Ether 12:4 is a beautiful verse:
Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
It seems to me that a true believer receives from God spiritual manifestations or witnesses so that he becomes sure and steadfast. As he exercises faith, he progresses from grace to grace knowing that the course he is pursuing is good. He knows that his faith in the unseen really brings forth miracles large, small, marvelous and subtle. These experiences anchor his soul.
While the person that exercises no faith receives not such witness and remains in a state of unbelief. As his unbelief grows, he unknowingly experiences what is called the chains of hell. He believes that goodness is foolishness. He knows nothing of godliness yet thinks he knows how the world operates. But, he only knows the operations of the world from an unbelieving point of view.
My point is that there is a gulf between these two individuals. The gulf is wide and deep; two completely different ways of thinking. What's interesting is that the unbeliever may demand that there isn't any more to this life than what he sees. He thinks that since he hasn't experienced the greater things or the mysteries of Godliness that they don't exist. He has never sought. He never asked. But, he feels justified in his unbelief.
Ether 4:5-6 says, that ... Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not. ... faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
Faith defined in Book of Mormon terms, is this thing that grows and grows. It starts by a person planting a seed. As the seed begins to swell within the person he knows that that the seed is good. Why does a person who just believes the true words of another bring about this swelling? Because the person exercized a particle of faith! A little miracle occurred. The Spirit spoke to the heart of the person. He received an assurance from the preacher and when he believe the assurance, the evidence came.
The unseen world of principles, gifts and gods is so foreign to the unbeliever. Thus, the unbeliever receives no witness.
President Monson, in the last General Conference said, ... fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. Our faith will be the power that brings about great things in our future and Church's future. Dim faith will bring about a lessor future. No faith will put us in the camp of the unbeliever. Let's all grow our faith so it feels like an old glove.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Akish Thrawted In His Evil Designs
In Ether 8 and 9 we find a classic story of intrigue. Jared, the son of Omer, is very sad that he lost the kingdom that he usurped previously. His brothers didn't kill him because he begged for his life and promised that he would be good boy. He's a classic addict but his addiction is power. As soon as Jared gets tempted again he goes right back to his old drug.
His beautiful daughter sees his sorrow and comes up with a solution. She and her father are people of the world with no qualms to do what it takes to get power and gain. The daughter of Jared has plan. She proposes that she dance for a man named Akish. Akish is a friend of Omer the King. This must have been a special kind of dance used to attract and or seduce men. When Akish desires her to marry her, he would come to Jared to ask her hand in marriage. When this occurs, Jared would request his father's head on plate.
It all happens like clock work. But, in order to pull it off Akish, has to build a secret combination (see my secret combination essay). Akish unites all his friends and family to promise under penalty of death not to tell anyone about their secret crimes. Its just like the current hit reality show, Survivor. Akish knows he can use his friendship (trust) with king Omer to pull of the deception.
Here's where the story changes. Omer is warned of the Lord of conspiracy and is told to depart with his family into the wilderness. Jared takes back the kingdom and no blood is shed. Jared becomes the king and gives he daughter to Akish to marry.
But it doesn't stop here. Akish, who has his secret network, decides to kill Jared. Jared's head get chopped off while on his throne surrounded by people. Akish becomes the king. No mention is made of his wife, the daugher of Jared. She was either part of the plan or more likely wondering what she had done. Had she created a monster? As king, Akish starts acting paranoid. He starves and kills one of his sons. By the end of the story Akish's kingdom falls into civil war and all but thirty souls remain alive. Omer returns and takes back the kingdom.
The moral of the story is that God protects those who puts their trust in Him and permits the wicked to kill each other off. Caution should be taken in trusting people. Subterfuge should never be used to get what you want. Secret alliances are evil and put people in the ultimate bind where they must deny the righteous impulses under threat of death.
His beautiful daughter sees his sorrow and comes up with a solution. She and her father are people of the world with no qualms to do what it takes to get power and gain. The daughter of Jared has plan. She proposes that she dance for a man named Akish. Akish is a friend of Omer the King. This must have been a special kind of dance used to attract and or seduce men. When Akish desires her to marry her, he would come to Jared to ask her hand in marriage. When this occurs, Jared would request his father's head on plate.
It all happens like clock work. But, in order to pull it off Akish, has to build a secret combination (see my secret combination essay). Akish unites all his friends and family to promise under penalty of death not to tell anyone about their secret crimes. Its just like the current hit reality show, Survivor. Akish knows he can use his friendship (trust) with king Omer to pull of the deception.
Here's where the story changes. Omer is warned of the Lord of conspiracy and is told to depart with his family into the wilderness. Jared takes back the kingdom and no blood is shed. Jared becomes the king and gives he daughter to Akish to marry.
But it doesn't stop here. Akish, who has his secret network, decides to kill Jared. Jared's head get chopped off while on his throne surrounded by people. Akish becomes the king. No mention is made of his wife, the daugher of Jared. She was either part of the plan or more likely wondering what she had done. Had she created a monster? As king, Akish starts acting paranoid. He starves and kills one of his sons. By the end of the story Akish's kingdom falls into civil war and all but thirty souls remain alive. Omer returns and takes back the kingdom.
The moral of the story is that God protects those who puts their trust in Him and permits the wicked to kill each other off. Caution should be taken in trusting people. Subterfuge should never be used to get what you want. Secret alliances are evil and put people in the ultimate bind where they must deny the righteous impulses under threat of death.
Spreading the Wealth - a wicked practice?
I was reading Ether 9 today and found a verse that I have been trying find for years. The verse reminds me of what politicians do to entice it's citizens to support them as rulers. The citizens can be entice if they value money over higher principles.
Here's verse 11:
Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for power; wherefore, the sons of Akish did offer them money, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them.
So, Akish and his boys give the people money to support them as the rulers. How did Akish get the money? It had to be either taxation, extortion or mining or precious ore. If it was through taxation or extortion, then they were applying a socialist principle of redistribution of wealth.
We read in verse 12 that ... there began to be a war between the sons of Akish and Akish, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer.
Apparently greed and power got the best of Akish and his sons. These summarized verses are very vague as what exactly happened. But, the end result was that the people apparently took sides and killed each other until their were only thirty souls left!
If a nation's primary focus in power and gain, the country won't last long.
Here's verse 11:
Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for power; wherefore, the sons of Akish did offer them money, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them.
So, Akish and his boys give the people money to support them as the rulers. How did Akish get the money? It had to be either taxation, extortion or mining or precious ore. If it was through taxation or extortion, then they were applying a socialist principle of redistribution of wealth.
We read in verse 12 that ... there began to be a war between the sons of Akish and Akish, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer.
Apparently greed and power got the best of Akish and his sons. These summarized verses are very vague as what exactly happened. But, the end result was that the people apparently took sides and killed each other until their were only thirty souls left!
If a nation's primary focus in power and gain, the country won't last long.
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