Alma 41
Alma 41
I have always misunderstood verse 1. I assumed it meant that
some have “rested” the scriptures- as in not reading them. I looked it up tonight and realized that
wresting means to forcefully extract or twist the meaning from. That makes total sense to me now.
There are many who take the scriptures and wring them and
contort them around their philosophies.
They change the meanings to fit their purposes. They wrest the scriptures, and go
astray.
There is a warning in Alma 13:20, that if you wrest the
scriptures, it will be unto your own destruction. Those are strong words. In 2 Peter 1:20 it states that no prophecy of
the scriptures should be changed by the will (or interpretation) of man. That’s pretty serious stuff.
That shows me the importance of studying the scriptures in the correct light,
through prayer and faith. That way the meaning that is faithfully extracted is
correct and in the right spirit.
I also love in this chapter the emphasis that is put on
thoughts and works. They go hand in
hand. We will be judged on both. If our desires are good, and our works aren’t,
then our desires weren’t actually good in the first place. I’m not talking weaknesses and imperfections-
I’m talking blatant bad works.
There is a new video on LDS.org that portrays the Savior
talking to Nicodemus about this, how our deeds will be made manifest. It is a beautiful video worth watching.
There is a book called “As a Man Thinketh.” It’s short and
fabulous. It basically states that everyone is who they are and where they are
because that’s where they want to be.
It puts the accountability back on us. It all comes down to our thoughts- what we
think about and desire in our very core, we bring to pass. We follow what we
love, we indulge what we desire and we avoid what we fear- all at the deepest
levels. It makes it pretty hard to blame things on other people.
What did you think/learn today?
I was having a conversation with someone several years ago about the 3-degrees of glory and how people will know where they should go because it is where they will ultimately feel the most comfortable. It's kind of the same thing... there are some people who have no desire to live even a terrestial lifestyle here, much less strive for a celestial one. And... it's ok.
ReplyDeleteNot that we shouldn't try to change their mind and help them see a better way! But realize that some people have no desire to live a higher law.
I guess the thing I have always wondered about, and not that I am trying to judge, is about those people who absolutely, truly believe they are doing what God wants them too, and yet, are behaving in total opposition to what we believe is the right way to act. Be it political figures, religious leaders, social persons, or the random suicide bomber. Are they still judged on the intent of their hearts too? Even though their hearts are blind to the way God really wants people to treat each other? Always crosses my mind.
The main thing that got me in this chapter was restoration. If you do good, good will be restored unto you. Bad for bad. Positive for positive. It's karma. Just in Book of Mormon language. =)
Ang- I wonder about that, too. I think they will be judged according to their knowledge of the true gospel. They might be doing the best they can, based on their level of knowledge of the truth and testimony. I look at Saul in the New Testament. He was doing some really bad things (ordering the deaths of Christians.) He was acting based on his belief that they were truly wrong, and he was trying to protect his religion. But, the Lord knew that Paul's character, coupled with the true knowledge of God, would create an amazing missionary, and so he was given the amazing chance of conversion. I look at the Lamanites. In the BoM we read that they are better off in their actions than the dissenting Nephites, because the Lamanites were actually doing what they thought was right, not going against what they knew to be right.
ReplyDeleteNot that what they were doing was right, but I think God mathches intentions with actions. A good man can make a bad choice, because he hasn't been taught otherwise. But, a bad man can make a bad choice, and well, he is pretty much hosed because his intentions aren't good. Times like this I'm glad that He is the judge and not me!
Thanks for getting me thinking!