I know the war chapters are included to provide us advice on how to meet the challenges of the last days before the second coming. Fortify and arm yourselves and all that good stuff. But enough is enough. Ether is awful bloody too.
But someone in SS last week made an interesting comment that it's not just nation against nation, but one on one personal relationships that are stressed in the Book of Mormon. I've been thinking about that all week.
First there's the overriding advice not to contend, that contention is of the devil and not the Savior's gospel. Then there's Moroni's beautiful words on charity and that we should pray for it. The golden rule is there. Judge not and be forgiving are in there too. There is advice to parents to teach your children to love and serve one another.
Then there are examples to learn from. Nephi who did frankly forgive his brothers. Lehi who agreed with his complaining wife that he was a visionary man rather than fighting back. Ammon who was wise and yet harmless. The Anti-Nephi-Lehis who buried their weapons of war rather than fight again. Pahoran's patience with Moroni when he complained about the government's neglect. You can probably think of others.
One of my favorite passages is in Moroni 7 in Mormon's letter where he tells the people he knows they are followers of Christ because of their peaceable walk with the children of men. President Hunter said, "May we walk the quiet way of the Lord." I would like to do just that, but it would mean going through life not getting irritated, not taking offense, not criticizing or pouting. What a challenge!
15 comments:
Inspired insight. Spending all day in the temple is a blessing.
I've heard people talk about how much war is in the scriptures before. The authors stress that they had to be very selective about what they put into the BoM - so why put in so much about war?
I think it correlates with why Uchtdorf talks about airplanes almost every general conference. It's easy to relate the gospel to things you know. Mormon (the man who edited the BoM) had been a general in the Nefite army since he was like 16. I think because so much of his life centered around war the BoM is tinted by his life experience.
We may not like reading about war but you cannot be selective about the gospel - you either follow all of it or none of it. There is no gray area. It may be easier to understand gospel principles when reading about Enos praying all day but the war sections are just as significant and carry important truths buried within each passage.
Every August I get out of the habit of reading, when I come home from work so exhausted I fall into bed. Then after the school dust settles I am so frazzled it takes me another month to convince myself to stick with it.
So I'm always impressed with people to have that stick-to-itiveness. Thanks for sharing!! I'm thinking doing your reading in the temple has got to be a plus in the comprehension department.
(I'm actually doing "better" this year - past exhaustion but still can't sleep some nights, lay my phone beside me and use the scriptures to lull me to sleep, and since it's not working I'm actually keeping up with the SS assignment!)
Emily,
I wholeheartedly disagree. We are all selective in our approach to the gospel. Some of us choose to admit it, and some of us don't.
Like what?
Thanks for your honesty in your feelings about the war chapters. I feel too insecure and afraid of judgement to admit when something isn't working for me. It can be very lonely to feel that you are the only one in a group with misgivings, knowing that if you were to share your real feelings people would criticize or reject you. So I think you're brave.
To balance you out, how about I read ONLY war chapters from now on?
I think we should disagree to disagree.
I'd like to publicly admit to being "gray" but also add that "life" does that to you for various reasons, and so it's it a wonderful thing that our choices today don't cement our choices tomorrow!
I admire Emily's enthusiasm. I admire Chuck's courage. Enthusiasm and courage are good things (when not meant to, more than anything else, be a burr in other people's sides, and we also recognize that it's not over until it's over.) There's a lot in the BofM to learn about enthusiasm and courage of one kind and another. And enthusiasm/courage moves us to better choices.
I can zone out on the BofM Isaiah chapters, and then I can choose to use the student manual along with for more understanding, and the next time through I realize I'm done with those and it didn't even drag much less seem utterly confusing! So my gray in that matter is gone. (Lest I don't forget that is.)
Or I can experience a life event that wakes me up too, for that matter. Like being bitter/why me? about a certain matter and then the spirit touching me that adversity really does have a purpose. (And I don't even have to know what that purpose is if I walk by faith ... and then I am blessed to even figure out that purpose, which very likely was a gift in that instance for choosing to walk by faith ... and I might even get to have the cause of the bitterness end! Because I chose to pick the good part regardless. Or not ... but I get the peace and the peace part is astounding.)
So I'd just also like to publicly state that I pray for peace (the peace that passeth all understanding) for each of us while we walk this earth. For that part of the gospel gives depth to our enthusiasm and courage for whatever lies ahead.
I remember asking my Dad if he was "born again". He said he was. I actually was surprised, ignorant child that I was. I also remember him blessing me to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and though not nearly as ignorant by then, I was still surprised because I thought I already had. Now that I'm older than he was then, I'm glad I asked and I have the peace to recognize/remember his faith. So now my greatest hope is to endure so I can be lead "in a straight and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery ... and land" on the same side as he.
No, ignorant/gray still that I am, I don't aspire to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, but I DO aspire to to sit down with a couple other other "holy fathers" ... "to go no more out."
I think it is ok to skip certain parts. For example I pretty much skip any chapter that mentions the word "begat" in every thing I read.
There are a lot of good things to take from the Book of Mormon like you mentioned toward the end of your blog that can be applied to our lives now. As for war though, it wouldn't happen if everyone truly followed Christ's teaching to love your fellow man no matter what.
I don't blame you for not wanting to read about and "apply" war chapters to your life.
Janeil, my guess is that you have read through the Book of Mormon countless times. I feel the Lord in his wisdom will not chastise you for skipping the war stories from this point on. : )
Rebuttal time:
I have always liked the doctrinal parts of the Book of Mormon more than the historical. I learn more from them.
As usual, practical Velvet hit the nail on the head. She is refreshing.
I like what Emily said about Mormon using war (what he knew well) like Ucktdorf uses aviation. But, I think Mormon was recounting history rather than giving us a good story to remember a gospel principle by like Uchtdorf does. Others have tried to figure out what we need to learn from Mormon's account because surely he had a reason for including it.
So I have chosen 19 really great doctrinal chapters to study during my waiting time at the temple. They are in my pocket at the temple. I'll list them tomorrow if you're interested.
Here are my doctrinal chapters:
1. Jacob on the atonement in 2 Ne. 9
2. Nephi on the first principles in 2 Ne. 31-32
3. King Benjamin on salvation in Mosiah 3-4
4. Alma on the plan of salvation in Alma 5
5. Alma on faith in Alma 32
6. Amulek on prayer and prepare in Alma 34
7. Alma on probation in Alma 42
8. Christ on his doctrine in 3 Nephi 11
9. Christ's sermon on the mount in 3 Nephi 12-14
10. Moroni on faith in Ether 12
11. The sacrament prayers in Moroni 4-5
12. Moroni on membership in Moroni 6-7
13. Moroni on testimony in Moroni 10
This was an interested discussion to read. I have to agree with my mom. For the most part I don't get a lot out of the war chapters. I have had some spiritual impressions at times that gave me insight on current political agendas. I think some of the information will be useful in the future when our battles aren't just spiritual, but physical as well. I want to read John Bytheway's book on this topic because he usually has a fresh perspective that inspires me.
I think at some point we need to read the book entire book, but we're also been told to study by topic, so that would definitely be selective in what we personally decide we need at the time.
Love you all!
BTW, I've become more gray as the years go by in religious ideas, political ideas, parenting philosophies, etc. I don't think this is a departure from absolute truth but because of it. We've been given agency and intellect and personal revelation BECAUSE there is no one-size-fits-all approach to ANYTHING. It doesn't diminish my beliefs but enhances them because they are personal and individual.
Interesting comments, Sheryl. I remember my Dad being upset because Mom was so "black and white" so I suppose that meant he was gray too. I know he was the most tolerant individual I knew, so if gray means being tolerant, that's a wonderful thing. Of course there are the "eternal verities" as Elder McConkie used to say--the first principles and ordinances, including enduring to the end. Also charity is a verity and charity would include being tolerant.
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