The Ancient Greeks spoke of dreams that came from Zeus through the "Gate of Horn" (true dreams) and those that came through the "Gate of Ivory" (false, deceptive dreams). In Mormonism we recognize that all modes of revelation (dreams included) have a potential of arising from one of three spiritual sources -
The influence of God
The human mind of the man himself
The influence of Satan
Note that in Deuteronomy 13, that safety and the correct path cannot necessarily be found by trusting the gift of dreams or prophecy but in loving the Lord with all your heart and soul, walking after him, keeping his commandments, obeying his voice, serving him and cleaving unto him (v. 3, 4). Revelations can be counterfeit. Safety lies in a correct RELATIONSHIP with the Lord, not just by attempts to open up a channel of communication with him. We will see this theme reiterated in future references.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Thursday, August 25, 2016
TG Mortality 20a - Alma 5 continued
Alma also talks about how (in the light of a coming judgment at the resurrection) to escape our mortal condition: First, Faith, believing in the words of God (v. 11,12), putting your trust in him (v. 13); Second, Repent (v. 33); Third, come unto him and bring forth works of righteousness (v. 33 - 35).
This is accompanied by a promise that the Lord will then deliver us from our hell and our bondage (v. 6,7, 9), awaken us to himself from our deep slumber (v. 7), replace our darkness with light (v. 7), cause our souls to expand (v. 9), create a mighty change in our hearts (v. 12, 13, 14), fill us with his love (v. 9). These changes are so profound we can be said to have "received his image in [our] countenance" (v. 14).
This is accompanied by a promise that the Lord will then deliver us from our hell and our bondage (v. 6,7, 9), awaken us to himself from our deep slumber (v. 7), replace our darkness with light (v. 7), cause our souls to expand (v. 9), create a mighty change in our hearts (v. 12, 13, 14), fill us with his love (v. 9). These changes are so profound we can be said to have "received his image in [our] countenance" (v. 14).
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
TG Dreams 8 - Numbers 12:6
Although they are an important method of divine revelation, scripture makes clear that neither the vision nor the dream is the pinnacle of divine communication. In Numbers 12 the Lord parallels dreams and visions by which the Lord certainly "speaks" and "makes known." He also contrasts them with the kind of direct visitation that Moses sometimes enjoyed.
Moses saw "the similitude of the Lord" (a phrase that brings to mind Ether 3:16-17) and he spoke with him "mouth to mouth." Aaron and Miriam had indeed enjoyed some of the gift of prophecy - dreams, visions and "dark sayings" - and could claim with some justice that the Lord had "spoken by us." The Lord rebukes their attempt to put themselves thus on an equal footing with his anointed by first reminding them of the clarity Moses had been given (qualitatively superior to their own) and by giving Miriam a week of being a leper. The experience is a sobering reminder that revelation (like most gifts) is a "limited good," subject to misuse and abuse, and must be accompanied by Charity (see I Corinthians 13) if it is not to lead to pride.
Moses saw "the similitude of the Lord" (a phrase that brings to mind Ether 3:16-17) and he spoke with him "mouth to mouth." Aaron and Miriam had indeed enjoyed some of the gift of prophecy - dreams, visions and "dark sayings" - and could claim with some justice that the Lord had "spoken by us." The Lord rebukes their attempt to put themselves thus on an equal footing with his anointed by first reminding them of the clarity Moses had been given (qualitatively superior to their own) and by giving Miriam a week of being a leper. The experience is a sobering reminder that revelation (like most gifts) is a "limited good," subject to misuse and abuse, and must be accompanied by Charity (see I Corinthians 13) if it is not to lead to pride.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
TG Mortality 20 - Alma 5
Alma also uses language that echoes Paul's - "this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption..." (v. 15). As in the previous two Book of Mormon uses, the context is the association of the resurrection with the judgment - "...to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body."
In this classic sermon Alma uses that judgment as a horizon against which to measure what happens in mortality. Are we going to be prepared to face it? Should it not motivate us to be constantly evaluating ourselves and our readiness? If we would let it, wouldn't its reality be prompting a series of deep personal questions that would impel us to use the atonement in a more immediate and powerful way?
First of all, doesn't the reality of the judgment that accompanies resurrection force us to acknowledge our basic fallen, mortal state?
Until we come unto Christ and put our faith in Him, Alma reminds us, all of us are in the same condition as King Noah's people before the preaching of Abinidi and Alma. We are in a "deep sleep," "in the midst of darkness," "encircled about by the bands of death and the chains of hell" (v. 7). We yield ourselves "to become subjects to the devil" (v. 20). Our destination is a meeting with God where our souls are "filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all [our] guilt, yea a perfect remembrance of all [our] wickedness, yea a remembrance that [we] have set at defiance the commandments of God" (v. 18). The path we are on leads to hell (v. 6) and an everlasting destruction (v. 7).
In this classic sermon Alma uses that judgment as a horizon against which to measure what happens in mortality. Are we going to be prepared to face it? Should it not motivate us to be constantly evaluating ourselves and our readiness? If we would let it, wouldn't its reality be prompting a series of deep personal questions that would impel us to use the atonement in a more immediate and powerful way?
First of all, doesn't the reality of the judgment that accompanies resurrection force us to acknowledge our basic fallen, mortal state?
Until we come unto Christ and put our faith in Him, Alma reminds us, all of us are in the same condition as King Noah's people before the preaching of Abinidi and Alma. We are in a "deep sleep," "in the midst of darkness," "encircled about by the bands of death and the chains of hell" (v. 7). We yield ourselves "to become subjects to the devil" (v. 20). Our destination is a meeting with God where our souls are "filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all [our] guilt, yea a perfect remembrance of all [our] wickedness, yea a remembrance that [we] have set at defiance the commandments of God" (v. 18). The path we are on leads to hell (v. 6) and an everlasting destruction (v. 7).
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