What Does it Mean to be Naked?

Friday I spent the day in the temple doing some family names. Later that evening, as we were going out to dinner, I shared some insights concerning the portion of the temple movie when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, with Mom .  She then shared with me an experience one of the councilor's in the temple presidency shared with the temple workers that day in their prayer meeting.

He talked of one of his monthly family home evenings he had with his married kids. In this particular FHE he read a couple of scriptures regarding Adam and Eve.

 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Moses 3:25)

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they had been naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. (Moses 4:13)

And he said: I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I beheld that I was naked, and I hid myself. (Moses 4:16

He then asked his children, and their spouses, this question, "What does it mean to be naked?"

Can you imagine the types of responses we would have in our family if this question was asked? 

Well, that question generated a good discussion and some deep symbolic understandings with his family, about the term naked, as it relates to Adam and Eve. Keep in mind that the temple endowment is packed full of symbolism. Once we dig under the surface of what we see and hear in the endowment, we uncover a wealth of understanding about us and our place in all of this.

So I took some time Friday evening to dig under the surface of the meaning of "naked" as it is used in the scriptures with Adam and Eve. Here is what I found.

From his book "The Serpent," Alonzo L. Gaskill says this:

Naked and yet not ashamed. When the metaphorical or symbolic aspects of the scriptural accounts of the Fall are missed, readers tend to interpret the nakedness of Adam and Eve as evidence that they were intellectually infantile. However, scripture is intending to make no such claim about our first parents. On the contrary, God held them accountable for their choices in Eden, which establishes that Adam and Eve knew what they were doing. You and I, on the other hand, do begin this mortal test "naked and unashamed." In our childhood we are innocent, unassuming, and infantile.

Nakedness can also be a symbol for being unashamed. Scripture informs us that when we are righteous our "confidence [will] wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45). We feel no fear of judgment or condemnation. One fourth-century Christian commentary states: "They were not ashamed because of the glory with which they were clothed. It was when this glory was stripped from them after they had transgressed the commandment that they were ashamed because they were naked." The nakedness of Adam and Eve, without shame, prior to the Fall, highlights our feelings of confidence when we are keeping the Lord's words, commands, and covenants.

Made themselves fig-leaf aprons. Symbols can have multiple meanings. For example, blood can have a negative connotation (such as sin), and also a positive one (life). Similarly, eagles are sometimes positive symbols (representing maternal instincts and protection, for example), and sometimes negative symbols (scavengers). Commentators tend to highlight both negative and positive symbols in the fig and its leaves. Since Adam and Eve did what was right, the symbolism attached to them can only be positive. Since you and I tend to do what's wrong, the symbolism would be (in the cases where we do wrong) negative.

Thus, these aprons symbolized one thing for our first parents and another for us (as fallen Adams and Eves). For you and me the donning of aprons is a symbol of our fallen state—a symbol of the desire to cover our guilt. Anciently, to be naked meant to be innocent or exposed. To cover one's nakedness symbolized the effort to make excuses for one's actions. When we sin, we are symbolically naked or exposed in our sins before God. Thus, we tend to seek to cover ourselves (i.e., cover our sins) by making excuses, depicted by the donning of the aprons. One modern typologist wrote: "Those fig-leaves were but a picture of themselves; for, plucked from the parent stem, death had set in, and though for a time they might remain glossy and beautiful, they would soon be withered and dead." Adam and Eve's nakedness is often associated with a loss of the Spirit, which left them outside of the scope of the Atonement—having nothing to cover their guilt. It is the realization that they are without God's protection.

In Judaism their nakedness symbolizes that "they became aware that they were bare of good deeds." Jacob Neusner wrote: "The word 'naked' is associated with 'being clothed by the merit accruing from the performance of religious duties.' " Similarly, Philo of Alexandria stated that nakedness symbolized the state of being "wholly deficient in and destitute of virtue." Are we as Latter-day Saints ever found "bare of good deeds"? Are we living Christlike lives of service, virtue, and faithfulness? Are we attending to our covenant responsibilities at home, at Church, and in the temple? Or will we be found at the judgment day standing before God naked of the very virtues, attributes, and acts He commanded us to develop and perform here in mortality?

So, let me see if I can summarize what I feel "naked" means in context with Adam and Eve, and we, as Adams and Eves. I'm going to address this from a symbolic nature.

As we learn in the temple, we are all to consider ourselves as if we are Adam and Eve. So when we are born into this world, we are born naked. We are symbolic naked (innocent and unashamed), not accountable for our sins, until we reach the age of accountability (8 years of age). When we turn 8 years of age, we are baptized, make special covenants, which are renewed each week as we partake of the sacrament. Our baptism, and our weekly sacramental renewals, invoke the power of the atonement in our lives. The atonement (fig leaf coverings) was necessary to cover or atone for our guilt of sin. Further more, our garments (coats of skins; garments of the holy priesthood) are provided to us as additional protection and coverings from sin. They protect us from the destroyer (One who encourages sin) until we have finished our work here on earth.

At one point, Adam and Eve were naked (innocent) and not ashamed. Then after they sinned, they were ashamed of their nakedness (guilt from sin), and thus needed a covering (The atonement) to cover their nakedness.

We likewise, come to this earth naked (innocent and free from sin), but at some point in time become ashamed of our nakedness (guilt from sin), and need a covering (Fig leaves, apron, garments, atonement) to cover our nakedness (sin) and free us from the grasp of the destroyer (Satan).

There is a lot more to consider as we peel off the layers of symbolism, one layer at a time. I hope this post will motivate us to look deep below the surface of the temple ceremony, and the fullness of the Gospel, and ponder the profound significance of our lives in this amazing Plan of Salvation.

We are part of a great plan, that we don't even fully understand or appreciate right now, but will over time, as the spirit reveals line upon line.

Love, Dad

Gratitude - A Time of Thanksgiving

The Prophet Joseph is reported to have said at one time that one of the greatest sins for which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty would be the sin of ingratitude. President Brigham Young uttered very much the same warning as the Prophet Joseph-that this would be one of our great sins as Latter-day Saints. I do not think this is because we are less grateful than other people-but we have so much more to be grateful for.

The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph, "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" (D&C 122:7-8.)

How do you measure your reversals or problems against those of the Prophet Joseph Smith, or more particularly the Lord Jesus Christ, when they were on the earth? How much we have to be grateful for! Our prayers and the prayers of our children should ascend to heaven full of gratitude and love for the mercies of the Lord unto us.

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, it would be appropriate to look outside of ourselves and realize all that we have been given and all that the Lord has blessed us with. We need to be more grateful. I think there is no true character without gratitude. It is one of the marks of a real strong character to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in the Church, everywhere. It doesn't cost anything, and it is so easy to cultivate.

I remember my mission president, George T. Frost, often quoting a poem relating to gratitude:

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so happy, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed... a smile.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind."

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn't hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine........

Beginning this week, and the weeks to follow, let's try to focus on all that we have, instead of what we don't have, knowing that the Lord knows our wants and desires, and will continue to bless us accordingly. I have found when I turn my attention towards others, finding ways to serve, and less focused on my own struggles, some how my problems seem a lot less significant, and the world a much greater and wonderful place to live and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Dad

(Source material: Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson)

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Before I start with my blog post, I have been working on a new website for my posts that will have a lot more features than this one. It is located at: ponderitinyourheart.com. It is password protected with the password "stone81". Feel free to take a look at it. I will probably finish it within the next couple of weeks and stop using this one. I have already transferred all the past posts over there. The website will be set up so that you can look up the past posts by category or search by keyword. I am also setting up a photo section, a family forum, a family calendar and a section of "good reads," articles that I have hand picked. It will still email you when a new post is posted. This website will also be mobile friendly.

Now for today's post...

Over the years I have often asked this question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I'm sure you have asked this as well. You may even be asking this question, "Why are bad things happening to me now?"

It is hard to understand sometimes how a loving Heavenly Father can allow such bad things to happen to good, innocent people, his children. If he truly loved us, wouldn't he want to shield us from such pain and sorrow? The answer is just one word, "agency".

In order for agency to work, to be developed, we had to have choices placed before us. And in order for us to use our agency and make choices, we had to have opposition so that we would be enticed to choose.

One of the great sermons on this subject ever given is in the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 2). Nephi, speaking to his firstborn son, Jacob says:

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

I know as a parent, when I see one of my children in pain or suffering, if I could, I would step in and take the pain away. But I have learned over the years that those painful experiences have made you what you are today. And the pain you are feeling now will make you even better tomorrow. It is hard to understand this when the pain hurts so bad. But it is the opposition, and your choices during these times of opposition, that develop your God-like characteristics to become what the Father would have you be.

We are not suffering alone. Heavenly Father and his Only Begotten Son, have been through the same suffering processes;

And he [the Son of God] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (Alma 7:11–12)

Within a span of fifty-eight years, Mormon fought in several major battles and witnessed the death of tens of thousands of his people! Yet he was filled not with hate and bitterness but with the pure love of Christ. Try to imagine a large, powerful, battle-hardened career general standing up in testimony meeting and saying this:

Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen. (Moroni 7:47–48)

How did Mormon manage to keep his spiritual sensitivity while growing up in an environment of war? He must have been renewed by the Atonement, which can take away not only the pain of our sins but also the pain of things that happen to us over which we have no control (Alma 7:11).

Is the Atonement powerful enough to help someone who has suffered physical or sexual abuse? Absolutely. The atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and eternal. Dr. Carlfred Broderick, a Latter-day Saint and noted family counselor, related the story of a woman who had endured such abuse. On one occasion, she asked Dr. Broderick a tough question that evoked an inspired answer:

"Where is the justice? How can God pretend to be just and send some little girls into homes where they are loved . . . and made to feel like somebody and others into homes where they are beat and molested and abused and neglected? What did I do in the pre-earth life to deserve such a family?" I felt inspired at that time to tell her that she had volunteered in the preexistence to be a savior on Mount Zion, to come to a family drowning in sickness and sin and to be the means of purifying that lineage. Before her in that line were generations of ugly, destructive, family relationships. Downstream from her purifying influence every generation would be blessed with light and love. The role of a savior, I said, is to suffer innocently for the sins of others that still others may not suffer. There can be no higher calling.

This woman had suffered abuse as a child, but the Atonement gave her the power to refuse to pass it on. It's hard to imagine a greater evil that could be done to a child. The impact of such an evil would require a power greater than the evil to bring peace and healing. The greatest power available is the atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ suffered not only for our sins but also for the bad things that happen to us.

In like manner, I see Adam and Sarah playing the role of savior as they rescue these abused children from similar generational chains of abuse. Thanks to them.

Some things in life are temporary, and some are permanent. Our temporal life is temporary. Our trials are temporary. Our pain is temporary. Because of the Savior and his atonement, our mortality will become immortality, and we may dwell with God in a state of permanent, or "never-ending happiness" (Mosiah 2:41). President Howard W. Hunter taught, "Please remember this one thing. If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right."

We know that the Lord will be victorious and that his victory will be permanent. That very thought should give us faith and hope. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has observed:

The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!

Those who have done needlepoint know it's important which side of the fabric to display. One side is full of crisscrossing threads and tiny knots that make the design difficult to recognize. But when it's turned over, the entire picture comes into view. I have always loved the following poem about a needlepoint or weaving design. It helps me trust God when I can't understand why things happen the way they do.

My life is but a weaving between my God and me;
I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.
Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget that He seeth the upper, and I the under side.
Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Someone once said that in this life suffering is mandatory, but misery is optional. No one's going to make it out of here alive. We're all going to pass through some trials and perhaps even some tragedies.

But what do we know for sure, from a source whose answers don't change? We know that God loves his children (1 Nephi 11:17). We know that part of his plan is to allow evil to exist in the world and that he is not unaffected by what happens here on earth (Moses 7:26–33). We know that if we're still alive, we have a work to accomplish (Alma 14:13). We know that the Savior suffered not only for our sins but also for our pains and afflictions (Alma 7:11–12). And we know that one day the Lord will conquer the evil one, answer all of our questions, and bless us with a fulness of joy (D&C 101:32-36).

Love, Dad

(Source material: When Times Are Tough, John Bytheway)

We're Not Alone...

I believe I've written a post or two on this topic before, but, given a recent study, I thought I would revisit it again.

This study finds the Milky Way is teeming with billions of planets that are about the size of Earth, orbit stars just like our sun, and exist in the Goldilocks zone – not too hot and not too cold for life.

Astronomers using NASA data have calculated for the first time that in our galaxy alone, there are at least 8.8 billion stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable temperature zone.

The study was published this last Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

For perspective, that's more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth.

As for what it says about the odds that there is life somewhere out there, it means "just in our Milky Way galaxy alone, that's 8.8 billion throws of the biological dice," said study co-author Geoff Marcy, a longtime planet hunter from the University of California at Berkeley.

This should be nothing new for us Latter-day Saints. We have been taught, as God spoke to Moses that, "...worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." (Moses 1:33)

Reading this recent study reminded me of the book "The Kolob Theorem," written by Lynn M. Hilton, a BYU professor of education and LDS author. I have shared this book with several of you before. It may be a good exercise to revisit the book again. It is a short read, but very compelling in thought and discovery.

You can access a free, authorized PDF copy of the book here: http://www.rogerknecht.com/uploads/2011/12/The_Kolob_Theorem.pdf

Brother Hilton's theory is that our Milky Way Galaxy holds the earthly creations of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That the center of the galaxy is where God dwells and creates new earths from the core of the Milky Way Galaxy's black hole. He further states that our galaxy has three, distinct layers or levels; the outer part of the galaxy being the telestial state, where our earth currently resides; the middle ring is the terrestial state, and the center, or core, where God resides, as the celestial state.

I would encourage you to read this book again. For me, if in fact it is a correct theory, puts the physical creation process, as well as the existence of billions of earths, into a clearer and more understandable perspective.

This theory received a little more validation in the recent depiction of the creation process in the new temple movie, with the movie going into a more detailed process of creation, than in earlier versions. 

The fact that there are others of our brothers and sisters living on other earths, going through the same plan of salvation as we are, impresses upon my mind the greatness and immensity of God's love for his children, and the progressive nature of our existence here and now.

As we get enveloped in the day to day affairs of life, its challenges and trials, its always good to take a step back and realize we are part of a grand plan to have our spirits occupy our physical bodies on this earthly planet with a promise that if we live and progress as God would have us do, that we someday can be standing at the center of our own galaxy, creating earths for our spirit children to occupy and progress as we have done so before them.

And to think that we, as a family, are taking this journey together.

Love, Dad

When We Put God First...

In 1988, as a 35 year old father, watching General Conference, I remember being so impressed by a talk that President Ezra Taft Benson gave called "The Great Commandment -- Love the Lord." (Ensign: May 1988)

There was one particular part of his talk I memorized, and tried to apply it in my life.

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.

I would like to challenge each of you to memorize these two simple, yet powerful, sentences, and apply them in your life.

It was during a time when a Pharisee was trying to catch the Savior in a snare by asking a question, that the Savior taught this important lesson of putting God first by saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Ponder this statement from the Savior, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

All the points of doctrines and the Gospel itself are built upon this first great commandment, of loving God by putting him first. Just as President Benson said, that as we put God first in everything we do, everything else will fall into place or drop out of our lives. Think about that. When we focus our thoughts and actions and center them in God, the things that matter most will stay and grow, and the things that are not important will fall and fade away.

It is just that simple. Follow the Lord and live. Follow not the Lord and die. That is, die spiritually.

I'm going to keep this blog post short, allowing you the extra time that you normally would  take to read the rest of the blog and ask that you take the extra time and memorize these two sentences from President Benson.

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.

Love, Dad