It seems that it wasn't uncommon to have a tradition of having all things in common for the people of the Book of Mormon. Alma seems to have made this a main tennant of the church he orgainized. There are two roots in the Book of Mormon to having all things in common that I wish to explore: Jacob 2 and Mosiah 4.
Four hundred and sixty years before Alma organized his church, Jacob rebuked his people with the following in Jacob 2:17-18:
Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
Here Jacob exhorts his brethren to be free with their substance so everyone can be rich. Substance mean wealth in any form. "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves". Jacob doesn't want any personal amassing of wealth. He says in verse 19 that if we really have a hope in Christ, we can do nothing but help others with our surplus wealth. But, it appears that our inclination or desire to give away our substance is brought about by whether or not we have sought the kingdom of God. The natual man cannot even comprehend giving freely. He considers it foolishness. And he never will know the blessings and miracles that he might have received if he had faith. And receiving the blessings is proof (in some twisted way) that Jacob's just doesn't work.
In Mosiah 4:22-23, King Benjamin, forty years before the establishment of Alma's church tells his people that one of the results of rebirth in the Christ is use your substance as if it were a gift:
And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done. I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.
King Benjamin is saying that the rich man will perish if he doesn't use his gift of making wealth to help others. You can't even judge the person who you know messed up his temporal situation. It just doesn't matter. Since your substance isn't yours anyways, the Lord's requirement being blessing with this temporal gift is to give it all away. Many get distressed at this idea these days - but to King Benjamin it show true discipleship.
Let's look at verses 17-18:
Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just— But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
This earler verse tells us that we are all beggars - or at least people who have had the change of heart. Christ gave you the gift of redeeming love so love others in the small way that you can. Not everyone has the same gift in this life. Some have spiritual gifts and others have temporal gifts. To withhold your temporal gift is like a person with gift of healing to withhold his gift from you when you are sick!
Alma new the doctrine and organized his church of believers according to that doctrine. The members - and the whole nation were blessed because of this order that they followed. They were delivered from the hands of the Lamanites over and over again. They were prospered in all ways. They had the strength of the Lord!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Nephi's Episode 6. The Lord's Big Errand: Building a Boat
Here's how the story goes:
Action
1. Everyone is content in Bountful*The mission is not complete
2. Nephi hears the LordSomeone is listening*Miracle
3. Nephi prays alone*Action
4. Nephi obtains an errand from the Lord*Miracle
5. Nephi asks for specific directionNephi knows is limitations*Action
6. Nephi receives answers to the specific need*Miracle
7. Nephi continues to ask*Action
8. Nephi continues to shown*Miracle
9. Nephi ask L&L to help with the construction*Action
10. L&L withhold help*Trouble, Trial or Affllicton (TTA)
11. Nephi is sad for their hard heartedness*Nephi is troubled*Nephi does not succomb*
12. L&L mispreceive Neph's sadness and tell him that he is a fool*Voiced Unbelief
13. Nephi preaches to them how mighty God is*Action*Nephi doesn't care that L&L can over power him.
14. L&L want to kill Nephi*TTA with no way out
15. Nephi tell them to touch me not and has white luster*Miracle
16. L&L fear Nephi and help construct the ship*Doors are open using Unbelievers*Action
17. Nephi is told to touch L&L so they know that Nephi really did have power undeniably*Miracle
18. The errand is completed*The ship is contructed
Action
1. Everyone is content in Bountful*The mission is not complete
2. Nephi hears the LordSomeone is listening*Miracle
3. Nephi prays alone*Action
4. Nephi obtains an errand from the Lord*Miracle
5. Nephi asks for specific directionNephi knows is limitations*Action
6. Nephi receives answers to the specific need*Miracle
7. Nephi continues to ask*Action
8. Nephi continues to shown*Miracle
9. Nephi ask L&L to help with the construction*Action
10. L&L withhold help*Trouble, Trial or Affllicton (TTA)
11. Nephi is sad for their hard heartedness*Nephi is troubled*Nephi does not succomb*
12. L&L mispreceive Neph's sadness and tell him that he is a fool*Voiced Unbelief
13. Nephi preaches to them how mighty God is*Action*Nephi doesn't care that L&L can over power him.
14. L&L want to kill Nephi*TTA with no way out
15. Nephi tell them to touch me not and has white luster*Miracle
16. L&L fear Nephi and help construct the ship*Doors are open using Unbelievers*Action
17. Nephi is told to touch L&L so they know that Nephi really did have power undeniably*Miracle
18. The errand is completed*The ship is contructed
Nephi - Faith Growing "Episodes"
Nephi wasn't a great prophet to begin with. He was a kid that believed in God and expressed his faith rather than going into unbelief. His faith grew from grace to grace as he experienced God's love, protection, deliverance and affirmation. Here's a list of Nephi's faith building "episodes" that I want to analyse one by one:
1. Nephi gets a Witness
2. Doing the Lord's Errand: getting the brass plates
3. Doing the Lord's Errand: getting Ishmael and the wives
4. Hunger in the Wilderness
5. The Death of Ishmael
6. The Lord's Big Errand: Building a Boat
7. Staying Solemn, Sober and Meek vs Lightmindedness and Rudeness
8. Mission Completed: Dumping the Faithless Unbelievers
I am not sure of the format but it will come....
1. Nephi gets a Witness
2. Doing the Lord's Errand: getting the brass plates
3. Doing the Lord's Errand: getting Ishmael and the wives
4. Hunger in the Wilderness
5. The Death of Ishmael
6. The Lord's Big Errand: Building a Boat
7. Staying Solemn, Sober and Meek vs Lightmindedness and Rudeness
8. Mission Completed: Dumping the Faithless Unbelievers
I am not sure of the format but it will come....
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Alma's Church - Korihor's Inferences
In Alma 30 Korihor, the anti-christ, in his argument with Alma the Younger, says some things about the church of the day that I thing is very revealing. Korihor says the following in verse 27-28: And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges. Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should offend their priests, who do yoke them according to their desires, and have brought them to believe, by their traditions and their dreams and their whims and their visions and their pretended mysteries, that they should, if they did not do according to their words, offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.
In verse 32 - 35, Alma responds only to Korihors accusation of glutting themselves on the labors of the people but surprisingly remains silent regarding the people not enjoying their rights and privileges and not making use of that which is their own. Here's what Alma says:
32 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people. 33 And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time. 34 And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren? 35 Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that causes such joy in their hearts?
Alma could have said, the people can do whatever they want with that which is their own. But, at least in this record, he didn't. When these verses are juxtapositioned against earlier verses in the chapter where Mormon explains Korihor's doctrine, one can see why Korihor has such contempt for the church. In verse 17, Korihor preached:
And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime.
Korihor taught that everyone fared in this life according to their own abilities. The greater a person capacity for creating wealth, etc., the more was his increase. It was his to do as he wished. Looking at this doctrine, Korihor's accusation of the people not enjoying their rights and privelges to use that which is their own and Alma's silence on the matter, I conclude that what Korihor was asserting about the people (of the church) was very close to the truth. The church wasn't just a congregation of believers meeting together oft but an organization that was involved in creating temporal equality through the redistribution of the wealth of its members. Whether the people feared offending their priest or God or voluntarily contributed is where Korihor probably got it wrong. Like any organization, there will always be some who are not as strong as others. But, it definite was a Christian tenant of the time that everything is held in common in the church.
I like to look at opposites. Mormon decried the Korihor doctrine of every man faring according to the management of the creature, thus prospering according to his genius. The opposite of this would be that everyone fares collectively based on individual management and genius. We all prosper equally together! I would even go as far and say the ability create wealth or manage a business or see profit making potential is just another gift of God. These gifts are used like all other gifts in the service of others. We, today, are believing false paradigms taught us by our fathers. We can't even imagine a better way. They true of living together seen down right foolish! I made my money so it is mine!
What's amazing is the miraculous blessing bestowed from heaven when everyone chooses to live equally temporally. The people are prospered beyond their wildest imaginations by the Lord. I bet many social ills would be remedied. The stress level exhibited by most people would just disappear. It would be an amazing world to live in.
In verse 32 - 35, Alma responds only to Korihors accusation of glutting themselves on the labors of the people but surprisingly remains silent regarding the people not enjoying their rights and privileges and not making use of that which is their own. Here's what Alma says:
32 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people. 33 And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time. 34 And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren? 35 Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain? And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that causes such joy in their hearts?
Alma could have said, the people can do whatever they want with that which is their own. But, at least in this record, he didn't. When these verses are juxtapositioned against earlier verses in the chapter where Mormon explains Korihor's doctrine, one can see why Korihor has such contempt for the church. In verse 17, Korihor preached:
And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime.
Korihor taught that everyone fared in this life according to their own abilities. The greater a person capacity for creating wealth, etc., the more was his increase. It was his to do as he wished. Looking at this doctrine, Korihor's accusation of the people not enjoying their rights and privelges to use that which is their own and Alma's silence on the matter, I conclude that what Korihor was asserting about the people (of the church) was very close to the truth. The church wasn't just a congregation of believers meeting together oft but an organization that was involved in creating temporal equality through the redistribution of the wealth of its members. Whether the people feared offending their priest or God or voluntarily contributed is where Korihor probably got it wrong. Like any organization, there will always be some who are not as strong as others. But, it definite was a Christian tenant of the time that everything is held in common in the church.
I like to look at opposites. Mormon decried the Korihor doctrine of every man faring according to the management of the creature, thus prospering according to his genius. The opposite of this would be that everyone fares collectively based on individual management and genius. We all prosper equally together! I would even go as far and say the ability create wealth or manage a business or see profit making potential is just another gift of God. These gifts are used like all other gifts in the service of others. We, today, are believing false paradigms taught us by our fathers. We can't even imagine a better way. They true of living together seen down right foolish! I made my money so it is mine!
What's amazing is the miraculous blessing bestowed from heaven when everyone chooses to live equally temporally. The people are prospered beyond their wildest imaginations by the Lord. I bet many social ills would be remedied. The stress level exhibited by most people would just disappear. It would be an amazing world to live in.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Alma's Church - Broken Up
In 3 Nephi 6:12-14 Momon says:
And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great clearning because of their riches. Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God. And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
My interpretation of these verses is that the church fell apart when some of the members chose to succumb to their pride and hold their substance as their own. This inequality in the land broke up the church. Why? Why can't everyone just go to church each Saturday? The church appears to an econmic and social order as well as a congregation of like-minded members. In fact, it appears that when some of the members dropped down to the regular dog eat dog, free enterprise system - that's when the "church" broke up. The were humble nephites but only among a few of the lamanites would depart from it (the church). Apparently these lamanites kept the consecrative order that was not had else where.
Could it be the members of greater capacity decided to withhold their substance? Some people can fare exceedingly well in this life. They are just good at it. Others don't seem to have the same gift from God. It looks like a domino affect occurs. One member starts to spend money on himself and his family. Others see what he is doing and say to themselves, if he's going to do it than I'm going to also. After this goes on for a while, all that's left is the poor and needy - or the people that aren't gifted in the creature management gifts. Those dropping out probably said in their hearts, "I made this money, it is mine. Why do I have to give it to them? They can work for it just like I did. In fact, I am living Providently and self-sufficiently. I don't believe in the dole and many of those poor members definitely look like they are on the dole."
Their logic is good from a telestial or even terrestrial vantage point. Fair is fair. But, the blessing of heaven begin to cease and matters always get worse and worse.
Disclaimer: today's church is not Alma's church. We are coming from a different approach working toward the day when we will have all things in common. Our great grand children will sit on our lap and ask many questions that preplex them. Why did everybody compete against each other, grandpa? Why didn't they want to help each other? Everyone now can get all they want! Why didn't anybody see the better way?
And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great clearning because of their riches. Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God. And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
My interpretation of these verses is that the church fell apart when some of the members chose to succumb to their pride and hold their substance as their own. This inequality in the land broke up the church. Why? Why can't everyone just go to church each Saturday? The church appears to an econmic and social order as well as a congregation of like-minded members. In fact, it appears that when some of the members dropped down to the regular dog eat dog, free enterprise system - that's when the "church" broke up. The were humble nephites but only among a few of the lamanites would depart from it (the church). Apparently these lamanites kept the consecrative order that was not had else where.
Could it be the members of greater capacity decided to withhold their substance? Some people can fare exceedingly well in this life. They are just good at it. Others don't seem to have the same gift from God. It looks like a domino affect occurs. One member starts to spend money on himself and his family. Others see what he is doing and say to themselves, if he's going to do it than I'm going to also. After this goes on for a while, all that's left is the poor and needy - or the people that aren't gifted in the creature management gifts. Those dropping out probably said in their hearts, "I made this money, it is mine. Why do I have to give it to them? They can work for it just like I did. In fact, I am living Providently and self-sufficiently. I don't believe in the dole and many of those poor members definitely look like they are on the dole."
Their logic is good from a telestial or even terrestrial vantage point. Fair is fair. But, the blessing of heaven begin to cease and matters always get worse and worse.
Disclaimer: today's church is not Alma's church. We are coming from a different approach working toward the day when we will have all things in common. Our great grand children will sit on our lap and ask many questions that preplex them. Why did everybody compete against each other, grandpa? Why didn't they want to help each other? Everyone now can get all they want! Why didn't anybody see the better way?
Alma's Church
We Latter Day Saints tend to picture the church that Alma The Younger's organized as similar to the church we belong to today. The Book of Mormon tells of a church that was quite different than the one we are accustomed to. In Alma's day the be a christian you had to believe that a Christian choses to have all things in common with his fellow saints; to wear fine twined apparel amounted to pride; that it offends God to use your substance if the way you seem fit; that withholding your substance from anyone is need was a sign that you haven't any interest in the Kingdom of God; that prospering according to your own genious (free market system) was anti-christian; that prospering collectively is God's plan; that class stratafication is a sign of the church failing in its progress; that following the all in common approach yield tremendous blessings from God on the collective whole; and that the strength of the Lord is with a nation collective and people individually causing all enemies to be frustrated in their attempts to fight, bring into bondage, etc.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Amazing Faith of Nephi
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi is an archtypical example of what faith really is. Nephi goes through episode after episode relating to us how God's protection, guidance and deliverance is with anyone who does what Nephi did. Nephi was probably eighteen years old for crying out loud. He wasn't a great prophet. He just did followed a pattern that brought results. As the result came his faith became stronger and stronger. So, what is the pattern? If we follow the pattern will the same result occur? Of course, they will. Does it take a superman or superwoman to follow the pattern? No. But old habits need to be broken. Belief that there really is a God out there that cares has to be developed.
Here's what I mean by old habits. You get into a difficult situation in life. You either get depressed or angry or some other unbelief emotion. Nephi somehow chooses not to entertain these emotions and their related behavior. Laman and Lemuel fall apart like most of us when the going gets rough. Until we have developed whatever it is that needs to be developed there isn't any way to have that steadiness that Nephi had. So, follow Nephi's pattern. Since we have revitted our bad habits into our beings more work might need be done than we think. But, that's what this life is for. Weakness (bad habits, etc.) need to made into strengths by the grace of God. If we are exhibiting weakness when the going gets rough we God's help in flipping it into a strength. I am not talking about the things that we quickly repent of and never do again. I talking about the faithless behavior that we want to so badly to get rid of but we do the same thing over and over again. That a bad habit.
Nephi doesn't tell us what he does with his weakness until he is old. See 2 Nephi 4. We will get to that in another blog. What is amazing is the patterns in the stories that Nephi tells.
Here's what I mean by old habits. You get into a difficult situation in life. You either get depressed or angry or some other unbelief emotion. Nephi somehow chooses not to entertain these emotions and their related behavior. Laman and Lemuel fall apart like most of us when the going gets rough. Until we have developed whatever it is that needs to be developed there isn't any way to have that steadiness that Nephi had. So, follow Nephi's pattern. Since we have revitted our bad habits into our beings more work might need be done than we think. But, that's what this life is for. Weakness (bad habits, etc.) need to made into strengths by the grace of God. If we are exhibiting weakness when the going gets rough we God's help in flipping it into a strength. I am not talking about the things that we quickly repent of and never do again. I talking about the faithless behavior that we want to so badly to get rid of but we do the same thing over and over again. That a bad habit.
Nephi doesn't tell us what he does with his weakness until he is old. See 2 Nephi 4. We will get to that in another blog. What is amazing is the patterns in the stories that Nephi tells.
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