Intimacy: There is nothing more precious in life than
appropriate intimacy. It means inviting
someone else into your life, your thoughts, your being. It modifies and enriches your identity. The erotic or physical, aspects of real
intimacy do not stand alone. They are
the ultimate physical expression of a union which involves the intellect and
the whole range of human thought, emotion, and purpose.
Life Lines
Monday, April 4, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
Walk the Walk: The
jargon of today includes quips about talking the talk and walking the
walk. The Lord said this before you
heard it anywhere else: “And the members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures -- walking in holiness before the Lord." D&C 20:69)
Whisperings of the
Spirit: Never hesitate to
act upon the whisperings of the Still Small Voice within you. You may not be given a second chance. The Spirit doesn’t raise His voice.
Winners: We all came to this earth as winners,
worthy of a full opportunity to achieve Exaltation and attain the “Lifestyle of
the Gods” following the earthly experience.
Work: Work can be more fun than play. Few things can be more enjoyable in this life
than the experience of fully giving oneself to a worthy job or cause. Nor does anything bind people together in
friendship so strongly as working together in worthwhile labor.
Worship: The highest form of worship that the Lord
expects from us is that we serve the least of these his brethren. It’s OK to serve those who are not the least,
also, but if we are not anxiously engaged in service, our Salvation is not
secure.
Worthiness: Man’s status in the eyes of God is determined
totally by the choices he himself makes; not by any factor which is not a
product of his own agency.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
This blog is a tribute written by my youngest son in honor of my eldest. I post it here because it is, not only a beautiful and fitting commendation of my firstborn, but also a comprehensive essay on the law of primogeniture, the special status and responsibilities traditionally associated with firstborn son in any family.
Rob the Firstborn
by
JJ Brown (the last-born)
The LDS website under Gospel Topics, says this about the
role of a Firstborn:
Firstborn
In the patriarchal order, the firstborn son is the heir
and inherits the leadership of the family upon the death of the father. This is
often spoken of in the scriptures as birthright (Gen.
43:33). Under the law of Moses, the Firstborn
son was regarded as belonging to God, and special ordinances were provided for
his redemption (Ex.
13:12–15; 22:29; Num. 3:45; Luke 2:22–23). The eldest son received a double portion of his
father’s possessions (Deut. 21:17); and after his father’s death, he was responsible for
the care of the mother and sisters.
Moses wrote that a father’s Firstborn “is the beginning of his strength” (Duet 21:17). The importance of the role of the Firstborn is emphasized
throughout the Bible up until the time that Father in Heaven’s own Firstborn
came to Earth. Then, the focus shifts to Him.
The Apostle Paul tells us that the Father seemingly chose
Christ to be his Firstborn spirit child based on qualities of his pre-spirit
intelligence.
JST, Romans 8:29
29
For him whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to his own image, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren.
In spite of the possible preselection of a father’s Firstborn,
the scriptures teach us that the position must still be earned. Apostle Orson
Pratt taught about this:
"Reuben only was called the
first born of Israel until he lost his birthright, through transgression,
which, we are told in the 5th chapter of first Chronicles, was taken from him
and given to one of the sons of Joseph. But so far as age or birth was
concerned, Reuben was the Firstborn; and had it not been for his transgression,
he would have inherited a double portion of his father's substance, for that
was the law in ancient times." (Journal of Discourses)
Ishmael was born first but did not earn his Firstborn
position, so it was given to Isaac. Esau did not earn his Firstborn position,
so it was given to Jacob. Reuben was
also born first but did not earn his Firstborn position, so it was given to
Joseph and eventually his second son, Ephraim. God said, “I am a father
to Israel, and Ephraim is my Firstborn.” (Jeremiah
31:9).
So the Firstborn is preselected for an extra endowment and
extra responsibilities but must then live up to them. Rob lives up to his
station.
Rob is the only living person I know, who I can easily
imagine playing a role in a Bible or Book of Mormon story. I can see him
running from Potiphar’s wife, I can see him seeking more for his family and
asking Mahonri Moriancumer to use his gifts for guidance. I can see him leaving
his nets behind to follow the Savior. I can see him preparing defenses against
invading Lamanites. When it comes to the Gospel events, Rob fits into them,
whether it’s a story in the past, or a prophecy of our future. It is impossible
to imagine Rob being anywhere but on the side of Enoch, on the side of Samuel
the Lamanite, on the side of Moroni, or on the side of Moses.
As the Firstborn, he points us all toward the right, toward
Christ and our Father in Heaven. Righteousness is his motivation. When you look
upon a righteous Firstborn, you are also looking in the direction of the
Father. This is why Venus is the Evening and the Morning Star. Venus is closer
to the Sun than we are, so it is in the horizon at night toward the sun as it
sets and in the morning sky near to where the sun comes up. When we look toward
Venus, we are looking toward the sun. Christ the great Firstborn is also known
as the Morning Star. In the absence of the sun, just before it appears in the
morning or after it has left in the evening, the Morning Star is there. In the
absence of the Father, the Firstborn should be there.
When my visa to Italy was delayed while I was in the MTC,
and I was sent to South Carolina to await my visa. Rob was travelling himself
and was able to meet me at the airport before I boarded my flight. Because of
our age difference we hadn’t interacted a great deal one on one as adults, and
I felt good knowing that even though my parents couldn’t be there, Rob was able
to meet me. He sat down and talked with
me for a while before he had to run to his gate, but before he left he left me
an envelope and asked me to read it later.
I opened it on the plane and read his thoughts about me.
Then he shared with me the words of Heavenly Father as they had come to him the
night before on my behalf. He wrote that
those words came to him while he had been praying and thinking on my situation.
The words were pure revelation and changed my life and my mission. But I don’t
credit Rob for that advice. I credit Rob for being my worthy elder brother, for
praying and thinking on me, and being willing and able to receive revelation in
place of my earthly father and my Father in Heaven. If felt natural and right
for Rob to fill that role in my life.
Rob holds the family together horizontally. When there is a
trial or trauma, Rob is always central, playing his role well under the
direction of a worthy and humble father. Rob is often the one administering and
overseeing the plan that is agreed to by the father. Rob’s influence and
interest don’t fade away until the problem has faded, and even then there is
often follow up.
Rob holds the family together vertically. Rob is the one who
stays in touch and holds onto our connection with our living ancestors. He’s
the one who shows up at the Brown and Johnson events. He’s the one who often instigates our own
family reunions. His heart is turned to his fathers as well as to his own
father’s descendants.
I feel our family is special, and that our most special
assets are only now being born. I feel this family is a foothold of Zion in
Babylon and will be of specific and critical use to Heavenly Father in the Last
Days. I feel that Heavenly Father put one of his most worthy administrators as
the First Born over this family for a wise and important purpose, and with Rob
at the helm I am confident we will not fail. If he were made Presiding Bishop,
my confidence in the well-being of the Church would increase.
We will follow our righteous father, but if he dips out of
sight due to distance or health, our elder brother will be there in the
direction of righteousness, just like our dad.
If we look to him, we will be looking in the right direction. He is our
own Morning Star.
This blog is my review of a small book with a big message for Christians of all denominations. The book was written by a brilliant lawyer who is a close friend and a member of our LDS ward. Because of this review, he has asked me to edit a new book he has written on God's love and how we are meant to represent him in bestowing it on one another.
GETHSEMAMNESIA
– By Daniel J. McDonald
Forgotten
Lessons from Gethsemane, Golgotha, and Beyond
A Book Review by Robert L. Brown
This small book is a resounding wake-up call for professed
Christians, like myself, who tend to bask in the comfort zones of regular
church attendance, tithing, cursory scripture study, occasional temple service,
etc. (temple worthiness) but fail to consistently strive for fullest
understanding of what it means to “come unto Christ.”
Human
Suffering -- “GETHSEMAMNESIA” reminds us that suffering can become a sacred experience,
a unique opportunity to tap into the Atonement.
We are reminded that, while Christ’s suffering pays for forsaken sin, it
does not automatically remove the pains of life, no matter how righteous one
might be. Some of the most righteous and
spiritual people we know are those whom we have seen suffer the most.
When we properly apply ourselves to the Atonement (not the converse), Christ gives us the
strength to bear our adversities. It
does not necessarily remove them. Jesus
suffered them all – in addition to paying for the Fall of Adam and those sins
of which we are able to repent – so that He could know them; so that he might
more perfectly empathize with us and help
us grow through the things we suffer.
“He suffered to create a portal of common
experience – a temple if you will through which we can reach beyond the
veil and commune with him.”[1] Peter said, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers
of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter
4:13)
Dan puts it this way:
“I am convinced that although God
has the power to heal us, he refrains in many cases because he yearns to
commune with us so much that he draws us into his bosom through the sanctuary
of suffering, which is more sacred than any temple.”
The
Mortality of Jesus -- In Chapter 1, Dan points out how we do
the Savior a disservice as we tend to forget that the perfect God figure,
Christ, was also the sinless but otherwise fully human figure, Jesus – not totally free of human frailties, as
we tend to assume. The mortal Jesus
didn’t want to suffer any more than we do.
Not once but three times he prayed to the Father that the bitter cup
pass from him.
He knew from the beginning that there was no ‘other
way,’ yet, when faced with the immediate enormity of it, the ‘mortal’ Jesus momentarily shrank; but the ‘divine’ Christ had the strength to say, “… nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) This conflict of wills does not quite fit our
general views about perfection.
Chapter 2 reminds us that when Jesus prayed the third time, he prayed even more earnestly. “And there appeared an angel from heaven
strengthening him.” (Luke
22:43) Can there be a prayer for
deliverance when there is no doubt, fear, or contrary will? Can
there be a strengthening where there is no human weakness?
Perfection
-- “Perfection is not
what we think it is. It is not the
absence of weakness or defect. It’s the paradoxical combination of weakness and
strength.” It is the Savior’s triumph over doubt,
fear, and weakness that make him so magnificent and his love for us so perfect.
God does not make mistakes, but he made us with flaws
and made us prone to make mistakes. It
is not a sin to be handicapped or weak; except, perhaps, in the case of
weaknesses bought upon ourselves through the misuse of agency. God made us weak so he could strengthen
us. We should not beat ourselves up
because of those weaknesses. What is a sin
is to fail to accept divine help when in need of strengthening, as Christ did
in Gethsemane.
Obedience
vs Submission -- Chapter 2 also enlarges our definition of
submission. We are taught that we must
submit to the Savior’s will, much as he submitted to the will of the Father. This is an absolute requirement for the level
of salvation to which we, as Latter-day saints, aspire. My dictionary calls submission “obedience or compliance without resistance.” The
author contends that submission, in the gospel context, requires more refined
definition. “True submission and true faithfulness always requires resistance.”
Obedience to requirements that come easy to us or that
we ‘would have done anyway’ is not what conditions us for Exaltation, for life
in a celestial environment. For obedience to qualify as submission it
must involve the exercise of agency in
the suppression of one’s own will. True
submission is doing the hard stuff --
like putting off the natural man and putting on Christ, loving your enemy, or
keeping the Sabbath Day all the way holy.
“Jesus proved
that being a human is extremely painful.
He proved that being a disciple is even harder.” But, as it was for the Savior, our moment
of true submission is actually a triumph -- and brings an abundance of joy.
‘Nothingness’
–
The author cites numerous scriptural references that affirm the nothingness of
man, along with an equal number which admonish us to obey his commands and
become perfect even as he is. Then he
asks: “If
you are weak and prone to sin, by nature, how then is it that you can be
expected to become sin-free? If you are
carnal, sensual and devilish by virtue of your mortality, how is it that he can
expect you to be godly? If you are a
born sinner, how can he expect you to become a saint? And the answer is:
Change
– A
mighty change in us is, of course, the answer, but whose job is it to bring
that about? If we are nothing, can we
turn ourselves into something as perfect as God? How can a ‘lump of clay’ mold itself into a
beautiful vase.
Dan cites a full half-dozen scriptures which all
affirm that it is not our job but God’s, to effect that miracle. He reminds us of what should be obvious; that
if we could do it through ‘gritty determination’ alone, there would have been
no need for a Savior.
Surrender
– “When you realize that overcoming your
weaknesses is not your battle, you can
declare, as Paul, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’”
(Philippians 4:13) But we need to acknowledge our nothingness
and approach God with a broken heart and a contrite spirit to ask for this
intervention, and then exercise unwavering faith that he can and will transform
us into one of the precious sons or daughters of Zion that Jeremiah speaks of
in Lamentations 4:2.
Prayer
-- Chapter
3 teaches new and/or forgotten things we need to know and remember about
prayer; the main point being that prayer is not so much a means of
communication as a tool for changing oneself.
“You will eventually lose faith in
prayer if you expect God to change your circumstances when the real point of
the venture is to change you.” Answers to your prayers are most likely to
come in the form of what happens to you during or as a result of the actual
prayer.
Love
and Service – It’s really all about love. If we love the Lord, we will serve him – by serving
others. He has told us that way to best
serve him. (Matthew 25:34-45) We come to love most those whom we serve most
devotedly. When we come to love God, the
Savior, our neighbors, our enemies, and ourselves unconditionally, as Christ
and the Father love us, everything else will have fallen into place.
There is yet more in this small book, but my purpose
in this review is not to point up all of its very salient points, but rather to
entice you to acquire the book and be blessed by its teachings as I have
been. The book can be gotten from Dan
himself or ordered from lulu.com.
[1]
The passages in this review printed in italics not otherwise credited are taken
directly form the book. The highlighting
of key phrases is mine.
Monday, March 7, 2016
PERDITION -- We tend not to worry much about the
condition of perdition (eternal torment in ‘outer darkness’) because we are
taught, informally, at least, that to qualify for that punishment one would
have to be at a super high level of spiritual development, or in other words,
have a true witness of Christ in our hearts and minds, and then offend the Holy
Ghost by denying Him.
The bad news is
that if we don’t quite quite meet the spiritual requirements that would qualify us for
perdition if we were to deny Christ, we likely also lack the central and essential requirement for Exaltation!
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
AN
EYE SINGLE . . .
I have written about Zion and about the veil,
inspiration, consecration, The Holy Ghost, binding Satan, the condemnation
related to unbelief, about agency, and about striving. I keep coming back to what I have read and
learned from the Book of Ether and from Nephi about the veil and who has
control of its drawstrings. I continue
to strive to more fully understand what the Doctrine and Covenants (84:54-57)
is trying to tell us about being under condemnation because of our
unbelief. Vanity seems to have something
to do with it, according to verse 55. I
guess that must mean that we rely too much on our own understanding instead of
truly seeking, asking, and striving for these higher blessings.
We know from the teachings of President Ezra Taft
Benson, that at least part of this condemnation relates to us, as a church, for
not having paid the attention that we ought to the teachings of the Book of
Mormon. But the Spirit tells me to keep
looking for a more complete definition of this ‘unbelief’ that is still stealing
away so many promised blessings.
I keep asking myself, what is it that we don’t
believe? The best answer I have come up
with so far, is that it refers to our disbelief in ourselves, our ability
and/or worthiness to have the same access to angels, miracles, and “the visions and blessings of old” that
really haven’t returned that much, despite what the song says.
I also keep coming back to D&C 88:67-68: “And if
your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light,
and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light
comprehendeth all things.
“68.
Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the
days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you . .
. .”
I have a deep suspicion that if I could fully
understand and achieve the “eye single” thing, that the rest of it would fall into place of its own accord. Having an eye single to the Glory of God is
kind of like laying our burdens at the Master’s
feet. We all believe in it, but nobody
teaches us how to do it.
Why are we so reluctant to tackle those precious
things that we can only learn by the Spirit?
Could it be the workings of that nebulous level of belief that most of
us have in ourselves?
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