I recently listened to a Think interview (10 Jan 2018) where the author of Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics discussed her new book on the history of the sexual revolution in America. In the interview, R Marie Griffith, explained that Protestants and Catholics were both generally opposed to birth control until a Catholic priest took a stand and then Protestants were galvanized to support birth control just because it was opposed by Catholics.
In many ways, the debate in the public square over sexuality and social justice continues to galvanize people. I have observed how same sex marriage has not been an issue people put out of their minds. Instead they take sides and defend their position with very little common decency. There appears to be no middle ground in today’s debate.
If as Marie Griffith has written, that the sexual revolution fractured American Christianity in the 1920’s, than it is amazing that, in contrast, these social changes are unifying American Mormons. Our position on permissible sexual activity limited to heterosexual marriages and chastity before marriage has not changed. In fact, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have strengthened their resolve to defend the position that sexuality is a divinely authorized privilege by which the unborn spirit children of a Heavenly Father are welcomed into this Earthly mortal life. All varieties of sexual deviancy which included adultery, prostitution, pornography, sexual abuse and perversion are unauthorized uses of the physical body and we will be held accountable for our actions in a post-mortem interview with our Father God.
The concept of an afterlife is vague in mainstream christianity because the Bible gives few details. Mostly I hear about grace and glory and choirs of angels.
My religious tradition contains teachings that are exquisitely more specific. I will share with you the original text and then my comments. To set the stage, the afterlife extends through time and space. It is composed of many spaces which are governed by law. The glorified beings who inhabit these spaces are subject to God’s laws and invigorated by his glory.
Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man: And shall come forth; they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust.
I see in this verse a resurrection for all who hear the voice of Christ. It is qualified by some quality of the person which is herein labeled in a unique way as “just” and “unjust.” (so vague - yet it makes me wonder when I’ve heard God use the terms just and unjust before)
For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
This tells me that there are three main kingdoms: celestial, terrestrial and telestial. They are governed by law and the inhabitants abide in that law. That word abide makes me think that they choose to obey and are not forced to abide there.
D&C 88:29-32
Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
This tells me that the inhabitants of the kingdoms receive a portion of the glory of that kingdom in which they reside which renews and quickens their body and spirit. The resurrection is a gift of glory and this shows me that it is measured out based on our willingness to receive. The gift of glory is not described as a punishment but rather a reflection of what we are capable of accepting. This is curious to me.
D&C 76:70-71
These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.
And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament.
I see a little bit clearer what it means to be resurrected by or of a celestial glory as opposed to a terrestrial glory. And yet, the magnitude of the sun’s light as compared to the moon’s light is really hard to compare.
D&C 88:34
And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.
This tells me that the law is an integral part of the glory of God and the sanctifying influence that emanates from his kingdoms.
D&C 88:37-38
And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
This echoes Christ’s teaching that in his Father’s house there are many mansions. This also tells me that He sets the boundaries. From what I understand of boundaries in this mortal world; they are what gives me a sense of safety and structure.
D&C 76:98
And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world…
I understand that the third kingdom, here named telestial, is not a group of equal states but a group of unequal states. The idea that God has an infinite number of kingdoms which exist in an infinite array of glory shows me that his judgement will be just. There is only one grace and it glorifies us in a precise way. I think the author of liberty understands freedom.
And in all this discussion of God's kingdoms, the details remain in God’s possession and we are left to imagine His glory from our finite perspective.
I have noticed that mainstream Christians spend a lot of time talking about whether they are saved. They are always encouraging an audience to declare their faith and be saved even if the audience is mostly Christian. In my faith we don’t worry about whether we are saved and we rarely talk about it in that way. Here’s why…
I chose this picture because of the subcategories. In my theology there are many subcategories of glory in God's kingdom.
We teach that God has a Plan of Salvation. In this plan, we are born to mortal parents, tested, and die. God sent his Son to redeem us and this makes it possible for us to be resurrected after we die. Our choices here on Earth put us in paradise or prison after death until we are brought before the bar of God to be judged. Our judgement and resurrection precede our reward of a heavenly home in one of God’s many kingdoms which vary in their glory. The best kingdom has the highest glory and there are three degrees of glory in general. But as the stars differ one from another, the worst kingdom is like all the stars of heaven in its variety. In this way, the judgement that is pronounced is rewarded with exactly the right amount of glory in God’s kingdom. The idea that a mortal could declare with certainty someone’s salvation seems ludicrous to us. For all but sons of perdition, we believe that everyone will be saved from death with a resurrected body and from spiritual death with a restoration of the spirit but the glory of that salvation will vary. It doesn’t make sense to us to try to guess what glory someone will receive so we just focus on trying to make good choices and be worthy of the highest glory in God’s kingdom.
People in my faith are criticized for focusing too much on “works.” Our concept of salvation leads to this kind of focus but it doesn’t exclude us from teaching about the great Atonement of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. What “works” do Mormons do?
I “work” towards unity and oneness with God. This means that ‘I’ll go where you want me to go. … I’ll say what you want me to say. … I’ll be what you want me to be.’” Hymn 270
I “work” on personal religious observances like prayer, scriptures study, fasting and worship.
I “work” on family. I have eight kids that all need my nurturing, instruction and discipline.
I “work” on taking care of the poor, needy, widow and fatherless. I am assigned to look after four sisters in my congregation some of which are single.
I “work” on teaching the rising generation how to worship God. My current assignment is to teach 4 year olds in sunday school, but I spent over five years teaching teenagers.
I “work” on serving in my community. My leaders encouraged me to find a way to help refugees so I now volunteer for the Red Cross in a capacity that directly helps refugees.
Do I think that these “works” save me? Well not exactly. I’m well aware of my sinful nature and the necessity I have for a Redeemer. I also see my “works” as saving me from idleness and sin in this life. I don’t really worry about whether I’m saved or whether I’m doing enough. I don’t know that I’m saved but I don’t need the certainty because I’ve gotten little reassurances from God himself that I’m on the path. Focusing on a path and not the ending is to focus on walking and not arriving. A path requires flexibility because we can’t see where it goes short term even if we know where it leads.
I hope this clarifies a little what has become a very divisive debate about grace, works and salvation. I have also written about it here and here. I know that Christ is my savior. I have been blessed to receive forgiveness for some of my sins and I continue to ponder, pray and make small incremental changes on others. I don’t expect to be able to change or correct my sinful nature enough to be worthy of redemption but I do intend to work towards purity while I am able.
Image credit: Subcategories of Twilight by TWCarlson
Polygamy is a difficult subject for many people in the West. The practice of having multiple wives is undisputed in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (source). I think the West, mostly populated by Christians, is critical of polygamy because of it's historic belief in chastity. Today many westerners do not practice chastity but they are quick to rally against those who live in legally accepted marriages consisting of two or more wives because they don't want to face the reality of their own relationships. Polygamy is a hardship for men financially. Supporting two or more families is expensive. For this reason polygamy is decreasing in Muslim countries as the economy becomes more tied to money. (ibid) Latter-day Saint families practiced polygamy in obedience to prophetic direction. One reason for this practice was to increase the Latter-day Saint population. (Source) The Latter-day Saint religion stopped endorsing polygamy when laws were enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages and published their decision to desist in their scriptures as an official declaration. (source) I do not pretend to understand all the reasons why polygamy was restored as a gospel truth by Joseph Smith and then officially forbidden. Some aspects of polygamy are logical and others are not. However, in an eternal view of life there is a reason why polygamy makes sense. I have a great aunt who was a spinster all her life until later in life she married. Her husband had been married about four times before he married her. With some of his previous spouses, he had children and with some he did not. Some of his previous spouses had also previously been married. He was never married to more than one wife at a time. When this man dies and goes to heaven, can you imagine a just God telling him that he must pick a wife and the children from that union to keep while the others are no longer his? This is a dilemma. Many good and honorable people have married more than one time in this mortal life. It makes sense that God honors the marriages that were formed on Earth and allows men to keep all their wives and children. For women who married multiple times, and have multiple families, the choice will be theirs as to which husband to keep. For logistical reasons, every woman can't keep every marriage she ever had and also every man keep every marriage he ever had. Some marriage bands will be dissolved. What happens to the children who have parents, step-parents and adopted parents? Honestly I don't know how God will organize families justly but I'm sure that he will not allow the chaos of this mortal life to continue. The scriptures say that "all things are done in wisdom and order." (Mos 4:27) Polygamy will exist in heaven because men who had multiple wives in this earth life may continue to live with all of them. Polygamy will exist in heaven because families are an integral part of God's plan for his children. The family structure will provide a basis for organizing all the children of God. I honor those who live within the bounds of marriage in chastity whether they are monogamous or polygamous. Marriage is a divinely appointed relationship. I have some ancestors who lived in polygamous marriages and other who did not. I owe my life and blessings to those who came before and I honor my family members past and present. Image source: flickr
This post is about the divine potential in all of us.
Some criticize me for believing that this life is a time to prepare to meet God and become gods. I find it interesting that the idea of becoming a (little g) god is in the Old and New Testament.
Jesus, the Son of God, in the flesh was about to be stoned for saying that he was (big G) God. In a conversation with his accusers we learn:
“The Jews answered him, saying, ‘For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.’
“Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?’”John 10:34-36
So where is it written that “Ye are (little g) gods?”
The process began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve tasted the fruit. In Gen 3:22, the Lord God said, “man is become as one of us.” If their action was bad, which I don’t think it was, that action changed them into god-like creatures.
One difference between us and God is that we are mortal.
Psalms 82 says, “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes.”
Jesus quotes part of this verse and says that the scriptures cannot be broken. To me this means, that this is a promise and God will not break this promise if we keep our end of the deal.
Jesus, as the Son of God, would logically be an heir — the only heir. But Paul says that we are all heirs. No one but a legitimate child is an heir. By this, I mean that we mortals are not just God’s creation but his offspring and heirs.
“And 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…which glory shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:17-18
There is no doubt that we don’t look or act like gods in our fallen, mortal state. However, our glorified state is being created as we speak and live here. In other words, our matter is being refined.
In 1 John 3:2 it says, “when he shall appear, we shall be like him.” I don’t think this is a fantasy. I really think this is what we are about.
My faith is big on agency. So when we say that we can become gods — we are saying that we can choose to receive this gift or choose not to. And the choice to receive is a summation of all choices. Here’s a verse in D&C 93:20 which says, “For if you receive my commandments, you shall be receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.”
So the gift isn’t bestowed as much as it is received which connotes a different action altogether on the part of the recipient. And it is received incrementally which kind of goes with Paul’s idea that the glory is revealed. The agency of the recipient is always respected and at any time the recipient of glory can withdraw. And we all know how easy it is to withdraw from God’s glory in this fallen world. We are absolutely as close or as far away as we want to be. Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) He’s so close that there is no distance separating him from his Father. When we are one, like that, with Him, we will be gods.
Image courtesy Wikipedia: Universum by C Flammarion
In this post: kids cleaning the kitchen, Parable of the Talents, saved by grace Imagine yourself as a parent…
You have assigned your child to clean the kitchen. Either your child cleans the kitchen diligently; washing dishes, wiping counters, taking out the trash and mopping the floor or not.
Me making a pie in a clean-enough kitchen
Say you’ve got two children and one is diligent and one is not. The one who is a bit lazier, washes most of the dishes but leaves the pots. Say he wipes the counters but doesn’t fully clear them so the wiped part is irregular. Say he takes out the trash but neglects to clean the floor. When you ask him or her why, the excuse is that he is "not perfect."
As a parent, you know that even your diligent child will not clean the kitchen perfectly. You know they will miss wiping behind the faucet. You know they won’t get the crumb under the toaster. You know that they won’t clean the spill in the oven but you are pleased with their efforts and willing to do those things for them while they are learning.
However, your other child has excused himself or herself from doing an excellent job. He assumes you will finish what was left undone. Depending on age and ability, you may do so. However, there comes a point when your child grows up and their ability clearly is equal to doing an excellent job. Do you accept the excuse and allow them to remain weak or do you demonstrate the difficult skills and expect them to act responsibly?
When we talk about grace, we sometimes say, in essence, that there is no point to diligent works because God will make up the difference. I wonder if God makes up the difference willingly for diligent children. However, when he sees a child choosing to remain weak, He must, by nature, expect them to grow into the difficult skills when their ability is clearly there.
Clearly neither child will be perfect. Clearly grace will be given to both children. It seems irrelevant to me if the child who is diligent expects to be rewarded for his efforts. Only the parent can determine whether a reward is merited. It seems irrelevant to me what reward the child thinks he or she will get. It only matters what the child’s intention is toward the tasks assigned as to whether they are meeting expectations. The parent decides what expectations are reasonable based on the ability of the child. Maybe its unfair that there are expectations. I can’t say what God expects of me only that I think he knows my ability.
So when we talk about being saved in God’s heavenly kingdom, it doesn’t matter what we expect to receive for our efforts here on Earth. God will justly reward those who meet expectations. I like the parable about the 10 talents when it comes to expectations. The servant who was given 5 talents was rewarded for doubling his talents. The same with the servant who was given 2 talents. The one with 1 talent who buried it did not meet expectations. The diligent child may be striving for perfection but only God knows whether he doubled his talents. The diligent child can fall short of expectations just as easily as his sibling. It’s relative to expectations. So why do we care so much about whether someone thinks they’ll be saved by grace or saved by works? It doesn’t matter what we think. It only matters what God thinks. If you liked this post you might like: Grace or Welfare If you did not like this post, that's ok with me. I don't expect you to agree with all my beliefs but I encourage you to think about what specifically you didn't like and figure out why you didn't like it.
In this post Grace for mortals, Grace for the dead, and how Grace is applied to believers Three examples of how God dished out His grace…
Moses can’t speak so God provides a mouthpiece for him, Aaron, so that he can still do his job. - Grace didn’t give Aaron the job of prophet - Grace gave Moses, whose speaking problems were legitimate, a workaround - Grace is not an exemption from duty
John the Baptist’s mother Elisabeth can’t have children so God overrides her infertility but he makes Zacharias dumb for needing a sign to believe. - Grace can override laws of nature - And Zacharias, a believer, didn’t get grace for temporary unbelief
The people of Ninevah, gentiles, are about to be destroyed but God’s grace provides a warning in Jonah and a stay when they repent. - Grace can work for unbelievers too, if they repent
Grace dished in the next life Most people think of grace as a gift for the next life. I agree that it is grace that makes imperfection tolerable in God’s eyes because His Son makes up the difference. My question to you is will grace be dished out differently at the judgement bar than it was dished out here on Earth?
At the judgement bar, if I say, I didn’t do my duty because of my problems, will grace give us an exemption? Or will God say, what did you do with the workarounds I provided you?
At the judgement bar, if I am a believer but there were times when I didn’t believe, do I get grace for those times? I would think so, if, like Ninevah, I repented.
What about the example of Paul. He was a believer, fighting against Jesus’ kingdom. He was stopped by an angel, he repented and he was given a second chance in life. He spent the rest of his life fighting for Jesus’ kingdom. So my question is, at the judgement bar, will grace give sincere, but misdirected people a second chance?
Will grace give the Pharisees who knew about Jesus and chose to fight him a second chance at the judgement day? There’s a fine line between a Pharisee and a misdirected believer. How does grace get dished out at the judgement in these scenarios? I don’t know but it’s worth thinking about.
And what will grace do for the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22 who was a believer but chose not to repent?
Now lets talk about welfare... It’s free, it’s need-based, it is available to all who qualify. It also stops most recipients from working to support themselves.
Grace is free, it’s need-based, it’s available to all who believe. Some people assume that because of grace they can now stop working in a spiritual sense. And that is what Romans 6 seems to speak to from the outset, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (v.1)
How can a believer do whatever they please and still qualify for grace? Zacharias couldn’t temporarily stop believing without a consequence. It’s the grace for the believers that I’m thinking about. What kind of believer do I have to be to qualify for grace? I think not a sinful one (Romans 6:15-16). Challenge: Choose one thing in your life to repent of and show God that you are a real believer. All images used with permission
