Moroni 6 - A Higher Standard

Moroni 6 - A Higher Standard

1 And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it.

2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.

3 And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.

4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

I have contemplated these verses for 40 years.  It seems like our Church doesn't require adherence to the same set of criteria when a person is baptized.  Maybe some do have broken heart and contrite spirits.  For me, this process delineated in Moroni 6 is happening to me over the course of many years.

Being cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost sounds like the baptism of fire.  If it is, I haven't knowingly received this.  I have received a witness from God that my sins have been remitted.  I can look back on this experience and know how it felt for a sincere investigator to be baptized.  I believe God had witnessed to me that I am on the path and I believe I have begun to partake of the fruit of the tree of life.  But, I believe there to be much, much more than this initial cleansing.   In fact, I have felt God's love and acceptance of my sacrifice many times while partaking of the sacrament.  I believe the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is the culmination of a process that I have begun.

My guess is that our Church is running on a lower standard than the Book of Mormon Church.  Why? Because the adults can't teach something that hasn't happened to them.  Why? Because we seem to enter into a lower order when we are baptized.  There are allusions in the Book of Mormon of communities of believers understanding full well that they were entering a community that was united and equal both temporally and spiritually.  The community they were entering into had all things in common.  Their hearts were knit together.

There seems to be three ordinances in the Church surrounding baptism.  First we are baptized and feel God's love in our hearts.  We are then commanded to receive the Holy Ghost.  Later, as we progress individually, we are baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost.  I believe this to be merciful and right for our time.  The Book of Mormon shows us the ideal, what our Church should be striving for.  I believe the world is so wicked that the initial standard has to be lower.  Until we members live more by faith and desire to be united both temporally and spiritually, we won't be taught, nor understand the more pure approach to baptism and membership.  Anyone reading Moroni 6 that is free of blinders and blocks should be able to see that we don't follow some of the idealistic teachings set forth by Moroni in this chapter.  

I desire and hope for the day where I can, through repenting and partaking of the ordinance of the sacrament, bring forth fruit meet of being worthy of the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.  I am grateful that God has granted me (and all of us) the needed time to deny myself all ungodliness.  I am grateful that I can rely wholly upon the merits, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of my faith as I progress from grace to grace.

2 Nephi 32

I have never really understood 2 Nephi 32. After you enter in by the way (2 Nephi 31), the Holy Ghost will tell you all things that ye should do. Nephi says nothing about any commandments or laws to be obeyed. The Holy Ghost will show you what you are to do.




Since Christ answers the ends of the law by offering himself a sacrifice for sin, unto all those who have a broken heart and contrite spirit, this would mean that after you have entered in by the way, justice has no claim on you. Instead of following a prescribed set of rules, it appears that you are supposed to be listening to the Holy Ghost to know what to do next. These would be your personal commandments.




So, I am relying wholly on Christ's merits who is might to save. I have decided to follow my savior. I am walking meekly with all lowliness of heart on this earth. This is all in 2 Nephi 31.




Now what? Nephi says to follow the Holy Ghost until Christ manifests himself to you in the flesh.




I have been reading 2 Nephi 31 and 32. I read it or listen to it over and over. This, Nephi says, is the doctrine of Christ. Reading this leads to more questions. What is it that they needed to repent of? What exactly does it mean to do what Christ would do? When exactly are we in the strait and narrow path? After you have been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost? How does this kind of baptism happen over time?



The answers are: We are repenting of being ornery, unkind and not very nice. From being proud. There might also be repentance of any of the ten commandments. What we do to follow Christ is to suffer all manner of unkind things people say. We learn how to be meek and lowly of heart. We continue the cycle of repentance, working on changing the inward man. We know we are in the strait and narrow path when we finally turn our lives over to God and God accepts our offering. You know your offering is accepted by the feelings you have. You feel joy and love and gratitude when you take the sacrament or when praying or whenever. You want to follow the Savior. You are now the path. You have been and continue to rely completely on Christ who is the author and finisher of your salvation. You may even receive a voice telling you that your sins have been remitted. But, the feeling of joy, gratitude and peace are enough to know. Are you done (Chapter 31)? No. The commandments ( promptings) you receive from the Holy Ghost must be followed. The Holy Ghost will tell you all things that you are to do. Jesus, in his own due time, will come and appear unto you in the flesh and you will do all things that He tell you to do.



This is what I remember from what I read. What is interesting to me is that there isn’t any Law involved in the Doctrine of Christ. The Christian is under grace, not under the law. But, he does keep the commandments (the standard set by the Church) as he asks for the Holy Ghost to tell him specifically what he should be working on next - perhaps a higher principle (gospel law). Perhaps to server another. I would love to be able to speak with the tongue of angels when teaching a class, talking with my children, home teaching or any conversation that I am having. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?



Nephi says that he has been as clear as he can get. If you don’t get it, than you haven’t asked and you choose to remain in darkness.

2 Nephi 31:16, Follow the Example of Jesus

I found an interesting verse in my scripture study today: 2 Nephi 31:16

“ And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.”

So, I have to ask myself, what it the example of the Savior?  This reminds me of another scripture in 1 Nephi 19:9 which says,

“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.”

So, all I can do is strive to be more like the Savior.  It make life easy.  Did you know that?  Life becomes easy.  I am reminded of another scripture, Alma 37:46,

“O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way”.

Why is living the gospel and following the Son easy?  Well, I suppose it isn’t easy for the natural man that is full of wicked traditions.  But, why is the way easy?  This reminds me of the words of Hymn, page 125, last verse,

“I’ll drop my burden at his feet And bear a song away.”

And,

“Come, cast your burdens on the Lord And trust his constant care” (first verse)

The whole hymn speaks for life being easy in the Lord.

As I learn to do this, I my faith becomes strong.

Scott

2 Nephi 26:20 - Striking the Rock

I found 2 Nephi 26:20 interesting today.  It says: 

And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

I was surprised that Nephi uses two metaphors that don't seem to relate to each other: raising up the serpent on the stick and smiting the rock.  I then realized that they both involve healing. One involves looking to Christ and other. the waters of life flowing from Christ, The Rock.  Nephi then says, that there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ...whereby man can be saved.
I then looked around on the internet and found this:

Christ is the main subject in the Old Testament "concealed". God speaks of Him in types and shadows. At Rephidim (Exodus 17:4) God told Moses to strike the Rock.The Rock is Christ (1st Corinthians 10:4), Moses represents the Law. Jesus was struck by Israel for presuming to violate the Law, for claiming to be God, which He is! When He was struck "crucified", living water (John 4:10) for all humanity who would "believe" was poured out. Moses was told to speak to the Rock at Meribah (Numbers 20:8). As a prerequisite for Jesus to return, to save Israel during the Great Tribulation they must ask Him, (Luke 13:35). So by striking the Rock, Moses messed up God's model or type which would have modeled the 1st and 2nd comings of Christ.
So to counter this mistake by Moses, He was not allowed to take Israel into the Promised Land which is a type of Heaven, Moses represents the Law, only God's Grace gets you in Heaven "the Promised land, so Joshua took them in! Joshua is Hebrew for Jesus! The Law is the 1st five books of the Old Testament, called the Torah by the Jews, The very next book is "Joshua" Found in. 

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/6998/why-was-god-so-upset-with-moses-for-striking-the-rock-the-second-time-in-the-des

The Lord was trying to teach Israel that Moses, or the Law will not save them!  Only Christ and his merits, mercy and grace can save mankind!

I like this response as well:

The section you quote contains the answer: because Moses did not believe. He was told to "tell the rock... to yield its water" but instead he struck the rock twice, apparently believing God's command to be insufficient. He expected God to act in exactly the same way as He had before*, but God apparently wanted to reveal His power to Moses in a new way.
As the leader, Moses was being watched. When Moses did not believe, this could easily lead to lack of belief amongst the Israelites, which had been a problem before.
Finally, God had previously to deal with men not trusting His promise but taking matters into their own hands.

 Believing Christ is the answer.  It always has been the answer. Relying wholly upon His merits who is might to save isn't as hard or scary as it sounds.  Surrender to His will and trust that he loves you. You don't have to do it all yourself.  You don't have to take matters into your own hands.  Life becomes peaceful and full of purpose.

Ephesian 4:17-19 - Past Feeling

I was listening to Ephesians 4 and was impressed by these verses:

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

I now believe that wonderful feelings I have about Jesus Christ and His grace and mercy and atonement, anchor my faith, testimony and hope.  These feelings of love and gratitude are very important to any believer.  I used to be more cerebral regarding my religion.  Not any more.

When I read 'past feeling' in verse 19, I thought about how if a person denies that feelings matter that they are purely a result of your own made up brain activity, that this person can become 'past feeling'.  It also become nearly impossible to bear testimony to him because what he can't see, feel, or hear isn't valid.

Being past feeling create other problems according to Paul.  It seems to give the person reject good principles and hold to their own set of right from wrong.  Lascivious behavior enters in his life.  Since there isn't any higher source right and wrong, he can basically do whatever he decides is right or wrong.  He begins to work 'uncleanness with greediness'.  His understanding has been darkened and he doesn't even know it.  He thinks he is liberated.  But, he isn't happy.  He says he is but happiness is different from hedonistic pleasures seeking.

Anything goes.  No opposition in all things.  He is blind to goodness.