder Rasband said that “the Church favors a balanced approach that secures the rights of all people.” At the January press conference on “Religious Freedom and Fairness to All”, Elder Oaks had said, “We call on local, state and the federal government to serve all of their people by passing legislation that protects vital religious freedoms for all individuals, families and churches and other faith groups, while also protecting the rights of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment and public accommodation, in hotels, restaurants and transportation, protections which are not available in many parts of the country.”

With the Church’s support within six weeks, Utah had passed a law that protected the LGBT community against eviction, housing discrimination or being fired from a job because of sexual orientation and at the same time protected religious people in the workplace and the public square.

Elder Rasband said, “No doctrinal or religious principles were sacrificed. No changes were made to God’s moral law and our belief that sexual relations should only occur within marriage between a man and a woman. The outcome was fair to all and reflects the consistency and moral teachings and respect for others.”

Elder Rasband made the following suggestions to negotiate the challenging times we live in regarding religious freedom.

“First, try to view others through a lens of fairness. To do this requires you to first acknowledge that Heavenly Father loves each of his children equally. He has said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ There is no choice, sin or mistake that you or anyone else can make that will change his love for you or for them.

“That does not mean he excuses or condones sinful conduct, nor do we in ourselves or in others, but it does mean that we reach out in love to persuade, to help and to rescue. When you feel completely and perfectly loved, it is much easier to love others and see them the way the Savior does.

“Please turn to our Savior in prayer and ask to receive his pure love, both for yourself and for others. He has promised that you will feel his love if you ask in faith. Being filled with this pure love will guide your thoughts and actions, especially in a political arena that at times can be very contentious.

“Tensions can flare easily when discussing politics and especially when discussing religious freedom. If we allow these moments to get the better of us, we will appear very unchristian to our family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances Remember how the Savior handled tough questions and challenging viewpoints. He remained calm. He showed respect. He taught truth, but never forced anyone to live the way he taught.

“Second, let fairness guide your treatment of others. Jesus Christ looked past people’s ethnicity, race and circumstances in order to teach them simple truth. The Samaritan woman at the well, the Roman centurion, the unpopular publican.

“He has commanded us to follow his example, saying ‘Ye shall observe to do the things which you have seen me do. “Do not judge people or treat them differently because they sin differently than you or we do. Perhaps the greatest challenge in treating others fairly is in the balance required in supporting religious freedom when you have friends or family members who experience same-sex attraction or are firm supporters of their rights. Some of you worry that you will appear intolerant and unsupportive if you seek protections to exercise your faith publicly and freely.

“Again, study the life of our Savior and seek his guidance. The Savior demonstrated perfectly how to reach out in love and encouragement while also holding firm to what he knew to be true. Remember when the woman was caught in adultery? He asked for anyone without sin to step forward and to be the first to condemn her. When no one approached our Savior who was without sin, he commented, ‘Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.’

“The forgiveness and kindness he showed her did not contradict his teachings that sexual intimacy is meant for a husband and a wife who are legally and lawfully married. You too can be unyielding in right and truth yet still reach out in kindness. When Christ’s friends and followers ended their relationship with Him, He expressed sadness and pain. However when a relationship did end, it was because they were uncomfortable with his teachings, not because he was uncomfortable with them.

“As we seek to treat others fairly, we must remember the principle of agency. We must always respect the ability of others to make choices and ask that they extend to us the same courtesy. When talking with others about religious freedom we must always remember that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Please do not shy away from a dialogue regarding these important issues simply because you are worried that it might be difficult or uncomfortable. We can pray for help and we can expect that the Savior can help us act and speak in a way that is pleasing to Him.

“Third, I would encourage you to stand up for fairness if you see another’s rights being impeded… From the time of Joseph Smith to our present day, our legacy is reaching out to heal breaches and hurt without compromising the doctrine. That is not ours to trade away.”

Elder Rasband concluded with an appeal to the rising generation.

“I stand with the leaders of our Lord’s church when I say that we need your generation’s natural understanding of compassion, of respect and fairness. We need your optimism and your determination to work through these complex social issues.

“We have faith that you will turn to the Savior to understand how to live a Christ-like life when also showing fairness and love to others who do not share your beliefs. We know you want to be part of something meaningful and we know that you are resilient and collaborative.

“Most importantly, we need you to engage regarding the complexities of this issue and find solutions for how to best extend fairness to everyone including people of faith.

“These conversations need to be occurring in our schools, perhaps right here at Brigham Young University, in our homes, and in relationships with friends and co-workers. When you have these conversations, please remember the principle that we have discussed today which are simply these:

“See others through a lens of fairness. Treat them with respect and kindness and expect the same treatment in return.”

Don't Give Up! You are a Child of God!

The Blessings of Repentance

from "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad R Callister

Ch 17 The Blessings of Repentance REPENTANCE OR RATIONALIZATION? How does this change of heart occur? First, there must be an honest, unqualified recognition, not a rationalization, of our sins. Alma gave this wonderful counsel to his son Corianton: “Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins” (Alma 42:30). What a contrast to Korihor’s philosophy that “whatsoever a man did was no crime” (Alma 30:17), or to the belief of the Lamanites “that whatsoever they did was right” (Alma 18:5). One must ultimately choose between these conflicting doctrines. There cannot simultaneously be repentance and rationalization. Rationalization is the world’s answer to sin: repentance is the Lord’s. They are two different roads with opposite destinations. Robert Frost tells of encountering a fork in the road he was traveling. He debated the road he should take, and then writes of his choice as follows: I shall be telling this with a sigh/Somewhere ages and ages hence:/Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--/I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference.

            Every time we sin we find ourselves at a spiritual crossroad. We may rationalize the sin away or repent it away. The road “less traveled by” will make “all the difference.”

            In Book of Mormon times the moral laws closely paralleled the civil laws. That is not true today. The civil law does not punish many serious moral crimes, such as adultery and abortion. We hear excuses for such sins under the labels of “free agency” or “everyone does it” or “no one will know.” But there is no defense, no adequate excuse, no alibi for breaking the laws of God. That is what the Lord told Joseph Smith: “Thou art not excusable in thy transgressions” (D&C 24:2). When we honestly recognize that, we are on the road to repentance.

            The principal barrier to repentance is always self. Thomas Carlyle put it this way: “The greatest of faults is to be conscious of none.” It was this warning that Alma was trying to give to his wayward son, Corianton: “Acknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done” (Alma 39:13). Those who choose instead to live a life of denial, to defend themselves against God’s law, will discover the bitter truth: “Your sins have come up unto me, and are not pardoned, because you seek to counsel [rationalize] in your own ways” (D&C 56:14).

            Rationalization is the intellectual drug that anesthetizes the sting of conscience. Mormon witnessed this deadly overdose at the time his people were “without principle, and past feeling” (Moroni 9:20). Nephi saw the danger signals in the lives of Laman and Lemuel when he noted, “[God] hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45). Contrast that with Nephi’s lamentation: “O wretched man that I am!...My heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted” (2 Nephi 4:17, 19). It is hard to imagine those worlds from a prophet of God. Nephi’s life was one of devotion and obedience, yet he was ever more conscious of the distance still to be traveled for perfection. The more spiritual an individual becomes, the more sensitive he becomes to his imperfections. The better he becomes, the worse he realizes he was.

            Since all of us, like Nephi, have sinned, the issue is not just whether we have done wrong, but whether having done wrong we are now willing to repent. John Donne spoke of the efficacy of repenting: Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good/As if thou’hadst seal’d my pardon, with thy [Christ’s] blood.

            The purpose of this earth life is to serve as a probationary estate, to see if we will repent and follow Christ. The Lord appointed “unto man the days of his probation” (D&C 29:43). In fact, the Lord provided that Adam’s seed “should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption” (D&C 29:42). That is what Lehi clearly taught: “The days of the children of men were prolonged…that they might repent while in the flesh” (2 Nephi 2:21). Alma likewise taught that if there had been no “space for repentance…the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated” (Alma 42:5).

            Wickedness alone seldom, if ever, has been the cause of man’s destruction: the greater tragedy is wickedness coupled with an unwillingness to repent. The predicted destruction of the wicked people of Nineveh was waived because they were willing to turn to God. The people of Melchizedek “waxed strong in iniquity” (Alma 13:17) but were spared because “they did repent” (Alma 13:18). Alma the Elder “did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord” (Mosiah 23:9), and the sons of Mosiah were called the “vilest of sinners” (Mosiah 28:4), yet each found the impetus to reverse his course. In each of these, the embers of repentance still glowed. For those who have let the embers die the Lord pronounced the consequence, “He that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man” (D&C 1:33). It was the same message the Lord sent to the wicked people of Ammonihah: “If ye persist in your wickedness” and “repent not” then “your days shall not be prolonged in the land” (Alma 9:18). IT was simple logic. The reason for this earth life was to provide a probationary period to repent; if a man refused to do so after every reasonable opportunity was offered, he forfeited his right to remain. At that point he was, as the scriptures term, “ripe for destruction” (Helaman 13:14).

            At one point Oliver Cowdery had disassociated himself from the Church. Joseph was anxious that he repent and return. He instructed his clerk, “I wish you would write to Oliver Cowdery and ask him if he hasn’t eaten husks long enough.” Rationalization and procrastination bring the husks of life—repentance, the kernels.

GODLY SORROW

            Those who experience a change of heart will manifest sorrow, not just any sorrow, but godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow and godly sorrow are a chasm apart. Paul distinguishes between the two: “I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner….For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Not all sorrows are twins. There is worldly sorrow, which is an intellectual recognition of our error. It is the sorrow of the criminal that he is caught. It is the sorrow of the immoral youth that she is pregnant. It is the sorrow of the wrongdoer that his evil designs did not come to fruition. The prophet Mormon was a witness of this sorrow. He was the leader of the Nephite armies. Due to their wickedness, many had been slaughtered in battle. His heart momentarily rejoiced when he saw their lamentation and mourning before the Lord. But the scriptures then add, “But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, …but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin” (Mormon 2:13). To the contrary, Alma pled with his son, “Let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance” (Alma 42:29).

            Godly sorrow is of an infinitely transcending quality. There is no need for outside pressure. The transformation will come from within. The stream of tears may flow. There will be soul-wrenching, sometimes even exquisite pain. It may take us “down to the dust in humility” (Alma 42:30). Even the righteous, on occasion, may cry out, “O wretched man that I am!” (2 Nephi 4:17). The sons of Mosiah knew the process: “They suffered much anguish of soul…, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever” (Mosiah 28:4). Alma acknowledged that his past history of misdeeds “caused me sore repentance” (Mosiah 23:9). There will be newfound reservoirs of compassion for those who may have been hurt, perhaps sore embarrassment, and finally and always a willingness to submit to whatever is necessary—be it apology, confession, disciplinary action, or any other divine requirement—in order to make amends with God. There will be an absence of excuses, alibis, and blaming of others. There will be a complete acceptance of responsibility for our attitudes and actions, and an unyielding commitment to be right with God. In essence, repentance brings us to a moment of total intellectual, emotional, and spiritual integrity—when we can say we have mastered the counsel of Polonius, “To thine own self be true.”

            The Savior taught that if we do not repent, we must suffer even as he suffered. This does not mean, however, that there is no suffering if we do repent. In fact, President Kimball taught that personal suffering “is a very important part of repentance. One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins.” President Kimball then added: “If a person hasn’t suffered, he hasn’t repented….He has got to go through a change in his system whereby he suffers and then forgiveness is a possibility.” This suffering, intense as it may be, is nevertheless substantially less for the repentant soul than the unrepentant. The Savior “picks up” part of the burden for those who do repent. This principle is illustrated by a story B H Roberts loved to share:

            “It is related of Lord Byron that when he was a lad attending school, a companion of his fell under the displeasure of a cruel, overbearing bully, who unmercifully beat him. Byron happened to be present, but knowing the uselessness of undertaking a fight with the bully, he stepped up to him and asked him how much longer he intended to beat his friend. ‘What’s that to you?’ gruffly demanded the bully. ‘Because,’ replied young Byron, the tears standing in his eyes, ‘I will take the rest of the beating if you will let him go.’”

            The Savior takes “the rest of the beating” for those who submit their will to his. Isaiah prophesied that he would be “bruised for our iniquities” and then promised that “with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; see also 1 Peter 2:24). Such a healing sprang from the medicinal roots of Gethsemane.

            Elder Vaughn J Featherstone tells of a young man who came to him for a mission interview. Elder Featherstone inquired as to the young man’s transgressions. In a haughty manner the young man replied, “There isn’t anything I haven’t done.” Elder Featherstone inquired as to specifics—morals, drugs, and so on. Again he replied, “I told you I have done everything.” Elder Featherstone asked, “What makes you think you’re going on a mission?” “Because I have repented,” came the reply. “I haven’t done any of these things for a year.” Elder Featherstone then looked at the young man across the table—21 years of age—sarcastic, haughty, with an attitude far removed from sincere repentance. “My dear young friend,” he said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you are not going on a mission….You shouldn’t have been ordained an elder and you really should have been tried for your membership in the Church. What you have committed is a series of monumental transgression. You haven’t repented; you’ve just stopped doing something. Someday, after you have been to Gethsemane and back, you will understand what true repentance is.” At this, the young man started to cry. It lasted for about five minutes. There was no exchange of words, only silence. Then he left Elder Featherstone’s office.

            About six months later Elder Featherstone was speaking to an institute group in Arizona. Following the meeting he saw this same young man walking up the aisle towards him, and the details of their interview flashed through his mind. Elder Featherstone could see that something wonderful had taken place in his life. Tears streamed down the young man’s cheeks and an almost holy glow came from his countenance. “You’ve been there, haven’t you?” asked Elder Featherstone. Through the tears he said, “Yes, Bishop Featherstone, I’ve been to Gethsemane and back.” “I know,” Elder Featherstone replied. “It shows in your face. I believe now that the Lord has forgiven you.”

            A godly sorrow involves joining with the Savior in the sorrow of Gethsemane. It is a sorrow that fosters a new heart and a new spirit.

AN ABSOLUTE FORSAKING

 

            But repentance requires more than sorrow. True repentance requires an absolute forsaking. Dante speaks of a soul who feigned repentance, who was long on promises but short on deeds. Believing that vows alone would save him, he argued for a celestial crown. Just before his hoped-for ascension, however, a “black cherubim” appeared on the scene. Dante’s tragic figure, now in hell, recalled the encounter and the damning words of the infernal intruder:

            “You shall not take him: cheat me not!

            For down among my minions he must come,…

            He who repents not, cannot be absolved:

            No more can he repent and act at once,

            Because the contradiction won’t permit it!”

            Alas for me! How violently I shuddered

            When he laid hold on me and said: “Perhaps

            You did not think that I was a logician!”’  

Even the minions of the underworld knew there could be no forgiveness without forsaking.

            Elder Matthew Cowley gives us the comforting assurance that the forsaking of any sin is possible: “There is not one of us here upon the earth that is not greater than his sins, is not greater than his weaknesses and his faults.” That is true. “But for how long must I forsake?” comes the oft-repeated inquiry. “How long before my membership can be reinstated or I can be rebaptized?” The answer is always the same—when there is a mighty change of heart and a new mind to make the Lord’s will supreme in our lives, regardless of our own passionate desires—when there is an unequivocal resolve to put behind us our former ways. There is a measuring rod, but it is one primarily of attitude, not time. 

            Bjorn Borg, considered to be the finest tennis player of his era, was, as Time magazine reported, “unflappable on the court, a mannerly competitor who rarely disputed a linesman’s calls, unleashed grimaces, tossed racquets, or bashed balls. ‘Iceborg’ they called him.” The article continues: “He rules his emotions so completely that so much as an on-court frown leaves fans and fellow players awe-struck.” But it was not always so. Time reveals a darker side before a remarkable change took place:

            “At eleven young Bjorn cursed like a navy, hurled his racquet, hectored officials and bellyached over every close call. ‘I was crazy, a madman on the court. It was awful. Then the club I belonged to suspended me for five months, and my mother, she took my racquet and locked it in the closet. For five months, she locked up my racquet. After that I never opened my mouth again on the tennis court. Since the day I came back from that suspension, no matter what happened, I have behaved on the court.’”

            When we have the resolve to refrain from a certain course of conduct, no matter what happens, then repentance is in the works. We have forsaken when we have mastered the habit under any set of circumstances that may be thrown at us. It is not the passage of time, but a change of heart that is the key.

RESTITUTION

            Repentance requires a full restitution in the spirit of Zacchaeus, who said, “If I have taken any thing from any man….I restore him fourfold (Luke 19:8; see also Leviticus 6:4). Such a spirit exuded from Elder Spencer W Kimball when he was called to the apostleship. What about people he might have offended? Would they resent him? He visited each man with whom he did business to explain the situation. “’I”ve been called to a high position in my Church. I cannot serve in good conscience unless I know my life has been honorable….If there was any injustice I want to make it right, and I’ve brought my checkbook.’ Most shook hands and refused to hear any more. A couple of men [,however,] fancied that in fairness they should have got a few hundred dollars more on certain sales. [Elder Kimball] wrote the checks.”

            Restitution comes in many forms. It may involve a return of funds, an apology, prayers offered on behalf of the injured party, making up for years of lost service by redoubling our efforts, or making up for negativism with positive deeds and words. The spirit of repentance demands a restoration of all that is possible, within our power.

            The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi understood this principle. Before they heard the gospel, in their unenlightened state, they had committed numerous murders and transgressions against the Nephites. In an honest attempt at restitution, the repentant king of the Lamanites made this offer to Ammon: “We will be [the Nephites’] slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them” (Alma 27:8; see also Helaman 5:17). This humble king knew that his people could not restore to life those Nephites whom they had killed, but there burned within his heart a desire to do all he could do to make repairs. He and his people would serve those whom they had wronged and, if necessary, even be their slaves. This was the spirit of restitution. This was the spirit that burned in the hearts of the repentant sons of Mosiah, for they went about “zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church” (Mosiah 27:35).

CONFESSION

            True repentance, however, is a hard taskmaster. It requires yet more than the foregoing. Moses taught, “When he shall be guilty in one of these things,…he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing” (Leviticus 5:5; see also Numbers 5:6-7; Nehemiah 9:3). David promised, “I will declare mine iniquity” (Psalm 38:18). Those who sought John in baptism came “confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:6). To the Prophet Joseph the Lord declared, “I command you again to repent…and …confess your sins” (D&C 19:20). Later he advised, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43). Samuel Taylor Coleridge, speaking through the ancient mariner, well knew the pangs of nondisclosure:

            Forthwith this frame of mind was wrench’d

            With a woeful agony,

            Which forced me to begin my tale;

            And then it left me free.

            Since then, at an uncertain hour,

            That agony returns:

            And till my ghastly tale is told,

            This heart within me burns.

            Fortunately the truly repentant, unlike the ancient mariner, need not confess his sins over and over again once an honest confession has been made to the appropriate priesthood leader—but until such a confession occurs, oh, how the heart can burn. The Lord made it abundantly clear that “he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). When Alma inquired of the Lord about how he should treat certain transgressors in the Church, the Lord responded, “If he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also” (Mosiah 26:29; see also D&C 64:7). But if they did not confess, “their names were blotted out” (Mosiah 26:36), meaning they were excommunicated from the Church.

            When should we confess? When the sin is of such serious magnitude that it may trigger a disciplinary proceeding or continues to linger in our mind so that we cannot have peace. David understood this latter condition, as evidenced by his admission, “My sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). If we then fail to confess, our spiritual horizons become limited. It is like being surrounded by a circular, impenetrable wall. In such a circumstance, we have some limited room in which to move, but we are trapped. We will look in vain for a slit through which we can squeeze, an opening through which we can pass, an end around which we can travel. There are no end runs, no secret openings, no hidden passages. Years of service do not obviate confession; years of abstinence do not erase its needs; one-on-one pleading with the Lord is not a substitute. Somewhere, sometime, somehow we must face the wall square up and climb it. That is confession. When we do this, our spiritual horizons are broadened.

            Oscar Wilde knew this truth as he unfolded the story of Dorian Gray. One day Dorian exchanged his soul for the promise of eternal youth. Wilde traces Dorian’s downward plunge from an innocent young man to a passionless killer—until there was nothing left of him but the sordid visage of a wrecked wretch. Even in this state of seemingly moral hopelessness, Dorian’s conscience flickered with one last hope: “Yet it was his duty to confess, to suffer public shame, and to make public atonement. There was a God who called upon men to tell their sins to earth as well as to heaven. Nothing that he could do would cleanse him till he had told his own sin.”

            And likewise, when necessary there is nothing that can bring us to the desired cleansing except an honest confession to the Lord’s appointed on earth.

            In what spirit do we render such a confession? The Lord gave the key: “For I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts” (D&C 61:2). That is the spirit. There is no room for pretense or deceit, no coloring of the facts, not a divulgence of 99 percent and a withholding of one percent. It is a disclosure of the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The father of Lamoni had the proper spirit: “I will give away all my sins to know thee” (Alma 22:18; emphasis added). Confession and repentance involve an unqualified baring of the soul, an unconditional surrender of self. The outpouring comes voluntarily; it is not compelled by outside circumstance. One of Dante’s damned souls discovered the hard way that deathbed confession would never invoke the cleansing process:

            When I perceived that I had reached the age

            When every man of prudence takes in sail

            And gathers in his tackle for the storm,

            What I once reveled in now caused me shame:

            In penance I confessed, surrendering all.

            Ah, hapless me—for still I was not saved!

            Resistance to confession comes, even from good saints. They may be ashamed or embarrassed. Perhaps they believe their priesthood leaders will think less of them once the sin is aired. We need to remember that bishops and other priesthood leaders are friends who desperately want to help and lift burdens. They are humans who have made mistakes but who want to be better. They are fathers to their flocks. I can honestly say that as a priesthood leader, I never thought less of a man or a woman who voluntarily, humbly confessed. To the contrary, I rejoiced that they were trying to put their lives in order. In each case I believe the bonds of brotherhood were strengthened, not weakened.

            When Mahatma Gandhi was fifteen he stole from his brother. His brother carried a chunk of solid gold on his arm. Gandhi found it easy to clip off a little portion for himself. He said he felt the pangs of guilt so severely that he resolved never again to steal. Having cleared the debt with his brother, he said he also made up his mind to confess to his father—but he was afraid, not that his father would beat him, but for the pain it might cause him. Finally, he said, “I felt that the risk should be taken; that there could not be a cleansing without a clean confession.” Gandhi resolved to write out his confession. He did so, confessing his guilt, pledging never to steal again, and asking for adequate punishment. He then closed by asking his father not to punish himself for what Gandhi had done. At the time, Gandhi’s father was ill and confined to a bed that consisted of nothing more than a wood plank. Gandhi, trembling, handed the confession to his father, then sat opposite his father and anxiously waited for a response. In his own worlds he tells of the encounter:

            “He read it though, and pearl-drops trickled down his cheeks, wetting the paper. For a moment he closed his eyes in thought and then tore up the note….I could see my father’s agony. If I were a painter I could draw a picture of the whole scene today. It is still so vivid in my mind.

            “Those pearl-drops of love cleansed my heart, and washed my sin away. Only he who has experienced such love can know what it is….It transforms everything it touches. There is no limit to its power.

            “This sort of sublime forgiveness was not natural to my father. I had thought that he would be angry, say hard things, and strike his forehead. But he was so wonderfully peaceful, and I believe this was due to my clean confession. A clean confession, combined with a promise never to commit the sin again, when offered before one who has the right to receive it, is the purest type of repentance. I know that my confession made my father feel absolutely safe about me, and increased his affection for me.”

            What a beautiful observation. Honest confession increases, not decreases, a priesthood leader’s affection for the repentant soul.

            Elder Marion G Romney observed, “My brothers and sisters, there are many among us whose distress and suffering are unnecessarily prolonged because they do not complete their repentance by confessing their sins.” Naaman the leper went to the prophet Elisha seeking to be healed. Elisha told Naaman to go wash himself seven times in the River Jordan. We might wonder what would have happened if Naaman the Syrian had dipped himself three times in the River Jordan and then abandoned the cause. Would he be three-sevenths clean? Or what if he had dipped himself six times and given up—would he be six-sevenths clean? We know the answer. The cleansing came only after the seventh dipping, after total submission to the word of God. And then what a cleansing followed! The scriptures record: “His flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child” (2 Kings 5:14). So it is with the sinner, the spiritual leper. There must be a total submissiveness to the will of the Lord, a broken heart and a contrite spirit, even confession if necessary, to complete the seventh dipping, and then the spirit is made clean “like unto the spirit of a little child.”

            Why does the Lord require confession? It is so very hard. Perhaps because that one act more than any other drives us to our knees in the depths of humility. Speaking of the repentance process Alma declared, “Let it bring you down to the dust in humility” (Alma 42:30). But, oh, the promise to those who do: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). On the other hand, the Lord has warned, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper” (Proverbs 28:13). What a man really is will always surface. Any disguise, any charade, any subterfuge may last for days, weeks, months, perhaps even years, but eventually a man’s true character will be expressed by his words, betrayed by his actions, and manifested in his countenance. How much better to voluntarily disclose one’s true character than to be involuntarily discovered. Confession is a means of bridging that gap.

A CLEANSING POWER

            The fruits of repentance make us clean. Isaiah declared, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). In ancient Israel the Day of Atonement was symbolic of the consequences that would flow from the real day of atonement. The scriptures read: “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord” (Leviticus 16:30; see also Leviticus 23:27-28). Such was possible only because of the Savior’s future day of redemption. Through that Atonement, the Lord has promised that the righteous will have their “garments [made] white through the blood of the Lamb” (Ether 13:10; see also Alma 13:11).

            David pled with the Lord, “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Then he described the miracle: “Purge me…and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:2, 7). There is no such thing as a spotted, cream-colored repenter. There is no black mark that emerges from the waters of baptism, no stain that survives the rigors of repentance. The repentant soul becomes as white as the driven snow. For such a saint, it is as though the act were never even committed. That is the miracle of repentance. As Elder Matthew Cowley said, “I believe when we repent there is some erasing going on up there so that when we get there we will be judged as we are for what we are and maybe not for what we have been.” He also commented, “That’s what I like about it—the erasing.” But for the unrepentant there is no such erasing. The Lord warned, “Behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not” (D&C 29:17).

            The Lord loves and longs to forgive each of his children. If we will but repent, “He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). Peter explained that the Lord was “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Even Ahab, the reprobate king of Israel, had a transitory moment of repentance that was rewarded by the Lord: “Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days” (1 Kings 21:29). It is as though the Lord wants to bless every attempt, however small or feeble it may be, to put our life in his hands. To those who sincerely repent the Lord has promised, “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42). Ezekiel reassured us of this same great truth: “None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him” (Ezekiel 33:16; see also Ezekiel 18:22). It is a glorious thought—the Lord will judge us by what we have become, not by what we were. If we repent he will judge the new man, not the old man. This was David’s plea: “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake” (Psalm 25:7).

            The Lord’s forgiveness is total and unconditional once we have repented. Samuel the Lamanite told the Nephites that the Savior, through his Atonement, made possible “the condition of repentance” (Helaman 14:18). The Lord declared to the Prophet Joseph his feelings concerning this divine principle: “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must suffer even as I” (D&C 19:16-17). Elder Neal A Maxwell summarized it well: “We will end up either choosing Christ’s manner of living or His manner of suffering!” As we choose his manner of living we overcome spiritual death through the miraculous cleansing powers of the Atonement.

What Is Repentance?

Holman Hunt's "Christ Knocking on the Door"
(of your heart)

from "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad R Callister

           President David O McKay declared: “Every principle and ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is significant and important…, but there is none more essential to the salvation of the human family than the divine and eternally operative principle, repentance. Without it, no one can be saved. Without it, no one can progress.” Why? Because it is the key that unlocks the cleansing power of the Atonement. That is exactly what Helaman taught, “He [Christ]  hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance” (Helaman 5:11; emphasis added).

            Repentance is not a negative principle, but rather a positive, most glorious one. It did not come from an angry, overbearing parent, but from the most loving Father of all. It is not for the wicked alone, but for every good and great person who wants to be better. It is for every individual who has not yet reached perfection. It is the only road to peace of mind, forgiveness of sin, and ultimately godhood itself.

WHAT IS REPENTANCE? What, then, is true repentance and how does it relate to the Atonement? It is not just a 5-step or 7-step process through which we mechanically advance. It is not merely the cessation of wrongdoing, the passage of time, or the expression of sorrow. None of these alone is true repentance. Almas the Younger described true repentance when he spoke to the people of Zarahemla. He recountd the life of his father, Alma the Elder, who had been one of the wicked priests of Noah. One day the prophet Abinadi entered the scene. Something about Abinadi’s message penetrated the heart and soul of Alma’s father. Alma the Younger observed, “According to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart.” Alma then added, “[My father] preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts.” Then his sermon reached its climax: “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, …Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” (Alma 5:12-14).

            That is true repentance. It is a melting, softening, refining process that brings about a mighty change of heart. It is manifest by those who come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits. Such a change means “we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). Lamoni and his servants experienced such a change. As they awoke from their spiritual slumber “they did all declare unto the people the self-same thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil” (Alma 19:33).

            What about those who do not experience this change but nonetheless obtain a temple recommend? What of those with dire sins who escape reprimand or disciplinary action where another in similar circumstances has borne his cross? President Harold B Lee spoke directly to this point: “There are no successful sinners.”

            Years ago a father shared with me some concerns he had about his teenage daughter. She had shared with him her plans. She wanted to “live it up” for a while, sowing her oats, and then 3 months before it was time to get married she would “clean up her act” and obtain a temple recommend. He was severely disappointed, and rightly so. One might appropriately ask, “Is that a broken heart and contrite spirit—a resolve to make amends with God at any cost?” Did she really believe that a bishop or stake president would sign a recommend for someone with an attitude such as that? Even if they did, it would fail to be a blessing in her life. Her attitude reflected the mentality of the Pharisees and Sadducees who looked upon the Jewish law as a long list of mechanical rules—so many steps to walk—so much time to pass. It had become a matter of form over substance. Ezekiel gave the key to the truth: “Cast away from you all your transgressions, …make you a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 18:31). Sanctification finally came to the Nephites “because of their yielding their hearts unto God” (Helaman 3:35). Repeatedly throughout the scriptures repentance is associated with the heart. It is a new heart, a broken heart, a changed heart, a contrite heart.

            Elder Spencer W Kimball told of Holman Hunt, the artist. Who one day showed a friend his painting of Christ knocking at the door. Suddenly the friend exclaimed, “There is one thing wrong about your picture.”

            “What is it?” inquired the artist.

            “The door on which Jesus knocks has no handle,” replied his friend.

            “Ah,” responded Mr Hunt, “that is not a mistake. You see, this is the door to the human heart. It can be opened only from the inside.” Elder Kimball then continued: “And thus it is. Jesus may stand and knock, but each of us decides whether to open.” Priesthood leaders may warn, counsel, discipline, and lovingly encourage, but all this will be in vain unless there is sometime, somewhere, an inward change of heart.

And the Light Shineth in the Darkness, and the Darkness Comprehended It Not!

Didn't consider this until I saw this photo, but a flame has no shadow!
John 1:5

Excuse for Skipping Church

Mocking Mormons

Mormonism Obsessed with Christ
by Stephen H Webb
February 2012

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/02/mormonism-obsessed-with-christ

            Mocking Mormonism is one of the last frontiers of verbal lawlessness to be untouched by the vigilante powers of political correctness. What other group is ridiculed equally by Christians and secularists—and not just any kind of Christian or secularist but the most fervent and hard core? Fervent Christians see in Mormonism a mirror distorting their own faith, reflecting an image strangely recognizable yet recognizably strange. Hard-core secularists think Mormonism is the best example of the strangeness and danger inherent in all religious belief. Deriding Mormonism pulls off the neat trick of making the devout and the godless feel as if they are on the same side.

            I too used to think of Mormonism as little more than an exotic and abnormal addition to Christianity. When I taught Mormon history to my students, I emphasized its remarkable spirit of endurance, its organizational savvy, and the sheer scope of its religious imagination. Yet I regret to say that I did not try to hide my condescension.

            I have come to repent of this view, and not just because I came to my senses about how wrong it is to be rude toward somebody else’s faith. I changed my mind because I came to realize just how deeply Christ-centered Mormonism is. Mormonism is more than Christianity, of course—most obviously by adding the Book of Mormon to the Bible—and that makes it much less than Christianity as well. Nevertheless, the fact that Mormonism adds to the traditional Christian story does not necessarily mean that it detracts from Christianity to the point of denying it altogether.

            After all, what gives Christianity its identity is its commitment to the divinity of Jesus Christ. And on that ground Mormons are more Christian than many mainstream Christians who do not take seriously the astounding claim that Jesus is the Son of God.

            Mormonism is obsessed with Christ, and everything that it teaches is meant to awaken, encourage, and expand faith in him. It adds to the plural but coherent portrait of Jesus that emerges from the four gospels in a way, I am convinced, that does not significantly damage or deface that portrait.

            I came to this conclusion when I read through the Book of Mormon for the first time. I already knew the basic outline: that it recounts the journey of a people God led from Jerusalem to the Americas six hundred years before the birth of Christ. In America, they split into two groups, the good guys (the Nephites) and the bad guys (the Lamanites), who battled each other until there were no good guys left—except for Moroni (Mormon’s son), who buried the chronicles of their wars and then, in 1823, told a farm boy from upstate New York where to find them.

            When I actually read this book, however, I was utterly surprised. I was not moved, mind you. The Book of Mormon has to be one of the most lackluster of all the great works of literature that have inspired enduring religious movements. Yet it is dull precisely because it is all about Jesus. There are many characters in this book, but they change as little as the plot. Nobody stands out but him. “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26). And not just Jesus: A whole gospel in all of its theological details—right down to debates about baptism, the relationship of law to grace, and the problem of divine foreknowledge—is taught to the people of the New World centuries before Jesus was even born.

            Christians have long interpreted the Old Testament in terms of the New—reading Christ between the lines, so to speak—but Smith went one big step further. He replaced the figurative with the figure himself. The truth of Jesus is eternal, Smith thought, so it should not be surprising to learn that Christ was made known in times and places beyond our imagination.

            Long before his birth in Bethlehem, Jesus was eager to reveal the most specific details of his future life and ministry. Nephi, for example, who is said to have written the first two books of the Book of Mormon and to have been part of the migration from Jerusalem, already knew all about Jesus: “For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (2 Nephi 25:19). Likewise, a Nephite king named Benjamin declared around 124 b.c., “And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. And he shall be called Jesus Christ” (Mosiah 3:7-8).

            Every page of the book prepares the way for its stunning climax, which is a literal appearance of Jesus to the ancient peoples of America. For Joseph Smith, the ascension of Christ after the resurrection makes possible his descent into the Americas.

            Non-Mormons, of course, do not believe that Jesus visited the Americas, but why should they be troubled if Mormons tell stories about Jesus that seem far-fetched? Imagine the following scenario. Your family gathers at the funeral of your dearly beloved grandfather, a world traveler. Your relatives begin telling the familiar stories about his great adventures. Soon, however, you notice another group of mourners at the other end of the room. As you eavesdrop on them, you realize they are talking about your grandfather as if they knew him well, yet you have never heard some of the stories they are telling. These new stories are not insulting to his memory, though some ring more true than others. Indeed, this group seems to have as high an opinion of your grandfather as you do. What do you do?

            Do you invite them over to meet your family? That is a tough call. Many of your relatives will dispute the credibility of these stories, and some might make a scene. Others who think the stories are true will feel left out—why didn’t Grandfather tell us? The funny thing is, though, that this other group knows all of the stories your family likes to tell about the deceased, and the stories they add to the mix sound more like mythic embellishments of his character than outright lies. Clearly, the two groups have a lot to talk about!

            However you decide to handle the situation, there is no need for you to change your love for your grandfather. There is also no need for you to react to this other group’s love for your grandfather as if they are intentionally threatening or dishonest. Whether or not you decide to expand your family to include this group, you can still welcome them as promoters of your grandfather’s memory. And the more you love your grandfather, the more you will be drawn to discover for yourself whether these new stories make any sense.

            Of course, Jesus Christ is not your grandfather, and the stories we tell about him are grounded in Scripture, not family lore. Still, the Book of Mormon raises a question for Christians. Can you believe too much about Jesus? Can you go too far in conceiving his glory? Let me answer that question by posing another. Isn’t the whole point of affirming his divinity the idea that one can never say enough about him? And if Smith’s stories are not true, aren’t they more like exaggerations or embellishments than outright slander and deceit?

            I am not denying that the Mormon Jesus is different from the Jesus of traditional Christianity. Mormons connect the atonement more with the Garden of Gethsemane than with the cross, since they think that is where his greatest agony took place (Luke 22:44). The Book of Mormon places the birth of Jesus in Jerusalem, much to the delight of biblical fundamentalists who use such discrepancies to score debating points.

            The most significant difference is that Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was never purely immaterial. Smith developed his materialistic interpretation of the spiritual realm mainly after the Book of Mormon, but it is anticipated in that book’s most extraordinary scene. In an appearance to the unnamed brother of Jared, Jesus is so sensitive to the overwhelming impression of his corporeal form that he reveals only his little finger. Jared’s brother says, “I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood” (Ether 3:8). Later Jesus shows Jared’s brother his whole body, which, it turns out, is a pre-mortal spirit body, comprised of a finer material substance than anything known on earth.

            Christianity has always affirmed the goodness of matter and the integrity of the human body, but Mormonism offers that Christian dogma gone mad. For Smith, Christ’s pre-existent form was as physically real as we are today. Christianity teaches that the incarnation happened in a particular place and time, but for Smith, taking Hebrews 13:8 (“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”) very literally, the Son has always been Jesus. The body of Jesus Christ is the eternal image of all bodies, spiritual and physical alike. The incarnation is a specification (or material intensification) of his body, not the first and only time that God and matter unite.

            The eternal embodiment of the divine is metaphysically audacious, and it explains why Mormonism is so inventive. Mormon metaphysics is Christian metaphysics minus Origen and Augustine—in other words, Christianity divorced from Plato. Mormons are so materialistic that they insist that the same unchanging laws govern both the natural and the supernatural. They also deny the virgin birth, since their materialism leads them to speculate that Jesus is literally begotten by the immortal Father rather than conceived by the Holy Spirit.

            By treating the spiritual as a dimension of the material, Smith overcomes every trace of dualism between this world and the next. Matter is perfectible because it is one of the perfections of the divine. Even heaven is merely another kind of galaxy, far away but not radically different from planet earth. For Mormons, our natural loyalties and loves have an eternal significance, which is why marriages will be preserved in heaven. Our bodies are literally temples of the divine, which is why Mormons wear sacred garments underneath regular clothing.

            This should not be taken lightly. The Mormon metaphysic calls for the revision of nearly every Christian belief. Still, not all heresies are equally perilous. If Gnosticism is the paradigmatic modern temptation—spiritualizing Jesus by turning him into a subjective experience—Mormonism runs in the exact opposite direction. If you had to choose between a Jesus whose body is eternal and a Jesus whose divinity is trivial (as in many modern theological portraits), I hope it would be an easy choice.

Stephen H. Webb is professor of religion and philosophy at Wabash College.

Sincere Prayer

Joyful News: His Mercy for My Weaknesses

Wise Words from a Prophet of God

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Focus on Roots or Fruits

http://www.igobyari.com/2015/07/why-i-stay-mormon-when-many-friends.html 

Temple Square: Words to Live By