1:6
Is it possible to be a mean Christian? Yes and no.
Yes. We have seen others, who claim to be Christian, be unkind. We see ourselves, as Christians, be unkind. Being Christian doesn’t mean that we are perfect. We are working to be like Christ but fall short.
No. If we are true Christians, than we won’t be mean or unkind or disrespectful. If we are true Christians, than we will see each other as brothers and sisters who are all works in progress and dependent on the Savior of us all. We will be striving for the qualities of “brotherly kindness” and “charity.”
The key is where the emphasis lies in the statement: “I am a Christian.” If we were to say it with this emphases: “I AM a Christian” rather than “I am a CHRISTIAN” that might help us focus on our discipleship rather than our identity. It’s one thing to identify as a Christian - it’s entirely something different to living as a disciple of Christ.
Many of us, including me, say that we are Christians but are then unkind to the frustrating people we bump into on the road or in public. We may be quick to criticize or gossip. We may hold grudges. We may judge unrighteously. Our “seemingly good feelings” shouldn’t be “more pretended than real.”
How many disagreements between Christians spiral into a “strife of words and a contest about opinions.” I’ve witnessed two Christians appear to not care about the feelings of the other person. It appeared that being right was much more important than being Christian. It should not be this way.
1:10-11-12
Joseph Smith was in a predicament. “In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” He was literally in a situation where there was no earthly solution. He couldn’t rely on family, friends, neighbors, the scriptures, the different pastors for the answer to his question. No source on earth was available.
Fortunately, he came across this scripture. “While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” God was the only source of truth in this case. This is the perfect situation where God likes to step in. He doesn’t want to solve our problems for us. He doesn’t want to do things that we can do ourselves. But, he loves to intervene after us humans have done all that we can do. This is God’s pattern. So, if we lack wisdom, we should do all that we can to gain the wisdom we need. It may be just a matter of studying something out in our mind and making a decision then asking God for His confirmation.
“Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.” Joseph was aware of his lack of earthly options. He was truly relying on the Lord. Joseph was an excellent example of faith.
1:14
It’s interesting that Joseph describes his actions as an “attempt.” “So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.” The definition of attempt is “an act of trying to achieve something, typically one that is unsuccessful or not certain to succeed.” Joseph was clearly uncertain whether his effort to gain wisdom would be successful. He was unaccustomed to praying in this manner.
This is a good indicator for me that I am not unlike others who make attempts to elevate our discipleship. I do things without certainty that I’ll be successful. This, I see, is the very definition of faith. For us to grow, we’ve got to become comfortable with stepping into the unknown.
1:15, 20, 21-22
“After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.” This is Satan’s pattern of reacting to good decisions or events in our lives. He wants us to be miserable. If he sees any effort in becoming less aligned with his wicked ways, he throws obstacles in our path. He can’t literally throw a boulder in front of us. But he can whisper doubts into our minds. He can whisper criticisms in our friends minds to speak out against us. We should always plan on opposition when making good decisions.
Joseph later wrote, “It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?” Satan knew exactly who Joseph was and what he was going to do. Satan didn’t want it to happen and did all that he could to prevent it.
Satan attacked Joseph but also worked through others. “Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before mentioned religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.” Why would this preacher have such a strong reaction? What bubbled up in him? What thoughts percolated in his mind and where did those thoughts come from? His reaction was outsized for the situation. The reason for the overreaction, in my opinion, was whisperings from the devil.
The rejection was universal. “I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me.” There is no explanation other than these other church leaders were, at the very least, motivated by the pride of the world. Joseph’s teachings threatened their own influence among the people. If what Joseph was preaching was accepted by the people, there would soon be a very obvious difference in validity. I also think that Satan was hard at work and had a dozen demons surrounding each preacher - constantly whispering these wicked thoughts.
1:16
“But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.” Sometimes, this is how we are delivered. It isn’t until the third or fourth watch that our deliverance comes. Being a disciple isn’t about avoiding trials. God doesn’t rescue us at the onset of our trials.
1:19
“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’” This appears harsh. What’s the problem with the other religions attempting to teach from the Bible?
First, Jesus could have been speaking about the different pastors in the area where Joseph was experimenting. It’s very possible that the local Methodist and Presbyterian pastors could have been corrupt. They could have been hypocritical and teaching to get gain rather than for the glory of Jesus. It could be that their narcissistic, self-important perspective was giving them permission to “teach for doctrines the commandments of men.” Certainly, none of these men had the priesthood. They had the appearance of being chosen but were never actually called.
Now, are there pastors and preachers today that fit into this same category. Yes. Are there also sincere followers of Christ who happen to gain a following and have sincere desires to bring others to Him? Of course. Is this a good thing? Yes. There are good church leaders and good followers of those leaders. The result is more people having faith in Jesus Christ.
Is there any downside to this good thing? Consider this analogy. Imagine someone was producing pianos without any black keys. Could people create inspiring music with only the white keys? Of course. Could you gather followers of your beautiful white-key music? Yes. Is it possible that you’d gather followers who were against any other color of keys? Perhaps. It could be that your white-key followers are so committed that they would automatically reject any piano that had black keys.
The question is, what are the white-key followers missing? How could their music be even more fulfilling and beautiful? What songs are they missing? Their ability to create beautiful music was limited and they don’t even know it. Since they are sincere believers in only white-key pianos, they would reject the more full picture that only white and black keys can produce. They’re missing out.
Okay, so this is a limited, slightly lame analogy of the true church vs. a non-true church. The problem with other churches is that they can fulfill others’ needs for the spiritual. That religion’s teachings could bring someone closer to Christ. Those churches may be the followers’ first contact with Jesus Christ. That’s a good thing. However, the fulfillment they feel could be the very thing that prevents them from joining the true and living church on the earth. Consider the teachings that they are missing out on:
We are God’s children and have the potential to become like Him.
There is additional revelation given to modern day prophets.
Our connection and kinship with Jesus Christ.
The Book of Mormon is additional scripture that can clarify many teachings about faith vs. works, the nature of the fall and Christ’s atonement, baptizing children, etc.
There are opportunities for us to serve those who have died.
What does “saved” mean? How are we we’ll saved vs. how our choices matter?
What does it mean to be called? What opportunities do average church members have to serve their congregation?
I could list 100 things. We have so many advantages to belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ. I could also say that one thing that keeps people from joining the church is the fact that there are other Christian religions. Many Christian religions will go so far as to preach negatively about Christ’s true church. That’s not a good thing. You could say that standing in the way of someone joining our church is abominable.
1:24-26
Joseph felt like Paul. “I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.” When I read stories about people in the past who suffered because of their testimonies, it’s challenging for me to really empathize. Historical figures are hard for me to connect with. It’s worthwhile to make the attempt…
Paul was renown as Saul. He was respected and admired. He left all of that. Not only did he leave his high station, he entered a world where he was “ridiculed and reviled.” Imagine that you were an officer of your religion with a reputation. Imagine turning your back on it. Now imagine traveling to a faraway place to teach your new beliefs to people who mostly rejected you. It would be so hard. It’s one thing that people rejected him - it’s a whole other level that people think you’re crazy or a liar.
Paul’s experience strengthens me in my desire to stand up for what I believe. It also strengthened Joseph. “So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” Joseph feared God more than man.
Chances are we will not be asked to sacrifice our reputation and our very lives for the gospel. But consider what ways we may be fearing man more than God. Are we willing to sacrifice worldly opportunities to stay true to the standards of the church?
I love the certainty of Paul and Joseph. Their vision was true and that was that. They decided that they would be true to what they knew. They weren’t re-deciding every day if they would stay true to what they knew. “I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned—that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed. I had found the testimony of James to be true—that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain, and not be upbraided.” I also admire that Joseph didn’t have all of the answers but he knew enough to affect his course. Most of us don’t know all the mysteries of God - but we know enough to maintain our course.
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