It is to my surprise that I have observed two kinds of truth. One I would refer to as Truth with a capital 'T', and the other, truth with a lower case 't'.
Now if this rubs you wrong at first, as it did for me the first while that I had heard references to such, just know that it is simply a distinction of semantics -- a distinction that I find helpful in understanding.
Truth
I describe Truth as natural law and principle. I spoke somewhat on natural law in this post.
Gravity is an example of natural law, as is the law of lift which allow birds and airplanes to fly.
Truth can stand on its own. It is absolute and eternal.
truth
To distinguish Truth from truth, the best way I know to do it is to illustrate it with a story.
Consider a young waiter, we'll call him Joel. Joel's friend commented to him one day that she had read an article that said, for whatever reason, people tip less on Wednesdays and asked him if he had observed this in his work.
Joel said he hadn't and brushed it off. However, the thought lingered in his mind to the point that, on Wednesday, his mind was replaying the question and he was beginning to doubt his original response. He got a bit annoyed with himself about it because it seemed so ridiculous, but still, he felt a little frustrated about it.
Later, he had to see if there was any merit to it and, indeed, that Wednesday produced a slightly less tip percentage than usual.
The next Wednesday, Joel hardly wanted to go to work. He couldn't seem to shake this sense that he just knew people were going to tip less. It still seemed ridiculous to him, but he couldn't shake it. When a customer later accidentally spilled a water all over his table, Joel felt like throwing his hands up in frustration and saying "see!"
It wasn't long before Joel's service as a waiter waned on Wednesdays. A couple of months later, Joel told his friend -- "You know what? I've found on Wednesdays, I only get about 65% of the tips I get on other days. How weird is that?"
So, is it true? Do people tip less on Wednesday's? Well for Joel it became true. ...but why?
Is it the result of some natural law or principle that on Wednesdays, people will tip less? No! Of course not!
It was true because Joel believed it to be true. His belief led to a different set of actions which led to a different result!
This is the kind of truth that I call lower-case 't' truth. It is self-fulfilling prophecy, true only because of our own beliefs and choices.
Hopefully this also helps portray an interesting concept: there is no truth without context.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Why are you doing this?
It seems every time I tell someone about putting on Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day I get asked, "why are you doing this?" My answer? Because I love it! I love the ice cream, I love sharing it, it makes me happy, and it's fun! The amount of joy it brings me is seriously immense.
Of the numerous business events I've put on, I don't think anyone has ever asked me "why are you doing this?" I wonder if it's assumed, "well, it's a business, so it's to make money of course!"
Of the business people I know, money is not a sufficient drive to do what they do.
When my Dad was put in a serious financial predicament in his construction business, working literally 20-22 hour days, people would ask him "why don't you just declare bankruptcy?"
Did he say "I've got to make it work for the money?" Are you kidding? No, not at all. He would walk the person out of the office and point up at the sign above the door that said "Lyle Parks Jr. Inc." and say, "you see that? That's my name. I don't declare bankruptcy -- my dad just didn't teach me that."
To build and run a business takes more drive than money alone can provide.
So next time you chat with someone building a business, someone who has refused to give up even in the hard times, pay them a complement -- ask them what drives them! And be prepared to feel inspired.
Of the numerous business events I've put on, I don't think anyone has ever asked me "why are you doing this?" I wonder if it's assumed, "well, it's a business, so it's to make money of course!"
Of the business people I know, money is not a sufficient drive to do what they do.
When my Dad was put in a serious financial predicament in his construction business, working literally 20-22 hour days, people would ask him "why don't you just declare bankruptcy?"
Did he say "I've got to make it work for the money?" Are you kidding? No, not at all. He would walk the person out of the office and point up at the sign above the door that said "Lyle Parks Jr. Inc." and say, "you see that? That's my name. I don't declare bankruptcy -- my dad just didn't teach me that."
To build and run a business takes more drive than money alone can provide.
So next time you chat with someone building a business, someone who has refused to give up even in the hard times, pay them a complement -- ask them what drives them! And be prepared to feel inspired.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Heroes, Villains, and Victims
A brief insight.
Both a hero and a villain work hard, even tirelessly. One produces creation while the other destruction -- but they both produce.
You’ll notice that interesting stories rarely if ever have victims has their main characters. Why? Victims don’t do anything at all -- they just whine and complain. It's not that main characters haven't been victimized, they just don't accept victim-hood.
Perhaps this is the concept behind the verses in Revelation that say:
Both a hero and a villain work hard, even tirelessly. One produces creation while the other destruction -- but they both produce.
You’ll notice that interesting stories rarely if ever have victims has their main characters. Why? Victims don’t do anything at all -- they just whine and complain. It's not that main characters haven't been victimized, they just don't accept victim-hood.
Perhaps this is the concept behind the verses in Revelation that say:
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.Joshua said "choose you this day whom ye will serve," and the choice of victim-hood makes you irrelevant to your own story because you are no longer striving to be the main act-or in it.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Two Words
I love the temple! I know, that's not two words, but I love the temple nonetheless!
Today I got to go to the Jordan River temple.
I recently read this post by Stephen Palmer. Again.
And while at the temple, I was able to connect more clearly with my core life mission. It is, as you've guessed, two words: Inspire Righteousness.
Why Righteousness?
I strongly considered the word goodness. My perception is that the word goodness is perhaps more acceptable or politically correct; it has less of a judgemental connotation in today's world than righteousness. But why is that? If it's because much evil is considered good and good evil, then the message is more susceptible to individual interpretation and ambiguity.
We all have good judgement in our own eyes, so what is there to be inspired about? It becomes the principle that everyone needs but me, since I've already got it.
Righteousness however has some clear implications. To me these include:
* Continual development of one's relationship with God and family
* Continual development of one's character
* Purity and virtue in mind, heart, and soul
* Seeing people as people -- respecting individual sovereignty and worth
Why Inspire?
Righteousness is impossible to coerce because it is not an action -- it is a willful determination of heart and mind. Actions are merely an evidence or fruit of whatever determination one's heart and mind hold.
One could attempt to manipulate righteousness, but this will not persist when the manipulation is past.
Inspiring righteousness is indeed the only way to make a lasting impact.
Purpose
As I consider how this mission plays out in my life, I find that inspiring righteousness is my fundamental why -- it is the reason I do all I do. When my actions are not aligned with this standard, I want to investigate what within me is the root of this misalignment and change it!
Whenever considering a decision of any significance, my goal is to make inspiring righteousness as my core standard upon which to judge.
Why do I strive to be a good husband and father? To inspire righteousness in myself, my family, and perhaps others who might be quiet, unknown observers.
Why do we homeschool? We (or at least I -- I haven't asked Bont) feel it is the best way to inspire righteousness in our family.
Why do I serve in my church? It inspires righteousness in my own life, in the life of my family by example, and I hope, in those I teach.
What motivates what I do in my assigned church service? My drive to inspire righteousness.
Why do I engage in scripture study and personal development? To seek my own inspiration to righteousness and become more effective at inspiring righteousness.
Why do I promote Strongbrook? To inspire righteousness. It is my platform of choice for generating Peaceful Prosperity.
Why do I promote Peaceful Prosperity? You can see previous posts about it, but Peaceful Prosperity comes down to having a relationship with God, seeing people as people, and creating significant financial wealth so that this influence can reach further and wider than it would without such wealth.
Joseph Smith taught "A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." I promote Peaceful Prosperity to inspire righteousness throughout the earth.
Perfection
Are my actions always the most inspiring? Definitely not! I am far from perfect! Fortunately, there is no rule that states one must be perfect to inspire another; I have oft been inspired by imperfect men and women. Christ is perfect, and to inspire righteousness eventually comes back to Him. Always.
Jesus said "but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." Matthew 23:11 What makes one great? I believe it is the capacity to inspire men and women to devoting their best selves to a worthy cause. Service -- being a Go Giver -- is one of the most powerful ways to become great.
Jesus' life and mission is, when understood, the most powerful inspiration to righteousness that exists -- there is no coercion or manipulation in it. He, in securing our immortality and enabling our salvation, is the greatest Servant of us all.
Today I got to go to the Jordan River temple.
I recently read this post by Stephen Palmer. Again.
And while at the temple, I was able to connect more clearly with my core life mission. It is, as you've guessed, two words: Inspire Righteousness.
Why Righteousness?
I strongly considered the word goodness. My perception is that the word goodness is perhaps more acceptable or politically correct; it has less of a judgemental connotation in today's world than righteousness. But why is that? If it's because much evil is considered good and good evil, then the message is more susceptible to individual interpretation and ambiguity.
We all have good judgement in our own eyes, so what is there to be inspired about? It becomes the principle that everyone needs but me, since I've already got it.
Righteousness however has some clear implications. To me these include:
* Continual development of one's relationship with God and family
* Continual development of one's character
* Purity and virtue in mind, heart, and soul
* Seeing people as people -- respecting individual sovereignty and worth
Why Inspire?
Righteousness is impossible to coerce because it is not an action -- it is a willful determination of heart and mind. Actions are merely an evidence or fruit of whatever determination one's heart and mind hold.
One could attempt to manipulate righteousness, but this will not persist when the manipulation is past.
Inspiring righteousness is indeed the only way to make a lasting impact.
Purpose
As I consider how this mission plays out in my life, I find that inspiring righteousness is my fundamental why -- it is the reason I do all I do. When my actions are not aligned with this standard, I want to investigate what within me is the root of this misalignment and change it!
Whenever considering a decision of any significance, my goal is to make inspiring righteousness as my core standard upon which to judge.
Why do I strive to be a good husband and father? To inspire righteousness in myself, my family, and perhaps others who might be quiet, unknown observers.
Why do we homeschool? We (or at least I -- I haven't asked Bont) feel it is the best way to inspire righteousness in our family.
Why do I serve in my church? It inspires righteousness in my own life, in the life of my family by example, and I hope, in those I teach.
What motivates what I do in my assigned church service? My drive to inspire righteousness.
Why do I engage in scripture study and personal development? To seek my own inspiration to righteousness and become more effective at inspiring righteousness.
Why do I promote Strongbrook? To inspire righteousness. It is my platform of choice for generating Peaceful Prosperity.
Why do I promote Peaceful Prosperity? You can see previous posts about it, but Peaceful Prosperity comes down to having a relationship with God, seeing people as people, and creating significant financial wealth so that this influence can reach further and wider than it would without such wealth.
Joseph Smith taught "A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." I promote Peaceful Prosperity to inspire righteousness throughout the earth.
Perfection
Are my actions always the most inspiring? Definitely not! I am far from perfect! Fortunately, there is no rule that states one must be perfect to inspire another; I have oft been inspired by imperfect men and women. Christ is perfect, and to inspire righteousness eventually comes back to Him. Always.
Jesus said "but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." Matthew 23:11 What makes one great? I believe it is the capacity to inspire men and women to devoting their best selves to a worthy cause. Service -- being a Go Giver -- is one of the most powerful ways to become great.
Jesus' life and mission is, when understood, the most powerful inspiration to righteousness that exists -- there is no coercion or manipulation in it. He, in securing our immortality and enabling our salvation, is the greatest Servant of us all.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Purpose of Life
I believe that Heavenly Father truly wants us to become like Him.
I really do.
If someone asks "what is the purpose of life?" there are really many answers one could give. The main one's I think of are:
The first one is done -- we're here on earth, we have bodies, and Christ's resurrection ensures we will be so as well.
All the rest, however, require our participation, work, and effort.
The life of a full-time missionary seems like a type here. A missionary studies and strives to develop Christ-like attributes while simultaneously going out to live the mission of directly sharing and teaching the gospel.
It seems the purpose of life, too, is to simultaneously become the person we need to be and fulfilling our life missions the best we can along the way. There's no "once I'm good enough I'll start fulfilling some of my life mission." It's prepare and do at the same time. It's practice.
So a purposeful life is one where we have a clear sense of mission, we strive to fulfill that mission, all the while striving to become our best possible version of ourselves.
To me this means actively seeking out mentors and classics (books, movies, etc.) from which to learn principles, natural law, and to see ourselves clearly, for this is the beginning of wisdom.12 It also means seeking out our life missions and striving to live them all along the way.
Why? Because God wants us to become like Him, and that's how He is.
1. "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the Celestial Kingdom" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith TJPS, p. 181)
2. See Abraham 3:24-25.
3. See 3 Nephi 12:48, Matthew 5:48.
4. See 2 Nephi 2:23.
5. See 2 Nephi 2:15-16.
6. "A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge." (TJPS, p. 217)
* See also D&C 130:18-19, D&C 88:118 (repeating 88:118 - D&C 109:7,14).
7. See the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30.
8. See 2 Nephi 2:21, Alma 12:24.
9. "If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses, for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going from Him and drawing towards the devil." (TPJS p. 216)
* "By faith the worlds were made." (TPJS p. 270)
* See also Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 18:16, John 14:6, Moroni 7:46,
10. See Jeremiah 1:5-8, Abraham 3:23-26,
* "There is neither man nor woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live." (Brigham Young, "Remarks", Deseret News, July 3, 1867 as quoted here)
11. "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and. . .the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children." The Family, A Proclamation to the World
12. "Seeing ourselves clearly is the beginning of wisdom." (President Uchtdorf, Priesthood Session, October 2014 - link)
I really do.
If someone asks "what is the purpose of life?" there are really many answers one could give. The main one's I think of are:
- To obtain a physical body1
- To be tried and tested to see if we will obey God2
- To progress3 -- I feel like this is broad and a few specific key things are worth mentioning here:
- To have joy4
- To put us in a situation where we may exercise agency -- needing to be enticed by at least two options, thus needing to be without memory of our pre-earth life.5
- To gain intelligence by study and by faith, i.e. to learn, grow, develop talents and gifts6
- To put us in a situation where we can be stewards and learn to be wise stewards.7
- To provide a time wherein we can repent and prepare to meet God8
- To become more like Him -- Personal development comes in many forms as well. I include developing attributes such as charity, humility, faith, compassion, meekness, etc. as well as developing our skills of creation.9
- To build His kingdom through fulfilling the missions and callings that were conferred or preordained.10
- To create eternal familial bonds, including multiplying and replenishing the earth.11
The first one is done -- we're here on earth, we have bodies, and Christ's resurrection ensures we will be so as well.
All the rest, however, require our participation, work, and effort.
The life of a full-time missionary seems like a type here. A missionary studies and strives to develop Christ-like attributes while simultaneously going out to live the mission of directly sharing and teaching the gospel.
It seems the purpose of life, too, is to simultaneously become the person we need to be and fulfilling our life missions the best we can along the way. There's no "once I'm good enough I'll start fulfilling some of my life mission." It's prepare and do at the same time. It's practice.
So a purposeful life is one where we have a clear sense of mission, we strive to fulfill that mission, all the while striving to become our best possible version of ourselves.
To me this means actively seeking out mentors and classics (books, movies, etc.) from which to learn principles, natural law, and to see ourselves clearly, for this is the beginning of wisdom.12 It also means seeking out our life missions and striving to live them all along the way.
Why? Because God wants us to become like Him, and that's how He is.
1. "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the Celestial Kingdom" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith TJPS, p. 181)
2. See Abraham 3:24-25.
3. See 3 Nephi 12:48, Matthew 5:48.
4. See 2 Nephi 2:23.
5. See 2 Nephi 2:15-16.
6. "A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge." (TJPS, p. 217)
* See also D&C 130:18-19, D&C 88:118 (repeating 88:118 - D&C 109:7,14).
7. See the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30.
8. See 2 Nephi 2:21, Alma 12:24.
9. "If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses, for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going from Him and drawing towards the devil." (TPJS p. 216)
* "By faith the worlds were made." (TPJS p. 270)
* See also Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 18:16, John 14:6, Moroni 7:46,
10. See Jeremiah 1:5-8, Abraham 3:23-26,
* "There is neither man nor woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live." (Brigham Young, "Remarks", Deseret News, July 3, 1867 as quoted here)
11. "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and. . .the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children." The Family, A Proclamation to the World
12. "Seeing ourselves clearly is the beginning of wisdom." (President Uchtdorf, Priesthood Session, October 2014 - link)
Friday, January 9, 2015
How to Map a Windows Network Drive in Linux
I use Linux at work. I'm the only one. I need to access docs on a shared network drive. Everyone else simply drops the path beginning with \\ into their windows explorer at it works. What about me?
One thing Windows does is it auto-logs in since you had to use your ldap login to get on the work machine in the first place. So, first thing to overcome is credentials.
1. I create a credentials file at my home directory, so /home/username/.ldapcredentials
In it, I have:
username=myWinUsername
password=thisismysecret
2. Now I go create the directory where I want to mount the mapped drive. I like to put it under /mnt.
$ cd /mnt
$ sudo mkdir zdrive
3. Now the confusing stuff. I go into /etc/fstab and create an entry. I knew why once, not anymore.
Let's say the path I'm given for a file looks like this: \\zapo1\liciousVol2\teams\documents\how-we-work.xls
I will type an entry at the bottom of fstab that looks like this (remember to use sudo to open the file so it's not read only):
//zapo1/liciousVol2 /mnt/zdrive cifs noauto,credentials=/home/username/.ldapcredentials,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0666,dir_mode=0777 0 0
You can go look up what all those mean as I don't really remember. I'm just making note of this here in case I need to use it again for quick reference.
4. Now mount the drive
$ sudo mount zdrive
5. Navigate to the drive
$ cd /mnt/zdrive
$ ls
You should now see the files and directories in the drive and be able to navigate it.
One thing Windows does is it auto-logs in since you had to use your ldap login to get on the work machine in the first place. So, first thing to overcome is credentials.
1. I create a credentials file at my home directory, so /home/username/.ldapcredentials
In it, I have:
username=myWinUsername
password=thisismysecret
2. Now I go create the directory where I want to mount the mapped drive. I like to put it under /mnt.
$ cd /mnt
$ sudo mkdir zdrive
3. Now the confusing stuff. I go into /etc/fstab and create an entry. I knew why once, not anymore.
Let's say the path I'm given for a file looks like this: \\zapo1\liciousVol2\teams\documents\how-we-work.xls
I will type an entry at the bottom of fstab that looks like this (remember to use sudo to open the file so it's not read only):
//zapo1/liciousVol2 /mnt/zdrive cifs noauto,credentials=/home/username/.ldapcredentials,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0666,dir_mode=0777 0 0
You can go look up what all those mean as I don't really remember. I'm just making note of this here in case I need to use it again for quick reference.
4. Now mount the drive
$ sudo mount zdrive
5. Navigate to the drive
$ cd /mnt/zdrive
$ ls
You should now see the files and directories in the drive and be able to navigate it.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Wealth, Poverty, and Righteousness
I read these verses this morning (a couple weeks ago now that I've finished writing this post) in my scripture study:
So then what are we to make of this?
Laws
Well, I think it comes down to the three kinds of laws:
Mushy laws are those in which a consequence may be set upon violators; whether or not that consequence is applied, however, is based on external factors. For example, have you ever broken a traffic law, e.g. speeding, not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, etc., and not been caught? In such a case, the consequence of a ticket is set, however its application depends on whether or not you get caught and how well versed you might be at negotiating with a police officer.
Mushy laws are man-made laws. When you break a mushy law, you may or may not receive the affixed consequence.
Natural Laws
Natural laws are those which can not be violated. There is no consequence for violation because violation is not available. For example: gravity. I like very much this quote from Leslie Householder's book, Hidden Treasures:
To quote Leslie again: "You cannot break a [natural] law; you can only break yourself against it." (p. 15, emphasis original) The people of Nephi did this when they tried to find happiness in wickedness (See Mormon 2:13). And so, we can see that "we can use our knowledge of [natural] laws to our advantage [and] ignorance of the laws leaves us limited in our abilities." (p. 15, ibid)
God's Laws
God's laws are those in which a consequence upon violators is conditional upon their having received and understood the law. Wait, what? The consequences of God's laws are conditional? Is He not the most unconditional, constant, never changing, not-a-respecter-of-persons Being to exist?! Absolutely. And through the grace of His Son, the consequences of spiritual law are conditional on two levels.
The first level of conditionality of God's laws is innocence. If a child tries to fly off the roof and falls to his death (sorry to use such a strong example, but it brings out the point very clearly), then shall He be condemned spiritually for suicide? Of course not! Or what of the one-year old girl who takes a toy from her three-year old brother? Her brother may throw a tantrum and even hurt her, but shall she be charged spiritually with breaking the commandment "Thou shalt not steal?" Such would be ridiculous. Note that in both cases, natural laws still take effect; no allowance is made for ignorance. But the spiritual consequences are swallowed up in Christ.
The second level of conditionality of God's laws is repentance. If I steal a candy bar from a store, then I have violated not only a mushy law, but one of God's laws. While I may or may not have any consequence from the mushy law, I am now ineligible to return to live with God, for "no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, [I] must be cast off forever." (1 Nephi 10:21) And so it would be for eternity were there not a Way prepared whereby I might return to Him. The Way, of course, is Christ. The condition of His cleansing atonement is repentance. Thus, through faith in Christ unto repentance, the spiritual consequences of sin are lifted even while mushy and natural consequences remain.
Some Comments on Laws
A couple thoughts about laws before we bring this back to the initial question. First, it might be better to call mushy laws, or man-made laws, rules. Any family or government needs rules, of course, but "they aren't as dependable as the term 'law' would indicate." (p.15 ibid.)
I believe that God could have established our earthly experience however He pleased, and that He did so in the way that would be most beneficial to His children. I do not know what role God had in the establishment of the natural laws that govern our lives. Did He create them? Or does He simply live in perfect understanding and harmony with them? Are they eternal? Or are they a framework for just our mortal experience? Or some of each? I don't know. However, I do believe that God's law is in perfect harmony with natural law and that the more we choose to live in harmony with His laws, the more we will be living in harmony with natural law. (Also see p. 17, ibid)
One final clarification here: just because natural law and God's law are in perfect harmony does not mean one can not use natural laws for wicked ends, e.g. using the law of gravity to commit murder. What it does mean is that following God's laws will never lead you to try to obtain an end using means contrary to the dictates of natural law.
Examples
So back to the question: what are we to make of the idea that God blesses the righteous with financial, earthly prosperity while both rich and poor can be both righteous and evil?
I think it comes down to obeying natural law. That is, the rich are adhering, knowingly or not, to natural laws regarding the generation and maintenance of wealth, while the poor are not. "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130:21)
Let's look at some scenarios to illustrate this.
Amulon and the Lamanites
In Mosiah 24 we read:
* Competitive vs creative is another great topic for another day -- suffice it to say that the natural laws of wealth creation are set, but those operating on a competitive plane may be living in harmony with some while trying to cheat others. This causes them to not prosper as much as they could and, be it sooner or later, their competition will get the best of them. It is simply not an indefinitely sustainable model.
In other words, no one said that worshiping money wouldn't get you money; if you live in harmony with the natural laws that govern it, you are bound to get it. However, if you operate in harmony with God's laws as well, you will be operating on a creative plane by which to generate wealth. This will lead you on a much more sustainable and ultimately successful path.
Alma and the Nephites
I love the following scriptural passage because of how well it demonstrates the different types of laws! This is from Alma chapter 1, and the emphasis below is, of course, my own:
(In fairness, yes, there were probably many among them who were not of the church and yet did not commit many of these sins mentioned, but keeping with the tone of the verses, I will compare only the two groups.)
Mushy Laws - The man-made laws here were mushy ones. Notice toward the end how "the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible." Why only as possible? Because man-made laws are enforced by men, and men don't know everything. Note that the wicked would still try to break the law if they could get away with it! They "durst not commit any wickedness if it were known." Wickedness or righteousness is a matter of the heart; actions simply reflect the heart's disposition.
Natural Laws - The exceeding riches of church members were attributed to the steadiness of the church. Discussing what "steadiness of the church" means is a worthy discussion for another time. In this case, I would only point out that said steadiness was a natural consequence of natural law.
We are also offered a contrast of this natural law living with those who "did indulge themselves," who "[wore] costly apparel," and were "lifted up in. . .pride." They stole and murdered, and all this led them to be less wealthy than members of the church.
Now here's what I love about this as well! They did not here say that the wicked were not rich. Rather only that those of the church did "become far more wealthy than those who did not." The members of the church were operating on a creative plane while those who were not were operating on a competitive plane. They were living in harmony with some natural laws, but trying to subvert others, and it wasn't working for them.
God's Laws - God's laws are not drawn out here specifically like the others. However, the verses do not seem to hide in any way that the actions of those outside the church were opposed to God's laws and the actions of those within the church were aligned with God's laws. What I see illustrated here is how God's laws are aligned with natural law.
Victor Frankl
What the what?! Victor Frankl? Where does he come in to this?
Sometimes our abilities to live certain laws, or at the very least the degree to which we can live them, can be limited due to the actions of other men. Victor Frankl did not have much liberty while a prisoner in a concentration camp. He wasn't exactly in a position to have great financial means, i.e. he was restricted from leveraging the natural laws that would generate wealth. He may have desired to use them, but the liberty to do so was stripped from him.
Nonetheless, this quote, perhaps the most oft-quoted of his, is relevant and insightful here:
Obtaining Knowledge
Jacob taught, "after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them." Seeking them, in my opinion, implies gaining an understanding of and an ability to apply the natural laws that govern such riches.
I do not believe that learning and understanding all natural laws while here on earth are requisite for salvation. At the same time, I do believe it is important and potentially relevant to our salvation that we learn as much as we can. Joseph Smith Jr. taught:
Conclusion
So what is the correlation between righteousness and wealth? Are the poor wicked? Are the rich righteous? Certainly no such blanket statement could be applied!
Essentially, there are four potential black and white combinations here (and life isn't this black and white, but the contrast provides clarity in explanation):
Is it folly, then, to express gratitude to Him in the form of attributing riches to Divine blessing? Again, I believe it's a matter of heart; the same action can be performed with prideful or humble heart. Is it truly done not as a brag of greater worthiness nor a condemnation of those with less, but as an expression of simple, genuine gratitude? Perhaps then it is recognizing, as Elder Holland quoted: "when I see the want among so many, I do know that 'there but for the grace of God go I.'"
UPDATE 10-Jan-2015:
I realized I left out something important that I would like to clarify.
I do not wish to give the impression here that all earthly wealth is gained by "the management of the creature." (Alma 30:17) I believe God can and does intercede on behalf of righteous people in harmony with the natural laws they live, and maybe not in ways obvious to direct observation.
Consider Helaman 12:1-2 (emphasis added):
Sometimes God may have other purposes, e.g. a frost and lost crop forced Joseph Smith Sr.'s family to move further west, eventually putting them near the Hill Cumorah.
We are best served when:
1) We seek first His kingdom (a righteous heart)
2) We trust and express our gratitude to Him
3) We strive to understand and live according to natural and divine law (and mushy one's too -- you know, the whole 12th article of faith thing).
And in these prosperous circumstances were the people of Nephi in the commencement of the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.And they did prosper exceedingly, and they became exceedingly rich; yea, and they did multiply and wax strong in the land.And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying:Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.(Alma 50:17-20)Surely there is something to the idea that God blesses those who keep His commandments with earthly riches. Is this to say then that being poor implies one is not keeping the commandments? Well of course not!
So then what are we to make of this?
Laws
Well, I think it comes down to the three kinds of laws:
- Mushy laws
- Natural laws
- God's laws
Mushy laws are those in which a consequence may be set upon violators; whether or not that consequence is applied, however, is based on external factors. For example, have you ever broken a traffic law, e.g. speeding, not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, etc., and not been caught? In such a case, the consequence of a ticket is set, however its application depends on whether or not you get caught and how well versed you might be at negotiating with a police officer.
Mushy laws are man-made laws. When you break a mushy law, you may or may not receive the affixed consequence.
Natural Laws
Natural laws are those which can not be violated. There is no consequence for violation because violation is not available. For example: gravity. I like very much this quote from Leslie Householder's book, Hidden Treasures:
Gravity is a natural law (a law of nature) that is dependable and constant. You don't have to believe in it; you don't have to like it. In fact, you don't even have to understand it. But you are still subject to it. Everything is subject to it. When we seem to "defy" it, it is because we are using other laws which are dependable and constant as well. (p.14, emphasis original)If a child believes a cape will make him fly and so climbs out onto his roof to try it out, there may be several possible consequences. If a pool or trampoline are directly adjacent, the consequences may be rather fun and benign. If there are rocks below, then the consequences could be rather malignant. Either way, we would call these consequences natural. Why? Because regardless of ignorance, we are all still subjected to the natural law of gravity. Gravity just is.
To quote Leslie again: "You cannot break a [natural] law; you can only break yourself against it." (p. 15, emphasis original) The people of Nephi did this when they tried to find happiness in wickedness (See Mormon 2:13). And so, we can see that "we can use our knowledge of [natural] laws to our advantage [and] ignorance of the laws leaves us limited in our abilities." (p. 15, ibid)
God's Laws
God's laws are those in which a consequence upon violators is conditional upon their having received and understood the law. Wait, what? The consequences of God's laws are conditional? Is He not the most unconditional, constant, never changing, not-a-respecter-of-persons Being to exist?! Absolutely. And through the grace of His Son, the consequences of spiritual law are conditional on two levels.
The first level of conditionality of God's laws is innocence. If a child tries to fly off the roof and falls to his death (sorry to use such a strong example, but it brings out the point very clearly), then shall He be condemned spiritually for suicide? Of course not! Or what of the one-year old girl who takes a toy from her three-year old brother? Her brother may throw a tantrum and even hurt her, but shall she be charged spiritually with breaking the commandment "Thou shalt not steal?" Such would be ridiculous. Note that in both cases, natural laws still take effect; no allowance is made for ignorance. But the spiritual consequences are swallowed up in Christ.
The second level of conditionality of God's laws is repentance. If I steal a candy bar from a store, then I have violated not only a mushy law, but one of God's laws. While I may or may not have any consequence from the mushy law, I am now ineligible to return to live with God, for "no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, [I] must be cast off forever." (1 Nephi 10:21) And so it would be for eternity were there not a Way prepared whereby I might return to Him. The Way, of course, is Christ. The condition of His cleansing atonement is repentance. Thus, through faith in Christ unto repentance, the spiritual consequences of sin are lifted even while mushy and natural consequences remain.
Some Comments on Laws
A couple thoughts about laws before we bring this back to the initial question. First, it might be better to call mushy laws, or man-made laws, rules. Any family or government needs rules, of course, but "they aren't as dependable as the term 'law' would indicate." (p.15 ibid.)
I believe that God could have established our earthly experience however He pleased, and that He did so in the way that would be most beneficial to His children. I do not know what role God had in the establishment of the natural laws that govern our lives. Did He create them? Or does He simply live in perfect understanding and harmony with them? Are they eternal? Or are they a framework for just our mortal experience? Or some of each? I don't know. However, I do believe that God's law is in perfect harmony with natural law and that the more we choose to live in harmony with His laws, the more we will be living in harmony with natural law. (Also see p. 17, ibid)
One final clarification here: just because natural law and God's law are in perfect harmony does not mean one can not use natural laws for wicked ends, e.g. using the law of gravity to commit murder. What it does mean is that following God's laws will never lead you to try to obtain an end using means contrary to the dictates of natural law.
Examples
So back to the question: what are we to make of the idea that God blesses the righteous with financial, earthly prosperity while both rich and poor can be both righteous and evil?
I think it comes down to obeying natural law. That is, the rich are adhering, knowingly or not, to natural laws regarding the generation and maintenance of wealth, while the poor are not. "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130:21)
Let's look at some scenarios to illustrate this.
Amulon and the Lamanites
In Mosiah 24 we read:
And it came to pass that Amulon did gain favor in the eyes of the king of the Lamanites; therefore, the king of the Lamanites granted unto him and his brethren that they should be appointed teachers over his people. . .Was this a righteous people, blessed by the hand of God with wealth? Um, no. This was a wicked people. However, the principles Amulon taught them about riches were in harmony with natural law. They unified their speech, they taught them to keep records, they taught them to trade and have cunning business models, and they avoided plunder among their own. These kinds of actions and probably more led them to be in sufficient harmony with natural law to build worldly wealth. However, they were using these laws while operating on a competitive plane* rather than a creative one.
And [King Laman] appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon in every land which was possessed by his people; and thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.
And they were a people friendly one with another; nevertheless they knew not God; neither did the brethren of Amulon teach them anything concerning the Lord their God, neither the law of Moses; nor did they teach them the words of Abinadi;
But they taught them that they should keep their record, and that they might write one to another.
And thus the Lamanites began to increase in riches, and began to trade one with another and wax great, and began to be a cunning and a wise people, as to the wisdom of the world, yea, a very cunning people, delighting in all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren.
* Competitive vs creative is another great topic for another day -- suffice it to say that the natural laws of wealth creation are set, but those operating on a competitive plane may be living in harmony with some while trying to cheat others. This causes them to not prosper as much as they could and, be it sooner or later, their competition will get the best of them. It is simply not an indefinitely sustainable model.
In other words, no one said that worshiping money wouldn't get you money; if you live in harmony with the natural laws that govern it, you are bound to get it. However, if you operate in harmony with God's laws as well, you will be operating on a creative plane by which to generate wealth. This will lead you on a much more sustainable and ultimately successful path.
Alma and the Nephites
I love the following scriptural passage because of how well it demonstrates the different types of laws! This is from Alma chapter 1, and the emphasis below is, of course, my own:
And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth.Aren't these verses interesting?!
And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church.
For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible.
And it came to pass that by thus exercising the law upon them, every man suffering according to that which he had done, they became more still, and durst not commit any wickedness if it were known; therefore, there was much peace among the people of Nephi until the fifth year of the reign of the judges.
(In fairness, yes, there were probably many among them who were not of the church and yet did not commit many of these sins mentioned, but keeping with the tone of the verses, I will compare only the two groups.)
Mushy Laws - The man-made laws here were mushy ones. Notice toward the end how "the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible." Why only as possible? Because man-made laws are enforced by men, and men don't know everything. Note that the wicked would still try to break the law if they could get away with it! They "durst not commit any wickedness if it were known." Wickedness or righteousness is a matter of the heart; actions simply reflect the heart's disposition.
Natural Laws - The exceeding riches of church members were attributed to the steadiness of the church. Discussing what "steadiness of the church" means is a worthy discussion for another time. In this case, I would only point out that said steadiness was a natural consequence of natural law.
We are also offered a contrast of this natural law living with those who "did indulge themselves," who "[wore] costly apparel," and were "lifted up in. . .pride." They stole and murdered, and all this led them to be less wealthy than members of the church.
Now here's what I love about this as well! They did not here say that the wicked were not rich. Rather only that those of the church did "become far more wealthy than those who did not." The members of the church were operating on a creative plane while those who were not were operating on a competitive plane. They were living in harmony with some natural laws, but trying to subvert others, and it wasn't working for them.
God's Laws - God's laws are not drawn out here specifically like the others. However, the verses do not seem to hide in any way that the actions of those outside the church were opposed to God's laws and the actions of those within the church were aligned with God's laws. What I see illustrated here is how God's laws are aligned with natural law.
Victor Frankl
What the what?! Victor Frankl? Where does he come in to this?
Sometimes our abilities to live certain laws, or at the very least the degree to which we can live them, can be limited due to the actions of other men. Victor Frankl did not have much liberty while a prisoner in a concentration camp. He wasn't exactly in a position to have great financial means, i.e. he was restricted from leveraging the natural laws that would generate wealth. He may have desired to use them, but the liberty to do so was stripped from him.
Nonetheless, this quote, perhaps the most oft-quoted of his, is relevant and insightful here:
The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which proved that apathy could be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress.We can see from these examples that, while their liberty was nearly completely suppressed, natural law and agency was still at play. Yes, our circumstances may indeed limit the extent we can leverage our knowledge of natural law, but we can still live according to the highest application of natural laws available to us; we can still have God's laws in our hearts.
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.
(Man's Search for Meaning, p.65-66)
Obtaining Knowledge
Jacob taught, "after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them." Seeking them, in my opinion, implies gaining an understanding of and an ability to apply the natural laws that govern such riches.
I do not believe that learning and understanding all natural laws while here on earth are requisite for salvation. At the same time, I do believe it is important and potentially relevant to our salvation that we learn as much as we can. Joseph Smith Jr. taught:
A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge. . . .Is seeking understanding regarding the laws of wealth creation worth our time? I believe so, at least for me. Does applying them make me righteous? Well no, not on their own. By living in increased harmony with some few natural laws my actions may be in greater harmony with God's law, but does that make me more righteous? Not on its own -- remember the example above about Amulon and his people? Righteousness is a matter of the heart.
Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
Conclusion
So what is the correlation between righteousness and wealth? Are the poor wicked? Are the rich righteous? Certainly no such blanket statement could be applied!
Essentially, there are four potential black and white combinations here (and life isn't this black and white, but the contrast provides clarity in explanation):
- One may have a heart set upon idols while living in ignorance of and/or out of harmony with the natural laws of wealth creation.
- One may have developed a righteous heart while living in ignorance of and/or out of harmony with the natural laws of wealth creation.
- One may have a heart set upon idols while understanding and living in harmony with the natural laws of wealth creation.
- One may have developed a righteous heart while understanding and living in harmony with the natural laws of wealth creation.
Is it folly, then, to express gratitude to Him in the form of attributing riches to Divine blessing? Again, I believe it's a matter of heart; the same action can be performed with prideful or humble heart. Is it truly done not as a brag of greater worthiness nor a condemnation of those with less, but as an expression of simple, genuine gratitude? Perhaps then it is recognizing, as Elder Holland quoted: "when I see the want among so many, I do know that 'there but for the grace of God go I.'"
UPDATE 10-Jan-2015:
I realized I left out something important that I would like to clarify.
I do not wish to give the impression here that all earthly wealth is gained by "the management of the creature." (Alma 30:17) I believe God can and does intercede on behalf of righteous people in harmony with the natural laws they live, and maybe not in ways obvious to direct observation.
Consider Helaman 12:1-2 (emphasis added):
...We can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.I perceive these emphasized portions as action statements. God is intervening here. When our hearts are righteous, He will prosper us as much as possible given the natural laws we abide -- if there were no fields or flocks to increase, God would not have increased them. I don't know if any one person there might have pointed and said, "see, that was God's doing -- it wouldn't have turned out that way if He hadn't intervened," yet each would do well to express gratitude for the blessings.
Yea,. . .he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people;"
Sometimes God may have other purposes, e.g. a frost and lost crop forced Joseph Smith Sr.'s family to move further west, eventually putting them near the Hill Cumorah.
We are best served when:
1) We seek first His kingdom (a righteous heart)
2) We trust and express our gratitude to Him
3) We strive to understand and live according to natural and divine law (and mushy one's too -- you know, the whole 12th article of faith thing).
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