I recently had the opportunity to walk through a religious art exhibit at the BYU museum of art. The exhibit is based on types and shadows of God. Many of the works are actual images of the Savior, But some have no obvious religious connection on the surface. There are immagers of mountains, a sculpture of a leaf, two chairs draped with red and white cloth. As I pondered these images, I could begin to see and feel the symbolism, and the meaning. One quotation that I really like that was in the museum booklet says, "The best thing about a painting or a piece of sculpture is that which cannot be described. And that elusive, mysterious quality we call its spirit may arise from something quite apart from its rhetoric, or logic or distinction."-BH Roberts.
That is very true. When I look at an image of Christ I don't expect to see a realistic depiction. I am not trying to learn what the Lord looks like. When I look and an image of Christ, I am looking for the feeling, the insight into who Christ is, and what he wants from me. If I can try to be like that feeling, that symbol, if I can follow these symbolic admonitions, I can learn about the Savior. The power in these paintings does not come from the artists. It flows through their brushes from the Great Artist who created them. These works open windows into Eternity. They help us to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. They are portals into Eternal life. I plan to return and spend some more time in the exhibit.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Modern Exodus
There are many parallels between the ancient Hebrew Exodus and the Latter-day Saints’ westward migration. Now I don’t know how much we can read into these parallels, as both of these stories are sequences of real events, one was not necessarily intended to be allegorical of the other. But it is very interesting to see the similarities. The events surrounding the three primary locations are similar. New York, where the prophet Joseph Smith was called, is like Egypt where Moses spoke to Jehovah in the burning bush. There the church was organized. Then after being persecuted, the saints traveled west to Kirtland, Ohio. This mirrors the Israelites’ stop at mount Sinai. Firstly, Kirtland is where the law was received. There were many revelations on how the church should be organized, and how the saints should live. Just as Moses went up to the mountain of the Lord and spoke with God face-to-face, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by Jesus Christ and other ancient prophets in the recently constructed Kirtland temple. They received more instruction and more authority to administer the ordinances of the gospel. Also, remember that Moses returned to find the Children of Israel in sin and revelry. The Kirtland period of church history saw many stalwart church members, including apostles and other church leaders, apostatize from the church. Some of them merely abandoned their beliefs, but many joined those who were persecuting the church. Finally, after a long journey, The Hebrews entered the Promise land. But their beloved prophet, Moses, was not still alive on the earth. Joseph Smith, too, did not live “to see the saints their rest obtain.” He was killed by a mob in Illinois before the saints crossed the plains to Utah. Brigham Young, like the Joshua of old, Led the saints to settle the ‘promised land’ of Salt Lake City.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Crandall Printing Museum
Last week I got to go to the Crandall Printing Museum here in Provo. The Museum is run by a handful of old, retired printers, who learned their trade as boys early in this century. They have developed this museum to give modern web-surfers a feel for the heritage of the technology we now enjoy.
They had a working replica of a Gutenberg press that was pretty cool. They had a set of type that was an identical replica of Gutenberg’s type. They had set the press with the first two pages of the Latin bible, exactly as Gutenberg had it. The hand type caster was particularly cool to me. It was a small device that Gutenberg used to mass produce type. I have always known basically what a printing press was and how it worked, but I never thought about the fact that you would need so many of each letter. In order to set each page, a printer would need dozens of each letter and symbol. And at that time, there was no foundry that could cast the type. The hand type caster allowed them to make their own type, the first ever set of which was in Latin.
Another thing that amazed me was how long it must have taken to set the type. All we ever hear about the printing press is how fast and efficient it was, and how it opened the flood-gate of information to Europe. Well, it must have been a very arduous job bending over the type case in a dim printer’s shop looking for p’s and q’s. Of course all of the type had to be set upside down and backward so that it would print properly. I used to think that the type setters must just be good at reading the imprints on the type upside down, and had got used to how to position them. Fortunately for them, they were a lot more resourceful than that. They had all the type sorted into cases. One box for every letter. The capital letters were held in the upper case and the small letters were in a lower case. The case was labeled so that all a type setter had to do was reach into the ‘p’ cubby and grab a letter. The type were cleverly cast with a notch on one side, so that the type setter simply had to line up the notches, and voila, the type was set upside down and backwards.
Also in the print museum they had a replica of one of the presses that Benjamin Franklin had (the one on which he printed Poor Richard’s almanac). Franklin was surely a brilliant man. He was knowledgeable in every field known to man at the time. And he was proactive in spreading his knowledge and ideas to others. They also had a replica of the press that was used to print the first edition of the Book of Mormon. The circumstances that surround that printing were truly miraculous. The Erie canal had been finished just in time to bring this state-of-the-art ‘acorn’ press to the small town of Palmyra New York. Joseph smith asked EB Grandin to print 5,000 copies, large book printings at the time were usually around 500. The whole project (type setting, printing, and binding) completed in seven months. (See this article for more information) They printed one booklet of the first 16 pages of the original setting of the Book of Mormon. I recommend the museum to everyone.
They had a working replica of a Gutenberg press that was pretty cool. They had a set of type that was an identical replica of Gutenberg’s type. They had set the press with the first two pages of the Latin bible, exactly as Gutenberg had it. The hand type caster was particularly cool to me. It was a small device that Gutenberg used to mass produce type. I have always known basically what a printing press was and how it worked, but I never thought about the fact that you would need so many of each letter. In order to set each page, a printer would need dozens of each letter and symbol. And at that time, there was no foundry that could cast the type. The hand type caster allowed them to make their own type, the first ever set of which was in Latin.
Another thing that amazed me was how long it must have taken to set the type. All we ever hear about the printing press is how fast and efficient it was, and how it opened the flood-gate of information to Europe. Well, it must have been a very arduous job bending over the type case in a dim printer’s shop looking for p’s and q’s. Of course all of the type had to be set upside down and backward so that it would print properly. I used to think that the type setters must just be good at reading the imprints on the type upside down, and had got used to how to position them. Fortunately for them, they were a lot more resourceful than that. They had all the type sorted into cases. One box for every letter. The capital letters were held in the upper case and the small letters were in a lower case. The case was labeled so that all a type setter had to do was reach into the ‘p’ cubby and grab a letter. The type were cleverly cast with a notch on one side, so that the type setter simply had to line up the notches, and voila, the type was set upside down and backwards.
Also in the print museum they had a replica of one of the presses that Benjamin Franklin had (the one on which he printed Poor Richard’s almanac). Franklin was surely a brilliant man. He was knowledgeable in every field known to man at the time. And he was proactive in spreading his knowledge and ideas to others. They also had a replica of the press that was used to print the first edition of the Book of Mormon. The circumstances that surround that printing were truly miraculous. The Erie canal had been finished just in time to bring this state-of-the-art ‘acorn’ press to the small town of Palmyra New York. Joseph smith asked EB Grandin to print 5,000 copies, large book printings at the time were usually around 500. The whole project (type setting, printing, and binding) completed in seven months. (See this article for more information) They printed one booklet of the first 16 pages of the original setting of the Book of Mormon. I recommend the museum to everyone.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Woman of God
As God continued to reveal principles to Joseph Smith, about how the church should be established, One revelation is particularly meaningful to me. Section 25 is a revelation directed to Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife. God revealed this revelation through the prophet in July of 1830.
Emma Smith must have had a singular perspective of the restoration of the gospel. She likely knew the prophet’s personality better than anyone on earth. They lived together; they worked together; they had children together. She knew his virtues and his faults. In some ways it would be hardest for her to accept that this man whom she knew so intimately was a prophet of the Lord.
At the same time, it must have been difficult for her to be so near, but not involved with all of the spiritual experiences that Joseph had. She never saw the gold plates. She wasn’t their when Jesus Christ came to Joseph and other apostles in the Kirtland Temple. In this revelation the Lord outlines her callings and responsibilities, and promises her blessings.
The first calling mentioned specifically is that she is to comfort her husband, Joseph, in the spirit of meekness. Now, from a 21st century perspective, this assignment might seem sexist: The woman is merely auxiliary to the man. That is not what God is saying. First, not everyone can be the prophet. We all have different assignments none of which is more honorable or valuable than another. (Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 12.) And who better to have the assignment to comfort the prophet in his afflictions than the woman who loves him so affectionately?
Second, “the spirit of meekness” is not a consignment to weak submission. Remember it was Christ, the King of kings who said “I am meek and lowly in heart. “(Matt 11:29) It was He, the Creator of the universe who comforted his friends in their afflictions (See John 11). It is also important to recognize that Joseph is commanded in verse 9 to support Emma in the church.
The assignments that the Lord gives to Emma in this revelation grand and noble. She is promised that she will receive an inheritance. Women at this time couldn’t own property, let alone inherit it. (Remember Jesus’ promise that the meek will inherit the earth.) She is named an elect lady called by God. God calls her to work as a scribe during the translation of the Book of Mormon. He tells her that she will be ordained to expound the scriptures and to exhort the church as she is guided by the Holy Ghost. This is an especially empowering assignment as many Christian churches in that day didn’t even allow women to speak in church meetings, let alone reveal divine instruction.
Emma is commanded, or rather blessed, that her “time shall be given to writing, and to learning much.” I plan to marry a woman that has this same gift from God. She is commanded to “Lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.” Through the coming years of persecution for the church, she does in fact lose almost every worldly possession. She is assigned to compile hymn book for the church. I still sing hymns that Emma collected in obedience to this divine injunction. Finally God commands her: “Let thy soul delight in thy husband and the glory which shall come upon him.” Conditional on this assignment is the final promised blessing – the greatest of all the gifts of God .
“Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive.“ She will rule and reign with God forever.
Emma Smith must have had a singular perspective of the restoration of the gospel. She likely knew the prophet’s personality better than anyone on earth. They lived together; they worked together; they had children together. She knew his virtues and his faults. In some ways it would be hardest for her to accept that this man whom she knew so intimately was a prophet of the Lord.
At the same time, it must have been difficult for her to be so near, but not involved with all of the spiritual experiences that Joseph had. She never saw the gold plates. She wasn’t their when Jesus Christ came to Joseph and other apostles in the Kirtland Temple. In this revelation the Lord outlines her callings and responsibilities, and promises her blessings.
The first calling mentioned specifically is that she is to comfort her husband, Joseph, in the spirit of meekness. Now, from a 21st century perspective, this assignment might seem sexist: The woman is merely auxiliary to the man. That is not what God is saying. First, not everyone can be the prophet. We all have different assignments none of which is more honorable or valuable than another. (Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 12.) And who better to have the assignment to comfort the prophet in his afflictions than the woman who loves him so affectionately?
Second, “the spirit of meekness” is not a consignment to weak submission. Remember it was Christ, the King of kings who said “I am meek and lowly in heart. “(Matt 11:29) It was He, the Creator of the universe who comforted his friends in their afflictions (See John 11). It is also important to recognize that Joseph is commanded in verse 9 to support Emma in the church.
The assignments that the Lord gives to Emma in this revelation grand and noble. She is promised that she will receive an inheritance. Women at this time couldn’t own property, let alone inherit it. (Remember Jesus’ promise that the meek will inherit the earth.) She is named an elect lady called by God. God calls her to work as a scribe during the translation of the Book of Mormon. He tells her that she will be ordained to expound the scriptures and to exhort the church as she is guided by the Holy Ghost. This is an especially empowering assignment as many Christian churches in that day didn’t even allow women to speak in church meetings, let alone reveal divine instruction.
Emma is commanded, or rather blessed, that her “time shall be given to writing, and to learning much.” I plan to marry a woman that has this same gift from God. She is commanded to “Lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.” Through the coming years of persecution for the church, she does in fact lose almost every worldly possession. She is assigned to compile hymn book for the church. I still sing hymns that Emma collected in obedience to this divine injunction. Finally God commands her: “Let thy soul delight in thy husband and the glory which shall come upon him.” Conditional on this assignment is the final promised blessing – the greatest of all the gifts of God .
“Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive.“ She will rule and reign with God forever.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Articles and Covenants
Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants is very important in the development of the church. Up until this point, the revelations received by Joseph Smith discuss the marvelous work and wonder- the translation of the Book of Mormon. Sections 19 and 20 reveal other doctrines that are important to the gospel and the growing church. In Section 19, Jesus recounts his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and asks us to use that sacrifice by having faith, repenting, being baptized and following the guidance of the Holy Ghost. In Section 20, the Lord recalls the brief history of the restored church, and explains the basic principles of operation in the church. In the latter part of the section, He outlines the duties of various offices of the church, and how certain priesthood ordinances should be performed. How should a person be baptized? How does a priest properly administer the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper? These are questions that religionists had wrestled with for years. But now that there was a prophet of God on the earth, the Lord could reveal his divine direction. Section 20 is the earliest version of the handbook of instructions for the church. Before any revelations were published, elders who were serving as missionaries would take hand-written copies of Section 20 with them on their missions. They needed these directions as they taught the gospel and established the church in other cities, states, and countries.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A Marvelous Work and a Wonder
When I was a missionary in South Africa, the president of our mission had us memorize a few scripture verses to remind us of our purpose as missionaries.
One of them was 3 Nephi 5:13 -
Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people that they might have everlasting life.
I love that verse! I still repeat it to myself sometimes as a reminder of who I am.
Another passage we recited was the entire fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, oh ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength that ye may be found blameless before God at the last day. Wherefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work. For behold the field is white already to harvest. And lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he parisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul. And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility diligence. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.
Now, I typed that for memory, so the punctuation is probably all wrong, but that’s ok.
There are several valuable things in this section that influenced me on my mission: I love the grain metaphor. The list of Christ-like attributes often was the basis of my goals. And the commission, “see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength,” encouraged me on, even when I was tired, hungry and disappointed.
What I want to write about today is the first sentence - this marvelous work and a wonder. There have been entire books written on this one phrase (which I have not yet read). Originally it was probably referring to the publication of the Book of Mormon. When Joseph Smith received this revelation, he was in the process of translating the Book of Mormon from an ancient language into English.
People have been pleading for guidance from God for millennia. God freely answered these prayers by sending prophets. These men and women spoke to God and delivered His word to the people. Even after Christ, there were men on the earth who had the authority to speak for God. So why then is the coming of more holy scripture so marvelous and wonderful?
The Book of Mormon is especially great for a few reasons:
• A thousand years of prophetic writings were revealed all at once.
• It was translated once from the original autograph by the gift and power of God.
• It was the first universal direction from God since the Apostles were killed in the first century.
I see - in part at least - why this publication was to be a marvelous work and a wonder. However, those reasons are not enough to motivate me to devote all my heart, might, mind and strength in servitude.
What I can say though, is that I have read the words in the Book of Mormon. I have thought about them a lot. I’ve even memorized some of them. I know that they speak the truth. Those Divine words have brought me to know my Saviour. I know that He lives. I know that He died for me. And that is certainly worth all of my might, mind, and strength to do whatever He asks. Especially if it will bring those I love to have the same joy I have.
One of them was 3 Nephi 5:13 -
Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people that they might have everlasting life.
I love that verse! I still repeat it to myself sometimes as a reminder of who I am.
Another passage we recited was the entire fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, oh ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength that ye may be found blameless before God at the last day. Wherefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work. For behold the field is white already to harvest. And lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he parisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul. And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility diligence. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.
Now, I typed that for memory, so the punctuation is probably all wrong, but that’s ok.
There are several valuable things in this section that influenced me on my mission: I love the grain metaphor. The list of Christ-like attributes often was the basis of my goals. And the commission, “see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength,” encouraged me on, even when I was tired, hungry and disappointed.
What I want to write about today is the first sentence - this marvelous work and a wonder. There have been entire books written on this one phrase (which I have not yet read). Originally it was probably referring to the publication of the Book of Mormon. When Joseph Smith received this revelation, he was in the process of translating the Book of Mormon from an ancient language into English.
People have been pleading for guidance from God for millennia. God freely answered these prayers by sending prophets. These men and women spoke to God and delivered His word to the people. Even after Christ, there were men on the earth who had the authority to speak for God. So why then is the coming of more holy scripture so marvelous and wonderful?
The Book of Mormon is especially great for a few reasons:
• A thousand years of prophetic writings were revealed all at once.
• It was translated once from the original autograph by the gift and power of God.
• It was the first universal direction from God since the Apostles were killed in the first century.
I see - in part at least - why this publication was to be a marvelous work and a wonder. However, those reasons are not enough to motivate me to devote all my heart, might, mind and strength in servitude.
What I can say though, is that I have read the words in the Book of Mormon. I have thought about them a lot. I’ve even memorized some of them. I know that they speak the truth. Those Divine words have brought me to know my Saviour. I know that He lives. I know that He died for me. And that is certainly worth all of my might, mind, and strength to do whatever He asks. Especially if it will bring those I love to have the same joy I have.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The lost 116 pages
I have been reading the first few sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, which is a compilation of revelations that God gave to establish His church.
One particularly poignant episode is when
Now that you have the premise, let me tell you what I thought about it: First of all, there have been some times in my life when I have wanted something dearly that the Lord did not want me to have. And it wasn’t just that it never came so I supposed I shouldn’t have it; I had prayed for guidance from the Lord, then not agreed with that guidance when it came. My prayers went something like this: “God, I really want to do such-and-such. Is that ok? … but I REALLY want to! I’m sure it would be fine because of [reason] and [reason] and [reason].” The Lord would begin answering with a definite “No,” but after time, the answer would become “You can do whatever you want; I’m not going to stop you. But you know what I recommended.” “But please …”
Once in high school, I carried on a conversation like this in my prayers for several months, waiting for the Lord’s blessing. During this time I read the story of the 116 pages in the Doctrine and Covenants. I read the Lord’s rebuke to the prophet:
And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
The Lord was speaking to me as I read. I knew he had answered my question a long time ago. And this story reminded me of the consequences of ignoring the counsel of the Lord. It still took some time to ease my hearts desire for the thing I had wanted so badly for so long, but from that time I prayed for strength to accept God’s will, not to change it.
This year I was reading in The Great Divorce by
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”
It’s frightening to think that God will let us hurt ourselves if we beg him long enough. How can he love that much?
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