Isaiah 4

The third chapter of Isaiah gave us an overview of the world’s idolatry and materialism and its resulting destruction. Isaiah 4 is the counterbalance to that, telling us of the deliverance and well-being of those who follow the Lord. This has fulfillment both in ancient Israel and in the coming last days.

Verse 1
This verse properly belongs in Chapter 3. Here, so many men have died in wars that women outnumber men. I think the ratio Isaiah mentions of 7:1 is interesting, as the number 7 is significant in gospel terms (think 7 periods of creation, we must forgive 7 times 70 times). Seven indicates eternity. I’m not sure why Isaiah chose the 7:1 ratio, but it seems significant.

Verses 2-3
These verses have several layers of meaning, but one that is clear is its tree of life imagery (branch, fruit). So, in the day when the wicked are falling in war and destruction, the tree of life (gospel, covenant, temple, Christ) becomes stronger, and the covenant people are drawn to it. We see this beginning now as the lines between good and evil become clearer. I think this also has fulfillment in the number of temples being built and the increase in temple attendance.

Ultimately, those who enjoy the “fruit of the earth” that is “excellent and comely” are they who are “escaped of Israel.” So who are the escaped of Israel? Following cross references takes us to D&C 38:31. Surrounding verses also list characteristics of those who will escape the calamities Isaiah foretells. The “escaped” will

-esteem his brother as himself (v. 24)
-practice virtue and holiness (v. 24)
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 25 – again! Must be important)
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 26 – not in those words, but that’s the point)
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 27 – again, not in those words, but that’s the point)
-treasure up wisdom (v. 30)
-be without spot and blameless (v. 31).

It looks like that Second Great Commandment is pretty important. I suspect that being a member of a church is not sufficient. Simply being baptized isn’t enough. Regularly attending church isn’t enough. Instead, the condition of one’s heart is key. To “esteem” someone as oneself indicates both how we feel about others and how we treat them. It is both a state of heart/mind and an act. We can’t just feel sorry for someone but do nothing to help. We can’t simply do acts of charity because we think it will somehow get us into heaven, but not really care for the other person’s well-being or respect them as a child of God. Charity can't be done with a sense of grudging obligation. We actually have to care about – love – others as much as we care about ourselves. This is what the escaped will do.

Further, those who escape coming calamities will practice virtue and holiness. The word practice shows that this is more than a statement of belief – it is a way of life. And virtue and holiness mean more than avoiding obvious sins. Can someone be virtuous, holy, and judgmental? Or virtuous, holy, and gossipy? Or virtuous, holy, and cheats/cuts corners in business? Or virtuous, holy, and unforgiving?

That’s a high bar, and I am guilty as charged. How then, can we be “without spot and blameless”? For the “spotless” part, Alma 5 has the answer (especially verses 21 and 27). See also Alma 7:25. Because Christ shed His blood, He has power to cleanse us from the blood and sins we have on our hands. This is done through the repentance process and through covenant making (temple ordinances make reference to this).

“Blameless” indicates both that we have done our best to remain without spot, and that we have not injured others (who could then blame us). This again goes back to the point of esteeming our neighbors as ourselves. If we neither insult nor injure (or repent and repair when we do), then who will be able to blame us? Will we have any accusers at the last day?

Finally, the escaped of Israel will “treasure up wisdom.” In the ancient understanding, treasuring up wisdom meant to make temple covenants and receive saving knowledge from the Lord. From Margaret Barker:

Enoch himself sees the secrets of heaven, how the kingdoms are divided and the actions of men weighed. The spirit of wisdom is in the Elect One who stands in the presence of God. A component of this wisdom is the name of the Son of Man, which we have assumed to be the revelation of his identity. It could easily be read as the revelation of a name, in the magical sense of a power-giving invocation, such as we find in 69.14 as the key to the cosmic oath…. The name was used before the creation, and it saved the righteous. At the close of the passage dealing with the power of the cosmic oath, there is great joy because the name of the Son of Man is revealed. (Margaret Barker, The Older Testament, 31).

So, to sum, the “escaped of Israel” will love others as themselves, will avoid and repent of sin, and will make and keep covenants. They will be completely converted to the Lord, heart, might, mind and strength.

Verse 4
Remember from the discussion of Chapter 3 that “daughters of Zion” refers not just to women, but to all of the Lord’s covenant people. So, some of the Lord’s covenant people are wicked, and the Lord will “wash away the filth” and “purge the blood” by judgment and burning. This reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins. They were all waiting for the bridegroom, they were all the Lord’s covenant people. Yet, some were unprepared. They did not have the oil in their lamps (oil symbolizing having a testimony of Christ, a covenant anointing, and being filled with the light of the Holy Spirit). Thus, they were cast out. Again, membership in a church, even regular church attendance, or acts of charity alone are not enough.

Verses 5-6
These verses describe where the escaped of Israel will be at the dawn of the millennial age. “Mount Zion” refers to a temple, and “upon every dwelling place” indicates that there will be multiple places with multiple temples where the escaped will gather. There will be some sort of cloud or light that rests on these places, and it will apparently be bright enough that it will induce fear in the unrighteous and protect the righteous from the calamities going on around them. 

Precisely what this cloud/light will be is interesting. The ancient Israelites had a cloud/pillar of light with them in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 1:33 and Exodus 13:21 say that the Lord was in the cloud. Deuteronomy 4:4-5 also says that the Lord was in the fire. This pillar/cloud of light/fire seems to be the visible emanation of God’s glory. It also seems to be a veil that shields the unprepared from entering the Lord’s presence. Moses tried to prepare his people to enter, but they, like the five foolish virgins, were unwilling, afraid, and faithless (D&C 84:23-24). There’s a lot more that could be said about this, but for now I’ll just recommend reviewing these verses: God, Presence of.

With such a short chapter I thought this would be a short entry. Time to go feed my kids!

Psalm 24

I'm jumping around here a bit, but the words of this psalm came rushing into my mind yesterday. I’ve read and heard them many times, and thought I understood the general message of this psalm. But yesterday I began to see what this psalm is really talking about (and I don’t doubt that there’s still more to learn here).

Who shall ascend‍ into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy‍ place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is‍ the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Lift‍ up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come‍ in. Who is‍ this King‍ of glory? The Lord‍ strong and mighty, the Lord‍ mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them‍ up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King‍ of glory? The Lord‍ of hosts, he is‍ the King of glory. Selah.

I always thought this psalm was telling us to avoid sin and repent in preparation for temple attendance. It is that and more. Verse 3 mentions ascending to the “hill of the Lord” and standing “in his holy place.” This is not just the temple. The temple may be the precursor, but this is the real ascent, the Jacob’s ladder and Enoch-type ascent. This becomes clear from verse 6: “This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face.” 

Who belongs to this generation that "seek him"? And who will ascend to where God is? Verse 4 answers, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” This dovetails right in with Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

After I pondered that for a bit, it suddenly occurred to me that this is the principle underlying the Book of Job.

The Book of Job

Several days ago I listened to this really insightful talk (see Mack Stirling, Job: An LDS Reading) discussing how the Book of Job is essentially an endowment ceremony. I think there’s a lot to be said for that point, but I think there’s even more to Job. 

Job is a highly corrupted text, meaning that over the centuries, scribes made many errors in translation, along with some edits of their own. However, we can still get the main message of Job by considering its general sweep. Traditionally, the take-away message has been that God allows bad things to happen to good people, and that Job suffered more than just about anyone. While that’s true, taken as a whole and combined with the premise I set out in discussing Psalm 24, I believe that the Book of Job actually describes Job’s ascent to the divine presence.

I believe this because the outlines of Job’s story fit into a pattern – a pattern repeated by other prophets who have made this ascent. First, Job is described as being pure and obedient: “[Job] was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (1:1). Next, he makes intercession for others (he has true, Christ-like charity): “Job sent and sanctified [his children], and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (1:5). 

Third, Job loses all of his worldly possessions and even his family. This is severe testing and essentially strips Job of all worldly pride – he is truly in the dust. “He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope hath he removed like a tree” (19:9-10 – this also relates to Adam and Christ). Interestingly, “Job” is a contraction of Hebrew words meaning “Where is Father?” That brings to mind the Savior’s cry on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Job, too, is forsaken, crying out, “…I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death without any order, and where the light is as darkness” (Job 10:21-22). His forsakenness here foreshadows Christ’s atonement and describes how Christ accomplished the atonement.

Next, certain “friends” (angels, I wonder?), question Job about his commitment to God. Job affirms his faith in God at each step: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). After Job repeatedly affirms his faith, God speaks to Job (“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,” 38:1). God shows Job the majesty of His creations, and then Job, recognizing his nothingness before God, repents (42:1-6). Job then sees God with his eyes (v. 5) and receives an outpouring from the Lord (“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” 42:12).

Job is a both a type of Christ and a demonstration of the path back to the Father’s presence.

Isaiah 3

In this chapter Isaiah prophesies about what will become of Judah and Jerusalem (at this point, the Israelites are divided into these two kingdoms) because they have rejected the Lord, and it’s not a pretty picture.

Verse 1

This verse refers to the Israelites losing the “stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water.” I believe this refers to items that were originally in Solomon’s temple. The bread had reference to the Queen of Heaven, and under King Josiah’s reforms these were removed, along with belief in a female deity. According to Margaret Barker,

The Enochic Apocalypse of Weeks, which summarizes the history of Israel without mentioning the Exodus and so is free of any Moses/Aaron/Deuteronomy influences, describes thus the changes in the time of Josiah, when the refugees in Egypt claimed that the Queen had been abandoned: ‘In the sixth week all who live in [the temple] shall become blind and the hearts of all of them shall godlessly forsake Wisdom.’ Wisdom’s first gift had been the vision which was eternal life, and this loss of vision was remembered as the significant change at the end of the first temple period. Wisdom was forsaken and vision was lost. Wisdom and her house is another recurring theme with the Bread of the Presence. This suggests it was an element in the cult [religion] of the first temple, where Melchizedek had been high priest, and Wisdom the Queen of Heaven, the patroness of Jerusalem. … The offerings to the Queen had been ‘cakes’… [used] to portray or depict her. (Barker, The Great High Priest, 91)

The bread and water also become sacramental. Again from Barker,

It has long been recognized that the Fourth Gospel [Gospel according to John] presents Jesus as Wisdom…. Thus, in the Fourth Gospel, when Jesus offers himself as the bread from heaven, in contrast to the manna which was the heavenly bread offered by Moses; this should be understood as a return to the heavenly bread by which Wisdom offered herself to her devotees and gave them eternal life. Cyril of Alexandria… said that manna was the shadow of the bread to come, the bread of angels which was spiritual and of Wisdom. This bread gave life…. Although the Bread of the Presence was food for the priests, when David took it to feed his men (1 Sam. 21:6), he pre-figured its being given to others too. (Barker, The Great High Priest, 93)

In both cases, consuming the bread and water are symbolic of consuming, or unifying, with God. God’s presence, power, and glory come into us to feed us, nourish us, and sustain life. According to Isaiah, the Israelites are rejecting this unity with God. Without this unity, they lose God’s influence, lose wisdom, and become subject to oppressors.


Verses 2-26

These verses describe what will become of Israel (and those in the last days), who reject the Lord and His covenant.

-vs. 6-7: This is totally my interpretation, but these verses may make reference to people lamenting the loss of the true covenant. The Hebrew of “I will not be an healer” could be translated as “I will not be a binder up,” with binding having covenant connotations. Essentially, Israel will have lost the power and authority to make binding covenants. Jesus Christ restored this power to his apostles (Matt. 16:19, D&C 124:93).

-v. 9: “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them.” Compare this to Alma 5:14. Speaking of countenances and the Book of Mormon, there’s an interesting ancient Mayan tradition where priests would wear the mask of a given god, thereby assuming the power of that god (if I understand correctly). Thus, when Alma asked whether you have “received His image in your countenance,” he may have been asking it in this context, essentially asking whether we had received the power of Christ within us.

-v. 10: For the most part, Isaiah uses an ancient form of Hebrew poetry called chiasmus. In this form, each poem is a reflection of itself, so it follows the pattern ABDCECDBA, with the mirror image being a bit different from the original, but making the same point. Both “ends” of the poem point to the center, which is generally Isaiah’s main point. In this chapter, that comes at verse 10, and underscores that things will be well with the righteous. Who are the righteous? Isaiah defines them as those who will “eat the fruit.” This could be pointing back to those who partake of the fruit of the tree of life, truly unifying with God, and keeping the first great commandment. These are not just people who are generally civil to others or who avoid outwardly sins. There’s something more to it. One must love God and unify with Him completely.

-v. 12: I am not settled on this yet, but I think that when it refers to “women rule over them,” it may be referring to the Israelites choosing the harlot over Wisdom. I’ll explain more in a future post. The point is, when we follow the wrong leaders, we lose the path to eternal life.

-v. 13: The Lord is always merciful! He pleads with us to follow Him! He is our advocate.

-v. 14: Ultimately, the Lord will be our judge, along with ancients. The “ancients” probably refers to those who practiced the original covenant and priesthood: think Adam, Noah, Enoch, Melchizedek. Why would they be judges? Because they were the original keepers of the vineyard that Isaiah references here. That “vineyard” included the tree of life and the true temple, but the Israelites (and others) have “eaten” (“burned” is probably a better reading here) the vineyard.

-v. 16-23: I’ve heard it suggested that “daughters of Zion” can refer to anyone who is part of the covenant, both male and female, so this may not strictly refer to women. Taken broadly, it shows that the covenant people have rejected the Lord and his Wisdom, and chosen instead materialism and worldly status (the harlot). Are we guilty of materialism? Do we derive our status and value from worldly accolades? Do we make an effort to keep up with Joneses?

-v. 24-26: Choosing the world over the Lord will have consequences. Isaiah describes it as a stink, burning, and a rent. This seems analogous to the great and spacious building. The end result is war, desolation, and societal instability – kind of describes the world we live in today. That would seem to indicate which choice we have made.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

9/11. The Holocaust. Sandy Hook Elementary. 

The slaughter of innocents always catches us, stops us short, and makes us ponder the whys: Why would someone do such a thing? Why are humans capable of such depravity? And especially, why does God let it happen? Philosophers have debated this last question – the Problem of Evil – for millenia.

If God is omnipotent and omniscient, then does that not make Him ultimately responsible for evil? If so, then how can such a cruel being be God?

This article offers answers to that age-old question. It is rather philosophical (and long), but I recommend reading and pondering it. And if you're really pressed for time and attention, here are some important take-aways:

“Even God could not bring one to joy without moral righteousness, to moral righteousness without moral freedom, or to moral freedom without an opposition in all things. With moral freedom as an essential variable in the divine equation for spiritual growth, two consequences stand out: human beings must face the possibility of genuine moral evil, and they need a Redeemer.”

“Agents who are free to act for themselves have a power of self-determination that cannot be caused by God without violating free will. They possess this power of agency eternally. Thus God does not and cannot control the free action of agents—not, at least, without obliterating their identity as individuals. Indeed, perfect love could never sanction destroying a person's agency and, consequently, dissolving that person's identity.”

The sting of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary is still fresh. I know the depth of pain I’ve felt in my heart, and yet I don’t know a single one of the victims. I can only imagine the pain the parents and families must be feeling. May God and His angels – seen and unseen – surround and comfort them.

Isaiah 2

The second chapter of Isaiah continues the theme of the first chapter – it’s a clarion call to reject the ways of the world and turn fully to the Lord. This chapter also includes prophecies touching on the last days and the millennial days.

Verses 1-3

These verses look forward to a renewed temple, in contrast to the corrupt temple Isaiah talked about in chapter 1. That temple was full of sacrifice and ritual, but precious little commitment of heart. Isaiah is looking toward a new temple where the covenant (law) is taught and practiced. This temple is the mountain of the Lord. Historically, mountains were essentially temples, or places where man encountered God (think Moses on Sinai).

When the temple is restored and the ancient Abrahamic covenant renewed, people of all nations will go to the temple to be taught how to follow the Lord and walk in the path that leads back to His presence. This is precisely what happens in modern LDS temples. We make covenants and learn to walk in the Lord’s ways so that we can return to His presence. 

We tend to think that the Salt Lake City temple fulfills this prophecy of a restored temple because it sits in the Rocky Mountains and these verses refer to a temple established in the top of the mountains. I believe that the Salt Lake temple partially fulfills this prophecy, but the prophecy itself is broader – it includes all temples where the everlasting covenant is being renewed, including the temple to be rebuilt someday in Jerusalem.

The renewing of this covenant is preparation for the millennium when Christ will reign, which leads us to the next verse.

Verse 4
This verse gives us a glimpse into what life will be like during the millennium. First, the Lord will judge, and this appears to be a preliminary judgment, before the final judgment day. I don’t know what the “dividing line” will be, but I suspect that those who are inclined to create rather than destroy will be welcome residents during the millennium. That’s because…

The famous words “beat swords into plowshares” and “spears into pruninghooks” indicate that tools of destruction will become tools of creation. Those who live during this time will be creators and will be at peace with others. I think the more we can become creators and peacemakers here and now, the better off we’ll be. This begs the question of what we should be creating and making peace with, but I’ll have to set that aside for now.

Verse 5
All of Isaiah is beautiful, poignant, and instructive, but if all we had was verse 5, we’d be in good shape. This is a call to walk in the light of the Lord. When we decide to walk in the light of the Lord, we are turning from sin, submitting to Lord, and partaking of His wisdom. There’s a lot packed into the concept of the Lord’s light, but I’ll have to set that aside for now as well.

Verses 6-22
In these verses, Isaiah calls us to leave behind worldly ways, and implies his main point again that we should enter into the light of the Lord. The “worldly ways” Isaiah mentions include love of money, materialism, worldly accolades (“worship the work of their own hands”), and pride (believing we have everything figured out, have nothing to learn, and are of more worth or smarter than other people).

Also, when it comes to idolatry, which Isaiah mentions often, I don’t think we should limit the definition to kneeling before a golden calf. Idolatry is anything we spend an inordinate amount of time and effort on that detracts from our fulfillment of God’s purposes. 

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have hobbies or other pursuits, but maybe we should just evaluate our priorities. If we’re spending a couple hours a day on a hobby, sport, work, housecleaning, social networking etc., but can’t spare 10 minutes in prayer and studying the word of God, then where are our hearts? What are we really worshipping? All of these activities can be good and uplifting, but pursuing them to the exclusion of more important matters… well, you’ll have to evaluate that for yourself. Finding God is not difficult or time consuming, but we have to make space for Him and invite Him in by clearing some time and “mind space.” If our time is filled, our minds preoccupied, and our desires elsewhere, how can we expect to commune with God?

-v. 13-15: I believe the language Isaiah uses here (cedars of Lebanon, oaks of Bashan, high mountains, hills lifted up, high tower, and fenced wall) are references to temples, in this case, the sort of false temple that Isaiah talked about in Chapter 1.

-v. 16: Interesting footnote in this verse: “The Greek (Septuagint) version has one phrase that the Hebrew does not, and the Hebrew has one phrase that the Greek does not; but 2 Nephi 12:16 has both.” There is a bit of controversy here, but I believe the evidence is in favor of this lending credence to the Book of Mormon. See http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=14&num=2&id=374 and http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/2nephi12.shtml

-v. 22: This reiterates the point of turning away from man and worldliness. Man’s “breath is in his nostrils,” things of this world are temporary and cannot save.

A Little Discovery

Mountain in Wadi Sayq, Oman (Nephi 17:7)

How many people who have read the Bible could explain the Old Testament concept of Wisdom and its feminine associations? I’m guessing very few would even know what I’m referring to.

The only reason I know of it, despite having read the Bible, is because I’ve studied the work of Margaret Barker. But when you know what to look for, you can find this theme in many places throughout the Bible. For example,

Proverbs 3:13-15: Happy is the man that findeth WISDOM, and the man that getteth understanding… SHE is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto HER.

Proverbs 4:5-6: Get WISDOM, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake HER not, and SHE shall preserve thee; love HER, and SHE shall keep thee.

Matthew 11:19:…but WISDOM is justified of HER children.

So, the association is there, but if modern, educated readers are unlikely to pick up on and understand this theme, how much less an uneducated farm boy from upstate New York! But there it is, right in Mosiah 8:20 of the Book of Mormon (and a few other places):

O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek WISDOM, neither do they desire that SHE should rule over them.

Certainly there are other possible explanations, but what makes sense to me is that the ancient Israelites (pre-Josiah/600 BC), understood what and who wisdom really was. When Lehi and his family left Jerusalem in 600 BC, they carried this belief and understanding with them, and deposited these little artifacts in what we now have as the Book of Mormon.

This small discovery won’t convince anyone of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, but it is a precious little morsel to those who already know its authenticity.

There is, however, a lot more evidence of the Book of Mormon, and much of it is set out very well in this documentary: http://journeyoffaithfilms.com/videos/watch-journey-of-faith

Isaiah 1

The Book of Isaiah has a reputation for being difficult to understand. It draws on an ancient form of Hebrew poetry, and much of it is deeply symbolic.  However, Jesus Christ has commanded us to study it: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi: 23:1).

So with that, I’m jumping into Isaiah. While I’m not a scholar and don’t speak or read Hebrew (yet), I do love the Book of Isaiah. For several years I’ve been reading the work of Margaret Barker, which has helped me understand more about what Isaiah teaches. I hope this walk through Isaiah will be helpful.

A bit of groundwork first. The prophet Isaiah lived in Jerusalem roughly around 740 BC, during the reign of King Hezekiah. Solomon’s Temple had been in operation for about 300 years, and would be destroyed about 150 years later.

Understanding this context helps us understand Isaiah. He was writing in a time when there were massive changes going on in Israelite politics, temple practices, and theology. He warns against rejecting the Lord and His ways. This is clear in the first chapter of Isaiah. As with much of Isaiah, this falling away applies to the Israelites living during Isaiah’s time and to others who have claimed to follow the Lord throughout history. It also applies to us individually, here and now.

Verses 1-9

-The Lord has nourished Israel, the children of God.
-His children have forsaken the Lord and His ways
-v. 6: They have open sores that haven’t been healed with ointment. This is interesting atonement-related imagery. Oil and ointment are symbolic of Christ (more on that later). He heals our wounds and sins, but only if we let Him. This verse points out that the children of God have rejected the God who could have healed them.
- v. 7: I may be going out on a limb here, but given the reading and studying I’ve done, I think it’s likely that Isaiah is here referring to a rejection of true temple practices, including rejection of a Heavenly Mother.

Verses 10-15

-We can offer all the sacrifices and do all the “works” we want, but they are meaningless if our hearts aren’t truly set on the Lord. While sacrifice and ordinances are necessary, and God has commanded them, they are insufficient to salvation. We must have charity, the pure love of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Verses 16-20

-The way to happiness and salvation is to turn our hearts to the Lord and become as He is: separated from evil, relieving the oppressed, helping the poor, and obeying the Lord. As Christ submitted His will to His Father’s we should also submit entirely. Rebellion will bring destruction.

Verses 21-31

-v. 21: There are two archetypal women in the scriptures – Wisdom and the harlot. Wisdom is associated with the tree of life, righteousness, and rebirth. The harlot denotes worldliness, evil, death, and destruction. The Israelites have chosen the harlot.
-Israel has become corrupted, mixing water with wine, ignoring the plights of others, seeking riches (sound familiar?).
-v. 25: The Lord will purify the world (and you, if you let Him), and restore things to their original, perfect state. The purification process won’t be much fun for those who remain transgressors and who forsake the Lord.
-vs. 29-30: More wisdom imagery here. Israel has rejected the true tree of life, becoming like a dying oak, withering like an unwatered garden. I believe that losing “water” is losing communication with the Lord and denying His power, revelation, and miracles.

Final Thoughts

The Israelites at this stage kept all the outward trappings of religion, but denied God’s original covenant, watered down their theology, justified themselves in doing wrong, and became self-centered. They stopped believing in God’s ability to communicate with them and reveal Himself to them. Essentially, they lost their faith in God.

Do we assume that because we do the “outward” things like generally being nice people, going to church on Sunday, and living what the world deems to be an upstanding life that it will be enough? Or have we truly been changed, converted, lost desire for sin, and become like Him?

Tree of Life

I’ll shortly be launching into a study of Isaiah. I believe a key to understanding Isaiah, and a lot of scripture, is to understand the imagery and symbolism of the tree of life. Old Testament scholar and Methodist minister Margaret Barker has done incredibly illuminating work in this area. For an introduction to her work, read her book Temple Theology. It’s a quick read and a fascinating look into the pre-Jewish religion of the ancient Israelites. And for my LDS friends, you’ll spot some knock-your-socks-off parallels to our theology and practices.

 One of these parallels is that this ancient Israelite religion had the temple at its center, and this temple included a tree of life (which was later transformed into the menorah). This tree of life had associations with the divine feminine, the love of God, wisdom, and salvation. These associations are summed up well in Proverbs 3:13-19:

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Nephi’s vision of the tree of life expands on this in some amazing ways (that, incidentally, Joseph Smith could not have known about). To understand more about this, read this intriguing paper by Daniel Peterson (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=9&num=2&id=223).

 

Isaiah draws heavily on this imagery, and it’s easy to spot when he uses images of trees, groves, gardens, vines, oaks, etc.

That’s enough groundwork for now. More later.

 

Souviens-Toi

One of my favorite hymns is one I learned while living in France, called Souviens-Toi. Unfortunately, it’s only available in the French LDS hymnal. It beautifully and simply teaches profound doctrine. It is sung to the moving, ethereal melody of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. Below is my attempt at a translation (definitely not the best since my mediocre French is more than 10 years out of use). Ponder what is being taught here. It will lead into my next post.


Souviens-toi
Souviens-toi, mon enfant: Tes parents divins
te serraient dans leurs bras, ce temps ne’st pas loin.
Aujourd’hui, tu es là, présent merveilleux,
Ton regard brille encore du reflet des cieux.
Parle-moi, mon enfant, de ces lieux bénis
Car pour toi est léger le voile d’oubli.

Souviens-toi, mon enfant des bois, des cités.
Pouvons-nous ici-bas les imaginer?
Et le ciel jusqu’au soir, est-il rose ou gris?
Le soleil attend-il la neige ou la pluie?
Conte-moi, mon enfant, la couleur des prés
Et le chant des oiseaux d’un monde oublié.

Souviens-toi, mon enfant: A l’aube des temps,
Nous étions des amis jouant dans le vent.
Puis un jour, dans la joie nous avons choisi
D’accepter du Seigneur le grand plan de vie.
Ce soir-là, mon enfant, nous avons promis
Par l’amour, par la foi, d’être réunis.


Remember, My Child
Remember, my child, your divine parents
Holding you in their arms, it wasn’t long ago.
Now you are here in the wonderful present,
Your countenance still shines with the reflection of the Heavens.
Tell me, my child, of these blessed places
Because for you the veil is light.

Remember, my child, the woods and the cities,
Can we here below imagine them?
And the evening sky, is it pink or gray?
Does the sun wait for snow or rain?
Tell me, my child, the color of the meadows
and the song of the birds of a forgotten world.

Remember, my child, at the dawn of time
We were friends playing in the wind.
Then one day, we both joyfully chose
To accept the Savior’s great plan of life
That evening, my child, we promised each other
Through love, through faith, to be reunited.

10 Minutes a Day Could Change Your Life

When I started this blog, I intended to share funny things that happened in my life, especially in the context of raising my kids. But I think this is going to go a different direction.

While I’ve been religious for most of my life, in the last six months my “religious feelings” have changed, grown, and deepened. This began when I decided to commit at least 10 minutes every morning to prayer and scripture study, and to attend the temple at least once a month. Because I do better when I track my progress, I made up a spreadsheet where I could write down what I was studying and learning. If you think it would be helpful to you, contact me and I'll email it to you.

Before long, my desire to study and pray grew, and 10 minutes a day was no longer enough. The temple once a month was no longer enough. It’s difficult to describe what this process has meant to me and changed in me, but I feel compelled to share a bit of it. But just a caution – the things I’ll share here are my thoughts and opinions, and I am solely responsible for them.

So, to begin.

It strikes me that the hymns are among the best sermons we have. We can learn a lot just from reading their titles. An interesting way to do this is to read them as poetry. See what you think:

The morning breaks
The Spirit of God
Now let us rejoice
Truth eternal

High on the mountain top
Redeemer of Israel
Israel, Israel, God is calling
Awake and arise

Come, rejoice!
Come, sing to the Lord!

What was witnessed in the Heavens?
‘Twas witnessed in the morning sky
An angel from on High
Sweet is the peace the gospel brings

I saw a mighty angel fly
What glorious scenes mine eyes behold
Awake, ye saints of God, awake!
The voice of God again is heard

Triple Fail in Parenting

I had a triple fail in parenting today.

First, my mom called to inform us that when we were over last night, my 4-year-old and his 3-year-old cousin filled up her swimming pool with gravel.

Second, as my husband and I sat our son down to discuss the situation with him, we asked him who he thought would have to clean the rocks out of the pool and he responded, in all sincerity, “the guhvoment?”

Third, we doubled over in fits of giggles, sending all possibility of effective discipline, well, down the drain.

Manna

General Conference is just about my favorite time of the year. It is a spiritual feast, and fills my soul with light. It's also available through cable and satellite on the BYU channel. And if you want to come to my house and watch with me on Saturday, October 6, you'll get to eat my homemade cinnamon rolls!

A New Journey

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

This has long been one of my favorite quotes, and it pretty well sums up the new journey we are taking. Dear Husband and I have started training to become foster parents. It’s something we’ve considered doing for a very long time, and we’ve now arrived at the point where our family is ready for that. Several people have asked us why we want to do this, especially when we already have a busy home with three kids. Basically, the answer is that we can’t think of any really good reasons not to do it—not when there are so many kids who need help.

As time permits, and without compromising confidentiality, I plan to document our journey here. I hope it will help others who are interested in fostering.

If you’ve ever considered becoming a foster parent, stop considering and just do it. The first step is to go to an orientation meeting (follow this link https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=102&id=1256, then click on the link at the bottom of that page for a meeting schedule). At the orientation you’ll get an overview of the foster care system and a list of licensing agencies. Then you’ll choose an agency (more about that later), and begin training. The training lasts 10-12 weeks, with one class per week.

We have completed the first two classes, which have been more interesting than I expected. You might want to bring a box of Kleenex though – some of the stories you’ll hear are heart wrenching. But I believe there’s a lot of joy and love to be found in this process – this surprise adoption, for instance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexJtB57bkY.

My 4-year-old son + PAINT = Why God Made StainMaster Carpet

So, I just spent the last hour on my knees with a ShopVac, a couple gallons of water, and a bottle of OxiClean.

Let me explain how I came to this illustrious place in my life.

My sweet 6-year-old daughter, Ms. A, wanted a craft project to work on this summer. So we headed down to the local JoAnn craft store and picked up a latch hook wall hanging kit. (You can tell you have a creative, crafty mom when her idea of a fun craft is a pre-packaged kit that was pre-packaged circa 1982).

Ah yes, nothing like a good craft project from 1982 to put a kid to sleep.

Anyhow, my 4-year-old, Mr. B, decided he also wanted a craft to work on, and being the train fanatic he is, he chose a kit with a bare-wood train and little paint pots.  Yeah, you can see where this is going.

Mr. B had his sweet, little, train-loving heart set on keeping the kit on the shelf in his room tonight. I explained to him why I didn’t think that was a good idea, and why he had to promise, cross his heart, and hope-to-Thomas-the-Tank-Engine-die that he wouldn’t open the kit during the night. PAINT MAKES A MESS! DON’T OPEN THE PAINT! WE HAVE TO SPREAD OUT PLASTIC BEFORE YOU PAINT THE TRAIN!              

Mr. B. could not resist the temptation.


After he was tucked into bed, light turned out, door shut, he hopped out of bed, turned on the light, and the little wooden train was painted in no time. So was the carpet. And the chair. And the ottoman. And the wall. And his pajamas. And his hands. And his legs.

Thrown-away train, never comin' back.

Noticing light coming from under his bedroom door, I went in. MR. B! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!! WE HAD A DEAL!!* So there I was, hauling the vacuum and cleaning supplies upstairs to see if I could undo the damage.

I had a lot of time to think as I scrubbed each little spot of green, black, and red paint. And it began to dawn on  me that sometimes I’m a lot like a 4-year-old. Impulsive. Short-sighted. Numskulled.

God must see me much the same way I see my paint-covered 4-year-old. “Did you really just do that? Didn’t I tell you not to do that? Now I’m gonna have to clean up this mess. You just don’t get it, do you?”

I think this is why we’re supposed to have faith, and a lot of the reason why we’re here on earth. Our finite, human minds just don’t get the big picture. Even when we think we’re brilliant and understand everything, we’re really just a bunch of know-nothing kids. We have to learn to listen to our Father and trust that He knows what He’s doing, and then have the faith to choose to do what He asks us to do.

Of course, He knows He put a bunch of 4-year-olds in a room with paint pots, so He sent His Son to “clean up,” as it were. Lucky for me, and all of us, that the Holy Trinity of a ShopVac, Water, and OxiClean can get the stains out.***

So when I finally finished cleaning and turned off the ShopVac, I looked over and noticed that Mr. B had fallen asleep. What an angel face! I love that kid more than he’ll ever understand.

ShopVac, paint smudge on wall, and sleeping angel.

And I’m really glad that Ms. A picked a craft that only involves yarn.

******************************

*This is a reference to one of our favorite bedtime books, Too Many Toys. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.**

**Yes, this is a reference to one of my all-time favorite movies. I think I need to watch it tonight – I could use a good laugh.

***I recognize that this is a rough metaphor, and maybe too lighthearted for the deeply sacred topic of Jesus Christ’s atonement. But I think it makes the general point.

Speaking of Too Much Exposure…

There I was, standing half naked in a large room with a dozen or so technicians scurrying about. It took me months to get here. I wondered if this somehow capped my initiation into French society.

It all started when I arrived in France* in August 1998 to spend a year as a nanny. To qualify for a long-stay visa, I had to get a chest x-ray to check for tuberculosis.  I received a letter informing me of my appointment date: 3/2/1999. I read that as March 2, 1999 (about 6 months after my arrival – good thing for France I was tuberculosis-free).

When I walked into the clinic on March 2, the woman at the desk took my appointment letter and looked at me with a genuinely French combination of scorn, distaste, and annoyance. “C’est trop tard,” she said, pushing my appointment letter back to me. That’s when I learned – the hard way – that Europeans use the dd/mm/yyyy format, and I was a month late for my February 3 appointment.

But this was the French bureaucracy, so a new appointment only required filling out another appointment request form and waiting several weeks for a new letter to arrive announcing my assigned appointment date and time.

Hopital Joseph Ducuing, Toulouse, France

This time I was to report to the downtown hospital. The one with an x-ray machine in the middle of the large room. The one where they put you in a private room to disrobe, but then expect you to walk shirtless down a corridor to get to the x-ray machine in the middle of the large room. With the dozen technicians swirling around.

I did my best to turn my arms into a shirt. Was this standard protocol, I wondered, or just punishment for being a stupid American who can’t read dates?

At any rate, the x-ray was done, and in perfect bureaucratic style, I received my long-stay visa on the day I left France several months later.

Such was my brush with socialized medicine. Certainly, others have fared worse.

Look, ma! No tuberculosis!

Obamacare celebrates its second birthday on Friday (though most of it has yet to take effect). However noble its intentions, I have to wonder how long it will be before we have to wait weeks or months just to find out when we can see the doctor, much less get treatment. And how long will it be before we’re just another number waiting in line, instead of a patient with unique needs? With the government’s dismal track record of cost-cutting, how long before the costs spiral out of control, like they did with Romneycare?

No doubt our current system is broken. But there are better solutions than government mandates and programs.

Next week the U.S. Supreme court will decide whether the President’s healthcare system is constitutional. Here’s hoping the justices will let us keep the shirts on our backs.

 *I am so sad to hear about the terrorist shootings in my beautiful French “hometown” of Toulouse. My prayers go out to those affected.

The Broken Windows Theory

If one accepts the Broken Windows Theory, then my house is about to be overrun by thugs and hooligans.

We have a broken window.

Last week, my sweet, innocent, petite, not-quite-two-year-old daughter locked me out of the house. In my neon green running shorts. With my greasy hair in a ponytail. Without phone or keys.  And it turns out that keys and locksmiths wouldn’t have helped anyway because the child-locks on our doors prevent them from being opened from the outside.

After more than an hour of my neighbor and me begging and pleading and using outright bribery (Girl Scout cookies) to cajole sweet, little Miss C to open the sliding glass door, we decided it was time to call for help. With my pride well swallowed, I dialed the fire department’s non-emergency line. They, of course, switched me to dispatch and in no time a fire truck was on its way – lights, sirens, and all.

Miss C soon had five hulking firemen and a police officer wrapped around her cute little finger. “Come on, sweetheart, open the door!” they begged. Then she smiled coyly and sat back in her little chair. After a bit she retreated to the laundry room and came back with a soda. Clearly, she had no plans to open the door and spoil her party.

So the window got broken.

The firemen tried to bend the child-locks back, but when it looked like doing that would rip the door frame off, we opted to lose a window. With a few quick swings of a fireman’s pick axe, we were back inside the house.

Where I picked up my little hooligan and gave her a kiss.

A Blog! A Blog! We Have Got a Blog!

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a blog for some time. I’ve always hesitated because with all the blogs out there, who needs one more? Besides, I’m a natural introvert and a blog might be, well, too much exposure. Then today over lunch, a friend encouraged me to write one. So, since I believe in doing whatever my friends tell me to do, up to and including jumping off a cliff, here goes…

This will likely become a mishmash of topics since my thoughts tend to run tangentially. I hope, though, that this blog will improve my writing, force me to more deeply explore some of my interests, and become something of a journal of my family. We’ll see what happens!