AGENCY: THE SPHERE IN WHICH GOD HAS PLACED US TO ACT FOR OURSELVES

If you have not already done so, reviewing the blog entitled AGENCY: WHERE THE INSIDE IS LARGER THAN THE OUTSIDE provides insight into Lehi's teachings in 2 Nephi 2:11-29.

Importantly, agency is the sphere in which one is given the right and capacity to act. Acting appropriately within that sphere is what we call "exercising our agency." Like exercising a muscle, proper exercise of our agency will cause our agency to grow and be strengthened. Acting outside the sphere in which God has placed us will cause the sphere--our agency--to diminish, even to its vanishing point if we persist in wrong behavior long enough.

Appointed Unto Death

It is easy to read the scriptures from the perspective that God means every verse to be personally applied. But some verses were meant to be exclusively applied to the one receiving the revelation. To extend such revelations to ourselves may lead to unintended results. One such revelation given to a limited audience that has been taken for universal application is found in D&C 59:

Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;

Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;

But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.

And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.

Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer. (D&C 59:8-14).

The introduction to this revelation states that "early members characterized this revelation as instructing the Saints how to keep the Sabbath and how to fast and pray." Certainly, that seems plain enough and suggests that these verses possess the capacity to be universally applied. However, several elements of these verses stand out as rather peculiar.

FIRST, this day is characterized by going to the house of prayer. Although temple worship is often extended to our weekly houses of worship [such as in the case of administering the Sacrament (see Exodus 29:31-33)], the temple is most definitively the house of prayer. Concerning strangers "that join themselves to the Lord . . . and every one that . . . taketh hold of my covenant", the LORD declared:

Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. (Isaiah 56:7)

The temple is termed "the house of prayer" because of the golden altar situated within the Holy Place thereof. Before it, the High Priest stood daily to burn incense (see (Exodus 30:1-10). According to the Bible Dictionary, "the attitude of prayer ordinarily was standing (1 Samuel 1:26; Nehemiah 9:2, 4; Matthew 6:5; Luke 18:11, 13)" and the smoke of the incense that ascended up before God was in token of the prayers of the saints that likewise ascended up to God (see Revelation 8:3-4). It was this smoke of the incense that formed the cloud in which the Lord appeared to Aaron upon the mercy seat, or footstool of God (see 1 Chronicles 28:2, Psalms 132:7), on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:2). 

For us, all of this activity lends important definition as to what it means to "stand in holy places" (see 2 Chronicles 35:5, 10, Psalms 24:3-6, Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:12, D&C 45:32, D&C 87:8, D&C 101:22) and for the Lord to appear "in a cloud" (D&C 34:7, Luke 21:27, D&C 45:44-45, JST Revelation 1:7, Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:36) upon his footstool (see D&C 38:17). Importantly, verse 14 of the revelation given to Joseph Smith references the prayer that was to be offered in the house of prayer on this, the Lord's day.

SECOND, verse 10 of the revelation gives me the greatest reason to pause. Although it is ordinarily thought that "resting from our labors" is a scriptural injunction to set aside our daily labors in deference to the labors of a better world, the context of this revelation provides a rather stark definition of this phrase. The preface to this revelation notes that "[p]receding this revelation, the land was consecrated, as the Lord had directed, and the site for the future temple was dedicated. On the day this revelation was received, Polly Knight, the wife of Joseph Knight Sr., died, the first Church member to die in Zion." With this backdrop, the Lord established the context of what it means to rest from your labors--

Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments.

For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them.

Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength. (D&C 59:1-3)

The past and present-tense nature of the verbs used in each of these verses limits the application of this revelation to those individuals:

• who had, as of August 7, 1831, come up to the land of Jackson County, Missouri;
• whose feet presently stood upon that land of Zion; and
• who have obeyed the Lord's gospel.

Of this group who thereafter lived, the Lord promised that they would inherit the earth. Of those who died, the Lord declared that they would "rest from all their labors." Inasmuch as dying was made synonymous with "resting from labors", the injunction given that the Lord's Day of D&C 59 was "a day appointed unto you to rest from all your labors" carried important definition for the prophet Joseph Smith if the pronouns used in that verse were directed at him. If so, this revelation contains one of the earliest foretelling of his martyrdom.

A THIRD and unique element of this revelation is that it pertains to a Sabbath on which its participants are presumed to be fasting. "Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect", was the admonition given to those who were to go to the house of prayer and who were appointed to rest from all their labors.


There are other elements to this revelation that are intriguing to discuss. However, I have intentionally limited my comments to these three with the hopes that what I have left out will pique your interest sufficient to cause you to study more deeply this revelation on your own.

Because of the 1) in-revelation definition of what it means to "rest from all your labors", 2) fact that this revelation was directed to all those who had come up to the land of Zion, and 3) presumption that the participants in this day were to be fasting, I believe it deserves more scrutiny and study than it has heretofore been given. We have generally thought that this section can be universally applied; I do not believe this is the case. Notwithstanding, the universal application of its principles may be appropriate and often has merit.

Lay Not Our Swords Upon the Shelf

In the Book of Mormon is recorded a vision which Lehi had concerning his family and their journey to the Tree of Life, a symbol of Jesus Christ and the fruit of eternal life. However, because the Book of Mormon was written for our day, Lehi's vision is really a narrative of our lives and the path we must follow to arrive at that Tree and partake of its fruit that is sweet above all.  Of particular interest and importance, Lehi saw an "iron rod" that leads to the Tree. The narrative identifies this rod as the "word of God" (see 1 Nephi 15:23-24).

THE IRON ROD

Artists' depictions of what Lehi saw portray the iron rod as something akin to a hand-railing that extends along the length of the path. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ likewise sing a hymn that suggests the same image, "And, hand o'er hand, the rod along, Through each succeeding day, With earnest prayer and hopeful song, We'll still pursue our way." Notwithstanding, however well-intended the artists may be, the scriptures depict the word of God distinctly as a sword. Hence, although artists' portrayals are generally not harmful, dropping a sword seems to be a more dramatic crisis than simply letting go of a handrail that can be easily found again by walking in its general direction.

Some of the more precise verses portraying this image of a sword are found in the book of Revelation. While exiled on the isle of Patmos, John saw, in vision, "one like unto the Son of man." A salient feature of this man was a sharp two-edged sword that proceeded out of his mouth (Revelation 1:16). In JST Revelation 19:15, this sword is called the word of God. In the King James version of this verse, it is also called a rod of iron. Within the the Book of Mormon, several verses convey the idea that the word of God is a device used for cutting and dividing. One such verse is Helaman 3:29, which states: 

Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil…. 

The apostle Paul similarly described the word of God as "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow…" (Hebrews 4:12; compare D&C 6:2).

As used by the apostle, the Greek for "sharper" is tom-o'-ter-os, which means "to cut as if by a single stroke", in contrast to cutting accomplished by repeated blows, like hacking. Comparing the word of God to a sword that is able to divide asunder joint and marrow in a single stroke suggests that the sword is, indeed, sharp and of considerable size and weight. Something that is often overlooked, however, in this and similar verses is the juxtaposing of this sword with joint and marrow. This close association stems from the Abrahamic OATH of the covenant wherein God instructed Abraham to "take ... an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old" and divide them "IN THE MIDST.…" (Genesis 15:9-10). Unlike the manner whereby one might ordinarily slaughter and carve up an adult animal by cutting around the bones, Abraham divided the animals in the midst…cutting through the skull, backbone, joints, and marrow of each sacrificial animal.

It is not my purpose in this blog to explain why these animals were divided with such precision, even though understanding why is certainly worthy of individual study. However, it is worthwhile to note that it was, in all likelihood, this same instrument of death that Abraham raised over his son, Isaac, when commanded to offer him up (see Genesis 22:2-18). The Hebrew for the particular "knife" that Abraham used is mah-ak-eh'-leth, meaning "something with which to eat." First impressions, therefore, might lead one to conclude that it wasn't much more than a butter knife used at Abraham's table. However, the primitive root of mah-ak-eh'-leth defines "eating" as "consuming or devouring." When brought together, these definitions support the idea that Abraham's knife was something used to consume and destroy; hardly the innocuous kitchen utensil that is often portrayed by artists.

To illustrate this point, Solomon compared two types of teeth ("eating" devices) to distinguish the destructive capacity of a two-edged sword versus this knife, or mah-ak-eh'-leth, that destroys. "There is a generation," he wrote, "whose teeth are AS SWORDS, and their jaw teeth AS KNIVES, to DEVOUR the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men" (Proverbs 30:14, emphasis added). Front teeth, like a two-edged sword, slice into pieces all that is to be eaten. Jaw teeth, like knives, are the eventual destroyer of those pieces; they are powerful and are applied for crushing, devouring, consuming, even "to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow" (D&C 6:2).

Attempting to visualize this cutting instrument that is sharper than a two-edged sword may suggest something like a razor-sharp knife, but of much larger dimensions. Revealing the specific instrument that was likely used, the Lord said to the prophet Joseph Smith in June 1829:

Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word.

Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his SICKLE with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God (D&C 14:2-3).

The sickle, "an agricultural implement consisting of a long, curving blade fastened at an angle to a handle," was primarily used by Israel for cutting grass and grains (see www.Dictionary.com, "scythe") of all sorts. They were not shaped like those purchased at Cal Ranch and, because they were primarily used for reaping the harvest, the blade was religiously sharpened. Like other farming tools, sickles also improvised as weapons used against the enemies of Israel. Bringing this concept to light, the Old Testament prophet Joel described the final conflict against the heathen as one wherein the SICKLE is unsheathed because the harvest is ripe and wickedness is great (see Joel 3:9-14).

However authentic this war may appear in Joel's record, one must be mindful of the teachings of the apostle Paul concerning the "evil day," or the day in which we presently live . . . that the decisive contest is "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12, compare D&C 27:15). Hence, in this spiritual battle against an unseen foe, the apostle Paul recommended that we wield "the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God" (Ephesians 6:17). No other voice has declared so plainly that the iron rod is a sword! The word of God can be found in our day in the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the messages of living prophets and apostles.

With the idea that the word of God, or iron rod, is likened to the sickle once used to divide the joint and marrow of those sacrifices offered in token of the everlasting covenant, note the specific description given by Lehi of the two separate groups of people who take hold of the iron rod that leads to the Tree of Life:

And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of THE END of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of THE END of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree (1 Nephi 8:24, 30).

The END that each group caught hold of was the hilt of a sword. Importantly, as noted by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:17, this sword is the sword of the Spirit and must, therefore, be wielded by Him if it is to have the desired effect. It is the Spirit that carries the word of God into the heart, enlightens the mind, and enlarges the soul. It is the Spirit that discerns the thoughts of the mind and intents of the heart (see Hebrews 4:12; compare D&C 33:1). Together, the Spirit and the word "are the power of God unto the convincing of men" (D&C 11:21). Without its messenger, the word of God are only words on a page. Without the word of God to convey, the Spirit hasn't a message. The Spirit and the word must walk together if conversion is to follow. And, since Jesus Christ is the WORD of GOD (see JST John 1:14), it is appropriate to visualize Him as the iron rod.

Finally . . .  to the point. In the Book of Ether, Moroni recounts an unusual curse that had come upon the land during a time of war and iniquity. Concerning this curse, Moroni wrote:

And now there began to be a great curse upon all the land because of the iniquity of the people, in which, if a man should lay his tool or his sword upon his shelf, or upon the place whither he would keep it, behold, upon the morrow, he could not find it, so great was the curse upon the land (Ether 14:1).

The scriptures have never been more available and convenient than they are today. And, with all this availability and automation, it is hard to imagine that anyone would go unprepared to the battle. Nonetheless, when one lays his sword upon the shelf, the present iniquity is so dreadful that, err he is aware, he may find himself slain in the battle. The apostle Paul foresaw the day in which men would be unable to find their swords, but he renamed it a day in which men would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth" (see 2 Timothy 3:7). That day is often thought to have already occurred during the Dark Ages. However, the "perilous times" (see 2 Timothy 3:1) that brings about a quandary of "ever learning" was certainly not those years in which there was little to no learning at all. Rather, those were years of ignorance steeped in the traditions of the fathers.

Rather, the apostle Paul was quite precise as to the timing of this academic bankruptcy. With a clarity that only Nephi can match, the apostle expressed that this crisis would come "in the last days." Adding food for thought, President Howard W. Hunter declared that “all dispensations have had their perilous times, but our day will include genuine peril” (see An Anchor to the Souls of Men. Ensign, October 1993, p. 70). It was with this peril in mind that Paul penned his second letter to Timothy foretelling of a time when man would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”—

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

These verses most assuredly point to our day, for Paul’s warning that “we would not endure sound doctrine” alludes to an earlier event of which Paul said was recorded “for an admonition for those upon whom the end of the world shall come" (JST 1 Corinthians 10:11). Summarizing this event, when the children of Israel left Egypt, they did so in haste. One month following their departure, the assembly cried out in hunger. To Moses, the Lord responded: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them" (Exodus 16:4). Although described by David as angels’ food (see Psalms 78:25), manna tasted like fresh oil (see Numbers 11:7-8). Thus, the congregation often scorned the light bread (see Numbers 21:5). During one such perilous incident, the mixt multitude cried:

Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Who shall give us flesh to eat?

We remember the fish . . . the cucumbers, and the melons . . ..

But now our soul [is] dried away: [there is] nothing at all, beside this manna, [before] our eyes (Numbers 11:4-6).

In retribution for their scorn of this “bread from heaven”—an emblem of the Word of God—the Lord “brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on [either] side . . . round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.” Eager to partake of this flesh, the congregation gathered the quails, and he that gathered least gathered ten homers. (Numbers 11:31-32). Understanding that a single homer is equivalent to 6½ bushel produces a rather ghastly perspective from this unchecked lusting after flesh. Hence, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, “the Lord smote the people with a very great plague,” and many perished. And, in simplified English, they called the place where they buried the dead, “the graveyard of those who lusted." (Numbers 11:33-34, including footnote 34a. King David wrote that the fattest were slain of the plague, see Psalms 78:31).

Just as ancient Israel did not endure the light bread but heaped to themselves flesh, Paul declared that saints of the last days would not endure sound doctrine—the bread of heaven—but instead heap to themselves philosophers espousing perilous ideals, the likes of which include "Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes" (see Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson,1988, p. 307). Although latter-day prophets have warned us about these specific individuals, the number that can be added to them espousing perilous “isms” of every kind is truly heaping. Because of them, Nephi wrote, all have “gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14).

Even the humble followers of Jesus Christ do often err because they are taught by the precepts of men. No one, especially the true Church of God, is exempt from the flood that has been cast from the mouth of the serpent in these days (see JST Revelation 12:15). Concerning this very thing, Elder McConkie wrote:

Even in the true Church in the last days there will be some who do not believe the whole body of revealed truth; some who do not give full allegiance to the Cause of truth and righteousness; some who are members in name only and who continue to live after the manner of the world. This also is one of the signs of the times. It shall be as it was among some of old whom Paul rebuked: ‘When ye come together in the church,’ he wrote to the Corinthians, ‘there be divisions among you.’ Contention, debate, and false views have no place in the Church and kingdom of our Lord. The doctrines are his, not ours, and our concern should be to gain the mind of Christ and to think what he thinks on every point. But the fact is that there are divisions in the Church, for the very reason Paul now gives: ‘There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you’ (1 Cor. 11:18-19) (see McConkie, Bruce R., The Millennial Messiah; The Second Coming of the Son of Man. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, p. 59).

Great caution, then, must be exercised with respect to the precepts of men, wherever and whenever they are learned. President Ezra Taft Benson taught:

We encourage you to get your . . . degrees and to further your education; but let us not forget that disaffection from the gospel and the Lord’s church was brought about in the past by the attempts to reconcile the pure gospel with the secular philosophies of men . . . Be careful of blending your worldly training with the gospel courses you teach lest you be guilty of diluting the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and end up teaching the philosophy of men mingled with a few scriptures (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, p. 308).

Gratefully, Nephi provided the litmus test by which we can, through the spirit of discernment, measure the truthfulness of all that is taught: “Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man,” he wrote, “or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 28:31).

Given that we live in the heat of the battle and that casualties occur near and far, frequently and unexpectedly, Moroni's description of how men responded in that day when the curse was so great that swords placed upon shelves vanished in the darkness, is especially appropriate:

Wherefore every man did cleave unto that which was his own, with his hands, and would not borrow neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt of his sword in his right hand, in the defence of his property and his own life and of his wives and children (Ether 14:2).

May we step forward in the battle. Testimonies can neither be borrowed nor extended; they must be individually won. Laying not our sword upon the shelf, but keeping the hilt of it in our right hand, is the means by which we will be able to defend our property, life, and the lives of our family. Our sword is the only offensive weapon in the whole armor of God that shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil in this day, a day known to prophets of old as "the evil day."

THE FOOLISH BEAST (Part II)

"In relation to the kingdom of God,
the devil always sets up his kingdom
at the very same time in opposition
 to God" (Joseph Smith, Teachings, 365).

Before proceeding, the reader is encouraged to review, in the order shown below, previous blogs concerning this same topic:

1. THE SEALED BOOK UNFOLDED TO VIEW

2. HIS NUMBER IS 666

That Spirit of Antichrist

When it comes to placing a preposition before "christ", the word "anti" has an illusive meaning. According to the 1828 Webster's American Dictionary, it is a preposition "signifying against, opposite, contrary, or in place of." From this definition, two types of antichrists are possible.

First, as demonstrated by characters such as Nehor, Korihor, Zeezrom, and Sherem, antichrist is teaching against, opposite, or contrary to Christ. The apostle John described this antichrist as a deceiver "who confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (2 John 1:7). He  provided an addition insight concerning this spirit of antichrist to those who received his writings. In 1 John 2:22, he posed an instructive question, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" John subsequently described the liar as one who hates his brother:

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20).

Where hatred exists, antichrist reigns.

Unlike this first type, the second antichrist comes declaring that he is Christ. This devil is, far and away, the most treacherous. If one comes forward saying there is no Christ, believers may easily turn a deaf ear to his ravings and continue with their lives unhindered. Such antichrists are found littered on the sidewalks near Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, jeering and ridiculing Saints who attend General Conference or engage in temple worship. But, as noted by the prophet Joseph Smith, "when a man goes about prophesying, and commands men to obey his teachings, he must either be a true or false prophet. False prophets", he continued, "always arise to oppose the true prophets and they will prophesy so very near the truth that they will deceive almost the very chosen ones" (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 365). Hence, if the spirit of antichrist is to prevail among believers, this is the flavor to which they are most apt to succumb.

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul warned that the day of the Lord's coming would be preceded by wide-spread apostasy. As explained by early Church historians, ". . . another and different religion was to be substituted for the Christian religion: that another church, one founded by men, was to take the place of the Church of Christ, a worldly church dominated by the very spirit of Lucifer . . ." (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,1:42). More specifically, apostle Paul described  that, within this worldly church, the man of sin would be revealed, noting that he would "oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). 

Again, it is easy for the world to hyperventilate looking for some insidious person who fits the foregoing description. However, the world need only look in the mirror to find him, for the apostle taught that this antichrist would "sit in the temple of God." In context with Paul's other letters and latter-day revelation, "the elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples" (D&C 93:35; compare 1 Corinthians 3:16). Accordingly, just as God walks in holy temples (see 2 Corinthians 6:16) and "dwelleth . . . in the hearts of the righteous" (see Alma 34:36) by virtue of the Holy Spirit (see Alma 34:35; compare D&C 130:3 and D&C 130:22), Satan likewise dwells in the hearts of the children of men (see Mosiah 3:6). God's temple is the place from where Satan reigns in the last days (see 2 Nephi 28:20). Confirming this conclusion to the prophet, Joseph Smith, in his commentary on the parable of the wheat and the tares, the Lord explained:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares: 

Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed; 

And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness (D&C 86:1-3).

Thus, even though the individual identity named Lucifer is, in fact, "the man of sin" referred to by Paul,[1] each of us have a "man of sin" that embraces this spirit of antichrist. Unless this "man of sin" is put away, we become the temple from whom the son of perdition reigns. In a discourse given to the Church on October 8, 1876, President Brigham Young taught:

We find a pure spirit inhabiting the tabernacle of the creature which is always prompting the individual to good, to virtue, to truth and holiness; all of which emanate from that source of purity from which this spirit came. And here the evil that came through transgression that is in this tabernacle, is warring with this pure spirit, it seeks to overcome it, and is striving with all its power to bring this spirit into subjection, into bondage to the law of sin. This is the warfare which Paul refers to when speaking of the “thorn in the flesh,” which is no more or less than the spirit contending against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit. This pure spirit will remain in a condition to receive the operations of the spirit of God, which has gone forth into the world, and which lightens every man that comes into the world, regardless of his condition, birth or education; the spirit of Christ lightens them all, and instructs their pure spirits, which are organizations in the germ and in their growth, to become independent beings, even sons and daughters of the Almighty; and it will continue to thus operate until this body, this sinful tabernacle, has warred against the spirit and overcome it to such a degree as to entirely subject it to the man of sin.

And when the flesh attains this victory over the spirit, then is the time spoken of when man has sinned to that degree that, says the Apostle, “ye shall not pray for them, for they have sinned a sin unto death.” Then the spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with them, they no longer receive light, having passed the day of grace (President Brigham Young, Philosophy of Man Upon The Earth, delivered at the Semi-Annual General Conference, Salt Lake City).

Importantly, President Harold B. Lee taught that "baptism by immersion symbolizes the death and burial of the man of sin; and the coming forth out of the water, the resurrection to a newness of spiritual life" (Lee, Harold B., Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Chapter 4: The First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel).

Hence, as I proceed to develop Solomon as the beast possessing the number "Six hundred threescore and six", it is worthy to note that, in the last days, Solomon comes disguised as the nations of the world. Satan can lift no sword, shed no blood, speak no evil, and cause no strife unless there exists among men the arm, sword, mouth, and heart that is willing to serve him (see D&C 45:55). 

To be continued . . .

FOOTNOTES

[1] The man of sin has been revealed in various ways and times throughout history. In the early latter-day Church, the prophet Joseph Smith recorded the following event:

On the 3rd of June, the Elders from the various parts of the country where they were laboring, came in; and the conference before appointed, convened in Kirtland; and the Lord displayed His power to the most perfect satisfaction of the Saints. The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders.

The manner in which the man of sin was revealed and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood manifested, is related by John Whitmer, in his History of the Church. After giving the names of those who were ordained High Priests the day on which the two powers were manifested, he says:

Joseph Smith, Jun., prophesied the day previous that the man of sin would be revealed. While the Lord poured out His Spirit upon His servants, the devil took a notion to make known his power. He bound Harvey Whitlock and John Murdock so that they could not speak, and others were affected but the Lord showed to Joseph, the seer, the design of the thing; he commanded the devil in the name of Christ, and he departed, to our joy and comfort (see History of the Church, Volume 1, Chapter 15, Footnote 2).

Perfect Paradox - Chapter 2: To Answer the Ends of the Law

Having set forth the Father’s supremacy in the Plan of Happiness, I now turn to Christ, the “desire of all nations” (see Haggai 2:7), for salvation is in God, the Redeemer. He is the great whole into which the Father has circumscribed all truth. “If we are to envision our Lord’s true status and glory,” wrote Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1981), “we must come back to the pronouncement of pronouncements, the doctrine of doctrines, the message of messages, which is that Christ is God. And if it were not so, he could not save us” (p. 98). Thus said Lehi to his son Jacob:

Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered (2 Nephi 2:6-7).

Few verses teach so much about the doctrine of atonement in so few words. What is this law of which Lehi spoke? What are the ends of this law? And how did Christ answer the ends of this law? These questions should pique the interest and attention of every gospel student, for it is within the answers to these questions that a more complete understanding of the atonement rests.

Gratefully, but not surprisingly, the Book of Mormon “provides the most comprehensive explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement” (Benson, 1986, p. 5). We are indebted to it for providing complete answers to these questions. Without this book written for our day, we would be as those carried about by every wind of doctrine and ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of truth. This “seed” that contained the fulness of the gospel lay in the earth until, at last, it sprouted in fertile soil and was “sent forth” out of the earth “to sweep the earth as with a flood” (see Moses 7:62) to swallow the creeds and lies that had swept the earth as with a flood (see Revelation 12:16) for nearly two millennium.

Turning now to the doctrine of atonement and the ends of the law—like many, I had heretofore considered the expression ends of the law in a generic sense. Adhering to this approach, this expression simply means “the objectives of the law,” or the purpose for which the law was given. Suited to this approach, the 1854 Oxford English Dictionary defines the phrase as “a final cause; an object for which the thing exists; the purpose for which it is designed or instituted.” I suggest that this is a correct and sufficient definition for most practical purposes.[1] Aside from this generic definition, it is interesting to explore whether the expression can be pragmatically viewed? In other words, does the law identified by Lehi have two ends—like a yardstick—that should be thoughtfully examined?

Although pragmatism might be a less than ideal method to view gospel concepts, in this instance I think it helps in order to develop the framework that strengthens our doctrinal understanding of the atonement. One author (Nyman & Tate, 1988), in taking this literal approach, has suggested that the ends of the law are “love and mercy” (p. 303). Another (Callister, 2000) writes that “the Atonement ran the full gamut of the law, end to end, mercy to justice” (p. 314), suggesting that mercy and justice rest at the ends of the law. Without diminishing these insights or suggesting they are incorrect, I propose that the expression ends of the law might be most thoroughly developed by looking to the identity of the law and the principles upon which it operates.

Adding to what Lehi taught concerning the ends of the law, Nephi, Lehi, Alma, and Amulek set forth doctrine that confirms the relationship between law, justice, judgment, punishment, and happiness. In his early writings, Nephi taught that the justice of God is expressed in and through Christ, the Eternal Judge (see 1 Nephi 12:18).[2] Lehi further noted that there is a punishment affixed to law opposite that of the happiness that is also affixed (see 2 Nephi 2:10).[3] In an attempt to persuade his wayward son of the certainty of justice, Alma then brought Nephi’s and Lehi’s teachings together into a precise declaration of doctrine: “But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted,” he wrote, “which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law,[4] and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God” (Alma 42:22; emphasis added). And finally, Amulek named this law of which the earlier prophets spake and called it “the whole law of the demands of justice” (see Alma 34:16).[5]

From the foregoing verses and commentary given elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1) The JUSTICE OF GOD is vested in Christ. He is the “word (i.e., the Divine Expression) of the justice of the Eternal God” (1 Nephi 12:18). He separates light from darkness and the righteous from the wicked. His brightness is “like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end” (1 Nephi 15:30). To Him, the Father has committed all judgment (see John 5:22)—He shall stand to judge the nations.

2) A distinction can be made between the LAW OF THE DEMANDS OF JUSTICE and the JUSTICE OF GOD that “executes” or invokes the LAW.

3) Although they are distinct expressions, it is clear that the DEMANDS OF JUSTICE, mentioned by Alma, are the ENDS OF THE LAW identified by Lehi.

4) MERCY, which has the power to satisfy the DEMANDS OF HIS JUSTICE (see 2 Nephi 9:26), is innately tied to a BROKEN HEART and CONTRITE SPIRIT.

5) HAPPINESS and PUNISHMENT are affixed to the ENDS OF THE LAW opposite each other.

6) PUNISHMENT, or misery, is the proximate result of God’s penalty[6] and HAPPINESS, or joy, is the proximate result of God’s reward.

According to Millet, McConkie, and Top (1992), all of Heavenly Father’s children, Christ included, answer the demands of justice, or the ends of the law, in one of two ways:

1) by perfect obedience to gospel law to which happiness and a reward is affixed, or

2) by disobedience to gospel law to which punishment and a penalty is affixed (p. 340).

Commenting on these two ways, Elder Gerald N. Lund (Nyman & Tate, 1989) taught:

Remembering the two principles that constitute the law of justice, i.e. obedience brings joy, violation brings suffering, then one could say that there are only two ways to satisfy the demands of that law. The first is to keep the law perfectly, that is, never to violate it in any degree. A second way to satisfy the demands of the law of justice would be to pay the penalty for any violations of it (p. 91).

Based on these insights, I suggest that one end or demand of the Law of the Demands of Justice is PERFECTION, to which HAPPINESS and a reward is affixed, and that the other “end” or demand of the law is BROKEN LAW, to which PUNISHMENT and a penalty is affixed. It may be helpful to visualize the relationship of these concepts as illustrated in Figure 1 below:

FIGURE 1.

Christ answered both ends of the law—He kept the law perfectly and, contrary to the demands of the law and notwithstanding His perfection, He was also punished for broken law. Focusing on Christ's compliance to law, Elder Lund (Nyman & Tate, 1989) continues:

What did the Messiah do to meet both those conditions [i.e., to answer the ends of the law]? He kept the law perfectly. Not once in his entire mortal life did Jesus violate the law in any way. He was the Lamb without spot or blemish. He was perfection and that perfection answered the law; that is, the law had no claim on him. But Christ did more than this . . . . Not only did Christ keep the law perfectly for himself, but he suffered the penalty for all violations as though he himself were guilty of them. Thus he satisfied the law of justice in both dimensions (Nyman & Tate, pp. 91-92).[7]

“The law was broken; Jesus died that justice might be satisfied” (Nicholson, 1985, p. 174). It is within this ultimate contradiction—the Innocent unjustly suffering the penalty for broken law—that mercy is born. It is also because of this benevolent act that Christ, on conditions of faith unto repentance (see Alma 34:16), has power to bring all men unto Him (see D&C 18:12; compare Helaman 5:11). So important was the mission of Jesus Christ in fulfilling this single commission of answering the ends of the law that Lehi exclaimed:

Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved (2 Nephi 2:8-9).

With love that never faileth, Christ inviteth all who will (see 3 Nephi 9:14) to come unto Him, “for he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him” (Moroni 7:28).

WORKS CITED

Benson, E. T. (1986, November). The Book of Mormon--Keystone of Our Religion. Ensign.

Callister, T. R. (2000). The Infinite Atonement. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company.

McConkie, B. R. (1981). The Promised Messiah: The first coming of Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company.

McConkie, J. F., Millet, R. L., & Top, B. L. (1992). Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon (Vol. 4). Salt Lake City: Bookcraft.

Nicholson, J. (1985). While of These Emblems We Partake. Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, p. 174.

Nyman, M. S., & Tate, J. C. (Eds.). (1988). The Book of Mormon: First Nephi, The Doctrinal Foundation (Vol. 1). Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center.
Nyman, M. S., & Tate, J. C. (Eds.). (1989). The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure (Vol. 2). Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center.

ENDNOTES
[1] The Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual (2004) explains that the expression refers to the “consequences of the Fall and to the ‘punishment that is affixed’ for disobedience to God’s commandments (2 Nephi 2:5, 10)” (p. 26).
[2] Compare 1 Nephi 15:28-30, Mosiah 2:28; Mosiah 15:27, and Alma 10:20-21.
[3] A reading of 2 Nephi 2:10 makes it clear that the “opposition in all things” spoken of by Lehi in verse 11 of that same chapter as a necessary component to the existence of good and evil is not opposition in the context of material things such as light versus dark, sound versus silence, or bitter versus sweet as sometimes portrayed in various commentaries and over church pulpits. Rather, I suggest this opposition is a specific reference to the opposition that exists between punishment and happiness.
[4] Notwithstanding, we learn from modern revelation that God executes all things (see D&C 88:40). Thus, God, who is justice, executes the law that He devised.
[5] This law—the Law of the Demands of Justice—has two close gospel relatives known as the Law of the Harvest, which declares that whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap (see D&C 6:33) and the Plan of Restoration, which teaches that men should be judged and, depending upon their works in this life, have good or evil restored unto them (see Alma 41:3-4). These three gospel cousins are governed by, and each are equally requisite with, the justice of God.
[6] God’s punishment consists of “justice and judgment” (see D&C 82:4).

[7] See also McConkie (1991, p. 251).