This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Job. We discuss God making bets with Satan, Job losing everything, and the lessons in the poetry of Job. Study with me!
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Showing posts with label #satan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #satan. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 157 - Before the Beginning
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Moses and Abraham. We discuss life before mortality, the origins of the devil, and the role of destiny in God's plan. Study with me!
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Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Eve did not lie to God
This year, LDS Gospel Doctrine classes are delving into one of my favorite places... the Old Testament. I absolutely love this often overlooked and frequently misunderstood portion of the holy scriptures.
One of the first lessons of the year is based on the fall of Adam and Eve. Many in our class plainly expressed that there are many things about this story that we do not know (which is true). We do not know the length of time that they lived in the Garden of Eden. We do not know the size of the garden. We do not know what the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil looked like.
Of course, there are some things that we do know... some of the most essential elements of the story. We know that Adam and Eve were naked, and that they were unaware of this fact (Genesis 2:25). We know that there was a tree with fruit that would somehow give knowledge to those who ate of it (Genesis 3:6). We know that Satan was present (Genesis 3:1, Moses 4:5-6). We know that the consequences of Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit involved being cast out of the Garden of Eden, and the introduction of death (Genesis 3:16-24).
There are things that many people infer in the story. We infer that Adam and Eve were married (Genesis 2:22-24, Mark 10:2-9). We infer that eating the fruit did bring wisdom to Adam and Eve. We infer that life was difficult after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
The most popular speculations that are made involve Eve.
Some people have suggested that had only Eve resisted the temptations of the devil, that all of humanity might have dwelt in the perpetual paradise originally created by God. They infer that Eve was the source of pain and toil. Many modern prophets have refuted this conclusion... and other sources of scripture show that the fall was a necessary step in God's plan of salvation for his children.
Other people, in the spirit of correcting the perceived injustices against our first mother Eve, have suggested that not only should Eve be held blameless, but that she was a mastermind who comprehended that God's plan would require them to gain wisdom, and to have children out of the Garden of Eden. They suggest that Eve was not tempted by Satan... but that she saw through his ruse into the deeper meaning of partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
This is also bunk.
Satan, who did not go through the process of birth and had memory of premortality, still "knew not the mind of God" (Moses 4:6). Yet we are supposed to think that Eve, who did not realize that she was unclothed, somehow knew everything perfectly?
I have heard impassioned voices in many wards try to infer that the innocence of our first parents did not mean they were ignorant of the workings of God's plan. It has been suggested that Eve searched for alternatives to taking of the fruit, thus proving her foresight. Of course, for members of the LDS church, this would not explain why Adam was ignorant of the reasoning behind sacrifice, or why they only expressed joy in their circumstances after the gospel was revealed to them (Moses 5).
Most importantly, Eve did not lie to God.
God asked for an explanation of Eve's actions, and received from her this simple statement:
"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:13)
There was no "I partook to fulfill thy plan" or "I partook that mankind might be" or "I partook because there were no other solutions to give us knowledge and allow us to have children."
Here, Eve answered God honestly. She had been tempted to do something she did not understand, and she did it.
Adam gave a much more complex answer, because there was more complex reasoning behind his action:
"The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat." (Moses 4:18)
His course of action was motivated by a desire to stay with his wife. He had a choice between avoiding the fruit, or remaining with Eve, and, thanks to Eve, he chose the latter.
The consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve are profound, and persist even to the present day. It is central to the plan of God that we be born under the effects of a curse that bars us from the immediate presence of God, and allows us the freedom to choose for ourselves between good and evil. Eve certainly does not deserve blame... but she does not deserve credit either.
There was only one who knew all of the parties involved in Eden... only one who knew the consequences of every choice... only one who knew what Satan, and Adam, and Eve would do, before they even thought of doing it themselves. It was the one who planted the garden. It was the one who created the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was the one who engineered the entire plan.
Only God knew.
Much as it is today... people have a tendency to give credit and lay blame where they are not due. Other people may do harm, but the effects of the most heinous acts are, at their very worst, temporary. Other people may do good, but at their very best, they are still flawed. We are not so much smarter than our first parents, and we have difficulty overcoming temptations, mistakes, and problems on our own... but the same one who planted the Garden of Eden also knows of us, and his Holy Son Jesus Christ, who broke the curses of sin and death for Adam and Eve, can crush the obstacles that bar us from fulfilling our divine destiny.
"...there is none good but one, that is, God..." (Matthew 19:17)
One of the first lessons of the year is based on the fall of Adam and Eve. Many in our class plainly expressed that there are many things about this story that we do not know (which is true). We do not know the length of time that they lived in the Garden of Eden. We do not know the size of the garden. We do not know what the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil looked like.
Of course, there are some things that we do know... some of the most essential elements of the story. We know that Adam and Eve were naked, and that they were unaware of this fact (Genesis 2:25). We know that there was a tree with fruit that would somehow give knowledge to those who ate of it (Genesis 3:6). We know that Satan was present (Genesis 3:1, Moses 4:5-6). We know that the consequences of Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit involved being cast out of the Garden of Eden, and the introduction of death (Genesis 3:16-24).
There are things that many people infer in the story. We infer that Adam and Eve were married (Genesis 2:22-24, Mark 10:2-9). We infer that eating the fruit did bring wisdom to Adam and Eve. We infer that life was difficult after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
The most popular speculations that are made involve Eve.
Some people have suggested that had only Eve resisted the temptations of the devil, that all of humanity might have dwelt in the perpetual paradise originally created by God. They infer that Eve was the source of pain and toil. Many modern prophets have refuted this conclusion... and other sources of scripture show that the fall was a necessary step in God's plan of salvation for his children.
Other people, in the spirit of correcting the perceived injustices against our first mother Eve, have suggested that not only should Eve be held blameless, but that she was a mastermind who comprehended that God's plan would require them to gain wisdom, and to have children out of the Garden of Eden. They suggest that Eve was not tempted by Satan... but that she saw through his ruse into the deeper meaning of partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
This is also bunk.
Satan, who did not go through the process of birth and had memory of premortality, still "knew not the mind of God" (Moses 4:6). Yet we are supposed to think that Eve, who did not realize that she was unclothed, somehow knew everything perfectly?
I have heard impassioned voices in many wards try to infer that the innocence of our first parents did not mean they were ignorant of the workings of God's plan. It has been suggested that Eve searched for alternatives to taking of the fruit, thus proving her foresight. Of course, for members of the LDS church, this would not explain why Adam was ignorant of the reasoning behind sacrifice, or why they only expressed joy in their circumstances after the gospel was revealed to them (Moses 5).
Most importantly, Eve did not lie to God.
God asked for an explanation of Eve's actions, and received from her this simple statement:
"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:13)
There was no "I partook to fulfill thy plan" or "I partook that mankind might be" or "I partook because there were no other solutions to give us knowledge and allow us to have children."
Here, Eve answered God honestly. She had been tempted to do something she did not understand, and she did it.
Adam gave a much more complex answer, because there was more complex reasoning behind his action:
"The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat." (Moses 4:18)
His course of action was motivated by a desire to stay with his wife. He had a choice between avoiding the fruit, or remaining with Eve, and, thanks to Eve, he chose the latter.
The consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve are profound, and persist even to the present day. It is central to the plan of God that we be born under the effects of a curse that bars us from the immediate presence of God, and allows us the freedom to choose for ourselves between good and evil. Eve certainly does not deserve blame... but she does not deserve credit either.
There was only one who knew all of the parties involved in Eden... only one who knew the consequences of every choice... only one who knew what Satan, and Adam, and Eve would do, before they even thought of doing it themselves. It was the one who planted the garden. It was the one who created the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was the one who engineered the entire plan.
Only God knew.
Much as it is today... people have a tendency to give credit and lay blame where they are not due. Other people may do harm, but the effects of the most heinous acts are, at their very worst, temporary. Other people may do good, but at their very best, they are still flawed. We are not so much smarter than our first parents, and we have difficulty overcoming temptations, mistakes, and problems on our own... but the same one who planted the Garden of Eden also knows of us, and his Holy Son Jesus Christ, who broke the curses of sin and death for Adam and Eve, can crush the obstacles that bar us from fulfilling our divine destiny.
"...there is none good but one, that is, God..." (Matthew 19:17)
Monday, January 13, 2014
Agency and the freedom to choose
An important concept in Mormon theology is that we lived with God before we were born. The implications of this idea include:
1. We are literal children of God
2. Men and women are brothers and sisters to one another
Loving God and our neighbors as ourselves as Christ taught (Matthew 22:37-39) is the natural extension of this idea, as is the importance of family.
It is also understood that during our pre-earth life, there was a great war between the followers of our Heavenly Father, and the followers of Lucifer. (Revelation 12:7-9) The source of this conflict involved the destiny of humanity. Scripture from the Pearl of Great Price presents additional detail:
" And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice." (Moses 4:1-4)
The concept of agency is something frequently taught in LDS lessons and talks. The idea that people are "agents unto themselves" and that they are free to "act and not be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day" is fundamental to understanding the purpose of life on earth. (Moses 6:56, 2 Nephi 2:26)
As important as the concept of free will is as identified in these passages, it is not the same as agency, even though they are frequently used synonymously.
I have at times heard people talk about using their agency to make choices about what kind of food they want to eat or what destination they prefer for vacation. Certainly it is possible that some of these choices involve agency, but these choices do not really portray agency in the most important sense.
Before discussing the truth behind this concept, it is important to highlight the three great powers that influence the world:
* Humanity. It is not difficult to see the amazing accomplishments of mankind in the age of information. Powerful computer processors are available in devices as small as phones and watches that harness numerous technologies for tasks as simple as "liking" a cheeseburger. Humanity has harnessed power from various sources and constructed great buildings, composed beautiful music, written moving books, and launched probes beyond our atmosphere to study the universe. Mankind has demonstrated great power...but in spite of our power, humanity is the weakest of the three.
* Satan. Having accumulated experience from mankind's beginnings, the power of evil is adept at manipulating men. Great societies have crumbled due to the persistent and patient efforts of those that love to see humanity fail. In the shadows, he persuades people to secretly steal and murder sometimes without even knowing they are being persuaded. Occasionally, he does risk using his full power. Joseph Smith saw it when he prayed to God. He noted "I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being" (Joseph Smith History 1:16) Only the power of God himself could free him from the powers of evil. Humanity, by itself, is powerless against Satan.
* God. The great achievements of humanity and the subtle machinations of evil are nothing compared to the power of the Most High. He that forged the earth and became mortal only to conquer death represents the ultimate strength in existence. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and his power is omnipresent.
By understanding these forces, it becomes clear that being an agent of oneself is extremely limited. The real power of agency comes not from making trivial choices... but from becoming an agent of a higher power.
Becoming an agent of evil is actually quite easy. People can do this without even realizing it. The person that encourages dishonesty, turns a blind eye to cruelty, and practices selfishness can gain power. Marriages and families can be destroyed when seemingly innocent indulgences and poor decisions win over selflessness and integrity. Greed, lust, wrath, pride, envy, gluttony, and sloth do not encompass every ill... Jesus taught "wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13) Constant effort may be necessary to avoid becoming a destructive influence.
Becoming an agent of God is simple, but not nearly as easy. In the Book of Mormon, prophets counseled men to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness" and " if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." (Moroni 10:32, Mosiah 4:30) Many prophets have indicated that it is a strait and narrow path that leads to God. Christ was clear in declaring that the only way to our Heavenly Father was through him. (John 14:6)
Although the path is substantially more difficult, and the rewards are not always immediately visible, the true power that God intended for his sons and daughters comes from becoming the kind of person that Christ was. If we are the children of God, then it is as the Apostle Paul noted: "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:17)
Agency in the sense of becoming an agent of God himself, is the very purpose for which humanity is on the earth. Agency is the slow process by which bad men can become good men, and good men can become better men. Agency is the purpose of the conflict between good and evil. Agency is the promise that Christ gives to the faithful... for "he came unto his own, but his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Satan Bound
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And case him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." (Revelation 20:1-3)
There is a debate that exists among many Christians regarding what exactly the idea of Satan being bound means. Latter Day Saints are not united in the interpretation of this either. When speaking on the subject of the millennium, a member of my class commented that Satan would not literally be bound, but that this was figurative since the people that would live under the personal reign of Jesus Christ would not give place to Satan. A citation of the following passage was added as evidence: "And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan haas no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth." (1 Nephi 22:26)
There are other passages that indicate this binding may be figurative rather than literal. Personally however, I do not subscribe to the figurative binding for several reasons.
First, a literal binding is possible. Satan is not just a concept, or an idea, he is a literal individual that is filled with hatred and malice toward men. God did in reality cast him out of heaven. God does have power to bind any individual since he is omnipotent.
Second, if it is people that are not giving into temptation, why not say that? Why use the wording that places Satan as the direct object. And if at the end of the thousand years people begin doing evil, why not say that they forsake God as was so frequently said of the children of Israel in the Old Testament? Why say that Satan shall be loosed? It makes the most sense that Satan is the direct object of binding and loosing when the binding and loosing is literal.
Finally, and particularly for LDS scriptorians, if modern revelation is the key to our understanding and the Book of Mormon tends to point to a figurative binding, why would the Doctrine and Covenants indicate a literal binding? "For Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again he shall only reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the earth." (D&C 43:31) "And so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years." (D&C 88:110)
I believe that people underestimate the power of Satan. He has accumulated ages of experience, and he knows very well how to manipulate men. There really is only one person that can best him every time, and that is Jesus Christ. He is the one that redeems men that have enough faith in him from the grasp of the devil. He is the one that saves us from Satan's power. Because of him we pray to God for deliverance from evil. He is not just saving us from a concept, a philosophy, or an idea... Christ saves us from a literal threat, from a real villain that plots against us with malice and disdain. If we trust in him, he will save us all.
There is a debate that exists among many Christians regarding what exactly the idea of Satan being bound means. Latter Day Saints are not united in the interpretation of this either. When speaking on the subject of the millennium, a member of my class commented that Satan would not literally be bound, but that this was figurative since the people that would live under the personal reign of Jesus Christ would not give place to Satan. A citation of the following passage was added as evidence: "And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan haas no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth." (1 Nephi 22:26)
There are other passages that indicate this binding may be figurative rather than literal. Personally however, I do not subscribe to the figurative binding for several reasons.
First, a literal binding is possible. Satan is not just a concept, or an idea, he is a literal individual that is filled with hatred and malice toward men. God did in reality cast him out of heaven. God does have power to bind any individual since he is omnipotent.
Second, if it is people that are not giving into temptation, why not say that? Why use the wording that places Satan as the direct object. And if at the end of the thousand years people begin doing evil, why not say that they forsake God as was so frequently said of the children of Israel in the Old Testament? Why say that Satan shall be loosed? It makes the most sense that Satan is the direct object of binding and loosing when the binding and loosing is literal.
Finally, and particularly for LDS scriptorians, if modern revelation is the key to our understanding and the Book of Mormon tends to point to a figurative binding, why would the Doctrine and Covenants indicate a literal binding? "For Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again he shall only reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the earth." (D&C 43:31) "And so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years." (D&C 88:110)
I believe that people underestimate the power of Satan. He has accumulated ages of experience, and he knows very well how to manipulate men. There really is only one person that can best him every time, and that is Jesus Christ. He is the one that redeems men that have enough faith in him from the grasp of the devil. He is the one that saves us from Satan's power. Because of him we pray to God for deliverance from evil. He is not just saving us from a concept, a philosophy, or an idea... Christ saves us from a literal threat, from a real villain that plots against us with malice and disdain. If we trust in him, he will save us all.
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