“Noah... Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House”

MOSES 8:19-30; GENESIS 6-9; 11:1-9 

Whenever the Lord sees that his children make poor choices, he sends missionaries and prophets to warn them of the consequences of said choices, then gives them opportunities to make different choices with promises of better consequences.  He also ALWAYS gives them plenty of time and many chances to change.

After Enoch and the city of Zion were translated, Enoch's son Methuselah was left to hold the priesthood,  preach and warn.  The people were so wicked that the Lord first sent a famine to turn their hearts - no dice.  Finally, after many chances and generations of prophets the Lord had to set a time-line for destruction and to start over. Noah was the last of these prophets.

 17 And the Lord said unto Noah: My Spirit shall not always ^astrive with man, for he shall know that all ^bflesh^c shall die; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years; and if men do not repent, I will send in the ^dfloods upon them. (Moses 8:17)

Is there anything that could have saved these people? Is there anything that could have been done? Yep, all they had to do was what any of us need to do.

  23 And it came to pass that Noah continued his ^apreaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words; 24 ^aBelieve and repent of your sins and be ^bbaptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made ^cmanifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon you; nevertheless they hearkened not.(Moses 8:23-24)

When we choose to hearken to the words of any prophets of any generation (because they ALL testify of the same thing), we choose to believe in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, show that commitment by being baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, then weekly renewing that covenant by taking the sacrament each week. This, we are promised, will save us from all kinds of "floods".

Still, how bad does the world have to be? COMPLETE destruction seems a little harsh even for God. In Moses 8:22, 28-29 we learn,

 22 And God saw that the ^awickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the ^bimagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually. 28 The ^aearth was ^bcorrupt before God, and it was filled with violence.  29 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ^away upon the earth. 

It seems the actual planet was corrupt (rotten, decayed) because it was FILLED with violent people.  Not just a few people - ALL flesh - EVERY man - being ONLY evil CONTINUALLY. It seems the arrogant and prideful attitude of these folks is what brought them to this state as explained by Neal A. Maxwell 

"...corruption and violence increase as people become more and more selfish."(Ensign, Nov.1990).

We decided the word imagination as used in vs. 22 did not mean creativity so much as the choice to believe ones own delusions and deception. Was destruction really too harsh? Was it absolutely necessary? What about the children, the innocents? Based on Mormon 2:13-15, Hugh Nibley teaches,

"There comes a time when the general defilement of a society becomes so great that the rising generation is put under undue pressure and cannot be said to have a fair choice between the way of light and the way of darkness. When such a point is reached the cup of iniquity is full, and the established order that has passed the point of no return and neither can nor will change its ways must be removed physically and forcibly if necessary from the earth, whether by war, plague, famine, or upheavals of nature." (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.6, Part.5, Ch.11, p.140).

From that perspective, the great flood was the most merciful choice.

The Lord needed to act in order to save mankind and the earth. There were only 8 humans that weren't turned against God and each other - and even some of them were a little sketchy.

Noah, 120 years before it started raining, was commanded to build a huge boat and preach repentance to a generation that he knew would reject him, mock him, try to kill him and then be destroyed.  His faith was such however, that as far as we know he was not a shipbuilder or animal trainer, yet was able to construct a 5-story ark and fill it with the necessary animals. We thought that his faith probably grew with each board he nailed onto the frame.  His commitment was such that along with the animals and his family, he boarded that ark 7 days before it started raining. Spencer W. Kimball remarked,

“there was no evidence of rain and flood. … His warnings were considered irrational. … How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual! But time ran out. The ark was finished. The floods came. The disobedient and rebellious were drowned. The miracle of the ark followed the faith manifested in its building” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 5–6).

This quote made me think how many "recommendations" from the prophets have seemed irrational to me? How many principles have I blown off thinking they don't really apply to me? I could count more than I wanted to admit. I'm learning to "hearken" better however, and am being blessed for it.

After the rain stopped, The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, the ark stopped floating, and the earth was cleansed (or baptized according to Pres. J. F. Smith), 8 months in all, Noah sent out a dove to see if the waters were abated from off the ground (Moses 8:8). I love the symbolism of the dove (a symbol of the Holy Ghost) bringing back an olive branch (a symbol of Jesus Christ and his people) and then the dove landing somewhere on the earth and staying. The earth could receive the Holy Ghost and have peace on it again. The gospel of Jesus Christ could once again be taught and be a source of healing.

The Lord then makes a covenant with Noah and all of us that He will never destroy the whole earth again.  The rainbow is the token of that covenant.  A covenant is a two-way promise however, and though it doesn't state what our end of the bargain is, I imagine if we as a human race do what we can to keep peace on the earth and to keep the earth from being corrupted with violence by our small acts of kindness, we will continue to see rainbows.

We are spouses, parents, friends, teachers and leaders like Noah -without much, if any, training.  We, like Noah, need to build personal arks to keep us and those for whom we have stewardship from drowning. It seems a little overwhelming. We are not without resources however.  We have prophets, scriptures, "For the Strength of Youth", hymns, general conference and by keeping our covenants, our most important resource, the Holy Ghost. For every small act of obedience, we secure a board onto our arks. Every time we fast and pray, or exercise or go to the temple, we strengthen our personal arks.  Every time we bite our tongue and say something kind instead to our spouse or go on a date, we strengthen our marriage arks. Every time we turn off the TV and play a game with our kids, or read our scriptures together, we strengthen our family arks. We can make our arks "tight" with commitment and covenant.  In Ether 6:7 we read,

"And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters"

The storms will come, the temptations will remain, but our choices and attitudes will make our arks strong and tight like Noah's. They may get battered around a bit, but if "we cry unto the Lord", they will be "brought forth again upon the TOP of the waters" and can float safely upon a sea of faith.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUuexH-3dBo 

"If Thou Doest Well, Thou Shalt Be Accepted"

MOSES 5-7

  Adam and Eve had many children. At one point Eve gave birth to a son and called him "Cain" and said " I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words." (Moses 5:16) We'll see that Cain was the first mortal mother's sad disappointment. They also had the righteous Seth who was the great grandfather of Enoch. Cain and Enoch's statements and actions in this lesson can show us a little bit of ourselves. If' we're not watchful, we could fall into some of the same traps - maybe not as dramatic - but destructive nonetheless. Or if we are watchful, we can make choices that will bring joy and happiness to ourselves and others around us. Attitudes lead to outcomes - which ones do we want?
  We begin by seeing the pride of Cain and that he has no interest in the teachings of his parents by stating, "Who is the Lord, that I should know him?" (Moses 5:16). I think like Cain, we confuse pride with self worth. We are taught in many scriptures that those that knew the Lord often "bowed down before him". Do we recoil from humility because it appears as groveling? Does God require humility just to put us in our place? Many felt that humility is how we get out of our own way. It is the pathway to receive light and knowledge necessary to gain true self worth. Pride and arrogance blocks true light and knowledge because we sadly assume that our finite minds and experience as well as the other pretentious intellectuals we choose to worship are enough.
Cain shows a deceptive nature by going through the religious motions, pretending to worship and faithlessly offers up the fruits of the field instead of the flock as is instituted. (Moses 5: 18-19). Even though this way of worship had been set up by the Lord and surely taught to Cain for years, he was still "wroth" when his sacrifice was not accepted. Typical - I make a willfully disobedient choice, but I'm angry at you for calling me on it.  Some of us felt uneasy as we recalled times when we were less than faithful in our worship, only went through the motions or when we thought our way was better than the way things were set up. Some wondered if sometimes the Lord sets things up in a way that seems inefficient or inconvenient to see if we will be faithful. Others thought that the Lord sets up his organization for a real purpose and if we perceive it to be inefficient or inconvenient, that's our  problem, not the Lord being petty. We also recognized the Lord as a perfect parent in that he states a law, ("And he gave unto them commandments, that they should ^aworship the Lord their God, and should offer the ^bfirstlings of their ^cflocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was ^dobedient unto the commandments of the Lord." Moses 5:5) then occasionally gives a reason for the law, ("This thing is a ^asimilitude of the ^bsacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of ^cgrace and ^dtruth." Moses 5:7), states the consequences ("If thou doest well, thou shalt be ^aaccepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan ^bdesireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will ^cdeliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire..." Moses 5:23), lets us choose, then follows through. Even though the Lord suffers when we face our difficult consequences (Moses 7: 25, 32-33,37), he doesn't keep them from us.  Therefore, we can trust that he will allow profitable consequences when we "doest well".
  Cain again show his colors when he steps further into the dark, kills his brother for his holdings, glories in his wickedness and states "I am free".  We decided Cain, like many of us, confused relief with freedom. There is always a false sense of relief when we choose to rid ourselves of church, familial - or any responsibility. Turns out that that sense of relief is just self-indulgence. That same self-indulgence is what generally binds us in the end.  Real freedom, according to 2 Nephi 2:25 is a knowledge of good and evil.  When we choose evil (self-indulgence), we begin to be decieved in thinking evil is good and now we can't tell the difference.  Real freedom is always knowing the difference and therefore always having the ability to choose between the two.
 The last statement of Cain's that was discussed was his famous "Am I my brother's keeper?" That question makes it clear that Cain "loves" Satan more than God (Moses 5:18) by its suggesting such pure self interest. In other words, Satan and Cain's whole modus operandi is "Your life for my gain" as opposed to Christ's "My life for your gain".
 Which now brings us to Enoch. Boy, do I wish we had more information about him! We immediately learn he is Cain's (Who is the Lord that I should know him?") pure opposite.(Who am I that the Lord should know me?) And when Enoch had heard these words, he ^abowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: ^bWhy is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people ^chate me; for I am ^dslow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant? (Moses 6:31)
  Enoch's choice to be humble gave him the ability to hear the Lord offer his help.  32 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy ^amouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good.

  33 Say unto this people: ^aChoose ye ^bthis day, to serve the Lord God who made you.

  34 Behold my ^aSpirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the ^bmountains shall flee before you, and the ^crivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore ^dwalk with me. (Moses 6:32-34)  Enoch's choice to have faith in the Lord's help turned his weaknesses (real or perceived) -I am slow of speech, all the people hate me - into tremendous strengths. 13 And so great was the ^afaith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he ^bspake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the ^cmountains fled, even according to his command; and the ^drivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so ^epowerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

  Enoch was charged to call many many wicked people to repentance. The physical manifestations of mountains being moved and rivers changing their course is symbolic to me of how the power of the word of the Lord and the example of a loving leader/parent/friend can change the course of a sinful or apathetic life and can move mountains of regret and guilt. Enoch's humility and choice to serve healed countless people and put them on not just the road to health and happiness, but the pathway to Zion, to know and live with God.

  I prayed that if we "doest well" and chose humilty, and service - being "our brother's keeper", we could let the Lord turn our weaknesses into strengths, inspire each other so that there would be "no poor among us", and then we could truly "be accepted" and like Enoch, "behold the Lord's abode forever."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGnLRxSNPiM

Lesson 4: "Because of my Transgression, My Eyes are Opened" or "I Rejoice"

MOSES 4; 5:10-15; 6:48-62

We started with an explanation of Heavenly Father's three part plan to bring about our salvation or "immortality and eternal life" (see Moses 1:39). The first part, the creation, we spoke of last week. This week we focused on The Fall and The Atonement.
We watched a video of Elder Nelson talk of God's commandments to Adam and Eve. The first was to "be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth" (Moses 2:28). The second was "not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Moses 3:17). By keeping the first commandment, they would have to transgress the second commandment to find out HOW to multiply and replenish the earth.  By keeping the second commandment, they would transgress the first by living in innocence forever. Hmmm. A conundrum. This conundrum however, brought about the opportunity for agency, choice and accountability. It is important to note that we consider Eve, and then Adam to be courageous and noble, not foolish and sinful by choosing to transgress the second commandment in order to be obedient to the first. I love that Elder Nelson described "the fall" as a "fall forward, not a fall down".

We next discussed Elder Oaks description of transgression vs. sin.  He states: “… We celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall. … Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: ‘I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin.’ …

“This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (italics added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 98; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73).  I finally GET it!

We were then reminded of the results of the Fall for Adam and Eve - and for us.

a. Adam and Eve were able to have children, which allowed us to come to earth and receive mortal bodies (Moses 5:11; 6:48; 2 Nephi 2:23, 25).

b. We experience physical death, or separation of the physical body from the spirit (Moses 4:25; 6:48; 2 Nephi 9:6).
c. We experience spiritual death, or separation from God’s presence (Moses 4:29; 6:49; 2 Nephi 9:6).
d. We are partakers of misery and woe (Moses 6:48; Genesis 3:16–17).
e. We are capable of sinning (Moses 6:49, 55; 2 Nephi 2:22–23).
f. The ground is cursed, causing us to need to work (Moses 4:23–25; Genesis 3:17–19).
g. We can learn to recognize good and evil (Moses 4:28; 6:55–56; 2 Nephi 2:23; Genesis 3:22).
h. We can have joy in mortality (Moses 5:10; 2 Nephi 2:23, 25).
i. We can know the joy of our redemption (Moses 5:11).

j. We can obtain eternal life (Moses 5:11).

Of course, there's always the comment about having children and misery and death are in the same consequence category. I thought about the word "cursed" and how that is an interesting word to use for a consequence that so clearly brings self-worth. I also thought it was interesting in the testimony of Adam in Moses 5:10 he began to "be filled and to prophesy". By choosing to have knowledge and therefore temptation, he chose to feel the Holy Ghost. By choosing knowledge and trials, he chose to "open his eyes and know joy in this life". In Moses 5:11, Eve testifies that by choosing knowledge and pain, she chose to "have seed" - have family. By choosing knowledge and sacrificing innocence, she chose to know good from evil and therefore brought about the atonement and the "joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient."

We finished by quickly (ran out of time as always) touched on the Atonement (how can you quickly talk of the Atonement???). We basically reminded ourselves that as the Fall brought on physical and spiritual death,  through the Atonement then, all are freely resurrected or receive a restoration of physical life. However, for those that choose  to pay the price of faith on Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, then there is the opportunity to restore spiritual life or eternal life - life WITH Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.  One is a freebie, one we have the opportunity to choose to pay for.

There were testimonies borne of  love for the Savior, for the Atonement and gratitude to our first parents for their courageous and righteous choices. There was also the recognition and understanding that this life requires challenges, trials, and pain. If we didn't have those things, we wouldn't come to Christ and really know Him. It was stated that it's important to not just gloss over difficulties. They should be acknowledged and felt.  When we allow ourselves the pain of trials, we allow ourselves to need healing. The Atonement, when truly utilized with a broken heart and contrite spirit, does not just cover up pain like a band-aid or a sedative, it heals the wound completely, so you are made whole and then able to bless the life of the next person that faces that trial and pain. It's part of our mortal journey, part of the plan.

Words to the song "I Rejoice" by Sharlene Wells Hawkes (Sung by Katie Gurney, Accompanied by Michelle Sundwall)

I used to walk with God, I used to sing with angels
My feet were bare on the sweet tender grass, I was sure of a world I knew well.
I'd never been afraid, no harm had ever touched me;
Then I put out my hand and at once, there was darkness where light used to be.

There on a hill; it was as if the wind stood still,
Holding a breath, as I walked the pathway - from life to death
Tears run down, and I know the pain of my choice
But not for those tears, with my eyes now clear
I Rejoice!

Our children we will hold, through all our joy, our sorrow.
No longer will the earth care for us, now we'll make it a home on our own
And we'll call on our God even stronger than before
He'll lift us from our fall to be greater than we were...when we were...

There on a hill; it was as if the wind stood still,

Holding a breath, as I walked the pathway - from life to death

Tears run down, and I know the pain of my choice
But not for those tears, with my eyes now clear
I Rejoice!