Understanding the Character of God: The Atonement and C. S. Lewis

February 24, 2014

For family home evening tonight we had a discussion about the Atonement, because my grandma gave a talk about it in sacrament today.  In the talk she shared the story by President Packer, I believe, about a man who went into debt, and when the time came to pay his debt he didn't have enough; he begged the creditor for mercy.  The creditor responded by telling him that mercy would only benefit him, but the original agreement benefited both of them, which is why they both agreed - and he demanded justice. Then the debtor's friend came and offered to pay the debt and become the man's new creditor.  As I listened to it today I wondered why we always use the analogy of money, because it always seems to come short of answering the questions I have. You can have someone else pay a debt for you and the creditor will be perfectly happy - assuming they're not vengeful - but like Amulek says "Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay. But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world."

So how does God's law, which is just, accept the life of the murderer's Brother?  As we were discussing this tonight I finally understood: Christ took our sins upon Himself like a parent would take legal responsibility for the actions of their child.  He is literally the God of this world: He gave us the law and the commandments, and is responsible before the Father for how well we follow those commandments.  He has already suffered the consequences of all of our actions so that we don't have to suffer - if we will come unto Him. He "counted His will as naught, and said, O Lord thy will be done," and the only payment He asks of us in return for the price He paid is our will, but ultimately even that He will give back to us, and in better condition than when we gave it up.

I finished reading The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis this week, and when we came to this point in the conversation it reminded me of a vignette from the book - my favorite part of the whole book.  In this short scene one of the ghosts, (they're all in the after life) who hasn't yet decided if he wants to stay in Heaven or if he wants to go back to Hell, has a lizard on his shoulder, whispering things in his ear, telling him he should go back to Hell - and he would give him good dreams, pleasant dreams that are practically innocent, and he'll behave this time, just as long as the man/ghost goes back to Hell (though he didn't call it that.) While this is happening a angel of light comes up to him, stretches out his hands - which are very nearly glowing with fire - so that he's nearly touching the lizard - and asks "May I kill the lizard?"  The man recoils at the thought, and tries to make excuses for the creature. The Angel asks again "May I kill it?" The ghost starts to mumble about why he even bothered asking, why didn't he just kill it before and get it over with so he didn't have to make the choice. the Angel responds by explaining that he has to have permission first, then asks again, "May I kill it?" "Will it hurt me? Will it burn?" "Yes, it will, but it won't kill you.  May I kill it?"  Finally the ghost consents. So the angel grabs the lizard off the man's shoulder, twists it in half, then throws it to the ground. As he does the man recoils in pain, then grows brighter until he becomes an Angel of light himself.  After this the lizard's body transforms into a magnificent stallion, which carries the new angel into the presence of God.

(I love this story so much, and I very much want to paint a picture of the moment right before the ghost decides to let the angel kill the lizard.)

Relating the story to the discussion about the Atonement, our will is the only thing separating us from the presence of God - Christ is standing next to us waiting, asking to take our sins, waiting for us to give our will to Him.  What makes the process so powerful is that we give it up completely, that we are willing to let it die, permanently, without any thought of getting it back; and it hurts, it burns like crazy, but once we completely surrender our will to His, than He gives it back to us and it becomes the means by which we come into the presence of God

Understanding the Character of God: Introduction

The next series of posts are excerpts from letters I've been sending to some of my friends who are on missions, with the thoughts I've been having as I've been studying the Character of God.  This post is the back story, I'll post the rest of my thoughts over the next couple weeks - and then probably weekly as I send them to my missionaries.

February 3, 2014

I was reading in 2 Nephi 6, and Jacob said he was going to recount the words of Isaiah so that the people may "learn and glorify the name of God." I thought that was a particularly powerful way to describe the next series of chapters that follow.  I think I want to get a new Book of Mormon, and possibly all the standard works, and read and mark them with the express purpose of learning the character, or name, of God. Elder Holland said that the Book of Mormon provides the most complete depiction of the character of God, because of it's clarity and simplicity.

As I was sitting in Sacrament meeting today, people were bearing they're testimonies and I started thinking of areas I wanted to have a stronger testimony in, then a quote came to my mind and started playing on loop - A testimony is found in the bearing of it. So I got up and bore my testimony, and I felt so good afterwards, I love bearing my testimony. It must be so wonderful to have so many opportunities to testify to people every day! I'm going to work on finding/creating more opportunities to bare my testimony, be a member missionary like I'm supposed to be :)

Response from Jared, February 3, 2014

I like that idea to mark up the BoM, and eventually all of the standard works, with the intent of learning the character and perfections of God. Joseph Smith said in his lectures on faith that learning of the perfections and attributes of God is necessary to becoming like Him, which makes sense, but I believe he also said that by learning them we grow in faith, which is cool. Do it!

February 10, 2014

Jared shared a quote from Elder Holland in his general letter last week that I think has been very applicable to me this week, about how one of the attributes of the Spirit is that it's provocative, and the best time to challenge someone to act is while they're feeling "provoked".  I've been feeling that a lot recently, and learning how to use the provocation as momentum to commit myself to act - and the more I act the stronger the feeling gets, and the easier it is to act. For example, one of those moments came after a reply of "Do it!" to my telling Jared I thought it would be cool to mark up the scriptures with the intent of learning the character of God. And I did it. Well, I started it.  I went to the distribution center on Wednesday - because that was the soonest I could get there - and bought a new quad.

One thing I learned while marking up my new scriptures this week is that God gave us the scriptures to teach us about Him, and He gave us the commandments to help us become like Him.  God wants us to know who He is, and to have a personal relationship with Him, to know Him.  All the prophets testify of Him and try to help us more fully understand His works so we can more fully understand Him. "All things testify of Christ" and teach us about His character.

February 16, 2014

 I've found I've been learning less than I thought I would, just having the intention to learn more about the character of God as I read. Having a specific question in mind about the character of God will probably be very helpful, like you said. Preston had a cool way of stating it, too, he said: "Because after all, every single word in the Book of Mormon (and the other scriptures too, but the BOM particularly) is an answer to a question. But we only see it as an answer, and thus as inspiration, when the question is in our minds." 

I think I'm also going to start writing a "conference talk" on the character of God every week - or maybe every month - to help with that, too. because, as you've probably learned much better than I have, you learn much more when you're preparing to teach someone else than when you're studying for yourself.  I'm not sure what I'll do with my talks/speeches after I write them, though. Probably post them on my blog, and if they're any good I may send them to you on occasion :)

I was reading through some old conference Ensigns this week, and I found this quote, that seemed precious and sacred as I read it. I think I want to hang it on the wall in my bedroom:

Although our thoughts are centered in this sacred and solemn assembly on the noble titles High Priest, President, Apostle, Prophet, Seer, Revelator, the heavens are not offended if we at once speak of father, mother, child, brother, sister, family: even dad, mom, grandma, grandpa, baby.

If you are reverent and prayerful and obedient, the day will come when there will be revealed to you why the God of heaven has commanded us to address him as Father, and the Lord of the Universe as Son. Then you will have discovered the Pearl of Great Price spoken of in the scriptures and willingly go and sell all that you have that you might obtain it. (Boyd K Packer, April 1995)

The Next Shakespeare

This is an old essay I dug up from 3 years ago.  Granted it could use some polishing, but I thought it was interesting.

In every culture since the dawn of time there have been storytellers.  These may come in the form of poets, such as Homer; playwrights like Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus;  historians, Herodotus, Flavius Josephus, to name a few.  And all throughout history, and all throughout time, someone has had a tale to tell; perhaps the most well know is Shakespeare, who could be called all three – Poet, Historian, Playwright.  William Shakespeare is, arguably, the greatest playwright of all time; he had depth of understanding of human nature that few men ever gain, and he was skilled in the vivid portrayal thereof – his tragedies pluck upon the heart strings of those who hear, and his haunting scene linger in the depths of one’s mind.  It is easy to say that once viewed, the scene where Macbeth kills king Duncan out of lust for power2, or Juliet falls upon her dagger in sorrow3, will not be soon forgotten.

President Brigham Young Said:

Upon the stage of a theater can be represented in character, evil and its  consequences, good and its happy results and rewards ; the weakness and the follies of man, the magnanimity of virtue and the greatness of truth. The stage can be made to aid the pulpit in impressing upon the minds of a community an enlightened sense of a virtuous life, also a proper horror of the enormity of sin and a just dread of its consequences. The path of sin with its thorns and pitfalls, its gins and snares can be revealed, and how to shun it.4

        I find it quite fascinating, that a Prophet of the Lord can reveal truth to the world, but it takes the world some times more than two-hundred years to “figure it out for themselves.”  I recently came across a study called “The Persuasive Effects of Fictional Narratives,” which states almost exactly what Brigham Young did, only in a more ‘scientific’ way.  The article says this:  “Fictional narrative [is] a powerful means of altering our world view – more powerful indeed than most nonfictional persuasive attempts which often produce at most short-lived persuasive effects that decline rather quickly.”5

                    Unfortunately this works equally as well for truth as it does deceit.   President Brigham Young also had this to say on the subject of plays:        

Tragedy is favored by the outside world, I am not in favor of it. I do not wish murder and all its horrors and the villainy leading to it portrayed before our women and children; I do not want the child to carry home with it the fear of the fagot, the sword, the pistol, or the dagger, and suffer in the night from frightful dreams. I want such-plays performed as will make the spectators feel well ; and I wish those who perform to select a class of plays that will improve the public mind, and exalt the literary taste of the community.

While Shakespeare may be the greatest playwright, he most definitely is not the most virtuous, even without all the Freudian interpretation, I do not believe Shakespeare’s plays fit within the bounds Brigham Young set.  Shakespeare may have a profound understanding of human nature, he may be skilled in connecting with the human nature of his audience, but the human nature he portrays, appeals to, connects with, glorifies, and makes humorous is fallen, base human nature.  Now, not everything he writes is dirty, dark, or murderous, there is the transcendent:  Portia’s soliloquy about mercy and justice is moving and inspirational, as is King Henry V’s famous battle cry, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;/For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother!...” But scattered and sprinkled all throughout the rest of the play is lewd humor, and fallen human nature.  This is not to say Shakespeare was evil, or that we should stop reading his works altogether, but it is a plea.  A cry.  Can’t there be something better?  Is there no one who can write plays as great as Shakespeare’s, but Write plays that appeal to the exalted human nature, to that which is good and virtuous within us, to the noble soul we each posses?  Someone who will write plays of repentance, of joy, rather than murder, and the inevitable hell that follows?  President Spencer W. Kimball, said:

Everybody quotes Shakespeare. This English poet and dramatist was prodigious in his productions. His Hamlet and Othello and King Lear and Macbeth are only preludes to the great mass of his productions. Has anyone else ever been so versatile, so talented, so remarkable in his art? And yet could the world produce only one Shakespeare? 6

He then continues to explain that because that we have the restored gospel on the earth today, the fullness of truth, we should be able to create works as great, or even greater, but works of virtue, goodness and light.

Would God only produce one Shakespeare?  But who will the next Shakespeare be?  In the last Forty years since President Kimball gave that address no one has stepped up.

Who will be the next Shakespeare?  Perhaps, it will be me.

Who will be the next Bach? DaVinci? Plato?  Perhaps, it will be you.

Works Cited

1. DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG page 376

2. See MacBeth Act 2 Scene 2

3. See Romeo and Juliet act 5 scene 3

4. DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG page 376

5. Persuasive Effects of Fictional Narratives Increase Over, Time Markus Appel and Tobias Richter University of Cologne, accepted for publication in the journal Media Psychology

6. Spencer W. Kimball, "The Gospel Vision of the Arts", Ensign, July 1977, 3 (Emphasis added)