CORROSIVE FRUITS OF IMMORALITY

 

I was horrified the year I learnt how Eli’s sons seduced women by misusing their office of priest and engaged in adulterous acts at the very door of the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:22). It reminds one of fertility rites and the groves of idolatry, does it not?

Eli paid a high price for not correcting this abomination as a parent and as the high priest. An unnamed ‘man of God’ came to him and pronounced the Lord’s curse upon Eli’s house because he honoured his sons above Him (vv 27,29). The inference was that Eli didn’t want to rock the boat with his sons but apparently he didn’t mind rocking God’s…..

When Alma of the Book of Mormon called his son Corianton to repentance for his sexual misconduct during his mission to the Zoramites, he pointed out that sexual sin is so serious, it is a sin next to murder (Alma 39:5). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explains this is so because of the connection between the worth of a soul and the Atonement:

“In exploiting the body of another – which means exploiting his or her soul – one desecrates the Atonement of Christ, which saved that soul and which makes possible the gift of eternal life. And when one mocks the Son of Righteousness, one steps into a realm of heat hotter and holier than the noonday sun. You cannot do so and not be burned.

“Please, never say: ‘Who does it hurt? Why not a little freedom? I can transgress now and repent later.’  Please don’t be so foolish and so cruel. You cannot with impunity ‘crucify Christ afresh’ (see Hebrews 6:6). ‘Flee fornication’ (1 Corinthians 6:18), Paul cries, and flee ‘anything like unto it’ (D&C 59:6), adds the Doctrine and Covenants. Why? Well, for one reason, because of the incalculable suffering in both body and spirit endured by the Saviour of the world so that we could flee. We owe Him something for that, we owe Him everything for that.

‘Ye are not your own’ Paul says, ‘Ye have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Cor 6:19-20). In sexual transgression the soul is at stake – the body and the spirit.”  (in Conference Report, Oct 1998, 99-100; or Ensign Nov 1998, 76)

Very often we think we have the principle of repentance up our sleeve so not all will be lost if we deviate from the path, thinking we can always repent later. Many people have ‘sowed their wild oats’ in their youth and later returned to God’. Elder Holland goes on to clarify the foolishness and unfairness of such attitude:

“There is peril in playing the prodigal son knowingly, expecting God to forgive us, expecting Christ to bleed for us, expecting mercy to cover us. Among the most grievous sins a mortal can commit is to crucify Christ ‘afresh’ to knowingly ask Him to suffer on the cross a little longer – or again and again and again – while such an one commits knowingly, with planning and premeditation, his or her ‘presumptuous sins’.” 

Will the sinner for whom you suffered,

Who rejected and reviled Thee

Weep in the end for Thy pain and Thy sorrow?

Will his heart understand

When he kneels before Thee

The debt he owes for the existence

Of his merciful tomorrow?

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Cross by Ron DiCianni)

SURVIVING BABYLON

 

Imagine if the Saviour and heavenly messengers appeared to you and greeted you like they greeted Daniel of old: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved” (Daniel 9:23; 10:11,19). Why such an endearing greeting? Because Daniel’s righteousness was greater than the morally corroding influence of the city of Babylon in which he lived.

Daniel was only a youth when he was taken to Babylon during the first siege of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. He was trained there for service in King’s court. Because of his purity of faith which linked him closely to God, he rose to the status of incredible power becoming an Advisor to five kings and the Governor of all the Jews in Babylonia’s exile.

King Nebuchadnezzar was the beginning of Babylon’s greatness and glory. Using slaves from various areas of the empire, he inaugurated a massive building program to make Babylon the greatest city in the world.

From raising an artificial mountain and constructing hanging gardens with terraces, to walls surrounding the city that were so massive that one story houses were built on top of the walls on either side and even then there was space enough between the rows of houses that could permit four chariots to drive abreast (Samuel Fallows, ed., The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary, s.v. “Babylon”, pp 208-9; 204-5)

The grandeur of Babylon was incredibly impressive but with such opulence and wealth also came moral decay, wickedness and iniquity. Will Durant, a secular historian wrote that “even Alexander [the Great], who was not above dying of drinking was shocked by the morals of Babylon (Our Oriental Heritage, p 244).

Babylon became the antithesis of godliness. The very name of this city became the symbol for worldliness, spiritual wickedness and Satan’s kingdom. Scripturally it is known as: “the great whore” and “the mother of harlots and abominations (Rev 17:1; 5; D& C 133:14; 1:16; 1 Nephi 13:5-9; Babylonia and the Conquest of Judah, Old Testament Student Manual p 244).

We, of the last dispensation live in ‘spiritual Babylon’. Satan has increased his influence in great strides seeking to destroy us.

Joseph Smith prophesied that he saw in our day “men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers….(History of the Church, 3:391). Are we there yet???

President Ezra Taft Benson said in 1979 that our generation “will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah…but there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God…..

“We follow a perfect leader – not just one who tells us to do what He thinks we should do, but the only one who can say that we should be as He is in everything…..” (In His Steps, BYU Speeches, 4 March 1979)

May we rise to become like the ‘perfect leader’ we follow to survive our Babylon and to be of such righteous influence whilst in it that those around us will call us “servants of the living God”, even as King Darius called the beloved Daniel (Daniel 6:20). And may we who center ourselves on Christ receive His approbation and hear Him say to us, even as He said to Daniel of old: “thou art greatly beloved”……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Daniel: Prophet of God, Companion of Kings)

IN HEAVEN'S CARE

 

".....be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God , that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." 

(Ephesians 6:10-13)

There was a king in ancient Israel by the name of Ahab who was the most wicked and most powerful of the kings of northern Israel. He married Jezebel, a Sidonian princess, through whose influence the worship of Baal and Asherah was established and an attempt was made to exterminate the prophets and the worship of Jehovah (1 Kings 16, 18). Due to Ahab's political prowess, the kingdom of Israel was strong. When Ahab led his army against the forces of Syria, he took every precaution to come out of the battle alive, even disguising himself so that the Syrians would not recognise him.  The only thing he failed do was wear enough armour. It took one bow drawn by one man to hit the King of Israel between the section of his armour and cause a fatal blow. Ahab stayed out the battle in his chariot bleeding slowly to death and by night time he was dead (1 Kings 22:34,35).

The concept of battle armour is a foreign concept to us in this dispensation of times. The protective battle gear and weapons have somewhat changed since ancient times. Many of us cannot relate to fighting a battle in the physical sense, especially those of us living in the peaceful western world. There is, however, a battle we are all engaged in with the enemy that cannot be seen. This enemy is cleverly disguised in many evils of mortality who carefully draws his bow and fires his darts and arrows aiming to wound so we would, like Ahab, slowly bleed to death. Since the battle is directed at the destruction of our souls, meaning both body and spirit (D&C 88:15), it stands to reason that our armour should be spiritually strong.

When Nephi's brothers asked him the meaning of the rod of iron that their father dreamt of, Nephi replied that it was the word of God, which if they would hearken to, would protect them from the fiery darts of the adversary which could prove to their destruction (1 Nephi 15:23,24). The degree of protection we receive to combat the adversary is directly proportional to the diligence and heed we give to God's word, meaning obedience to His commandments.  How obedient we are here is an indication of how much we are willing to stand for the conviction that was ours in pre-existence.  The extent of our armour is a good indication of how valiant in our testimony of Jesus we are being here and now.  Since the battle for our souls is fierce, we cannot afford to choose which commandment we will obey and which we will let slide. Every act of disobedience creates cracks in the armour that is supposed to protect us. And it is just such cracks that the adversary targets. Many cracks make a loose armour. A cracked and loose armour is sufficient to cause discomfort leading to conviction that the armour is useless and not needed after all.

Paul's answer to combat the forces of evil is one of brilliance. The full armour of God that he admonishes the Ephesians to wear addresses all the vulnerabilities of mortality:

• Loins (reproductive organs): typifying virtue and chastity
• Heart: in the scriptures the heart is always used to typify our conduct
• Feet: typify objectives and goals in life which would take us to perfection, armour would protect us from getting off 'on the wrong foot'
• Head: a place the thoughts are stored which lead to actions

"Well, now, the apostle Paul went one step further. He didn't leave the man just with the armour on and expect him to cope against an army, seen or unseen. He had his armoured man holding in his hand a shield and in his other hand a sword, which were the weapons of those days. That shield was the shield of faith, and the sword was the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. I can't think of any more powerful weapons than faith and a knowledge of the scriptures in the which are contained the Word of God. One so armoured and one so prepared with those weapons is prepared to go out against the enemy [and] is more to be feared than the enemies of the light" (Harold B. Lee, "Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace", Speeches of the Year, 1954, pp 2-4, 6-7).

If you ever wanted to be a hero, this is the time and place.  Examine the cracks in your armour and sharpen your sword of righteousness.  President Ezra Taft Benson said: "You will never have a better opportunity to be a greater hero in a more crucial battle than in the battle you will face today and in the immediate future. Be warned that some of the greatest battles you will face will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.  David's battles in the field against the foe were not as critical as David's battles in the palace against a lustful eye.  We will each find our own battlefield". (Ezra Taft Benson, "In His Steps", 1979, Devotional Speeches of the Year, 60).

"As a small boy in grammar school, I had a teacher who made King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table come alive.  She caused me to become so obsessed with stories of knights that I played and dreamed that I was one.  One evening I dreamed that I was a white knight on a white horse riding over the greens of England.  Suddenly, without warning, a knight dressed in black armour and mounted on a black horse appeared at the edge of the forest.  We measured each other carefully, lowered our lances, and charged at full gallop.  The lances struck target and both of us were knocked off our steeds.

I scrambled to my feet knowing that swords would be drawn and that hand-to-hand combat was imminent.  Fear gripped my heart as I saw my opponent rushing toward me flashing a long, gleaming sword.  Instinctively, I reached to my side and drew forth from the scabbard my weapon.  That is when the dream turned into a nightmare!  For in my hand was a small, dinky dagger - not a long, gleaming sword.  I woke up in a cold sweat screaming for help. 

Many times since that nightmarish experience, I have wondered about the serviceability of the Saints, particularly the young Latter-day Saints.  When God calls you to serve, are you positioned in the scabbard and ready to be drawn?  When the Lord draws you forth as his instrument in combating evil forces, what does he have in his hand - a long, gleaming sword or a dinky dagger?...The saving virtue of a sword is related to its strength, sharpness, cleanliness, and the hand which guides it.  Is it not the same with people?  I would pray that you would seek strength of character, sharpness of mind, and cleanliness of soul so as to become gleaming swords of righteousness.  By doing this, there will be no embarrassment, no disappointment, and no nightmare when He draws you out in battling the powers of darkness" (Elder Carlos E. Asay, "Instruments of Righteousness", New Era, June 1983)

A CALL TO FAITHFULNESS

"And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim....." (Hosea 1:2)

"John was a thoughtful, kind young man, affectionate, with a frank and open manner. He sincerely tried to obey the Lord's commandments and found honest contentment in the joys of family life. Gayle, his wife, was young, attractive, high-spirited, but inclined toward more worldly interests and activities. The society in which they lived was, in general, one of affluence and materialism. People seemed preoccupied with temporal gain, social status, entertainment, and self-gratification. Religious leaders were concerned about the apparent breakdown in family life and moral standards.

In the early years of their marriage, John and Gayle were blessed with children, first a boy and then a girl; but Gayle seemed uninterested in her domestic responsibilities. She longed for glamour and excitement in her life and was frequently away from home at parties and entertainments, not always with her husband. In her vanity, Gayle encouraged and responded to the attentions of other men until eventually she was unfaithful to her marriage vows.

Throughout, John encouraged Gayle to appreciate the joys of family life and experience the rewards of observing the laws of God. He was patient and kind, but to no avail. Shortly after the birth of a third child, a son, Gayle deserted her husband and children and joined her worldly friends in a life of self-indulgence and immorality. John, thus rejected, was humiliated and brokenhearted.

Soon, however, the glamour and excitement that had attracted Gayle turned to ashes. Her so-called friends tired of her and abandoned her. Then each successive step was downward, her life becoming more and more degraded. Eventually she recognized her mistakes and realized what she had lost, but could see no way back. Certainly John could not possibly love her still. She felt completely unworthy of his love and undeserving of her home and family.

Then one day, passing through the streets, John recognized Gayle. Surely he would have been justified in turning away, but he didn't. As he observed the effect of her recent life, all too evident, a feeling of compassion came over him - a desire to reach out to her. Learning that Gayle had incurred substantial debts, John repaid them and then took her home.

Soon John realized, at first with amazement, that he still loved Gayle. Out of his love for her and her willingness to change and begin anew, there grew in John's heart a feeling of merciful forgiveness, a desire to help Gayle overcome her past and to accept her again fully as his wife.

Through his personal experience there arose in John another profound awareness, a realization of the nature of God's love for us, his children. Though we disregard his counsel, break his commandments, and reject him, when we recognize our mistakes and desire to repent, he wants us to seek him out and he will accept us. (Elder Ronald E. Poelman, "God's Love For Us Transcends Our Transgressions", Ensign May 1982, pp 27-28)


John and Gayle's story is a modern day version of the story of Hosea and his wife Gomer. It is a story of betrayal but the greatest love story found in all the scriptures. There is great debate amongst scholars as to whether this story is a pure metaphor or whether it was in fact true. Whether Hosea was in reality commanded of the Lord to marry a harlot is of lesser importance than the message of his story. The story might appear problematic but the message is one of simplicity and great importance to us as God's children.

 
The story of Hosea and his wife is symbolic of God's great love, mercy and forgiveness. The story is set during Hosea's ministry from about 755 B.C. to 725 B.C., at the height of Israel's idolatry. Through the story of Hosea and Gomer, his wife, the Lord uses the medium of marriage as a symbolism of covenant of love and faithfulness between him and the nation of Israel that has spiritually destroyed itself and is without doubt to be scattered. Israel, represented by Gomer, the bride, who has forsaken the covenant of her marriage, has turned to other gods. Hosea, the faithful husband, represents the God of Israel, who through his loving kindness seeks to entice his wife back to the safety of the covenant. Pained by the betrayal of his bride, Israel, whom he has loved and nurtured and protected, the Lord laments: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help" (Hosea 13:9). It is hard to imagine with what heaviness of heart the Lord uttered these words. It is just as difficult to imagine his unfailing willingness to extend mercy through forgiveness. Some form of the word mercy in the book of Hosea appears 12 times. The word justice does not appear once. The Lord would have us know always that his mercy can meet the demands of justice when we have strayed from his loving kindness and that in the last days He will gather the scattered Israel to once again be her God: "And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy....." (Hosea 2:23) and "...I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord" (Hosea 2:19-20)

Gomer, the unfaithful wife, is an exact portrayal of both ancient and modern Israel. After she has entered into the marriage covenant, she leaves her husband and 'turns back to her adulteries because of the two governing sins she refuses to forsake: lust for riches and sexual immorality' (Breck England, Old Testament Lesson 34, "I Will Betroth Thee Unto Me in Righteousness", Meridian Magazine). These two sins are the prevalent, corroding forces of the moral fibre of our society. Consider the demoralizing practice of prostitution that encompasses both sex and money. The pursuit of both riches and sexual immorality presents itself as a cankering threat to the institution and covenant of marriage, as it more often than not results in crime, addiction, disease, infidelity, homosexuality, divorce, abuse, pride, adultery, fraud, and the list goes on. I have just recently finished reading a book which represented with shocking accuracy the society of this 21st century that we live in. Within one family of five could be seen effects of sexual abuse, lesbianism, alcoholism, divorce, sexual promiscuity and murder. It sounds over the top but the story of this modern day family makes it absolutely plausible and leaves the reader wondering if things could get any worse. In our attempt to emancipate ourselves from God and his laws we have shot ourselves in the foot. We have become a society who has no desire to know God and is instead investing all its energy in self-gratification which is corroding the spiritual nature of our existence and our purpose here as children of God.

Yet the God of Israel will not forsake us and leave us to utter destruction. He has provided the way, He has given hope. The steps have been taken, the Gospel restored, the instructions given and the law of the harvest begun: "If you sow seeds of righteousness, you will harvest righteousness. If you sow thorns and corruption, you will reap thorns and corruption. A prophet of the Lord said, 'For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind' (Hosea 8:7). If you sow seeds of purity, you will harvest purity. If you sow seeds of petting, immorality, and promiscuity, you will harvest destruction to your godlike attributes. If you sow seeds of pure love, you will receive pure love. If you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, you will reap God's love. If you would obtain celestial glory, you must plant into your heart and character God's heavenly ways. Jesus admonished in these words: 'For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you' (D&C 78:7). If you want a celestial life, you will have to plant celestial seeds. Pure religion comes from God. If you want pure religion in your life, you must plant the gospel of Jesus Christ in your heart. Remember, 'As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he'. If you think as a celestial being, you will be a celestial being. If you think as a child of God should think, you will be a member of his celestial family." (Elder Bernard P. Brockbank, "Be Worthy of Celestial Exaltation", BYU Speeches of the Year, 1974, pp 386-87)

We are modern day Israel the Lord is continually enticing back into His arms. He seeks us from all corners of the world, desiring to bring us back to the safety of the fold. We are the lost sheep and He the ever loving Shepherd. To those who hear his voice and repent, the Lord guarantees mercy and the exalting blessings of Abraham. In the day of gathering, Israel shall become the sons of the living God for the promise is this: "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10)