Learning truth through symbolism

How Does He Know When You’re Ready?

Posted 8th January 2012 by curtisross

Category : Book of Mormon, Faith, Knowledge, Scriptures

Note from Tevya: this is another guest post from Curtis Ross. Curtis is an amazing web developer who’s put together an incredible webapp that makes scheduling home teaching and visiting teaching, super easy. He also likes to study the doctrines of the gospel and has kindly volunteered to post some of his thinking and the results of his study here.

When we chose to follow the plan of our Heavenly Father we then started on a path which has two goals: a physical body and knowledge. Here on earth we can learn in the most effective way possible, experience. When we experience pain, pleasure, temptation, and righteousness we gain a reference where we can access true knowledge. The problem is, that is not all it takes. In order for it to be true knowledge in the sense I am referring to, it has to have been provided by or testified of by a member of the Godhead. Because of the veil we do not have the ability to gain true knowledge on our own.

Why is that? Why didn’t our Father give us the ability of finding true knowledge on our own? The answer is, because He loves us. The gaining of knowledge also brings more accountability. He loves us too much to let us have control over our own level of accountability.

Our level of accountability is how responsible we are for our actions in the eyes of God. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10 (oversimplification) if a person’s knowledge is a 3 they would be less accountable than a person who’s knowledge is a 5. Personally I don’t want to be any more accountable than I am ready to be. Although being accountable seems like a bad thing, it can’t be avoided; gaining knowledge is essential to our salvation.

So if God is in control of our level of accountability and therefore our knowledge level, how does he determine when we are ready for a higher level?

In Ether 3:

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

In this moment the veil was lifted from the brother of Jared and he was given knowledge, why?

9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger.
15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.

Because the brother of Jared had perfect faith, he was blessed with a perfect knowledge. This is a great example of how our level of faith is a direct determiner of the level of knowledge we are given. I propose that the ultimate purpose of faith is a measurement or tool God uses to know how much accountability we are ready for before giving us the knowledge. When we show a certain level of faith we are automatically blessed with an equal level of knowledge.

We can see this process in many places including Alma 32 where we learn that in order to gain a testimony, we should start with at least a small amount of faith which will be followed by a small amount of knowledge. From there we can take that small amount of knowledge and facilitate a little more faith which will also be matched with knowledge and so on.

We also see the idea of faith as a measurement in the concept faith proceeds the miracle. Miracles can have the purpose of producing knowledge; for example, receiving revelation. Miracles can also have the result of producing knowledge; for example, healing the sick. In the case of healing the sick, the purpose may be the healing itself, but the result is the recipient gains knowledge of the reality of God. No matter if the miracle has the purpose or merely the result of producing knowledge, there is still knowledge gained. If this is the case, then it would mean an act of faith would be needed in order to prove that person is ready for the accountability that will follow the knowledge received.

If true knowledge is our only goal and faith is the prerequisite, how do we let God know how much faith we have? Faith can only be truly expressed through our actions. When a person simply believes, that is what it stays: a belief. It does not become faith until we act on those beliefs. It is the intensity and consistency with which we act on those beliefs that shows the level of our faith that will lead to knowledge.

The Garden of Eden’s Tree of Life, Not a Tree

Posted 12th November 2011 by curtisross

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Category : Allegory & Parable, Divine Potential, New Testament, Old Testament, Pearl of Great Price, Temple

Note from Tevya: this is a guest post from Curtis Ross. Curtis is an amazing web developer who’s put together an incredible webapp that makes scheduling home teaching and visiting teaching, super easy. As you’ll see below, he’s also a very thoughtful guy who really studies the doctrines.

How better to get us started than to ask my first question. Why and how could Adam have lived for ever in his sins after partaking of the Tree of Life? This is a very specific question and sounds like it would have a very straight forward answer, nope. This is the question that after getting an answer completely changed the way I see the story of Adam and Eve and many of the basic principles of the gospel.

I’m going to start my proposed answer to this question by bursting a few bubbles. The book of Genesis was written as the words of Moses spoken to the children of Israel. These are the same children of Israel who started worshiping a golden calf while Moses was getting the Ten Commandments. I’m guessing he was asking himself how exactly he was going to explain the beginning of man to a people who couldn’t even remember who their God was. This is a story where the principles of the gospel are so intertwined it is hard to navigate through them and explain the events.

You Need to Watch This Excellent Talk on Families & Roles

Posted 1st November 2011 by Tevya

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Category : Becoming, Divine Potential, Family, Temple, Video

I previously posted audio of an excellent talk by my Grandfather, J Ballard Washburn. I don’t recommend this talk just because he’s my Grandfather. I do it because he teaches excellent principles that I’m trying to implement and use in my marriage. And, to the extent that I have been able to do so, I can say “it works!”

Thanks to YouTube allowing longer videos, it’s now far easier for me to post videos like this. So now you can watch and see my cousin Jolene, her husband Jace, and their cute boy Jefferson (Grandpa calls him “Jefferey” for some reason, maybe he wrote it wrong in his notes).

Our (You & Your Sweetheart’s) Mission in Life

J Ballard Washburn – BYU-Idaho Devotional 9 Feb. 2010

Lost: A Sheep, A Coin, & 2 Sons – Part 4: The Prodigal Son #1

Posted 13th July 2011 by Tevya

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Category : Allegory & Parable, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Scriptures

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11–32 contains the longest of the 3 parables recorded in Luke 15, and perhaps Jesus’ most famous parable (at least one of the top few): the parable of the Prodigal Son. The parable is often seen quite literally as a not much of a parable at all, but rather an example story about forgiveness. But as we will see, it definitely contains deeper, symbolic meaning, fits well the label of “parable,” and also goes very nicely with the previous two parables from this chapter. Make sure to read parts 1, 2, and 3 of this series of articles first, if you have not already read them.

Definition of a Parable

First let’s briefly look at what a parable is. Dictionary.com defines the word like this: “A statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.” So a parable is essentially a story of some sort that parallels the actual meaning of the story. Thus the common root between “parable” and “parallel.” Based on that, if we take the “parable” quite literally as merely a fictional moral example, then it’s no longer a parable at all. However, if there’s deeper meaning understood through “comparison, analogy, or the like” then suddenly it’s both a parable, and something of a mystery to be studied and understood in new ways.

First Clues: The Target Audience

The first clue in my reading, is one we discussed in a previous post in this series, and that is the setting. Since it’s taken me so long to write this concluding article, let’s review those verses:

1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Luke 15:1–2)

The Symbolism of Trees & the Sacrament

Posted 27th May 2011 by Tevya

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Category : Allegory & Parable, Book of Mormon, Ceremony/Ordinances, Jesus Christ, Old Testament, Pearl of Great Price, Sacrament, Scriptures

This is a guest post from Nick Galieti, the author of the new book Tree of Sacrament. I have not yet read the book but hope to soon. It explores deeply the symbolism of the sacrament and related doctrines, a topic we’ve explored previously on Sacred Symbolic. The following is an original article from Nick introducing some of the symbolism, doctrines, and ideas that he explores in-depth in his book. See the bottom of this post for information on how to get a free preview chapter of the book.

Throughout the scriptures there are many symbolic references to trees in a wide variety. “The Tree represents not only life, regeneration, and immortality, but also, “knowledge and wisdom” and “the world or universe.” It is “the most wide spread of symbols, and in considering Christian architecture it can be regarded as second only to the cross.”¹ In the Garden of Eden two trees are spoken of specifically: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. In conjunction with these two trees is the fruit that each one bears. Both types of fruit had an effect on those who partook of it. That effect was dependent on, or in relation to, their current state or condition. Partaking of the fruit of the tree of life was offered freely as long as the partaker was clear of wrongdoing.

I Have Dreamed A Dream, Swift, Charles A., April 2003, P.173 ↩

Valiant in Your Testimony of Christ

Posted 20th March 2011 by Tevya

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Category : Becoming, Jesus Christ

I was looking at our family blog last night and came across a quote I posted there in 2009, from Bruce R. McConkie. I’d forgotten about it, but it’s one we all should read on a regular basis, so I thought I’d share it here:

“What does it mean to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus?

“It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in the warfare with the world; to fight the good fight of faith. … The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘come unto Christ, and be perfected in him’; it is to deny ourselves ‘of all ungodliness,’ and ‘love God’ with all our ‘might, mind and strength.’ (Moro. 10:32.)

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unshakable conviction. It is to know of the verity and divinity of the Lord’s work on earth.

“But this is not all. It is more than believing and knowing. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. It is more than lip service; it is not simply confessing with the mouth the divine Sonship of the Savior. It is obedience and conformity and personal righteousness. …

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.’ It is to ‘endure to the end.’ (2 Ne. 31:20) It is to live our religion, to practice what we preach, to keep the commandments. It is the manifestation of ‘pure religion’ in the lives of men; it is visiting ‘the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ and keeping ourselves ‘unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27.)

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions, control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was the most valiant of all our Father’s children. It is to be morally clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to pray with full purpose of heart, to lay our all upon the altar if called upon to do so.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to take the Lord’s side on every issue. It is to vote as he would vote. It is to think what he thinks, to believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he is one with his Father” (Bruce R. McConkie in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, 45–46; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, 35).

Becoming Like God: Will, Conversion, & A Heart at Peace

Posted 8th February 2011 by Tevya

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Category : Becoming, Divine Potential, Heart @ Peace, Jesus Christ, Leadership, Video

This is something I’ve wanted to write about for some time. I hope I can properly convey the power and importance of this, and somebody will find it helpful.

An Offering of Will

Previously, I wrote about how the “tithes and offerings” mentioned in Malachi have more to do with offering ourselves as an offering on the altars of the temple, than paying money to the Church. In Oct. Conference, 1995, Elder Neal A. Maxwell gave a watershed talk entitled Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father, wherein he thoroughly explained the concepts of personal sacrifice, consecration, and agency.

The basic teaching of the talk is that the only way we can truly become like Jesus and gain entry in the Celestial Kingdom, is to give our will to our Heavenly Father. When we pay tithing, there’s not much true sacrifice involved—at least not in the money itself—because we’re only giving the Lord something that is already His. However, His will (what he wants) is for us to give the 1/10th that he has asked. Thus, if we desire to pay tithing, because we know God wants us to, and we then pay it, we have exercised our agency to do His will. Because of agency our will is truly ours to give to the Lord, or to Satan. When we pay tithing—or do anything that the Lord want’s us to—because He wants us to, we are exercising our agency by choosing to do His will. Each of us individually must choose to follow Christ by submitting our will to the Father, by learning His will and acting according to it, or else we give our will to Satan by default.

Clash of the Titans & Jesus Christ

Posted 9th September 2010 by Tevya

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Category : Allegory & Parable, Ancient Religions, Media & Internet, Pop-culture, TV & Movies

My Mom enjoys a certain amount of notoriety in her and my Dad’s house for a conversation she had with a few of her children. Several years ago when Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was the new popular movie on DVD, a few of my siblings wanted to watch it at home. My Mother rejected the idea stating, “it’s just two hours of violence!” To which my brother quickly replied, “no Mom, this is the extended edition… its four hours of violence!” I don’t think my Mother liked it, but either the humor won her over, or my siblings were old enough at the time, that she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it.

You can imagine my surprise when I heard that my Mother “liked” Clash of the Titans. Based on the trailers, I’d assumed it was a film long on action and special effects, and short on plot or character development. But after getting my Mom’s opinion (2nd hand), I just had to see this film. So I reserved it at a local Redbox the day it released, and gave it a watch.

And I was right… mostly. It was long on special effects and action, but surprisingly not so short on plot. All that aside, and at the risk of sounding like a real symbolism geek, the following is why I really quite enjoyed it, and am writing about a movie on a blog called Sacred Symbolic. Warning: spoilers ahead. Go watch it if you haven’t already, before reading this.

Continue Reading »

FAIR Conference: Apologetics, Kirtland Papers, More

Posted 7th August 2010 by Tevya

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Category : Apologetics, Church History, Joseph Smith, Scriptures

The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR – fairlds.org) held a conference Thurs., and Fri., in Sandy, UT. They had an impressive lineup of speakers. Some that were previously unknown to me, but gave as powerful—or more powerful—presentations than those that were known to me.

All in all, it was a great conference and held many amazing insights and explanations. For me it was a powerful spiritual boost and increased my desire to improve in various ways including studying the gospel with more focus and dedication. I also found it very accessible. Some might think I’m something of a scholar because of this blog, but that’s not the case, I’m nowhere near the level of scholarship that many of these presenters are. Yet most seemed very accessible, even to those who don’t study the kinds of subjects they spoke of, on a regular basis. I’d like to share notes and some links from the conference.

Why Apologetics?

Before you stop reading because you don’t like apologetics, you should read some of my notes from Daniel C. Peterson’s closing presentation on Friday:

Lost: A Sheep, A Coin, & 2 Sons – Part 3

Posted 30th July 2010 by Tevya

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Category : Allegory & Parable, New Testament, Scriptures

Make sure you read parts 1 & 2 before reading this.

The Lost Coin

In Luke 15: 8–10 Jesus tells a parable with similarities to that of the lost sheep, but some key differences. Here, a woman looses a coin, then lights a candle, sweeps the house, searches diligently, and rejoices when she finds it.

detail of 'Parable of the Lost Drachma', by Domenico Feti, 1618-22, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden

Context

Just like the shepherd in the previous parable, the woman can be compared to Christ in many ways. Also like the shepherd, she doesn’t represent Christ in this parable. But who does she represent? The leaders of the Church like the shepherd? Or somebody else? In many scriptural references an unspecified woman represents the church. This comes from the symbolic imagery of the church as a woman or bride. A quick example of this recurring scriptural theme is found in Isaiah 62:5 “…as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Jesus is the bridegroom, the church is his bride. First of all, the value of the silver coin is about a day’s labor. Remember though, that they didn’t have an 8 hour workday in those days. So the value of that coin was probably more like 10-12 hours of hard labor. Lets just say $200 in modern US money. Where did the money come from? Well most likely from the man of the house. He goes out and works, and she has the result of his 10 days hard labor. She looses one day’s worth. If the woman is the church and Christ is the husband, then his work is that of saving souls, of bringing them unto him. Thus, if we’re to put His work in mortal terms, this coin might represent a lost soul (just like the sheep) or perhaps several people, like a family. Understanding these symbolic constructs, the parable applies to all of us members of the church, perhaps even more so than that of the shepherd. With that in mind, what instruction can we pull from Christ’s parable?