Choosing to Believe, Another Angle

"Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them." (Alma 33:20)

When I read this I generally think: "Really? I mean really? That's ridiculous! This is so sad to me!"

And then I wondered... how often am I not willing to look because I do not believe.

Verse 21 continues: "if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?"

How often is this me? How often do I simply not want to believe because it sounds like work? How often do I not want to change myself, who I am, what I believe about myself because I don't feel like it?

How often will I not be healed because I don't believe?

I choose to live!

Believing is a choice!

I choose to believe!

And when I falter, I choose to believe that He helps my unbelief.

Choosing to Believe

There was a change of schedule. I had a week's notice to put something together, which is far less than my preference. A month would be nice, a week? Stress.

The evening arrives. The night before I practiced my presentation with my family. It was a perfect presentation... for young children. It was not at all appropriate for my adult audience.

Walking down the stairs leaving my day job I feel weight on my shoulders. I know the content, but can I present it in a way that provides value, that's interesting, that is useful and helpful? I've had a few loose ideas about how to change it for an adult audience, but it's rather scattered. I begin reviewing it again as I get to the bottom of the stairs. My mind scatters around ideas as I traverse the hallway to the side door near where I parked the car.

As I push open the door and step outside a light, lovely rain greets y skin and a gust of refreshing wind -- you know, the kind that smells like heaven -- shatters my thoughts into a lovely calm. I look up to give thanks and feel a warmth in my heart.

I remember a recent realization -- God is fully engaged in supporting my life. I am the one lost sheep of the ninety and nine. He is dedicated to me. (John 4:19)

I take confidence in this belief. I choose it. By so doing, my way of being regarding this evening has shifted. I have become consciously aware for myself that it is believing, in this case, that will make the difference.

Yes, I still have a presentation to give, and yes, I still have last minute preparations to do. However, it is the believing, the trusting, that will make success of those efforts.

Doubts try to creep in as the evening progresses -- while I seek some details of information, while I print out my content, while I realize after printing I want to have a little more something at hand so I have to write it onto my paper -- but through all these activities I push out those doubts by choosing to trust, by choosing to believe.

I look back after the presentation concludes. I didn't know exactly the course it would take, but I'm very pleased with it. Feedback tells me it provided significant value at least for some.

I feel so grateful.

Yesterday was my turn to speak at Weekly Whys.

I loved it!

I'm so glad I did!

Who did Christ live for?

We regularly hear that Christ died for us, and that even if there had be just one of us, He would have suffered the whole, infinite Atonement just for you or me. I believe that to be true... and I have another question:

Who did Christ live for?

Might I suggest that He lived the gift of His life for Himself? I believe He also lived for Himself -- for the purpose, meaning, and mission that was His.

How could I say that? I mean, didn't He give His life to all of us?

Let's consider a change to that common comment -- instead of asking: "if there was only me, would He still have done it?" might we consider the question: "if He were to know that no one would choose Him, would He still have done it?"

I believe yes. It was His mission. I believe that Jesus lived first and foremost for Himself and that only by so doing could He also live for us!

By living for Himself, He thus lived for His Father and also for us.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Could it be that laying down your life doesn't mean dying for them? Could it mean you live your life mission and that only by so doing can you truly give your life to others?

He is our Exemplar. He lives!

Who are you living for?

Commands and Invitations from Authority

I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation. Alma 5:62

When Alma says this, it may sound like he is trying to coerce those in the church. I do not believe this is so.

Rather, he is instructing, stating that under the terms of his stewardship there are consequences that he is in charge of administering upon disobedience. There are also some beyond his administration, but due to covenants made by those in the church, Alma is acting as mouthpiece for God who will administer them. That is, they will be held accountable to God for their maintenance of their covenants with Him, and Alma is authorized to command on God's behalf. (See verse three.)

To those outside his stewardship, there may be consequences, but the administration of such is beyond his authority and stewardship.

This is why parents have authority to instruct their children when they are being raised under their care.

Bishops, as judges in Israel, have this same authoritative stewardship to instruct or command. Prophets today do the same.

What makes the command different than the invitation is stewardship and accountability -- both, however, are best extended from a way of being of love and a desire to inspire rather than manipulate.

Manipulations and Inspirations

After the battles and devastation due to Amlici, we read the following verses:

Now it came to pass in the sixth year. . .the people were afflicted, yea, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the loss of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain
. . .and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.
And they began to establish the church more fully; yea, and many were baptized. . .and it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of God and were baptized.
And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud
. . .And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church. . .yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.

From this example, and I anticipate there are others much similar to it, it seems that the impetus for change here was effective in the short term, but not in the long term.

In other words, when someone believes the judgments of God are upon them, it may motivate them to righteousness, but only long enough to get out from underneath those perceived judgments.

Thus, this belief seems to create a manipulation of behavior that only maintains its effect while the manipulation is in place, not an inspiration of behavior that can change a heart for a lifetime.

Conferring Keys

I was struck this morning in my scripture study when I read the following verses.

And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church. Mosiah 25:19
Now king Mosiah had given Alma the authority over the church. Mosiah 26:8 

I read these and thought -- wait, what? Since when does God's church get authority from a government of men? Why did Alma need authority from the king to ordain priests and teachers, or to have authority over the church, etc.?

Then it occurred to me that Mosiah had been the prophet-king, just as his father before him had been! Alma didn't need authority from the King, he needed authority from the current leading prophet!

It's as in the old testament wherein there were multiple prophets at the same time!

What King Mosiah was doing here was conferring whatever prophetic office he held to Alma. I don't mean to say I think Mosiah was giving up his prophetic role. Rather, it's like a Bishop getting released -- the Bishop remains a Bishop, though his keys are no longer exercised as another takes the active calling.

Thus King Mosiah essentially creates perhaps the first official separation of church and state of the Nephite era.

This is totally a thinking out loud here (as are all my posts on this blog). I have *no* idea if this is doctrinally accurate, but it's one possibility for now.

Unbelief creates a lack of understanding

And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened. Mosiah 26:3

This verse intrigues me. What do I not understand because of my unbelief? An express causal relationship is portrayed here.

Now this doesn't imply that every lack of understanding is caused by unbelief, but that unbelief is indeed a cause of a lack of understanding.

Unbelief creates lack.

The thirteenth article of faith teaches "we believe all things." I've never thought that to imply gullibility. At the same time, the word used is all.

I've oft pondered what could be meant by this. I have a number of thoughts, none of which I am completely confident on, but I want this post to be short and sweet, so perhaps another day.