In response to a comment left on the previous post “Keeping Covenants” I write the following.
While I was initially writing my talk I thought maybe I should clarify a couple of items but decided that the intended audience would understand, but now I see I need to clarify as I have presented this talk to a much wider audience. I am hesitant to post what I have written as this may make me out to be a religious fanatic or some crazy lunatic, which I might be, but I guess if I believe what I have already stated previously that I must hold up the light which is Christ then stating what I have below is not wrong as my intent is humble and I seek truth and understanding.
In the quote by Sister Ann Dibb she speaks of blessings of being a member of the LDS church. The blessings of which she is speaking include the covenants that members of the LDS church have entered into with God for which she is expressing gratitude, but she is also expressing gratitude for what the covenants enable her to do as an LDS church member. My purpose was to show the significance of covenants in the life of an LDS church member which is why adding that the blessings are “everything” as stated by President Monson, president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was important.
In general, a covenant is something that exceeds the bounds of this life and our present understanding of time. It is essentially eternal by nature and as such must be viewed from that perspective. Given its nature it is difficult to weigh its importance within the bounds of just this life. Though a covenant in this life may act like an anchor giving one guidance and stability in a world full of disruption and commotion a more important purpose (in my opinion) is that a covenant binds us to eternity or to God.
Entering into a covenant with God means to accept and keep his commandment and in return receive something from him. It is essentially a promise between two individuals but with more meaning and ritual involved. As Sister Dibb remarks, the blessings of being a member of the church are part of the return received from God but the covenant is not complete just because one made a covenant or received a blessing, as a covenant is eternal by nature and does not end there.
The question is asked whether or not one can have fulfillment in this life and not be a member of the LDS church. I say one can have whatever life one wants, and can fill it with whatever one wants. Whether it is fulfilling is dependent on how the individual defines fulfillment. Entering into a covenant with God does not make my life fulfilled but rather moves me a step closer to knowing and understanding God. Going back to an earlier reference, making covenants is like following the rod of iron to the Tree of Life. I have seen a figurative tree as Lehi did and I want to partake of the fruit. In order for me to get it I must follow the prescribed path laid out by one who has authority and knowledge to guide me. I believe that authority is God as described by the LDS church and the covenants I make are an essential part of the plan that he has authored.
I don’t believe that fulfillment can happen in this life regardless of religion, but this life is a stepping stone to the next phase in the eternal progression. Additionally, I do believe that the covenants I have made with God as a member of the LDS church are taking me in the right direction in that eternal progression, and that is where I want to go.
As for those who are not members of the LDS church, I believe, and it is taught as doctrine, that all people will have an opportunity to knowingly receive or reject the “blessings” that God has to offer. That time may not be while alive in this state but rather after you die. I do believe that in order for one to have the fulfillment as God intended then the covenants must be made as prescribed by the LDS church, but that is only if one wants that type or kind of fulfillment.
I ask the same question again as I did previously, and as Alma
Additionally, I mentioned that there are those who did not grab hold of the iron rod and were left to themselves or to Satan, but I should clarify by stating that they are left to whichever god, dogma, or philosophy they choose. To make a broader application of the figurative tree, everyone, LDS or not, finds their own tree that bears them fruit and they go after it. It is a matter of where you choose to place your faith or whether you choose to have faith at all.
For those who are LDS and have made covenants with God they should realize that these covenants are not something idle but need to be treated with upmost importance. For those who have not entered into the covenants per the LDS church, they are still left to decide what they will do. As Lehi’s dream describes, all people are out in the midst of darkness trying to find their way. Where they are going is up to the individual though it could be argued that there are other forces in play as well (e.g. addiction, mental illness, peer pressure, or pride) which dictate to a degree one’s behavior.
I think the following conversation between Jesus and his disciples is appropriate to highlight here as it suggests why I, and I assume most LDS members and other Christians, follow Christ.
John 6:66-69 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou are that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Similarly, it is my choice whether I stay and follow Christ or leave. It is the same for everyone, but I choose to follow him.
Can one live a fulfilling life and not be a member of the LDS church? Yes, because the individual defines it as such.
Do other religions say the same thing? As I have explained it I would say no.
Does being a member of the LDS church bring me automatic happiness? No, but there is a lot of potential happiness in store.
Do I believe that fulfillment is subjective? Only to a degree as I think there are limited capacities to many types of fulfillment that are possible, but obtaining fulfillment is according to what one desires and is a personal journey (i.e. in Lehi’s dream there was no one keeping each person’s hand holding the rod of iron as they went along though there were outside influence all around).
Do I think that happiness is a one size fits all? No, but there are common universal threads.
Are there those who will find more fulfillment outside of religion and the LDS church? Yes, because that is how they decide to define it and shape it, but here is where I start to wonder about limited capacities.
Do I believe that the LDS church is the right place for everyone or can one find the most happiness possibly desired in the LDS church? Yes, but only if he/she, as I previously stated, has a desire to enter into the path, is humble to do all that God asks, has faith in the power and authority of God, hopes in the promised blessings, and strives to obtain charity otherwise no.
5 comments:
Corb,
Thanks for the reply. I was going to note in my question (on the other post) that I should take into account the audience for which you were writing/speaking, but I was curious nevertheless.
Regarding this post, it clarified a lot for me, and I think that our differing definitions are (a) due to our differing conceptions of time/reality/life/etc. and (b) different enough that we'll have to agree to disagree. I do want to make a couple of points - which popped in my head while reading the post - but they should be taken with a grain of salt.
First, if a covenant exceeds the bounds of this life, then certainly a covenant is a gamble (since whatever lies beyond this life, if anything, is uncertain). And this can work multiple ways. For example, I’ve heard more than a couple of devoutly religious people who are lamenting about how unhappy they are in this life say something to the extent of: “at least I will have the afterlife to look forward to”. That, in my view, would be a terrible gamble for such people. If one finds satisfaction and purpose and (possibly) fulfillment and happiness (etc.) *in this life* as well as in the possible afterlife, this would be a fantastic thing. But if one finds their current life – which is the only completely certain life – to be morose, then the gamble can lead to thoughts and actions which would quite possibly destroy both this life and the possible next life. So given that the covenants, and possibly the fulfillment, must be fully attained or realized only after death, one ought to sort out both ends of the spectrum (i.e. the certain temporal and possible – maybe even plausible on some accounts – eternal) in order to partake, as it were, in the full capacity of that fulfillment and happiness. (Granting, of course, that the majority of religious people are not so unhappy in this life – or at least I hope not.)
Secondly, discussing fulfillment (or happiness for that matter) through different definitions is tricky – and especially so when juxtaposed with the question of whether or not such concepts are subjective. I assume most people will agree that fulfillment is a kind of completion or state of being as fully satisfied as one can be; whereas happiness could be a process which fluctuates from moment to moment. Given the nature of fulfillment, then, it seems that it is either (a) up to the individual (subjectively) or (b) up to the individual *and* that which sets the scope of such an existing concept – i.e. a god. So, given that I don’t believe in any such creator (or god), option (b) is non-existent to me, and in that respect, I may be missing out on some greater fulfillment. But (a) – as I see it – is available to anyone in this life. And although it remains subjective, it is just as real as anything other phenomenological experience we have.
So I suppose it comes down to a wager of sorts. Do we "settle for," and become happy with, the subjective temporal fulfillment, and strive for that? Or do we strive for some greater, objective, eternal fulfillment – which might quite possibly have the potential to cost one the former kind of fulfillment (and especially some degree of happiness) as a result - such as in the case of those morose people mentioned above.
As for you and I, Corb - given our previous discussions - I think that whatever happens and whatever turns out to actually be true, we will both approach with caution, curiosity, and a will to discover the way things *really* are. And if that is one's underlying goal - to discover truth - I can't imagine a theist such as yourself dying unfulfilled if nothing comes after or an atheist such as myself never reaching fulfillment even if something does come after. But, then again, I could just be wrong.
PS:
Once again I forgot something. Given part of what you said in your post, I wanted to note that Kierkegaard often said in his writings: faith is not something that one has, rather it is something that one must reaffirm from moment to moment. (This, of course, is not a direct quote.)
I enjoy your thoughtful comments Jorgen, and hope you may come to DC sometime, so that I can sit in on a conversation between you and Corb, and be the agnostic in the middle.
Jorgen, in response to your first point, in the same vein the opposite is true and not entering into a covenant is also a gamble. Indeed every covenant into which one enters needs to be done with caution and understanding but also faith in the other party as with any agreement. Your second point and Kierkegaard quote are agreeable.
I think that in the eternal trajectory toward fulfillment one can have aims that make this life fulfilling. It states in the Book of Mormon that “man is that he might have joy” which entails that the process of becoming fulfilled can be laden with positive experiences and happiness and does not leave man in a destitute state even though his goal is beyond his comprehension.
As for you and I, I couldn’t agree more.
Beezus, let this be your warm invitation to join us anytime.
It's interesting to read these different perspectives. Fulfillment and happiness are always hard to gauge, especially if you have the kind of mind that is always anxious to learn more, understand more. I imagine the most fulfilled mind being one that recognizes its own lack of knowledge and is hopeful of learning and internalizing more truth as time goes on.
You've also got me thinking about why I have chosen to enter the covenants I have, and my reasons are reflected in some of the things Jorgen has said. For me, the decision to enter covenants has been based on a mingling of total confidence in what I do know, and hope in what I don't know. That confidence and hope have been enough to make it feel vital and necessary to make a commitment (via covenant, for example) and propel myself from there. To illustrate—when I read the introductory pages to the Book of Mormon, I had an extraordinary feeling of elation, and a feeling as if I had finally found something essential that I had been looking for for ages. I had thought of the Book of Mormon as something for my friends, not for me, and to be honest, I still thought if it that way. But I also knew that I had felt something real and extraordinary, and I had to learn more. I went to bed with a weighty feeling of consequence. I had felt something, and I knew that I had felt it, and I had two choices then—to either pursue it and consider making it part of my life; or ignore it, and live the rest of my life knowing that there was something real there, and that I had chosen to ignore it. I honestly thought of Plato at the time, and his allegory of the cave (even though I didn't know anything about Plato really, and still don't, since our Republic reading group hasn't yet gotten to Book VII). I had seen the blue sky. I wasn't quite sure what was there, but I had seen the blue sky, and as beautiful as cave life might be, there was no going back to thinking that the world of the blue sky didn't exist.
Since then, it seems all of the covenant decisions I have made have been similar. I confront something genuinely good and true, and I want to pursue it, hold fast to it, even if there is a lot I don't know.
Now this is all from a personal perspective, not objective or universal. I would make a terrible philosopher. But maybe that's my point—that my experience is quite similar to what Jorgen has said, if you also add in the personal experience, the unexpected quickening of the soul that happens when you come across a sense or an idea that seems to be bigger than the existence you've known, which quickening I think of as the light of Christ. It's quite a spark, isn't it? And it changes everything.
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